Witchcraft and wicca Books

Book SynopsisThe spiritual tenets of Wicca are steeped in an inherent reverence for nature and stewardship of the environment. In fact, Wiccan practitioners have been living—and cooking—green since ancient times. In the decade since the first edition of the The Wicca Cookbook cast its spell over culinary history buffs and adventurous cooks everywhere, many readers have asked “What makes a cookbook Wiccan?” The tenth anniversary edition answers that question and more, bringing fresh dimensions to this heady witches’ brew with new rituals and delicious recipes. More than 100 dishes, many historically authentic, all meticulously researched, emphasize the use of organic ingredients at their seasonal peak and celebrate all the major pagan holidays: enjoy Stuffed Nasturtiums, Goddess Athena Pitas, and Deva Saffron Bread for the Spring Equinox; serve Elder Flower Chicken, Lilith’s Lily Fair Soup, and Wild Woman White Sage Jelly during the Summer Solstice; and Cupid’s Cold Slaw, Imbolc Moon Cookies, and Snowflake Cakes make delightful Candlemas treats. Nature-honoring dishes, eco-friendly living tips, and an inclusive message of spirituality make The Wicca Cookbook a unique contribution to the culinary world and a magickal tribute to the pagan spirit.

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Book SynopsisAlly uses her background in herbalism to create a practical guide for busy people who are still interested in a daily magic practice. Using a combination of herbalism and mindfulness, she teaches you how to practice radical self-love by manifesting your best and most positive intentions of love, healing, protection and prosperity. Witchcraft is trendy-from tarot decks at Urban Outfitters to spell books being featured at major retailers-and Ally makes it more accessible than ever. Each chapter covers one of those four intentions, with information about the best herbs to use as well as projects focused on rituals and DIY crafts to call the intentions into your life. Whether you want to ward your house by making a wreath of protective herbs, make an herbal tea to open your heart to new love, or an amulet to draw in abundance, Ally shows you that incorporating ritual into your everyday doesn't have to be time consuming or complicated-it's just about focusing your energy. This book will have 50 projects and 50 full-color photographs.

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Book SynopsisGhosts, Spells and Creatures, Oh My! Make potions, tend to botanicals, follow a witch cat for a day Bring the quirkiness to life, in these pages tucked away And watch as the relaxing hour whizzes by.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1977 and now reprinted in its original form, A Source-book of Scottish Witchcraft has been the most authoritative reference book on Scottish Witchcraft for almost thirty years. It has been invaluable to the specialist scholar and of interest to the general reader. It provides, but provides much more than, a series of lists of the 'names and addresses' of long-dead witches. However, although it is widely quoted and held in high esteem, few copies were ever printed and most are owned by libraries or similar institutions. Until now, it has been difficult to obtain and even more difficult to buy. In 1938, George F. Black, a Scotsman who was in charge of New York Public Library, published A Calendar of Cases of Witchcraft in Scotland 1510-1727. This was a fairly comprehensive compilation of brief accounts of references, in printed sources, to Scottish witchcraft cases. The Source-book built upon this study but went beyond it by including, through an examination of actual ancient manuscripts, information on previously unpublished cases. It also presented the material in a more systematic way in relation, where known, to the names of the accused witches, their sex, their fate, the place of the case, its date and the type of court that dealt with it. Some such information is presented in the form of tables. Transcriptions of documents pertaining to witchcraft trials- such as examples of the evidence of supposed witnesses, and other salient legal documents - including, for instance, an ancient account of when and why the testimony of female witnesses might be legally acceptable in Scottish courts - are also presented.

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Book Synopsis"A treasury of primary material about cases of witchcraft in East Lothian. This marvellous, vast compendium of transcribed documentation, with useful annotation and perceptive commentary, is a most welcome contribution to the study of Scottish witchcraft in the 16th and 17th centuries. Seasoned academic scholars of witchcraft will find much useful, challenging material - and read of witches and witchcraft cases that they have never come across before. Even with some familiarity with the cases that the author presents, it is fascinating to read different accounts given by different witnesses of the same case and the same alleged incidents. In addition to the annotated transcriptions there is a summary of James VI and I's short treatise on witchcraft, in the form of a dialogue, called: Daemonologie. And a long, closing chapter on the analysis and interpretation of witchcraft in East Lothian. I might not agree with every single claim that David Robertson makes - but I can heartily endorse the general tenor and commendable balance of his judgement. He says: 'We must avoid the "all or nothing" attitude, where either everything is true or everything is a farrago of ludicrous nonsense. We can accept what is probable, dismiss what is clearly impossible, but we should keep an open mind on the admittedly vast area in between'. That is an appropriate attitude with which to approach this remarkable and very fine book." -- from the Introduction by Hugh V. McLachlanTrade Review'It is a supreme effort. Much nonsense has been written about the Scottish witch trials; some would have you believe innocents were killed in their thousands. This is a far more sober approach to what was undoubtedly a period of mass psychosis, but in standing back and allowing the evidence to speak for itself Robertson does a great service to a subject so misunderstood.' Martin Tierney, The Herald, May 3 2008.

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Book Synopsis'The seidr current is fresh and vibrant, with the strength and solidity of the Norse deities behind it.' - Katie GerrardSeidr is the intriguing and powerful early Norse system of shamanistic trance practices. In Seidr: The Gate is Open, Katie Gerrard has contributed a major work on the practices of seidr and trance prophecy, providing a practical manual full of dynamic group rituals and techniques based on known Seidr practices. Foremost amongst these techniques is the prophetic rite of the High Seat, where the Volva (seer) sends her consciousness to the underworld realm of Hel to gain answers to the questions posed to her.Combining more than a decade of research and experimentation, this book is characterised by both its scholarship and its accessibility. Katie Gerrard shares her own experiences on the path of the seer, and also draws inspiration from original sources in the old texts of the Sagas and the Eddas, as well as contemporary researchers and groups working with seidr in Scandinavia, Europe and America. Techniques for achieving trance, levels of trance possession, coming out of trance, the vardlokkurs (chants), necessary equipment, and the requirements for the roles of the different participants are all discussed clearly and concisely, as is the relevance of contacting the ancestors, the dead, and appropriate gods, including the goddesses Freyja and Hel and the Allfather god Odin.As befits such an inspirational book, the author provides both the relevant background information for the eleven rites contained within, together with explanations of their inclusion and purposes. The rites emanate practical effectiveness, a result of their regular use over many years for successful exploration of the mysteries of trance prophecy, the High Seat rite and Norse witchcraft. 'This is a spiritual journey laid bare for an audience who are either already treading a similar path or are looking for guidance in order to follow a well trodden path to a similar end point.'

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Book SynopsisIn 1590 three hundred Scottish 'witches' were tried for plotting the murder of their King, James VI of Scotland (soon to be James I of England). James is known to have suffered from a morbid fear of violent death, and the trial heightened his anxiety over this apparently treasonous 'un-Christian' sect, and stimulated him to study the whole subject of witchcraft. 'Daemonologie' is the result of this royal research, detailing his opinions on the topic in the form of a Socratic dialogue between the sceptic Philomathes and witch-averse Epistemon, who reveals many aspects of witch-craft. The book consists of three sections, on magic, on sorcery and witchcraft, and on spirits and ghosts, and ends with a lurid account of the North Berwick witch trials, based on the evidence of Dr John Fian, the alleged head of the coven, whose 'confession' was obtained with the aid of thumbscrews, the Boot, and by the ripping out of his fingernails.

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