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Author Topic: Looking at a few books (generally household craft), anyone read them?  (Read 2097 times)

Scales

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Skye Alexander
The Modern Guide to Witchcraft

Mandy Mitchell
Hedge Witch Book of Days

Kris Bradley
Mrs B's Guide to Household Witchery

Deborah Blake
Everyday Witch A to Z

The theme is, obviously, lighter reading and more day to day/practical/folk spell work. What I'm looking for is well, obviously if they're either great or crap, if they're wicca-based (navigable but good to know before buying) or just witchcraft or something in between, if they're accurate (eg not false history; accurateness of rituals and stuff is harder to gauge, obviously, but if they make sense or not), and an idea of difficulty/accessibility of content*.

Unfortunately I was looking at these in store and just took photos of the covers to remind myself, so I'm not entirely sure which I was most hopeful on. Either the first two or middle two, I think.
 
If you have other recommendations in this vein, I'd be interested in hearing. I like a bit of framework outside of just spells in a book, so I have some context for the writer.

*I'm looking for easy reading but don't mind having something that isn't; a friend who is new to witchcraft is also looking at these books so if they're very simple, that's also not bad.

MadZealot

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Quote from: Scales;174892
snip  

 
Haven't heard of the first three.  I do have the A to Z book, but honestly I've never opened it.  

For what you want, Cunningham's Magical Household might be worth a look.
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Juniperberry

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Quote from: Scales;174892
Skye Alexander
The Modern Guide to Witchcraft

Mandy Mitchell
Hedge Witch Book of Days

Kris Bradley
Mrs B's Guide to Household Witchery

Deborah Blake
Everyday Witch A to Z

The theme is, obviously, lighter reading and more day to day/practical/folk spell work. What I'm looking for is well, obviously if they're either great or crap, if they're wicca-based (navigable but good to know before buying) or just witchcraft or something in between, if they're accurate (eg not false history; accurateness of rituals and stuff is harder to gauge, obviously, but if they make sense or not), and an idea of difficulty/accessibility of content*.

Unfortunately I was looking at these in store and just took photos of the covers to remind myself, so I'm not entirely sure which I was most hopeful on. Either the first two or middle two, I think.
 
If you have other recommendations in this vein, I'd be interested in hearing. I like a bit of framework outside of just spells in a book, so I have some context for the writer.

*I'm looking for easy reading but don't mind having something that isn't; a friend who is new to witchcraft is also looking at these books so if they're very simple, that's also not bad.

 

I've always liked Patricia Telesco's Victorian Grimoire. It was published in '92 so its from that era when (it seemed) Wicca was really blowing up and still sort of fluffy. But its a fun book.

It has a lot of light-hearted homemaking magic, from a supposed Victorian romance angle. Sweeping out negativity with a broom, how to make protective potpourri stachels, recipes for herbal teas, magical kitchen gardens, weather magic.
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beachglass

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Quote from: Scales;174892
Deborah Blake
Everyday Witch A to Z

 
I got this on Kindle from the library here a few years ago, IIRC it was mostly a cute/funny type of book with some useful ideas mixed in. If your library does OverDrive you may be able to check it out that way (you don't need a Kindle device).

I do own two of Blake's other books, Everyday Witchcraft and The Goddess Is In the Details and I like them pretty well. They're also both about bringing your religion/spirituality into your daily life (they do overlap a bit).

I would call them Wicca-based (be warned that Blake tends to equate Pagan, Wiccan, and witch). She's got a very friendly, conversational style so they're not difficult reads.
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Quote from: Scales;174892
Skye Alexander
The Modern Guide to Witchcraft

Mandy Mitchell
Hedge Witch Book of Days

Kris Bradley
Mrs B's Guide to Household Witchery

Deborah Blake
Everyday Witch A to Z
 
If you have other recommendations in this vein, I'd be interested in hearing. I like a bit of framework outside of just spells in a book, so I have some context for the writer.

*I'm looking for easy reading but don't mind having something that isn't; a friend who is new to witchcraft is also looking at these books so if they're very simple, that's also not bad.

 
I got "Mrs. B" last year. I thought it would be cute and useful. It is cute. I have read through it a couple times, but if you have any books on herbs, oils and brews. Then it is redundant. I was disappointed.

I also have Cunningham and Harrington's "Magical Household;" it is better.

That Hedge Witch book is on my list, but after getting "Mrs. B's" I'm afraid to order it without hearing personal reviews.

Scales

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Quote from: Freesia;175763
I got "Mrs. B" last year. I thought it would be cute and useful. It is cute. I have read through it a couple times, but if you have any books on herbs, oils and brews. Then it is redundant. I was disappointed.

I also have Cunningham and Harrington's "Magical Household;" it is better.

That Hedge Witch book is on my list, but after getting "Mrs. B's" I'm afraid to order it without hearing personal reviews.

 
I'm looking at a different book by Cunningham and Harrington (Spell Crafts), because I can get it second hand and I've seen pretty positive reviews of Magical Household (otherwise I might've aimed at it instead), but I'm in the same position on Hedge Witch Book of Days. I really like the format from what I see (I skimmed it at the book shop, but not one that's local to me so I can't go back soon and re-check), but I can't find any helpful reviews for it and new books are money.

One of my friends who is newer to witchcraft and potential paganism also was checking books with me, so it sounds like Mrs B's might be more useful to her if she's still interested (the few books I do have currently are mainly herbals, so you definitely just cinched it for me).

Freesia

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Quote from: Scales;175797
I'm looking at a different book by Cunningham and Harrington (Spell Crafts), because I can get it second hand and I've seen pretty positive reviews of Magical Household (otherwise I might've aimed at it instead), but I'm in the same position on Hedge Witch Book of Days. I really like the format from what I see (I skimmed it at the book shop, but not one that's local to me so I can't go back soon and re-check), but I can't find any helpful reviews for it and new books are money.

One of my friends who is newer to witchcraft and potential paganism also was checking books with me, so it sounds like Mrs B's might be more useful to her if she's still interested (the few books I do have currently are mainly herbals, so you definitely just cinched it for me).

 
I read through "Mrs. B's" last night and it does have more info than I remembered. It does have a lot on domestic bliss and mommy magic. I thought it would have more useful recipes for facial masks, cleaning supplies, and food. It doesn't have that instead it has the same lists of correspondences and plant/herb lists as Cunningham's Magical Herbs and oil blends like in Cunningham's Potions. I was just mad that I got a rehash of three books I already own with a pretty cover.

I really didn't want to go the Wiccan route when I decided to start practicing Paganism again, but I don't think these new Cunningham alternatives and very good. I went to my local book store and got a chance to flip through Penzak's "Inner Temple" and Moura's "Green Witchcraft." I don't know about these authors. My old ass is just gonna stick with Buckland and Cunningham (the devil you know...).

I found a used copy of "21 Lessons of Merlyn" and took that home. I know that this book isn't taken as historical and is outdated, but it's part of the Pagan backstory.

MadZealot

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Quote from: Freesia;175814
I went to my local book store and got a chance to flip through Penzak's "Inner Temple" and Moura's "Green Witchcraft." I don't know about these authors.


Penczak's first two "Temple of Witchcraft" titles are solid work.  You have to wade through some Really Bad History in the beginning of Vol I but practical work more than makes up for it.
I've seen some praise for Moura's work, but never looked at it myself.
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Mellee

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Quote from: Scales;174892
Skye Alexander
The Modern Guide to Witchcraft

 
This one's pretty popular with the Tumblr witchy crowd, so I picked up the ebook the other day and ripped through it. It's not the worst beginner book I've ever read, but I had higher hopes for it that were somewhat dashed. It covers a range of topics in a pretty simple manner.

The book is in two parts: an introductory kinda guide (what is Witchcraft, magic, etc) and a grimoire discussing types of spells and providing examples.

I think this division is what throws me: like, if you need the first part ("Witches aren't immortal; they live ordinary lifespans just like other humans") I feel that jumping straight into spellcasting is maybe not super helpful. There's just not enough foundational stuff to make for successful magic, imo. That being said, the actual spells/rituals/activities are pretty solid.

Also: I love Starhawk and The Spiral Dance but when other books quote her in history sections, I tend to worry. And Skye throws Voudoun under the bus in a section about types of witchcraft - "Some practitioners, it's said, turn the dead into zombies - reanimated corpses who are slaves without wills of their own."

...In fairness, I am cherry picking problems with this book, but still!

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