Book Review No. 58 - Everyday Kundalini by Kathryn McCusker

Welcome! I have been so busy lately, reading books and being on the internet sort of got away from me. With summer in full bloom, it is hard not to want to enjoy the heat or at least be more active inside where there is some air conditioning. "Everyday Kundalini" by Kathryn McCusker is a great book, it took me awhile to get through, but it was well worth the read. This is for individuals that are seeking meditation more as a spiritual practice with yoga than people who want "secular" meditation and yoga.   

Book Review No. 57. - Llewellyn's Little Book of Meditation by David Pond

It has been far too long since I've posted, the hubby has been doing a lot of travelling and I've been on the road with him. And...we've been trading the flu for chest colds.  

 
I finally finished this little book by David Pond "Llewellyn's Little Book of Meditation". I have to say, for this book being a "little book" it is packed with so much information. I had to read it in parts, let them settle in, and then go back to the book for a little more.

Book Review No. 53 - Arthurian Magic by Virginia Chandler, John Matthews, Caitlin Matthews and Gareth Knight

Welcome 2018! The ending of a year and the beginning of a new always has a special quality about it, like things get refreshed.
I finished this magical book "Arthurian Magic" by Virginia Chandler, John Matthews, Caitlin Matthews and Gareth Knight. Now, I know little about King Arthur other than the basic mythology, but this book goes way deeper into ancient magics and mythos of the fabled king and Merlin.

Book Review No. 50 - The Witching Hour by Silver RavenWolf

Book review #50 on the site, how exciting! I've been feeling a little more witchy than usual, although I still have no energy. I'm lucky to spend a few minutes of meditation beneath a moon. Here is to new things on the horizon though, as this is a good time of the year for reflection and introspection.
I've never read one of Silver RavenWolf's books before, although she is a well-known new age writer. I really didn't know what to expect when reading "The Witching Hour", but I approached it with an open mind and I am glad I did.   

Book Review No. 49 - A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft by Deborah Blake

Welcome to the post Halloween world! I live in a perpetual world of Halloween, but I do miss the actually night of the holiday and Samhain when it passes. 
To kick-start your witchy studies, I want to recommend "A Yeah and A Dar of Everyday Witchcraft" by Deborah Blake. This is a fantastic yearly study filled with all sorts of witchy goodness. Each day has some insightful bit of information, small spell, or tip on how to get deeper into your practice.  

Adorable Faux Planter from CSI Wall Panels

Now that it is fall, I've been thinking of ways to incorporate a little greenery into my house. As I have said before, I have a tendency to kill live plants, so I try not to subject any living plants into my care if I don't have too.    When I saw this adorable faux planter, I fell in love. The fantastic people at CSI Wall Panels sent me the product to review, and I have to say I am really impressed with the quality. 

Book Review No. 42 - Magical Power for Beginners by Deborah Lipp

Well hello there! Welcome back to my little blog, thanks for taking a gander and I hope you find something interesting. Not a whole lot is going on right now, just trying to stay cool in the heat. I've been listening to a lot of AFI, Alkaline Trio and Charlotte OC. If you've not checked out these artists, you really should.

It took me a little while to finish this week's book, but in no way is that a bad thing. Deborah Lipp's book "Magical Power for Beginners" is excellent. I can honestly say if you are new to this topic, this is a perfect place to start. Lipp covers a whole range of topics, some I never even thought to explore, in a very approachable manner. 

Book Review No. 34 - Llewellyn's Little Book of Chakras by Cyndi Dale

Salutations! I know it has been awhile, its been rough sailing here but I'm muddling through as best I can.
With all this uncomfortable downtime, I've been able to get some reading done. So there is that! I finished Cyndi Dale's " Llewellyn's Little Book of Chakras" in about a week. But really, this book is going to be a fantastic reference tool I can see myself referring to over and over again. I've read several books (and many online articles) on chakras and this is by far the best writing I've read on the subject.  

Tarot Tales: Bonding & Forming a Friendship with Your Deck

Bienvenue! I hope you are doing splendid! I want discuss something I've been thinking about for awhile. You have a tarot deck, and now you want to start a successful relationship reading with the deck. So you really need to bond with your tarot deck, become friends with the cards. Sound silly? Sound weird? Well it isn't, not really. It may feel silly and it may feel weird, but trust me its going to be worth it.   You're excited, you're thrilled, you're jumping up and down because you just got your new tarot deck. You've pined after this deck forever...or you bought it on a whim, whatever the case you have it in your possession and the universe is alight.

  Now what to do, dive right in and start out with a complex 40 card spread right? Well you could do that, but it seems a tad rude to me. Why not say hello first, get to know the cards and what messages their imagery gives you. Take your time, let this first encounter be nothing but a sweet, innocent flirtation of energies.

Book Review No. 32 - Spirit Conjuring for Witches by Frater Barrabbas

Salaam friends, I hope you have all been well. I've been struggling a little. Some pesky health issues have cropped up, setting me back. But, I am trying to not let it get me down.

So in the honor of Book Review Tuesdays, I've finally got to finish a book I started several weeks ago.

This week, I want to write a little bit about "Spirit Conjuring for Witches" by Frater Barrabbas. This is a heft book on spirit conjuring, if this is something you wish to incorporate in your practice I highly recommend. 

Health and Happiness - Trying Not To Lose My Damn Mind

Hello dears and darlings, love and lovers. This is going to to be a little update post. Mostly this is going to start out as a rant, but believe me it does have a way of coming back around.
So, I've been a relatively healthy person most of my life. No major catastrophes, nothing needing hospitalization, mostly just the run of the mill illnesses treated with OTC meds or the occasional prescription.

Unfortunately, I've not been so lucky the last few months. In December, what started out as mild infection turned into a visit to a Urgent care, then the ER on Christmas Eve, and then back to my regular Dr. for two more visits. All because of an allergic reaction to sulfadrug antibiotic I've been on before.

Book Review No. 23 - Runes for Beginners: Simple Divination and Interpretation by Alexandra Chauran

Howdy Everyone! This week, between breaks from watching the Olympics in Rio, I've finished a great in-depth book on runes called "Runes for Beginners: Simple Divination and Interpretation" by Alexandra Chauran.   

  Runes are an ancient form of divination and language. Often they are inscribed on stones, shells or beads. They are gently thrown and then interpreted. Its sort of like "throwing the bones", and indeed you can inscribe runes onto bones. There are different types of runes, but the most common or popular are the Elder Futhark Runes.   

Book Review No. 20 - The New Divine Feminine by Meghan Don

Welcome back! Let us dive right in, shall we? This week I read "The New Divine Feminine" by Meghan Don. I didn't know what to expect with this book, and the cover has the tag line "Spiritual Evolution for the Woman's Soul".   

  I read this book with an open mind, but truthfully it really wasn't something I normally pick up. As it is centered around Christian religious figures (or at least Gnostic Christian religious figures) that I don't really connect to. The author gave a lovely introduction and breakdown of the book, which I appreciated. And I did like the idea Don suggests, that these women should be seen as motivators and integral parts for the story and not nefarious characters.

Wildcrafting - Gathering Nature's Bounty

As a frugal person, or well someone trying to become more frugal, being able to find items for my various interests and practices from nature is vital. It also provides a nice, almost meditative way to experience nature. Wildcrafting is the act or art of gathering herbs, plants, and other living specimens from nature.

I'm going to give a brief discussion of what to wildcraft, how-to do it and why can be useful for you.