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Author Topic: "Old World Magic" by Raven Grimassi  (Read 1676 times)

AthenaiiseSofia

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"Old World Magic" by Raven Grimassi
« on: March 18, 2014, 01:43:08 pm »
Has anyone else recently read this book? It was published fairly recently (2011) and I picked it up from a Barnes & Noble. Usually I don't find much there that I personally find reliable, but I did enjoy this book. I do not regard it as 100% accurate, the only way to go, man that's like the best book ever.... but he had some interesting points.

**Note: if you haven't read it, I'm about to delve into things from it that may not make sense! But if you have questions, I have the book right here, and I'll be happy to explain.

I particularly was intrigued by the Hallow concept, but this may simply be because I grew up in the woods, and that's where my heart lies. His Ash, Birch, and Willow system didn't really click with me, but that version of the Wheel of the Year really did. There's a few more things, like the mortar & pestle magic and such.

But I really wanted to get some other opinions on it. As far as the theory and philosophy goes, I try not to get too caught up in it because there's just SO MUCH information out there, each with different opinions. So I live in my happy little bubble and just let what is, be.

So any thoughts?
"Go then and make of the world something beautiful, set up a light in the darkness." - from Awakening Osiris by Normandi Ellis

Breeze

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Re: "Old World Magic" by Raven Grimassi
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2014, 02:13:30 pm »
Quote from: AthenaiiseSofia;142851
Has anyone else recently read this book? It was published fairly recently (2011) and I picked it up from a Barnes & Noble. Usually I don't find much there that I personally find reliable, but I did enjoy this book. I do not regard it as 100% accurate, the only way to go, man that's like the best book ever.... but he had some interesting points.

**Note: if you haven't read it, I'm about to delve into things from it that may not make sense! But if you have questions, I have the book right here, and I'll be happy to explain.

I particularly was intrigued by the Hallow concept, but this may simply be because I grew up in the woods, and that's where my heart lies. His Ash, Birch, and Willow system didn't really click with me, but that version of the Wheel of the Year really did. There's a few more things, like the mortar & pestle magic and such.

But I really wanted to get some other opinions on it. As far as the theory and philosophy goes, I try not to get too caught up in it because there's just SO MUCH information out there, each with different opinions. So I live in my happy little bubble and just let what is, be.

So any thoughts?


I bought it back when it came out.  Honestly I didn't really care for it.  I think my disappointment may have been because I felt it was mistitled.  Rather than being "old world Witchcraft", most of the book talks about his Ash, Birch, and Willow tradition.  I would agree that there are a couple of pieces of useful information scattered here and there.  But for the price, I don't think those particular "pearls of wisdom" are worth it.  

It's been a bit since I read it, so I can't remember the concepts regarding what he called the Hallow.  If I remember right, when I read it, that concept read more as "I'm gonna take the Akasha concept from Cunningham, the Spirit concept from RavenWolf, throw 'em together and make it a little bit spookier".  Admittedly, I could be remembering wrong.  If you could sum it up maybe I can remember it better .

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Re: "Old World Magic" by Raven Grimassi
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2014, 12:10:36 am »
Quote from: Breeze;142854
I bought it back when it came out.  Honestly I didn't really care for it.  I think my disappointment may have been because I felt it was mistitled.  Rather than being "old world Witchcraft", most of the book talks about his Ash, Birch, and Willow tradition.

 
This! Seconded.

AthenaiiseSofia

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Re: "Old World Magic" by Raven Grimassi
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2014, 01:56:32 pm »
Quote from: Breeze;142854
I bought it back when it came out.  Honestly I didn't really care for it.  I think my disappointment may have been because I felt it was mistitled.  Rather than being "old world Witchcraft", most of the book talks about his Ash, Birch, and Willow tradition.  I would agree that there are a couple of pieces of useful information scattered here and there.  But for the price, I don't think those particular "pearls of wisdom" are worth it.  

It's been a bit since I read it, so I can't remember the concepts regarding what he called the Hallow.  If I remember right, when I read it, that concept read more as "I'm gonna take the Akasha concept from Cunningham, the Spirit concept from RavenWolf, throw 'em together and make it a little bit spookier".  Admittedly, I could be remembering wrong.  If you could sum it up maybe I can remember it better .

 
I do agree with you about the title. I didn't gather any new info about "Old World" anything other than the same stuff about strega that he'd written about in a previous book. I can't quite remember the name of it. Oh, and all that jazz about the Plant Spirits. I think that was supposed to be about Old World Witchcraft.

As far as the Hallow goes... (there was no index so I had to literally leaf through. Ugh that peeves me lol) I found it on page 91 where he writes: "Witches of the Old Ways draw power from the Hallow. This is a term for the deep center of the forest where primal sacredness exists." His wildly general use of the term "Old Ways" aside, I see now what you mean about him taking the Akasha and Spirit concepts and making them his own. It didn't click when I first read it. I think the Hallow concept speaks to me mainly because I grew up in the thick of the woods. That's my home, my safe place.

But anyway, I'm glad I posted this because I really had mixed feelings about it. I gathered very little from the book, other than the few things that struck a chord. The VERY FEW things lol. But I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one left scratching their head.
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Re: "Old World Magic" by Raven Grimassi
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2014, 01:21:29 pm »
Quote from: AthenaiiseSofia;143113
IAs far as the Hallow goes... (there was no index so I had to literally leaf through. Ugh that peeves me lol) I found it on page 91 where he writes: "Witches of the Old Ways draw power from the Hallow. This is a term for the deep center of the forest where primal sacredness exists."

 
Hmm, that makes me wonder if he's been mistaking Robert Holdstock's fiction for accurate recountings of folklore. (Fiction: it can have many things that are witchily useful. 'Useful', however, should not be mistaken for 'traditional'.)

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Siren

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Re: "Old World Magic" by Raven Grimassi
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2014, 02:24:36 pm »
Quote from: SunflowerP;143229
Hmm, that makes me wonder if he's been mistaking Robert Holdstock's fiction for accurate recountings of folklore. (Fiction: it can have many things that are witchily useful. 'Useful', however, should not be mistaken for 'traditional'.)

Sunflower

 

Oh, man. Such a good writer, though. (Holdstock, not Grimassi. I don't like Grimassi but that's a whole other can of worms.) Lavondyss in particular blew my mind.

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