The Metaphysical Studies Shelf
The Witches Almanac
Charles Christian
Visible Ink Press
43311 Joy Rd., #414, Canton, MI 48187-2075
www.visibleinkpress.com
9781578598137, $49.95, HC, 336pp
https://www.amazon.com/Witches-Almanac-Sorcerers-Ancient-Digital/dp/1578598= 133
Synopsis: For thousands of years in every corner of the globe there has bee=
n a fascination and a fear of people possibly wielding magical powers and a=
stigma surrounding practitioners of ancient rituals and practices. Yet, in=
the last 70 years, witchcraft, as well as Wicca, have gone from taboo and = suppressed beliefs pursued by a handful of eccentrics and misfits to major = global, spiritual movements.
With the publication of "The Witches Almanac: Sorcerers, Witches, and Magic=
from Ancient Rome to the Digital Age", Charles Christian introduces the hi= story, persecutions, conjurings, and magic of some of history's most conseq= uential witches, sorcerers, wizards, and mavericks.
These legendary figures range from Circe, Medea, Hermes Trismegistus, the C= haldean Magi, and other Ancient Roman and Classical Greek witches; to Merli=
n, Morgana le Fey, Nimue, the 10 Queens of Avalon, and sorcery and witchcra=
ft in the Arthurian legends; to San Cipriano (the obscure 4th century bisho=
p whose influence today still plays an important role in folk magic and Hoo= doo practices); Baba Yaga, Joan of Arc, Gilles de Rais, Alice Kyteller, Lor=
d Soulis, Michael Scott, the Golem of Prague, and medieval witchcraft; King=
Henry VI, Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII, Catherine de Medici, John Dee, Que=
en Elizabeth, and witchcraft in the British royal court; to Isobel Gowdie, = illusive Scottish witch whose voluntary confessions provided the template f=
or traditional witchcraft beliefs; to Isaac Newton, Friar Roger Bacon, Nich= olas Flamel, Paracelsus, Cornelius Agrippa, Robert Boyle, and other alchemi= sts.
Of special note are the informative entries for Aleister Crowley, W. B. Yea= ts, MacGregor Mathers, Eliphas Levi, the Golden Dawn, Thelema and ritual ma= gic, and the rise of esoteric movements of the 19th and early 20th centurie=
s -- and so many more in this new digital age of the 21st Century.
Critique: "The Witches Almanac: Sorcerers, Witches and Magic from Ancient R= ome to the Digital Age" provides a deeper, more sophisticated, and historic= ally accurate understanding of the obscure history of witches with this enc= hanting and bewitching tome! "The Witches Almanac" showcases rich metaphysi= cal histories and extraordinary biographies, plus it includes a helpful bib= liography, an extensive index, and numerous photos, adding to its usefulnes=
s. While a strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, communi= ty, and academic library Paganism, Wicca, and New Age Metaphysics collectio= ns, it should be noted for students, academia, Wiccans, and non-specialist = general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Witches Almanac: = Sorcerers, Witches and Magic from Ancient Rome to the Digital Age" is also = available in a paperback edition (9781578597604, $24.95) and in a digital b= ook format (Kindle, $11.99).
Editorial Note: Charles Christian (
https://www.coasttocoastam.com/guest/cha= rles-christian) is an English lawyer and a Reuters correspondent. writer, e= ditor, and tech journalist. Of special note is that an English newspaper on=
ce really did commission Charles to take part in a werewolf hunt on the nig=
ht of a full moon. Spoiler alert: he didn't find one. He currently resides =
in Waveney Valley, England.
Initiation into Dream Mysteries
Sarah Janes
Destiny Books
c/o Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www.innertraditions.com
9781644115145, $18.99, PB, 192pp
https://www.amazon.com/Initiation-into-Dream-Mysteries-Mnemosyne/dp/1644115= 14X
Synopsis: Invoking Mnemosyne (the Greek goddess of memory and eloquence, da= ughter of Heaven and Earth, mother of the Muses, and archetypal deity of th=
e Asklepion dream temple tradition), with the publication of "Initiation in=
to Dream Mysteries: Drinking from the Pool of Mnemosyne", Sarah Janes initi= ates you into full dream consciousness, offering a lucid-dreaming ritual ex= perience in the spirit of the Mystery Schools of antiquity.
Sharing her more than a decade of research on Sleep Temples and Mystery Sch= ools of the Esoteric Tradition, lucid-dreaming instructor Sarah explores th=
e evolution of imagination, memory, and consciousness throughout the ages a=
nd proposes that dreams have been fundamental in the creation and developme=
nt of culture. Dreams play an important role in ancestor worship, afterlife=
beliefs, animism, religion, and wisdom traditions.
Explaining how a conscious dream life is essential for self-discovery, deep=
integration, and healing, Sarah presents exercises, techniques, initiation=
s, and seven guided audio meditations to help you explore the inner depths =
of your psyche. Sarah reveals how dreams offer us an opportunity to remembe=
r and directly experience our divinity, to transcend the limitations of our=
mortality and enter timeless imaginal realms. These realms, accessible thr= ough dreams, can help you to form a better understanding of who you are.
Employing the power of story to affect the mind and lay down new neural pat= hways (as if one were really living the story) Sarah connects each initiato=
ry chapter with a psychodramatic narrative as well as a guided audio medita= tion. Using symbolism and powerful imagery, these stories, combined with he=
r meditations, help you generate the perfect dreams for each stage in the i= nitiation. And by becoming a better dreamer, you can make better, more awar=
e decisions in your waking life.
Critique: Offering a unique and inherently fascinating approach to self-tra= nsformation, "Initiation into Dream Mysteries: Drinking from the Pool of Mn= emosyne" also includes four pages of Meditations, five pages of Notes, a tw= elve page Bibliography, and a page Index. Exceptionally well written, organ= ized and presented, "Initiation into Dream Mysteries: Drinking from the Poo=
l of Mnemosyne" is highly recommended for personal, professional, community=
, and academic library Metaphysical Studies and Dream Studies/Interpretatio=
n collections. It should be noted that "Initiation into Dream Mysteries: Dr= inking from the Pool of Mnemosyne" is also available in a digital book form=
at (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Sarah Janes (
https://themysteries.org/about) has been an en= thusiastic lucid dreamer since childhood. Currently residing in Hastings, E= ngland, she is a writer, public speaker, and sleep hypnosis workshop facili= tator. She runs Explorers Egyptology, an online lecture series, and with Ca=
rl Hayden Smith operates the Seventh Ray, a mixed reality Mystery School. S=
he is also producer and co-host for the Anthony Peake Consciousness Hour po= dcast. Sarah is currently working with Dr. Mervat Nasser at New Hermopolis =
in Egypt and with Rupert Sheldrake and the British Pilgrimage Trust to rein= vigorate the practice of dream incubation at sacred sites.
Mastering Magick
Mat Auryn
Llewellyn Publications
2143 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
www.llewellyn.com
9780738766041, $18.99, PB, 296pp
https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Magick-Course-Spellcasting-Psychic/dp/0738= 766046
Synopsis: With the publication of "Mastering Magick: A Course in Spellcasti=
ng for the Psychic Witch", Mat Auryn shows how to boost your psychic abilit=
y and incorporate the greater mysteries of magick into your practice.
A companion to the Auryn's "Psychic Witch", this edition "Mastering Magick"=
from Llewellyn Publications, is groundbreaking study that features more th=
an sixty spells and is the first of its kind to focus on casting magick to = bridge the divide between the seen and unseen worlds.
"Masterng Magick" also teaches how to enchant yourself as a powerful psychi=
c witch by connecting with the witch's tools, the elements, the moon, the s= easons, and the planets. You'll learn the mechanics of spell work and how t=
o make your magick as effective as possible.
In addition to Mat's own tried-and-true castings, "Mastering Magick" featur=
es more than a dozen spells from well-known witches and practitioners, incl= uding Christopher Penczak, Judika Illes, Juliet Diaz, Storm Faerywolf, Laur=
a Tempest Zakroff, Devin Hunter, Madame Pamita, and others.
Critique: Inherently fascinating, impressively informative, expertly writte=
n, organized, and presented, "Mastering Magick: A Course in Spellcasting fo=
r the Psychic Witch" is especially commended to the attention of the novice=
magick user and has a great deal of value for even the more experienced sp= ell caster. While highly recommended for personal, professional, community,=
and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted = for personal reading lists that "Mastering Magick" is also readily availabl=
e in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).
Editorial Note: Mat Auryn (
https://auryn.net/about) is a witch, professiona=
l psychic, and occult teacher. He is also the multi-award-winning author of=
"Psychic Witch" and a High Priest in the Sacred Fires Tradition of Witchcr= aft. He runs the blog For Puck's Sake on Patheos Pagan, is a teacher at Mod= ern Witch University, and has a column in Witches & Pagans magazine entitle=
d "Extra-Sensory Witchcraft." He has been featured in various magazines, ra= dio shows, podcasts, books, anthologies, and other periodicals. He can be f= ollowed on Instagram @matauryn
Extraterrestrial Alien Visitations and Other Unworldly Phenomena
Thomas Sawyer
Living History Publishing House
9781732737198, $11.11
https://www.amazon.com/EXTRATERRESTRIAL-ALIEN-VISITATIONS-UNWORLDLY-PHENOME= NA/dp/173273719 3
Thomas Sawyer began investigating aliens in the 1950s when, after doing a t= wo-year stint in the military in the UK, he returned to school at UC Berkel= ey; there to experience a late-night encounter at a diner. Thus began his b= elief in alien visitations and the decades-long research that would expand = concepts of alien visitations and clarify otherwise-inexplicable phenomena.
In Extraterrestrial Alien Visitations And Other Unworldly Phenomena, Sawyer=
explains the feeling that he was being contacted by these aliens, visiting=
Berkeley's "Observatory Hill" at a little past midnight to follow a compul= sion that led to further communiques. As he discovers that his friend Frank=
and others have had similar experiences, his worldview expands about the r= ealities of aliens and their influence on human affairs -- represented here=
in a discussion of phenomena that broadens to embrace the notion of a guar= dian angel and other influences on the course of his life.
Sawyer blends autobiography with these close encounters, juxtaposing foreig=
n posting experiences with incidents of "unexpected happenings." This is no=
t what one might expect from a military man's life, and provides a satisfyi=
ng contrast in experience from those who adopt more staid approaches to UFO=
s and life experiences.
Throughout his domestic and foreign military assignments, Sawyer explored m= ilitary and civilian experiences. Given the latest news about military docu= mentation of UFO experiences, those who question some of the conclusions wi=
ll find this military man's experiences especially enlightening, and much m= ore thought-provoking than "official" studies. Speaking of this, it should =
be noted that, stylistically, Sawyer employs quote marks liberally, and wit=
h words readers might not ordinarily associate with needing such punctuatio=
n: "My wife and I soon relocated to the "West Coast". (Our "relocation" had=
nothing to do with the "Death Threats," but rather with a preferred "chang=
e of scenery" and "lifestyle.") We subsequently retired in the "Southwester=
n Region" of the United States." While this often gives pause for thought, = the meat of the book (a CIA agent's close encounters with alien thoughts an=
d guidance) provides a satisfying alternative to the typical military take =
on UFOs, aliens, and extraordinary phenomenon.
The otherworldly encounters that result in Sawyer's revised mindset about t=
he world will appeal to readers of extraterrestrial events, who will find t=
he combination of a CIA agent's experiences and a memoir about his life to =
be engaging on many levels. Readers of extraterrestrial nonfiction will fin=
d much to like in this survey of close encounters that shows how otherworld=
ly encounters have been documented, but continue to stymie logical investig= ative processes.
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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