Book of Shadows by Phyllis Currot

Back in the 70’s at age 25 Phyllis Currot was in her last year of law school. At age 25 she begin having prophetic visions and dreams that start coming true. In her dreams she hears the chanting dedicated to the Goddess. Isis, Astarte, Hecate, Diana, Demeter, Kali Inanna. She meets with Isis and starts doing research. Later she will move to Washington DC to fight organized crime for a labor union. The firm she works for eventually closes it’s doors and Phyllis returns to New York. While in Washington she works hard and soon loses her prophetic vision.

Back in New York Phyllis links up with a friend who introduces her to a coven of Wiccan follower. Her friend is a solitary witch. The coven is an al female coven dedicated to the Goddess that meets in the back of an occult shop. Phyllis decide to join. Along the way she is instructed by three people. Maia, Nonna and Belonna.

Phyllis also lands a new job at a record company doing contracts. Her boss Mr. Hadus is a typical powerful executive with inferiority issues underneath his macho exterior. He is demanding, verbally abusive and predatorial. The job is stressfull.

While in the circle Phyllis learns about meditation, casting spells and the philosophy of the Goddess. The true aim of magick is control over oneself not over others or the universe. Phyllises introduction into the coven prompts her on a journey into the history of witchcraft and how witches were persecuted.. She also learns how the world once worshipped the Goddess and women were Shaman and leadership. The world was peaceful until the male dominated religions took over and degraded the woman’s position

As her life progresses Phyllis discovers along with her friend Jeanette the need to do a banishing spell against Jeanette’s ex husband. They do a spell invoking a West African Goddess. They make a poppet and put it in a icebox. The man later gets arrested in a drug deal by federal agents. She does a banishing ritual against her boss by imagining pentagrams on his door. It works an he leaves her alone. She trains for a year with her mentors and during that year she does find the strengths to leave her job.

At the end she must find a magical name for herself.. She finds it in Central park and at first thinks it is prosperina but later calls herself Aradia. Excellent book filled with anecdote for newcomer to the craft.. Several useful techniques as well.