{"id":21926,"date":"2020-03-10T01:10:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-10T05:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=21926"},"modified":"2020-03-07T16:53:22","modified_gmt":"2020-03-07T20:53:22","slug":"book-review-russian-black-magic-by-natasha-helvin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2020\/03\/10\/book-review-russian-black-magic-by-natasha-helvin\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review – Russian Black Magic: The Beliefs and Practices of Heretics and Blasphemers by Natasha Helvin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book Review<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

Russian Black Magic<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

The Beliefs and Practices of Heretics and Blasphemers by Natasha Helvin<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

176 Pages<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

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I didn\u2019t really know what to make of this book when I received it \u2013 I don\u2019t really believe in the reality of \u201cblack\u201d magic \u2013 or \u201cwhite\u201d magic, for that matter \u2013 magic is magic! \u2013 and I don\u2019t care about the practices of so-called \u201cheretics and blasphemers\u201d \u2013 where I\u2019m from, spiritually, \u201cheretics and blasphemers\u201d are simply those who do not adhere to the orthodox view, whatever it may be. Which would include me. So although I read it eagerly \u2013 I love anything about Russian culture \u2013 I also read it with a skeptical mind. An open mind \u2013 but a skeptical one. But of course \u2013 I am a natural skeptic! <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I have to say that I was quite pleasantly surprised. There is a wealth of knowledge in this book. The author, Natasha Helvin, uses the language of the Christian Orthodox oppressor to describe the ancient pagan religion that existed in Russia long before the advent of Christianity. Now \u2013 I could be a hard-ass and dismiss this book because of this language. But, if I did that, I would be the one losing out! The more I read, the more I loved <\/i>this book. Believe me, it\u2019s one I will be returning to again and again \u2013 even if it\u2019s not exactly my spiritual path \u2013 there\u2019s just so<\/i> much information in this slender volume. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Natasha Helvin is the author of <\/span><\/span>Russian Black Magic<\/u><\/span><\/span>; it is her second published book. Her website is here:<\/span><\/span> https:\/\/www.worldofconjuring.com\/<\/a> She doesn\u2019t seem to have a Facebook page or a Twitter presence. She has author pages on Scribner\u2019s website and on Goodreads. If you look for her books on Amazon.com, you will also find other books on Slavic paganism (as well as beer mugs). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Helvin writes that \u201cThe ancient religion of Slavic paganism was heavily related to the forces of nature. By worshiping the primordial deity, a person could touch the mysteries of the universe and control the forces of nature.\u201d (Helvin, 20). This is true, I believe, for all the pre-Christian pagan religions. I think this is what attracts modern people to pagan religions. The idea that you will be able to \u201ctouch the mysteries of the universe and control the forces of nature\u201d \u2013 whether or not you are ever able to do so. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She continues, \u201cBlack magic as a full-fledged system of witchcraft was created at the time of the dual faith, after the violent baptism of the Kievan Rus. Belobog and Chernobog kept the world balanced: the white god Belobog of light and sun was the counterpart of the dark and cursed god Chernobog. These gods were on equal footing until Russia was forcibly baptized into the Christian faith. Then Chernobog became a demon with horns and hooves\u2026\u201d (Helvin, 20). Notice that this did not just happen in Russia but everywhere Christianity went. The old gods were turned into demons with \u201chorns and hooves\u201d. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter Three, \u201cThe Demonic Pantheon\u201d reads like a fairy tale. Although anyone who is familiar with the Bible \u2013 or Milton \u2013 will recognize many of the main characters, many other players are purely Russian. And they are great personalities! Who cannot recognize \u201cNucky Thompson\u201d from \u201cBoardwalk Empire\u201d in the demon of lust and debauchery, Prince Enoch? As I was reading about him, I was thinking, this is not<\/i> a coincidence! \u201cHe tries to seduce as many people as possible into sinful deeds in the dark, sometimes driving them into insanity and death.\u201d (Helvin, 31). And Princess Death \u2013 is she not Santa Muerte by another name? I was instantly attracted to her. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The home of the demons sounds fabulous \u2013 who wouldn\u2019t want to live there? Heaven sounds horribly boring \u2013 you\u2019re just going to be nourishing God and eventually absorbed by him \u2013 not exactly what we\u2019ve been promised \u2013 you know, the streets of gold and reunion with all our loved ones and happiness forever. I think I might rather have a luxurious abode in hell, instead. But it looks like we\u2019re all food for one kind of god or another. On page 38, Helvin spells out what demons in which circle of hell feed upon which kind of people \u2013 suicides, drunkards, gluttons, people who died in fires, or who drowned, etc. \u2013 so it looks like the Russian cosmology is pretty strict concerning this kind of thing. After we die, our souls are all food for some kind of god \u2013 be it demon or angel. It\u2019s all how we lived our life or how we were fated to die. There doesn\u2019t seem to be any kind of reincarnation. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter Four deals more closely with the Russian Black Magic view of cosmology. It\u2019s utterly fascinating. Unlike the Abrahamic religions, which teach little children that \u201cGod\u201d \u2013 Jehovah, Yahweh or Allah \u2013 was lonely and created \u201cman\u201d in his \u201cown image\u201d so he could \u201clove\u201d him, Black Magic says that God created man for his own \u201cpersonal needs\u201d (Helvin, 40). Helvin writes that God thinks of and treats humans \u201cthe same way we think of laboratory moneys of beef cattle \u2013 the former used for medical experiments and the latter slaughtered without remorse.\u201d (Helvin, 40). <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

According to Black Magic, God created Adam and Eve so they would produce \u201cobedient progeny\u201d (Helvin, 41). But Aspid, one of the rebel angels, in the guise of a snake, told Eve the truth about why she and Adam were created \u2013 to created souls for God to eat \u2013 so Adam and Eve hid from God. They weren\u2019t hiding their nakedness<\/i>, like the Bible says \u2013 they were just hiding. <\/i>Wouldn\u2019t you hide from the person who had lied to you? Who was going to breed you like dogs, like cattle? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/i>The other big part of this story is that Aspid taught Eve how to orgasm. Once she was having sex for fun, she taught Adam how much fun he could have too. God hated this! Apparently, souls created in \u201clust\u201d are tainted and God won\u2019t accept them. So he banished them from Paradise. A different spin on a story we all know. Or we thought we knew!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Later in this chapter, Helvin discusses Russian Black Magic, Paganism, and Modern Satanism. This discussion starts on page 46 and it\u2019s an important discussion. When I first became interested in women\u2019s spirituality, paganism, and Wicca in the late 1980\u2019s, one of the things I heard over and over again was that \u201cGoddess religion\u201d was not <\/i>Satanism and that Satanism was a \u201ccorruption\u201d of Christianity or even an invention of the Church \u2013 a by-product of the Inquisition. However, this is not quite true. While it is true that both the Orthodox Catholic and Protestant churches propagandized the image of the horned and hooved Devil for their own purposes, this image had been around for thousands of years, just not perhaps as the personification of Evil. However, I do agree with Helvin that \u201cThe worship of the dark gods has always existed and is widespread.\u201d (Helvin, 46). Quite honestly, this only makes sense when you consider human nature. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She asserts that both Satanism and Paganism share many commonalities, due to \u201cthe essence of their worldviews\u201d. (Helvin, 48). One of the most important aspect that they have in common, according to Helvin, is that they honor <\/i>their deities as opposed to worshiping <\/i>them. \u201cWorship contradicts the essence of Satanism\u2026to worship someone is to insult him; it is better to honor him. Pagans honor their gods.\u201d (Helvin, 48). However, the Abrahamic gods all demand worship. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Another commonality are fun ceremonies and rituals. This has always been true, long before the advent of Christianity. There are entire sections of the Old Testament that are nothing more than bitch sessions against the local pagan community and their parties in the groves. And we all know what fun-loving people the Puritans were! No singing, no dancing, no plays, no games, no nothing! I wouldn\u2019t last a minute with those people. Another thing is that Pagans and Satanists do not proselytize. When is the last time you answered your door to someone handing out pamphlets with information about \u201cSatan, My Lord and Master\u201d? Or \u201cWelcome to the World of Odin and Frigg.\u201d It just doesn\u2019t happen. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Helvin goes on to comment that, \u201cMost important, Satanism and paganism are not <\/i>religions in the literal sense of the word. Religion necessarily involves worshiping someone. In this case, the more correct term is worldview<\/i>.\u201d <\/i>(Helvin, 52). Quite honestly, that makes a whole lot of sense. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The main thing about both Paganism and Satanism is freedom. <\/i>Satan and his demons rebelled against God and they live on the outer reaches of hell but they\u2019re free. <\/i>That\u2019s an important thing to remember. \u201cThe authentic pagan does not care what others think of him. His inherent free will allows him to take any position with inner conviction. If he believes that his worldview is right, and his actions are necessary, he is entitled to think and act as he sees fit. Unlike believers in monotheistic religions, he is not rigidly tied to the rules of God and society.\u201d (Helvin, 47).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The next section of the book is spellwork. There\u2019s the usual stuff you read but so much more \u2013 things I had never heard of before \u2013 or twists on old wives\u2019 tales that really sent chills up my back! The bit about roosters! And cemetery magic! I have always loved cemeteries and have spent a lot of time in them. But it\u2019s never occurred to me to do any kind of a spell in a cemetery. Reading through the spells, I was picturing them in my mind and I thought \u2013 has she ever done this? To me, they read like something in a novel. I was actually thinking about how I could work one into a novel. I don\u2019t have a reason to work any of these spells. What can I say? I just don\u2019t. But they\u2019re so cool! <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> Church magic actually makes more sense to me but I was raised Roman Catholic and of course, I\u2019ve spent more hours than I can count in church. The thing is, you don\u2019t see candles in churches anymore. Those large banks of candles, where you could light one and put in some coins and then pray \u2013 those are all gone. Maybe they still exist in the Greek and Roman Orthodox Churches. I don\u2019t know \u2013 I should make a visit to one of those churches and find out. Still, these are righteous spells and I am sure some will be quite useful someday. And maybe one of these spells will be useful to you, <\/i>dear reader. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

All in all, I can\u2019t recommend this book enough. I want to read Natasha Helvin\u2019s other published book, Slavic Witchcraft: Old World Conjuring Spells and Folklore<\/a>\"\"<\/u>, and I\u2019m looking forward to her next book, Ancestral Witch<\/u>. I hope all of you reading this review find her books at your local library, favorite bookseller or at Amazon.com. Or wherever you conjure up your favorite reading materials!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Brightest Blessings!<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

References<\/u><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Helvin, Natasha. Russian Black Magic: The Beliefs and Practices of Heretics and Blasphemers<\/u>. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 2019.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.worldofconjuring.com\/<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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