SOCIAL MEDIA

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Book Review: Your Book of Shadows: How to Write Your Own Magical Spells by Patricia J. Telesco

Book Review: Your Book of Shadows: How to Write Your Own Magical Spells by Patricia J. Telesco

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
 
It is not an understatement to say I have been busy. Thankfully this is the last week of school until 2017, although it is finals week.; stressful for everyone involved. Despite all this, I managed to find time to sit down and read for the first time in months There is nothing quite like reading, and I need to find more time to do what I love. I just finished up Patricia J. Telesco's book Your Book of Shadows: How to Write Your Own Magical Spells. I liked this book and I didn't. As always, let's start with what I DIDN'T like.

First of all, this book is very basic. Most of the information covered is basic Wiccan practices, which is fine if you are new to the craft and/or Wiccan. I was also hoping for something...more. While this book definitely explains how to make a BOS, I was hoping to work through more tasks with the author; a workbook if you will. Furthermore, some sections and details were out-of-date. This book was written in the late 90's and has obviously not been revised since. With some updating, the book would be more appropriate for today.

So what did I like? Well, the first chapter has some really wonderful ideas on how to set up a BOS, suggested mediums, how to make and scent paper, and how to align creating your BOS with the moon phases. I really enjoyed this section, and it provided me with the inspiration I needed to start work on my own miniseries on creating your BOS/grimoire. Furthermore, I enjoyed her discussion of different section ideas. This helped me organize my own grimoire and, again, gave me some fresh ideas. The correspondences were a great refresher and her constant reminder to add, research, and cross-reference material was well worth rereading.

Overall I gave this book three stars because 1) it is Wicca and I am not Wiccan 2) it is very elementary/basic, but 3) contains some information that is worth reading. The first chapter is really the best part of the book and the only part I found useful. However, if you are looking at creating a BOS/grimoire and introducing yourself to Wicca/Witchcraft, then this book would be perfect for you. If you are an experienced witch like myself, you will find the bulk of the book is not worth it unless you need a refresher.

So, have you read anything great lately? I would love to hear about it and add to my ever-expanding library!

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