#witch book

[amandacanwrite]

Amanda Cessor • A Writeblr Intro

Hey everyone! I'm Amanda Cessor and I write historical fantasy and romance. I have words published in Merciless Mermaids (An Anthology,) Full Mood Mag, and I have my first novel coming out with Inked in Gray Press.

I'll be posting tips, essays, creative nonfiction and excerpts from my work here, as well as documenting the process of publishing my first book with a small, independent press. I hope we can be friends!

The Novel is called "With Love, Juniper" and the little elevator pitch is: Herbalist and witch Juniper, who suffers from severe social phobia, finds herself caught between the courtships of her oldest friend, Oleander, and handsome, influential stranger, Theo, while trying to deal with the expectations of her parents and the members of the small village she lives in.

I have entirely too many projects I'm currently working on, behold:

A Dawn Without Ashes -- Vampire Romance, Stand Alone (for now?)

Projected Word Count -- 100k

Setting

Fantasy Anachronistic 1920's vibes, in a land where Vampires rule and humans are seen as little more than a food source.

Synopsis

In Oubliette, Vampires rule from the shadows. Humans are considered pests at their worst, beloved pets at best. Orianna is the lowest of the low, an impoverished thief awaiting her sentencing after stealing coins to buy some food. When the charming Count Diable hand picks her as a commodity for his blood-brothel, she worries she has jumped out of the frying pan and straight into the fire.  

She has no idea how true that really is until she meets Atlas, Count of House Lune, darling of the Empress and and keeper of a secret that could change everything. Not only for her,  but for all of human kind.  

Of Foxes and Follies -- Fae Meets Peaky Blinders -- Trilogy

Projected Word Count -- 100k

Setting

Fictional version of Scotland, which I like to call Not!land and actually called Dimloch, around the 1910's or 1920's.

Synopsis

Rheannon Todd has a debt to pay. A debt she plans to pay by stealing from drunken guests at a Midsummer Soiree hosted by the notorious gangster known as The Magpie.

What she doesn't know is that The Magpie is more than just a charming card sharp with a penchant for cruelty. He's a member of the Unseelie Court and he doesn't much like being stolen from.

The Hallowed Wilds -- Serial on Hiatus -- Grounded Romantasy

Setting

Pseudo Appalachian small town in the 1840's.

Synopsis

Ezra lives near a mysterious forest called The Wilds. People who go in there tend to not come out, but even as a boy he feels drawn to the strange place. One day, when his parents are out, he sneaks into The Wilds and meets Aurelia, a strange, beautiful witch who has lived in the forest since she was born.

What starts as a beloved childhood friendship develops into a star crossed love over the years. The fear in the village and the brutality of the witches in the forest threaten to tear them apart.

Currently on Hiatus, but you can read about 60k of it here!

Red Skies -- Standalone Novel -- Pirate Romantasy

Projected Word Count -- 100k

Setting

Psuedo Imperial open world around the 18th Century.

Synopsis

Cordelia Shurka will do anything to provide for her family. She's worked herself to the bone since she was a child to keep the house afloat after her father vanished from their lives. When things get too hard, though, she seeks to raise her station by marrying herself to the viceroy. It seems an easy trade, her utter devotion and obedience in exchange for finally having the security she so desperately wants.

On her wedding day, the thinks she's finally out of the woods. That is until handsome pirate, Edric Davenport steals her for himself.

Want Updates?

If you happen to be interested in getting updates on any of these projects, you can join my tag list here!

#writeblr #creative writing #writers #novel writing #authors #book quotes #writers on tumblr #writing community #writing #writers of tumblr #writers community #writeblr intro #my writing #pirate book #red skies #vampire book #a dawn without ashes #The Hallowed Wilds #Witch Book #Fae Book #Of Foxes and Follies

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

December Prep 4

Alright so for this week's prep post, we're gonna rest! Today is a holiday after all, even if we don't personally celebrate this one.

Before the challenge officially begins next month, let's get a few topics of study prepared. In order to keep things flowing, for myself and my studies, I try to plan ahead. I once spent an entire summer developing my own herbal grimoire, and was more or less successful with that endeavor by focusing on a few herbs at a time, rather than to just dive in and go back and forth between a bunch of different ones.

So!

For our first few study prompts, let's pick a few topics to focus on.

So for one of our study prompts we'll be researching herbs and gems! And we'll have about one of each of those prompts a week, so lets make a list. Pick 52 hebs and 52 gems! Put them on a list and every week when we have these prompts come up, pick one of each off your list to study~

Along with that list, make a list of different magic ideas you'd like to study. Types of magic, like divination, hexes, banishing, binding and so on, that you'd like to study in the challenge. Each week we'll pick one off this list as well! I've found that lists like this help keep me organized and motivated as it is a way to view your progress as you check things off.

For the more introspective prompts, it is obviously about looking within and examining our own beliefs. As with the herbs and gems and whatnot, it’s about the “why” behind the “what, where and how”.

It is important to understand why we believe what we believe and the general details, if not the deeper details, of those beliefs. That understand can help to solidify one’s foundations and help us to grow and deepen as practitioners and as people.

Now, the important part this week, is rest! Going into any form of study tired isn't good for the brain or the project itself. So rest up, and we'll dive in once the week is over and the new month officially begins!

This challenge will not only be a place for us to find study prompts, but to interact and share ideas and knowledge! Along with the photo submissions, I leave the asks open to anyone willing to share thoughts, ideas, resources and feedback for the challenge!

Thank you all! Have a wonderful holiday season and I can't wait to see you next week for the official start of the 2024 Grimoire Challenge!

M.G.

The Hazel Druid

#witchcraft #grimoire #witchblr #occultism #paganism #pagans of tumblr #witchcore #dark academia #witch stuff #grimoire challenge #2024 grimoire challenge #2024 gc #book of shadows #witch #witchy #witch challenge #witch book #grimoire stuff #grimoire inspiration #grimspo #grimspiration

[cardicoven]

🥀Book Review: Persephone's Pathway: Wisdom, Magick & Growth by Jennifer Heather

Full Title: Persephone's Pathway: Wisdom, Magick, Growth Author: Jennifer Heather Published by: Heather Publishing (seemingly self published) 2020 Good Reads: Link My Quick Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) stars. Persephone’s Pathway which while flawed and at times meandering is perhaps the best resource available for the modern pagan worshipping or working with Persephone and I wholly recommend it. Official Blurb: Persephone's Pathway is one of balance and duality; embrace the dual goddess archetype of Underworld Queen and Spring Maiden in order to achieve harmony. This book shares the wisdom of Persephone, along with spells and rituals to help you in your daily life. Shadow work exercises encourage you to work with the Underworld aspect of the Dark Goddess, whilst flower magick celebrates the joy and gentleness of the Spring Goddess. Blend the dark and light aspects together to experience how they shine a light on each other in this celebration of wholeness and authenticity. Personal Reason for Purchasing: Was looking for a pagan/witchy perspective on Persephone and stubbled across this one. (Bought from Amazon UK)

Overview of the book's contents. Introduction: A solid introduction, focusing on what the purpose of this book will be, and the author’s goals in writing it, namely ‘an exploration of the mythology and Symbolism surrounding Persephone, along with chapters dedicated to a facet of what she can teach us’, ‘both a collection of information and tribute to her’. Chapter 1: 'Who is Persephone': Introduction to Persephone, her role, dual nature, The Eleusinian mysteries, possible connections to Erishkegal (a mesopotamia goddess originating 4000 BC), and of course the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Chapter 2: 'Historic Origins': An exploration of the genesis of Persephone in Mythology, through to the Evolution of her story in present day literature. (A personal highlight). Chapter 3: 'A Myth Retold': A modern retelling of the hymn to Demeter by the author. Chapter 4: 'Symbolism': An exploration of the artefacts associated with Persephone, both modern and ancient, the creation of a unique glyph/sigil for Persephone and an extensive and detailed discussion of association/correspondences, some ancient, some contemporary and lastly her common epithets. Chapter 5: 'Creating an Altar': A collection of suggestions and guidelines on creating your own altar for Persephone and common offerings to gift the Goddess. Chapter 6: 'Persephone Magick: Begins with a basic beginners to magickal practice, followed by a recipe for a Persephone Anointing oils, a guide to connecting to Persephone, an innovation and an adaption of the Orphic Hymn to Proserpina.

The Seeds of Persephone A collection of chapters surrounding what the Author considers to be the six core aspects/values which Persephone embodies. Seed 1: 'Union': Focuses on Shadow-work, divine alignment for body and Spirit union, and includes a spell for Spiritual union of lovers, guidance surrounding meditation, shadow-work rituals, and a recipe for a love attraction oil. Seed 2: 'Balance': Begins with a discussion of how to, and the importance of maintaining balance in one’s life, including a meandering discussion of grounding, living with the seasons, incorporating nature into your life, meditation, seasonal altars, self-care, massage, and yoga. Lastly it includes recipes for a Persephone Beauty Elixer’ cream/lotion, a medicinal tonic, a spell for resolution, and a spell for making a decision. Seed 3: 'Intuition': Looks at ways to develop one’s intuition, including an outline for a Persephone focused Lithomancy technique (10 planetary stones, 6 Persephone stones (named for each of the author’s ‘Seeds’: Fertility, Justice, Balance, Union, Sovereignty and Intuition), three tarot spreads and the script for a guided meditation. Seed 4: 'Sovereignty': Is a discussion of [personal Sovereignty, and self-esteem, with journal prompts. Guidance on enchanting a power talisman, and a spell for protecting personal boundaries. Seed 5: 'Justice': Focuses heavily on Persephone in her Queen of the Underworld Aspect, touching on several myths in which she acted as a Purveyor of justice, (Orpheus and Psyche, and a discussion on Trust in regards to the Goddess. Followed by Several spells for truth telling, reflection on behaviour and fair resolutions. Seed 6: 'Fertility': Focuses on Persephone's Spring/Maiden Aspect. Followed by a discussion of Maiden goddesses, Flower Magick, creating Floral elixirs, cleansing sprays, a flower bathing ritual, and spell jars/Witch’s bottles. Followed by the Associations/correspondences and finally a script of a guided meditation, to meet Persephone in her Spring Aspect. Appendix: The Orphic hymn to Proserpina, translated by Taylor Thomas 1792.

Personal Thoughts and Review. I’m conflicted about this book. The first half is an excellent primer on Persephone and including her into one’s personal practice however, the second half the ‘Seeds of Persephone’ are at times Meandering, unfocused and clumsy, but there are jewels among the ramblings.

The book appears to be self published, so I’m inclined to be kinder to the Author than I would otherwise be; however, Persephone’s Pathway could really use reformatting (text justified etc), and would benefit immensely from an informed and passionate editor. Nevertheless this book is an excellent edition to the libraries of those of us who work with Persephone.

Aspects in detail. General content: The first half goes over a lot of content around Persephone, in some detail and is appropriately referenced through allowing the reader to research further. The Second half (the Seeds) is a mixed bag and approaches certain subjects extremely casually, namely Shadow-work and herbal medicine. Persephone’s correspondences: Primarily contained to Chapter 4, the Correspondences are in depth, reference and diverse. However, there are inaccuracies, the most obvious is a mention of Corn/Maize being cut as a part of the Eleusinian Mysteries. As a New World crop Corn was not in ancient Greece at the time and as such has no historical connection to the Mysteries. From my own understanding the crop cut during the Mysteries was likely Barley, a grain though to have great significance to the Eleusinian Mysteries as a part of the hallucinogenic cocktail thought to be drunk by initiates, barley is also part of the offering given by Oddyseus to summon Persephone (“first with milk and honey, then with sweet wine, then with water; and sprinkle white barley-meal above”). Rituals and Spells: It’s Always interesting to see another practitioner's approach, and covering a very broad scope although, I wish they were indexed since they appear throughout the book. Origin Myth retelling: An interesting retelling, possibly my favourite version, however it is not without flaws. Guided Meditations: Enjoyable and Interesting, these scripts approach many aspects of Persephone’s Mythos. Journaling Prompts: These appear seemingly at random in the latter half of the book, but are nevertheless thought provoking. Recommended Reading: While good to see, it is worthy of note that none of these books reference Persephone, Hellenic Polytheism, or Shadow-work. Which are the topics I would like to see additional material given some of my concerns with the book itself. Bibliography: Extensive and good practice.

The Seeds in Detail. Given their significance to the book I’ll review these chapters separately: Union: a clumsy chapter whose advice on Shadow-work is surface level and possibly dangerous for a beginner or someone who is mentally vulnerable. But this chapter does handle the topic of Love workings with the required levity. Balance: Waffling and honestly feels like filler, of the seeds this one is disappointing and feels like lost potential. Intuition: a major highlight of the book, a detailed exploration of Lithomancy, well written and thought provoking. Sovereignty: A good chapter, if a little long winded. Justice: Spectacular, discussion of Queen Persephone and of how to connect to the Underworld Aspect. A personal highlight. Fertility: An excellent close to the book but desperately needs reformatting.

Final Thoughts. I wholly recommend this book especially as a gateway into working with or worshipping Persephone. Despite its flaws, it is the best resource I’ve found on Persephone from a pagan/witch perspective, and my practice is better for reading it.

#🥀Book Review #book review #persephone #persephone worship #persephone deity #persephone goddess #persephone devotee #persephone devotion #paganblr #paganism #pagan witch #hellenic pagan #hellenic books #hellenic gods #pagan books #witchblr #witchcraft #witch book #spirituality #shadow work #greek mythology #mythology #gay witch #gay pagan

[hiswitchcraft]

My mom got me this for the holidays and I live near the city cemetery so y’all are never gonna hear the end of it when it comes to this book 😌

#understanding cemetery symbols #cemetery #cemeteries #witchblr #witchy #graveyard #cemetery book #witch book #witchcraft book #spirit work #cemetery magic #graveyard magic

[apolline-lucy]

thanks for the tag @illarian-rambling ✨

OC in 3

introducing Brume from my witchy wip~

Brume is a necromancer—a death witch, except she doesn’t know it. All her life she’s been thinking she had no talent but seeing dead cats, and making moss and mushrooms kill themselves at her feet. She thought she would spend the rest of her days baking pastries against broken hearts and nightmares in her parent’s magical bakery. That is until a curse hits her town and forces her to make an alliance with a witch who’s half-demon. With her best friend, the bone witch Luonto, they adventure the swampland and demonic orchards, pushing the limits of her magic to places she never knew existed. Suddenly she sees ghosts and leaves death in her tracks. Will she be able to break the curse of Misttown, or will she be the reason for its destruction? Will the love of a demon be her doom, or her salvation?

I’ll tag @words-after-midnight @sarahlizziewrites @caspia-writes @caspersgraveyard @jmhwritesstuff @angelltheninth @randomwriter23 @cssnder & everyone else who’d like to do it!

#I’m so excited for this wip!! #please show some love #I think it’s the first time I share the plot #I’m sorry what was supposed to be an of introduction turned into a plot summary #an OC introduction* #osag #fsg #writeblr #mine #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #indie book #indie author #authors supporting authors #writers supporting writers #writer support #my wip #oc in 3 #tag game #writing game #tags #sapphic #sapphic romance #sapphic books #Wlw books #queer books #sapphism #witchy #witches #witch book

[thelilywytch]

"Protection and Reversal Magick - a Witch's Defense Manual"

By Jason Miller

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Whole heartedly recommend new and seasoned witch's to read this book.

For those who are already within their craft and have their own defenses, this is a great book to help you remember the fundamentals on how and why protection is casted within a space.

Jason Miller is able to break down and gives an easy understanding of the different ways that magick attacks can manifest and how you can begin to recognize and defend against them.

The reversals are punchy and well thought out.

He does venerate Mistress Hekate, so her name and magick are very heavy within the book.

This is not a book to use to begin working with Hekate, however it does give some great magick that can be used with her.

The tools and ingredients used are minimal, mainly calling upon the quarters or a different source to outlet the energy. You are mostly calling upon spirit. Which, again, awesome for those who dont have many tools or those who aren't able to acquire much or who have began their craft.

Overall, this is a great read!

#witch #witchcraft #books #protection #witch book #book review #witch book review

[debora-goth]

#witch #witch books #witch book #bad witch #good witch #witchcraft #love spell #spell #spells #witch spell

[jennablackmorebooks]

The Curse Of Rhiannon was first released five years ago today, on the 23rd of October, 2018!

#The Curse Of Rhiannon #books #book #bookblr #booklr #writing #writers on tumblr #writeblr #novel #five years #fantasy #fantasy adventure #witch book #booklooks #book photography

[redvampirerose]

Art by  Pauline Voß

#witchcraft #witch ritual #witch book #Spell Book #witch stuff #witch spell #witch magic #black magic #witch world #witches #witch #witch art

[thehazeldruid]

Also! I’m getting started on the 2024 Grimoire Challenge blog this weekend! I’ll be pulling inspiration from the other two that I ran and adding in even more stuff to these. If anyone has suggestions for links or books I can add to the page as a resource guide for studying, feel free to message them to me here!!

#2024 grimoire challenge #grimoire challenge #grimoire #grimoire stuff #witch #witchcraft #pagan #paganism #witchy #witchy stuff #witch book #book of shadows

[newkidonthebook]

This book was written a while ago but when I picked it up in the library it seemed like so much fun I had to give it a shot! And I'm happy I did, because I love it 😊! Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ I highly recommend it if you like cottagecore magical witchy themes 🌿✨🌸 My full review and suggestions for similar books are here 💫 Here's a snippet below the cut ⬇ !

Wade into the magical bogs of the Bottomlands where curses and mysteries abound in The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle!

Prunella Bogthistle comes from a long line of bog-witches living in the magical Bottomlands. She desperately wants to be good at magic like the rest of her family but a failed curse ends up letting a young robber, Barnaby, escape from her grandmother’s enchanted garden. Exiled to the blighted Uplands, Prunella teams up with Barnaby to seek out the evil Lord Blackthorn, enemy of the bog-witches and thief of the Uplanders’ Mirable Chalice. Prunella has to use all her magical skills and Barnaby has to rely on his quick wits to counter the dangers on the way!

The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle presents an incredibly rich world, where strange creatures roam and traces of magic lie everywhere. I loved reading about the history of the Bottomlands and Uplands and finding out about the bog witches and their books of spells. Prunella and Barnaby’s quest ...

Read the rest here! 💫

#the world-building was just so intricate and everything was full of magic ✨! #book review #book photography #book aesthetic #bookblr #booklr #book community #book blog #book cover #childrens illustration #childrens book #middle grade book #mg lit #books and reading #book recommendations #book tumblr #cottagecore #witch #fantasy book #witch book

[amandacanwrite]

Little Witch ☽ The Hallowed Wilds ☾ Chapter One

POV ;; Aurelia ☽ 10 y.o.

Summary ;; Aurelia enjoys the typical day of a young witch protected by the Hallowed Wilds, drawn to the border of the forest where she meets an unexpected friend.

Warnings ;; mention of moths, other insects.

Author Note ;; Hello there! This is the first chapter of my original story called The Hallowed Wilds. It's a star-crossed romance infused with southern gothic horror elements. I'll be posting one chapter per week going forward. I already have 27 chapters written, and I'm hoping by the time I'm running out of chapters I'll be back to writing it again and nearly finished drafting it in totality. If you're interested in joining the taglist for this story, you can find the link for the sign up all the way at the bottom of the post. Last thing: I am someone who doesn't get triggered by much, but it's very important to me that anyone who reads my work doesn't become inadvertently triggered because of my writing. While these early chapters are quite light, this story does get dark at times. If you ever notice something I should have issued a content or trigger warning for, please reach out to me so that I can properly apologize to you and add the warning to the list. That all said, let's hop in!!

The wilds spoke to those that could hear it. Those whose ears were kissed by mother Eterna before their bodies took shape in the womb. She didn’t kiss just any soul, though. No, there was a payment to be exchanged and worth to be proven.

The Priestess had taught this to me since I could remember. This is how my coven lived. We served Mother Eterna, and in exchange, The Hallowed Wilds protected us.

Every day for the ten years I’d lived, I woke up, thanked Eterna for another day and set to work. The work was unique each day because The Priestess encouraged us all to listen to where The Wilds told us to go, for The Wilds had a will of its own and a plan for us.

On this day, The Wilds coaxed me to the River of Rye that separated our home from the village where the Deafened lived. I had no inkling what I would do when I got there, but I was certain that my task would become clear once I arrived, or maybe even somewhere along the way. That’s how it always worked. It was just my job to be quiet and listen for a whisper or wait for a gentle tug.

I dressed for the day in linen as white as starlight, and brushed through my hair with a comb carved from a deer’s antler, given freely by the stag for our needs, as all things were for us in the forest. I slipped on a light cloak made of moth’s silk and made my way out into the day.

“Aurelia, merry meet,” one of my sisters said to me.

I smiled as I passed her, turning to walk backwards so that I could see her as I made my way into the forests. The earth tingled against the soles of my bare feet, bringing with it a feeling of familiar comfort.

“Good morning, Cressida,” I said.

She was preparing more moth cocoons for spinning, it seemed. I wondered if her fingers tingled when she woke this morning, the way mine once had when I learned I was unsuited for the delicate work. “I’m excited to see what you do with the new silk sister.”

“And I’m eager to hear stories of your adventures when you return today,” she called back as disappeared into the trees, leaving the clearing and the rest of the coven behind.

I couldn’t see the River of Rye from where I stood, but I felt a golden thread tug me ever toward it. That thread reeled me in from the center of my chest. It wasn’t far from the clearing—maybe two or three miles—I could run the entire way if I wanted to.

I decided I did want to, in fact.

Somehow, the air in our ever-unchanging forest was different today. It sparkled and fizzled in an unfamiliar way. The sun shone through the boughs of the trees and cast new colors on the ground; rose and orange where there were typically shades of yellow and green. I set into a sprint, my hair flying behind me like the mane of a spirited mare.

Those new colors streaked together as I ran, turning into smears and smudges that hinted at shapes. It reminded me of Ophelia painting our huts with her beautiful, messy fingers—how the pigments came together to form images of flowers and the moon and the night sky.

This was my home, and I loved it as much as it loved me. I cradled it in my heart, as it had always cradled me. It was an even, happy exchange of energy between us—always given freely. Always.

My feet were wet and dirty when I finally made it to the River of Rye. Squirrels and bugs dances around my ankles, having joined me on my journey somewhere along the way. I stopped just at the opening into the wide-open space of that golden river and looked out at the village where The Deafened lived.

Winter had covered their roofs in thick blankets of snow. The world was so quiet with it — the sheets of ice absorbing most sounds that came from the village.

After a lifetime of spring, I wondered what the winter felt like. The Priestess said it was bitterly cold and brought death on its breath that choked the life out of the earth, but as I stared across the expanse of golden swaying rye, I wondered if there was more to it than that.

Surely a season that looked so beautiful and serene couldn’t be so awful. And with the winter brought times of generosity, even in The Wilds. We gave gifts at solstice and spread blessings even to the Deafened in exchange for the strange tools they would leave at the edge of the forest for us.

I wanted to touch that ice that fell in flurries from the sky, leave my hand print in it, and watch as more flurries filled in that imprint. The way snow erased any evidence that someone had passed through was fascinating to me. Tracks could be left in the mud of the forests—sometimes they would be there so long they would be preserved in stone. Snow was different—ever changing, ever making something new.

I thought perhaps that was my task today—experiencing the snow. But I didn’t feel the tug of that thread through the center of my heart as I stood there thinking about snow. No, it seemed I had made it to my destination for the day.

There was a strange cleaving—I couldn’t decide if I heard it or if I felt it. But with that cleaving came a powerful gust of wind that swirled my hair and bit at my nose and cheeks like needles. I’d never felt cold like that before. It stung and I could feel blood riding to my face to compensate for it.

I winced and backed away from the tree line, gently warming my face with my hands. That golden thread pulled me again, this time to the west.

I walked for a time, following the flow of the golden river, stepping over stones and twigs. My feet were silent as sleep as I walked. The Wilds told me to sneak—told me to hide. I wondered what manner of beast or creature I would encounter. I wondered what I would need to do. Wondered if I’d need to help them.

And then he was there, just beyond the massive trunk of an old oak tree.

I hid behind that tree as he spun slowly in place, staring up at the tree canopies that cast the ground in dappled light.

I had never seen a boy before.

I knew I should run away and tell The Priestess. She always told us that the Deafened were dangerous, especially the boys. But…

But he looked so enamored with The Wilds.

It filled me with a strange vicarious happiness to see him take in the forest—see the entrance to what I called my home. An unbidden smile curved my lips as he heaved an awed breath.

With his back to me, he took off his heavy coat with all those tedious buttons, and then took off his scarf. The Wilds were in a perpetual state of spring thanks to Mother Eterna, whose fertility never ebbed. The boy dressed for his village’s winter and must have gotten warm in the vernal heat of the forest.

He wore a billed cap on his head and hair the color of damp tree bark poked out at interesting angles. Flipping at the bill, dusting his nape and his ears. It looked so soft—like a rabbit’s fur or a squirrel’s tail. I wanted to touch it.

That desire drew me out of my hiding place, that golden thread tugging me closer, reeling me in and in and in. I could almost see it glittering in that small distance between us. I took a step toward him, then another, reaching out for him.

And then he turned and saw me.

We froze at the same time.

We were silent for a long time while our eyes devoured unfamiliar sights on each other. I traced constellations in the smattering of freckles on his tanned nose. His blue eyes flicked to my white hair, to my eyes and then to my linen dress. He flushed scarlet and looked pointedly away, seemingly put off or embarrassed by something.

When he broke his gaze he also broke the spell holding me there. After feeling frozen, I remembered who I was and what I was doing.

I turned and ran.

☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾

Join the Taglist Here.

#the hallowed wilds #witch book #halloween writing #writing community #writers on tumblr #my writing #authors #romantasy #book quotes #historical fantasy #southern horrror #gothic horror #1840's #appalachain gothic

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

Here's some pages from my Grimoire. It's a constant work in progress and is always changing and being added to. The style I use is a very very scrapbookish.

If anyone feels like sharing their designs during the year, submissions will be open!

#grimoire #my grimoire #grimoire challenge #2024 grimoire challenge #witch #witchcraft #pagan #paganism #witchy #witch book

[firewithinthewitch]

A Witchy Read: Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn

I loved this book!! It relates to our world today, and preaches that anyone can be psychic! You don’t have to be born that way. We all have the natural ability somewhere inside, waiting to be nourished. I really liked the exercises throughout the book- the first one was harder than I realized it would be but worth it to finally figure out! There are also moments where you’re encouraged to journal and keep track of your experiences now, so you can look back on yourself years from now and see how you’ve grown.

However, I wouldn’t recommend reading this when you have a lot of other things going on in your life, some of the exercises were hard for me to cram into my college life- I didn’t expect to be so involved in this! I wish I would’ve purchased it over the summer when I really only had work to worry about and not any school. This book is too wonderful to be a “cramming in” thing!

Overall, I recommend this to any witches new or old, who are always looking for new knowledge and insight into their craft.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#witch #witchcraft #witchy reads #witchy things #witchy #witch book #witch books #witchy book #psychic witch #psychic #magic #reading

[cardicoven]

🥀Book Review: Pagan Portals: Persephone by Robin Corak

Full Title: Pagan Portals: Persephone, Practicing the Art of Personal Power. Author: Robin Corak Published by: Moon Books (John Hunt Publishing) 2020 Good Reads: Link

My Quick Review: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) stars. A good Persephone themed self-help book, touching on shadow work, Persephone's Mythos and with some interesting resources. I recommend it but not enthusiastically.

Official Blurb: Embark upon a powerful journey with Persephone, queen of the Underworld and Goddess of Spring, as she helps you discover your personal power and take control of your life. Personal Reason for Purchasing: I was familiar with several other Books in the Pagan Portals and bought this one hoping for a primer on Persephone's Mythology and modern pagan practice. (Bought from Amazon UK).

Overview of the book's contents. Introduction: An Introduction to the Author, their Personal Practice and their Experience Working with/Learning from Persephone. Chapter 1: 'From Helpless child to Powerful Woman'. A basic but welcome introduction to the core Myths of Persephone, The Homeric Hymn to Demeter, and a Personal retelling by the Author of the Abduction of Persephone by Hades, told from Persephone's Perspective and with a core theme of empowerment, self-determination/personal sovereignty. Includes journaling prompts. Chapter 2: 'The Eleusinian Mysteries'. An Overview of the Eleusinian Mysteries with discussion surrounding what they may have entailed and the possible lessons/take-aways initiates would have received. Includes journaling prompts. Chapter 3: 'Descent and Ascent'. Primarily a self-help section, discussing Persephone's personal ascent and descent into the Underworld and her growth from it. followed by an exploration of how such an ascent and descent into the shadow self might promote growth in the reader. Including the script for a guided meditation and journaling prompts. . Chapter 4: 'Persephone as a Psychopomp'. An Exploration of Persephone as a Psychopomp (defined as 'a guide with the realm of souls'), touches on the idea of Persephone as a Triple Goddess, with a description of the Nekromanteion. Followed by a discussion of how to access ancestral wisdom, the wisdom of ones own subconscious. Including the script for a guided meditation and journaling prompts. . Chapter 5: 'Persephone and the Art of Discernment'. Focusing on discernment (defined as 'acute judgement and understanding'), with suggestions on how to develop this skill. Includes several divination/discernment techniques using bay leaves. Includes journaling prompts. Chapter 6: 'Rituals for Persephone'. Includes rituals from the dark and light half of the year (one ritual for each) and the script for a guided meditation with the aim of building personal sovereignty and highlights themes discussed in previous chapters. Chapter 7: 'Forging the Path: Additional Methods for Connecting with Persephone'. Begins with an extensive list of correspondences, several chants/invocations, recipes for a Persephone Incense/Bath Tea and an anointing oil, with some discussion of the ingredients' significance. Followed by an explanation for a unique Divination style using Lithomancy dedicated to Persephone known as 'Persephone's Seeds of Wisdom'. Chapter 8: 'Persephone's Feast'. Contains several culinary recipes incorporating foods sacred to Persephone or with 'Greek Flavour', contributed by Steven Corak. (Recipes are as follows: Greek summer salad : Pomegranate vinaigrette : Pomegranate chicken and kale : Pomegranate reduction : Persephone's Pastries) Conclusion: It is a conclusion, with some final journaling prompts.

Personal Thoughts and Review. While I was hoping for an overview of Persephone's: myths, cults, correspondences etc, what this book is at its heart (imo) is a pagan self-help (maybe shadow-work) book using Persephone as inspiration and theming.

While a generally pleasant and quick read (around 95 pages of text) there are portions where sentiment is repeated and perhaps hammered home a little to hard, however for what this book is rather than what I wished it to be, Pagan Portals Persephone is an excellent example of how to learn from myth and grow from the lessons + experiences therein, and I do recommend it to those interested in Persephone from a Pagan perspective, but it probably shouldn't be your first book on the Goddess.

Books Content in detail. General content: Pretty surface level, but well done given the short page count. Journaling exercise: Themed primarily around shadow work, the questions were In depth and thought provoking (however, as a Masc (he/him) individual I did notice they were written assuming for a Fem reader). I found them useful and have completed the exercise twice so far and have learned more of myself each time. Origin Myth retelling: Interesting and inspiring but undoubtedly written with the lens of supporting the ‘self-help’ personal sovereignty narrative of the book. Persephone’s correspondences: Broad but far from exhaustive, simply a non-referenced list. Rituals and Meditations: Interesting as always to see another practitioner’s approach, I did notice certain Wiccan elements (casting circles, Athame/tools, ‘So mote it be’) not a complaint but worthy of note. Recipes: I’m not qualified to answer this, and food quality is always down to personal taste anyway. However, it is an interesting concept. Persephone’s Seeds of Wisdom: A personal highlight from the book, I use a modified version of this method in my own practice.

The most interesting hot takes from the book. Triple Goddess Persephone: While a throw away comment in Chapter 4, the idea of Persephone embodying all Three aspects of the Triple Goddess (namely the Maiden, Mother, Crone archetypes) is interesting, and has inspired me to explore the idea further. Personal Myth Retelling (Mythic fanfic): It is definitely decisive to rewrite myth within pagan circles, but isn’t that what Humanity have done from the Dawn of time, and perhaps by personally retelling Persephone’s transition from Kore to Queen, we might learn which aspects of the Myth, Goddess and their role in our practice are most influential to us as individuals. (Obviously attempting to masquerade one’s personal retelling (myth Fanfic essentially) as the one true version is mind numbing, but on a personal level it may be useful.)

Final Thoughts. While not what I expected, Pagan Portals Persephone has taught me alot, and added to my personal practice, but I am glad I got the this book while equipped to recognise what the text is missing.

#🥀Book Review #book review #persephone #persephone worship #persephone deity #persephone goddess #persephone devotee #persephone devotion #paganblr #paganism #pagan witch #hellenic pagan #hellenic books #hellenic gods #pagan books #witchblr #witchcraft #witch book #spirituality #shadow work #greek mythology #mythology #gay witch #gay pagan

[aroundtheneareststar]

October 4

witch book

the witch in your folklore

is the mother in another

a wrinkle of decay

becomes a wrinkle of wisdom

perspective is a cursed thing

a rusted lock on your brain

crystallizing the combinations

limiting the truths

a potion or a medicine

a hex or a prayer

the black cat an ill omen

or a cared-for friend

what do you see

what have they taught you to see

what is the lesson

what is the point

if you fear what is kind

then the whole world is a threat

avoid the forest at all costs

your life depends on it

this life sculpted out of particular parables

ancient words spat into your ear

if you enter that realm

and see what really lies

this passed down opinion

will turn to gray ash

and be lost in the wind

like the pages of the storybook

burning under candlelight

or the ancient tome

reduced to dirty soot

#poetry #writeblr #writing #witch book #October 4 #atns