WITCHA

Witcha: A Book Of Cunning by Nathaniel Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Here comes a book about British Witchcraft coming from someone who has inherited a family tradition and has also at the same time investigated several other traditions across the British landscape. His approach is also down to earth and real. Yet at the same time you may have encountered these ideas before.
Witchcraft is about getting results plain and simple. If it works use it. Magic is not about therapy, transformation or transcendence. So whatever works you use. That means witches can work with Germanic runess, Judeo-Christian psalms all in the same working. One can also call upon the saints, pagan gods and even angels and demons all in the same working.
This work covers the working tools of the witch. Many are the same as Wicca and if you have studied British Witchcraft then you may have come across most of the tools. Of course a witch does not need to have tools as the power of the witch is generated within. The procedures for circle casting and consecrating your tools is simple and straight forward which is what I like about it.
Deosil casting are for building up the positive in our life while widdershins is for negative working. The author does not waste too much time with White and black magic . he feels as do I that it is a matter of personal viewpoint. Cursing is not forbidden as sometimes some people really deserve but he does warn that it can backfire if not worked correctly.
There is a full description of the Sabbats , Lord and Lady and other concepts that might dove tail well with Wicca save for the fat of terminology for the Sabbats and the symbolism for the Lord and Lady is a bit different. The lad gives us insight while the lord gives us strength to move things in our direction.
The author discusses places of power , pharie blood and spell craft. Certain places will have power based on ley lines and /or events that have had something significant happen there. Pharie blood could be a reference to witch blood meaning that only certain people have had the proper genetics to do magic. There is some speculation that faeries mated with humans and created witches of magic power. Witches have communed with faeries and the lord and lady are sometimes called the king and queen of faerie . they are also called the dame and devil. The male god is sometimes Odin or Loki or Cernunnos. The lady can be the Goddess Diana or the Goddess Hekate or the the Goddess Perchta.
The author does make a rather long reference to the runes and gives good explanation on how to use them. He gives an interesting poen that offers his interpretation on them, yet he never once shows you the actual runes. You have to look that up yourself I guess. Towards the end of the book the author give some great songs and invocations for rituals. These will be great towards forming your own tradition. Many of us will not have the opportunity to be initiated into a coven. That is ok not every witch was initiated by another witch and some traditions have your initiate yourself. Enjoyable book that is filled with information and great techniques for magic .


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