Posts

Showing posts from 2013

Book Review: Celtic Chakras by Elen Sentier

Image
I have to admit, I was skeptical about this book before I began reading it. The title suggests it’s yet another fluffy New Age volume that randomly and superficially connects the spiritual practices from one part of the world with those from another, with no real ‘meat’ to it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Celtic Chakras demonstrates that an amazing amount of information is hidden in the folklore and magical traditions of the West. No, the Celts, their predecessors and neighbors did not use the term 'chakras' but they were intimately familiar with the subtle energy system associated with the human body. This book takes the reader on a journey through this energy system, teaching how to approach and understand it through both explanation and meditative activities. It is obvious Ms. Sentier practices her subject and is intimately familiar with the workings, and dangers, of the body’s system of energy centers. She gives clear directions and warnings where appropr...

Book Review: A Deed Without a Name

Image
A Deed Without a Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft by Lee Morgan If you are interested in European traditional witchcraft (which is not the same as Wicca) this book is an excellent starting point. It bridges the gap between the scholarly study of Renaissance-era and earlier magical works and actual practice as it comes down to us through blurred and broken traditions. As author Lee Morgan writes, “To access what some people call the ‘tradition’ of witchcraft we need to first understand that witchcraft as we know it today is a myth. But this is not to say it doesn’t exist. The ‘nameless deed’ that lies behind that myth is part of the eternal nature of mankind. But it is also universally part of human nature to experience the divine and the transcendent through the conduit of myth.” Morgan addresses not only the better-known aspects of the Craft such as the Mark, fetches, hedge-riding, and ritual work but also the psychological and emotional implications of...