Spells8 Book Club Reviews Masterlist - Sessions XXVI - L

[Amaris_Bane]

CW: This book is about dealing with depression. I have blurred portions of my review I feel may be triggering (TW: suicide) but please proceed with caution. Feel free to scroll past my post, I won’t be offended.

Book Title and Author: “Empty Cauldrons: Navigating Depression Through Magic and Ritual” by Terrance P Ward

Status? : Still Reading - I’ve finished part one and starting part two.

My overall rating of the book : 10/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: Not 100% sure as I haven’t gotten to the actual magic/rituals section. So far the first section has had an impact on my understanding of depression.

My personal thoughts/opinions: I came across this book at a serendipitous moment in my life, and thus far, I’ve completed the opening section titled “Depression in the World.” In this review, I will primarily focus on this initial segment. The author skillfully interweaves his narrative with insights gleaned from the individuals he interviewed, striking an ideal equilibrium between quoted passages and his original thoughts.

The first section serves as a comprehensive “introduction” to depression and its impact on people. The author initiates with a chapter dedicated to the attempt to define depression—a task that ultimately proves elusive. Subsequently, a section captures my attention, where the concept of viewing depression as a spirit is introduced. While I have habitually regarded it as a flaw within my brain, this fresh perspective has enabled me to comprehend that I possess the capacity to influence how I respond to my depression. Although I am embarking on therapy to acquire effective coping strategies, adopting this mindset has empowered me to assert control over my response to its symptoms.

Concluding this initial segment, the author delves into our relationship with depression and underscores how nurturing our spiritual connection can guide us through its challenges. Notably, the author identifies several deities one can invoke for support, thereby enriching the spiritual dimension of the struggle.

Additionally, the author goes beyond the narrative itself by providing a collection of journal prompts and exercises that serve as a valuable supplement to the book. These prompts aren’t just tangential; they are thoughtfully designed to encourage readers to delve deeper into a range of topics closely related to depression. By engaging with these exercises, readers are offered an opportunity for profound introspection and exploration of their own thoughts and feelings. This enriching addition turns “Empty Cauldrons” into more than just a reading experience—it becomes an interactive journey that nurtures understanding, growth, and contemplation around the intricate landscape of depression.

An interesting quote from the book: There are several quotes that really stuck with me during my reading.

“I walk with privilege that is sometimes invisible to me, and I walk with depression, which is often invisible to everyone.” In discussion of biases that every human has.

“Thoughts that feel out of control can be caught by the pen, and held fast on paper to study from a safe distance.” In regards to the benefit of journaling.

“Depression can be explained emotionally, spiritually, and biochemically; no matter what words are used to describe it, depression is something you know best by experiencing it.” During attempts to define depression.

“I think it’s a poverty of the English language that we use the same word to describe how a five-year-old feels when his baseball game gets canceled because it’s raining and the way someone feels who’s about to jump off a bridge because life has become unlivable and untenable ,” said by writer Andrew Solomon in a 2014 interview.

“…depression can be managed in the living, but not the dead.” In discussion of suicide idealizations in depressed patients.

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes! While I’m only halfway through, it’s already made an impact on my thought process and practice, for the better.

[tracyS]

AMERICAN GODS
Can’t leave a full review as still reading, but so far, I like the way it meanders across the country, and is a very casual read. I feel like I’m on a roadtrip with Shadow. I like also the way Gaiman hints at who the gods are by their character traits rather than just name them. Still early days, so will write a proper review next month. Didn’t watch the TV series on it, so can’t compare. So I’ll leave this space now, and go join Shadow.

[MeganB]

Book Title and Author: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Hope by James T. Powers

Status?: Finished

My overall rating of the book: 5/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: First, I was sent this book by the publisher and will have a full review on my website eventually - whenever I get the extra time this week to write it up

Second, this relates to my practice for the sole reason of being an animist. The book itself has zero connection to witchcraft or paganism. Instead, it is about the wisdom and teachings of Native Americans and First Nations peoples, focused specifically on New England, USA.

My personal thoughts/opinions: I commend the author for his intentions, but I really didn’t connect with the book. It isn’t a bad book, but I do think the writing style was just not for me. There are long, run-on sentences that made it difficult for me to read.

The focus of the book is important, and the author approaches it from an academic perspective. He talks about the history of climate change and how the ancient people survived those changes. He also made the distinction between climate change then and climate change now. Then, it was slow and happened over hundreds or thousands of years. Now, the work of man is accelerating the climate change and we are struggling to adapt.

An interesting quote from the book: There are many quotes in the book, but I will just mention a couple here.

• “There is hope and the answer is simple; the wisdom of the past can guide us towards a better future.” (context: the author’s preface letter speaking on climate change & ancient peoples)

• “We must develop a reciprocal relationship that is based upon an understanding of the connectedness and interdependence of all life and that the Earth is an interconnected living organism.” (context: healing Earth & combating climate change)

• “We have created a culture and society that seems unwilling and incapable of making the tpes of changes necessary to live once again in harmony and balance with Nature and prevent the further degradation of the environment.” (context: a chapter titled A Second Chance, detailing what the author thinks we need to do to heal the planet)

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Meh, not really. I feel like there are better options out there. For one, Braiding Sweetgrass is a book of Indigenous Wisdom written by an Indigenous person, not a white professor who just studies Indigenous culture and history

[Jeannie1]

I decided to work with a workbook this month and let you know how it goes!
This book is very interactive! The neat thing is it can be for other people you read for!

I am happy with this workbook it gives me opportunities to inhance my skills and abilities! I think everyone in the pagan community should have this book
Jeannie
Jeannie

[Jewitch]

Book Title and Author: Ancestral Whispers: A Guide to Building Ancestral Veneration Practices by Ben Stimpson

Status?: Finished

My overall rating of the book: 9/10 (I took one point off because I would have preferred there to be example workings/evocations/etc., but I do understand and completely respect the author’s goals and publishing restraints in the writing of this book.)

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: Lately, I’ve been wanting to connect with and honor my ancestors. I haven’t known where to start because I’m still trying to figure out the details of my path, and the description of the book sounded like it would be helpful in getting me to think about my worldview and help me come up with my own process of ancestor work.

My personal thoughts/opinions: I loved this book! It has so much great information and is written in a way that is informative without pushing one particular viewpoint or tradition. While the author does make it clear that they have studied several traditions, they are able to present aspects of many cultures that relate to the topics covered in the book in a neutral but respectful way, not implying that any one tradition or viewpoint is better than another.

One important thing that I think is important to point out about Ancestral Whispers is that if you are looking for a book that will provide any sort of “here’s-a-ritual-for-inviting-your-ancestors-to-join-in-your-magickal-working”-type of structure, this book is not it. There are no specific rituals, prayers, evocations, etc. provided, so if you are reading this book expecting direction in that regard, you may be disappointed. Because of this, I am having a hard time deciding if I would recommend this book to someone who is new to ancestor work. On the one hand, because it doesn’t provide any one specific viewpoint, it will get the reader thinking about different aspects of ancestor work to consider in developing a personal practice, so it is great in that it will not cause the reader to limit other input because they are so influenced by the first ritual for something they read. On the other hand, I feel that many people who are new to ancestor work would benefit from some form of an example ritual or working.

Despite not having any sample rituals, there are ample journal prompts that get you thinking about your worldview and how you can take those beliefs and apply them to your ancestor work. These questions were the kind that could prompt me to fill an entire notebook just to answer one question.

For the sake of brevity, I will quote a paragraph from the conclusion of the book that perfectly sums up the book and what I am trying to say about it:

In part one, I asked you to consider what you believe and how you see the ancestors. In part two, I asked you how your beliefs and worldview will affect how you communicate and collaborate with the ancestors through ritual. This book was not designed to be definitive; there are so many other pieces I feel have been left out, but it was designed to challenge. I hope that as you read this conclusion you come away with as many questions as you started with, but now with ideas on how to seek out the answers. (page 229)

An interesting quote from the book: “While many are interested in ancestral work to discover themselves, the relationships you build with your biological or affinity ancestors will impact your relationships to the living.” (page 230)

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes

[Amethyst]

I just about forgot to post my review! Which would be a shame because I really liked this book!

Book Title and Author: The Goddess in Shadow by Allycia Rye

Status: Finished.

My overall rating of the book: 10/10! A must read for shadow work.

How does this relate to my magical practice: I wanted to learn more about the Dark Goddesses and how they can help me heal my shadow.

My personal thoughts, and opinions of the book: This is a great book. Not too long of a read, with rituals based on each goddess on how to heal your shadow. Really lovely writing, kept me engaged.

An interesting quote in the book: “The absence of the Dark Goddess energy and power in our psyche can be felt even if we do not feel that hurt consciously. It’s not surprising that most of us are moving in the world with wounds that cannot heal and hurts that we project onto others. We’ve been cut off from integral parts of who we are meant to be and we are fractured because of it. We cannot begin to heal until we go searching for our missing pieces and reinstate them where they belong.”

All in all, would I recommend this book: YES!

[Jaxblueflash]

Book Title and Author:
To Ride a Silver Broomstick by Silver Ravenwolf

Status? :
Still Reading

My overall rating of the book :
10/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?:
This book marked the inception of my magical journey, dating back to my early years at around the age of 12. During that time, I was unable to complete the book, but now, as I diligently work through its contents, it has ignited the beginning of a lifelong exploration into the world of Witchcraft.

My personal thoughts/opinions:
During this month, I devoted my time to studying a section dedicated to Gems and Stones. I meticulously transcribed all the valuable information into my Book of Shadows. Through this study, I gained a deeper understanding of which gems serve various intentions and discovered previously unfamiliar stones that have expanded my knowledge in this realm.

An interesting quote from the book:
“The bloodstone is really a jasper, but because of its unique properties I have listed it separately.”
I am looking forward to procuring a Bloodstone soon.

All in all, would I recommend this book?:
Yes

[MeganB]

Book Title and Author:
American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Status? :
Finished

My overall rating of the book :
8/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?:
It doesn’t, not really. It’s a fiction book about ancient deities that came to North America, mainly the US, when their followers arrived here. It follows the main character, Shadow, and his boss, Wednesday. Throughout the book, Wednesday has an elaborate and mysterious plan to save the Old Gods from disappearing due to the New Gods taking over. Shadow is his man-for-hire and follows him along, doing what Wednesday tells him and earning money at the same time.

My personal thoughts/opinions:
I know there’s at least one other person reading this book, so I’m going to hide my thoughts due to spoilers.

thoughts are here... read if you dare! lol j/k but yes, spoilers!

I like how the book started out. It’s slow to progress, but it’s about the story at that point. I love a good story, and the more detail included, the better. Over the course of the book, I was trying to piece together what the heck Wednesday’s plan was. It was also really fun to piece together who the different Gods were based on their chosen names and personalities, plus the different clues that were included throughout the book. For example, I could immediately tell who Wednesday was because of the name he chose, his comment about it being his day on Wednesday, and the clues that Shadow picked up about a potential glass eye.

The book was really interesting, following Wednesday and Shadow all across the United States. On their path, they encountered many different Gods and Spirits, some of whom were here first. Shadow had continuous dreams about a buffalo-headed God. He also had several encounters with Native American Gods and Spirits, one being named Wisakedjak (frequently called Whiskey Jack as a bastardization of his name). In the book, he shows up as an old Native American man who lives in a mobile home near a Lakota reservation with Johnny Appleseed (yes, Johnny Appleseed). In mythology, Wisakedjak is known by similar names in many different tribes. He is thought to be one of the beings that created the world, either by his own power or power given to him by the Creator for that purpose.

Anyway, so much went on and we met so many different beings that I was really looking forward to the resolution in the book. However, I was very disappointed with the resolution of the book! I don’t want to give everything away, but it turns out that the whole plan by Wednesday was actually a two-man con the entire time… I did enjoy the book though, and I think listening to the audiobook helped me enjoy it more. There was also a chapter in the end that was cut from the main book where Shadow met Jesus. That was interesting and the entire time, I kept imagining Jesus as a hippie who couldn’t be assed to do any of the work he was tasked with doing.

An interesting quote from the book:

For context, Wednesday and Shadow are sitting with Easter discussing how people may celebrate her festival, but no one knows who she actually is. The girl Wednesday is speaking with is one of the coffee shop employees. Wednesday asked her and the other employee what the word “Easter” meant.

The girl stared at him as if green toads had begun to push their way between his lips. Then she said, “I don’t know about any of that Christian stuff. I’m a pagan.”

The woman behind the counter said, “I think it’s like Latin or something for ‘Christ has risen’ maybe.”

“Really?” said Wednesday.

“Yeah, sure,” said the woman. “Easter. Just like the sun rises in the east, you know.”

“The risen son. Of course - a most logical supposition.” The woman smiled and returned to her coffee grinder. Wednesday looked up at their waitress. “I think I shall have another espresso, if you do not mind. And tell me, as a pagan, who do you worship?”

“Worship?”

“That’s right. I imagine you must have a pretty wide-open field. So to whom do you set up your household altar? To whom do you bow down? To home do you pray at dawn and at dusk?”

Her lips described several shapes without saying anything before she said, “The female principle. It’s an empowerment thing. You know.”

“Indeed. And this female principle of yours. Does she have a name?”

“She’s the goddess within us all,” said the girl with the eyebrow ring, color rising to her cheek. “She doesn’t need a name.”

“Ah,” said Wednesday, with a wide monkey grin, “so do you have mighty bacchanals in her honor? Do you drink blood wine under the full moon, while scarlet candles burn in silver candleholders? Do you step naked into the sea-foam, chanting ecstatically to your nameless goddess while the waves lick at your legs, lapping your thighs like the tongues of a thousand leopards?”

“You’re making fun of me,” she said. “We don’t do any of that stuff you were saying.”

I couldn’t pick just one quote because there would be too many. I picked this scene in particular because it stirred something deep within me. It was a reminder to me of the raw beauty and power of faith, and faith given ecstatically without fear of judgment; faith given freely through worship with body, mind, and spirit. It made my heart rise in my chest, an expression of the lost faith and energy that had escaped me for the past several months. Though this book is fiction, this scene here, the words spoken by Wednesday, awakened the passion of my faith in a way that’s hard to describe.

The fact that the girl he’s speaking to in this scene thinks he’s making fun of her makes me sad. I want faith and power, the utter joy in freely expressing emotions and showing devotion to something higher than myself. Many times, though, I find myself more like the girl with the eyebrow piercing rather than the worshippers Wednesday describes.

All in all, would I recommend this book?:
Yes

[starborn]

This is one I’m reading with @Sivonnah.

Book Title and Author: Honoring Your Ancestors: A Guide to Ancestral Veneration by Mallorie Vaudoise

Status: (Generally) Finished

My overall rating of the book: 8/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice:

I’m trying to figure out where ancestors fit into my life. It’s an area that’s been mentally tugging at me throughout this year, but I hadn’t known where to start.

I haven’t been able to get through any of the prayers, rituals, and spells, but I’m keeping them around for when I need them.

My personal thoughts/opinions:

• It’s nice that it goes into many types of ancestors, not just those of blood relation! I learnt a lot just from the basics here.

• The journalling prompts are really useful. There are only a handful at the end of each chapter, but they’re quite open questions. They help us reflect on what we’ve just read and apply it, allowing us to better absorb the information in a way meaningful to us. For example, one of them is this:

What would happen if we defined ourselves by our ecstasies rather than by our traumas?

• Their approach to healing ancestral trauma is really nice and similar to how we often deal with other traumas. So, while it might not be anything new, it’s nice to have it in this context.

• The sections on mediumship have some lovely exercises to help develop mediumship abilities. There’s a really nice one involving honing the physical senses.

• There are a lot of template prayers that can be very useful for someone just getting started.

• The spiritual hygiene rituals and selection of spells are lovely!

• There’s a wonderful amount of detail on herbs for ancestor worship. It’s not a massive list, but the information on each is great.

An interesting quote from the book:

Over the years, I’ve noticed that even people who claim to do magic regularly have some very funny ideas about how it works. It’s a lot like mediumship in that regard. I’ve heard people insist that you can’t do magic for personal gain, an idea that I think originated as a plot device on the TV show Charmed. (If that were the case, I doubt that magic would be so popular across so many cultures throughout history.) I hear people saying that magic must “harm none.” Harming none sounds simple but is much more difficult to do in practice.

We are constantly doing harm to others. Returning to our earlier dream job example: a spell to get that job is also a spell that no one else get the job. Any other candidates applying for it may want or need that job more than you do. Whether you like it or not, whether you mean to or not, you are harming others all the time. And yet, the world does not collapse in on itself in a fit of despair. Whoever doesn’t get the job keeps applying for other opportunities, and maybe one of those other opportunities will actually be better for them in the long run. Maybe the hours will suit their schedule better. Maybe they’ll meet their future spouse there. Their life will not be derailed because you did magic to get a job.

When we sit with this thought, about how it’s impossible to truly “harm none” for a moment, we realize the truth of these ideas about magic. They’re not really rooted in moral philosophy or concern for others. They come from a very specific wound: the wound that tells us we can’t have what we want because we don’t deserve it.

Most if not all of us carry this wound. It can come from different places. Some of us acquired it from organized religion. Others acquired it from our parents or from cruel peers. In case no one else has told you recently, let me assure you: you can have what you want. You can have good things, you can be loved, you can eat a second slice of birthday cake. And when you truly realize that you can have what you want, whatever that is, it will lose whatever obsessive hold it might have over you. You become liberated from the cycle of desire and denial.

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes

[Jewitch]

TLDR: I didn’t finish Betwixt and Between during this reading session – life sort of got in the way, so I had to put it down for a little while. I do intend to get back to it and finish it, but it may take me a while. From what I read of it so far, my interest in the Feri/Faery/etc. Tradition has been piqued even more.

I hit a point in my reading, not just in Betwixt and Between, but in pagan and witchcraft books in general, where I am like “I want to find a specific tradition and actually join a community of that tradition – I’m tired of just reading books.”

Last night, I signed up to take the Black Rose Witchcraft course (which is a tradition created by Storm Faerywolf!!, Chas Bogan, and Devin Hunter). I’m going to work through that course. So far, it looks like the community of other Black Rose students is almost as amazing as the Spells8 community, so I’m looking forward to where studying in a specific tradition takes me.

[tracyS]

The Complete Book of Demonolatry Excellent. A good introduction to demons and who they are, origins, brief information about the old grimoires, the Demonic family groups, hierarchies etc. It takes the fear out of demons very well. It’s a book to study more than read, so I’m constantly refering back to it, and there is still so much more to learn from it (I’ve barely scratched the surface ).

I would absolutely recommend this book. She tells it like it is, deals with all the possession stories and shows what they really were! She explains what a demon is (basically the gods of the world before Abrahamic religions), and how to safely interact with them.

You won’t find any monsters in here. Just good old fashioned gods, angels and any other divine intelligence that has made itself known.

It’s not a demon bible, so use what works and do you’re own interaction with these beauties to get to know them. They won’t disappoint you.

10/10

[Eliza_01]

Book Title and Author: The Complete Guide To Astrology: Understanding Yourself, Your Signs, and Your Birth Chart by Louise Edington

Status? : Finished

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I started last year learning astrology, and this book was recommended to me by a member and moderator of this group @Susurrus, so I bought it last year. I lightly read certain parts of the book, jumping here and there, but not in its entirety. So finally feel if I want to learn astrology concretely, it would be a good idea to read books on it in its entirety. So I did this with this book.

My personal thoughts/opinions:

An excellent book for beginners and those with more astrological experience. This book emphasizes on taking a non-binary approach to describing the astrological signs, instead of using masculine/feminine, the author uses night/day and exhale/inhale. I liked that very much, it made me experience the zodiac and astrology a lot better and more enjoyable.
How so more enjoyable? When I hear/read masculine /feminine in other astrological works, I understand it’s just terms of opposites, not dealing with a man or woman, but my mind sometimes can’t help itself from doing that when I hear feminine/masculine. But instead using night and day, exhale and inhale, it was much better, made it a lot clearer and easier to read through and absorb the information presented by the author. Bravo to the author. I love it! That’s an approach I like to use when learning astrology, I swap masculine/feminine with day/night inhale/exhale.

This author touched on in good detail Decans of each astrological sign, which was a very new area for me. “A decan is a subdivision of 10 degrees of an astrological sign.” Reading the decan within each astrological sign helped reinforce the elemental attributes of each sign.

The only change or critique I have of this book, is with Chapter 7 on the Houses, a few pages into the chapter, on page 71, it boxes out the explanation of the Quadrants of Houses, such as angular, succedent, and cadent. I recommend moving this explanation to the front of the chapter, because as I was reading the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th house , it states each of these houses are either angular, succedent, or cadent, but with the underlying explanation of such later on that I was not aware of, I ended up looking these descriptions up on the web. Then 7 pages into the chapter, or by the time I reached the 11th house, the underlying explanation of the Quadrants were then provided, it a very nice and concisely done. So those who do decide to read this book, just make note for Chapter 7 to read page 71 along with the opening to this Chapter on Houses.

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes!

[Amethyst]

Book Title and Author: Llewellyn’s Little Book of Halloween by Mickie Mueller

Status: Finished

How does this relate to my magical practice: I love Halloween and Samhain and wanted to learn more about it.

My personal thoughts, and opinions of the book: This is a great book, filled with little tidbits and ideas for the holiday. A nice read!

An interesting quote in the book: “Halloween has grown into a celebration that brings us together. We celebrate in costume and can become anyone; in a way, it equalizes us all. It makes us recognize the masks that we wear every day – and hopefully, we realize that beneath those masks we aren’t that different at all. Can we humans of differing backgrounds find common ground in the joy of Halloween?”

All in all, would I recommend this book: Yes.

[korvo]

Killing the Witches: The Horror of Salem, Massachusetts, by Bill O’Reilly

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book : 3/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: This book is more of a historical look into witchcraft prosecution beginning in Europe and moving to the New World, rather than practice.

My personal thoughts/opinions:

This book did not deliver on what it said “on the tin”. I started it with enthusiasm as it recounted the events that took place in Salem. I learned a lot about the politics and religiosity of the time, and the hysteria that led to mass hangings and other acts of violence. But then the book pivoted about half way in into a recount of early colonialism, separation from the crown and other historical events not really related to the topic. THEN, it pivoted once more into the 1949 Exorcism that ultimately led to the book/movie 'The Exorcist". Finally it tried to tie it all together saying we now lived in a current witch hunt called “cancel culture” and tried to use recent politics/events to back those claims. I wish the book had been more true to its title; and left some of the conclusions and deviations from topic behind. It was an easy read, but what I thought started up strongly sort of ended with a fizzle. Other reviews I’ve read since complain of technical accuracy. And it did a fair amount of bashing: tourists in Salem, neo-paganism, etc—much too opinionated.

All in all, would I recommend this book?:

A qualified ‘No’. It did whet my appetite about doing a deeper dive into the Salem events if I could find a reliable source, I’d probably dig in there.

[/quote]

[Jeannie1]

[quote=“BryWisteria, post:1, topic:44889”]
I haven’t read all the pages but I have done many different rituals that are easy to follow! One of my favorite is the seven forces
Passion- Hail to Einalia, Queen of emotions. Passion is the wet womb from which we emerge, ready to pursue that truth of ours
Strength to will The witches will the strength that drives us in the pursuit of wholeness. Sacred fire, the heroes pier that burns within. Tenacity resilience encourage are all characters will. It is our fire in the belly, the driving emotions and our intuition.
Sovereignty To dare sovereignty permits to dare to live or truth to severe ties that no longer serve. It is honoring our own torchlight and following the trail of Hecate as our bearing guardian!
Power
Agency fuels true connection to the goddesses in the sacred botanicals. Empowerment gives us the drive to go forward toward our truth
** Discipline**
To be silent earth covers fire and water and stops air. It is the meaning of the land, see in sky. It is our interface with the external world, the protection we need as we pursue wholeness. It is the discipline to keep silent when necessary to protect what is sacred to us. The creed of the Pharmakaia is to keep their secrets, unless Hecate them to be shared.

• ** Awareness**
  The Pharma seeks to know the mysteries of Hecate’s garden through learning, practice and experience. Tempered with discipline, our awareness becomes focus as we enter into the practice.
  Integrity
  **To believe ** As we continue through each crossroads, a new key is offered to unlock The next part of the journey toward wholeness. Integrity is required to keep these keys when the going gets rough. It is believing that we can accomplish the mission that each key moves us toward wholeness
  I can appreciate these forces and principles as the Sacred Seven all come together to form the Goddess Crown
  I connect with this book and have done the Sacred Seven Ritual
  I like this book it gives you step by step rituals and evocations. And there are offerings to Hecate!
  Recently I made Madeas flying ointment
  It turned out really great I never used shea butter and I melted the bees wax and I think Hecate is very pleased with my offering! I am trying to connect to her through mediation so I use this as a tool to help me connect to my wisdom! It makes a really nice gift and goes a long way! I’ve Also done the deathwalking ritual and love using my mortal and pestal! This is a ritual to seek advice to my loved ones and those who have departed!
  
  

I love this book I’ve learned a lot about my correspondences and properties I use Thyme a lot Time has been associated with the bumblebee since Greek Warriors use them both to decorate their battle gear. Place an open dish of time by a threshold to keep away unwanted creatures, materials, and spiritual. Burn time as an incense to cleanse the environment. It is especially useful for rituals, evoking, Hecate, and Enodia and guide. Thyme brings ambition and courage to help the witches journey! Time is gently warming an opener of the way for rituals and most excellent herbs for all sacred rights. It is traditionally use in the kernips ritual.

I hope you all enjoy the medicine and Mystery of the plant spirit!
Jeannie

[Amethyst]

Book Title and Author: Intuitive and Psychic by Kim Weaver

Status: Finished

My overall rating of the book: is 6/10

How does this relate to my magical practice: I wanted to learn how to be more intuitive.

My personal thoughts, and opinions of the book: This book is okay. It has some good exercises but nothing groundbreaking. Nothing that I remember a couple of weeks after finishing it.

An interesting quote in the book: “A spiritual awakening can be triggered and occur at any time in your life. There is no one event that created or results in an awakening. The common event associated with an awakening is illness, tragedy, trauma, divorce, death, etcetera. There are some spiritual mentors who believe there are three times in your life a spiritual awakening occurs. Those three times correlate to the three life cycles in numerology.”

All in all, would I recommend this book: This was an okay book, but I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know, journal and meditate. So yes if you’re just starting out learning but no if you’ve been into magic for a while.

[Kiara_Astra]

Ok I have to share. Witchcraft Therapy is not only my first book in this book club, but its also the first book I chose to read to kick start my journey back to witchcraft and self healing. I use a mini tarot deck as book marks that is missing all the major arcana (used for a dnd campaign). This is the card I drew for this book. I have no idea what 10 of cups represents but it’s giving me all the feelings and hopes for a better future. It makes me feel like I chose the right path.

[BlueAngelite]

@BryWisteria

I hope everyone is enjoying their reading so far! I’m looking forward to hearing about your books

I’m about three-quarters of the way through my book The Path of Paganism by John Beckett. I did a lot of reading on my vacation this week; while traveling by plane and bus. I started to combine the book with some podcasts that featured John, because I like to get to hear the author and their perspectives in interview formats. I listened to two podcasts with John Beckett while in flight and they were very interesting. One was focused on camouflage and witchcraft for safety and the other was on the modern witchcraft v. pagan movements. He got tied up with how paganism, witchcraft, and druidism are all under one roof and how he is a druid, but calls himself a pagan, and if pushed would also classify himself as a witch technically. Both podcasts were interesting and added to my understanding of the book.

In Chapter 6: Being Spiritual in a Materialistic Society, he mentioned how he started in paganism after leaving fundamentalist Christianity, by dabbling in Wicca for many years. Then he heard a voice to “Get Serious or Move On.” He knew he wasn’t fully committing due to fear and just reading and not “doing” not practicing. So he starting actually diving deep and meditating, praying, doing rituals with groups, learning about deities. I totally related to this as a former Catholic with a lot of guilt and shame about witchcraft and not full committing.

I got a little hung - up at first on his chapter on the gods, Chapter 4, just because I don’t have a deity worship practice, I have an ancestor altar, and I was essentially thinking this chapter was going to be very “druid” deity worship focused. I was quite surprised! It was basically a skeptic’s chapter: written just for me. I wouldn’t say that now I’m about to totally go out and do all kinds of devotions to the gods, but hey the way John writes is to the common person. And explains, why not try it? Instead of why to to definitely believe something.

Some of the later chapters seem like “everything and the kitchen sink” and a little excessive. So far I do appreciate his perspective as a Unitarian Universalist (UU), as I am also a member of a UU church. He has experience with a CUUPs group (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans). And in my UU church we have a pagan group, that is not quite organized enough to become a CUUPs group, but this book gives me good ideas about how we could be in the future. So far, I am really enjoying where this book is taking me. And it has opened my mind to other ways of thinking rather than, traditional witchcraft all the time, which is my most common reading.

I looked into the Druid OBOD training as John mentions it in the book, and wow, those druids are very organized about their training as druids! Three levels of online training, verified credentials - very nice. I appreciate that as a super organized person myself! Anyways, just adding my thoughts so far.

[Sabine_Estella]

Book Title and Author: A walk through the forrest of souls Rachel Pollack

Status? : Still Reading

My overall rating of the book 8/10 so far

How does this book relate to or inform my practice? I use Tarot for divination primarily and Rachel has been a mentor to me for years. She passed last year and this is her last book and I am savoring its wisdom. She just makes it make sense and connects the dots for me in so many ways.

My personal thoughts/opinions: Rachel weaves so many meanings and connections together for me and really this book is a love letter to tarot and how it’s fluidity keeps it alive and it is alive for me so much more with her thoughts and helpful exercises.
An interesting quote from the book: not with me now will update

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes

[tracyS]

Ok. The Bible of the Adversary by Michael Ford. Would I recommend, Yes. Have I finished it, nearly. So far it’s good. Do I agree with all of it, no but that doesn’t matter.

I think this is worth a read to expand my belief system. He covers history of Christianity, history of paganism, and explains, in his view, where Mr Lucifer fits in all this. I’ve learnt alot of history through this book that I didn’t expect. I thought it was just about Luciferianism.

If you’re interested in Luciferianism as a practice, he covers everything and explains it in layman’s terms. He’s a very good writer. Sometimes I can detect a little animosity towards the Christian path which is a shame as I feel it might have made the book more powerful if he kept it neutral, but that must be hard for any author.

I’m still reading, but this is definitely a keeper and once I’ve finished I will get the paperback.