#Wild Once by Vivianne Crowley

[wherekizzialives]

November Reads

Seven books finished this month, again including the next book from my chronological order Discworld series re-read. If I had to recommend only one of the seven it would – hands down – be Nicola Chester’s On Gallows Down, which made me laugh and cry and left me uplifted and feeling that it is possible for each of us to make a difference in this world, even now.   Reiterating (as always) that…

[aliform]

pagan autumn bibliography

Goddess Unmasked: The Rise of Neopagan Feminist Spirituality by Davis, Philip G.

A Woman's Guide to the Earth Traditions by Crowley, Vivianne

O Mother Sun! A New View of the Cosmic Feminine by Monaghan, Patricia

The Holy Wild A Heathen Bible for the Untamed Woman by Dulsky, Danielle

Seasons of A Magical Life: A Pagan Path of Living by Ballard, H. Byron

The Return of Odin: The Modern Renaissance of Pagan Imagination by Rudgley, Richard

In the Wake of the Goddesses Women, Culture, and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth by Frymer-Kensky, Tikva Simone

King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land: The Divine Feminine in the Mabinogion by Matthews, Caitlin

The Once and Future Goddess: A Symbol for Our Time by Gadon, Elinor W.

[ashandboneca]

August book reviews

I am the sun in the flame Cold from the flame turns away And in these winds came a change She awakes

The Tea Party "Sister Awake"

What bizarre times we live in. It feels as though the entire world has just gone gonzo. Some days, it feels like waking in an alternate universe.

Yet still we continue.

Fall's breath is on my neck, I hear it every time I feel the wind on my face. Soon, it will be here. Soon I will feel alive yet again.

I've gotten back into my reading, and I'm really proud to have hit my reading goal already, but I shall continue chugging through. I thought I would quickly review a few books I've read this year to give my thoughts on them and whether they're worth the purchase.

Wild Once - Vivianne Crowley

I am a sucker for biographies, especially ones interspersed with the craft. This was such an interesting and good read. I found myself really intrigued by her life, her views on the craft, and her experiences. She is such an intelligent and empathetic writer.

How Witchcraft Saved My Life - Vincent Higginbotham

Look, I wanted to like this. I thought it was going to read a lot more like a biography, and it read more like a beginner/101 book. Not what I was expecting, and it felt very disjointed. I wouldn't recommend it.

The Witches Sabbath - Kelden

This was full of a lot of information. Again, not what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. It was pseudo academic, with a lot of folkloric information. I didn't see a lot of modern practice in it, but a lot of really great historical information. I think I was expecting something similar to his first book, which was just great.

House Witch - Arin Murphy-Hiscock

You know, I have always enjoyed Arin's books, but this one was just kinda meh. It seemed like a rehash of a lot of her older stuff. Like LLewellyn gave her an advance and she had to pull some shit together. It was okay.

Slavic Witchcraft: Old World Conjuring and Spells - Natasha Helvin

This read like reading someone's grandma's secret spell journal. It was a weird mashup of Christopaganism and soviet-era nostalgia. I think the author mashes all slavic practices under Russian practices, which worked in some places, and not in others. It was good, just very weird. Not everyone's cup of tea.

Folk Witchcraft - Roger Horne

This was an excellent combination of history, ritual, and the dissection of where the modern craft is inspired by folk magic. It wasn't skewed toward any specific path or practice, which was really nice. It felt intimate, like a conversation around a campfire.

The Witch at Forest's Edge - Christine Grace

This one was transformational for me. It was presented without theology, but full of great practices and exercises. And her breakdown of trancework for beginners was solid! The way she lives with the land and her devotion to it really spoke to me.

I am currently reading A Spell in the Wild by Alice Tarbuck, which I am really enjoying. She breaks everything down into months and discvusses a different topic within each month. And then gives a simple ritual at the end of each. It's written like a biography/conversational, which is a style I love to read. I have so many books in my to read pile, but I am endeavouring to get to them.

Even so - any book recommendations? If it's not in my giant to read pile, I'll look into it.