Old Style Witchery

Folk Witchcraft: A Guide to Lore, Land, and the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner by Roger J Horne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Here comes a book that I found to be perfect for the novice witch and even beneficial for the intermediate witch. The book is not heavy on ritual and tools it does employ them. In many ways we are living in a golden age of witch craft . Thousands of books are coming out and scholars are investigating the old texts to determine the truths. New traditions are springing up all the time. Only problem is that they tell you how to do the magic but not the why. This could lead to an empty ritual. All traditions are valid. Witch craft does not stay the same but rather changes with the times. Usually techniques and traditions are culled from reading the classics.
There are three paths to initiate into the craft. First is through the lore, that means essentially studying the texts. The next is through the land and the spirits who dwell there. The last path is through spirit. Going into the realm of life one of the first few chapters has an in depth list of books along with a brief informative summary. Among the books covered are ; Reginald Scot’s The Discoverie of Witchcraft, Alexander Carmichael’s Carmina Gadelica, 1900, Folger Shakespeare Library MS. V.b.26, Lelands Aradia, Nicolas Culpeper’s Complete Herbal, 1653, History of the Devil and a slew of other books.
Witches work with spirits. This means that sometimes they work with the fae, old ones and the spirit . The old ones are usually the pagan gods of old like Cernunnos, Hekate, Nicniven and others. The author emphasises finding our own meanings and not to rely so heavily on books. The author advocates study the landscape of our immediate area and familiarize yourself with what it is and who the spirits are that dwell there. He also advised studying the lore of the land.
The magic performed by witches is frequently either sympathetic or contagious. Sympathetic magic works by using a stand-in for the person who is the target of the magical act. Contagious magick involves taking something that belonged to the person like some hair or something they touched and incorporating that into your magic. Folk Witchcraft does not hold much by karma or the threefold law. If justice must be done it is up to the people to carry it out. There is no karma. Malificium is magic that is meant to incure harm while beneficium is magic that is used to help or heal. Moon phases also determine what kind of magic we will do. Curses, hexes (maleficium), and the removal of things is frequently associated with the waning moon. The full moon is associated with powerful magic and is an opportune time for ritual. The waxing moon is a time for positive workings for luck, prosperity, healing, and gain (beneficium). Days and times also have an impact on the magic we will perform. Sunday is ruled by the sun and is associated with healing, happiness, and good fortune. Monday is ruled by the moon and is associated with the second sight and divination. Tuesday is ruled by Mars and is associated with defense and victory over enemies. Wednesday is ruled by Mercury and is associated with trade, communication, and travel. Thursday is ruled by Jupiter and is associated with prosperity, luck, and favor. Friday is ruled by Venus and is associated with love, friendship, and beauty. Finally, Saturday is ruled by Saturn, associated with curses, the dead, and baneful workings.
The book covers alot of ground and it gives over simple instructions on how to Do it. The author has included a small mini grimoire in the back. There are rituals, spell and healing. Enjoy.

View all my reviews