Welcome to all of the witchy book-lovers here in the forum!
Book Club 58
→ Reading Session: March 2026 ←
→ Review Session: April 2026 ←
Thank you again to everyone who joined in for last month’s reading session! For those who haven’t yet shared their thoughts about their book (or anyone who enjoys reading book reviews!) you still have time to do so in the 57th Spells8 Book Club - Readers’ Reviews!
As of today, the 58th book club reading session has now begun !
Begin by announcing your book
The first post below is an editable wiki post- add your book title and name to the list! (instructions below)
Know that you have [[ the whole month ]] in this reading session
While it is great if you can finish your book during this time, it is okay if you break it into chapters or sections- do as much as you can and know that doing your best is always good enough!
As you’re reading, feel free to share your thoughts!
You are very welcome to share any thoughts or tidbits while you read in the comments below or in a new post in the forums. Just save the best parts for the final discussion at the end of the reading period!
Join the final discussion
When the month is over, a discussion post will open encouraging all readers to share a review of their book and any personal thoughts they have about it. A mini-review is perfectly fine, and there will be a suggested format for anyone who would like to write a longer review.
A note about sharing books:
While everyone is free to choose their own book, you may consider reading along with someone else ! It is fun to share thoughts and insights about different books and even more exciting to do in-depth about a book with fellow readers
If the book you plan to read is already on the list below, add your name to the list of others reading that book! Please keep in mind that everyone will reconvene and chat together in the Reader’s Reviews discussion, regardless of which book you read
I’m still powering through my book! I’ll give a review when I reach the end. So far, I love what she has to say, and she is definitely a very good writer! It is slow going because my sleep deprived brain doesn’t always work these days!
There is no way I will finish these two books. They are really references. The Poetic Edda (Elder Edda) is less encumbered with Abrahamic Dogma. Both are good for finding the original stories about Norse mythology. Both are available on Amazon in Kindle form. The Prose Edda is being sold for 54 cents! The Poetic Edda is more scholarly and sells for 10 dollars (kindle).
The Poetic Edda was oral based and composed between 10-13th centuries. The Prose Edda was written in the early 13th century. Their English translations use modern language.
They are great for checking AI summaries of the Norse stories. One way to study them is draw a rune, ask an AI for the Norse Archetype and its story. Then look up the name in the books and see for yourself. Sometimes the differences in the stories are significant. Of course, in the process of checking, one is also studying runes.
The introduction to the Poetic Edda is amazing. It frames the actions of the Deities in the context of the way of thinking at the time the stories were circulated. The context is not always comfortable.
Yay! I finished. This was much easier to read and fun too!
Book Title and Author: Witch Blood Rising: Awaken Your Magic in a Modern World by Asa West
Status? : Finished
My overall rating of the book : 9/10, a great book!
How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I want to get more into magic and less into spells and rituals. This looked like a good book, plus it has a bit of information about pop culture witchcraft, which I’m interested in.
My personal thoughts/opinions: This was a fun book, with a few interesting rituals, but mostly it’s a way of thinking. Of looking at the world and seeing the magic within it.
An interesting quote from the book: "You, reading this book: You are an ark. The gods are whispering to you through the reeds. What are you carrying that’s worth saving? What are you holding that must be protected and sheltered until conditions are right? Your devotion to forgotten gods and dying folkways? Your knowledge of endangered languages and stories? Your friendship with the spirits of the land you live on? Your gateways through the hedge?
Witchcraft lives in your blood, crackling in the synapses of your mind and shaping itself through the pulses of your voice. Witchcraft burns inside you, and your job is to keep its embers glowing.”
West, Asa. Witch Blood Rising: Awaken Your Magic in a Modern World (p. 171). Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.
Book Club 58 
57th Spells8 Book Club - Readers’ Reviews!
