Homework assignment

I would like to see some more activity in the coven, and to see a blending on the minds. If you have a book that is magic related, wicca related etc... please do a book report on it and share with everyone here if you would recommend it or not, what the book was about etc.

Let's try to get some motivation in the learning process going.

Book review
TITLE: Call of the Horned Piper
AUTHOR: Nigel Aldcroft Jackson
PUBLISHER: Capall Bann
ISBN 13: 978-1898307099


I’ve always been more interested in the cunning folk tradition than the high ceremonial aspects of modern pagan witchcraft. There seemed to be a greater connection to these hedge witches whom lived and worked in the British Isles than with organisations such as the Esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn in which men in clean robes stood in circles waving shiny ritual tools around (ooer). The idea of working with native spirits in a native way is very appealing and judging by the number of new books on the subject of hedge witchery, I’m not alone.

Call of the Horned Piper is a book about Traditional Witchcraft (TW), that is the reconstruction (or continuation if you believe in family lines of witches) of pre-Gardnerian cunning folk witchcraft. The interest in a folk magic tradition as opposed to a ceremonial tradition has grown steadily over the past few years and Jackson’s book is not a how-to of TW, there are very few rituals listed and these are vague in origin and instruction.

Jackson’s emphasis is rather on evoking the atmosphere of TW, with sections about familiar spirits, Sabbat flights, wortcunning, spirit threads and more, although it is presented in a disjointed way and it not intended to be used as a manual for such practices, rather it presents separate case studies into the witches who used these methods. Unfortunately there is no bibliography and Jackson does not cite his sources.

The book is also historically inaccurate and advocates the Margaret Murray thesis; that the “witches” who were put on trial and hung in the Middle Ages, were practitioners of a continuing ancient pagan witch cult. Jackson adds the worship of Auld Hornie and Dame Herodias to this mix, a twist on the worship of The Goddess and The God, a modern Wiccan concept (it is far more likely that those tried for witchcraft were Christian, and the ancients themselves were polytheistic, not dualistic) .

So what is there of interest? If you don’t take the text as literal historical writ, Call of the Horned Piper is like wonderfully evocative poetry and is a real change from the high ceremony of most modern magical practices. The information on TW practices (while sketchy) are extremely interesting and a far cry from the WMT method of working magic(k). There is nothing love and light about the text, and this may put off many readers while others will be attracted to the darker side of Witchcraft. The illustrations are beautifully rendered and worth the price of the book alone. It won’t give you all the answers about TW, but is a very good springboard onto The Crooked Path.

I have two books that I've personally been working through. The first is "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" By Christopher Penczak (sorry if I misspelled that, I don't have the book in front of me). I would recommend this book to beginners as it teaches the basics in a nicely laid out plan. Each chapter, except for a few, has exercises that are intended to be practiced over a month before moving on to the next. He starts with energy work and visualization, before moving on to meditation. While I haven't gotten very far into his book, I have skimmed ahead some and he does cover chakra work, correspondence, and protection. While he doesn't cover circle casting in this book, I do know it's in his next book he covers this and more. For this book however, he focuses on meditation, energy work, and visualization. Overall, it's a very good book for a beginner (like myself) and even for those who are more advanced and want a good read.
The second book I'm currently working on is "Modern Magick" by Donald Michael Kraig. This book is very different from the first book as it deals primarily in ritual magick. Again I haven't gotten too far into this one, but from what I've read he borrows heavily from the Golden Dawn with the rituals. I would recommend this book to those who have been in the Craft for a while and have some knowledge as this book is a bit of a tough read. I'm working on incorporating some of the information in this book into my life on what I feel is right for me.

Since I still consider myself new to Wicca and the Craft, I am still reading (and re-reading) Scott Cummingham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practioner. I am also reading his folow up book, Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practioner.
Both books are filled with his thoughts on theory & practice, which as a beginner, for me, has been very helpful. He shows and tells new Wiccans how to set up their altar, what magical tools are, what they mean, and why we need them.
He also gives many examples of invocations, prayers, and chants to help the newbies get started.
What I like about these books is that Scott Cunningham tells us what he has done, but also tells us that we need to follow what we feel comfortable with, make up our own chants, invocations, prayers, and spells instead of always memorizing something that someone else has written down.

I just really wish that I had someone, physically, here nearby to help me out with things that I don't feel comfortable with, like circle casting, and rites. You can read information from books, but you still have to learn from experience.

Blessed Be,
Dessi

I would have liked to do a review about "A Witches Bible" by Janet and Stewart Farrar but I havent actually got through reading all of it yet so for know the book review is on "Signs,Symbols and Omens by Raymond Buckland.

Book review
Title...Signs,Symbols and Omens
Author...Raymond Buckland
Publisher...Llewellyn

I personally like this book alot because it had what I was looking for at the time in regards to what certain symbols look like, The symbols in the book have been drawn freehand to keep them true to there original form as possible.
The cover is also quite aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
There is a reference page that gives 30 other titles wrote by Raymond Buckley as well as 2 tarot kits and a video.
The contents of the book start with,Alchemy through to Omens.
But I will mainly review the part on witchcraft and cermonial magic.
Raymond gives detailed markings of the symbols used for ceremonial tools such as robes,assistants crowns, swords,shoes, knife with white hilt, knife with black hilt,scimitar,short lance, staffs , candles ect.
There is also symbols relating to the magic seals of the seven angels of the seven days of the week as well as signs and seals of demons and spirits 69 in total and magic seals of the three princes of the world of spirits..also symbols for the plantets and their spirits and intelligences.
In the witchcraft section Raymond Buckley goes through a small paragraph on each of the degrees...from the first degree through to the third degree and into so more deatil about other symbols in witchcraft.
All in all this is a good book for knowing what a symbol or sign looks like..though I would say the parts relating to omens lacks more indepth information and really not a good book for finding out about omens, although some of the symbols have short inductory paragraphs most of the symbols dont actually have any history about them but you can always look that information up once you know the name and what symbol your interested in.
I would say this is a very good book for recognizing and learning what a sign or symbol looks like but not so good for the indepth meaning behind them.

Love and Light

I am reading "Magical Herbalism" by Scott Cunningham. At the beginning, I always thought that learning about herbs will be boring until I picked out the book.
First, it talks about the uses of herbs and how you can use it for magical workings like making sachets, amulets, oil, pillow cases and etc. Second, it give you the herbs that you can use for protection, healing, love, and divination. Third, if you are interested in making your own Herbal Garden there is a chapter that is delicated to that. Fourth, it gives you the proper tools to use for your magical working like the boline.
In Chapter 13, it has the witch's herbal. It gives you the alphabetical order of common herbs use in magic. It provides you the common, Latin, folk and magical names, gender, ruling planet and element, part used, basic power and specific uses. In short, it's a basic guide to herbalism.
I recomend this book to anyone who is interested in Herbalism. You might not think that herbs will be intersting (like me) but it actually is. There are many uses for herbs like to cure a common cold or to bring love to your life.

Luna,

My son & I are reading two other herbal books by Scott Cummingham- Encyclopedia of Magicla Herbs & The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews. Both books are really informative and very helpful.
I will have to get the book you read for him. He will love it too.

Blessed Be,
Dessi

These are all fantastic books you guys are reading. I'll be posting a review on The Real Witches Craft by Kate West when I'm done with it. Please let's keep this communication between each other up. I'm really enjoying the energy of the coven coming together to share.