The route of a Christian witch combines elements from both Christianity and witchcraft to create a unique spiritual path. **Christian witches** believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ and embrace **Christian values** such as love, compassion, and forgiveness. However, they also incorporate witchcraft into their practice, including **rituals, divination, and spellwork**. One of the main **challenges** for a Christian witch is the reconciliation of these two seemingly opposing belief systems. Christianity traditionally views witchcraft as a form of **evil and devil worship**. This can create internal conflict for those who resonate with both Christianity and witchcraft.
At the magical North Pole passengers will see 16 amusing and creatively-decorated buildings featuring Santa’s Workshop, Mrs. Claus’ Bakeshop, the "Naughty Kids' Coal Mine", the Reindeer Barn, Elf School and the “Ugly Sweater Factory” among others. Mrs. Claus and acrobatic elves will wave good-bye to Santa Claus as he boards the train for the return trip to Clarkdale. The man in the big red suit will interact with all the children and gift them with a little memento. At 1-hour in length, Verde Canyon Railroad's Magical Christmas Journey is an abbreviated trip from the train’s standard 4-hour excursion, making it a perfect Christmas trip for even the tiniest tot.
One very handy feature of the book is the test page at the back which you can use to test your colouring mediums on without ruining any of the images first, this is such a helpful feature and one that I wish was found in more colouring books. Starting November 24th , and running select nights through December 24th, guests will enjoy a bird s eye view of a magical holiday village and an illuminated adventure via a decorated train during very special nighttime runs.
This can create internal conflict for those who resonate with both Christianity and witchcraft. Nonetheless, many Christian witches argue that their practice is compatible with Christianity and that witchcraft can be a way to deepen their faith and connection to God. Christian witches often draw upon **biblical texts** and **archetypes** in their rituals.
The Magical Journey: A Colouring Book – A Review
Disclaimer – Please read this disclosure about my use of affiliate links which are contained within this post.
The Magical Journey: A Colouring Book is illustrated by Lizzie Mary Cullen and was published and very kindly sent to me to review by Penguin Books. This book is the third in Lizzie’s ‘Magical’ series but it’s the first title I’ve owned so I can’t make direct comparisons to the other books apart from saying that it’s the same size and format as her previous titles. This book is 25cm square, paperback with flexible card covers that have ¾ flaps which open out front and back to reveal black line drawn images which can be found within the book (these are fully colourable). The cover has a soft feel and has pastel coloured sections and silver foiling accents which make it look beautiful. The paper is bright white, lightly textured and medium thickness, I fully expected bleed through but there was none with my water-based pens and only the very lightest shadowing in a few places which is easily covered and won’t harm the reverse image. Pencils work well on this paper and I’ve been reliably informed that it’s the same paper as the previous two books so you can use all of the mediums you’ve used in her previous titles. The spine is glue and string bound and the images are borderless so a little of each is lost into the spine but I found it eased up very quickly and I was able to get into the book gutter fairly easily so this isn’t a major issue at all. The book contains 96 pages of double-sided illustrations which are a mixture of single and double-page spreads.
This book is exactly what the title states, a magical journey. Lizzie has been travelling around the world in order to garner inspiration for her illustrations and she has illustrated herself and a pug called Paddy travelling through the different countries she visited so the images are arranged into collections of destinations from specific countries. There is even a small treasure hunt through the book where you’re asked to find objects like chopsticks or surf boards (answers are shown in thumbnail images at the back of the book). Lizzie has a very unique illustration style which is quite daunting to look at as you try to work out where to start colouring but it’s worth persevering because these images look truly incredible when fully coloured, a quick google search of her previous book titles should provide plenty of inspiration if you’re stuck. There are very few straight lines in Lizzie’s work and most of her pictures are drawn as if seen through a fisheye lens or are warped in some way, the illustrations are all curvy and quite circular which takes a little getting used to but helpfully she’s added written titles which are subtly placed within each design to tell you where it’s of so you can have a quick google if it’s not somewhere you’re familiar with. Lizzie takes us to places within London, South America, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and the USA. She’s included illustrations of travel; objects; food; scenery and landscapes; buildings and landmarks; and animals and wildlife so it’s a real journey around the world!
In terms of mental health, this is a wonderful book for escapism, it takes you to far off places and helps you explore the world, even if you can’t leave your own home. The illustrations are quite tricky to identify at points which means you’ll probably want to stick to colouring this on your good days where your concentration is high so that you don’t inadvertently colour any bits in wrong. The line thickness varies from thin to medium in different illustrations but mainly sticks at the thin/medium weight. The intricacy and detail levels vary throughout from large open spaces to some very small sections, some pages have larger blockier illustrations and others have lots more component parts so there is a fair amount of variance which will adapt to your better and worse days of functioning. This book would suit those with moderate to good vision and fine motor control but by no means does it need to be perfect to enjoy it! Some of the pages have very large gaps around a centralised image and others have a double-page spread where the second half has been left with a large amount of space for you to be able to add your own illustrations or backgrounds if you wish but there are no written hints and the illustrations do look finished so there’s no obligation at all to add your own drawings or backgrounds unless you want to; only 5 single pages are drawn in this style so they’re easily ignored if you don’t like drawing. One very handy feature of the book is the test page at the back which you can use to test your colouring mediums on without ruining any of the images first, this is such a helpful feature and one that I wish was found in more colouring books! This book truly does take you on a magical journey around the world and offers great escapism. All of the images are of nature, scenery and landscapes and this is very calming, especially once you start colouring and have identified all of the sections.
I would highly recommend this book to people who are already fans of Lizzie’s work from her previous two colouring books, and to people who like to travel and want to colour their way around the world. Lizzie’s illustration style is quite daunting to start and does take some getting used to but do persevere, it looks incredible finished and is well worth the effort!
If you’re new to Lizzie’s work and would like to purchase her previous titles, they’re available here:
The Magical City
Amazon UK – The Magical City
Book Depository Worldwide – https://www.bookdepository.com/Magical-City-Lizzie-Mary-Cullen/9781405924092/?a_aid=colouringitmom
The Magical Christmas
Amazon UK – The Magical Christmas: A Colouring Book
Book Depository Worldwide – https://www.bookdepository.com/Magical-Christmas-Lizzie-Mary-Cullen/9781405925136/?a_aid=colouringitmom
The image below was coloured using Stabilo 68 Fibre-tip Pens.
To be sure, fun costumes and innovative props (I loved the extra tall jellyfish in the Little Mermaid portion of the show) are sure to capture the attention of the little ones, but the extraordinary figure skating is what really stood out. I can only imagine (from my own experience managing large numbers of young artists in a production) how difficult it is to coordinate dozens of ice skaters in such large, lavish, captivating production numbers. Disney on Ice's choreographical and technical genius somehow avoids collisions as the skaters communicate the mood of the stories with seemingly effortless panache. The most spectacular, technically difficult skating is reserved for the pairs numbers. Prince Eric and Ariel's jaw-dropping maneuvers in their pas de deux was breathtaking, particularly for the moms in the audience who were able to stop worrying that they would get dropped and instead get caught up in the magic.
They may use **prayers**, **psalms**, and **symbols** from the Christian tradition to invoke divine guidance and assistance. They also work with various **energies**, such as **candle magic** and **crystal healing**, to manifest their intentions and align with God's will. Some Christian witches even incorporate **Tarot cards**, **astrology**, and **herbalism** into their practice. In addition to individual rituals, Christian witches also engage in **community** and **worship** practices. They may gather in **circles**, **covens**, or **churches** to support and learn from one another. Group rituals often focus on **prayer**, **meditation**, and **celebrating** the cycles of nature and the Christian calendar, such as the **solstices** and **Easter**. Ultimately, the route of a Christian witch is a personal and individual path. Each Christian witch navigates their own spiritual journey, seeking to integrate their Christian faith with the practices and beliefs of witchcraft. By combining elements from both traditions, Christian witches strive to create a **holistic and authentic** expression of their spirituality..
Reviews for "Harnessing the power within: A Christian witch's guide to self-discovery."
1. John - 2 stars
I was really disappointed with "The Route of a Christian Witch". I was hoping for a unique perspective on spirituality, blending Christianity with witchcraft. However, the book lacked substance and failed to provide any meaningful insights or guidance. It felt more like a disjointed collection of personal anecdotes rather than a cohesive exploration of a Christian witch's path. I also found the author's writing style to be convoluted and hard to follow. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a serious exploration of the Christian witchcraft path.
2. Emily - 3 stars
"The Route of a Christian Witch" didn't live up to my expectations. While I appreciate the author's attempt to merge Christianity and witchcraft, I found the execution to be lacking. The book seemed to rely heavily on personal beliefs and experiences, without providing much historical or theological context. I was hoping for a more scholarly approach that would delve deep into the similarities between the two approaches and offer practical advice for practitioners. Unfortunately, this book fell short and left me wanting more.
3. Adam - 2 stars
I was intrigued by the concept of Christian witchcraft and picked up "The Route of a Christian Witch" with high hopes. However, I found the book to be confusing and disjointed. The author jumped from one topic to another without providing any clear structure or organization. It was hard to follow their train of thought, and I often found myself lost in a sea of spiritual jargon without any practical guidance. The book lacked a clear focus, and I was left feeling unsatisfied and confused about the potential of combining Christianity and witchcraft.