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.  

Book Review No. 43 - The Witch's Book of Spirits by Devin Hunter

Welcome back to the blog. It's been a little bit, but I've got some work done outside of cyberspace, so that is exciting. For this installation of Book Review Tuesday I finished "The Witch's Book of Spirits" by Devin Hunter. Let me first say this book is packed with a lot of material, and would serve as a good reference book.   

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. 37 - The Witch's Cauldron by Laura Tempest Zakroff

Welcome back! I've another great book to review. I know I call these "Book Review Tuesdays" and most of these are no longer posted on Tuesdays. Maybe I will get back to being more consistent soon...but until then...I hope you enjoy! Have you ever wanted to know more about the witch's cauldron, that symbol so deeply associated with witchery? I highly recommend Laura Tempest Zakroff's book "The Witch's Cauldron". She did a masterful job covering so many aspects of the magical vessel, this is a great reference book as well as enjoyable to read.  

 

Book Review No. 36 - The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown

Hello again, welcome! Still hanging out in beautiful Texas. The weather has been a bit strange, big spring storms and then hot days have kept me inside the hotel room reading away.      I love a good historical fiction book, its probably my favorite genre of stories. I finished Beth Underdown's "The Witchfinder's Sister" in about three days; it was hard to put down.   

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. 

Witch's Salt - What is and How to's with a DIY Black Salt Recipe

I was feeling particularity witchy the other day and decided so try my hand at a new recipe. After watching a plethora of YouTube videos on different salt types used in witchcraft, I wanted to go out a buy them all. And then I saw the price of some of these salts...yikes...they can get quite expensive.   There are many different types of salts, each having their own mineral content (usually dictating the color) and uses. Many of these salts also are used in gourmet cooking, so it can make finding them relatively easy. If you want to just go out and buy some, that is perfectly OK. I found volcanic black lava salt at Walmart for about $5.00 for 8-9 ounces. If you are a little more frugal or more hands on, then I want to share a easy and cheaper (if you have items on hand) way to get one type of salt: Black Salt.  

 

Book Review No. 31 - The Little Big Book of White Spells by Ileana Abrev

Hello! Welcome back, how are you? Back again for another book review, well come on in and sit a spell.    I've just finished Ileana Abrev's "The Little Bog Book of White Spells", which is a good spell book with some useful information in it. I've read several different types of spell books, and this one is pretty on par with what to expect.   

  Abrev discusses how to get started using this book and the basics of spell working. How to set up a altar, color magic, some crystal work, correspondence charts, items you will need to set up a practice, all of this is useful setting the groundwork for being successful. This is great for beginners, and a useful reference or refresher for the more advanced worker.  

2017 - A Welcome and a Wish

Welcome to a new year! Wow, I can honestly say I am so glad for 2016 to be over. On a the world stage, last year was filled with triumphs, setbacks and disappointments. Here in the USA, politics dominated and their unrelenting presence left many burdened and weary. Although the plight of the world is important as we are all in this together, 2016 left me withdrawn. On a personal level, the first half started out so well, but the last half was a true cluster. I'm going to start this off with sadness, the wheel turns and we experience the great heights and lows of this life. I'm in a low, but I have great hopes for fortune to swing upwards again.    

 

Book Review No. 30 - The Magic of Trees by Tess Whitehurst

Welcome! As it is a new year, I have a whole bunch new books that I want to get too. Yes, my husband has spoiled me and took me book shopping and then I order some more online. I have an addiction. I've also "committed" myself to reading 25 books this year, well that' the goal at least. I didn't read nearly as many books as I wanted last year, so I hope to remedy that in the next solar cycle.    I finished this book awhile ago and took some time to digest its contents. This is such a lovely book, full of a lot of great information. Tess Whitehurst's The Magic of Trees: A Guide to Their Sacred Wisdom & Metaphysical Properties is such a great resource into tree magic. Without a doubt, you can tell Whitehurst put a lot of work and energy into this collection.  

 

Wildcrafting - Red Clover - Uses and Recipes

Hello there! Welcome! I want to introduce you to one of my favorite naturally gathered flowers. Red clover, an abundant plant found in many meadow or field-type areas, is a great wildcrafted goodie! This plant is native to Europe, Western Asia and northwest Africa but has been introduced to many other areas of the world. Here in the U.S. it is readily seen during the spring/summer months.

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.   

Easy Ointment or Salve Base Recipe

Hiya! Welcome! I want to share my easy ointment or salve base you can change and fit to however you see fit.   

What you will need:

•  A microwave or heat source
• Some heat-resistant bowls or glassware. I like Pyrex measuring cups
• Spoon
• Grater
• Beeswax
• Herb infused oil 
• Dried herbs or essential oils (optional)
• Clean containers (I recommend glass and tin over plastic, but use what you want)
• Vitamin e or rosehip oil (optional)

Now before you get excited and ready to make this, you may have to wait. For the best results, you are going to need some infused oil. This is really easy to make, and you can do it two ways. Go HERE to see how I make my infused oils.

Easy Infused Oil Recipe

Howdy! Here is my easy and simple infused oil recipe. Actually here are two methods...for the same recipe. One fore someone who is patient and one for someone in a hurry.  For the patient loves.   You will need: Dried herbs Carrier oil (almond, grapeseed, olive, sunflower, jojoba all work great) A clean, dry container Cheesecloth or fine-mesh metal sieve Patience