Untamed Witches

Craft of the Untamed: An Inspired Vision of Traditional Witchcraft by Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is definitely a tribute to the dark ones. definitely not a fluffy safe version of the craft and this is definitely not Wicca. THe author is a student of many traditions and he pulls from such sources as Traditional British Witchcraft , Voudou, Hoodoo, Goetia, Santeria and perhaps several others that I may have missed . The rending is poetic and inspirational , a reading that will definitely transport you to the Emerald Castle in the North. I should be as poetic.

In the early days mankind was close to nature and it's spirit aligned with that of the forest. Taboos against sex were not yet instituted by the all powerful Christian Church , which enclosed the continent of Europe in a bloody grip fog terror in order to force upon it the ways of the cardinal and church fathers. After Christianity became established anything that was wild and free was considered dangerous and evil. Instead of everything being thought of as one it was not a dichotomy of good and evil something which they defined. THe witch saw everything as interconnected and the more connecting a goal to a thing the more likely it was about to manifest. The gods of old were equated with the devil or other demons. Such inspiration for the devil came from HErmes, Baal and Mithras. But really who is the devil? Are Satan and Lucifer the same entity.? Some would say yes and others would say no. Satan means opposer while Lucifer was a light bringer. Light bringers such as Prometheus often brought knowledge to mankind, often at great cost to  themselves. THe author covers this much in depth.

Discussions go into the nature of the dark goddess and her many faces. Lilith, Hecate, Circe are all discussed as well as wondering in the night ffor it is from darkness that hidden knowledge is revealed and our unmanifest desires become manifest. Fairies, Jinn and other spiritual creatures are discussed as is their interaction with mankind. What is the3 nature of these beings? Read and find out. As the question as to what makes  a witch is discussed there is talk of faerie blood and human spirit interaction in the creation of witch blood. THe book has some recipes and several rituals.

FOr those wishing toi pursue the old traditional craft this is one good book to have in your collections. I would advise reading some of Michael Howards materials along with Paul Husson to get a complete picture and develop your practice.

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