Witchy Book Reviews! Spells8 Book Club Reviews Masterlist - Sessions I ~ XXV

Book Title and Author: Witchcraft Therapy By Mandi Em

Status? : I read this once and reread it for good measure.

My overall rating of the book : 10/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: Currently my practice it is mainly focused inward on finding and accepting my shadow self. So far Iā€™ve found a lot of success; and I feel like this book is a great stepping stone on my path.

My personal thoughts/opinions: I needed this book. It drew my mind to some things I should rethink in myself. I listened to the audio book version and I really enjoyed both the book and the narrator. Though now I really wish I had gotten a physical copy and I might get one anyway.

An interesting quote from the book: Itā€™s important to get in touch with your higher self when attempting to uncovers what success means to you.

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Absolutely! I want to recommend it to everyone I know.

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10/10- sounds like Witchcraft Therapy was an awesome read for you, @Torista! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: Iā€™m so glad you enjoyed the book so much that you read it once and then once again- it looks like the kind of book that will always have a special place on your bookshelf :books: Thank you for recommending it! :heart:

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Okay, so I didnā€™t finish the book I was reading, A Guide to Spirits, because I just canā€™t. I canā€™t force myself to finish a book that Iā€™m turning out to hate :sweat_smile: I did a whole book review on my blog (https://roundthecauldron.com/index.php?post/2022/01/04/A-Guide-of-Spirits-by-Chris-Allaun-||-Book-Review) if anyone wants to read it but I can summarize here, too.

Book Title and Author: A Guide to Spirits by Chris Allaun

Status? : Did not finish

My overall rating of the book : 2/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: Iā€™ve been looking into more death work and necromancy as a way to connect with my ancestors and delve into more spirit work.

My personal thoughts/opinions: Too New Age for my liking, there isnā€™t a clear explanation of where the author is coming from in terms of his belief system. There was chunky writing that didnā€™t make sense sometimes. The author appears to encourage cultural appropriation without clear explanations. The author also says that death is a wonderful experience, yet in all my experiences with death and the dying, it has been anything but wonderful and full of loving energy.

An interesting quote from the book: :man_shrugging:t3:

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Not really. If anyone chooses to read it, I just recommend approaching with a discerning eye.

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Book Title and Author: The Modern Witchā€™s Guide to Self Care: 36 Sustainable Rituals for Nourishing Your Mind, Body, and Intuition by Tenae Stewart

Status?: Finished

My overall rating of the book: 7/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I think these days everyone could use a bit of help as far as self-care goes. I know itā€™s something Iā€™ve struggled with in the past! I also sometimes have difficulty trying to incorporate my practice into my daily life so Iā€™m always looking for more ways to do that.

My personal thoughts/opinions: The book is very well-written and has a TON of information. However, based on the title I thought the emphasis was going to be on sharing specific rituals, which it really isnā€™t. The first part of the book is a lot meatier and gives a lot of info about what sort of self-care might work for you based on your zodiac sign. Thereā€™s also a lot of guidance for creating morning/evening rituals as well as rituals that youā€™ll be able to stick with over the long haul.

The second part of the book was a bit disappointing, especially considering that (this is how I interpreted it anyway) this was the main focus of the bookā€™s title. Stewart does share a variety of rituals, but none of them are especially inspiring. Iā€™ve read a couple of similar books that had much more creative ideas, so I was a little let down. I almost wish she had gone more in-depth with the ideas from the first part of the book and focused on how to build can be built to serve the individual witch.

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes, but adjust your expectations. If youā€™re looking for a list of new and interesting rituals to fit into your day you might be just as happy searching the internet. If youā€™re interested in how to build your own rituals this would likely be more useful to you.

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@Murphy I think you would like the book Iā€™m currently reading: The Witchā€™s Book of Self Care by: Arin Murphy-Hiscock

It has plenty of spells, Rituals, Recipes for all kinds of self care to incorporate daily, before bed, waking up, & incorporating your practice. Of course you can find rune them, but Iā€™m excited to.do them & finding myself wamting to do more than 1 in a day.

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Book Title: The Cup of Destiny by Jane Lyle

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book : 10/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I am very interested in Tasseography/Tea Leaf Readings and waited quite a while to get my hands on this book! It has a wealth of information about tea leaf readings :tea:

My personal thoughts/opinions: I really enjoyed this book- itā€™s not a long nor difficult read, but it has some fantastic information about tasseology! It includes specific guidance for reading the Cup of Destiny, but it also has information about how to read leaves in any normal cup. Then there is a massive collection of correspondences for symbols- way above and beyond just a few basics.

I know I was just talking about how things like tea leaf divinations tend to be very personal, and I will almost always go with my first/gut response when I read, but still- having a book of symbol correspondences with various ways to read them is great! I will definitely be referencing the guidebook for readings, even if I donā€™t always use or agree with the way every symbol is interpreted by Lyle.

An interesting quote from the book: " Never strain to make sense of a cup that refuses to divulge its secrets. It may not be the right time for a reading, or the week ahead could be full and uneventful."

"Your common sense and good humor are the most important tools for successful divination. Have fun. "

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes! If you are interested in learning about tea or coffee readings, this book is a great resource. Even if you are not specifically studying tea or coffee leaf readings, the large glossary of correspondences is useful for other kinds of divination as well- such as dream interpretations, wax readings, cloud reading, and more :+1:

Note that the book does come as a set with the Cup of Destiny- a divinerā€™s tea cup designed after the Nelros Cup of Fortune. I doubt it is possible to buy just the book without the cup, but I may be wrong!

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Hi everyone! Thank you to get me involved in this! English is a new language for me and itā€™s very interesting to learn it throughout various and revolutionary aspects as for Witchcraft.

I sure have had an entry for the book " Tuesdayā€™s child" of Dale Mayer @BryWisteria , however I couldnā€™t finish it due to my new courses on accounting and I am a newbie into reading long pages books in another language.

I have done two chapters already. Itā€™s a fiction book sadly but it also has aspect of the psychic world in a detective story depicting a woman who finds herself in different victims bodies when they got murdered. She is trying to convince the police officers to cope with her and believe her so they could arrest the murderer.

Itā€™s interesting. I would have completely devoured the book if it was not my new courses. However I have completed three courses on Spells8 already consisting on the whole tarot course, wiccans self initiation, and deity essentials. I also read various articles on witchcraft especially on tarot on Google. Donā€™t know if it does count as an effort part for the club. I have done something and I will keep going with the book for the next round!

Greetings!

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@Susurrus ā€“ thanks for the recommendation. Iā€™ve read another of her books (The Green Witch) and really enjoyed it. Iā€™m going to add this one to my list!

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Book Title and Author: The Little Work: Magic to Transform Your Everyday Life by Durgadas Allon Duriel.

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book : 8/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I was hoping for some tips for doing magic while doing little, everyday things. I got that in spades in a way, just not what I expected. LOL. This book relates to my magical practice in encouraging me to work more on my meditation and ritual work.

My personal thoughts/opinions: This book has too much about High Magic, the Qabalah, and Yoga for my liking. Still, itā€™s a good book to read as it points out whatā€™s needed for daily practice and why, and goes over rituals and correspondences.

An interesting quote from the book: ā€œThink about a thought you firmly believe has in your mind versus one that means nothing to you, as if both are stones. Which makes a bigger splash, a boulder-life thought or a pebble-like one? So it is with magic. The conviction and emotion behind a thought determines how much energy it has.ā€

And:

ā€œAs we practice trying our best, it is important not to criticize ourselves when we donā€™t perform optimally. Our best is relative to where we are in a given moment, which can fluctuate. One part of the Little Works system is training ourselves to perform at our optimal level, and another is developing compassion for ourselves to accept whatever that is in the moment. Itā€™s OK if our magical work isnā€™t always at our peak levels of focus or enthusiasm. The important thing is that we tried our best, and when we make a habit of doing that, the best we can bring to each moment increases over time.ā€

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

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Book Title and Author:
The Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis - Using Tarot Talismans for Ritual & Initiation by Jean-Louis De Biasi


Front Cover


Rear Cover

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book : 7/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?:
Itā€™s all about magick practice. Thatā€™s all this book is about, and it uses Tarot to connect you with the divine.

My personal thoughts/opinions:
I loved this book. The reason I am giving it 7 out of 10 though is because a lot of it is to do with Jean-Louis De Biasiā€™s own design of Tarot which is linked to his leadership in the Aurum Solis group. Although I am thankful that he includes connections to more modern Tarot systems and how they link to planets, energies and elements.

Thereā€™s dozens of rituals in here using Tarot cards to connect directly with divine beings linked to that Tarot card and using a deck purely as Talismans and as a way to invoke spirits and energies.

I havenā€™t practiced any of the rituals as yet, but I sure will when life permits and I have time to myself inside the home. Dedicated rituals are hard when you have children on school holidays!

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes, for those wanting to do more advanced rituals and connect with divinities in altered states.

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@MeganB Awww sorry to hear that A Guide to Spirits wasnā€™t want you wanted it to be- but thanks for your thoughts about it! It does sound the author takes some ratherā€¦ curious approaches to death- it doesnā€™t really sound like something Iā€™d agree with either :sweat_smile: But perhaps your thoughtful review will save someone else from reading it unaware- so thanks again for taking the time to share! :blush:

@Murphy Self-care is indeed a very popular topic these days, I think itā€™s an important thing to incorporate into a magickal practice! This book sounds interesting, although I appreciate you sharing your thoughts about the lack of good self-care rituals. Thank you so much for sharing your review! :heart:

@SingingWitch Welcome, and thanks for joining in! :blush: It sounds like Tuesdayā€™s Child is turning out to be a fun read for you- Iā€™m glad youā€™re enjoying it, despite being busy with your studies! No worries, as there is no rush- you are very welcome to continue reading your book into the next reading session (which will begin on Friday) :books: I hope the book continues to be fun for you, and I wish you all the best with your studies too! :two_hearts:

@Amethyst The Little Work sounds interesting- although I appreciate you sharing about the other things it draws on, especially High Magic. Itā€™s fascinating to read about, but also very complex stuff, in my opinion- maybe not the best way to add just a touch of magick to everyday life! Lovely quotes though- thank you so much for sharing, Amethyst! :heart:

@Temujin_Calidius Iā€™m glad you loved The Divine Arcana, Tem! :blush: It sounds like this book has some great and creative advice to use the tarot in new ways and make it involved in other aspects of the Craft. I have to admit Iā€™m very intrigued at the idea of using tarot as a talisman. I hope you find some time to indulge in the rituals- when you do, Iā€™d love to hear how they go for you! Thanks so much for sharing! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Youā€™re welcome! I liked the book, I just wish it had magic to make bill paying go easier. LOL!

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Hi Everyone,
So with everything Iā€™ve had going on recently, I was unable to finish my books this period.
The two I am reading is:
A Little Bit of Palmistry by Cassandra Eason
Witchery: Embrace The Witch Within by Juliet Diaz
I will continue to read these two and perhaps by our next Club reading I can have them finished.

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Hahaha donā€™t we all! :joy::+1: I guess a book of money spells would be the best bet for help with bill paying- if you ever come across a good one in all the wonderful witchy reading you do, def give a shout here! :grin: :money_with_wings: :sparkles:

Enjoy your books, Rowan! :heart: No worries at all about being busy- your books can always wait until you have some quiet time to read. I hope theyā€™re both amazing books for you! :books::blush:

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Thatā€™s definitely how it feels lol and I canā€™t say for sure in the rest of the book because I just flipped through it but the first few chapters were enough to make me put it down. I had stared at it for months (I got this book in September of 2021ā€¦) trying to force myself to finish it and I just finally gave up lol

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Silver Ravenwolf did a Little Book of Prosperity Magic but Iā€™ve lost it in one of my moves. :pleading_face: Maybe Iā€™ll pick it up on Kindle again one day.

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:pray::blush: @BryWisteria Itā€™s always my pleasure to be hereā€¦

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@SingingWitch We are blessed to have you here! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

Awwww sorry to hear it, I totally understand! Reading should be fun, so when the book is causing stress instead itā€™s definitely time to say goodbye and pick up something new :blue_book::wave: :laughing:

Sorry it was lost along the way- I hope youā€™re able to get another copy of it someday! Perhaps it will find itā€™s way back to you when you need it :blush:

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Book Title and Author: Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess: Invoking the Morrigan By: Stephanie Woodfield

Status?: Finished

My overall rating of the book: 10 /10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I am studying Celtic Paganism & Spirituality. I work with the Morrigan & this is a great resource for working with the Morrigan & her sisters. Either together or singularly.

My personal thoughts/opinions: I loved reading the stories for each aspect of the Morrigan & the ways to honor/invoke her into your life & practice.

An interesting quote from the book: ā€œSome have speculated that the Brigid, the Irish Goddess of Smithcraft & fire, was a daughter of the Morrigan & the Dagda. Other sources name her as the daughter of Boann, who like the Morrigan was associated with rivers & was the Goddess of the Boyne Riverā€ (pg 44)

All in all, would I recommend this book?: I would, but not as a first book about the Morrigan. Itā€™s a great resource but I have found that starting small & then working my way through. I started with a series of books by Morgan Daimler & then learned more about other Gods & Goddesses so when they are mentioned, I have some idea of who they are. :laughing:

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Ding, ding- sounds like you found a winner, Siofra! :clap::blush: Iā€™m so glad that you enjoyed Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess so much- itā€™s exactly your kind of book! And it sounds like a fantastic resource for anyone interested in working with the Morrigan :raven:

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts about it! :open_book: :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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