Southern Cunning (book review)

Southern Cunning

by Aaron Oberon (link to Amazon page)

This was a strangely fascinating book for me. I knew, going into it, that it wasn't what I typically practice, however it is a topic that is very popular in my area, and I know several people who are into this type of folkloric witchcraft. I always enjoy reading more about paths that are different to mine, especially paths that are walked by people I know, so I was looking forward to reading it.

I definitely found things, right from the start, that challenged me. Much of the language references Christian symbols, and they aren't really a part of my practice or my childhood. The stories that are talked about, the phrases that are used, they aren't part of my vocabulary.

I also found the continual references to “The Silver Bullet” left me feeling like I was missing some of the meaning. Most of the times, when it talked about stories from that collection, it explained the most important bits, and yet I was still left wondering how much more I would get from it if I had read that book as well.

Some of the language and words used were stumbling blocks for me. Witches are talked about as they are in some stories, as evil, harmful things. There is a lot of references to the Devil, and focuses on cursing and working with spirits. There is actually a really good bit, right at the end, that talks about the terminology of the Witch Father, and explains the concept further from the point of view of the author. I think that anyone who might be struggling with the phrasing may want to skip ahead, read that chapter, then go back and read the rest of the book.

One thing I really loved was the focus on the local area. Being not only in tune with your local spirits, but also the land itself. The acknowledgment that each area has it's own flavor was wonderful. I think it's a really practical and workable approach, and it helps people start where they are, and find symbols and things that speak to them, in the world around them, instead of trying to find universal symbols or things that simply might not exist in their area.

Many areas that talk about tools and things used in one's practice followed along this same train of thought. There is a big focus on using what is around you, and using what works for you. I loved this very personalized approach. There are some really great suggestions for tools that are talked about in this book, and I definitely came away with some ideas to incorporate in my own practice.

Even though I don't use the Bible personally, I found the sections that talked about the ways in which the bible could be used to be really interesting. There was a lot of really down to roots folk magic in this section, and it's something that I definitely see in my area, things that people might do because they grew up doing it. And that is something that I think we all sort of cling to: the rituals of our youth. I think this section could easily be translated to seeking out the influences you have from your own family and culture growing up, and using those in your practice, because they are steeped in your own personal memories and experiences.

There is a lot of information on working with spirits in a very direct and personal manner. While a lot of witches interact with spirits as part of their practice, this book covers interactions that many don't engage in: spirits as teachers and spirits as familiars. These are long-term relationships that are built up and need to be maintained. I think the book does an excellent job of illustrating just how tricky this can be, and how much work might be required to cultivate good relationships with spirits.

One point I particularly liked was the idea that the land might not always be friendly to you. I think that, as Pagans, we sometimes have the opinion that nature (spirits, animals and to a lesser extent deities) are, by default, going to be well disposed towards us, and this book brings up the point that humans have done some pretty awful things, and so spirits we interact with might not look at us kindly.

Another interesting topic that is broached is that of UPG: unverified personal gnosis. This is the idea that we can have individual experiences that my not line up with the common experience...in other words, my interactions with a thing might be different than yours. This is something that I think a lot of people struggle with, as we want things to line up nicely, but they don't always. There is always some level of wondering as to the accuracy of our experiences, but ultimately, if it works for you then it works.

There are some really great sections on journeying, through the mode of flying. It's a very folkloric take on a more common practice, and the information given is wonderful and rich. I appreciated the warnings given, when talking about witch grease (which is similar to flying ointment), and how even though a specific recipe is not given, the process is explained and done in such a way that if you follow the suggestions you will create a personal recipe that is safe.

All in all, this was a really interesting book that covered a lot of very down to earth practices focused on working with what you have in the place that you are in. Some of the terminology might be problematic for some people (I seriously recommend reading the Witch Father section first), but if you can get beyond that, there is some really great information here. Best of all, the book does a lot of explaining how to figure out what might work for you, instead of laying out information for you to take or leave.

The SHEro Archetypes (Book Review)

The SHEro Archetypes by Rebecca Kane (link to Amazon page)

This is a bit of a different review, because I have know the author, Rebecca Kane, through her Facebook groups for about two and a half years. I joined her moon group at the end of 2015 (I know this because I did my big moon exploration over 2016, and I had joined her group right before starting that adventure!), and I have joined and participated in several of her groups over the years.

She provides a lot of wonderful resources and I have really enjoyed being a part of her groups, and when I saw she had published a new book, The SHEro Archetypes, I knew I had to have a copy. I have had glimpses of these archetypes, through her groups, and I adore the images she has for them (she has an oracle deck for them that I absolutely have to get my hands on sometime, they are so cute!) And, she had shared the lovely map from the book, that shows the different archetypes on their spots around the wheel.

I love archetypes, and the hero's journey, and it is always fascinating to me, to read people's experiences with this type of journey. One of the points that I feel was made very clear early in the book, is that this journey not linear, but a spiral, working along a circle, but ending up in a new place from where you started. And that the archetypes she outlines in this book are all a part of us, within us and ready to lend their guidance, at any time.

While the names of some of the archetypes Rebecca uses in her book may be new, the essence of many of the archetypes will be familiar to many readers. These are stages that we go through, as we grow and learn and develop, and this book does a wonderful job of making these different archetypes easy to comprehend and relate to.

The book starts with an explanation of what archetypes are and why they are important. And not just in being able to understand what is going on inside of us, but in developing tools to handle different situations in different ways! It then goes on to elaborate on what the SHEro's journey is all about: how we experience, traverse and resolve the many challenges we will face throughout our lives. I really appreciated how the differences between a traditional hero's journey and the more internal and feminine oriented SHEro's journey are explained.

Then, you get into the meat of the book: each of the nine SHEro archetypes has not one section but two devoted to it. I thought this division worked very well, separating out the 'who they are' from the 'what they do'. I felt that I had a much better concept of the archetypes, both as individuals and as a group, by the time I got to the part that explained how they might show up in my life, which made that area very easy to understand.

When we meet each of the SHEros, we get some really great correspondence type information about each of them, from affirmations, to types of energy they represent, to symbols they are represented by. Not only are these given in an easy to quickly reference list, they are explained further, which I very much appreciate. For me, knowing why something is connected makes it a stronger connection for me.

Another thing I found really great was that each SHEro had a real world example given, of a woman who embodied the qualities of that archetype. I loved reading about these women, and seeing how they represented the SHEro they were chosen for.

Also in this section are examples of what might be going on in your life if this particular SHEro is active or suppressed for you. I think these kinds of lists are very useful for checking in and seeing where you stand in relation to a specific archetype.

More than just giving information, each SHEro also has suggestions for things you can do to connect deeper with that archetype, and journal prompts relating to her. I love the inclusion of both of these! Sometimes it can be hard to figure out where to go next, when you are learning new information, and I felt that these suggestions are great ways to start the process of becoming personally familiar with the SHEros.

After you have met all the SHEros, the final part of the book has a section for each of the SHEros again, but this time, it details how each one follows the SHEro's journey, from the call, to the challenge, through the transformation and into the return.

This was a really great way of showing how the different archetypes approached the same journey. I really felt like I understood how they viewed and reacted to the different parts of the journey, and how I might apply those lessons to my own life.

Also in this section is a personal anecdote, for each of the SHEro's, from Rebecca's life. I adored this! I love reading people's stories, and I feel that sometimes I learn better by hearing actual stories than the more generalized examples.

Overall, the book was very easy and enjoyable to read, but packed a whole lot of information in between it's covers. There is a lot that I can go back to, and much like the SHEro's journey, where you go through the cycle and end up a little bit ahead, I feel like the more times I go back to this book, the more I will get from it, because I will be a little wiser each time.

I definitely enjoyed this one, and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to connect deeper with the feminine archetypes inside themselves. I sometimes struggle with the more traditional feminine archetypes, but I found the SHEros to be very approachable (and not tied to purely biological or procreative natures). No matter where you find yourself, on your journey to connect deeper with your inner female archetypes, this book will help you explore the SHEros within.

Every Day Magic (Book Review)

Every Day Magic

- A Pagan Book of Days

365 Magical Ways to Observe the Cycle of the Year

I was really excited to start reading this book, and I wasn't disappointed! There is something really captivating about books of days. I am endlessly fascinated by holy days and sacred time from all cultures. I find that even when it is a celebration I am unfamiliar with or for deities I have never worked with, I learn so much by reading about how different people honor and celebrate the sacred.

One of the things I love best about books of days is that they give a framework for developing your personal practice. By having entries for every day (the best ones do, and this one is one of those), no matter what day it is, you can turn to your book of days and find inspiration for your spiritual life.

Not only does Every Day Magic have daily entries, each month starts with a brief description of the moon that falls in the month and the astrological signs that rule the month. This gives a great overview of the energies that will be experienced throughout the month. I appreciate their addition into this book, as I feel it helps tie together the theme of each month.

One of the advantages of having many different contributors is that you get to see how different cultures celebrate the same (or similar) holidays. New year is a great example, as the start of the year is marked at different points in time depending on where you are from. This book includes not only information about the New Year in January, but also in March (for the Aztec calendar and Elvish) and also in October (with the Celtic New Year).

I personally like the inclusion of Elvish celebrations (based on Tolkien's writings), though this may be unappealing to some. I think that the mythology created by fiction writers can be fully formed and deeply moving. Sometimes, it has the advantage of being more complete (as the author can fill out all the details, where a historical account may have things that have been lost to time).

Some days have more general, seasonal ideas. These ideas may be sparked by something in nature that is happening at this time (like a plant blooming) or it may have cultural roots (like a modern holiday). But not only do these entries tell you what might be going on in the world, they also include a simple activity to bring that energy into your own life.

I really love all the little activities. It may be something super simple, like wearing a particular color, or it may be a little ritual or spell you can do to bring blessings to your life. I find this makes this book really approachable. Unlike some books of days, where they tell you a brief tidbit about something that is tied to the day, but don't give examples of practical things you can do, in your own life, to honor that day.

Sprinkled throughout the book are also quite a few recipes, both for food and for magical blends (like incense or baths). I found it really interesting that many of the recipes were written as vegan recipes, so could be used by a wide range of people. I got a little bit of a chuckle, as a non-vegan, I would probably adjust the recipe using ingredients I typically have on hand...a bit of a role reversal!

There are also days that feature a poem as the day's offering. Sometimes the poems include a thought prompt as part of the poem itself, but even those that don't could easily be used as a jumping point for a journal entry or as part of a ritual. The poems ranged from lovely and elegant to tongue-in-cheek, which I loved.

And of course there is information on a handful of deities, either tied to a feast day in their honor or just an entry devoted to them. This is a great way to get to know deities you might not have worked with before, or spend more time with ones you already know. I love having special days, throughout the year, where different deities are honored, and having those included in the book of days is a lovely addition.

All in all, this is probably one of my favorite book of days that I've read, for it's variety and ease of use. I think the entries are well written, to spark your interest in so many different areas. If you are busy, it won't take long to read the entry for that day, but if you have more time, you could easily use the entry as a starting point and do more research or expand upon the suggested activity and use it as inspiration for your own workings.

The Goddess in America (review)

The Goddess in America  (link to Amazon page)
by Trevor Greenfield

There are a lot of books out there that speak about the Goddess in her many forms, but The Goddess in America looks at the Goddess from a specific viewpoint: that of the American. Speaking as an American, we have a national identity that is one of cultural melting pot. With many Goddesses being closely entwined with the culture and lands they belong to, it can be hard to find the right Goddess to connect with.

One thing I really like about this book is that it talks about some very hard subjects right from the start. While not everyone who works with Goddesses is Pagan, I am, and I do find that I am drawn to connect with not only the land I live in, but also the land where my ancestors are from, and even sometimes cultures to which I have no historic or blood ties, but rather a deep spiritual connection that I want to explore.

But for many people, this is a very touchy thing. Many people feel that in many ways, deities belong to a culture, and that those who are not steeped in the culture will not be able to fully understand or properly work with them.

Unfortunately, this leaves many of us in a place with no deities of our own. While I am half-Chinese, I wasn't raised in the Chinese culture. So what do are we to do, those of us who feel a calling, or are drawn to different Goddesses?

This book seeks to offer up different perspectives on how this may be approached. It examines the many ways that Goddess manifests in America and to Americans, and the ways in which Americans may connect with her.

The book itself is divided into four main sections. The first deals with Goddesses native to the land. The second looks at Goddesses that we may be tied to through our ancestry, and how their worship followed the people who came to this country. Then there is a section on how different categories of people might relate to the Goddess. And finally a look at how our modern viewpoint has changed how we approach the Goddess.

Each section offers several articles that give different perspectives and insights into how people are working with and understanding the Goddess. The reader is offered not only basic information, but food for thought. They are invited to consider their own thoughts on things and how the different visions of the Goddess might manifest in their own life, and what influences she may be drawing from.

When thinking about Goddesses native to the land, there is a lot of history to work through. But for many of us, this is our home, this land is the only land we have ever called home. The Goddesses who were here before our ancestors may call to us and we may not know how to respond or where to look for more information. The articles in this section offer an introduction, not only to some of the Goddess stories, but also the role they played in the lives of the people who worshiped them.

I enjoyed that South America was not forgotten either. I feel that the influence of Goddesses from South America reaches up and touches us through the people who have immigrated North, and these Goddesses embody part of what I feel is the spirit of America.

The section on migrating Goddesses starts with an article that looks at cultural appropriation, which I feel is something that deserves more discussion. This has become a huge hot topic within the Pagan community, and as it is expressed in this book I think it highlights one of the biggest issues that is often overlooked when people talk about appropriation.

I definitely identify as American, and I think that is a sort of culture all it's own, but I wasn't raised with strong cultural ties beyond that. By many cultural appropriation arguments, I have no rights to any cultural deities because I don't have those cultural roots. This is not a standpoint that I agree with at all.

I think we all are called by many different things, and it is through exploring where we are drawn to that we find the deeper meaning that makes our lives full and uniquely our own. What I really loved about this article on cultural appropriation is that it addresses the fact that we, as Americans, might not have any strong cultural upbringing, and yet may feel a need to explore cultures that we have blood ties too or deities that live in the lands we live. In light of that, the article offers up suggestions on how to explore Goddesses and cultures in a way that is respectful.

Another very deep question that is explored in this section is whether or not Goddesses themselves can migrate. Can we feel the presence of them in a land that is not their own? Do they travel with their people as they moved? This is something that I don't think has an ultimate answer, but many people feel the presence of Goddesses that originated elsewhere very strongly here in America.

I found the next section really interesting. I think that it can be hard for many people to start working with Goddesses because we live in such a masculine centered world. Many of us grew up only knowing of divinity in a male form. We may struggle to find our connection to the Goddess, or think that Goddess is a little woo-woo.

These articles explore several different ways for people to understand the Goddess in her many faces. And I really appreciate that they look at the Goddess in more than just a spiritual light. The Goddess has been a symbol used politically as well as psychologically, and there are a lot of really good ideas and concepts that center around these aspects of Goddess. I also like that Goddess spirituality is explored from different religious standpoints, so people who identify as Christian but still are drawn to the Goddess are offered ways in which they can connect to the divine feminine without stepping outside their faith.

In some ways, I think the final chapter might be the most controversial, especially for many modern Pagans. Pop culture crosses some lines that many Pagans have fought very hard to draw. We want our beliefs and practices to be taken seriously, and it can be hard sometimes to explain how ancient beliefs and modern culture can work with each other and don't have to be at odds.

One thing I found particularly fascinating was looking at the usage of the word Goddess in reference to non-traditional deities. Specifically, naming women (whether they are alive or important figures in history) as Goddesses. This is another place that I think has no absolute answers, there is no hard right or wrong way to use the label Goddess.

The book finishes off with a look at nine amazing women in American history, what their role was, and how you might work with them. I think it was a very powerful highlight of the role women have played in America but also how we can see the women around us as embodying different aspects of the Goddess. It provides a framework for working with other historical heroes that you might be drawn towards.

I think The Goddess in America is a unique book that explores a lot of ideas about working with Goddesses as an American, but even more than that, I think it can be used as a launching point for anyone seeking to explore connections that they have with the Goddess in whatever form they experience her in. It is thought provoking and encourages you to really examine what you believe and why, and to think about how you can embrace the Goddess as she calls to you. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the Goddess, especially if you are struggling to figure out how to connect to a Goddess that may have originated far away or from a culture that is not your own.

The Book of Destiny (Book Review)

The Book of Destiny by Barbara Meiklejohn-Free and Flavia Kate Peters

The Book of Destiny is an impressive oracle book. It takes a very multifaceted look at each of the symbols represented, which means that you have many angles to look at any given result. This oracle could be used, exactly as it is, for quick insight or a direction for further introspection, or it could be a launching point for further research and delving into the meaning of each symbol.

There is an extensive amount of symbols presented in The Book of Destiny: 111 to be exact. And each one is given two pages, one of which is picture based and the other word based. The picture pages include an image of the symbol, it's name and a keyword that is represented by it all surrounded by a knot work border. The word page has a quote that relates to the symbol, a section that explains the symbol from an oracle standpoint, a section that includes historical use of the symbol and it's relevance and advice for how to apply the symbols wisdom in your life.

Some of the symbols are common, like the four leaf clover or the raven, while others are more specific and unusual, like the crystal skull or dowsing. It was interesting to read how the less traditional oracle symbols were interpreted, and I definitely feel that it opens up a lot of room for thinking about symbols in new ways.

What I found really interesting is that there sometimes isn't an obvious connection between all the information presented. For example, the symbol of the Broomstick is given the keyword 'Composure', and the quote for it is 'don't fly off the handle'. These two mesh very well with the first explanation that keeping your cool and maintaining your self-control will serve you better than loosing your temper. But much of the historical use of a broom centers around cleansing or fertility. The advice for the broomstick is to clear out old and make way for new.

Personally I like this, as there is a lot of different ways to interpret each symbol. I love the inclusion of the quotes. That is a really neat way to tap into the wisdom of any symbol and there are so many sayings that we use all the time that tie into these very common symbols, which makes it highly accessible. I also found the historical tidbits to be wonderful, as it often gave insight into how the meaning of the symbol has evolved. We may be familiar with how an item is used now or what it means in a modern context, but may not be aware of the roots of some of these meanings.

The advice at the end I felt gave a good practical step. Sort of the answer to 'what now?' that sometimes comes up when you draw a symbol and may understand what it means but may also be unsure as to how to move forward with that information.

I felt that each section was broad enough to give you lots of room to find the information that speaks to you in any given situation. It could be used to seek answers on a broad variety of topics, without running into situations where the symbol you get can't be applied to your question or problem. Sometimes you may need to do some thinking or look at things from a different perspective, but I find that to be part of the answer seeking process, so I like that it isn't too specific.

I also think that this leaves you with lots of jumping points for delving into any of the symbols deeper. Whether you just want to explore a particular symbol because it resonates with you or you have a tricky problem that you think you need to work in depth on, you can use this book as a starting point and research any of the leads it gives you to come to a more thorough understanding of the points presented. There were lots of times where I read something, especially in the 'revealed' (where the historical information was presented) that I wanted to know more about and was interested in doing further reading to see where it went.

The copy of the Book of Destiny that I have is digital, which I actually found rather clunky. I think this book was intended to be a physical book, and though it is still usable in digital form, it isn't nearly as user friendly. When doing my read through (and I read it from front to back), I found myself wishing the picture page came before the word page. So what I ended up doing was flipping two pages forward, looking at the symbol and keyword, then flipping back and reading the actual text. I also think that it would be a bit trickier to use it as an Oracle, though of course you could pick a random number and then read up on the symbol you picked. This does make it a handy thing to keep on your phone for using while you are out and about!

I definitely enjoyed this book, and I think that it offers up quite a lot of information. I would highly recommend getting a physical copy unless you wanted it specifically as an away from home oracle. The book can absolutely be used it as it is, but there is also lots of inspiration for going deeper into any of the symbols, should you desire to do so. It can serve as both an introduction to what different symbols mean as well as an alternative to oracle decks for divination.

Smudge Sticks!

Smudge sticks are considered a staple by people of many different spiritual paths. While Sage smudge sticks are often considered more traditional, there are lots of lovely options out there that include other herbs. Smudge sticks are used to cleanse and purify an area, as well as lending their lovely aroma.

I recently had the opportunity to use two smudge sticks made by “New Age Imports,” a California based company, and both smudge sticks are labeled as made in the USA. They smelled lovely, even through the packaging, and even better once they were opened.

These are quite large smudge sticks, both were just over nine inches long and around an inch and a half in diameter. They are bound very well, not too tight, so that they still burn nicely, but not so loose that the string is falling off.

As you can see, the herbs were still green in color, though definitely dried, leaving them pliable and not crumbly at all. There were a few loose bits that fell off the Lavender bundle when I first took it out of the packaging, but not much at all, and once I started using it I didn't have trouble with pieces falling off.

These smudge sticks smell just as amazing once lit, and produced a nice amount of smoke, as I tried to capture here in this picture! I had no problems keeping it smoldering as I was working with the smudge sticks. 

It is a good idea to use a dish or other fireproof container to catch any ash or cinders anytime you are smudging somewhere that a stray spark could cause a fire hazard.

I also pulled some of the leaves out, and burnt them loose, which worked out nicely. I did have to relight them a few times, but they could easily be sprinkled over a charcoal disk or onto a fire!

 

I like letting mine go out on their own, so I set them over a dish and they continued to burn for several minutes. Before I lit them again, I just used my fingers to crumble some of the excess ash off the tip, and had no problems relighting them.  You can also extinguish your smudge stick by pressing it into a bowl of sand (be sure to shake the sand out before reusing!) or by pressing it against a stone or other hard, fireproof surface.

The aroma of the smudge filled my house and was noticeable for several hours! Both my husband and son enjoyed the scent, and I loved how it made the house smell and feel clean and fresh.

 If you have never tried a smudge stick before, I highly recommend giving these a go!   Not only can they be used around the house, they are wonderful for using before a ritual.  We smudged everyone at the start of our recent Day of the Dead ritual.  It is a wonderful method for cleansing people before they enter circle.  Many people like to smudge their magical tools regularly as well.

Whether your are smudging a person, a place or an object, you simply light your smudge stick so that it is smoldering nicely then fan the smoke over the thing you are cleansing.  You can use your hand, a fan or a feather to direct the smoke where you want it to go. 

I got my smudge sticks from my local store, Green Earth Stones I love going in there, the owner Kathryn is very friendly and always willing to help. I highly recommend anyone in the Bowling Green Kentucky area stop by and check it out, there are often events and classes held right in the shop.  To find out what events are happening or to see newly released items, be sure to follow them on their Facebook page.  If you aren't in the area, you can also order from the Green Earth website, which has a great variety of products.  

These are the specific smudge sticks I used.  Mugwort JUMBO (Black Sage) Smudge stick and Lavender Smudge stick JUMBO

Mudras: Yoga in your hands (book review)

 Mudras: Yoga in your hands (link to Amazon page)

 by:  Gertrud Hirschi

I have been interested in mudras for many years. Meditation is a huge part of my path, and I love the idea of being able to add a hand position into my meditation practice to call forth specific energies. But I had never really done an in-depth study of them, only picked up a few of the more common ones here and there along the way.

This book was fascinating from start to finish and definitely not only gave me a great foundation for adding mudras into my practice, but also for further study into the topic as well as associated ideas presented in the book.

I really like that the book starts off with an explanation of mudras, a brief history and some general suggestions for how to use mudras. There is an emphasis, throughout the book, on approaching mudra work as an ongoing practice and not expecting instant results (although it definitely mentions that it is possible to have immediate effects). I think this is an important point, and am glad to see it presented here. Just like meditation, mudras can have both short term and long term effects, and I agree with the author that when practicing these things, patience and openness are great qualities to apply to your practice.

As mudras are but one system that works through the hands, the author also includes several other systems that revolve around the hands such as reflexology and palmistry. These examples are provided as a way to appreciate how complex our hands are, and how many different cultures and approaches have worked with the hands. Each system is given a very brief explanation to go along with a picture of the hands and how the system applies to them. I found this to be really interesting and definitely something that can lead to further research. But even with just the tiny amount of information in the book, I thought it was a great inclusion as it helped demonstrate how much connection could be found in our hands and gave many different examples of how we can use those correspondences towards different means.

I absolutely loved the included meditation exercises for each of the fingers. They are simple exercises, but offer up a great experience. Each finger is simply held, and a visualization is given to help open you up to the energy of that particular finger. I definitely feel that these exercises will give a lot of depth to any other mudras as well as being great exercises on their own.

The meat of the book is the 52 mudras presented in detail. Each mudra has a couple of pages which include a lovely hand drawn picture of the hands holding the mudra. The illustrations are quite good, and I only had trouble figuring out a couple of them based on the picture and accompanying text description. The text then talks about what the mudra is used for, often including additional information that can be used to better understand the mudra and it's effects. There is also a suggested herbal remedy to enhance the mudra. Finally, each mudra is accompanied by a visualization to be used while holding the mudra and an affirmation.

I adored the meditations. I thought they were a really great addition, and one of the things that I appreciated most in this book. I find that I always learn best when I have a bit of a story behind why things work, and I found that in these meditations as well as in the supporting text. Some of the visualizations are quite simple. You might be holding a color or a feeling in your mind. Others are more complex and guide you through several mental actions over several breaths. But I found all of them quite relatable to the mudra they accompanied. And I think that using the visualization and affirmation with each mudra will help me to remember individual mudras better.

The book wraps up with a short section on whole body exercises that are also known as mudras. These are illustrated and explained, and are also accompanied with an affirmation, though they are not given a visualization or herbal remedy.

Finally in the appendix, a few more associated topics are briefly discussed. Much like the earlier hand systems, these areas are not looked at in depth, but more included as an example of related ideas that the reader might find interesting.

The book also has a very nice index, which you can use to search for mudras by the areas they effect. So if you are experiencing sinus trouble, you can look up 'sinus' and easily find mudras that are appropriate. Which is really handy as many mudras cover multiple things.

I really enjoyed this book. The way it approached the topic of mudras, from many angles and with multiple examples and suggestions along the way gives me a lot of things to think about, which I love. I know I will be coming back to this book time and time again, to re-read sections and deepen my understanding of particular mudras. And that deeper understanding is something I have found lacking in other things I have read about mudras previously. While many sources will talk about how to do a mudra or what it might address, I haven't run across many that give you tools to understand the mudra beneath the surface.

I finished reading the book, excited to start working with mudras. Even while I was reading it, I was constantly trying out the mudras as I came to them. My biggest issue now will be deciding which mudra to work with first!

Pagan Portals - Sacred Sex and Magic (book review)

Pagan Portals – Sacred Sex and Magic

by Web PATH Center

(link to Amazon page)

This book was quite different than I thought it was going to be. I went into it expecting more of a focus on using sex as a part of one's magical practice. Instead I found the approach to be much broader, really delving into how I relate to my own sexuality and the ecstatic energy that dwells within me.

The book itself starts out with an introduction of the Web PATH Center, and the authors who collaborated on this book. The introduction section continues with a bit on why the book written and what their view on magic and sacred sex is. I think this gives a good context for the book and the perspective from which it was written.

One of the first things talked about might be new to a lot of people, and that is the idea of sacred sex in a visionary context. I really appreciate that this book talks about this, and that sex isn't limited to a procreative act between two bodies, but is really expanded to include many aspects of sexuality that are often overlooked. I think that there is still a bit of a stigma around visualized sex, especially when those visualizations lie outside our physical relationships. Whether we are engaging in sexual encounters with divine beings, with genders that are not our normal preference or even as ourselves but another gender, the authors encourage us to approach these experiences with an open mind instead of shame.

Another main focus of the book is on healing. Not only the use of sacred sex to raise energy which can then be used towards healing ourselves or others, but the use of sacred sex itself as a therapy to help heal our inner wounds and previous experiences. Our modern culture has so much sexual repression and abuse in it and very little true healing for people who need it. It was very refreshing to read a book that not only explains things you can do but really encourages you to work through any troubles you might be having in a slow and personal way. No two people have the same sexual history, and so no one therapy will work for all people. Learning to be brave, examine where you might be hurt and then focusing on bringing healing to that space is a tool that will benefit many people.

This book also approaches sex as a physical, emotional and spiritual thing. I really like this type of multifaceted outlook. I think the deepest healing and understanding comes when we look at ourselves as whole beings and not just as a body or a mind.

There are quite a lot of exercises scattered throughout the book. Many of them focus directly on self-inquiry and healing through sacred sex. But some also explore more traditional energy work and meditation techniques. I personally found some of the connections to be a bit stretched for me. My own experience with some of these energy techniques is powerful, but I wouldn't classify them as sexual. Especially things like grounding, which I have never found to be a sexual or orgasmic experience. While this outlook on these exercises might work wonderfully for some people, I found it hard to connect with them in this way.

I think that was the main thing I struggled with while reading this book. It relates almost every activity back to sex and sexual energy and pleasure. While I think many things can be connected, and it is definitely possible to call sexual energy into almost anything, I had a hard time with what I felt was an implication that all these things are sexual at their most base nature. I don't find the core of my magical practice rooted in sex, and so it was a hard concept for me to connect to.

All in all, I did really enjoy this book. There are quite a few exercises that I tagged to go back and work with. I think that it is a fascinating look at how sexuality can be expressed through a wide range of activities, and that it offers many tools for working through our own sexual identity. I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in doing work on sacred sexuality or for anyone who is struggling with aspects of their sexuality and wanting to work through blocks they might have.

Runes for Transformation (book review)

Runes for Transformation (link to amazon)

by Kaedrich Olsen

I was so excited to get this book, I am always looking for ways to deepen my experience with runes. It feels like whenever I read a new perspective, it sort of takes over my thinking for a while before I merge it into my previous understanding. This book, however not only gave me a new perspective, but I feel like it changed my whole view of runes.

The book starts with some very non-rune-centric information, focusing instead on how the mind works. This is another subject that absolutely fascinates me, so I was pretty happy with this. It definitely introduces some deep thoughts, and I think will be something I reread many times. I also think this information is necessary to later parts of the books. That by looking at the nature of the world around us and how our minds interpret the word and influence our experience of it, we are able to grasp some of the ways in which the runes can bring change to our lives. 

Then we start to get into the information on runes. Kaedrich starts by giving us a brief history of the runes and their possible origins, both historic and mythic. I think this is a really great way of looking at their history, as I feel that both feed into how we understand runes today. I also really appreciated the point that he makes about how we have to look at the runes not only through our modern eyes, but also through a historic lens. If we only look at them in one way but not the other, we may not grasp them as fully as we can. This is a very important issue for me, as I find that sometimes Pagan authors either want to draw fully into the modern era and ignore the historical roots or they want to discount our modern life and go back to a previous time. My life may be inspired and influenced by the past, but I live a very modern life, and I need my practice to have application in that modern life.

Each rune is focused on in several different sections in the book, giving a slightly different perspective, though they all build on one another so by the end of the book you have a much broader understanding of each rune's energy and significance. Several runes that I had previously struggled with getting a good grasp on (like Eihwaz and Ansuz) I felt like I understand much better, even after a single read through. I definitely am looking forward to working through the many exercises in the book.

I loved how the book laid out a plan for working with the runes, and it is very personal. Kaedrich definitely supports the idea that runes may represent set energies, but we all may experience those energies in slightly different ways. I am a big believer of this idea, so I love that this book really pushes you to develop your own relationship with and understanding of the runes.

There is a three-fold method for learning the runes from this book. First, you look at the rune energies on their own. This is pretty standard, many books suggest meditating on runes and writing down your impressions, though Kaedrich encourages you to look not only with your conscious mind but first to get your subconscious impressions. Then, you look for the runic energies out in the world. I think this step is huge, and something I haven't seen explored in such detail. Many people may suggest looking for examples of the rune in the world around you, but I really like the approach of finding the runic energy of every rune in everyday objects. It reminds me of thought exercises I used to do in high school, finding a way to solve a problem with every type of energy (for example, if you wanted to shield, how would you shield with fire versus shielding with water, air or earth). I think looking for all the runes in the world around you pushes you to see more subtle manifestations of runic energy that often get overlooked. And then turning that attention inward and looking for the runes in yourself gives you an excellent diagnostic tool for not only self-improvement but also your personal relationship with runes. 

This personal connection is something I have struggled with. I sort of get stuck in my head a lot of times, trying to reconcile my own impressions with the universal impressions. Or I worry that I'm doing something wrong if my experiences aren't the same as the general experiences. This book challenges me to really dig deep and find my own connections and then work with them instead of just giving me the author's perceptions to do with as I would.

The final parts of the book focus on how the runes can be used. I have been doing personal rune divination for a while now, in a few different forms, and I really like the idea of drawing groups of runes and interpreting them as a single sentence. I think this is a very interesting take on divination, but also a good building block for working with bindrunes. 

Bindrunes are also something that are explored, and again, not in just the standard way. Kaedrich not only shows you how to tie runes together, but looks at order as being important. Two runes can be bound together to create different effects. That is one thing that has always appealed to me about runes. I feel they have a lot of innate flexibility. 

I am really excited to work with Kaedrich's approach to sounding the runes as well. I have looked into Galdr before, but this is the first method for rune sound work that I think really resonates with my personal practice. I love how he not only looks at the key sounds for each rune, but how to say the name of the runes themselves. I really like the thought of using the vowels in the words to create the tonal melody. I think this is definitely something I will do extensive work on uncovering my own melodies and tones.

In addition to all this, Kaedrich looks at prominent deities in the Norse pantheon and how they relate to runes, other runewords that are common on historical artifacts and how to incorporate those into your rune practice, and how to create personal statements with runes to be used in working on goals.

I found this book to be really thought provoking. It is full of exercises that I can't wait to start working on. I also feel like the exercises given in the book are not things that I will do only once. I can definitely see myself working through the meditations and exercises multiple times, to keep deepening my connection to the runes and incorporating the things I have learned over time. 

While I don't consider myself a beginner in regards to runes, I also don't consider myself an expert by any means. However, I think this book could be used by pretty much anyone who has an interest in runes, no matter what their level of personal experience is. Some sections (primarily the first parts that delve into how the mind works and universal theory) may be a bit wordy and deep, but overall the book was easy to digest though not lacking in content at all. I would definitely recommend this book to any student of the runes, or anyone wishing to learn about runes.

Honey in the River (book review)

Honey in the River(link to Amazon page)

This book wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, and yet it was captivating in it's own way. From the description, I expected more of a look at polygamy and how it worked. Instead, this book shows a darker side: what happens when a polygamous relationship isn't built on honesty and trust.

Honey in the River reads in many ways like a soap opera. There is a lot of drama and heartbreak. Marsha opens herself up and shares all the highs and lows she went through during this time. I definitely found myself both wishing for things to work out for her and shaking my head at the things she and the other people involved were doing.

One thing that I think she does an excellent job of portraying is that the blame doesn't all fall with the other person. Marsha lays blame where it should fall, and takes up her own faults as well. At the beginning she wasn't as aware of this, but by the end of the tale, she definitely is owning her own actions and choices and realizing that she was just as culpable as he was. But at the same time, she was firm in stating, both to herself and others, that he was to blame as well.

I also think she did a good job showing how Oba (the man she was involved with) convinced himself that what he was doing was okay, and how he may not have been fully aware that he was being hurtful. My perception of Oba is that he had many child like mental qualities and was seeing the world from his own self-appointed victim status.

While I definitely don't think that the majority of spiritual figures are like this, there have been enough news stories about charismatic leaders who led their flock astray that I think this book offers a powerful warning. It shows the ways in which someone can be both very alluring and utterly deceitful at the same time. It also shows how easy it is to fall back into the same rhythms, even when you may know that what happened in the past wasn't desirable.

I also really enjoyed the stories Marsha told of the Orishas. There are myths sprinkled throughout the books, stories told about the Orishas that speak to what is going on in her life. And even more than that, both Oba and Marsha talk about the influence the Orishas have in their lives, and how they may be feeling and acting upon those influences. I found this to be a very lovely example of how to integrate spirituality into your everyday life.

But even here, there are warning signs to look for. Oba used the Orishas as excuses for several different things, including cheating behind his legal wife's back. He also used his cultural origins as further reasons why it was all right for him to do the things he did. Both excuses are, in my opinion, perversions of what they should be. I fully support embracing your culture and your spirituality, but I think that when you try to use these things to trick or coerce others into doing what you want, you are disgracing both yourself and your traditions and culture.

Ultimately, Honey in the River was a fantastic read, a very moving story, and a great teaching story, both about Ifa and about the potential dangers that can be found even in spiritual circles. I have quite a few highlighted passages about the Orishas and about other spiritual thoughts. I think I'll finish up with a quote that I think is both great and also sums up the theme of the book quite nicely: “Needing to be happy all the time is addiction. We need to be present with difficult emotions as well as joy. Otherwise, the joy is false.”

Book Review: Breaking the Mother Goose Code

Breaking the Mother Goose Code(link to amazon page)

I have been a fan of fairy tales since I was little. I'm not a huge collector, but I do have a small collection of tales, and I always thought it was both fascinating and strange how violent some were in different versions (and how tame the modern mainstream versions are). I was very excited to start reading Breaking the Mother Goose Code, as I have always thought of fairy tales as teaching stories, and learning more about what they taught, especially in a Pagan light, called to me.

I found a lot of new ideas in this book. I thought it was really interesting how Jeri starts by examining the image of Mother Goose herself. She details her journey of looking for and comparing different pictures of Mother Goose and how the depictions changed over the years. I had never really thought about the figure of Mother Goose much, and was fascinated to read about the many faces she wore. Jeri then goes on to try to uncover which Goddesses might be hidden behind the name Mother Goose. It was a very interesting read to follow these breadcrumb trails and to see the ways that different deities in different areas of the world might have been linked to fairy tales.

Being that her name is Mother Goose, Jeri also looks at the folklore and magic surrounding geese, ducks and swans (as they are often used interchangeably). Not only did I learn a lot about different deities with goose legs (which I hadn't been aware of!), but also the really interesting swan pits, and theories about what they might have been for. The image pained in my head, of women building and caring for these pits, while trying to bring new life into the world, is a beautiful and hauntingly sad one.

Where I really got drawn in was in her analysis of the tales themselves. Jeri looks at the structure of the tales, how most of them seem to follow a archetypal framework. I thought the connection to shamanic trance journeying was an interesting way to look at it. I also really enjoyed her connection between the progression of the main character of the story and the learning process that a magical practitioner might go through.

Another really interesting perspective detailed in this book is that fairy tales might be used as actual spells. By taking key passages, especially if they rhyme, as well as items that featured in the tale, one might use the story as the framework from which to enact a spell aligned with the focus of the story. I can definitely see how fairy tales could inspire this type of reconstructed working.

A lot of information was presented in this book. It is obvious that Jeri did an enormous amount of research, and she shared many of the things she found with her readers. She asks a lot of questions, and encourages the reader to continue asking questions. I am definitely going to be thinking about fairy tales in a different way after reading this book, and I look forward to revisiting some of my favorite tales through this new perspective.

Book Review: Pagan Portals- The Awen Alone

 The Awen Alone

 (link to Amazon page)

I have always had a fascination with Druidry, since I was little, but my personal spirituality has never explored the practice deeply. I was very excited to read this book, and it didn't let me down. I think that Joanna did a wonderful job of opening the door to Druidry and making it approachable.

The book opens with a short 'day in my life' story, which I think was fabulous. I really enjoyed the simple and down to earth way that she describes her activities. The many times, throughout the day, when she stops and takes just a moment to honor her path, really makes it visible how anyone could add these moments into their own life, no matter how much time they feel like they have. I always love people who can make spiritual practices relatable to our busy, modern, lives.

One of the first things that she addresses is the debate between solitary and group work. I think she sums up the major points quite nicely, and her ultimate message is that both have their strengths, and you need to do what works for you. Sometimes that can be group work, but it can also be solitary work, and that just because you don't have a group to work with doesn't mean you can't build a solid practice for yourself.

Joanna talks for a little bit about the history of Druids and the definition of Druidry. Then she explains Awen. Awen is one of those concepts that always felt a bit cerebral to me. Perhaps it was because I hadn't studied it extensively, but her explanations made it real to me. I had always understood Awen to be inspiration, and kind of a artistic type of thing, like I might be inspired to write something or create art. But she expands on the definition of inspiration, that it can literally be transcribed as 'to breathe in'. This brings a whole new level to the concept of Awen for me. Breathing in is a quite physical way of internalizing something, and I never feel like I have really learned a thing until I have internalized it. I also like the idea that we are constantly exposing ourselves to Awen, to inspiration, to spirituality. With every breath we take.

She then brings this breath idea around, that through the breathing in and breathing out, we are creating a conversation with the world around us. And there is definitely an exchange going on every second of ever day. I think we often take this exchange for granted, and that we aren't always aware of what we are taking and what we are giving back. I think there is a lot of value in bringing our focus back to the breath, back to the moment and back to the ways in which we are conversing with the world around us.

Though she does talk about deities in Druidry, she doesn't go into specifics. Rather, she explores the different ways we may experience the divine, with a special focus on seeing divinity in the natural world.

One topic I really enjoyed was her take on ancestors. I have thought (and written) before a lot about the difference between ancestors of the blood and those of the spirit: those we are related to through our genetics and those we feel a spiritual connection to. I am always glad to see others write about things like ancestors of the spirit, because I think it is a powerful concept that deserves attention. But she added in another type of ancestor that was new to me.

Joanna calls them ancestors of the future. She uses this term both to refer to us, those of us practicing right now, as well as future generations to come. But the thought is very similar, and it is a good one. When thinking of myself as an ancestor of the future, I definitely want to leave behind a legacy that future generations will be proud of. Not only in the way I treat the world, but the thoughts and ideas I leave behind. I also think that giving consideration to future generations and what they might need, can lead us to living more consciously in this lifetime.

One final ancestor type is ancestors of place. I know a lot of Pagan's work to connect with spirits and deities local to the area they live in, even if those spirits are somewhat outside of their preferred path. But I think it is a good idea to add in ancestors of place. I definitely like the idea of reading up on where you live, connecting with the generations that lived there before and keeping up a good relationship with those who have passed in the area.

She looks at the yearly cycle both in the eight major festivals as well as the four seasons. I loved that she connected different types of ancestors to different parts of the year. I think she gave a very good outline of things that you can do throughout the year to better connect with the energies of the time and the world around you. She also includes suggestions for prayer, meditation and an ongoing inner pathworking that you can work your way through.

Joanna covers many of the basic techniques such as meditation, ritual casting, altar setup, prayer and pathworking. I think that her instructions are simple enough that someone brand new could follow them easily. But she offers her own take on them, so even if you are already familiar with them, you may find new ways to deepen your own practice.

I found this book to be very inspirational. Even though I live in a fairly rural area, most of my day is not spent out in nature. I always struggle with books that only give suggestions that include long walks in deep woods or being otherwise alone and secluded in a natural setting. Though the focus of this book was on connecting with nature, I felt that Joanna did a really fantastic job of making that connection something that everyone could feel was within their grasp. I also think that she gave lot of consideration to how most people find time to be hard to come by. Many of her activities are easily done in small chunks of time, and are not intimidating if you have a busy life with little spare time.

If you feel spiritually connected to nature, even if you aren't particularly drawn to Druidry, I think you would enjoy this book. If you are interested in Druidry, but haven't read much about it, or are intimidated by more indepth books, I think this is an excellent starting point that will give you a foundation to work from as you go forward.

Book Review: Pagan Portals- Hoodoo

Pagan Portals-Hoodoo

(link to amazon)

I have had the great pleasure of knowing a friend who works within the Conjure umbrella, and even before he shared what he does with me, I have found Hoodoo fascinating. I think there is a lot of confusion between Hoodoo, Voodoo, Conjure and other practices with roots in Africa.

This book primarily focuses on Hoodoo: the folk magic tradition that grew in the Mississipi area but is rooted in practices brought over from Africa and combined with local faith and traditions. Often, Hoodoo is used by people who practice a religion based in similar areas, but the practice of Hoodoo itself is one of magic and not faith.

While there are many practices that are going to be familiar to magical practitioners such as candle magic and incense blending, there are others that many might not know about. Some are so misrepresented in popular media, such as the voodoo doll, that the wider usage (making poppets for healing) are completely overlooked. This book examines a wide variety of practices.

One thing I really enjoyed is that the author clearly states that these are her interpretations of the practices. She has taken the common practices, and not only shared more traditional recipes, but her way of doing things, which includes substitutions for things that aren't so common to access. Since my personal path involves a lot of fusion and using what I have on hand (instead of always buying or acquiring specialty ingredients), I found it really great to have practical advice that was immediately useful. I also find that when authors explain how and why they use substitutions, it makes it easier for me, as a reader, to learn how to make my own substitutions in ways that work.

Also included in the book is a selection of deities that share roots with Hoodoo. I was at least passingly familiar with a lot of them, thanks to my own friends who work with many of these same deities and their generous sharing of their experiences with me, but some were completely new to me. If this is an area that you are interested in, there are good descriptions to get you started and so that you can decide which deities you might be interested in learning more about.

I have always found the terminology of Hoodoo to be very poetic. I love that workings are referred to as laying tricks. There are wonderful names for different things, like hot foot powder (to burn the feet of those who cross it), four thieves vinegar (to protect, as legend says it protected the thieves from the plague) and Honey jars (to sweeten people toward you). The imagery behind crossing (jinxing) and uncrossing (removing a jinx) works very well in my mind.

I also found the sections on foot track magic to be wonderful. I have always loved the idea of using footprints in magic, and laying magic across a place for someone to walk over is a great tool to have in one's toolbox. There are so many ways to use the information given in this book!

Feeding is something that is very necessary in a lot of practices related to Hoodoo. It is not something that I see used a lot in other practices, or at least not given as much importance. I have always wondered why, because to me, it makes a lot of sense. If you are doing any kind of long term workings, then there needs to be energy put into them in order for them to keep putting out energy. There are a lot of methods for 'feeding' workings, and this book covers a large variety of them, including recipes for powders or liquids used to feed mojo bags, jar spells and other ongoing tricks.

I definitely enjoyed this book. It lived up to it's purpose, I felt it was a great introduction to the topic of Hoodoo. I think it explained the basics in a way that was easy to understand and made a lot of techniques available to the reader. It also gave a lot of information to point you in the right direction if you decide you want to study the subject further. I think this is a really ideal book for anyone seeking to expand their current practice with Hoodoo techniques as it embraces the idea of fusion.

Book Review: The Optimized Woman

 The Optimized Woman

 (Link to Amazon page)

I have read a handful of other books about how a woman's body changes throughout the month, and I am always fascinated by the idea of this cyclical fluctuation and how it effects me. I found Miranda's take on the cycle to be very thought provoking. I really enjoyed reading about her Optimal Times, and found that the wording to be great. Sometimes I find books that talk about menstruation either end up very clinical or very woowoo (witch sometimes makes it hard for other people to take seriously). But the terms Miranda used were ones that I think I could easily use when talking to someone who hadn't read the book and they would understand me with a minimal amount of explaining.

The book starts off explaining the concept of Optimal Times: basically that your cycle can be broken down into four quarters and each one you have different strengths and weaknesses. As a woman, I know that I definitely have always thought of menstrual time as effecting my life, but I hadn't thought much about how I might change during the rest of the month. Each of the four Optimal Times is explained, and the strengths and weaknesses are explored. Miranda talks about why each time is good for certain things, using lots of easy to relate to examples. When a phase is weak in one area, but another phase is strong, she points out when certain activities would be better suited.

But she also explains how to work around these ebbs and flows for when you may not be able to do things in their Optimal Time. And I think that is a very important thing, because we can't all arrange our schedules as we may like to. Knowing how to deal with times where we may struggle with things is an invaluable tool.

Another thing I really appreciated was that she really kept the greater picture in mind. Each Optimum time was not only examined for what it shined at, but also for the role it played in the cycle as a whole. As I read, a fuller picture emerged, and I really saw how she was creating this flow over the course of the four Times that could be used to take a project from the start through to the end, with each Time supporting the others. I am definitely looking forward to working with this concept more.

Where this book shines is in the plan that is laid out for me to follow. It gives 28 days worth of activities in three different categories (well-being, goal achievement and work enhancement). Each day's description starts with an overview of how that particular day fits into it's larger Optimum Time. Then the three suggested activities are explained. These activities give several options for things that are particularly suited for this part of your cycle.

Miranda also addresses how to adjust the plan to match your own personal rhythm. As each woman is an individual, we won't all fit into a 28 day plan. And even more than that, some of us may spend more or less time in each of the four Time's (one woman may spend almost two weeks in one phase but only a couple of days in another), and she explains how to adjust the plan to accommodate this. Not only does this mean that every woman can hand tailor the plan to fit their own cycle, but also that if you find your times slightly off this month from where they were last month, you can adapt the plan to fit where you are.

I am really excited about trying out the plan and the activities contained in this book. I think it is very easy to understand, and yet has so much room for depth. I love how she keeps reminding us that the more we pay attention to how our bodies feel, the more we will be able to make the most use of the incredible talents we have at our very fingertips. I think that is one of the things I really find wonderful about the plan is that each month we can focus on a new project or goal and build towards it, so we don't feel like we are doing the same thing over and over.

I think that if you are a woman that is looking for more insight into your body and how to be happy and fulfilled in your life that this book is well worth looking into. I also thought it was great that she included a chapter for men who were interested in better understanding the women in their lives and how they might better interact and support them at different times.

 

Voices of the Sacred Feminine (book review)

 Voices of the Sacred Feminine

 (Amazon link)

I found this book to be very moving, although not exactly what I had thought it was going to be. I'm not a very politically minded person, and typically I don't follow a lot of the political debates and struggles, so some of the book was pretty alien to me. But even in the parts I was completely out of my element in, I found myself learning about things and hearing the reflections in my own heart.

I think that some of what makes this book so very powerful is that the viewpoints expressed in it are so varied. While I do try to expose myself to views different from my own (and almost always find that I learn so much when doing this), it is not always a comfortable place to be. There were parts of the book that I didn't identify with so much, and parts that I felt very connected to even though the author and I were very different people.

What really broke my heart was that the many descriptions of the ways in which women (and men) are struggling with gender roles and stereotypes is something I see every day. What I found very inspiring was the many ways that people, all over the world, are working to fight against these long ingrained perceptions.

I think one of the things I found most relevant was the point that women tend to turn a blind eye to the way that other women treat women. And this is something that I find to be very true. I think that there is definitely value in banding together, but that in doing so we must keep our eyes open, we must be brutally honest and call out the limiting attitudes we see all around us, even when those attitudes come from other women. It is something I have personally struggled with for a long time, and have always felt more at home with men than women because of the aggressive and often two faced nature that many women have taken up. If we don't recognize that nature for what it is (an unhealthy way of interpersonal interaction) how can we move beyond it?

A couple of the chapters talked about the archetype of the Queen. I am a big fan of archetypes, and I really like the inclusion of the Queen into the more traditional trinity of Maiden, Mother and Crone. I loved how the Queen was described, not only as a decision maker but also as one who receives. I think that many women can benefit from working with the Queen inside and feeling that sense of self worth.

I also appreciate the many ways that this book includes men, not only in the celebration of the Sacred Feminine in the women in their life, but also inside themselves. I think that gender issues face us all, and that trying to separate them builds walls that only hurt us. By accepting all the parts of the self, especially when they don't fit into traditional categorizations, we open ourselves to true unity within, and that type of unity leads us to deal with others from a balanced place instead of one of insecurity.

But I also think that things like the Red Tent are great tools for women to learn to know and love the women within. Building a space where women can be and love and receive is something that many of us simply do not have in our lives and something we so desperately need (though I do think that men need their own tent to spend time in as well). What I have always thought was truly magical about the concept of the Red Tent was that it was a time for to step outside of the roles and responsibilities we bear every moment of every day and just be.

There is a beautiful meditation in the book, where you are led through a method of healing in order to bring about change on the DNA level. I think the medical community is just now starting to really open up to visualization and energy as tools to augment traditional medicine. Meditations like this are really exciting for me. I think we all have things to heal, and that by learning to look within for answers can help us to heal ourselves.

I think that this book does a fabulous job of addressing a huge part of the schism that divides us as a people. And it approaches this issue with the goal of working with each of our strengths to move forward instead of pointing out reasons why we are built to have certain frailties that hold us back. I think we are poised on the precipice of a huge upheaval in the way society views itself and the people that make it up, and that gender issues are going to be a huge part of that. In order to grow and move forward, we need to examine who we are and where we came from, and this book does a lot to highlight the many ways in which the Sacred Feminine has been treated.

As much as I tend to not like to be involved in political issues, one thing that I walked away from this book with is that avoiding things like politics (or gender issues) because we don't like the face they take just leaves them to run rampant. The political issues discussed showed me that there is a lot of crazy stuff going on out there that I was ignoring and that by not being a part of it I was giving it permission to do what it wanted. I do think we need to all make ourselves a little uncomfortable and face the things that we feel aren't right in the world if we want to make it a better place.

This book gave me a lot to think about, and that is one thing I highly value in a book. Some parts I agreed with, and some I didn't, but I learned so much about issues I either didn't know much about or wasn't paying attention to. This is the kind of book that I think that everyone should read and be aware of, and that we should start discussions on the ideas it broaches. The more we bring these issues to light, the more we talk about them, the more we work to change what we feel is broken, the closer we come to having the type of society and world that we dream about.

The Witch's Eight Paths of Power (review)

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I just got done reading this book, and I was extremely impressed. Let me start off by saying that Lady Sable has a wonderful writing voice. The book was simply enjoyable to read! She writes as if she were talking to you, with bits of humor, and without sounding like a lecture. There are plenty of technical terms where appropriate, but it never became hard to understand.

Lady Sable lays out the Eight Paths in a progression, from the ones that form the foundation to pretty much all magical practice, to the more advanced arts that many might not have worked with. She includes instructions and exercises with variations for both men and women, solitary and group work. If you follow the course laid out in the book, and work with the exercises as suggested, this book would definitely build a strong practice.

I wouldn't call this a 101 book, though I think this is what many 101 books wish they could have been. I think that someone fresh to the practice could take up this book and work through it and build a solid core practice. The things that aren't in this book that are often in other beginner books are things that I think most people would research more on their own anyways, like deity lists. There are some very nice charts at the end which cover a lot of the correspondences. She doesn't cover Sabbats in the traditional way (there is no section for them, though there is a chart that shows the basic essence of the Sabbats), so if you aren't already familiar with them, then you will need to research those on your own as well. What she does cover is how to build a ritual, so that you can create your own. In my eyes it is the difference between the types of lessons you got in grade school (here is the information: memorize it) and the type you got in college (here is the structure of how to write a paper, pick a topic and do your research).

I really loved the exercises. There are just under a hundred and thirty in the book, and many of them have different variations. The exercises fit with the content well, and often build on earlier exercises. Some are core practices, such as shielding and grounding. There are a lot that are tools that will be used again and again, like the exercise for dealing with anger or the one for processing grief. The exercises really focus on looking inward, on processing how you think and react to things, which put them a step above many other books that include exercises but only talk about the physical actions and don't point you inward to reflect on them.

Lady Sable doesn't hold back. She talks about difficult subjects that aren't explored in a lot of books (besides very specialized books that only deal with one particular subject). Things like using mind altering substances, sex and pain are explored, and she not only explains how they are often used, but shares her own personal experiences (or reasons why she chose not to work with certain things). She takes a very balanced approach, sharing very solid cautions as well as the main reasons why these practices are used.

One of my favorite topics was Channeling. I have read a lot of descriptions of drawing down or invoking, and often it feels more like authors are talking about the process rather than explaining how to do it. Lady Sable not only gives an excellent explanation of many different types of Channeling and what you might expect, but also shares a lot of her own experiences and tips for how to have a safe and productive session. I very much appreciated her thoughts on non-traditional gender bound channeling. I think that there is still a pretty big assumption that women will channel Goddesses and men will channel Gods and if two people are channeling it will be a God and a Goddess. Lady Sable talks about ways to use channeling in same-gendered pairings as well as channeling deities that do not match your biological gender.

I also had the opportunity to check out some of the companion videos she has made to accompany the book. I haven't watched them all yet, but I loved that she made videos for the 5 Tibetan rites and Dance. One thing that is often very hard to get across with writing is movement, and having a video that you can watch to show you how to do the different movements is much easier for me to learn from than just text (although her written instructions are very good, and the book includes excellent pictures to help illustrate).

She also has a video where a nice selection of chants are demonstrated. I am a huge chanting fan! I absolutely love learning new chants, and I know dozens of them already. She has some on her chant video that are new to me which is lovely, as well as many that are extremely well known. Chanting is another thing that I think really needs audio, I am always frustrated when I find a new chant I really like, but it is only the wording and I can't find the tune for it.

I am definitely going to be re-reading this book many times, and working through a lot of the exercises. There were a ton that I was excited about while reading through the first time. I think that this book makes a lot of things really approachable, whether you choose to add them to your practice or not, you will walk away with a much deeper understanding of the practices. While there is plenty of 'how to' in the book, I think what I appreciated most was that there was an equal amount of 'why' answered as well. I think that is something that a lot of books don't explore as much as they should.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Eight Paths (intent, trance, spellwork, intoxicants, movement, control, the scourge, the great rite). While I do think that this would be a good book for someone just starting out, it has such great depth that I think it would appeal to a more experienced person as well.