đź“– Spells8 Book Club XXXXIII (Oct. 25 - Nov. 22)

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Welcome to all of the witchy book lovers here in the forum!

:books: :mage: :heart:

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 :memo: Spells8 Book Club XXXXII - Readers’ Reviews!.

As of today, the 43rd book club reading session has now begun!

spells8 book club

On Your Mark, Get Set, READ! :books:

  1. 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)

  2. 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!

  3. 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!

  4. 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.

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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 :handshake:

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 :books:

Not sure what to read?

You can find book recommendations in:

And also:

Reading on a budget?

Free online books can be found in:

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If you have any questions about Book Club, please feel free to check the Book Club FAQ and/or ask in the comments.

Blessed be and happy reading!

:sparkles: :open_book: :sparkles:

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~~ ~~ ~~ This post is a WIKI POST- it is editable by everyone! ~~ ~~ ~~
for help editing a wiki post, see the tutorial here

Please announce your books here :blush:

Example:

  • Book Title by Author
    (@) your username

Out of respect to others, please only add/edit your own entry

  • Chronically Magickal by Danielle Dionne @Amethyst

  • The Volsung Saga and the Yarn of Norna Gest. Saga 1
    @tracyS

  • Yemaya by Raven Morgaine
    @Kiara_Astra

  • The Way of Fire and Ice: The Living Tradition of Norse Paganism by Ryan Smith
    @Jewitch

  • Shadow Work for Hot Messes by Mandi Em
    @MeganB

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I am so looking forward to reading this one! I can’t wait!

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Oh, I hope you enjoy it! :clap:

I can’t decide between two different books so I guess I have a decision to make :laughing:

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I missed the last book club, but I’m hoping to get in on this one. Trying to decide which book to dive into next.

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@MeganB I’m not great at putting the book in bold and lining it up, it does one or the other :person_facepalming:. Please feel free to correct :rofl:.

I’ll be hitting all the Viking Sagas, Loki insists plus I love history, and these are history-ish (touch of legend thrown in :partying_face:). :beers:

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You and me, both! It’s between The Irish Pagan Book of Rites by John Michael McLoughlin and Shadow Work for Hot Messes by Mandi Em!

haha okay, I totally will! :clap: :heart:

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I know I’m probably posting this review a bit early, but I wanted to post it before I forgot because I have the memory of a walnut :sweat_smile: lol

Book title and author: The Way of Fire and Ice: The Living Traditions of Norse Paganism by Ryan Smith

Status: Finished

My overall rating of the book: 8/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice? I haven’t really learned too much about Norse paganism so far in my journey, so I figured it was time to read something out of my normal scope of practice.

My personal thoughts/opinions: I honestly wasn’t really sure what to expect because for some reason, whenever I’ve tried reading anything about Norse mythology/paganism in the past, it all seemed so complicated because there were so many figures with such intricate backstories and I got easily overwhelmed and never felt much of a connection to it. I admit that the same could be said for Roman and Greek mythology/paganism; however, because Greek and Roman history and mythology is emphasized more than that of the Norse peoples, hearing the complex tales of the Greek/Roman deities seemed a little less complicated. It was all about what I was used to being exposed to.

The way Ryan Smith explained the lore and certain aspects of Norse mythology was much more clear, concise, and straightforward than anything else I’ve read about it up to this point. I still need more time for the information to sink in, and I probably need a few more exposures to the Norse lore to better comprehend it, but I feel that I got a better understanding of it from The Way of Fire and Ice than I had from any other source.

As someone whose practice is rooted in mostly American folk practices at this point, I wasn’t really expecting to take away too much from this book. I was shocked with how much inspiration I got for things I can potentially adapt into my practice. The exercises provided in each chapter are more specific to what the author calls “Radical Norse Paganism” (a term that I have mixed feelings about, given the history of people twisting Norse paganism to justify hatred, bigotry, racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.), but at the same time, the exercises could be easily adapted to fit into just about any spiritual practice. This adaptability is one thing that the author pushes for. Several times throughout the book, he advocates for practicing in a way that is authentic for you, provided that you are ethical in your practice.

On the topic of any kind of exclusionary beliefs, Smith takes a very firm stance: he does not tolerate judgement or exclusion of anyone based on any factor. The only thing that he states that anyone should be excluded for is if they have racist/bigoted/sexist/homophobic/etc. beliefs, or if they continue violating the rules of the group. TLDR: His stance is that no one should be excluded for any reason, provided they are a good person.

Smith also discusses topics such as conflict resolution that are useful not only for the purposes of practicing Norse paganism, but that are also applicable to working out any conflicts that arise in daily life.

An interesting quote from the book: There are many wonderful quotes in this book! I have a hard time picking just one, so I’ll list a few that resonated deeply with me.

  • “Living tradition is this way’s beating heart. It is a spiritual practice that grows and changes as times and needs require it to. We are always developing and are never chained to the dictates of holy books or anointed leaders. The ancient lore that inspires us leaves no doubt reality is not fixed and unmoving. The world as we know it has not always been and will not always exist as it currently does.” (page 5)

  • “Values are a compass steering you toward the right path, not a map dictating what that path is and must always be.” (page 6)

  • “Prudence and discipline are good, but there are also times when it is necessary to take risks. Ultimately, wisdom is more than knowing facts and ideas, it is the capacity to assess their worth and determine the best course of action in a given situation based on what you can and want to do.” (page 102)

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

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No worries about that! :blush: Reviews are welcome at any time during book club!

I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the book! I don’t know too much about Norse practices so maybe this will go on my TBR list for the future. Thanks for sharing, @Jewitch!

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How are everyone’s books so far? Hope you’re enjoying them :books: :blush:

It’s time for a friendly reminder!

:grey_exclamation: The current reading period will conclude at the end of next week: November 22, 2024 :grey_exclamation:

A Reader’s Review post will appear in the forums at that time for everyone to share their thoughts and hear all about what your fellow coven members have been reading.

I’m looking forward to hearing about your books- happy reading! :open_book: :sparkles:

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I’m still reading the sagas, but I’ll get there, by Christmas :laughing:

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We can absolutely extend this book club since we’re coming up to the holiday season!

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