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Blame Jenett for this one

The Sacred Art Of Chant: Preparing To Practice - by Ana Hernandez
The way of song : a guide to freeing the voice, and sounding the spirit - by Shawna Carol
Widdershins - by Charles de Lint (this one was already on my list, but it can't hurt to put it up there again)

--Phae

Witchcraft: The Sixth Sense (Justine Glass)

Western Inner Workings (William G. Gray)
Seasonal Occult Rituals (William G. Gray)

Sacred Mask, Sacred Dance (Evan John Jones, Chas S. Clifton)


Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed (Doreen Valiente, Evan John Jones)

That is all (for now). :)

--Phae

At last a real post (aren't you excited?)!

When I last went to the bookstore, I picked up my copy of this years Witches Almanac. I was looking at other stuff in the Pagan/New Age section and came across the Witches All ... saw the engraving and just had to have it. ^_^

I love this book. I have only been buying the Almanac for the last three years or so, so this was a great way to see some of the bits that were included in previous editions. One of the sections that I found particularly thought provoking was in the article titled 'Mirror, Mirror'.

It talks about using mirrors for divination and astral projection, but it also mentions something I haven't seen other books on Witchcraft take on ... the idea of discovering your essence. The idea is to stand before a three panneled mirror and reguard yourself without emotion. See the differences between what you do see and what you ought to see (disreguarding the current fashions). Then, go through your wardrobe and get rid of all of the clothing that does not highlight your essence ... everything that doesn't show you how you feel you should look.

It also suggests changing hair styles, but I think that we might take this exercise a step further and add weight loss/gain to it as well. I know for a fact that there is a difference between who I see myself as and the person I see in the mirror. I think that this can be a great way to use the mirror as a tool for body image work rather than as the enemy.

I don't currently have a lot of mirrors in my house (and I don't have any three-panneled ones), but I think I can make a start with the bathroom mirror.

--Phae

I just finished reading 'Into the Green' by Charles de Lint ... for anyone who hasn't read it yet, I highly recommend it. In perusing through some messages on PW (the coherant ones, anyway, I tend to skip over the others), I got to thinking about the 'Wiccan' deities.

When I was studying with the coven last year, there was a lecture on the Wiccan god (I had come just after the one about the Goddess, I guess). About how he is has the qualities of a lot of gods ... of Dionysus, of the Green Man, of Cernunnos, the Oak King ... in the book (Into the Green), they called him the Summerlord. One who is in constant rivalry with his brother, the Winterlord ... or as we know him on this side of fantasy, the Holly King.

The stories about the Oak and Holly Kings have always held an attraction for me. Sitting here, I can look out onto my balcony and see my two trees ... oak and holly ... sitting in their pots right next to eachother. The oak is a full season older than the holly, but the little evergreen is rapidly catching up.

I think that the time has come to spend some time in contemplation of the two year kings. Also, I believe that my little kings out on the balcony could use a drink ~_^

--Phae

So, I am amalgamating all of my book lists together ... Jet's, Pagan History, and Feri ... along with a few that I am just dying to have because I love Witchy Crafts ~_^

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--Phae