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

Book Title and Author: Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow and Messenger of the Godds by Irisanya Moon (part of the Pagan Portals series)

Status? : Finished and Still Reading (explanation below)

My overall rating of the book : 9/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?:

When choosing my craft name I chose Iris based on this Goddess so wanted to learn more about my namesake.

My personal thoughts/opinions:

Once again, the reading session came and went like a flash for me so I didn’t actually properly get stuck into this book until a couple of nights ago. It is though only 79 pages long, so I’ve skim read it and will be going back to look at certain parts in more detail as and when the need arises.

There is very little information out there on Iris, which is why the author wrote this book, to gather together what information she could on her patron Deity.

Altogether it seems like Iris is a bit of a force of nature, forging her own path amongst the Gods and Goddesses of the Greek Pantheon. In some places she is described as being the rainbow, in others as travelling upon the rainbow.

Whether she was asked or forced is in contention, but she was appointed her to serve as messenger to travel between the Gods and worlds with messages. The author posits that it was likely a role she was given and not given much of a choice, and that it may have been tiresome at first. She describes how in some circumstances service is a lingering part of patriarchal society and Christian practices, but does feel in the case of Iris that it isn’t blind service. Whilst service can equal subservience, acts of service can also be gratitude for the gift of living. And in serving others, you also need to learn to serve yourself and balance acts of service; you need to honour yourself in the way you serve the Deities and yourself, and balance is vital in achieving this.

There is some good background information on Iris’s involvement in various Greek stories:

  • she travelled to the River Styx when the Gods were making promises.
  • she spoke to Demeter on behalf of Zeus when Persephone went to the underworld with Hades.
  • she served Hera and is described as the most trusted of the Deities as she listens and delivers messages to her.
  • during the Trojan War she was called upon several times to carry messages on and off the battlefields, as well as to support the Deities. Several accounts in the Iliad show her as not only a faithful servant but powerful being in her own right.

There is a whole chapter in the book with practices for travelling through the different colours of the rainbow…

  • RED - sunlight and rain
  • ORANGE - reflection
  • YELLOW - refraction
  • GREEN - splitting
  • BLUE - more reflection
  • INDIGO - more refraction
  • VIOLET - dispersion

…followed by chapters with rituals to Iris and cultivating a relationship with her, all of which I need to study in more depth.

I already have a tribute to Iris above my altar and I’m planning a dedication ritual to her.

An interesting quote from the book:

In discussing the role Iris played in the story of Persephone and Demeter, there is this interesting quote:

“After Persephone has been taken (or chooses to go to the underworld, depending on your interpretation)…”

I very much like this, as it seems to back up the alternative version of the story of Persephone (another of my Deities) being “taken to the underworld” discussed here: Persephone Dual Deity - #8 by Amethyst I much prefer the idea that she went willing rather than by force. Makes her sound far more bad ass.

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

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Many thanks to @Princess_Tara, @TheMuslimWitch, and @IrisW for your book reviews! :raised_hands: I’m making a note here to go back and read through them thoroughly when I have the time- I’m on vacation at the moment, but am really looking forward to all your thoughts about the books! :heart_eyes:

And no worries @Rowan and @Christina4, you’re absolutely right- the next session is coming up soon! Do you have any book(s) in mind that you’re thinking of reading? :open_book: :blush:

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Merry Meet! Will you be posting a new reading list? Thank you and Blessed Be!
-Megan-

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:bookmark: Book Title and Author

  • Auras: Your Personal Guide by Joylina Goodings

:bookmark: Status

  • Finished

:bookmark: My overall rating of the book

  • 9/10

:bookmark: How does this book relate to my magickal practice?

  • It does relate because I can use this book as a reference when doing spell work, healing, and crystal work.

:bookmark: My personal thoughts/opinions

  • This book includes so much great information if you are just getting into auras. It includes the history of auras, auras relating to chakras, the different layers of auras, aura colors, aura readings, aura healing, and much more.

:bookmark: An interesting quote from the book

  • “So much has been learned over the years, including how an aura changes due to both internal and external influences-when a person thinks of different things, either positive or negative for example. This creates an emotion within the body that is then reflected in the aura.”

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

  • Yes
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Ohhhh it looks like you enjoyed this one, @Missa! :star_struck: I can’t wait to sit down and go through all these entries with the time they deserve once I’m back from vacation. Can’t wait- thanks for sharing! :revolving_hearts:

Merry meet @megan16! :blush: Yes- the next session of Book Club begins today. The new post will launch in just a bit! Meanwhile, this thread will remain open for a few more weeks for everyone to share reviews :writing_hand: You are very welcome to join in! :heart:

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It’s still yesterday for me :flushed::joy: I can’t wait!

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Hahaha well then, greetings from the future! :joy::+1:

The next session of the Spells8 Book Club is live- feel free to share your book in the new thread! Blessed be and happy reading :open_book: :blush:


This thread will continue to remain open for reviews- I’ll be sharing mine (as well as reading through all the ones shared) next week! :books: :sparkles:

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Back from vacation and finally had time to dig into these lovely book reviews! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:


Wow, 3/3 books were a hit (and 24 total- that’s amazing!) @Princess_Tara :blush:

Connecting with the power of the universe and exploring how religion can help better our lives seems like a great topic for a book-What Is Religion sounds like a great read. How to Live with God sounds intriguing as well, although it looks like it may not be for those who are polytheistic. And it sounds like you found some very deep connections and a strong sense of identity through The Journey of Self-Discovery- a powerful book!

Thanks so much for sharing your reviews! I hope you enjoy Witchcraft just as much as the other books :books::sparkles:


Congrats on finishing Wicca for Beginners and Wicca Book of Spells, @TheMuslimWitch- it sounds like you enjoyed them both! Easy-to-read books that ease new witches through the basics are a treasure to find. And now you have some great new spells to help you as you continue further on your magickal journey :sunrise_over_mountains:

Thanks so much for sharing- I hope you are enjoying the History of Paganism and Book of Palmistry too!


A book about Goddess Iris is perfect for you, @IrisW- and it sounds like an interesting book! A Goddess with not much information out there would be tough to research, but it looks like the author was able to unveil more knowledge surrounding this lovely deity. From what you’ve shared, Goddess Iris promotes some very valuable and important lessons. She reminds me somewhat of Libra- a symbol of balance, harmony, and service :balance_scale:

Also I have to say I love the idea of traveling through the magick colors of the rainbow- what a great idea for a ritual! :rainbow: :star_struck: And that’s a great note about Persephone- we really were just chatting about her choice! :grin::+1:

Thanks so much for sharing- I learned a lot! :rainbow: :sparkles:


Congrats on finishing Auras, @Missa- it sounds like it ties in really well with your crystal practice :gem: I wish I had this book on hand back when I was putting together the Aura Challenge- it sounds like this book has some great guidance that is beginner-friendly too :blush:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, glad you enjoyed it! :heart:

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Book Title: Tea Cup Reading and Fortune Telling by Tea Leaves

Author: A Highland Seer

9781533277626
Picture from Enbook.pl

For anyone interested in it, this book is available to the public for free through Project Gutenberg

Status? : Still Reading Finished
Even with how much time I had to get through this one I couldn’t manage to get through all of the text parts :sweat_smile: Busy days! But I do think I got through all the key parts and I’ll keep the book on hand for the correspondence lists.

My overall rating of the book : 9/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: This book is a guide to Tasseography (tea leaf readings)- a popular form of divination. The book also contains lists of magickal correspondences and symbolism.

My personal thoughts/opinions: Here I am with another very old book (this one is from the 1800’s- whew!) but while some knowledge changes over time, I’ve always found it interesting to see what fades and what lasts over the years. In terms of Tasseography, there are many various styles of readings so it’s hard to tell what has changed (as there isn’t one uniform way to go about it). I’ll be using some of the tips and methods explored here in my own tea readings :tea:

Just a warning for anyone unaware, though, that old books mean some very old language- it can be quite dry and hard to get through at points. Luckily, a good chunk of the book is correspondence lists! There is a list of symbols and also one for omens. There are also several diagrams that walk the reader through interpretations. Useful to have on hand for reference!

An interesting quote from the book: As I know many of us love to use correspondence lists, here is part of the list of symbols from the book. I don’t personally agree with all of these, but it’s always nice to have an extra reference!

SYMBOLS AND SIGNIFICATIONS

ABBEY, future ease and freedom from worry.

ACORN, improvement in health, continued health, strength, and good fortune.

AIRCRAFT, unsuccessful projects.

ANCHOR, a lucky sign; success in business and constancy in love; if cloudy, the reverse must be read.

ANGEL, good news, especially good fortune in love.

APES, secret enemies.

APPLES, long life; gain by commerce.

APPLE-TREE, change for the better.

ARCH, a journey abroad.

ARROW, a disagreeable letter from the direction in which it comes.

ASS, misfortune overcome by patience; or a legacy.

AXE, difficulties overcome.

BADGER, long life and prosperity as a bachelor.

BASKET, an addition to the family.

BAT, fruitless journeys or tasks.

BEAR, a long period of travel.

BEASTS, other than those mentioned, foretell misfortune.

BIRDS, a lucky sign; good news if flying, if at rest a fortunate journey.

BOAT, a friend will visit the consultant.

BOUQUET, one of the luckiest of symbols; staunch friends, success, a happy marriage.

BRIDGE, a favourable journey.

BUILDING, a removal.

BULL, slander by some enemy.

BUSH, an invitation into society.

BUTTERFLY, success and pleasure.

CAMEL, a burden to be patiently borne.

CANNON, good fortune.

CAR (MOTOR), and CARRIAGE, approaching wealth, visits from friends.

CART, fluctuations of fortune.

CASTLE, unexpected fortune or a legacy.

CAT, difficulties caused by treachery.

(Don’t tell the cat lover about that last one- clearly Seer wasn’t fond of cats! :face_with_hand_over_mouth: :black_cat: )

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes. If you have any interest in tea leaf readings (or even just looking at correspondences) then I recommend taking a look. It’s not the best book on tasseography, but it’s free and has lists of correspondences :grin:

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Yes, 3 out of 3 is excellent. 4th book is excellent too, but I will come back to that later on. I signed up for lots of important books this month which is necessary to be completed by then. @anneshakargupta

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You are quite the reader, @Princess_Tara- it’s amazing how many books you are able to get through! I think you are a true book lover :books::two_hearts: :blush: I hope the 4th book continues to be a fun read for you- enjoy it!

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Indeed, I am a book lover & a book warm. I love books because this can take me to that time where I want to be.

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Agreed! There’s an inherent magick in books :heart: The worlds and stories and emotions they hold can be amazingly real and bring about powerful real-life changes in their readers :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: :books: Sometimes I even find myself thinking that reading could be considered a form of astral travel! :sparkles:

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Infact there’s no treasure like books. @Princess_Tara

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Agreed! :books: :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Book Title and Author: Celtic Spirituality: a Beginner’s Guide to Celtic Spirituality by: Sarah Owen

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book : 9/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: I am learning about Celtic deities & want to incorporate Celtic Paganism in my practice.

My personal thoughts/opinions: easy introduction to history, deities, Rituals, divination, Druidry… all of it

All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes to anyone wanting to know more about the Celtic path

I finished my 1st book! :dizzy: So I immediately started another & added it to the list! :books:

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**Book Title and Author:Anatomy of a Witch by Laura Tempest Zakroff

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book : 10/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: It pertains to my craft by opening my eyes and furthering my knowledge. I enjoyed how the writer explained certain things that made it easier or more obvious to a connection within my belief or craft.

My personal thoughts/opinions: This book is amazing! I love when I find a book that just feels like a cozy chat with a close friend. It was an easy page turner, and helped answer questions I hadn’t realized.
Favorite Quote: I have three that are lengthy, so I snapped pics…

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

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Book title & author: Crystal Reiki by Krista Mitchell
Status?: Finished
Overall rating: 8/10
How does the book relate to my magical practice?: Crystals are a huge part of my practice. This book covers healing the mind, body, and soul. If you can’t first heal yourself then how could you help heal others? That’s how I look at it.
Personal thoughts/opinions: I devoured this book! This book teaches the fundamentals of working with crystals and energy healing. It’s very useful for the basics and as a go-to guide.
An interesting quote from the book:
“People often ask about grouping crystals. Are there crystals that shouldn’t be around each other? Are some more harmonious than others? There are no rules, per se: you can group crystals according to color, element, function, chakra, whatever feels the best to you energetically and intuitively. That being said, you need to pay attention to how the grouping feels.”
Would I recommend this book?: Yes!

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

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book: 10/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: This book described nicely the concepts of witchcraft or ritual or spell crafting and so on.

My personal thoughts/opinions: This is a book good for beginners. It will give every be beginner nice guidance about the coven. Also, this book is good for those who want to start their own covens.

An interesting quote from the book: “Our real concern is our practice, our own traditions, and our own communities.”

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

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Book Title and Author: A Little Light on the Spiritual Laws by Diana Cooper

Status? : Finished

My overall rating of the book : 10/10

How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: This described natural laws with which we witches play regularly.

My personal thoughts/opinions: I always thought that why the universe did not leave any norm list for its creation, but after reading this book I realized that the universe left a simple norm that “Think before doing and you will be paid in your own terms”.

An interesting quote from the book: “God does not stop loving you when you have turbulent emotions or find a piece of work difficult.”

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

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