The Most Holy Death

La Santa Muerte: Unearthing the Magic & Mysticism of Death by Tomás Prower
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

She is the female grim reaper, worshiped in Mexico among the poor, oppressed and destitute. HEDr veneration has spread here and her followers are not limited to the Latino community but followers from all races. She is popular among criminals, law enforcement, drugs dealers, prostitutes and the lower economic class. What drives people into the arms of La Santa Muerte. For one she is non judge mental . She does not care who you are because death come for us all regardless. She will also answer your petitions with just no judgement. In other words if you ask for it you will get it.

This is in contrast to the practices of Wicca and the three fold law. In Wicca you cannot or are not supposed to do negative magic or magic that will harm someone and if the spirits do not think it is to your benefit then they will not grant your request. La Santa Muerte is different . She answers all your request . Even so the author talks about Karma and the law of equal exchange. If you do negative Magick against someone it will come back to you just the same. There is the law of exchange which means that if you get something you have too give something in return. The author has definitely dipped his feat into the pools of new paganism and immersed himself in the ways of Santa Muerte. The result could be a new path. Most followers of Santa Muerte are of the Catholic persuasion, although anyone can be a follower f Santa Muerte.

Death has been venerated since ancient times and death was not personified as evil, in fact the Greeks thought that Hades was a good guy . The Sumerians worshipped Ereskkigal and the Egyptians worked with her for gay Magic . Pluto was one who gave wealth. The Greeks had the three fates that last one was the crone who cut the cord determining the end of your life. In the Roman Pantheon she was called La Porce.

THe book covers the history of the following of Santa Muerta. At the end there are spells forgo love, money , protection and winning in court. There is a chapter on color correspondences, herbs and incense. The spell are easy to perform and not overly complicated. I also think you can use sme of the knowledge towards working with other deities. This book is great for someone who loves Santa Muerte and it is God for the ne pagan just getting introduced to her. Awesome for beginning and intermediate practitioners of Magic . Great book and I hope the author writes more.Hail Sana Muerte.

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South Pass Wyoming

South Pass and Its Tales by James L. Sherlock
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book represent my first foray into American History. It deals with the founding of South Pass in Wyoming. The author , James Sherlock , collected the stories from his blind uncle. Peter , the blind uncle, used to tell tales in front of the hardware shop where he used to work. Despite being blind he knew where everything was in the store.

James Sherlock is an established family member. His relations played an important part in the towns life . They built a hotel, dance hall and several other businesses. His style is to first tell about the towns founding and then look at old houses and building and tell the tales and history associated with that building.

If you are a glutton for detail then this is your book. Not only does he relay the history but he also describes the materials used to build the building and what technique the construction workers used. Most of this went in one eye ball and out the other. many of the tails are amusing and show what life was like back in the early days.

The photographs give you a good picture of what it was like . Log cabins , dirt roads, horse and buggy . It was a land that could be rough yet had law and order. Disputes could be resolved peacefully or someone could get shot. That is how it works. There were threats from marauding Indians and the cold snowy winds of nature . A must read for those who love Wyoming.

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Will the Real Monsters Please Stand Up

Monsters Among Us by Brad Steiger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Who are the monsters that roam among us? Is it the vampires, werewolves and other creatures from our folklore? Or perhaps the most dangerous monster of all is mankind. After all I am more frightened of gang bangers, rapists and corrupt politicians than I am of werewolves and vampire. Of course if you are lost in the woods or you are swimming in the sea you might be afraid of some monsters coming out to get you. Back in the day we feared trolls, witches and dragons, that fear has seemed too subside.

There is a thread here. We have monsters that we believe in. This book talks about sea monsters, UFO's, Big foot, dragons, werewolves and vampire . I might have missed a few.
What is the origin of these monsters? Are they products of a fertile imagination? Or perhaps there is a kernel of truth to these legends.Some would say they are survivors from earlier prehistoric times and have managed to stay hidden from mankinds general view. Sea Monster may very well be dinosaurs, or Bigfoot is a hominid remnant of earlier man. Scientists are discovering new species daily. Maybe these creatures exist in another realm or dimension and every so often they traipse into our realm. or their homes could be in caves or deep inside the Earth. The sea is fathom less and deep. It could well be the home of some surviving sea creatures. People report seeing things but gathering proper evidence can be a challenge. In Africa there are legends of Sauropods lurking the jungles. These creatures might be the basis of dragon legends. Of course so could giant snakes and mammoth bones. The Bigfoot or Yeti has been seen the world over. Numerous sightings have been reported yet obtaining solid proof is difficult. These creatures have been known to flee mankind,yet if cornered they will turn aggressive. Native American legends abound with these creatures who are known to hunt men, abduct women and practice a primitive religion. Could these guys be a Neanderthal hold over? Perhaps is such a creature, many descriptions render it similar to Bigfoot. When people used to go hunting or wage war they would wear different animal skins to obtain the animal power. People had rituals that could supposedly turn them into werewolves. Lycanthropia could be a form of psychosis. Vampires may exist but it is the human ghouls who should frighten us. Ghouls devour human flesh. There are stories of french soldiers dining on corpse flesh. A seductress who kills her lovers to dine on them. There is more where that came from. The book discusses in great detail curses, ghosts, the hollow earth theory and more. Ultimately you have to decide if this all real or bunk. What are the origins of these stories and who is the ultimate monster?


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Transmuting the Tree of Life

Qabala Treatise: How to Navigate the Tree of Life for Transmutation by Jymie Darling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What should have been a five star book written by a very experienced practitioner who know her stuff comes what could have been an awesome book on using the tree of life to transmute yourself and evolve. I got the kindle version and read it. Great information highly useable but there are several editing issues, especially toward the beginning. Pictures and illustration in several places of the book blot out entire paragraphs or sentences. Guess what you miss out on the information. I would advse that you do not get the kindle version through amazon but rather contact Panpipes magical supply in Hollywood and get the book. Other than that this book has awesome stuff that you can use, I myself took detailed notes cause I am gonna use this stuff.



The beginning of the book tells you ritual foundations and how to design a ritual an it’s phases. The book then goes into the four Qabblsitic worlds and their relation to the tree of life. There is some discussion of the sephirote but it I the thirty two paths that are the meat of this an you are given the tools you need to traverse the path but like a do it yourself kit you have to put it together. At the books beginning there is a correspondence of gods to the sephirot, most of the tree though are cut in half so you lose information. The book covers paths32-11 what happened t the first 10?



The structure I simple the path is discussed along with it’sgoals. Intelligencees are covered, alchemical works, tarots associations are covered along with animals an herbs. I will give example below.



Path 31: Shin the realm of judgment- Fire

Take something and transform it so you can take it in Connects Hod to Malchut. This involves taking stockinto what cn actually be achieved. Learning the new alongside the old. Path of perpetual intelligence cause it regulate the son and the moon.

Virtue: Planning and passion. Vice: Over critical Element is fire

Colors Aziluth: Seeing, Orange scarlet

Beriah: Detached, Vermillion

Yetzirah: Perseptive, Scarlett flecked with gold

Assiah: Caution, Vermillion flecked with emerald and crimson.

Tarot: Judgement

Affirmation: I respond to the universes call of my energy. I feel awakened (or alive) I live a just life

Magic structures: Pyramids, wings, sun, stars, moon

Myths: Study judgement myths, Hestia, Vestia. Vulcan

Herbs: Hyssop, Yarrow, dandelion, Balsam poplar, dragons blood, clove and pepper

Animal s the hawk

Great book to work with, I would advise that if you are a beginner then you should supplement this with other fuller volumes that give more additional insight. This book gets a 4 out of 5. 1 point off from editing errors.


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Another False Messiah

The Mixed Multitude: Jacob Frank and the Frankist Movement, 1755-1816 by Pawel Maciejko
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Frankists were offshoots of the Sabbatian Heresy which began in the Ottoman Empire during the 1500s. After converting to Islam the donmeh broke off into different groups. One such group was the faction under Jacob Frank. Arriving in Podolia in 1755, Frank and his group engaged in a ritual that would shock the lical Jewish community and involve tge Catholic authority. While there behavior was blasphemous tge Catholic clergy sided with the Frankists over the rabbinic establishment. Later Jacib Frank would offer to convert his sect to Catholic religion. Of course they would keep certaun Jewish Practices in tact. They would also ask for territory and tge right to have a militia which could be used against the Ottomans. This fell through. Eventually he would fund himself locked away un a monastery that revered the mother Mary. Eventually he settled in Offenbach where he had a small mini kingdom. He passed from a stroke in 1791.

The book discusses the beginning and growth of the Sabbattian movement that pushes through to greater development of trends in Europe and the Polish Jewish community. For those interested in the donmeh, this book is for you.

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