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Book Review – Pagan Portals: Harvest Home by Mélusine Draco
Book Review Pagan Portals: Harvest Home by Mélusine Draco Moon Books 96 Pages Publication date: August 25, 2022 This book, one of a series of Pagan Portal shorts, focuses on two of the three harvest festivals: Lammas/Lughnasadh and the Autumnal Equinox/Mabon. Mélusine Draco presents the history, customs, traditions, symbolism, and folklore associated with a variety of autumn festivals from “ye olden days,” when emphasis switches from the goddess to a “male domination of the seasonal rites.” Harvest celebrations occur over a number of weeks, as the crops are gathered, culminating with the cutting of the last sheaves of Lammas grain,…
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Book Review – The Medicine Wheel by Barry Goddard
Book Review The Medicine Wheel: Maps of Transformation, Wholeness, and Balance by Barry Goddard Publisher: Moon Books 320 Pages Publication date: October 1, 2022 Barry has done a great job of presenting the Medicine Wheel in a completely different fashion. As did many of us did during Covid lockdowns he had an opportunity to embrace a shift in his way of thinking. Although the inspiration for his book may have been born in 2006 when he began his shamanic and astrology blogs it was not until 2021 that he began assembling this longer piece of writing to share his learnings.…
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Book Review – Ossman & Steel’s Classic Household Guide to Appalachian Folk Healing by Jake Richards
Book Review Ossman & Steel’s Classic Household Guide to Appalachian Folk Healing: A Collection of Old-Time Remedies, Charms, and Spells By Jack Richards Foreword by Silver Ravenwolf Publisher: Weiser Books 122 pages Publication: August 1, 2022 From the publisher: “A long-treasured but forgotten classic of folk healing, with an introduction and commentary by the author of Backwoods Witchcraft and Doctoring the Devil. Ossman & Steel’s Guide to Health or Household Instructor (its original title) is a collection of spells, remedies, and charms. The book draws from the old Pennsylvania Dutch and German powwow healing practices that in turn helped shape…
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Book Review – Ancient Fayerie: Stories of the Celtic Sidhe and How to Connect to the Otherworldly Realms by Melanie Godfrey
Book Review Ancient Fayerie Stories of the Celtic Sidhe and How to Connect to the Otherworldly Realms by Melanie Godfrey Publisher: Moon Books 136 Pages Publication Date: September 1, 2022 The author takes you on a journey into the heart of the Celtic fayerie worlds… where trolls roam through sylvan glades… where dragons dwell amid mountain ranges… where at night, through sapphire skies, moonbeams descend on faeries, dancing. Ancient Fayerie reveals ways by which you can unite with these mystical worlds as you reconnect with nature and realise that you are not separate from Mother Earth. “Faerie contains many things besides elves and fays, and besides dwarfs, witches,…
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Book Review – The Little Book of Tibetan Rites and Rituals by Judy Tsuei
Book Review The Little Book of Tibetan Rites and Rituals by Judy Tsuei Publisher: Ulysses Press Publication Date: March 22, 2022 144 pages Tibetan Buddhism is a centuries old religion that many are running to find books, websites, videos, and anything else they can to learn how to incorporate into their daily lives. “The goal of the Five Tibetan Rights, – and generally all Tibetan philosophy – is to live in a state of relaxation, a natural state in full presence of our potential.” This book is perfect for anyone. There is a brief history on Tibetan Buddhism and the rites at the beginning which is nice as…
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Book Review – Pagan Portals: Demeter by Robin Corak
Book Review Pagan Portals: Demeter by Robin Corak Published by Moon Books 128 pages Publication date: October 1, 2022 Pagan Portals: Demeter by Robin Corak is a short, well-researched book offering a modern, magical, and psychological approach to working with the ancient goddess. Corak begins with Demeter’s story as it is relayed in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, along with a few mythological tidbits from other ancient sources to give different perspectives of the goddess. The book moves on to discuss the rites specific to the historic worship of Demeter, to provide a basis for the personal work to follow.…
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Book Review – Traditional Brazilian Black Magic by Diego de Oxossi
Book Review Traditional Brazilian Black Magic: The Secrets of the Kimbanda Magicians by Diego de Oxóssi Destiny Books 128 Pages Publication date: August 31, 2021 Diego de Oxossi, a Chief of Kimbanda and an Orishas Priest, details the tradition of Afro-Brazilian black magic. Although it’s been demonized, Kimbanda is a spiritual practice embracing both the light and dark aspects of life through worshiping the entities Eshu and Pombajira. The book is written in a scholarly fashion, with references, documentation, and examples. Before the introduction are three pages about African and Portuguese vocabulary used in the book. While I find foreign…
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Book Review – Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits: Faery Magic from Story to Practice by Halo Quin
Book Review Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits Faery Magic from Story to Practice by Halo Quin Publisher: Moon Books 104 Pages Publication Date: August 25, 2022 Folktales, Faeries, and Spirits: Faery Magic from Story to Practice, by Halo Quin is one of the diverse and multi-topic books in the series Pagan Portals published by Moon Books. This title is separated into seven (7) chapters, each replete with well-researched information, lore and common sense recommendations for approaching this much written about subject of specific non-corporeal beings. Scattered throughout the chapters are “practices” that allow the reader to spend some time in thought, action or experience that enriches the process of connecting…
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Book Review – Travels Through Middle Earth by Alaric Albertsson
Book Review Travels Through Middle Earth By Alaric Albertsson Foreword by Christopher Penczak Publisher: Crossed Crow Book 240 pages Publication: June 8, 2009 From the publisher: “Alaric Albertsson’s Travels Through Middle Earth: The Path of a Saxon Pagan is a beautifully written book that tells the reader how to incorporate these old pagan beliefs into modern magical practice. The book itself serves as a bridge to the past – connecting the reader to folklore, traditions, and rituals of the Anglo-Saxons in a way that is both comforting and familiar, while still engaging enough to help the reader add depth to their practice.…
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Book Review – The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life by Jacque Aye
Book Review The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life: Find Your Inner Power, Fight Everyday Evil & Save the Day with Self-Care by Jacque Aye Published by Ulysses Press 192 pages Publication date: December 21, 2021 The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life is an anime-inspired approach to self-help for magical girls of any age. Guided by the gentle and encouraging hand of Jacque Aye, the reader is taken on a journey through personal growth and empowerment as explored through the animé trope of the “magical girl” or mahou shoujo, which can be seen in shows and movies like Sailor Moon, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and others. Featuring colorful, lighthearted illustrations…
