Wishing a warm welcome to all of the forum book-lovers!
Thank you again to everyone who joined in for last monthās reading session (Reading Session XIX)
For those who havenāt yet shared their thoughts about their book (or anyone who enjoys reading book reviews!) you still have time to do so in Spells8 Book Club XIX- Readerās Reviews .
As of today, the twentieth book club reading session has now begun !
On Your Mark, Get Set, READ!
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 [[ 4 weeks ]] 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 youāre 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
After four weeks, 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.
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! For books with multiple readers, a separate discussion just for you will open for you to swap thoughts and share insights.
Please keep in mind that everyone will reconvene for the final discussion, regardless of which book you read
If you are reading a book along with someone else, please make a note in the comments so I can create a special discussion thread for you!
If youāve read the instructions but are still having a tough time- no stress at all! For anyone who prefers, I am happy to add you in. Just write your book title and author in a normal post and I will take care of it
@JoeyP I have a Kindle & the lovely @Amethyst had recommended a series type of 3 books. I enjoy those when one goes along with the previous & future books. Right now I am on Book 1 Celtic Magic. The other 2 books, just so happen to be the 2 deities that I closely work with on a regular basis.
I will have to see if I can find this series also & add it to the ever-growing āRead in the Futureā list I have. Iām going to have to go through whatās there to see if I can glean it down a little bit
Book Review.
I was not too interested in Celtic and or Irish This book primarily focuses on the history and legacy of the Pagan belief system. It discusses how this system was practiced in Ireland and Wales and outlines the Druidsā role in the faith. It also informs the reader about the key deities, tales, and myths in understanding the role of Paganism in Celtic and Welsh history. In this book, youāll: Learn what Irish Paganism is Discover who the Druids are Explore different pagan feasts and festivals Learn the different branches of Celtic witchcraft Understand various components of Irish spirits and deities Master the art of performing Paganism and Druidry today Learn how to set up a pagan altar and the magical tools required to practice witchcraft Master simple pagan spells and rituals And much more! Are you interested in learning Irish and Celtic Paganism? If so, this book is for you. It is well-researched and provides all the details to understand this belief system.
Although I found it remarkably interesting, Iām happy with my belief system.
I remember reading a post for someone asking about Irish Paganism and I cannot
remember who.l If you see this, itās a good read, sometimes wordy sometimes vague.
Iād give it a 6 out of 10
Garnet
I have a new keyboard and itās so sensitive, it makes me want to spit.
I hope you donāt mind, Garnet, but I moved your post here to keep it in line with the rest of book club Itās interesting that you posted a review of this book! We were just talking about this author in one of Siofraās posts and Iām scared to pick up this book Thank you for sharing, though! I might have to give it a read.
Iāve got my fingers crossed for you too- may it be a great book for you, Amethyst!
Hahaha so many interesting books, so little time! I know the feeling well lol
Thank you so much for your review, Garnet! It sounds like it was an interesting read- it seems to cover a lot of ground and a lot of history. Itās always nice when a book does good research and presents a lot of various topics in one organized place. Your thoughts on it are very much appreciated!
I finally finished the book on Traditional Witch craft after reading it on and off and started a great presented book: A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult by DK. So far a great book and love the overall feel of the book which for a change has many pictures reflecting history of witchcraft. Its a great read of you are looking for a history lesson in Witchcraft!
I finished my first book for this one & I just started my second one. I have gone back to sort of reread Celtic Tree Magic for learning the Ogham & for Divination with the Ogham. It also goes into the Celtsā beliefs about trees & plants. How they are regarded & used within their practices. Both books are by Danu Forest who is a Druid Priestess. I really enjoy her books & their content.
Congrats on finishing Traditional Witchcraft! And Iām happy that youāre enjoying your newest read too- it sounds loaded with historical information, and who doesnāt love having an abundance of pictures!? Sometimes I think I spend more time enjoying a page with a picture than I do a page of text- I always appreciate when books add in some nice art
Happy reading!
You are truly becoming a master in your knowledge of Celtic traditions and spirituality, Siofra- Iām so glad youāre enjoying your studies!
It sounds like it was a pretty good book overall, although I can see how the reference table raised an eyebrow. I do the same thing- no matter how good the book is, if I catch one thing that I know isnāt right or is a mistake, I start to second-guess everything else in the book
Congrats on finishing and wishing you all the best with your new book! Happy reading
Thank you! I am so that way But yes, overall itās a good book & I enjoyed it very much for the information & exercises & other discussions regarding colors, candles, and tools, so I would look into deities more than what is said in this book. They have Brigid & the Morrigan, Macha, Badb, in correlation with so many things that are the same & at the same time the opposite that I found myself askingā¦ how does that even work? That goes for several other Gods/Goddesses too. So I stopped about halfway through the deitiesā correspondences reference table. Then when I saw the bibliography, I was like wellā¦ we are 40 to 65+ plus years beyond that now so Iām sure thought patterns & information have been found & updated since then.
I say that because for some reason when I woke up before the sun was even thinking about rising; my TV was on some kind of bible study show (???) no idea where or who or whyā¦ but it was definitely one from Iād say the 70s/80s that they show at no one is awake hours of the morning. This extremely early morning though, he was discussing pagans & how awful they were & obsessed with the dark parts of immortality while reading from the Bible about something (it was early I canāt remember the words but I remember seeing his finger following the words while he was reading the passages ) & comparing it to different things, mostly differing beliefs such as all other temples, judas pagans, jewish, & just pagans (apparently each belief system had elaborate temples of worship somewhereā¦) in general but there was another faith & I canāt recall it right nowā¦ I was likeā¦ whoa what in the old strict thought patterns show is this, but at the same time I was intrigued because he also mentions other faiths however, pagans were the most looked down upon & disliked among them. We are like the extreme no-noās apparently in that time.
It went to commercial after that discussion & I changed the channel but I was honestly kind of shockedā¦ at some point, this was a TV show & had a phone number & address for contact information on it somewhere in the Midwest*(ish)* area. People heard this, sat through this on the show, at home, and followed this show & a whole stigma was originally born from a region of people pushing their faith (which was a version of his) across Europe trying to wipe out anything different & versions popped up here through immigration hundreds of years ago of all kinds of faiths from all over the world.
(Iām seriously generalizing here because I donāt have the energy or spoons for a full-on discussion about the history of any topic right now)
Thank you and yes the pictures are a nice change. I sometimes love seeing pictures in books it give me a real idea of whatās going on especially history since its so complex and all Canāt say so for my raunchy romance novels, as they can keep being all words as i donāt think other over-lookers would appreciate it at the coffee shops or other public places even here with the kids lol
I have started reading Wicca: Herbal Magic- A beginnerās guide to herbal spellcraft by Lisa Chamberlain. So far it is nice just to reintroduce herbs and herbal magick again to my forever changing craft. The book is nice and simple which for me is good as i tend to read heavy book which tends to drag on for a long time. Love the visual side of the book too. Would recommend this to beginners and older witches who just want a refresher.
@TheMuslimWitch It sounds like youāre having fun with your herbal studies- I hope you continue to enjoy Herbal Magic! And hooray for pictures- having the visuals really helps when it comes to learning herbs
Didnāt finish your book or just got started ? No worries!
Feel free to share your thoughts so far and chime in on the reviews that your fellow coven members have shared. You may find a recommendation for a new book!
After a one-week review period, the next reading session will begin: Next Friday, September 16th . Feel free to continue reading your current book into the next session or start a brand new book at that time!
Spells8 Book Club XIX- Readerās Reviews .
Thank you for sharing, though! I might have to give it a read.
I know the feeling well lol
It sounds like it was an interesting read- it seems to cover a lot of ground and a lot of history. Itās always nice when a book does good research and presents a lot of various topics in one organized place. Your thoughts on it are very much appreciated! 
And Iām happy that youāre enjoying your newest read too- it sounds loaded with historical information, and who doesnāt love having an abundance of pictures!? 
Sometimes I think I spend more time enjoying a page with a picture than I do a page of text- I always appreciate when books add in some nice art 
Then when I saw the bibliography, I was like wellā¦ we are 40 to 65+ plus years beyond that now so Iām sure thought patterns & information have been found & updated since then. 
was even thinking about rising; my TV 
was on some kind of bible study show (???) no idea where or who or whyā¦ but it was definitely one from Iād say the 70s/80s that they show at no one is awake hours of the morning. This extremely early morning though, he was discussing pagans & how awful they were & obsessed with the dark parts of immortality while reading from the Bible about something (it was early I canāt remember the words but I remember seeing his finger following the words while he was reading the passages 
) & comparing it to different things, mostly differing beliefs such as all other temples, judas pagans, jewish, & just pagans (apparently each belief system had elaborate temples of worship somewhereā¦
The few wonderful reviews already posted here have since been re-homed in the Readersā Reviews post to make them easier to find!