I reviewed a book but didn’t get my book report done in time for the challenge. 📖 Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE- Books, Tomes, and Tales So I’m posting it anyway since I think it’s a good book for beginners and had some good information. Here ya go.
My book was Embracing the Moon: A Witch’s Guide to Shamanic Magick by Yasmine Galenorn. This is an older book that I read many, many years ago, and was impressed with it so I decided to read it again. The author states in the introduction dated from 2015, that while it is an older book, these are the practices that led to where she is now.
Yasmine Galenorn is also known for writing fantasy books, with kick-ass women fighting evil things in bustiers and high heeled boots. I have fewer problems believing that there are evil Fae in the Pacific Northwest than I do the fact that no one seems to break a heel or their neck in these fights, but that’s just me.
This book is a basic magic book, a good one for beginners be they Wiccan or not. The first parts are beginner exercises. Visualization, magick and ritual procedure, creating sacred space and circles and the like. It also covers respecting your Gods, and why and when to invoke them.
Part Two features Spellcrafting. Candle magick, life transformations, and protection magick are just some of the topics covered. This really stayed with me though: “Part of living a magickal life includes extending your spellwork to the space you occupy when you aren’t in a circle or other sacred space.”
There are many spells and recipes for oils in this part, along with a few recipes for teas, and an interesting soft Meade recipe. There is also an interesting bit that has been added since first being published on psychic vampires and ways to deal with them. It was very informative.
The third and final part is Shadow work. Working with the Fae, animal magick, drawing down the moon, and then the sun and Earth Healing rituals and talking to your politicians to help the Earth.
I do think this book fell short it where it stopped. It just stopped there and that was it, goodbye. There could have been another chapter encouraging you to practice and do what you feel is right once you’ve got the spells down or something like that, but sadly it didn’t.
All in all, it was a very good book though, especially for people new to the craft. I give it four out of five stars. Would read again.
It makes me happy you are so passionate about books- this report was a delight to read 
Since you had mentioned a few witchy books and a bit about them on the challenge page, that absolutely counts towards the challenge- so no worries, and very well done! 
It sounds like I should check out her works! Have you read any other of her books? 
Also a soft meade recipe sounds quite yummy 
You are full of genius, 
