#pagan book reviews

[allthesunlightwecansee]

I don’t usually do book recommendations/reviews on here, but for this one, I had to. This was an incredible read, both because of the depth of description of this specific Norse Pagan practice, but also because of how well-researched it is and the author’s firm stances on inclusion and anti-fascism. There’s an entire chapter section devoted to identifying and condemning fascist movements trying to co-opt Norse Pagan practices, and some of the literature cited to explain fascism are texts that I have used in my grad program (I specialize in Holocaust and Genocide Studies), which was really awesome to see! Definitely highly recommend this book 👍🏼

Also, I’d love to hear your book recommendations! I keep a running wishlist for my books, so let me know what should be added to my list!!

[samwisethewitch]

Book Review: Freya: Meeting the Norse Goddess of Magic by Morgan Daimler

I just finished a reread of this book and realized I've never talked about it on this blog, even though it ties into a lot of my content.

I've talked about my relationship with Freyja here before. She is the deity I have worked with most consistently in my personal practice, and she's been a strong presence in my life since I was a child. Even before I was interested in witchcraft or paganism, I was drawn to stories and images of Freyja.

Unfortunately, quality books about Freyja are hard to find in English. A lot of the wonderful work being done by Scandinavian scholars and heathens is only available in their native languages. A lot of English-language resources are either very academic and prohibitively expensive, or they are books about goddess worship more generally that only mention Freyja on a few pages. Freyja, Lady, Vanadis: An Introduction to the Goddess by Patricia M. Lafayllve is a pretty good beginner's resource, but it's only available in paperback, which can be a barrier for some readers.

All of this is to say, I was very excited when Morgan Daimler put out this book. I've talked about how much I love Daimler's work before on this blog -- I think they do really great research AND do a really good job of making all that information accessible for a beginner. I have several of Daimler's books on Norse and Irish deities, and all of them are resources I reference often in my practice.

This book follows a similar formula to Daimler's other books on deities, like Odin or the Morrigan. Daimler presents Freyja's mythology, folklore, associations, and relationships. There is also an entire chapter dedicated to Freyja's connection to seiðr, which explains what seiðr is and why it is important in a very straightforward way. There is also an entire chapter dedicated to connecting with Freyja as a modern worshiper.

I like that Daimler includes a section at the end of each chapter about their own experiences with Freyja. I also like that they talk about the importance of actually experiencing the gods and trusting our experiences. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that anything that doesn't match up with primary sources is wrong, and I like that Daimler takes time to shoot down that idea.

I also really like that Daimler does not tell you how to interpret the lore. Daimler presents a story, explains the different ways it could be interpreted, and leaves readers to make their own conclusions. This is a style of teaching I try to use in my own work, and I love seeing it done well here.

If you know next to nothing about Freyja, I think this book is an excellent place to start. Everything you need to make that initial connection is here.

Even as someone who has worked with Freyja for years and done lots of my own research, I found a few things I didn't know here. This book also gave me a new perspective on certain aspects of Freyja's lore. This is why it's always great to compare notes with other people.

If you're interested in connecting with Freyja or just learning more about her, I highly, highly recommend this book!

[maryhale1]

I love this bookshelf 🥰

Me as an author and booknerd loves this aesthetic so much. I know it’s not real but imagine if 🥰

[selenophiliiaaa]

got a new book from a local witchy store and i am So Excited to read it - its “Secrets of Greek Mysticism; a modern guide to daily practice with the Greek gods and goddesses” by George Lizos,,, im only a couple chapters in but it seems like itll be a really good read !!

[blackcrowing]

Book Review of 'Celtic Cosmology and The Otherworld: Mystic Origins, Sovereignty and Liminality' by Sharon Paice MacLeod

I found this book to be an excellent addition to my personal reference library. I think the author does an excellent job of displaying the information we do know about how the 'Celts' viewed their origins, liminality and sovereignty in an easily digestible way that could be picked up by someone new to the subject but also presented so much information that those already familiar would almost certainly learn new things as well.

I found that my only true complaint about the book was that the author didn't decide to cover more than three subjects.

[cardicoven]

🥀Book Review: Persephone's Pathway: Wisdom, Magick & Growth by Jennifer Heather

Full Title: Persephone's Pathway: Wisdom, Magick, Growth Author: Jennifer Heather Published by: Heather Publishing (seemingly self published) 2020 Good Reads: Link My Quick Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) stars. Persephone’s Pathway which while flawed and at times meandering is perhaps the best resource available for the modern pagan worshipping or working with Persephone and I wholly recommend it. Official Blurb: Persephone's Pathway is one of balance and duality; embrace the dual goddess archetype of Underworld Queen and Spring Maiden in order to achieve harmony. This book shares the wisdom of Persephone, along with spells and rituals to help you in your daily life. Shadow work exercises encourage you to work with the Underworld aspect of the Dark Goddess, whilst flower magick celebrates the joy and gentleness of the Spring Goddess. Blend the dark and light aspects together to experience how they shine a light on each other in this celebration of wholeness and authenticity. Personal Reason for Purchasing: Was looking for a pagan/witchy perspective on Persephone and stubbled across this one. (Bought from Amazon UK)

Overview of the book's contents. Introduction: A solid introduction, focusing on what the purpose of this book will be, and the author’s goals in writing it, namely ‘an exploration of the mythology and Symbolism surrounding Persephone, along with chapters dedicated to a facet of what she can teach us’, ‘both a collection of information and tribute to her’. Chapter 1: 'Who is Persephone': Introduction to Persephone, her role, dual nature, The Eleusinian mysteries, possible connections to Erishkegal (a mesopotamia goddess originating 4000 BC), and of course the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Chapter 2: 'Historic Origins': An exploration of the genesis of Persephone in Mythology, through to the Evolution of her story in present day literature. (A personal highlight). Chapter 3: 'A Myth Retold': A modern retelling of the hymn to Demeter by the author. Chapter 4: 'Symbolism': An exploration of the artefacts associated with Persephone, both modern and ancient, the creation of a unique glyph/sigil for Persephone and an extensive and detailed discussion of association/correspondences, some ancient, some contemporary and lastly her common epithets. Chapter 5: 'Creating an Altar': A collection of suggestions and guidelines on creating your own altar for Persephone and common offerings to gift the Goddess. Chapter 6: 'Persephone Magick: Begins with a basic beginners to magickal practice, followed by a recipe for a Persephone Anointing oils, a guide to connecting to Persephone, an innovation and an adaption of the Orphic Hymn to Proserpina.

The Seeds of Persephone A collection of chapters surrounding what the Author considers to be the six core aspects/values which Persephone embodies. Seed 1: 'Union': Focuses on Shadow-work, divine alignment for body and Spirit union, and includes a spell for Spiritual union of lovers, guidance surrounding meditation, shadow-work rituals, and a recipe for a love attraction oil. Seed 2: 'Balance': Begins with a discussion of how to, and the importance of maintaining balance in one’s life, including a meandering discussion of grounding, living with the seasons, incorporating nature into your life, meditation, seasonal altars, self-care, massage, and yoga. Lastly it includes recipes for a Persephone Beauty Elixer’ cream/lotion, a medicinal tonic, a spell for resolution, and a spell for making a decision. Seed 3: 'Intuition': Looks at ways to develop one’s intuition, including an outline for a Persephone focused Lithomancy technique (10 planetary stones, 6 Persephone stones (named for each of the author’s ‘Seeds’: Fertility, Justice, Balance, Union, Sovereignty and Intuition), three tarot spreads and the script for a guided meditation. Seed 4: 'Sovereignty': Is a discussion of [personal Sovereignty, and self-esteem, with journal prompts. Guidance on enchanting a power talisman, and a spell for protecting personal boundaries. Seed 5: 'Justice': Focuses heavily on Persephone in her Queen of the Underworld Aspect, touching on several myths in which she acted as a Purveyor of justice, (Orpheus and Psyche, and a discussion on Trust in regards to the Goddess. Followed by Several spells for truth telling, reflection on behaviour and fair resolutions. Seed 6: 'Fertility': Focuses on Persephone's Spring/Maiden Aspect. Followed by a discussion of Maiden goddesses, Flower Magick, creating Floral elixirs, cleansing sprays, a flower bathing ritual, and spell jars/Witch’s bottles. Followed by the Associations/correspondences and finally a script of a guided meditation, to meet Persephone in her Spring Aspect. Appendix: The Orphic hymn to Proserpina, translated by Taylor Thomas 1792.

Personal Thoughts and Review. I’m conflicted about this book. The first half is an excellent primer on Persephone and including her into one’s personal practice however, the second half the ‘Seeds of Persephone’ are at times Meandering, unfocused and clumsy, but there are jewels among the ramblings.

The book appears to be self published, so I’m inclined to be kinder to the Author than I would otherwise be; however, Persephone’s Pathway could really use reformatting (text justified etc), and would benefit immensely from an informed and passionate editor. Nevertheless this book is an excellent edition to the libraries of those of us who work with Persephone.

Aspects in detail. General content: The first half goes over a lot of content around Persephone, in some detail and is appropriately referenced through allowing the reader to research further. The Second half (the Seeds) is a mixed bag and approaches certain subjects extremely casually, namely Shadow-work and herbal medicine. Persephone’s correspondences: Primarily contained to Chapter 4, the Correspondences are in depth, reference and diverse. However, there are inaccuracies, the most obvious is a mention of Corn/Maize being cut as a part of the Eleusinian Mysteries. As a New World crop Corn was not in ancient Greece at the time and as such has no historical connection to the Mysteries. From my own understanding the crop cut during the Mysteries was likely Barley, a grain though to have great significance to the Eleusinian Mysteries as a part of the hallucinogenic cocktail thought to be drunk by initiates, barley is also part of the offering given by Oddyseus to summon Persephone (“first with milk and honey, then with sweet wine, then with water; and sprinkle white barley-meal above”). Rituals and Spells: It’s Always interesting to see another practitioner's approach, and covering a very broad scope although, I wish they were indexed since they appear throughout the book. Origin Myth retelling: An interesting retelling, possibly my favourite version, however it is not without flaws. Guided Meditations: Enjoyable and Interesting, these scripts approach many aspects of Persephone’s Mythos. Journaling Prompts: These appear seemingly at random in the latter half of the book, but are nevertheless thought provoking. Recommended Reading: While good to see, it is worthy of note that none of these books reference Persephone, Hellenic Polytheism, or Shadow-work. Which are the topics I would like to see additional material given some of my concerns with the book itself. Bibliography: Extensive and good practice.

The Seeds in Detail. Given their significance to the book I’ll review these chapters separately: Union: a clumsy chapter whose advice on Shadow-work is surface level and possibly dangerous for a beginner or someone who is mentally vulnerable. But this chapter does handle the topic of Love workings with the required levity. Balance: Waffling and honestly feels like filler, of the seeds this one is disappointing and feels like lost potential. Intuition: a major highlight of the book, a detailed exploration of Lithomancy, well written and thought provoking. Sovereignty: A good chapter, if a little long winded. Justice: Spectacular, discussion of Queen Persephone and of how to connect to the Underworld Aspect. A personal highlight. Fertility: An excellent close to the book but desperately needs reformatting.

Final Thoughts. I wholly recommend this book especially as a gateway into working with or worshipping Persephone. Despite its flaws, it is the best resource I’ve found on Persephone from a pagan/witch perspective, and my practice is better for reading it.

[lokavisi]

Ok, I think I have to open my mind up a little here and could use y'all's help.

I have expressed on here my dislike of Genevieve Gornichec's The Witch's Heart. I got to just about exactly halfway through (they had just come to take away the kids), and I was so frustrated with it that I couldn't bear to finish it. I know Loki is not the focus of the book, but her portrayal of him was so deeply antithetical to my understanding of him that I simply could not enjoy it. Not to say that fictional interpretations have to be 100% "true" to who they are, especially since a lot of people writing these fictions aren't practicing Heathens/Norse Pagans, for me to be able to enjoy them. But this was so far off that I couldn't set it aside and enjoy the story.

I wanted (still want, really) so desperately to enjoy this thing that so many people seem to enjoy. I deeply appreciate the author choosing Angrboða as the lead and giving her more attention. She absolutely deserves it. I would truly love to see more of that. I just couldn't get past my anger at someone, once again, making Loki out to be some cheating, neglectful bastard that doesn't care about his kids. I'm beyond over that trope for him. Gonna need some more creativity from storytellers on that front.

So anyway....because I want to better understand people's feelings about it and form a more fully informed opinion about the book, what is the back half of it like? I don't mind it being spoiled at all (though I guess PM if you're going to do that for the sake of others. To be frank, knowing what actually happens might be the only way I consider picking it up again.) Tell me what about the resolution of the story that resonates with you and why. Do you share my feelings about Loki's portrayal but were able to get past them/does it get better? I don't want to keep saying I hate this book based solely on the first half, but depending on where it goes, I don't know that I really want to take the time to continue reading it, either.

I know this is a Hot Take™️ opinion. I am not trying to hate on anyone who enjoys this book. I appreciate good faith responses and keeping this discussion civil even when we disagree. (It's ok if we do.) I seriously appreciate any feedback. ❤️

[psychopomp-recital]

People seem to have faith that magic will work well enough to summon spirits, but not well enough to protect you from them.

Consorting with Spirits - Jason Miller (page 107)

[blackbacchus999]

Book: The Orgia Khronicles!!

Author: John Karneios Auletta

Genre: Dionysian Wisdom/Poetry

[ecosyncrasy]

i am a chapter and a half into Braiding Sweetgrass (Robin Wall Kimmerer) and i have already teared up twice. i can already feel it changing my brain chemistry and how to not only visualize my own relationship with nature but society as a whole. right off the cuff it gently dismantles the status quo in a way that opens you up to learn.

i would LOVE to attend one of Kimmerer's lectures one day.

definitely can understand why this book is recommended so strongly for naturalists, ecologists, and even nature based spiritual practice. only about 4% in and i feel like anyone living on turtle island should read this book.

[cavorta]

October 11, 2024 Book Review „Witch in Darkness: Magick for Tough Times, Bad Days and Moments of Total Catastrophe“ by Kelly-Ann Maddox

The blurb: The long-awaited follow-up to Kelly-Ann Maddox’s bestselling Rebel Witch is here … Witch in Darkness explores loss, fear, grief and pain through the magickal lens Guiding the reader through the concept of the craft as a life-saving, soul-nurturing practice for dark times, this book overflows with inspiration and compassion for witches in difficulty. The raw and honest tone peels back the surface layers of witchcraft’s meaning and power, inviting the reader to use magick, ritual and readings to heal and grow. When disaster strikes, a magickal practitioner has endless tools to help them build strength and hope, and face the seemingly impossible. Witch is Darkness is packed with nourishing wisdom, including advice on:

Embracing an imperfect practice 

Cleansing, grounding and shielding during tough times 

Witching through extremes Identifying high-risk and low-risk practices 

Energy management and low-maintenance magick 

Dealing with loss, grief and despair using witchcraft 

Magick and ritual for conflicts, dramas and relationship breakdowns 

Addressing mental and physical issues from the witchcraft perspective 

The book includes easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions to make magickal action easier to execute. Discover tarot spread designs, journal prompts, words of power and excellent suggestions for shifting your mindset, alongside a great Q&A segment to clear up confusions and help you get unstuck. Spiritual counsellor and witchcraft mentor Kelly-Ann Maddox has a decade’s experience in the magickal space, offering workshops, one-to-one sessions and hundreds of informative videos on her popular YouTube channel. In this book, she draws on countless conversations with witches from all walks of life, as well as her own life journey through mental health breakdowns, struggles with self-harm and eating disorders, and heart-breaking bereavement.

Review

In my opinion, this is a much needed book for the witchcraft community. There are a few witchcraft books available about witching with chronic illnesses or disabilities, or how to deal with grief and loss from a pagan or witchcraft perspective. All of these have been published quite recently.

But this book is not limited to these topics, the author writes about several more, like dysfunctional or toxic relationships, addictions and how to support yourself and others when you do activism for social justice or other causes. In most of the chapters, there are ideas for ritual and spells, writing prompts, words of power and also several ideas for readings of Tarot or Oracle cards. The author encourages readers to tweak and adapt spells as they see fit. I have tried this with one of the spells and it went well. I also had ideas how to adapt another one and I surely will revisit this book from time to time.

Kelly-Ann Maddox writes, “You do not serve the craft; it is the craft that serves you” (p. 333). In my understanding, this opens up lots of new possibilities when thinking about doing witchcraft even if you are down in the dumps so to speak, or feel scared or helpless or are stressed-out. Kelly-Ann explains about what low-risk and high-risk witchcraft activities are and gives suggestions which to pursue in different situations and which better not.

She writes, „Witchcraft is a collection of tools for surviving and thriving. It is not a judgemental overseer that ascertains your worthiness to access it based on how much you seem to have your life together“ (p. 334) and „witchcraft is a resource, not a test“ (p. 334)

On a personal note, over the past years, I have quite often felt in a spiritual slump for weeks and felt like witchcraft was not longer easily available for me. I wish this book would already have been available back then.

The author has a unique and a bit eclectic witchcraft style, she doesn’t follow a specific tradition. If you want to learn about how to deal with your problem following a magickal tradition, this book is not a good choice I guess. For me, as a very eclectic witch, it’s really interesting.

[cozy-compendium]

“Freya” by Morgan Daimler (A Full Review) ✨✨✨

Rating: 5/5 stars.

-I like how Morgan Daimler separates her own experiences into their own paragraphs after stating the general unbiased and scholarly information.

-She does reference lots of sources, mostly scholars, but also the Eddas, Sagas, and physical historic evidence.

-Man does she love including Rudolf Simek’s hot takes on things. I had to look him up. But yeah. Keep that in mind. If you hate Simek you’ll probably get annoyed by all the siting of his works. I’m neutral cause I haven’t found problems so far with his opinions so it didn’t bother me.

-Love how Morgan Daimler gets into the details of theories like the Frigg = Freya theory (which I personally don’t subscribe to) and the Gullveig = Freya theory (which I actually do believe).

-You can tell Daimler put a ton of time making sure to carefully research, and also was in tune with the opinions of modern heathenry circles.

-It’s a short read, so great for my ADHD. And also it makes sense it’s short because the information that’s credible on Freya isn’t very much. So she didn’t waste pages trying to reach a word count. Concise! Very well written. Only one typo, and it’s easy to understand what Daimler meant by the context of the rest of the sentence!

-I give it 5/5 for all these reasons, but also as a devotee of Freya, it made me happy to see someone not portraying her through Wiccan tinted lenses.

[booksandwitchery]

List of books I’ve mentioned or reviewed on my blog

Here is the master list of books I’ve mentioned, with links to their pages. I will be keeping this list current and linked in my description.

*The ankh symbol [ ☥ ] indicates that this book is especially important to me and/or drastically changed my life

Secular/Science-Based/Skeptic-Friendly:

☥ Atheopaganism: An Earth-Honoring Path Rooted in Science by Mark Green

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

☥ Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler

☥ DIY Magic by Anthony Alvarado

How to Become a Witch by Julie Wilder

☥ Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation by Mat Auryn

Storytelling Alchemy by Renée Damoiselle

The Beginner Witch’s Guide to Grimoires by Julie Wilder

The Door to Witchcraft by Tonya A. Brown

The Enchanted Life: Unlocking the Magic of the Everyday by Sharon Blackie

The Witch of the Forest’s Guide to Natural Magick by Lindsay Squire

The Witch’s Guide to Manifestation by Mystic Dylan

☥ Witchcraft Therapy by Mandi Em

Wisdom, Psychology, Philosophy, Self-Growth, etc…

☥ The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Non-Secular:

☥ Sane Occultism by Dion Fortune

Simply Wicca: A Beginner’s Guide to the Craft of the Wise by Lisa & Anton Stewart

☥ Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

[babywchronicles]

Hey all. I have that big stack of books but not sure where to start. Is there anyone who has an opinion?

Here are some cover images!

[tuiliel]

What are you currently reading?

Paganism, Polytheism, Witchcraft & Occultism Edition

Reblog with your answer: title and author and how you're liking it so far, or put it in the tags!

[blackcrowing]

Book Review of 'A History of the Vikings: Children of Ash and Elm' by Neil Price

This is probably singlehandedly one of the best academic books I've read as a pagan addressing the Viking era and its people's.

The author did a PHENOMENAL job of using academic sources (archaeology, literature, historical linguistics, etc) to really paint a living picture of the peoples being discussed in their entirety. The author left room for the peoples spiritual/supernatural believes that I don't often see done by writers who are not writing specifically for a pagan audience.

It was deeply refreshing and I sincerely hope to see more academic authors following in their footsteps in the years to come