📝 Spells8 Book Club XXXXI - Readers' Reviews!

[MeganB]

Feel free to share your finished thoughts and reviews from your book from last session (Aug 16 - Sep 13) here. For the current book club post, please visit the new session post: Coming soon!

A warm welcome to all of the Witchy Readers!

The latest reading period for Book Club [Aug 16 - Sep 13] has now ended - thank you to everyone who joined in!

Members & Their Books This Reading Period:

• Women of Tarot by Cat Willett
  @MeganB

• The Witch’s Path by Thorne Mooney @Amethyst

• Oaths & Vows Ksenia Menshikova
  @tracyS

• The Crooked Path by Kelden @Artemisia

• Herbal Magic by Aurora Kane @Mystique

• Sweet of Love: An Anthology for Bast and Bast-Mut by Chelsea Luellon Bolton
  @Nhaama

• Goddess Magic by Aurora Kane
  @Nhaama

• Gemini Witch by: I’ve Dominguez, JR. and Laura Tempest Zakroff
  @jackie1

• Energy Magic by Mark NeCamp Jr. @BlueAngelite

• Artio and Artaois: A Journey Towards the Celtic Bear Gods by Andrew Anderson
  @WrenEve

• Discovering Christian Witchcraft
  By Emyle D. Prata & Sara Raztresen
  @tracyS

Even if you are not listed above but you read a book during this reading period/ you decided to read a different book than listed- you are very welcome to share and discuss here too!

---

Time to share your thoughts with your coven!

This discussion post will serve as a place to share your thoughts and opinions on the book you chose.

• If you loved your book and think everyone should read it- awesome! Talk about your favorite points or something you learned.
• If you didn’t connect with the book- consider explaining why it wasn’t for you.
• Absolutely hated your book of choice? Warn others to stay away!

This is a great place to share your love for books and find recommendations for new books to read

Picture from Canva

Your book review can be as simple or elaborate as you’d like

If you’re not sure what to talk about, here is a suggested format you can use. Feel free to write as little or as much as you’d like!

Book Title and Author:

Status? : Finished / Still Reading

My overall rating of the book : ???/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?:

My personal thoughts/opinions:

An interesting quote from the book: " "

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes / No

Remember that your review is uniquely yours- this is a chance to let your opinions and voice be heard

Please keep in mind that others may have opinions that differ from yours- when responding to the thoughts of others please always show respect! Remember that 100 people will read 1 book and have 100 different experiences. That’s what makes sharing interesting

---

What if I didn’t finish my book / joined late?

No worries!

You are welcome to share your thoughts about the part you have read so far. If you joined the session late and have just started, feel free to talk about your expectations for your book. You can continue reading it into the next reading period.

And whether you read a book or not - you are very welcome to jump in and discuss what others share about their books!

Picture from Canva

Deadlines and Dates

You have 5 weeks to share your thoughts and discuss (until the next Readers’ Review Post appears in the forum!)

Deadline for Reviews for this Session: Friday, October 18

While you have plenty of time for reviews, know that the next reading period will begin in one week:

The Next Reading Session will Begin: Friday, September 20

On this day a post will appear where you can announce your next book (or continue with your current reading!).

Until then, you can find more info about the club in the Book Club FAQ.

Picture from Canva

It can be hard to find the time and motivation to read on your own- hopefully book club helped provide a bit of motivation and that it led to some wonderful new knowledge and discoveries in your Craft

I hope you enjoyed your books this session, and that you’ve got another fun one in line to read this coming month.

Happy reading and blessed be!

[tracyS]

My review of Oaths and Vows by Ksenia Menshikova.

First, her knowledge of how magic works, elements, the spirit world is immense. It’s equivalent to the Masters that teach at the College of Psychic Studies. I am impressed.

She’s slowly putting the material she covers in her school into books. It’s a Russian school on a par with the College of Psychic Studies, but doesn’t offer as broad a curriculum. Her writing style is clear and easy to understand, and for any terms that are odd, she gives an explanation. The book has a Q&A format included in each chapter, which is helpful as it shows her students learning and how they resolved issues.

This book deals with the importance of honouring oaths and vows to the gods, the backlash effect of magic, what happens if you break a vow, how to switch from one path to another, and the elements. It talks mostly of the Norse Gods and how they work, and its focus is the Northern Tradition, both of Britain, North European, Scandinavian and Slavic.

My only gripe with the book is her view on the “Abrahamic Tradition” which includes Judaism, Christianity and Islam. She splits magic into 2 pathways: Spirit & Blood.

Spirit is the Abrahamic, Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and Blood is the pagans. The difference is to do with how the “servant” of the pathway interacts with their gods and ancestors.

She’s very negative about the Abrahamic pathway, and I don’t know the history of Russia, but personally I feel this wasn’t necessary. Yes, the God of Abraham doesn’t share his worship with other gods and idols, but from a magical perspective, alot of practices incorporate Christianity and the bible in their magic, without issue either for themselves, or any gods. After awhile it irritated me, her constant bash against one tradition.

I have others of her books, which I will read because her knowledge of the craft is second to none. But if you do read this, just be aware she really doesn’t like Christians!

[Nhaama]

I just finished reading my book today~! Here is my review on it

Book: Sweet of Love: An Anthology for Bast and Bast-Mut

Author: Chelsea Luellon Bolton

Status?: Finished

My overall rating of the book: 10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I worship Bastet so this book is very important for me in my practice.

My personal thoughts/opinions: There is a good amount of information on Bast and Bast-Mut within the pages of this lovely book~! The book is easy to read and explains everything in a clear and simple manner. I also enjoyed the hymns and poems, which I plan on using in my spells and meditations with Bastet.

An interesting quote from the book:

“Playful Cat
Joyful Lady
With flaming sword
Warrior with a shield
Warrior with a Scimitar
Fiery Goddess of Sun and Star
Lady of Power, Lady of Passion
Bright Lady of Fire and Sun
Bast, the Lady of the Two Lands
Lady of Joy and Strength
Lady of Art and Creation’s Bliss
Lady of Music, Lady of Dance
As the tambourine is played
Bast dances with Her followers
Bast dances and people are in joy
Jewelry adorns the Goddess
Fine linen for Her clothes
Abundance in food and water
The finer things in life
Passion, Beauty and Power
There is Power in Beauty
There is Passion in Strength
There is Beauty in Power”

(Poem: Power, Beauty, Passion and Strength, Chapter 5: Poetry of Bast, Page 51)

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Absolutely~! This book is a great way to learn about Bastet and Bast-Mut, a syncretic fusion of the Goddesses Bastet and Mut.

[MeganB]

Book Title and Author: Women of Tarot: An Illustrated History of Divinators, Card Readers, and Mystics by Cat Willett

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book : 10/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I am a tarot reader and enjoy learning the history behind the people who helped make it what it is today.

My personal thoughts/opinions: This book is not a “how-to” nor is it very academic at all – neither of those points is a bad thing, just to be clear. What’s most interesting about this book is that the author doesn’t appear to be a witch or occultist at all! Her bio from her website says this: “Cat Willett is a professional illustrator and published author who creates vibrant artwork for corporate brands and cultural institutions. Her illustrations often focus on themes of nature, parenting, mysticism, and travel.”

Anyway, the book does a wonderful job detailing the lives of some important women in tarot history including Rachel Pollack and Marie-Anne Lenormand. The illustrations bring the book to life in a vibrant way that keeps the reader engaged and flipping pages. I know I enjoyed the art style quite a bit!

Here are some pictures if you’d like to see them.

An interesting quote from the book: Not an interesting quote but the author does make a note toward the end of the book of some different notable femme and non-binary people who have also had an impact on tarot as we know it today.

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

[Amethyst]

Book Title and Author: The Witch’s Path by Thorne Mooney

Status?: Finished

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I was looking for a book to elevate my practice to the next level and this was a great pick!**

My personal thoughts/opinions: This is a great book for both beginner and intermediate witches! I think it will really bring you a few new ideas for your practice!

An interesting quote from the book: “How do you develop your Craft in the midst of regular working life? What about when you’re dealing with illness? How do you continue to study and learn when all you can think about is your boss, your children, your mortgage, or that unexpected bill? Being a Witch makes you extraordinary, for sure, but it doesn’t give you a pass on all the responsibility that comes with living in the real world. Witchcraft is a tool we can use to make some parts of life easier, but in some ways it can also make things a great deal more challenging.”

Mooney, Thorn. The Witch’s Path: Advancing Your Craft at Every Level (pp. 22-23). Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD… Kindle Edition.

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes! It’s great!

[MeganB]

@Amethyst

Yes! It’s great!

Woohoo! I knew you’d enjoy it it’s such a wonderful book. I think I’m gonna go back through it and read it slower this time and work through the questions at the end of each chapter.

[Amethyst]

@MeganB

I think I’m gonna go back through it and read it slower this time and work through the questions at the end of each chapter.

It is certainly a book that deserves more than one read. I bet you’ll find something new in it every time you read it!

[MeganB]

This is just a reminder that the new reading session will begin tomorrow, September 20th!