{"id":18309,"date":"2019-05-01T01:10:48","date_gmt":"2019-05-01T06:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=21223"},"modified":"2019-04-29T16:03:55","modified_gmt":"2019-04-29T21:03:55","slug":"book-review-the-witchs-guide-to-wand-by-gypsey-elaine-teague","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2019\/05\/01\/book-review-the-witchs-guide-to-wand-by-gypsey-elaine-teague\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review – The Witch\u2019s Guide to Wands: A Complete Botanical, Magical, and Elemental Guide to Making, Choosing, and Using the Right Wand by Gypsey Elaine Teague"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Book Review <\/strong>
The Witch\u2019s Guide to Wands<\/strong>
A Complete Botanical, Magical, and Elemental Guide to Making, Choosing, and Using the Right Wand by Gypsey Elaine Teague <\/strong><\/em>
Published by Weiser Books<\/strong><\/em>
Pages: 243<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n\u201cThe\nWitch\u2019s Guide to Wands\u201d is the reference book Gypsey Elaine\nTeague had been trying to find \u2013 one that explained the properties\nof the woods and metals from which wands are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\u201cYou\nwould not use a holly wand for a new moon ritual any more than you\nwould use an ebony one for a full moon. If you want strength, then\nyou would use oak and reserve the willow for resilience and survival\nspells,\u201d Teague writes, explaining one tool is not used for every\npurpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\u201cAs\nwitches, we are very specific about our spells and our rituals,\u201d\nTeague states. \u201cWe demand the finest tinctures and oils, the purest\nherbs, and if possible, we grow everything ourselves. We fill our\nbookshelves with tomes that explain in detail each and every\ningredient that will go into our brazier, but when it comes to wands,\nthe books usually say, \u2018walk among the trees and find a piece of\nwood that suits you.\u2019 Really? \u2018Suits you?\u2019 Would you dress for\nritual in whatever suits you without some research or discussion?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nA\nwoodworker, she describes how she turns or fashions wands, sandpaper\ngrit and the oil she uses. Nowhere are there instructions to do the\nsame. Rather, readers are told, \u201cnot just anyone can make a wand. A\nwand is a sacred tool and should created in a sacred way. \u2026 In\nconclusion, find a wand maker you trust. Then allow your wand to find\nyou. Both you and the wand will be happier and more successful for\nthe experience.\u201d \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nBased\non her knowledge of plant science and ethnobotany plus years of\nmagical practice, Teague gives the common name, order, family genus,\nspecies and hardness rating for each wood. Its energy (masculine or\nfeminine), history, metaphysical properties, its element (earth, air,\nfire, water), and the deities associated with it are presented for\nacacia to zelkova. There is also a discussion of the general\ncharacteristics of each such as reasons for use, areas it can be\nfound, myths, spells and cautions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nShe\nmakes no attempt to standardize the length, width or shape of a wand\n\u2013 other than it be thicker at the base than at the tip \u2013\nexplaining \u201cthe wood will call out its own ultimate shape.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nPart\nthree of the book is comprised of six pages dedicated to the wands\nused in Harry Potter\u2019s world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe\nappendixes contain lists of woods organized by use and deity. There\nare also lists of woods noting sexual energy and elements. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe\nsubtitle states, \u201cA Complete Botanical, Magical, and Elemental\nGuide to Making, Choosing and Using the Right Wand.\u201d I think of it\nas more of a reference for materials that comprise a wand.\nConsidering the first line of the introduction is \u201cThe wand chooses\nthe witch, the witch does not choose the wand,\u201d I can\u2019t help but\nwonder why I would need to know what\u2019s in the book when I need just\nrun my hand over wands in protective bags. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe\nbook gets a 4.1 out of 5 by 27 customer reviews on Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAbout\nthe author Gypsey Elaine Teague<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gypsey Elaine Teague is the Branch Head of the Gunnin Architecture Library at Clemson University as well as a member of the National Board of Certified Counselors, an Elder and High Priestess in the Georgian tradition, a High Priestess in the Icelandic Norse tradition, and a High Priestess and originator of Steampunk Magic. Teague is published in a number of areas and presents nationally on Steampunk history, literature, and popular culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Witch’s Guide to Wands: A Complete Botanical, Magical, and Elemental Guide to Making, Choosing, and Using the Right Wand on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About\nthe Author:<\/strong>\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lynn\nWoike<\/strong> was\n50 \u2013 divorced and living on her own for the first time \u2013 before\nshe consciously began practicing as a self taught solitary witch. She\ndraws on an eclectic mix of old ways she has studied \u2013 from her\nSicilian and Germanic heritage to Zen and astrology, the fae,\nBuddhism, Celtic, the Kabbalah, Norse and Native American \u2013 pulling\nfrom each as she is guided. She practices yoga, reads Tarot and uses\nReiki. From the time she was little, she has loved stories, making\nher job as the editor of two monthly newspapers seem less than the\nwork it is because of the stories she gets to tell. She lives with\nher large white cat, Pyewacket, in central Connecticut. You can\nfollow her boards on Pinterest<\/a>,\nand write to her at woikelynn at gmail dot com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Book Review The Witch\u2019s Guide to Wands A Complete Botanical, Magical, and Elemental Guide to Making, Choosing, and Using the Right Wand by Gypsey Elaine Teague Published by Weiser Books Pages: 243 \u201cThe Witch\u2019s Guide to Wands\u201d is the reference book Gypsey Elaine Teague had been trying to find \u2013 one that explained the properties of the woods and metals from which wands are made. \u201cYou would not use a holly wand for a new moon ritual any more than you would use an ebony one for a full moon. If you want strength, then you would use oak and reserve the willow for resilience and survival spells,\u201d Teague writes, explaining one tool is not used for every purpose. \u201cAs witches, we are very specific about our spells and our rituals,\u201d Teague states. \u201cWe demand the finest tinctures and oils, the purest herbs, and if possible, we grow everything ourselves. We fill our bookshelves with tomes that explain in detail each and every ingredient that will go into our brazier, but when it comes to wands, the books usually say, \u2018walk among the trees and find a piece of wood that suits you.\u2019 Really? \u2018Suits you?\u2019 Would you dress for ritual in whatever suits you without some research or discussion?\u201d A woodworker, she describes how she turns or fashions wands, sandpaper grit and the oil she uses. Nowhere are there instructions to do the same. Rather, readers are told, \u201cnot just anyone can make a wand. A wand is a sacred tool and should created in a sacred way. \u2026 In conclusion, find a wand maker you trust. Then allow your wand to find you. Both you and the wand will be happier and more successful for the experience.\u201d Based on her knowledge of plant science and ethnobotany plus years of magical practice, Teague gives the common name, order, family genus, species and hardness rating for each wood. Its energy (masculine or feminine), history, metaphysical properties, its element (earth, air, fire, water), and the deities associated with it are presented for acacia to zelkova. There is also a discussion of the general characteristics of each such as reasons for use, areas it can be found, myths, spells and cautions. She makes no attempt to standardize the length, width or shape of a wand \u2013 other than it be thicker at the base than at the tip \u2013 explaining \u201cthe wood will call out its own ultimate shape.\u201d Part three of the book is comprised of six pages dedicated to the wands used in Harry Potter\u2019s world. The appendixes contain lists of woods organized by use and deity. There are also lists of woods noting sexual energy and elements. The subtitle states, \u201cA Complete Botanical, Magical, and Elemental Guide to Making, Choosing and Using the Right Wand.\u201d I think of it as more of a reference for materials that comprise a wand. Considering the first line of the introduction is \u201cThe wand chooses the witch, the witch does not choose the wand,\u201d I can\u2019t help but wonder why I would need to know what\u2019s in the book when I need just run my hand over wands in protective bags. The book gets a 4.1 out of 5 by 27 customer reviews on Amazon. About the author Gypsey Elaine Teague Gypsey Elaine Teague is the Branch Head of the Gunnin Architecture Library at Clemson University as well as a member of the National Board of Certified Counselors, an Elder and High Priestess in the Georgian tradition, a High Priestess in the Icelandic Norse tradition, and a High Priestess and originator of Steampunk Magic. Teague is published in a number of areas and presents nationally on Steampunk history, literature, and popular culture. The Witch’s Guide to Wands: A Complete Botanical, Magical, and Elemental Guide to Making, Choosing, and Using the Right Wand on Amazon *** About the Author: Lynn Woike was 50 \u2013 divorced and living on her own for the first time \u2013 before she consciously began practicing as a self taught solitary witch. She draws on an eclectic mix of old ways she has studied \u2013 from her Sicilian and Germanic heritage to Zen and astrology, the fae, Buddhism, Celtic, the Kabbalah, Norse and Native American \u2013 pulling from each as she is guided. She practices yoga, reads Tarot and uses Reiki. From the time she was little, she has loved stories, making her job as the editor of two monthly newspapers seem less than the work it is because of the stories she gets to tell. She lives with her large white cat, Pyewacket, in central Connecticut. You can follow her boards on Pinterest, and write to her at woikelynn at gmail dot com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":210,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/210"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18309"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16996,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18309\/revisions\/16996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}