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Bookviews Book Reviews |
11-19-2005 |
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Each year Llewellyn produces a calendar to hang on your wall and keep track of the changes in the days and seasons. The focus has always been in producing an informative yet attractive product that you can refer to for many things. This year the art work is provided by Jennifer Hewitson, who has been on the cover of many Llewellyn products, as well as being recognized for her work in national newspapers, and packaging for Disney and greeting cards for Sun Rise Publications. Her catalogue of work is extensive and this calendar is no exception. Ms. Hewitson uses bold pen strokes and just as bold primary colors. The Images appear “darker” in hue because of the use of ink drawing with primary colors, but they are impressive none the less. Her images appear to move, to be alive and are surrounded with appropriate symbols and seasonal borders. Her topics keep to the seasons and the Wheel of the Year. There is some lovely imagery here, from the birds singing and the sun rising and the trees flowering for May to the bold and brilliant pumpkin headed scarecrow for September. The format of the calendar is a two page spread for each month to hang on the wall. The illustration and a "story" on the top page, and a full calendar are below it. The “stories” are provided by various authors, many of them well known. From Barbara Ardinger to Gail Wood, each presents us with a remembrance, or a story that applies to the month at hand. Each one has a magical theme to it as well. Yasmine Gailnorn provides us with a Ritual in January to encourage a prosperous New Year. James Kambos gives us a remembrance of magical Appalachia in May. Jennifer McDevitt provides us with some background to the First Harvest of Lugh in August. Dianne Sylvan introduces us to the Crone Goddess in October. The calendar is a Sunday through Saturday standard seven day layout with a box containing information and space to write your brief notes in. Covered is the standard moon quarters notations, astrological concordances, official holidays and religious holidays of various faiths, some brief historical notes or notes regarding various authors or historical figures birthdays. There are also two small line drawings noting “planting days” and “harvesting days” for your herbs. There is also the “daily color”. The last “page” has all the information regarding the information contained in the calendar, a small bio on the authors and artists, and the official Llewellyn copyright and names of important people who helped product the calendar. Between the last page of December and the last “page” of the calendar are some full page articles on various topics by some well known authors. Of note is the article on “Protecting Hearth & Home” by Raven Grimassi, about setting magical charges to protect your home, “Fabulous Feasts by Magenta Griffith about planning and producing pagan pot lucks, and especially useful is “The Witch Cleans House” by K. D. Spitzer, with some good recipes for good cleaning solutions the “witchy way”. The only problem is, if you don’t read the articles before you hang up the calendar, chances is you will either forget them or miss them all together. Finally, a big “don’t like” is the book hawking inside the back cover. This becomes Llewellyn’s personal advertising space, and at the price you pay, you really should be getting something more than a page of books, some of which are not even the authors who are featured in the calendar. The back cover provides the usual view of the internal pictures, and a sample page of the calendar so the prospective buyer can see what they are purchasing, though if you look at the front cover, you know exactly what to expect. A bolder statement is made with the artwork this year, the stories are more varied than previous years, and it is a very good overall presentation of a wall calendar from Llewellyn and one which will hang on my wall all through this year. Reviewed by Boudica |
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Another deck by Lo Scarabeo is this deck of what could be called “ascended masters” or what the artist considers the “Masters of Magic”. For those who are unfamiliar with any of this material, may I suggest that with this deck you start with the “not so” iddy biddy white book. For a change, the book is actually larger than the cards, and has a nicely illustrated card cover. Not just that, it also contains more than just the card meanings! The artist outlines the breakdown of the deck, what colors and symbols he chose, rules for using the cards and the usual concentration and layouts for the deck and individual card meanings. But the most important bit of this book is the short biographies of each of the figures represented in this deck. I was fascinated by the bios, and then how the artist worked this into the meanings of the cards. This is not a tarot deck by any means. The thirty-two cards are divided into elemental correspondences and then further into the four imperatives of magic: want, silence, knowledge and dare. The deck, does, however, translate into a personal journey of sorts, as one follows the elements in their representation of the “four states of being” associated with the elements and the imperatives of magic. This makes them interesting from the standpoint that they become a tool for reading personal achievement in the realm of magic and personal growth. You are basically consulting the “experts” in the field and asking them to assess your progress as well as pointing out possible weak points and strengths via their associations and meanings. This is a truly original process for the cards, and very well thought out and presented. The masters are indeed masters, all historical in nature, and all dead. There are no figures here that I had any doubt could be considered a “master”. Even the inclusion of Edgar Cayce was not questionable, the most “modern” of all the “masters”. I then examined the deck itself. The deck is regular card size, fitting comfortably in the hand. They are solid card stock, so will stand up to a bit of use. The colors here are brighter and more vibrant than most Lo Scrarabeo decks, which was a plus in my book. Each set of “suits” are clearly margined by a specific color, so you can easily identify the element or magical imperative you are dealing with. Each card has the name of the “master” on the bottom of the card. On the top middle of each card is the masters “influence”. On the right hand top of the card is the “masters” symbol. There are two types of “masters” in each group. For example, in the “want” or earth/yellow group, there are hermetics (symbol: key) and healers (symbol: caduceus). You get the feel for what the particular master is master of. There are nine cards in each of the four groupings. Eight of these cards represent a “master”. And they are all male. The only change is the first card of each group, which is female and is called “inspiring women”. We have the Sibyl, for earth, the Morgan for water, Urania for air and Isis for fire, each with their “inspiration” on the top middle of the card. So if we look at the cards, Sibyl is earth, she is the “inspiration” of the “want” grouping and her influence is “destiny”. In the “fire” group, we have Albertus Magnus, he is part of the “dare” group, he is a “magician” and his influence is “resistance”. Each of the masters and inspirations is outlined in the same way. This is an interesting collection of “masters” some which you may recognize, some you will not. Merlin, Nostradamus, St. Germain and Paracelsus are the more recognizable names. The artwork is interesting. The style is realistic, each of the masters or inspirations is depicted as per the history given, there are symbols in the fields and the figure is outlined in black, making the figure stand out. The back of the card is a small, basic repeat pattern in blue, not overpowering but nice to look at. So are the cards. You can explore the symbols without too much reading into them. The book recommends you read the cards per the spreads suggested because the meanings in the book are given as to the position the cards appear in the readings. Remember, these are not tarot cards, and will probably not adapt to a “celtic cross” version too well. There is a learning curve here, but the designs and the directions in the book are well defined and it is relatively easy to start working with the deck and use it successfully. While you may be referencing the book to start with, the cards themselves are very easy to read. I enjoyed working with these cards. I found the glimpses of inner growth and personal achievement were interesting, and from the historical standpoint, they offer some interesting reading. I found myself looking some of these “masters” up on line, to see how accurate the bio was, and the author was on the money. He chose his figures well, and the deck works for it’s intended use. If you are interested in a deck that will help you access your personal growth in the magical practices, if you are interested in magical historical figures, or are looking for a deck that will work with your magical path, this deck is a nice change from the usual. For the collector of decks, this is an interesting and different deck. Reviewed by Boudica |
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I read lots of Wicca 101 books, especially those that seem to be aimed at the Solitary Practitioner. With many of them, I will find some points that I think the average solitary practitioner may relate to, or that someone, somewhere, will relate to. Many times, however, the material does not “click” with my own personal beliefs, or they do not take the “Traditional Path” when it comes to Wicca, but rather they are “Wiccanish”. This is OK for someone else, but not necessarily for me. But I do not judge by my standards alone, but rather the viewpoint that everyone needs material that will relate to them personally. Reading this book, however, there was more material here that I found I agreed with, related to and found to be “Traditional” with a Solitary spin than other books of this kind. And this, to me, was a big plus. Ms. Murphy-Hiscock has taken Wicca back to the roots and explores adaptation to the Solitary way of practice. This is a Wicca 101 book, so it makes a good first handbook for the average new Solitary Practitioner and yet, it provides some material that the advanced practitioner may want to review because of its accuracy, to augment their Wiccan practice, to add elements of the Traditional or just because it is well written and has much to ponder and contemplate. I especially enjoyed her overview of Wicca Origins, and her separation of Traditional Wicca from the Eclectic practices that Wicca has evolved into. She covers well the Tenets of Wicca, discusses common metaphors and myths and separates some of the more widely accepted but none the less mistaken beliefs and practices that have crept into modern Wicca. She gives you a good idea of how to go back to the beginning, re-examine the issues and maybe take away a better representation of what it is that Wicca is really all about. Like I said, I do not find that every book is going to agree with or be in line with my own personal beliefs and practices. And there is material in here that is not necessarily in line with my own, but Ms. Murphy-Hiscock does cover quite a bit of material in this book that is well discussed and presented. Ethics wanders into the Wiccan Rede, which is good, and then touches on that often misunderstood poem that many folks take as law rather than the advice it should be. None the less the discussion on ethics is good and worth noting. She also covers some of the “Mythos” or “mysteries” of Wicca, outlining them so you get a good grasp on what actually comprises Wiccan spirituality. Once you get through the first chapter as outlined above, the rest of the book falls into the “handbook” method of teaching/discussion. Ms. Murphy-Hiscock covers all the basics, and adds a touch of the “college” style of discussion. For example, she discusses Sacred Space. Many basic books discuss creating a Circle, but she goes a little further and discusses “why” as well as the “how”. Well thought out, in my opinion. This kind of discussion continues throughout the book. She even covers a few extras that take this book above most other handbooks. She causes the reader to – gasp – think! Advanced Circle Casting is another point for thought about what you are doing, more than how to do it. She covers more of the basics – rituals, spell work, The Wheel of the Year, Rites of Passage, and Power Words in Ritual. Her material is not just telling you what to do; it is more showing you how to do it for yourself. Not just showing ritual, but giving you a working knowledge to write your own. Not just giving you some spells, but giving you the means to construct your own. Very different approach, and a very good one. Well written, easy to follow and yet much food for thought. The last two chapters are probably the most important. Spiritual Archetypes and Drawing Down and Aspecting Deities give you the spirituality of Wicca. While many books will give you a table of Gods and Goddesses, there is not much discussion about connecting with Them. Again, well thought out and well written. This book approaches the Solitary Wiccan Practitioner as a knowledgeable and intelligent person who knows what they want, what they want to achieve, and gives them a good working handbook to make the connection with Deity that most are looking for. I would recommend that even if you have a working handbook you love dearly, you may want to augment it with a copy of this work. There is a lot to absorb here, there is some good clarification of what has become misunderstood or poorly interpreted, and Ms. Murphy-Hiscock provides some new material for you to chew over and absorb. Again, it will not be for everyone, but I found that much of the material related to me personally and I appreciated that. This is a work that will compliment your already working knowledge as well as introduce the seeker to some solid concepts and traditional approaches to the Solitary Wiccan Practice. Reviewed by Boudica |