Book Review: Pagan Portals-Fairy Witchcraft

Book Review: Pagan Portals: Fairy Witchcraft by Morgan Daimler ISBN 978-1782793434

Published by Moon Books ©2014 www.moon-books.net; book $9.95; ebook $3.99

This is a very short book- 83 pages from the introduction to the conclusion. The book is written from the author’s perspective on the subject and her personal experiences within this tradition. It offers information on the lore, traditions and magic of fairy witchcraft. This would be a good book for a new practioner, but not necessarily for an adept.

 

Ms. Daimler covers the basics including beliefs, tools used, basic practices: how to get started, prayers invocations, holidays, correspondences, etc. There are also a few things not really relative to only fairy witchcraft such as Four Thieves Vinegar and Witch Balls.

 

The author clearly believes in her path and seems to “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk”. She offers many of her own personal experiences with the fey. She also has a very decent bibliography for further reference and research.

 

I think this would be a good basic introduction for someone brand new to this path as a Fairy 101 book. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Gray Witches Grimoire

 

Book Review: Gray Witches Grimoire by Amythyst Raine ISBN 1780992734

Published by Moon Books ©2014 www.moon-books.net; book $19.95; ebook $11.99

Overall, I was a little let down by this book. There is very little on the actual path of the Gray Witch in it, only a few pages. I would have liked to have read more. Although the pages are few, I was very engaged in what the author had to say on this subject.

 

The preface of the book explains what the author’s concept of a gray witch is- not light, not dark, but in between (as you might have guessedJ). She also covers what she thinks is the most important of the witches ladder- to keep silent and the power this rung carries in doing so. Ms. Raine also goes into her views of what the principles, beliefs and code of ethics are for a gray witch. The book also covers many basic tenets such as the triangle of manifestation, the witches pyramid and the use of the heptagram.

 

A lot of the book covers different correspondences she uses (which are the same most pagans/witch may use, including myself). She does offer many spells, which certainly would fall under the category of “gray”.This book may not be for those who only profess love and light. Whether or not the author’s spells cross any lines is up to each practioner and what they believe to be as truth.

 

Ms. Raine does not offer a bibliography. She does state at the very beginning of the book that all the information is from her own grimoire and what has learned on her path as a gray witch. The books is written in a very easy to read format. If want an good book for correspondences and spells, this may be a good book for you, but as stated before, the actual information on the path of the gray witch is very limited. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Deep Heart of Witchcraft

 

 

Book Review: Deep Heart of Witchcraft-The Core of Magical Practice by David Salisbury

Moon Books Publishing ©2013 www.moon-books.net ISBN R00F1YZ0ZG book $22.95; ebook $13.99

 

LOVE this book! A must have for any practioner’s library: novice or adept. This book is about transforming how you practice your spirituality in today’s world. It pushes the reader to learn (and keep learning) but also to practice your craft, EVERY SINGLE Day, not just on holidays! I was very excited when I started with this book.

 

 Mr. Salisbury starts off by explaining how to read and use his book. He has written exercises for you to do, journaling prompts, meditations and rituals. The first four chapters cover the elements in great detail! He explains each element and also gives exercises on how to work with and connect with each element. He goes beyond a basic correspondence listing. The next few chapters cover spirit, the gods, ritual and the wheel of the year. Again, the author goes beyond just the basic information. The last chapter shows you how to put all this knowledge together to successfully practice your personal craft.

 

There is also a very nice bibliography for further reading/research.

 

Overall, this book offers a better understanding of the basics of witchcraft and takes the reader to next level. Although I might not consider this a 101 book, it is written in a way that anyone, novice or adept, can understand and absorb the information given. It certainly does go “deep”within the heart of witchcraft. J

 

Go out and buy this book today!! Five out of five stars. It will certainly find a home in my library!

Book Review: Pagan Portals-Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille

Book Review- Pagan Portals-Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille, Moon Books Publishing, ©2012

ISBN 9781780993485; Book form $9.95; ebook form $3.99        www.moon-books.net

Overall, I found this book informative and easy to understand. Harmonia Saille writes in a way that anyone can understand the concepts she presents, including newbie witches and pagans.  She starts off stating this is a starter guide and has basic information. She goes on to state that further reading, research and practice are needed to become adept at hedge riding.

 

Hedge riding is a practice that is basically about altered states of consciousness and how to use this state for traveling within realms. She writes “When we hedge ride, we cross the hedge, which is the veil between the worlds and we become the bridge or link between the two.”  

 

Within this book, the author explains the different components on how to hedge ride and ends the book with how to bring it all together on how the process would actually work. The author also offers different methods on how to achieve altered states in preparation for any journey.  The book also stressed the importance of having experience in meditation, visualization or other path-working methods. If you are not adept at the time you read the book, make sure to learn these techniques before attempting to hedge ride! Some exercises are included to help gain experience in this area.

 

The author also writes about different tools that can be used for protection, guidance and preparing for your ride. She also tells the reader how to work through different realms, animal guides and spirit guides and how each of these might offer help or insight into your ride. Personal experiences of the author are also included to help illustrate this process.

 

This book was rather short, but it is packed with information that can be used by a novice or adept practioner. It offers do’s and don’ts and is easy to understand on any level of experience or knowledge.

 

I would highly recommend this book for any practioner looking to experience hedge riding and other states of altered consciousness. Four out of five stars!

 

Celebrating Imbolc and Welcoming Spring,

In early February my group, KOTH, celebrated the sabbat of Imbolc. In a lot of areas, this time of year is celebrated as the Return of Spring (and the decline of winter- at least in the Southern US).

This past winter has been very active, not only up North, but here in the South as well. I can't remember the last time we had a "real" winter.Normally here in Louisiana, we have a couple of weeks at most of temps 32 degrees or lower. The temps usually range from 40-60 degrees. So imagine our surprise when we have had "wintry" conditions here for a few weeks now. We even got snow, sleet and lots of ice on the roads. We Southerners are not used to these conditions to say the least. So of course if the temp goes below 32 degrees, the state pretty much shuts down.

On February 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and "predicted" 6 more weeks of winter (at least for that part of the country). In Louisiana we have our own version of Phil, called Pierre Shadeaux, pronounced "Shadow".



(taken from: http://weirdsouth.blogspot.com/2014/01/will-pierre-see-his-shadeaux.html)

Pierre is not a groundhog, but actually a nutria rat, which are plentiful in this area. The weather here on February 2nd was cloudy and downcast with rain for most of the day. So Pierre did not see his shadow. I guess only time will tell which rodent is correct :) The past couple of weeks (late February) have been warmer temps in my local area, with temps reaching highs of 70 (nighttime lows in 40;s). So maybe Pierre is on to something. I am normally a winter person, but this year I am ready for spring.

At this time of year we celebrate Imbolc, a time of regeneration, purification and dedication. KOTH celebrated with a ritual and feasting afterwards. This year we honored Brigid in her many aspects as a triple goddess and asked for her blessings of healing, knowledge, transformation and creativity just to name a few.  We also rededicated ourselves to our gods and to following the ways of the ancient ones. Seeds were blessed and consecrated for future magical workings. And of course we ending with feasting. I don't ever remember having a celebration with out good food as a major part of the event. We Cajuns believe that we must live life to fullest, Laissez les bon temps roulet. (Let the good times roll).

I hope this season of Imbolc brings you health, prosperity and happiness. Be happy and make magic :)

May Brigid bless you always.

Autumn

Merry Yule and Happy New Year!!!

Wow, I hadn't realized how long it has been since I wrote on this blog. This past year has certainly kept me busy. It seems like all I had time to do was work, go home, eat, sleep and start the cycle again :( One of my goals for 2014 is to really delve into my creativity and find ways of expressing myself. This blog is certainly on my list of priorities for the new year.

Merry Yule!
Keepers of the Hearth spent this sabbat on a weekend retreat to Poverty Point, LA which is in Northern Louisiana not far from Monroe. This was a 3-4 hour drive for us, but definitely worth the drive. This state park is beautiful, has great hiking trails and an awesome man made lake on which some of the smaller lodges sit. As you can see in the pic, the weather was not exactly an inducement for merry making :)
It actually rained all day Saturday, but we managed to find things to do to keep in the holiday spirit.



We arrived Friday evening, unpacked and set up the cabin. That evening we visited with other local pagans who were also at Poverty Point for the weekend. After a brief visit, we returned to the cabin, fixed supper and enjoyed the tv show It's A Wonderful Life. It had been years since many of us had seem this show, and we were very happy to have shared it together as a coven and family.

Saturday started with a big family breakfast followed by a session of making Yule Ornaments.

                            

Everyone took turns making their own set of ornaments, adults and children alike.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching holiday shows, reading, meditating and walking the trails.

That evening we had our Yule Ritual in which we welcomed back the returning light. We honored the triple goddess by lighting candles in her honor as well as honoring the return of the light and the sun lord.



After ritual we indulged in feasting and adult beverages for those who were old enough :). We ended the night with a gift exchange. It was a long day, but a wonderful one. I am hoping this will be a KOTH tradition.

I hope you all had a wonderful and Merry Yule. May the love and light of the Lord and Lady bless you always.

BB,
Autumn

Happy Lupercalia and/or Valentine's Day!!

Happy Lupercalia! and Happy Valentine’s Day! 

Lupercalia is the Roman festival celebrated around the 15th of February, some say the 13-15th. This was considered a fertility ritual and also a purification ritual. We do not know for sure which god(s) were celebrated, how it was celebrated or its true origins. Historians have made educated guesses as to what may have happened during this time.

Priests called the Luperci would participate in a ritual that included the sacrifice of goats and perhaps dogs. The priests would have the blood of the sacrifices smeared upon them and would then soak pieces of pelt in the blood. These pelts would then be used to "strike" people, especially women to keep them from being sterile and to promote fertility. 

The Romans started their new year around March or springtime, so the time before (in February) was a time to get rid of anything old and make way for the new. So this was also a time for purification and cleansing. 

The festival of Lupercalia is said to honor the she-wolf, Lupa, who found the abandoned twins, Remus and Romulus. She became their mother for the most part and suckled them to maturity. She took care of them like a mother would. 

This festival may have started around 753 BC and was thought to end around 1200 years later at the end of the 5th century AD. 

Lupercalia does have some associations to Valentine’s Day. This was a time of match making of couples. Alliances were made between families to strengthen bonds (whether romantic or political). Its association with fertility rites also gives this festival a tie to Valentine’s Day as today Valentine’s Day is mainly a festival or time for romance which may lead to personal fertility rites :). 

So whether you celebrate Lupercalia or Valentine’s Day, I hope you have a wonderfully magical day. May love always be in your heart.

Autumn