Traditional witchcraft books are a valuable resource for those interested in the practice and study of witchcraft. These books contain ancient knowledge, rituals, spells, and concepts that have been passed down through generations of practitioners. The study of traditional witchcraft involves understanding the history and folklore behind the craft, as well as delving into various techniques and traditions associated with it. Many traditional witchcraft books focus on the importance of connecting with nature and the spiritual realm. They often provide information on herbalism, divination techniques, and the use of magical tools. These books emphasize the idea of personal power and self-discovery, urging practitioners to explore their own intuition and inner wisdom.
These books emphasize the idea of personal power and self-discovery, urging practitioners to explore their own intuition and inner wisdom. One of the key aspects of traditional witchcraft is the practice of magic. Traditional witchcraft books often provide instructions on casting spells, creating charms, and performing rituals.
Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living
For the witch whose career confines them to an urban environment, regular Craft practice may often seem like a futile gesture, especially if home is a small, gardenless flat. Even the suburbs can be magically incapacitating, if there is constant noise from traffic and neighbours. People work long hours without having the opportunity to notice the subtle changing of the seasons. Weekends are a constant battle with family, domestic chores and socialising. It’s no wonder that the urban witch has little time left for magical and spiritual development.
Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living deals with the constant barrage of psychic problems that confront the urban witch on a daily basis. Based on the teachings of a traditional Craft background, the author successfully manages to blend the Old Ways with practical contemporary practice. This book is part of the Traditional Witchcraft Series. Other titles in the series are Traditional Witchcraft for the Seashore(Jan 2012), Traditional Witchcraft for Fields and Hedgerows (Mar 2012) and Traditional Witchcraft for the Woods and Forests (Mar 2012).
Reader Reviews
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TRADITIONAL WITCHCRAFT FOR URBAN LIVING and TRADITIONAL WITCHCRAFT FOR THE SEASHORE Melusine Draco (Moon Books/John Hunt Publishing Ltd www.moon-books.net £9.99/US$16.95 each 143pp and 149pp)
The author of these books was an initiate of the late Bob Clay-Egertons Coven of the Scales and she has been a practising occultist, magical teacher and writer on esoteric subjects for over twenty years. These two books are the first volumes in a series on modern traditional witchcraft for beginners.
Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living, as the title suggests, is a guide to being a witch today in a town or city environment and still connect to nature, the elemental forces and the land. The other book is for those who live near or often visit the coast and wish to magically commune with the sea and its energies. You will not find any Wiccan Rede or invocations to Cernunnos and Ceridwen here and the featured charms are mostly Christianised ones as traditionally found in historical witchcraft. Both of the books are written in a down-to-earth style with a refreshing commonsense approach and are rooted in the folk traditions and Old Ways of the British Isles.
The next two volumes on traditional witchcraft in the forest and on the field will be published in March by the same publisher.
Recommended. ~ Michael Howard, Editor- The Cauldron"This book is for the student of Traditional Witchcraft, not Wicca or other neo-pagan disciplines (although it is certainly useful for all). The distinction is thoroughly explained, much to the readers benefit. If youre tired of books filled with the usual neo-pagan fluff and are looking for something that gets "right down to it," this is the book for you.
It is accessible, well written, enjoyable, and often humorous. The common sense approach makes the reader the beneficiary of the authors many years of magical experience, and it quickly becomes obvious that she has already done a lot of the trial-and-error work that will save the reader/practitioner a lot of valuable time.
As the title suggests, it is for students and practitioners living in urban areas. Not only does it dispel the myth that one has to live in the middle of the forest to be a "real witch," but offers a lot of valuable advice for a successful practice while living in the city. The book is being republished as Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living, but the contents will be identical, so dont spend the extra money purchasing a used copy. A pleasure to read and a treasure of useful information and techniques!"
~ Chris Grabarkiewctz, Amazon reviewAdapt and thrive. That’s the message traditionally-trained Craft practitioner Draco has for readers. Rather than withdrawing to practice time-honored rituals in secret, she encourages modern witches to open their windows, explore their neighborhoods, put a pot of herbs on their kitchen window sills, light a candle, and summon their ingenuity.
Carefully distinguishing her practice from Wicca, she encourages modern witches to care less about worshipping nature with elaborate rituals, and to focus instead on developing a personal relationship with the physical environment. She thinks of herself as a caretaker, rather than a manipulator, of the natural world. There’s a lyrical quality to her writing which lifts the reader into the modern magical world she describes. She provides basic information about herbs, magic pouches, talismans, pagan holidays, spells, and pathworking. More importantly, this is a handbook for restoring sanity to an overcrowded and cramped urban lifestyle. The magic ingredients are creativity and fun. Consider displaying it with books about herbs, urban birdwatching, city parks, and Feng Shui.
~ Anna Jedrziewski, InannaWorks.com
With the number of books available nowadays that address the solitary practitioner, it’s surprising to see how very few of them focus on one concrete common fact – that most of us witches (or pagans) do not live in a small cottage in the countryside, surrounded by fairy-tale forests and herbs. That many of us live in flats, inside blocks, in the middle of the city. If you are lucky enough, you’ll have a small house with a garden. If you are even luckier – and your job allows you to do so – you’ll live in the suburbs. Even though most of the books mention that likely possibility, they do it in a rather ‘patronising’ way – IF one cannot go out to gather herbs, there’s the ‘possibility’ to use those in our kitchen. Personally I consider that that’s showing the reader that “it’s not very nice” but “it should work”, making him or her not appreciate what she’s using and regarding it as a “second hand element” (and we all know how important it is, for our practice, the feeling we put into something.) In Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living, Melusine Draco dedicates the whole of this small volume to address this situation. Mainly offering a useful way to develop our Craft practice in what she describes as “an hostile environment” – instead of just stating the obvious inconveniences that we have. The surprising bit is that she doesn’t achieve this through the seeking of ‘exceptions’, of ‘country-like’ places in the city – she encourages the witch to rediscover the city, to look into it, and to change her (or his) attitude rather than getting stressed by the daily noises coming from the street. In short, she encourages us to make the best of what we’ve got. She guides us to small places in our city or our own house that may have been overlooked. In each chapter she also offers a useful exercise related to the subject. For more read http://wiccanrede.org/2013/11/review-traditional-witchcraft-for-urban-living/ ~ Alder Lyncurium - Wiccan Rede, http://wiccanrede.org/2013/11/review-traditional-witchcraft-for-urban-living/
Have reached the magic 10+ customer reviews on both amazon sites for this title SR 18/9 ~ Customer reviews, amazon.com and amazon.co.uk
Soarsondragonson amazon 2014 I received this book from the publisher sometime at the end of December or the beginning of January, and I have to say that it was the best book on Paganism I have been handed to in a long time! I will more than gladly give this book 5 stars! Raymond Laroseon amazon January 2014 I think this book read very well - lots of interesting lore and facts making the life of an (sub)urban witch easier. Access to herbs, reconnecting with nature and so on. The writing is very pleasing to follow, no matter where you are from or where you live. This book is perfect for all! I actually live in a more rural area than the intention - but so much information applied to me and my style of the craft. And as far as the strictly urban information, it's perfect for when I travel to large cities! Very surprised by the 1 star review from someone because they "don't live on an island." This is an exceptional work. David D. Salisbury amazon September 2012 I don't often write reviews, but I very much enjoyed this book. We are coming into a time when more people are looking to Old Ways to support their spiritual and/or religious work. For the urban practitioner, it can feel limiting to not have access to hedges, forests, and lakes. Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living is a very practical approach to putting Old Craft practices to use. Witches need information on subjects like this, the challenge us to go beyond notions of what we perceive as limiting. Witchcraft accepts no limits and this work is proof of that. Claudia Loureiro goodreads March 2016 In Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living, Melusine Draco dedicates this small volume to address this situation. She offers a useful way to develop the Craft practice by stating the obvious inconveniences. The surprising bit is that she doesn't achieve this through the seeking of "exceptions", of "country-like" places in the city - she encourages the witch to rediscover the city, to look into it, and to change the attitude rather than getting stressed by the daily noises coming from the street. In short, she encourages everyone to make the best of what we've got. She guides us to small places in our city or our own house that may have been overlooked. In each chapter she also offers a useful exercise related to the subject. Plain, simple language and not boggled down in a lot of detail that is distracting and hard to follow. ~ Goodreads and , Amazon
This book offers a starting point for how to do this in a modern city environment. It is very much about my own kind of magic, the kind I try to write about in A Bad Witch's Blog – practical witchcraft for the real world. I recommend this book for any witch who is struggling to find their magical way in the big city.
~ Lucya Szachnowski/Starza, Badwitch
The author of these books was an initiate of the late Bob Clay-Egertons Coven of the Scales and she has been a practising occultist, magical teacher and writer on esoteric subjects for over twenty years. These two books are the first volumes in a series on modern traditional witchcraft for beginners.
These books may also discuss the use of symbols, sigils, and various correspondences in spellwork. Additionally, they may delve into the concept of energy manipulation and the role of the witch as a channel for divine forces. Traditional witchcraft books also shed light on the cultural and historical context of witchcraft. They explore the origins of witchcraft as a practice and the persecution of witches throughout history. Furthermore, these books discuss different perspectives and traditions within witchcraft, acknowledging that the craft varies across cultures and regions. In conclusion, traditional witchcraft books offer a wealth of knowledge and insight into the world of witchcraft. They provide guidance on various aspects of the craft, from rituals and spellwork to connecting with nature and understanding the history of witchcraft. These books serve as a valuable resource for those seeking to deepen their understanding and practice of traditional witchcraft..
Reviews for "Traditional Witchcraft in the Modern World: Recommended Books for Navigating the Path"
1. Sarah - 2/5 stars - As someone who was interested in learning more about traditional witchcraft, I found this book to be quite disappointing. The author seemed to focus more on personal anecdotes and opinions rather than providing factual information and practical guidance. It was frustrating to read through chapters that were filled with subjective interpretations and vague explanations. I was hoping for a more structured and informative guide that would help me understand the principles and practices of traditional witchcraft, but sadly this book fell short.
2. Mark - 1/5 stars - This book was a complete waste of my time and money. The author claimed to be an expert in traditional witchcraft, but I found their knowledge to be shallow and poorly researched. There were numerous inaccuracies and contradictory information throughout the book, leaving me confused and frustrated. It seemed like the author was more interested in promoting their own beliefs and agenda rather than providing a comprehensive guide. I would not recommend this book to anyone serious about learning traditional witchcraft.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars - While there were a few interesting tidbits in this book, overall, I found it to be lacking depth and substance. The author seemed more focused on glorifying traditional witchcraft rather than providing practical information that could be applied in real-life practice. The lack of clear instructions and guidance made it difficult for me to grasp the concepts and effectively incorporate them into my own spiritual journey. I'm sure this book may appeal to some with a casual interest, but if you're looking for a comprehensive guide on traditional witchcraft, I suggest looking elsewhere.
4. David - 2/5 stars - I was hoping to find a book that would offer a comprehensive overview of traditional witchcraft, but unfortunately, this wasn't it. The author seemed more interested in promoting their own unique perspective rather than providing a balanced representation of traditional practices. Additionally, the writing style was convoluted and difficult to follow at times, making it hard to absorb the information. I would recommend seeking out other sources if you're serious about delving into the world of traditional witchcraft.