A War of Witches

I'm going to start by saying, the library is a dangerous place to find New Age books. While having returned the previous book, I happened to find a new one. The book wasn't on my list at all, but I'm really glad I picked it up. In a weird sense, it was almost like the book found me, as it was perfect for what I needed. To my surprise, the book is another Nonfiction one. When I picked it up, I was quite sure it was Fiction, but it's actually a person's journey and studies while in San Martin. The author, Timothy Knab, at the time, was an anthropologist studying the ways of the Aztecs. The book, is a story of his own journey in discovering the way of the curanderos.

Book Link

A War of Witches starts as many personal journeys do, with overhearing something one was not meant to hear.  Timothy overhears one of the curanderos, healers, discussing ways to capture someones soul. The methods reveal that witchcraft is indeed real for the residents of San Martin. With curiosity, and a bit of reluctance, Timothy is soon introduced into this culture. He becomes an active participant in the ways of the curanderos. Each chapter reveals a part of this journey, often through interpreted dreams. What lies at the end of the journey isn't just the truth about San Martin's past, but Timothy's own future as one of the curanderos.

Perhaps one of the most intriguing parts of the book, is the character of Cruz. For Timothy, Cruz acts somewhat like a spirit guide. Cruz shows Timothy the paths through the Underworld. What makes this so fascinating, is the secrecy Cruz reveals. One never mentions the names of those seen in the Underworld, but Timothy can't help but want to learn more about him. Throughout the book, the more that is revealed about Cruz, the more we learn about the history and legacy of San Martin. I could not help but feel an affinity for Cruz myself, and often began asking the same questions throughout the book. All is revealed though, and yet there is still that sense of mystery.

From a Pagan perspective, this book is fascinating. The journey of the author is one, I feel, we all can relate to. Timothy went from skeptic, to a curandero, all within a rather short time frame. The book also reveals that witchcraft is not always good, but it is meant to be balanced. In fact, I think the book demonstrates a somewhat darker side to ancient witchcraft. This darker side isn't usually seen today, at least not by those that practice newer forms of witchcraft. What the book reveals though is intriguing, and something worth exploring. The book is easy to read, and quite impossible to put down right from the start. All in all, I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Exploring Celtic Druidism

My first book review isn't a book I thought I'd be reviewing at all. At first I was hesitant to even read the book. I'm glad I did though, as there's some interesting concepts within its pages. Just to give a little background, I've recently been exploring Celtic paths. This book was one of the first I picked up, and it was an alright place to start. What made me pick this book was the simple fact it involved Druidism, which I've wanted to study too. I thought I'd try an introduction to both concepts at once, and I wouldn't recommend it. Anyway, the book's official title is Exploring Celtic Druidism: Ancient Magick and Rituals for Personal Empowerment.

Book Link

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is the simplicity of the information. Having just started out, it was necessary to learn the differences between the Celts and the Druids. The introduction to the two was quite nice, and made me think about a few things. After that, the book goes into details at the heart of the Celtic Druid Traditions. The information ranges from a bit more complex to simple. All the basic information is there though, and I didn't feel in the least bit lost or overwhelmed. Once the information concluded however, there's a nice chapter about the future of Druidism. I found that chapter to be one of the most interesting, and I haven't seen too many books touch on such subjects.

Having said all that, I think this book would be one most would find helpful. The author does practice the Celtic Gwyddonic Druid Tradition though, which was confusing at first, as I practice solitary. The inclusion though of the initiation ritual was, I think, important to anyone on a Celtic path solitary or otherwise. Some of the information is centered however on that particular tradition, which was a little hard to get around. I didn't have any interest in that path, though I have been introduced to it on many levels outside of this book. In all, it's a good read. I would definitely recommend reading more books on the subject however, and taking what you like or don't like from it.  

The book has some nice resources however, and those can be invaluable. There's a good three pages of where the author got their information, and I intend on reading some of the books listed. There is also a glossary and index within the book. The glossary was a nice inclusion, as some of the terms may be new to many. A person who has been practicing for awhile shouldn't really need the glossary, but I admit I did use it a couple times myself. Overall, I would recommend going through the index, if anything is of interest the book is probably worth the reading, as its not too much to begin with.

Reading Challenge

This year is turning out to be full of surprises, and we're only the first week into it! I've recently started many blogs, which I had never really done previously. With that, comes my first introductions to blogging challenges. To my surprise, some of these challenges can go for an entire year at a time. As I'm not one for new year's resolutions, I decided this might be the perfect way to start. Since I've recently started the Pagan Blog Project, I thought I'd do the reading challenge as well. Doing both of these seems a little overwhelming, but they also seem to coincide with each other.

While I'd like to think I'll list every single book I read on this blog, that's probably not realistic. I'm trying to start a new path, or at least incorporate a new path into my own tradition. Because of this, many of the books I read I'll probably only partially read. I'm going to try and make and effort to read them cover to cover, but I'm going to set a basic goal. Sometimes I tend to forget why I start a project, and it becomes more of a task than something enjoyable. Because of that, I'm going to read both Fiction and Nonfiction. Both I find enjoyable to read, but I want to ensure that I remember the true meaning of why I'm starting this project. Hopefully, it'll be a wise choice to make either way.

With all that being said, here's a list (in order whatsoever) of what I hope to be reading this year.

Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge:

1. Celtic Myths and Legends
2. The Witching Hour
3. The Mists of Avalon
4. Hades' Daughter
5. Practical Magic
6. Till We Have Faces
7. Drawing Down the Moon
8. Celtic Wicca: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century
9. The Path of Druidry: Walking the Ancient Green Way
10. Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft
11. The Way of the Green Witch
12. Mrs. B's Guide to Household Witchery