JRR Tolkien Romantic Legendarium

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4047925414

A tragic love story in a way and one that has gone through many changes in JRR Tolkien notes. Way before the events that transpired in Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, the evil Morgath had control of middle earth and he was a despot to be sure who terrorized elf, dwarf and man. Hobbits did not come around yet.

Christopher Tolkien goes through his father’s unfinished notes like the Quenta Silmarillion, Quenta Nodali and a couple of other unpublished tomes and delivers to the reader the story of Beren and Luthien. In the original version Beren is the son of a forester. He is a nodali elf sometimes called a gnome. But this is not your classic gnome but a real elf. One day Beren walks into the forest of Artanor and espies the beautiful maiden Tinuviel dancing to her brother’s music. He spends several days watching her until they finally meet. When they do he is so smitten with her that he asks for her hand from her father, King Tintwelimt., . The king is none to happy about this and he thinks of a way to thwart the young elf’s romantic aspirations. Beren must infiltrate Angaband, Morgath’s stronghold and get a jewel off his crown. This is one of the Silmarillion. Beren becomes a slave for Tevildo, Morgath’s super cat right hand man and believe me this cat is a task master. Luthien fearing the worst pleads for her father to intervene but to no avail .King Tintwelint locks her in a tree house. Using magic her mother taught her she escapes and uses magic to infiltrate Angaband. While wandering over there her and a super hound named Huan devise a plan to fight Tevildo. Later they use sleeping magic to get the jewel but plans go awry. I won’t spoil the end.

In the different renditions of the tale many names get changed and Tevildo morphs first into Thu a feared necromancer to Sauron his most trusted right hand man. King Tinwellint becomes King Thingol and Artanor becomes Doriath.

Beren origins change as well. In the newer versions of the story Beren becomes a man son of Barahir who is caught by Morgath and murdered. Other version contain wars between kingdoms and the ravages of orcs.

The newer versions are more realistic while the earlier version is Faery tale like quality. Would not mind seeing a cohesive story out of this. While there is one at the beginning there are bits and pieces of the newer versions through out the book. 

Releasing Your Inner Werewolf

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4032374447

 Prepare to unlock your inner beast. This book on lycanthropic Magick will show you how. Wolf have been venerated at deity since man;s beginning in some for or other. Some of the original Greek Gods were depicted as wolf like. The founders of Rome were raised and suckled by a she wolf. Lupercalia would have priests or Lupercal dress up in wolf skins and strike women with whips in order to unsure fertility. Hekate, is depicted with a wolf;s head. Odin is a wolf god who can shape shift into anything. He has two wolves that accompany him. Apollo himself was depicted in wolf like form.  The first werewolf might have been in Mesopotamia where in a  follower of Ishtar was turned to a world for entreating her too much.

Over the centuries there have been many werewolf cults. The warriors would don the skins and shapeshifter metaphorically into wolves. These warriors were dedicated to Odin in the North of Europe. The book delves into the history of werewolf cults and wolf magic. The book then goes into rituals designed to help you find your inner wolf . Remember that we human evolved from wolves and dogs at one point and we are accessing our animal brain. The exercises then tell how to raise wolf power and finally shape shift into a wolf. Now mind you , people do not physically turn into wolves this is a spiritual change. Sort of like going on beast mode.

This energy is later raised and focused toward growing your fetch and feeding it. The fetch or your double can be sent to do errands, give you information or house your consciousness . Other rituals include spells for obtaining love, money and finding other werewolves.

Denny Sargent culls many of his techniques from shamanism and European witchcraft. There are lots of yips and howls on this paradigm. While one is not forced to use them I would have found some words in place of growls more beneficial.

The Ninth House by Leaigh Berdugo

 Magic is alive and well on Campus. Secret Societies like Skull and Bones operate freely. Having constructed tombs under their fraternities the 8 houses of magic are thriving. The ninth house is the Lethe House and their job is to make sure the secret societies follow the rules and things do not get out of hand.

Alex is the newest member of this small order. Her background is spurious. Former drug user who has no idea why she was was chosen. Things start to go awry when one of the 8 houses has a ritual and a bunch of greys or earthbound ghosts try to get in the the mix . Something is wrong. Later that night night Tara Hutchins is murdered. She has occult markings and the murder is done in a ritual fashion. One of the 8 houses broke the rules.

What follows is a modern mystery with occult trapping. Alex and her mentor, Darlington go to the different houses asking question and snooping around. Along the way they team up with detective turner. At first he is skeptical but then understand that the occult is far too great for him to tackle alone. In the course of their investigation Alex is attack by Gluma and scarab Beatles.

One or several of the houses are peddling magic and overstepping the bound. Within Lethe house there is corruption. The end is rather ironic and surprising.

Mastering Candle Magick

 I read the kindle version of this book which is now only available in book form.  This book is one of the original classics in candle burning rituals. It is read by all knowledgeable people who practice magic. 

The book is not pagan but rather very Judea Christian centered. Using fire for ritual purposes goes back thousands of years. It was believed that fire both protected and purified the area around.Fire provided warmth and the ability to cook food. 

It was also believed that certain colors face of certain vibrations. These vibrations could be helpful in helping a person achieve their goal. There are also colors that represent the different birth sign. Like all magic the magic presented here is sympathetic meaning that like effects like, so gathering hair, nail clipping and other personal belonging could help in a love spell or hexing someone . The book has rituals for all sorts of purposes whether it be for money, love success you name it.

Altar set up is simple, any surface can be used. The set up is simple. Two crucifix candles at the head of the altar . They are colors white for purity and dressed in high alter oil. The bottom left hand corner is where the Bible is placed. On the table space between there is where the petitioner candles go and the goal candles. Candle are anointed with oils for the purpose as are they colored so. The oils would probably have to be store bought as there are no oil recipes. Candles are annointed from the middle to the top and from the middle to the bottom. 

Symbolism is everything and colors and goals have their own symbology. Important to realize is that colors may symbolize different thing to different people. Your own symbology is what you should use. 

The candle are burned and different bible verses are read while the candle are burning. The spell has different lengths that the candle burns after prayer are said. 

For those wanting to access magic with a no frills approach and no baggage this book is it. They do advise using vegetable products and avoid any ingredients made with animal products. Great book.

Copper Kingdom of Daevabad

 

Taking place 5 years after the first installment, Nahri, a Daeva from the house of Nahid has returned to her city which was hers by birthright until it was taken over thousands of years ago by the Qahtani tribe of Jinn. Since her return to the city she has married Muntadhir, king ghassan’s oldest son. The youngest son Ali is the one who is truly in love with her and wants to partner up with her to fight for the rights of Shafit, or better known as half human/ half jinn. Ali has also been exiled and only returns when Ayanle merchants secure it for him . He returns in time for Navasatem, an old Daeva holiday. It is around this holiday that events in the story culminate.

With Ali’s return, Nahri, who from a tribe of healers, find an old abandoned hospital she wishes to fix up and start healing Daeva and Jinn. King Ghassan reluctantly supports it. In reality it is Ali who is her partner in building the hospital. Her husband has different and varied romantic interests.

At the end of the last book there was a battle in the lake of Daevabad. In this battle Afshin the slayer is supposedly slain while Ali, who supposedly had slain him was possessed by a water Marid. It has imbued him with magic.

But Daroush the Afshin is not dead but has been revived. Ifrit who do magic are involved as is Nahri mother, Mazzibeh who is also healer. Outside the city they plan a Nahid take back,of the city. The rebel Daeva make potions and train an army. All things culminate on Navastem. Who will take control of the city.? The Daeva’s or Qahtanis.

Dance Over Troubled Waters

In 1950 the theater group Inbal was founded by Sarah Levi Tanai. The author who was also a member of the theater troupe and got her start there so to speak. The book is relatively short, and I read it in one morning. The author manages to squeeze in her a short biography of Sara Levi Tanai, an auto biography of herself and a bit of a biography of her parents. The author gives glimpse into the Jewish history of Yemen and some of the Yemenite Jew’s history in Israel.

Sara Levi was born in Jerusalem to a family of 12 children. Her mother died when she was six years old and over the years so did her siblings. Since her father on his own was not able to financially support her. Sara went to Tzfat to live in a boarding school for orphans. She later went to Shefela which is a training live in facility of sorts. Sarah taught kindergarten for 18 years . It was during these years that Sara developed plays and songs for children and it is also the years she put on performances and wedding for various moshavs and kibbutzes. At age 38 she was tapped to work with a play choreographer. In 1950 she founded Inbal.

Inbal is a theater dance troupe with many songs and skits to their name. Since this dance troupe represents Israel the dance style that was crafted for this troupe includes elements of Palestinian debka, Yemenite steps and some Chasidic dancing and ballet. The dance style is more than just the some of its parts rather it is the language of motion that sets this dance style apart. While taking Yemenite elements it is still an Israeli dance style. The dances in Yemen took place in limited space so the movements are up and down, circular and vigorous. Very similar to Chasidic dancing.

Yemenite dances are unique and biblical being almost untouched since temple times. The male dance steps are very bold and assertive while the woman’s moves are slow smooth and going with the flow type of moves. The dassa is the Yemenite step incorporated into Israeli dance. It is like the foot stepping into desert sand. Moving slow and gentle. The poetry or diwan of men is about religious stuff and spiritual longing. Women sing of life cycles and emotional issues. In Yemen the man was in charge and the women were like slaves to their husbands, at least in the author’s opinion.

The author herself was born into a Yemenite family. She went to elementary school in her hometown and then went to Shefela for their high school program after the Reali program was too expensive. Her father was a person who ransomed kidnapped Jews in Yemen. 

What impressed me about the book is that it gave at least brief insight into Jewish life in Yemen. Starting with legends of their first arrival shortly after the destruction of the first temple. The author goes on to explain the communal structure of Jewish life in Yemen and she also documents the persecutions the Jews had to endure in Yemen. The Israeli operations to bring the Jews over had many hiccups and she details some of them as well. Arriving in Israel the Yemenite did not have a good time. There were issues of inequality, disease and poverty.

The Lost Jewish History of Iraqi Kurdistan

 

After World War 2 many Jews left Iraq bad headed to Israel. Before leaving the buried their treasures and family heirloom and gave their houses to Kurdish neighbors.In the town of Penjwin a young girl named Zara is living in a house that it undergoing reconstruction.Locked away is a journal, Shabbat candle sticks, some jewels and a journal. The journal is by a Jewish woman named Rahila and it documents a turbulent time for the Jewish community of Iraq.

The Jews of Iraqi Kurdistan have lived there since the Assyrian exile and they still speak Aramaic amongst themselves. When Zara finds this journal Iraqi Kurdistan is going through Civil upheaval as well. As Zara finds the journal and reads through it her life becomes more and more enmeshed with Rahila and soon they notice several parallels in their life.

Rahila journal documents the deteriorating situation of the Iraqs Jews as Palestine slowly becomes Israel. The Jews are accused of being disloyal to Iraq. Jews are harassed by the government, subjected to arrests, torture and even hanging. The Jewish community is divided.  Some opt for Zionism and move to Israel. While other will denounce Zionism and support the Palestinian cause. Rioting and property destruction get worse everyday. The community must respond.

In Iraqi Kurdistan the fights between the different Kurdish groups intensifies to where there are checkpoints everywhere and anyone seen as the opposition gets targeted. Soran who Zaras fiancée gets arrested for helping a child during a demonstration and wants leave Iraq. Rahila went through the same thing. Her fiancée Azam leaves for Palestine to fight for the Jewish army. Rahila is unique in that she is like a female rabbi. She is an expert on Jewish ritual something which most women are not. Rahilas life takes a dramatic turn when her father offers a unique proposal that will turn her life upside down.

Many Kurdish families have members that were formally Jews. Some keep the traditions while others barely do anything. They keep everything quiet because the specter of antisemitism is alive and well.