Author Topic: Grimoire for the Green Witch? (Read 11271 times)

Katefox · « **on:** July 08, 2011, 12:24:12 pm »

Grimoire for the Green Witch -- Ann Moura

Has anyone heard of/read this book? Is the information in it generally good, or are there things I should watch out for?

I found the most charming used bookstore yesterday, and picked up this book (it was only $12.50) because it looked like a good reference. It's got point form information on all sorts of things, rituals & spells, herbs, Tarot & other divination techniques, correspondences... It's a copy of Ann Moura's personal Book of Shadows, so I assume it's going to be specific to her path in some places, but I'm hoping it can serve me as a useful reference, and to give me some ideas in creating my own path.

But yes, anyone care to give their thoughts on this book?

veggiewolf · « **Reply #1 on:** July 08, 2011, 12:33:05 pm »

Quote from: Katefox;2975

Grimoire for the Green Witch -- Ann Moura

Has anyone heard of/read this book? Is the information in it generally good, or are there things I should watch out for?

I found the most charming used bookstore yesterday, and picked up this book (it was only $12.50) because it looked like a good reference. It's got point form information on all sorts of things, rituals & spells, herbs, Tarot & other divination techniques, correspondences... It's a copy of Ann Moura's personal Book of Shadows, so I assume it's going to be specific to her path in some places, but I'm hoping it can serve me as a useful reference, and to give me some ideas in creating my own path.

But yes, anyone care to give their thoughts on this book?

I actually just listed this book on BookMooch as I only read it once back in my "Wiccish" days and never went back to it. Someone mooched it from me in less than 10 minutes after listing.

There is some useful information in it, and it might be helpful as a reference for you to develop your path, but Moura's POV rubs me the wrong way and, on the whole, there are much better and more substantive materials available out there.

Asch · « **Reply #2 on:** July 08, 2011, 12:58:03 pm »

Quote from: Katefox;2975

Grimoire for the Green Witch

But yes, anyone care to give their thoughts on this book?

She is extraordinarily negative and hostile toward Christians and her history is highly questionable. If you can get past that I'm sure there are some useful portions but I couldn't overlook it.

LyricFox · « **Reply #3 on:** July 08, 2011, 02:39:12 pm »

Quote from: Asch;2990

She is extraordinarily negative and hostile toward Christians and her history is highly questionable. If you can get past that I'm sure there are some useful portions but I couldn't overlook it.

Her "Origins of Modern Witchcraft" has the *honor* of being #1 on my Books Shit List for, oh, 10 years or so.

It's just that bad. I wouldn't touch anything this woman wrote for all the tea in China.

Katefox · « **Reply #4 on:** July 08, 2011, 02:46:46 pm »

Quote from: Asch;2990

She is extraordinarily negative and hostile toward Christians and her history is highly questionable. If you can get past that I'm sure there are some useful portions but I couldn't overlook it.

Yes, I caught on to the questionable history when I was flipping through it at the bookstore. Something about having a family tradition dating back to 1890...that looks remarkably Wicca-ish. Doesn't add up given that Wicca was started in the 1960s.

I haven't noticed the bias towards Christians yet. That is unfortunate to hear, and potentially problematic. Hopefully, it won't come up as much in this book, given it's mostly point form notes about things, rather than exposition.

Katefox · « **Reply #5 on:** July 08, 2011, 02:49:47 pm »

Quote from: LyricFox;2999

Her "Origins of Modern Witchcraft" has the *honor* of being #1 on my Books Shit List for, oh, 10 years or so.

It's just that bad. I wouldn't touch anything this woman wrote for all the tea in China.

Really? Well, I'm glad I wasn't planning on reading that one. Actually, I'm inclined to avoid most "origin of witchcraft" books, because they're like to be very historically inaccurate, from what I've seen.

LyricFox · « **Reply #6 on:** July 08, 2011, 02:58:49 pm »

Quote from: Katefox;3002

Really? Well, I'm glad I wasn't planning on reading that one. Actually, I'm inclined to avoid most "origin of witchcraft" books, because they're like to be very historically inaccurate, from what I've seen.

If you ever hear us laughing about "Hekate. Goddess of eroticism." you'll know where it came from. There was a long, long line of problems in that book, but when I came across that one, I threw the book down in disgust.

veggiewolf · « **Reply #7 on:** July 08, 2011, 03:05:04 pm »

Quote from: LyricFox;3005

If you ever hear us laughing about "Hekate. Goddess of eroticism." you'll know where it came from. There was a long, long line of problems in that book, but when I came across that one, I threw the book down in disgust.

Moura is one of the many reasons we carry saltshakers.

Katefox · « **Reply #8 on:** July 08, 2011, 03:17:58 pm »

Quote from: LyricFox;3005

If you ever hear us laughing about "Hekate. Goddess of eroticism." you'll know where it came from. There was a long, long line of problems in that book, but when I came across that one, I threw the book down in disgust.

Wait, what? At least this book doesn't seem to have Hekate, Goddess of eroticism in it. Actually, it doesn't mention too much about specific Gods and Goddesses, which is part of why I picked it up. I'm not currently looking to work with specific Deities, and I'm hoping something non-Deity-specific will be easier to adapt to my own uses.

But this is all very useful to know which parts to take less seriously, and things to look out for.

LyricFox · « **Reply #9 on:** July 08, 2011, 03:30:35 pm »

Quote from: Katefox;3010

Wait, what?

LOL To semi-quote Scarlett O'Hara, "As god is my witness..." etc., etc., etc.

I shit you not. I should have known when I saw one of the photographs at the start of the book where she took the really famous statue of the Snake Goddess of Knossos and turned it into an "unnamed Hindu goddess." That should have been my clue, but oh no. I had to keep going.

I stopped there, though.

SunflowerP · « **Reply #10 on:** July 08, 2011, 08:20:34 pm »

Quote from: Katefox;3001

Something about having a family tradition dating back to 1890...that looks remarkably Wicca-ish. Doesn't add up given that Wicca was started in the 1960s.

Nitpick: not later than the early 1950s. But your main point stands.

Sunflower

Katefox · « **Reply #11 on:** July 08, 2011, 11:56:53 pm »

Quote from: SunflowerP;3098

Nitpick: not later than the early 1950s. But your main point stands.

Sunflower

Oh, well. Thank you for the correction. (I admit, I'm not that well-read on Wicca's history, but I do at least know enough to know it's not that old.)

MadZealot · « **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2012, 07:05:03 am »

Quote from: LyricFox;3005

If you ever hear us laughing about "Hekate. Goddess of eroticism." you'll know where it came from. There was a long, long line of problems in that book, but when I came across that one, I threw the book down in disgust.

Really? Wow. I'd put Hecate in a list of "Goddesses most likely to kick your ass," but eroticism? Not so much.

LyricFox · « **Reply #13 on:** February 05, 2012, 11:44:35 am »

Quote from: MadZealot;41533

Really? Wow. I'd put Hecate in a list of "Goddesses most likely to kick your ass," but eroticism? Not so much.

Back when I self-identified as Pagan (and more specifically, as a Hellenic Recon), Hekate was my patron, I read that and was not only baffled, but mortified at how unbelievably ignorant and insulting that woman was.

I'm not sure I'd characterize her the way you do, but she would be far away from any list including eroticism.