đź“ť Spells8 Book Club XXXXII - Readers' Reviews!

Activities
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Feel free to share your finished thoughts and reviews from your book last session (Sep. 20 - Oct. 18) here. For the current book club post, please visit the new session post: đź“– Spells8 Book Club XXXXIII (Oct. 25 - Nov. 22)

A warm welcome to all of the Witchy Readers! :open_book:

The latest reading period for Book Club (đź“– Spells8 Book Club XXXXII (Sep. 20 - Oct. 18)) has now ended - thank you to everyone who joined in!

Members & Their Books This Reading Period:

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! :star_struck:

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

  • :heart_eyes: If you loved your book and think everyone should read it- awesome! Talk about your favorite points or something you learned.
  • :woman_shrugging: If you didn’t connect with the book- consider explaining why it wasn’t for you.
  • :angry: 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 :+1:

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

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 :raised_hands:

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 :heart:

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

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! :handshake:

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Deadlines and Dates :spiral_calendar:

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: November 22, 2024

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: October 25, 2024

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.

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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 :books:

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! :sparkles:

:books: :heart: :infinite_roots:

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Book title and author: The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft by Kelden

Status: Finished

My overall rating of the book: 10/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice? I identify my style of Witchcraft as that of Traditional Witchcraft, and I try to base as much of my practice as I can on folklore and personal (unverfied) gnosis. It’s refreshing to read a book that resonates so much with my (current) path.

My personal thoughts/opinions: I have a hard time finding books that truly resonate with me and my personal practices. This one comes pretty close to being almost exactly aligned with my beliefs. I find that most books on Traditional Witchcraft feel too outdated or put too much of an emphasis on making sure things are exactly the way they’re supposed to be. Kelden’s approach is pretty much the same as mine: If it works, it works; if not, change it so it does work for you. Kelden’s approach is also rooted in folklore, but not so rooted that it’s not open to change.

An interesting quote from the book:

Given the common misconceptions about what qualifies as a tradition, Traditional Witchcraft is often mistakenly thought of as representing (or trying to represent) a singular, unified, and unchanged tradition that stretches far back into the mists of time. But this just isn’t the case. Instead, the term Traditional Witchcraft refers to a collection of different paths that are influenced and inspired by traditions found within folklore. And again, these traditions are subject to change and growth in order for them to have relevance and meaning in the world today. Traditional Witches take stock of the traditions and customs from folklore, particularly that of our ancestors, but we don’t fool ourselves into believing that we live in the past or that these traditions have been untouched by the hands of time. Instead, we find ways to weave strands of the past into the tapestry of our modern lives. It is this process that makes Traditional Witchcraft “traditional.” (From chapter 1, e-book verison, so I don’t have a specific page number at the moment)

This quote stuck out to me because since I began my current spiritual path, all of the books I was reading were basically saying “This practice is ancient and must be done EXACTLY as I say, otherwise it won’t work.” This sentiment never sat well with me, and so to read that passage made me realize that not everyone in the Witchcraft sphere is so stagnant and stuck in their ways.

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

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I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the book! :clap:

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Eep! I keep on forgetting to post this!

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

Status: Finished

My overall rating of the book: 9

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!

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Woohoo! :clap: I’m so glad you enjoyed your book, Amethyst! :heart:

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Book Title and Author: On the Bank of Oblivion by Emma Rose

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 fictional book about a boy who experiences a chronic illness and finds himself in another realm on the shores of Oblivion’s realm. Oblivion is also known as Lethe, the Goddess of Oblivion.

My personal thoughts/opinions: Overall, the book was okay. It isn’t my usual genre of book but it’s a Maine author and I picked it up at Book Fest earlier this year (and it’s a signed copy :clap:) so I was more than happy to support her. The book itself centers more around the main character and his ever-growing list of symptoms rather than Oblivion, though she also plays a role. The book itself did make me think a bit about how we interact with the Gods and the role they may play in our lives, even if we don’t realize it.

An interesting quote from the book: Not a quote, but an idea. This part will contain spoilers so I will put it under a “read more”.

the interesting idea...

So, in the book, the main character (Owen) falls into a sort of trance, the liminal space between awake and asleep. He floats there for a bit in the river not really knowing where he is. Above him floating in the mist is Oblivion, curious as to the man who has entered her realm. She says that people have long since forgotten about her and no longer bring her offerings. Owen finds himself moving back and forth between this liminal space and his waking life, living day by day as normal and speaking with Oblivion at night. Through their relationship, Oblivion seems very stuck on the idea that Owen can create new things out of nothing while she can only copy what she has seen or taken from the memory of others.

This leads to the end of the book where Owen tells her he no longer wants to come back because she’s threatening him. She wants him to stay with her forever and he refuses. Originally, she wants him and his memories. She is the Goddess of Oblivion, after all. She is upset because no one remembers her and, if he leaves, no one will remember her still. He tells her that he remembers her - even if he doesn’t come back, he will remember her.

Then she makes him a different deal - she wants his worship, requires it, and tells him that he will make her likeness and share it with the world. Then, on the New Moon, he will return to her with those works of art in his mind so she can see them. He agrees, and then he drifts out of Oblivion back into the waking world.

This makes me wonder just how many of the Old Gods have been forgotten by us humans. I know many Gods have changed shape and adapted for the times – Brighid and St. Brighid, for example – but there have been so many cultures, so many small villages of people who no longer exist. I’m sure they all had Gods of their own with names and likenesses and they are now forgotten… now I’m thinking more about the Old Gods of the land I live on. I know the Indigenous People remember, and not being Native I have no right to infringe on their practices, but I am very curious about the old Spirits and Gods that potentially sleep right beneath me just waiting for someone to remember them.

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes, it was a good book!

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It was a good one!

And your book sounds interesting and kind of sad. But good! You know what I mean!

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I do know what you mean, for sure! She has two other books that have the stories of two other characters in this book. I might pick them up to see what they’re about!

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:sparkles: It’s time for a friendly reminder! :sparkles:

:grey_exclamation: The current review period will conclude at the end of next week: December 13, 2024 :grey_exclamation:

If you have yet to review your book, now is the time to do so! Book club will be going on a short hiatus and a new session will begin in January.

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