World Book Day Blog 3 - The Witch's Journal by Selene Silverwind

And now for the final of my book blogs (see my previous selections The Occult Book and Wiccapedia) I'm going to tell you all about a book that's very special to me called The Witch's Journal by Selene Silverwind.

The reason it's so special to me is because this was the book I picked up in the Magic Alley shop in Stratford-Upon-Avon that I described in my Introduction blog where I had my 'calling' *insert gagging noise here*. I left the shop clutching this and it's had pride of place on my witchy bookshelf ever since.

It covers all the basics for a newbie witch -

I also like that it looks like the pages have been pulled straight out of a Harry Potter-esque spell book, I've still to grow out of my belief that my Hogwarts acceptance letter will pop up over the summer!

The ethics of Witchcraft are also right at the beginning which always makes sense to me, some books only introduce them halfway through when potential damage can already be done, even if it's purely accidental. 

What I really love about this book is that it goes really in-depth with different colour correspondences, planetary magic and also points out when to avoid using magick such as the various retrogrades. 

My favourite section of the book is the descriptions of the different Pantheons you may choose to work with; Celtic deities, Teutonic deities, Egyptian deities, Greek and Roman deities, Chinese deities, African deities and Hindu deities. Whilst at this moment I don't feel aligned to any Pantheons (I feel I may end up practising as an eclectic witch) I found learning about everyone's deities absolutely fascinating. There's also a section of the tools of the witchy trade and how to consecrate them as well basic spells and potions. 

This one will always be my favourite book because it was the first I bought and came to me at such a happy moment but I genuinely think it's a great starting point for anyone who's wondering if a witchcraft/Wicca path (the differences are explained in the book) is for them. 

I hope you've enjoyed my ramblings about my favourite books, I'd love to hear of any you've read and loved. Contact me @muddlingwitch on Twitter or @JenRaeFrances on Instagram. 

Blessed Be

Jen

XxxX

World Book Day Blog 2 - Wiccapedia - A Modern Day White Witches' Guide by Shawn Robbins & Leanna Greenaway

Hello again I hope you enjoyed my previous blog about John Michael Greer's - Occult Book.

For this blog we're going right up to date with Wiccapedia - A Modern Day White Witches' Guide by Shawn Robbins and Leanna Greenaway.

When I picked this up and read the cover I knew immediately I would enjoy it - any book that talks about texting spells or microwaving potions certainly needs a read! 

Hi-tech witchcraft anyone?

Don't be fooled by the light-hearted blurb though, this book is an absloute gem, packed full of useful information. The authors should have an award for finally helping me to understand the magick of Numerology (no small feat given my abject fear of anything involving numbers!). I found the chapter on sharpening my psychic skills very knowledgeable (I'm just looking for a glamorous assistant to practice brain telegrams with!). 

Magick by mobile phone anyone?

The section that I was most intrigued to read was the Cell Phone Sorcery & Microwave Magick section. I've never considered the idea that the satellite signals that surround us to power our devices are also an energy that can be utilized to supercharge spells! Admittedly you may want to warn any friends before you text them saying ".... will meet the man of their dreams" to avoid any accusations of drunk texting! As an self-admittedly lazy person any concoctions that I can ping in the mircowave are the dream so thank you ladies for the tips!

I'd recommend this book as a 'next step' after a basic 'beginners guide' type book as it delves into spell casting and also covers spirit boards etc which might be a wee bit intimidating for a newbie. It's really easy to follow and of course very ascetically pleasing, my 2007 Emo self was weeping tears of joy at the design and fonts. 

Essentially it reads like a chat with two super cool witches who are eager to pass on their knowledge over a cocktail or two, it's lighthearted without straying into fluffy territory and by the same token is serious where it needs to be e.g with warnings about casting love spells and also the Dos and Don'ts of Witchcraft.

I loved this book and am really looking foward to working my way through Shawn & Leanna's other titles. 

Blessed Be

Jen

XxxX

World Book Day Blog 1 - The Occult Book by John Michael Greer

Happy World Book Day! Books have played such a massive part in my witchcraft journey so far and I wanted to share three recent favorites.

Rather than lump them all together on one blog I though I'd take inspiration from the 'rule of three' and devote a blog to each.

On this blog I'm going to tell you all about John Michael Greer's Occult Book.

The book came recommended on an Instagram Thread I was reading through where people were asking for suggestions of books about the history of magick, witchcraft or the occult in general. I'm not ashamed to say that when I clicked on the link I let out an "oooooo" at the gorgeous cover of it.
Whilst I know we're always cautioned not to judge a book by it's cover in this case I think I'm justified in my admiration for it's cover.

See what I mean?

It's not just the front cover that's so eye-catching, the design continues across to the back -

Obviously it's the contents that count and I'm pleased to say that they more than live up to the promise of their cover. Greer covers topics from as early as the 6th Century BCE (Pythagoras comes to Crotona) right up to the present day (The end of the Thirteenth Baktun in 2012 when the world did in fact not end!).

One topic is covered on each page and are all gorgeously illustrated. 

Chapter 1

A particularly colourful page about New Orlean's Hoodoo shops

The chapters are each in-depth without being heavy and have helped me identify particular areas of history that I'd like to explore more e.g the history of tarot cards and a lot of the philosophical histories.

Another important thing that I took from the book was that although occultism/magick/witchcraft/Wicca whatever you want to call it has been persecuted over the centuries there is also a great deal more in common between all of our beliefs and spiritual paths and in fact how they inform each other. An example of this is on page 51 'Origins of the Cabala' which describes Rabbi Issac and his student's belief that number mysticism revealed the key to the innermost teachings of Judaism. The Cabala in turn became a core element of occult traditions in the Western World. Or of course the chapter (page 97) recounting the story of Pope Urban VIII's request that Tommaso Campanella perform rituals that would extend his life!

In short I would really recommend this book for anyone like me who wants to learn more about our ancestor's traditions and beliefs or for anyone wanting a book that's a little off the beaten path and easy to dip in and out of.

In my next blog I'm going to be reviewing Wiccapedia by Shawn Robbins & Leanna Greenaway

Blessed Be
Jen
XxxX