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Book Review-Keywords for Astrology: The Essential Guide by Hajo Banzhaf & Anna Haebler
Keywords for Astrology: The Essential Guide by Hajo Banzhaf & Anna Haebler is a 280 page paperback, published by Weiser Books. Keywords for Astrology lives up to its title, as this is an essential guide for the beginning as well as more seasoned Astrologer. The books covers everything one needs to read and interpret a birth chart, from the planets, angles (ascending, descending, IC and MC), houses, signs, and aspects, even giving phrase building ideas to help express the energy of that placement/aspect, etc. Shadow and light sides of placements and aspects are each given their due, giving a complete view of the birth chart being interpreted, as well as ways to develop…
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Book Review: Alive with Spirits by Althaea Sebastiani
Overview of Alive with Spirits Alive with Spirits: The Path and Practice of Animistic Witchcraft by Althaea Sebastiani, published by Weiser, is a book that I’ve been personally excited to read since Weiser mentioned it on social media. Sebastiani doesn’t disappoint, either. She starts off with what I consider a thesis on the philosophy of animism, in that it isn’t something you believe but rather, something you embody through daily practice. Sebastiani continuously breaks down societal barriers and programming that prevent most from fully taking on this worldview. She states that Animistic Witchcraft and Polytheism typically go hand-in-hand (and from experience as a Polytheist and Animist, I concur), but that other paradigms of Witchcraft also…
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Book Review – The Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire by Denise Alvarado
Book Review The Marie Laveau Voodoo Grimoire by Denise Alvarado Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser 240 Pages Release Date: February 5, 2024 “Alvarado skillfully uses Laveau as a conduit to bring to life voodoo’s rich history (she takes particular care to examine its West African roots) and modern applications. This bewitching compendium is ideal for those seeking to expand their magical horizons.” —Publishers Weekly Marie Laveau is known as the Queen of New Orleans Voodoo and is remembered and honored by pagans from all backgrounds and beliefs. As a hoodoo practitioner and rootworker, I was excited to get this book. Author Denise Alvarado is very upfront about how she put this book…
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Book Review-The Language of Lenormand By- Erika Robinson
As someone fascinated with divination when offered the chance to read a book I haven’t heard of about divination I was excited, but at the same time I was sceptical. I find most “How To Read Tarot” books are either very specific with what each card means or ridiculously vague. It’s hard to get a feel of your own for the cards. I was happily surprised when reading Erika Robinson’s book. The author, Erika Robinson, does a fantastic job of focusing on how to read the cards in conjunction with each other, better than any how to book I’ve read. Reading about how the cards change as they, in her…
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Book Review: Celtic Goddess Grimoire by Annwyn Avalon
Overview of Celtic Goddess Grimoire Celtic Goddess Grimoire: Invoke the Enduring Power of the Celtic Feminine Divine by Annwyn Avalon is packed with spells, rituals, sacred practices, and meditations with a litany of Celtic goddesses from areas like Gaul, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and other continental Celtic goddesses. The book covers some well known Celtic goddesses, as well as some that aren’t as well known to witches, but are to Druids, like Nemetona. Celtic Goddess Grimoire also covers some faery woman as well, such as Morgan le Fay and others. Avalon artfully weaves the the mythologies and known information about each goddess, and then follows each with a section of spells, rituals, invocations and…
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Book Review: Healing Pluto Problems by Donna Cunningham
Why this book matters in our time TW: This book, and review, will touch on very hard issues such as abuse, substance use, incest, molestation, rape, etc. Healing Pluto Problems: An Astrological Guide by Donna Cunningham recently got an update with Weiser rolling out its Classics Series. First published in 1986, when one of the most potent Pluto transits, in his native home of Scorpio, had just gotten underway about 2.5 years prior. Understandably, there was a need for this book at that time, when so many issues revolving around such Plutonian issues as drug and alcohol abuse, domestic abuse and sexual abuse were coming to light, and new, innovative…
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Book Review – Finding the Fool: A Tarot Journey to Radical Transformation by Meg Jones Wall
Book Review Finding the Fool: A Tarot Journey to Radical Transformation by Meg Jones Wall Publisher: Weiser Books 286 Pages Release Date: May 2, 2023 As an avid tarot card reader and collector, I was very happy to jump on the chance to read and review this book. I really enjoyed the Foreword, which is something not a lot of books I have read have, so I was very curious, and was not disappointed. I really enjoyed reading Theresa Reed’s story and experience with this book and her clear admiration for the author Meg Jones Wall. Finding the Fool is not your traditional “book about tarot”,…
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Book Review – African American Magick: A Modern Grimoire for the Natural Home by Stephanie Rose Bird
Book Review African American Magick: A Modern Grimoire for the Natural Home by Stephanie Rose Bird Publisher: Weiser Books 237 Pages Release Date: June 5, 2023 This book is dedicated to a group of people in the Northern Territory an the outstation of Maparu in Australia and thanking them for six thousand years of ancient ways. The book has been organized with the first few chapters acknowledging the magic and mystery of all the seasons. Then several chapters have been dedicated to each season – highlighting how and what to harvest to honour that season. The information contained within the book was originally published in 2006.…
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Book Review – A Walk Through the Forest of Souls; a Tarot Journey to Spiritual Awakening by Rachel Pollack
Book Review A Walk Through the Forest of Souls; A Tarot Journey to Spiritual Awakening Written by Rachel Pollack Publisher: Weiser Books 288 Pages Release Date: May 1, 2023 Oftentimes Tarot books are written to give detailed instruction, formal information, and point us readers towards a final destination of comprehension. Rachel Pollack’s book, A Walk through the Forest of Souls exploded those concrete rules and dogmatic disciplines into a multifaceted, multidisciplinary journey of incomprehensible mythological, spiritual, historical, and religious complexities, back into the profound mystery. She guides us through paradoxes and contradictions, dismantling as well as respectfully illuminating all that has been said about the origins and…
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Book Review – Gemstone & Crystal Magic by Gerina Dunwich
Book Review Gemstone & Crystal Magic by Gerina Dunwich Publisher: Weiser Books 231 Pages Published: August 1, 2022 Are You A Crystal Witch? Are you as fascinated by gemstones and crystals as I am? But you’re not sure how to use them in your magickal crafting? Then this book could be the one you’ve been looking for. If you’re more experienced with gem magick, then you might not get as much out of this as a beginner will. But I still think it’s a great addition to anyones’ gemstone and crystal magick library of books. The book starts with an expose of how the author fell in love…
