Book title and author : Year of the Witch: Connecting with Natureās Seasons through Intuitive Magick Author: Temperance Alden
Kindle Edition Status : Finished/Quit
My overall rating of the book : 1/10
How does this book relate to my magickal practice?
The content it mentioned felt as though it would be good to get more acquainted with the Wheel of the Year and the Sabbats/Esbats.
My personal thoughts and opinions : This book started out like a first date, much hope and pre-conceived ideas. Only to pull me in and drop me flat. There were parts of this book that I felt āokay, this will be where it picks up,ā and then Iād read on and just be totally disappointed.
There were too many parts that I felt were inappropriately added in this book, not that I expect to agree with every word or point in a book, I actually like books that give me the chance to consider new things or beliefs. But for this book, there were just too many things not to like. It was hard to figure out if some points the author included were those she agreed with or just added in to help the word count.
Interesting quote from the book : From the authors words, really there wasnāt any.
All-in-all, would I recommend this book? No, not to people I like or respect anyway.
I also like your comparison of Year of the Witch to a first date - thatās exactly what it was like for me too. Hopefully the next books we all choose are more enjoyable
Book - Year of the Witch: Connecting with Natureās Seasons through Intuitive Magick
Author - Temperance Aldren
Status - Finished (grudgingly)
I did go on to finish the book cause id made it halfway and I thought like most of you that it might get a bit better down the line. It really didnāt though. I didnāt hate it but I did disagree with a few points. Not that thatās uncommon among humans, we disagree all the time. It wasnāt the best planned out non-fiction book Iāve read and it made it very hard to stay focused and to take the information seriously. Others have said it and I found my experience to be the same, the Author was very inconsistent in what her views on any matter were and some of the claims were a little inaccurate. I didnāt learn anything I consider new, for me anyway, so I wouldnāt recommend it to a fellow Practioner. And i donāt think Iād recommend it to a beginner in the Craft either because of the inconsistencies.
I think this is one of the things that I didnāt like that I couldnāt quite put my finger on. Thinking back on it now, I think the author was probably trying to take a neutral stance on things. I feel like itās a pretty normal thing to want to try to keep a non-fiction book as unbiased as possible, but (1) writing anything in an unbiased way is nearly impossible, and (2) the way the author of this book did it, as you said, was inconsistent and a little inaccurate. I might be interpreting the authorās intentions wrong, but if Iām not, Iād rather her straight-up say āI believe ABC because XYZ. However, other people believe QRS because EFG.ā
In my opinion, as an author, if you donāt make your biases clear and then try to present other views as neutrally as possible, it comes across as not-genuine, wishy-washy, sketchy, and inconsistent. Not admitting oneās biases can cause more issues than it solves, especially when it comes to oneās credibility as a non-fiction writer.
That looks interesting itās been added to the list thank you I know what you mean, itās ok to have certain views on certain things as long as you arenāt being downright horrible or condemning others for theirs. I also feel that if all views are given on matter then itās more likely that resolutions in the prejudices we have today would happen quicker, views that are based on stereotypes are less likely to be when the light is shone on them regularly
Thanks to @Jewitch, @Rowan, @Liisa for your insightful reviews on Year of the Witch!
Now that this Book Club review post is live in the forums, Iāve gone ahead and moved your reviews originally shared in the Year of The Witch Thread to this main discussion. This is just so your helpful reviews are easier to find and can be enjoyed by those who read other books this session!
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts on the book- it sounds like it wasnāt anything like what you all were expecting!
Book Title and Author: Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden
Status? : Still Reading / paused for the time being
My overall rating of the book : 5/10
How does this book relate to my magickal practice?:
Iām relatively new to Witchcraft and Wicca and was keen to learn more about the wheel of the year and how it will affect my practice.
My personal thoughts/opinions:
There are some parts of the book that Iāve enjoyed and have resonated with me. It started well and got me thinking about how my spiritual journey is a process that will take time. And how science and religion can be blended. But other parts that have just rubbed me up the wrong way, just a sense of unease that hasnāt made me want to finish it.
I skipped ahead to the chapter on Beltane and it was time appropriate but donāt feel I really learned much of anything, I put the book down feeling a bit āblahā.
I will try to finish it, reading each chapter at the appropriate time during the year but want to focus my efforts on something else that interests me more at the moment. And I think the universe has decided it wasnāt for me as Iāve spilt a glass on wine on itā¦ I read a lot into what wine tries to tell me
An interesting quote from the book:
āWitches donāt become skilled in their practice overnight, just as they donāt become masters by reading one book. Spiritual skills are akin to a special muscle group; one cannot go to the gym, look at the equipment, walk away, and somehow get in shape without ever touching a single machine. Spiritual growth is the same. It requires time and effort.ā
All in all, would I recommend this book?: Maybe - I realise that isnāt desperately helpful!
Book Title and Author: Reasonable Doubt by Peter Manso
Status? : Finished
My overall rating of the book : 8/10
How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: It doesnāt except that itās recent history of my area
My personal thoughts/opinions: I liked the book & reading about the criminal justice system in my state, or how it was operating at the time.
All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes
The book is about the murder of Christa Worthington & the investigation into it. They had the mentality that someone is responsible & went for the easiest target regardless of the evidence they had on the case. The DA was chasing skirts & the man that wound up having to prosecute the case was getting tripped up by the evidence presented in the courtroom that pointed away from the defendant. Or just didnāt make any sense at all. There was family interference because Christaās family was so prominent in the area. Itās an awful thing to have to happen & my heart breaks for her daughter that was 2 at the time of the murder.
Iāll have to join the next book club . Iām ordering some books soon. I need to add to my book collection. Badly!! In the meantime, I enjoy reading everyoneās input so I can use that to choose some books to buy.
This gave me a laugh This made me think of a quote I saw recently (maybe even on this forum? I canāt remember where I saw it ): āIn wine there is truth.ā Cheers!
Book Title and Author: The Ultimate Book of Spells by Pamela J. Ball.
Status: Finished
My Overall Rating of the Book: 7/10
How does this book relate to my magical practice?: I wanted to get some spell ideas from the book and spell techniques.
My personal thoughts/opinions: This is a big book and it got a bit confusing. Lots of different systems and beliefs all mixed into one. Everything from Hoodoo to Norse Paganism to the Kabbalah. Unfortunately that means there was a lot of little bits of information instead of a good bit of one kind of spell casting. Still, it had many interesting spells, incenses and oils. All in all Iām glad I read it. But unless Iām looking for a particular spell I probably wonāt read it again.
An interesting quote from the book: āThere are three important aspects when reciting a spell. This first is that words spoken with intensity and passion do have a power all of their own. The next is that the speaker also has a power and an energy which, with practice, he or she may learn to use effectively. The third component, the forces and powers belonging to that which is ābeyond the human beingā also have a tremendous power and are called upon, used or directed for a specific purpose. The use of all three of these aspects give a very powerful spell indeed.ā
Book Title and Author: The Modern Guide to Crystal Healing: by Philip Permutt
Status : Finished
My overall rating of the book : 9/10
How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: Working with crystals/gems/minerals through healing, meditation, spells, that I do.
My personal thoughts/opinions: I think this is a great book for crystal enthusiasts and anyone getting into crystals! It lists properties of the crystal along with a photo for each crystal. Its organized by color of the crystal (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, white/clear, black, grey, brown). Towards the end of the book is a section called ācrystal remediesā for physical aliments, emotional issues, and spiritual enhancement. The beginning of the book gives info on how to cleanse them, how to choose them, working with a pendulum, how to program a crystal, and the chakras.
Good review thank you! I sweat pretty hard every day for my hard earned money. I was thinking of getting this book too.
I feel the same way, I cant wait till I can do magic without having to be in a book. So I depend on a book to be on point and I see the disconnect.
PS The front of the book looked really good and the title too! I would have bought it too. I can understand why you were frustrated reading it because she said
I know when I first came to witchcraft, I could not believe how so many traditions were the same. For example prayer is a prime example, only I think that when Christians pray, they pray as if they are crying out and pleading for help. I feel our pagan prayers are more empowering. I feel as though they are very much the same. Like they were stolen, Catholics they basically have all the elements in ritual. And the fact that they look down on the pagans. As if we are the outcast from society. That upsets me too! You have so much heart for what you believe inn. Which I really respect that nature cause I feel the same exact way! How they stole so much from us and turn around like we are the black sheep or something. Like you said the āoppressed groupā it really makes me mad when my own family doesnāt see through the dogma! At least you have the eyes to see through the dogma. More reason to be proud of who you are and your beliefs !
Yeah, Iād recommend saving your money and not necessarily getting this book, unfortunately I really wish I could advocate supporting Temperanceās ventures in sharing her thoughts with the world, but I just donāt feel like it would be ethical for me to do for the multitude of reasons I and others mentioned in their reviews You could see if maybe you could check it out from your local library, either in print form or e-book form, that way you can still read it and you donāt have to spend your hard-earned money on it!
The reason I got it was because I was hoping it would give me lots of information on how to come up with my own wheel of the year, but I can sum up that portion of the book for you in one sentence: Think about the holidays and events (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) and natural events (such as when trees start to bud or strawberries start coming into season), and write them down and celebrate those dates.
If you do end up getting and reading it, Iād love to hear your thoughts on it too Iām hoping that if I hear someone say one positive thing about it, Iāll come around to it because I really wanted to like the book haha
I know what you mean, itās ok to have certain views on certain things as long as you arenāt being downright horrible or condemning others for theirs. I also feel that if all views are given on matter then itās more likely that resolutions in the prejudices we have today would happen quicker, views that are based on stereotypes are less likely to be when the light is shone on them regularly 
. Iām ordering some books soon. I need to add to my book collection. Badly!! In the meantime, I enjoy reading everyoneās input so I can use that to choose some books to buy. 
): āIn wine there is truth.ā 
Hereās another one: āLife is too short to drink bad wine.ā
I really wish I could advocate supporting Temperanceās ventures in sharing her thoughts with the world, but I just donāt feel like it would be ethical for me to do for the multitude of reasons I and others mentioned in their reviews 
haha