Joyce & River Higginbotham
Llewellyn, 2002 $14.95 US
ISBN 0-7387-0222-6

Review by Daven

Rating: ★★★★½ 

When I saw this title in the catalog I got somewhat concerned. The blurb said that it was 250 pages long, and promised to explain paganism to those not familiar with the concept. My concern stemmed from the belief that 250 pages is just too small a space to explain a subject as complex as paganism.

Believe it or not, the authors actually manage to do it.

This book is clear and concise in the descriptions of what Paganism is and is not, without ever once making blanket statements like “Pagans all believe….” or “Belief in ______ is shared by all pagans…” and so on. They also never make the mistake of stating that Wicca is the only thing in paganism. They distinguish clearly between Wicca, Asatru, Shamanism, Voodoo and so on, which in my experience is a novel change.

In fact in the ethics section, the authors not only contrast but also compare Wiccan, Asatru, etcetera.

I applaud the questions and the exercises in each chapter. For example, in one section about pagan concepts of the deities, they give an example used in their own classes, and then encourage the reader to take a hard look at their own beliefs, and map out their concept of God on the same chart, so that there is a visual comparison with others.

These exercises are in every chapter, sometimes multiple times if the subject is a complex one like worship and ethics. They also encourage journaling so one can see one’s thoughts and feelings on a page and be able to objectively consider them. There is even a section in each chapter if one is having problems digesting some of the concepts.

However, this book is not an in depth examination of paganism, it is an introduction to the rich diversity in our society and communities. I think this book would be totally appropriate for one to purchase and give to those friends and colleagues who are honestly trying to find out what we believe and come to some sort of reconciliation with it. This is not for those who reject paganism in general as satanic nor will it convince them that we are not, a closed mind is incapable of learning. It is written for the person who has an open intellectually curious mind.

There I have a few slight problems however. I feel that the ethical discussions should be at the front of the book rather than being held until the last chapter. I would have liked to see a list of recommended references broken down by Pagan path for those who are trying to explain a specific path to someone.

This is a good introduction to paganism one that I think would be useful to those who have relatives who are struggling in understanding. I think the Higginbothams did an exceptional job with a difficult subject. I give this 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

Originally posted 2009-11-15 17:01:06.

By Eoghan Odinsson
Asgard Studios, 2012  $17.95 US
ISBN 978-0-9878394-0-4
Review by Erin

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

I’m not going to address the Hávamál directly since I don’t study, it in a scholarly manner. It takes the archaic language in many sections of the poem and reconstructs it in such a way that it’s easier to understand.

The author did not do this alone however, he had help of others in this rewriting.  He acknowledges the “crowd-sourcing” as part of the overall contribution to the book.

Some of it does strike me as somewhat, interesting.  For instance, substituting a car and the tires on the car for a reindeer when talking about moving over ice, is an interesting choice, and a relevant one.  Many readers will relate more easily to a car with snow tires than a reindeer with unshod hooves.  So that advice is more accessible to someone from the 21st century.

I am glad the author kept the translation with the modernized verse as it gives a more accurate “flavor” to the poems.  Those of us who are used to archaic verse are able to actually go to the source and see how the modern verse would read when it was written.

Each verse is given its own page, and all commentary relating to that verse is on that page along with keywords to make it easy to search.  For instance:

Modernized Verse 44
If you have a friend,
and know her to be loyal,
share your thoughts with her.
Exchange gifts and visit her often.

Keywords:  Friendship, Confidante

Old Verse 44
If a friend thou hast whom thou fully wilt trust,
And good from him wouldst get,
Thy thoughts with his mingle,
and gifts shalt thou make,
And fare to find him oft.

Pg 73, Northern Wisdom

All the meaning is there in the modernized verse, and the language is clearer for modern vernacular, but you can see what the original verses had to say in the new.  This is a massive step forward in my opinion.

That said, there is a long essay included in the front which presents the Hávamál to a group of Japanese. It was presented as a scholarly work in a class (all of which is explained in the introduction to the chapter).  The explanation is that this is an immortal document and still relevant to now and how certain sections should not be taken seriously.  But the essay draws many parallels between the Tao and the Hávamál

To put into context of the presentation, the contents are true and presented as fact, but as I read it, the content of the essay is made up of opinions, and that offends me.  I always try to present facts as facts and note where I have opinions in my presentation.  I probably would have moved this essay to the end of the book, rather than presenting it as the first thing read.

Also the title of the book changes.  On the cover it states that the Hávamál is the Tao of the Vikings, but all internal references state that this is the Tao of the North.  The north covers a lot more territory than Norway and Sweeden. I think the author needs to make up his mind, although I think it is too late to change the internal references.

All in all, a very good reference book for anyone who is wanting to understand more about the Northern Religions.  It reads like the Colloquy of Two Sages from the Celtic revivals, and it is full of good advice for all.  All in all, 4 stars out of 5

I recently watched the movie Phenomenon and came away very disturbed.

In case you haven’t seen it, don’t read the next six paragraphs. We hate it when someone ruins a movie by telling us what happened.

John Travolta plays a nice average man, nothing special, who lives in the small town he was born in. On the night of his birthday party, he is apparently struck by a blinding light and knocked to the ground.

By the next morning, he is displaying extraordinary abilities. Suddenly there is nothing he cannot know or do.

The townspeople, with three exceptions, the woman he loves, a wise old country doctor, and his best friend, begin to fear him. They cannot accept what is happening without explanations. They feel there must be some catch and they begin desperately searching for it. They also begin ostracizing this gentle man.

Aliens, the great modern bogey men, are invoked. When, it is discovered that George is dying of brain cancer, they begin to distrust all the good he has done. They look for hoaxes, mundane explanations, and the blue smoke and mirrors.

The doctor magnificently played by Robert Duvall, blows up at this denigration. He tells them how petty, mean, and small they are being. He rips away their hypocrisy in an impassioned speech, exposing the herd mentality responsible for condemning his son of the heart.

In the end, even though our hero is dead, his legacy does live on. The townspeople meet a year later to celebrate his life on the anniversary of his birth.

Sounds great doesn’t it? So why am I so unhappy? The fact that the townspeople could not accept the miracle of George while he was alive.

I started thinking (a dangerous pastime). Why do people need to defame others to feel good about themselves? What does that say about modern society? Most importantly, how can I, personally, “stop the madness” within my own small sphere of influence?

I started watching people around me interact. I saw couples, who allegedly love each other, the art of the put down, all in “good fun”. I watched children cut each other to shreds verbally, and they were “best friends”. I noticed parents who claimed to love their children but constantly called them “stupid”, “idiot”, “dummy”.

I listened to myself, and was appalled. I too am a perpetrator/victim of this syndrome. I had fallen into the trap of cutting down other instead of building them up. Worst of all, I cut myself down before anyone else can.

It’s hard to remember day to day simply to thank people. It is harder still to genuinely compliment them for what they do, how they look, or a good idea they have had.

We are not thought how to compliment others, nor are we taught to accept praise from others. I often feel uncomfortable, afraid I will sound phony and insincere when I genuinely wish to thank them.

Another concern is that the person I am complimenting will suspect my motives, that I will be seen as a rah-rah person, that I appear to not really care, or that I am just pretending when I am sincere. In some cases I might be seen as a company stooge.

So, I made an affirmation for myself. I won’t let fear stop me from complimenting others. I won’t let my need to fit in allow me to cut down others. I will genuinely thank people when they help me. I will come to “praise Caesar” not to rip him a new ***hole. “If you can’t say anything nice…”

How about you?

Theresa

Stars light your path.

Originally posted 2009-11-11 18:32:29.

By Many Authors
New Page Books, 2005 $15.99 US
ISBN 1-56414-788-6

Review by Daven

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Well, as I have stated in another review, I generally don’t think that books written by committee will sell. This book, however, is the exception that proves the rule.

While it looks to me as though the articles were not subject to editorial approval of the other authors, this book does have multiple contributors. Each brings their own unique perspectives to this work, and each has their own “voice”. Each can also be considered to be an “elder” of the path.

There are Big Name Pagans like Raven Grimassi, Starhawk, M. Macha Nightmare and also relative “unknowns” like Tehom, Gus diZerega and Oz, but reading what they have to say will be an eye opening experience for many.

The articles presented are relevant to what people are looking for now. There is more depth to the work and less “fluff”. This is only to be expected as this is supposed to be a book that continues the teachings of previous decades onward. It builds on the foundation of the 101 teachings, and I LOVE this trend.

The concepts in here are not that different from what is explored in just about every other book. This time, however, it is not just ONE author’s voice talking about a topic. It is many authors and elders saying the same things. While the 101 books will tell you the basics on how to create a ritual meaningful to you, Macha Nightmare goes in depth and tells you WHY it’s important to make the ritual meaningful to you and HOW to do so with a minimum of fuss. While Cunningham has a whole book dedicated to the joys of being solitary, Kristen Madden and some friends talk about the disadvantages as well as the advantages of being solitary and how the disadvantages can be overcome.

This is a book that the market has been asking for for some time now.

That’s what I liked, now to tell you what I didn’t like.

There were some problems I had with the content. I didn’t always agree with what one of the authors was saying. This is a good thing as it made me think about what I felt in the same section the author was working with and it made me define what I feel so I could disagree with it. So while this can be turned into a plus, it’s not something I can dismiss out of hand. BUT, that being said, it’s not affecting this review that much. It’s the difference between my preference for the color indigo and the author’s preference for the color forest green. It is a difference in opinion and personal gnosis.

So, over all, I think that this book has earned 4 stars out of 5. While this seems to be low for the esteem I hold this book in, I will state that there are areas that can be expanded on, there are some that are covered too in depth and which start repeating themselves slightly. Make no mistake, this is an EXCELLENT book on it’s own merits, but I think there was room for improvement. I do highly advise this book to be bought by those who are looking for more depth to what they already know.

Originally posted 2009-11-15 03:46:19.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

This is the first time I’ve reviewed a program, much less one about Tarot. When I joined the American Tarot Association, I decided to really try to get my tarot certification and to start an online and phone based reading business. For that I needed something that would be really easy to use, easy to interpret and easy to install.

I think I got all that in this program.

Don’t fool yourself; it will take some time to get used to the interface and the controls. So plan on spending at least two days (like I did) learning how to do everything before using it for clients. But once you are past that initial learning stage, the program is really easy.

Before I begin, I want to state this: I encourage you all to buy the registered version. You can download and install the program, but until it is registered, you will get a nag screen when the program is opened, and some things have limited functionality (like only being able to use three decks). I found that there were a few more options available to me once it was registered, but if I hadn’t the money I would have been satisfied with the free version.

That said, I paid for a Single Machine License. It was the most inexpensive option for me, and since I only use one computer, it was a good choice. I can upgrade that later to the one user license which will let me use it on up to three machines, but that’s a purchase for the future.

The interface of the program is clean and uncluttered. There is a deck of cards, a “docking square” for the undelt deck if you want to get it out of the way, and the background. By default this comes as just a solid color, but you can put a tiled image in there if you wish to so you can have a “tarot table cover” if you want. That’s it. All the commands are accessed by right-clicking on the deck, which gives you the program, card and reading commands.

You can have an unlimited number of decks in the program in the registered version, and if you are like me, I tend to have about five or six I rotate through depending on my needs. Currently I have the “Housewives Tarot”, “The Robin Wood Tarot”, “The Celtic Tarot”, a rune deck and the Pagan Tarot. Other users are constantly developing and uploading their own decks, and with just a few clicks you can access those decks and any spreads they have developed.

When you click on the spreads, you get three by default. You will have to make your own or download others. You get a three card spread, a six card star and the Celtic Cross. These are good beginning tarot spreads, but if you are like me and have several other spreads, it may be worth a look on their P2P network to download some spreads.

I did note that while the unregistered version only allows you three decks, the top three alphabetically in the Windows list, you can have as many spreads as you want. To my mind, this is a good move by them so that they can encourage you to use their program.

I designed and uploaded my two unique spreads, and downloaded about ten others. I modified a couple for my own use (mostly by moving cards around so I can see them) and uploaded those modified spreads as well. I found that it was possible to see the spreads before you download them, which is perfect since I hate cluttering my PC with useless data. You can also go in and delete old decks and spreads that you don’t want anymore.

You can save readings for further interpretation later, and for emailing to clients. There is a screen capture option and a place where you can note the picture, doing a reading and sending it directly from your program to your client. My one word for that feature? Bonus.

You can toggle through the decks you have so you can get different nuances from different decks. You can compare the pictures of various decks to see which would be best. You can deal single cards in the middle of the reading if you want, and you can shuffle the deck while you have a spread out. There’s even a feature that will let you zoom in on a card so you can see the nuances of the artwork while reading.

While this is an excellent program, there are some problems.

First off, if you dock the cards in the docking square, there’s no way to access the program commands unless you undock the cards, then right-click. It’s a two step process and when you have a client on the phone, it may be a bit more time than you want to take. Since everything is off the right-click menu, including all the decks and spreads and how to deal the cards, it can be a bit of a pain to get it.

The next thing that is irritating is that you may have to tweak the spreads/cards extensively so you can use it. You get pop-up windows to display the card position and the card description if you want it, but not a lot of the spreads or decks out there have the descriptions in them. They may have the positions mapped out, but there is no guarantee that the author described it while making it. I had that problem with almost every deck I downloaded and almost all the spreads.

There was one deck that I had to totally re-write, but when it’s a non-standard deck of runes, it can be forgiven.

I would wish the hotkeys for the spreads were easier to use. There’s a bunch of hotkeys for the program options, but I wish there was a “repeat” for laying out another spread on top of the spread that is out. Currently the program forces you to gather all the cards up, shuffle and then re-deal them.

Also, features for selecting a significator and/or a segment of cards from the deck are non-existent. I occasionally like to find the significator for the querent and look at the cards immediately around that card as another tool for them, but the program doesn’t allow for that. Similarly, you cannot look at the bottom card of the deck either. There also aren’t any options for “jump out” cards while shuffling.

It is possible to turn off all the reversals though, which I appreciate. The only problem is that if you turn it off for all decks, and have it turned on for one, then you toggle to another deck, that deck will have a lot of reversals in it. There’s no really easy way to change that.

Personally? I’m going to keep this program for some time. While it will never replace a face to face reading, it will do wonders for doing readings over the phone or over the Internet. I’m giving this program Four Stars out of Five, the best that I have seen yet.

Originally posted 2010-01-12 04:06:52.

by Sandra Kynes
Llewellyn, 2004 $14.95 US
ISBN 0-7387-0583-7

Review by Daven

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Every once in a while you come across a book that stands out as a shining example of what all good books are and could be.

This is not that book.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not on the level of, say, 21 Lessons of Merlyn, but it’s not stellar either. It’s average. That’s the best I can say about it.

I can’t even say that it’s good to use as a Wicca 101 text, since it has many factual errors in it in addition to totally de-emphasizing the God in favor of Vaginamancy. Examples of factual errors include the “myth” of Persephone and Demeter. According to this author, Persephone willingly went into Hades to comfort the souls there. This was news to me since the way *I* learned the myth was that Hades kidnapped and raped Persephone and Demeter basically shut down the world until she returned. The author even states that this is the original myth and says, “Happily, this gentler version is gaining popularity.” (p 29)

There are no references for her facts that I could find, and her list of references include many books that are known works of dubious nature or websites that have little to do with Wicca. Ninety percent of currently accepted holiday symbolism is thrown out in favor of the overwhelming Wicca-lite influence. Goddess is the preeminent deity, the God is almost ignored to the point where He shows on only two rituals, as Lugh (and the author never makes the connection between Lugh and Lug in Gaul and states they are two different deities) or a baby carried and cared for by the Goddess. MULTIPLE goddesses are worshiped, Isis, Demeter, Persephone, Diana, The Dark Mother and so on.

She has (set your drinks down) an Esbat ritual that calls upon The Lord of the Rings archetypes and uses the language as part of the ritual structure. Yes, more “pop culture” magick and ritual. You are supposed to call upon the Lords of the Directions, in their own tongue, mind you, and to the Lord and Lady of All. There is a whole history of Middle Earth that is supposed to be read during the ritual.

But, even with all this, it can serve some purpose. The book is designed to be one that you can grab off the shelf and use to do a quickie ritual if you need to on a Full Moon or a Sabbat. If you have no ritual prepared, you should be able to grab this book, open it to the correct holiday rite and do the ritual. That’s pretty good in my opinion.

It also gives rituals that can be done by a solitary practitioner. This does move it up several notches. Not that the ritual itself gets any better, mind you, but for a solitary practitioner this could be a very good thing since there are not that many works targeted to the solitary practitioner. This book also gives rituals for the Esbats, and this makes this book one of three that does so.

The problem again comes in where the author does not explain the symbolism or anything that goes into the rituals. But this book is supposed to be used as a framework to build your own rituals around. Because nothing is explained, there are elements that are included that make no sense. In one section, there is a ritual using knot magick. She states that all you need to do is take three pieces of yarn, braid them and tie three knots (or more in multiples of three) in the braided length and your true love will love you. Nothing on the energy or willpower that goes into a spell like this, just braid and knot and you now have a honey.

I’m sorry, I have to give this book only 2 stars out of 5. It can be used by experienced practitioners as an example, but the problem is that why would one who is experienced buy this book that has such fluffy content? I can see this being shelved next to Silver Ravenwolf’s books and probably selling to those who don’t know any better. It’s not worth the price unless you have a lot of money to waste and want to buy multiple references to give examples of how others do things.

Originally posted 2009-11-15 02:48:47.

by Dorothy Morrison
Llewellyn Publications, 2000
ISBN 1-56718-496-0

Review by Daven

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

This is another in the “Sabbats” offerings from Llewellyn, and it lives up to the same high standards as the previous titles in this series.

Dorothy Morrison is a wonderful author with several innovative ideas that I found truly refreshing. Considering that this particular season and holiday is probably THE most written about holiday in the Western World, that’s saying a lot.

For example, she has an innovative method of harvesting a Yule tree. First she finds the tree and makes friends with it. Then on the day she wishes to cut the tree, she asks the tree to move it’s spirit deep into the tap root, and she cuts off the section of the tree that the spirit has fled from. She knows where that is, and ties a rope around the trunk about 8 inches off the ground. Once all that is done, she cuts the tree. By way of thanks and care for the tree, she then inserts fertilizer sticks into the ground around the stump of the tree to encourage it to regrow the top of the tree. She also comes back several times to give it more fertilizer and talk to the tree. Thus she encourages the trees she has cut from to regrow their tops. I don’t know if she returns and re-harvests trees but I would bet she could.

She covers the other celebrations occurring around this holiday briefly, enough to give the reader a feel for the season so you will know what is being celebrated and why. The holidays thus covered are Yule, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukah, since between those four celebrations, most of the parties during this time of the year are covered.

I was happy to see “Holiday Customs around the world” in this book. She has a chapter dealing with how different countries celebrate this time of the year. It’s good to know that people are being taught just because we do it *this* way in America, it does not necessarily follow that the whole world does it that same way.

Dorothy has an extensive knowledge of folklore and it shows in this book. She shares a lot of crafts, customs, folk traditions and other information. I truly enjoyed the wealth of information she has assembled, things like the omens of the season are needed in many cases these days.

The projects are interesting. One of the projects is how to turn a can for holding chips into a can for holding incense. I thought, “You know, this sounds really interesting. Apparently they ARE good for something other than holding change.”

One other thing, this book probably has more recipes for food than any other book in this series. This is certainly understandable since this is the time for eating. This book also has a day by day breakdown of what happens during this time of the year, and good suggestions as to what to do with all those left over decorations.

It is a book that focuses on the season, rather than the Pagan celebration of Yule. There is only one ritual in there, if you discount the granny projects. It would be good for those who want a book on the season and general ritual information. There is not much about the Pagan history or the pagan celebration in here, but that lack does not really detract from the book overall.

Dorothy has done a good job with this book, and she and her book have earned the 4 stars I’m giving it. This one is another that anyone who wants in depth information should get.

Originally posted 2009-11-15 18:50:09.

by David F. Vennells
Llewellyn, 2001 $9.95 US
ISBN 0-7387-0098-3

Review by Daven

Rating: ★★★★½ 

Please understand something, this book has NOTHING to do with Wicca, Witchcraft, Magick or any esoteric practices that have been part of the occult in the past. This is a book on health, like a book on aromatherapy, massage, or a book of herbs. You must keep this in mind as you read this book.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Reflexology, it is a preventative application of direct stimulus to the nerve endings in the feet and hands. Still confused? The theory of Reflexology states that by massaging nerve endings in the feet and hands a healthier body can be achieved and maintained, since all nerve terminate in the feet and hands. It is anecdotally proven over the years that it can aid the healing process.

Reflexology has migrated to America along with Acupuncture, Acupressure, Chiropractic treatment, bowel health, warmed stones, Shiatsu massage and other forms of good Eastern pathways to good health. Herbal supplements have nothing on some of these disciplines.

This is a book for beginners of this discipline. It has a lot more information than just “how to”, but those critical instructions are there.

I have been practicing this for a while as an amateur on my wife and myself. I had one little card in my wallet that showed me the regions of the foot that related to the different parts of the body. It’s one reason I was interested in this book.

I can find little to criticize about this book. From what I observed as I went through this book, it is complete and whole in and of itself. This is exactly the book I would write and there is little information that I would remove if I could. The ONLY criticism I have is that the information after the “how to” is geared toward someone setting up a practice in this field, which apparently is much easier than it was several years ago.

Going through the chapters: The first chapter discusses theory and history. It is always a good idea to give a person a basis to start from in this field. The second chapter is dedicated to how and what the regions of the foot relate to and where to rub to affect regions of the body. The third chapter is “how to” rub the feet, what kind of massages to use, which order to rub the feet in, and techniques that will affect a specific cure.

Chapter four is how to more in depth, how to be a clinician with regards to the treatments you need to practice, and special cases you have to pay attention to like pediatric treatments. Chapter five is more in depth exposition in the treatment of patients, and this is where it implies that you could set up a medical practice in this field. Chapter six is practical advice and more theory. Seven is case studies from other practitioners of Reflexology and how they did what they did. Chapters 8, 9 and 10 are dedicated to further study in preparing yourself for practical practice on others, like where disease comes from, how to meditate to clear your mind, and where reflexology is going now.

The appendixes take some of the information that was mentioned but not explored in depth, like core concepts of Buddhism and how that affects reflexology and the history of reflexology and gives more information on those topics only. I assume that the student can take these sections more slowly and delve into them as their interest is piqued.

The author does state multiple times that the person who reads this book does not have to create a medical practice if they choose not to do so. He makes sure that this concept is clear for the reader. Then throughout the text he speaks as though the reader was indeed going to begin a practice. I don’t understand why, but I can assume that it may be because practice on anyone but oneself is technically a practice. I could wish that one of the appendixes contained more detail on how to go about finding a suitable building, acquiring medical insurance as well as a certificate to practice legally, and some of the downfalls of doing so.

There should probably be a comprehensive chart of the feet and what areas correspond with which region of the body. It is covered in chapter 2, but it’s piecemeal. One page deals with just the reproductive areas, one page is just the digestive tract, and another page covers the heart/lungs. It would help to have all those merged into one page, clearly labeled and broken out. Even an advertisement in the back for a wall chart soon to come from Llewellyn would be helpful.

I have to give this book 4 1/2 stars out of 5. The parts I object to are minor, and this is one of those books that are a must have for anyone who is interested in this kind of medicine. I believe that this is a good book for a new person to start with, and I highly recommend it to all.

Originally posted 2009-11-15 17:29:27.

The Witches’ Almanac LTD., 2010 $11.95 US
ISBN 978-0-9824323-0-3

Review by Daven

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

I honestly thought this was a mistake when it was sent to me. I hadn’t requested this book, and I tend to avoid reviewing things like calendars and date books, since their usefulness is very limited. But I am glad to have the opportunity to review this book.

Like all almanacs that I have ever seen, this has a calendar in it. It has articles and also information on planting cycles. The required articles and mentions of astrology are also present. But as the title implies, this also is a book packed with information for Witches.

No, there are no recipes for making your own wormwood flying ointment, but there is an article on the use of Cauldrons in Celtic Myth. There is an article on the Mexican Day of the Dead. The Holidays for most Pagans are listed in the calendar accurately. There are moon phases in the calendar as well.

One thing that I noticed for this book, and it is the first time I have seen it, is that the calendar, instead of being broken down into January, February and such months on the Gregorian calendar, is instead broken into Zodiac Signs. So the “year” of the calendar starts with Capricorn, and then goes to Aquarius and on until the entire cycle has been covered, and then it continues for three more signs to give you time to pick up a new copy to continue the cycle.

There are full length articles in the front and back of this book, and there are little snippets of articles on the pages facing the month that you are dealing with. A glance at the calendar is enough to show you what the moon phase is, as it is printed graphically on the days it occurs. I was a bit confused by the days having the signs of the zodiac on them until I read the planting suggestions that are just before the section of the calendars. There it tells me that the zodiac names are qualities in effect as the Moon moves through the houses, and what you should be planting on those days.

ON the calendar pages are little snippets of information on the zodialogical attachment to what stone or metal. They call come from the “ABC of Magic Charms” and I’d bet you that it is another book published by this publisher.

I have to say that like most almanacs that I have read, I like this a lot. There is useful information in there instead of the information that I have to ignore because it’s not for me, like the times of tides and so on. The articles are informative (if in some cases short), but I did find myself reading those articles and learning something from them each time.

All in all, I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars. The reason it’s not higher is the limited usefulness that it will have after the Spring of 2012. But don’t let that stop you if you find a copy in a used book store, the facts contained in these articles won’t change, and it can be used for reference later.

Who knows, maybe next year’s edition will have the date of the End of the Fifth world in it.

Originally posted 2010-11-13 20:51:08.

by Janell Moon
Red Wheel/Weiser 2004 $24.95 US
ISBN 1-59003-058-3

Review by Daven

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

Apparently I’m now getting advanced copies of books that aren’t available for purchase yet. For example, “The Prayer Box” is due out in April of 2004, according to Amazon.com and is an interesting release.

It’s not a book that’s difficult to review, as there is not a whole lot of content. Let me give you my impressions in the order I experienced them.

When I opened the envelope, I instinctively questioned the appropriateness of the request for review. The title on the box suggested that it would make a better offering to a Christian someplace, as Pagans as a general rule aren’t into prayer. But I resolved to open it and give this a fair review.

I pulled out two books and a whole bunch of notepaper with a background feather imprinted on it. The feather matched the feather graphic on the box and books. I first looked in the actual prayer book. The second book is a prayer journal, and it’s blank. So, 100 sheets of blank paper, one book of blank paper, one book of information regarding the use of the blank paper, and a box made of paper. It’s an environmentalist’s nightmare.

I delved into the actual book of instruction on paper use. It is 85 pages of information on prayer. Stories about prayer, how other faiths pray, what prayer means to the author. She shares inspirational stories about her life as a child and those in her family who prayed. She talks about her desire to pray and how prayer changed her life.

There is information in this book about the technique you should use to make the best use of the prayer box. She suggests that you write your prayers down on the papers after writing thoughts out in the journal and isolating key elements of what is needed in your life based on what you just wrote. Depending on what you have written, you can burn the papers or put the prayers into the box and then putting the box on your altar.

All in all, it’s not a bad book in and of itself. Reading it is like reading a self-help book and there is good advice throughout. The stories are very good and uplifting. I think that this could have been done as a stand-alone book, instead of a boxed kit. This smacks too much of the “Teen Witch Kit” for my taste. Had this been published simply as a book, with suggestions for purchasing a journal and some stationary for the other needed components, I would rate this higher. As it is, you are paying nearly $25 for things that could be bought for $3 at a stationary store and the book to go with it.

I’m reluctantly giving this work 3 stars out of 5. This is ONLY because I think the book is worth it as a guide to meditation and as a starting point for your own growth in spirituality. I don’t think the papers and blank journal are worth this. I’d suggest that if you don’t have the money don’t worry about purchasing this particular volume. The book is well written and is a reasonably good addition to those libraries where massive spiritual change is needed.

Originally posted 2009-11-15 18:21:12.