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

It’s a busy time of year for sure- no worries at all, @MeganB! Glad to hear you’re enjoying them so far :blush: I can’t hear wait to hear more about what you thought of the books when you’re finished! :open_book:

I totally agree, @colin! There’s something really neat about looking back into the past through the words of a book. And Amelia was a very interesting woman- from Boston, too! I felt drawn towards her experience as well as her knowledge. Herbology is a wonderful aspect of magick and ties many things together (Kitchen Witchery, Green Magic, Potion making, aromatherapy, etc). I hope you have fun as you dive deeper into herbs, Colin! :herb::green_heart:

It was indeed, @Berta! I’m also so grateful to see organizations like the Guten Project not only preserving old and cultural knowledge, but making sure these resources are free and accessible to all :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

No worries, @Susurrus! Have you had a chance to pick out a book you’d like to read for the next reading period? :blush:

It sounds like a great book that holds a lot of meaning for you, @Christina4! In a sense, it reminds me (especially the lovely quote you shared) about shadow work and taking that deep but sometimes painful look into the mirror. Thanks for sharing the recommendation! :heart:

It sounds like a book well worth a read, @Amethyst! And I love the quote you chose- what a wonderful way to welcome readers into the world of witchcraft. Now this sounds like a great book for beginners to the craft! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: So glad you enjoyed this one, Kasie!

I’ve seen you sharing bits of advice from this book, @Limeberry, and I was so excited to read your overall thoughts about it! :star_struck: It sounds like it is not only a great resource, but also a source of inspiration for your creative spells and rituals too! It definitely sounds like it is worth a read- thanks for sharing!

The Science of Happiness is quickly emerging a new area of study- I’m so excited to hear your thoughts on these books, @praecog29! It is an area I am very interested in as well :blush: Good for you for recclaiming your reading ability- I think all books are worth a read, regardless of the “age level” they stick onto it. Worthwhile lessons can be found in any book- big, small, pictures, or all text! And I think the best teachers present things in ways that people can enjoy regardless of age. This series sounds interesting and touches on so many wonderful subjects- magic and beyond! Thank you so much for sharing your insights :two_hearts:

Looks like you found a great one, @Rowan! I’m so happy you enjoyed this book and that it was such a valuable reading experience for you :books: I also love your quote about the reasoning why some witches choose to spell magick with a “k”. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :raised_hands:

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I did enjoy it! I did have a minor nitpick where the author calls Mabon, Mardon. That may be the right name but I’m used to the other. Like I said, just a minor thing.

Now I’ve just got to pick what I want to read for the next one. LOL.

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I haven’t been able to look through what I have! Maybe during my witchy things today I will pick one out. I have a couple of things I want to do today and go through my shelves is one of them.

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Thank you, @BryWisteria. I think some pride slipped through. :thinking: It wasn’t a judgement on others, it was a judgement on me. I’m ready to be back to 100% but I will get there eventually. :grimacing: You are so right about lessons being found in books of any reading level and I’m excited to read the others in the series.

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Mardon? Hmmm- that’s a new name for Mabon for me too! :thinking: I did a quick Google search (curious to see which branch or area calls it by that name!) and nothing really comes up. I wonder if the author is from a smaller or lesser known branch of paganism?

Calling on the coven- any one else ever heard of Mabon being called “Mardon”? My curiosity is definitely piqued now! :star_struck:

And choices, choices! Can’t wait to see what book you pick next, Kasie :open_book::blush:

I hope your witchy things all went well, Krissie! Were you able to hunt down a good book you’d like to read? :grin:

Your words always have a lot of warmth, Benjamin- I didn’t find them judging at all! :blush: I wanted to express my full support for your wonderful reading endeavors :books::two_hearts: I also enjoy a wide range of media- from textbooks on cognitive science to shows that some would consider to be just for children (I’m still hooked on the Owl House- there’s a season two on the way! :heart_eyes:) .

I know you are working hard as you recover. I think you will be back to reading books of every size and shape as your heart desires before long! Know that I am cheering you on each step of the way :grin::raised_hands:

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Yes, @BryWisteria my things went well! I wrote about them in Witchy Music What’s Your Favorite?, its really long so I don’t want to do it all again.

I haven’t picked one out yet, but I have thought about it :rofl:

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I got this book (Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Correspondences) I think recommended by you @Limeberry as a physical copy and I’m just in love too! :heart_eyes_cat: It’s a very no-nonsense encyclopedia with plenty of tables and well indexed. What it lacks in depth it more than makes up in breadth - plants, crystals, colors, you name it! Indispensable for putting those intentions to work no matter the medium! :open_book: :sparkles:

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@CelestiaMoon that is 1 book that I want to add to my shelf. I know it has more than the print outs I worked on yesterday.

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I can warmly recommend it! I was lucky to find that my local online bookstore had it, though not lucky enough to have it in stock! However, after a few weeks it got here and has seen a lot of use ever since.

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I think I’m going to read a book on Appalachian Folklore. I’m living in West Virginia, I should know these things.

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I live one town over from the Wampanoag Tribe and you would think I would know a little bit more about them than they have a Pow Wow each summer that just about anyone can go to. :woman_shrugging:

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Eh, the only thing I know about WV Folklore is what I’ve watched on Mountain Monsters. And you never really see anything real on that show, I mainly watch it for fun.

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That’s more than I know about the local tribe right next door to me! Some of the tribe members live in my little town too!

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This immediately makes me thing of where the name Mabon comes from. Supposedly Aiden Kelly, if I’m remembering correctly, named the Autumn Equinox after a welsh myth about Mabon ap Modron. Either that it’s a typo :sweat_smile:

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I’d like to think it was a typo! I knew Mabon was named after Mabon ap Mordron, which is probably where she got confused. Maybe. Who the heck knows?

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Book Title and Author: Witch Crafting by Phyllis Curott

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book : 8/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: This book focuses on the why of the practices we follow, explaining the meanings behind them. I have become more confident designing my own practices to be more personal to me while still serving the original purpose.

My personal thoughts/opinions: The second chapter of this book is about Divination and explains why and how it is such an important way to personally connect with the Goddess and God. This quote really spoke to me. “Divination is the means by which you engage in dialogue with the Divine. Communicating with deity provides proof that you are not alone, that the Universe is alive, and that it is aware of your presence, your longings, fears, needs, wounds, gifts, and truest self.” I worked through this book slowly taking time to process each new idea, and found it so meaningful and inspiring.

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Absolutely!

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No rush, you’ve got time to find a good book, @Susurrus! I haven’t chosen one yet either. Hopefully later today I’ll be able to pick something out :open_book::grin:

Another vote for the Book of Correspondences from @CelestiaMoon! It really is a very popular book and it sounds like such a useful resource for many different aspects of magick :sparkles:

That sounds fascinating, @Amethyst! When you say folklore, I’m picturing old legends and heritage tales. I bet there will be some very interesting knowledge about your home and the nature around you in such a book! :national_park:

I’m always amazed by your wealth of knowledge, @MeganB- sounds like that mystery is solved! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes::+1:

Witch Crafting sounds like a wonderful read, @erin9! I’m glad it helped you to gain confidence and feel more at home in your own unique path :blush: Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for the recommendation! :books::two_hearts:

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That’s what I’m hoping it is. I bought it a while ago when it was on sale for two dollars but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. It looks good though. :crossed_fingers:

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That’s what happens when you’re in many different forums/communities/etc. on the internet. You’ve got people who are all, MABON ISN’T HISTORICALLY ACCURATE DON’T CALL IT THAT and then you have people like me who just…don’t care what others call the holiday? I mean :rofl: I only know this because I had to figure out why so many people were mad.

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I thought I’d get a headstart on picking out my next book, but now I’ve got two that Im struggling deciding which one to start first :laughing:

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