Beat the witch drums The phrase "beat the witch drums" is a metaphorical expression that refers to actions or behaviors that symbolize protest, resistance, or defiance against an oppressive force or system. Witches have long been associated with magic, mystery, and power. By "beating the witch drums," individuals are essentially summoning their inner strength and courage to challenge and question authority. The symbolism behind beating the witch drums can be seen in various historical and cultural contexts. Throughout history, marginalized groups, such as women, ethnic minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community, have often faced discrimination and oppression. Within these communities, individuals have utilized different forms of activism, including protest, art, and storytelling, to challenge societal norms and fight for their rights.
This deck contains 78 cards, including 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana. Although the Major Arcana titles have been changed to reflect Green Witchcraft’s ideas and the original definitions of the cards, they have not been altered. The Major Arcana titles consist of: The Greenman; The Witch; The High Priestess; The Earth Mother; The Horned God and the High Priest; The Lady and also the Lord; The Battle Wagon, The Crone; The Holly King, The Wheel of the Year and The Standing Stone. The Oak King is The Lord of Shadows.
The Major Arcana titles consist of The Greenman; The Witch; The High Priestess; The Earth Mother; The Horned God and the High Priest; The Lady and also the Lord; The Battle Wagon, The Crone; The Holly King, The Wheel of the Year and The Standing Stone. While this box is suitable for storing the cards at home, it is too flimsy and too large to put into a bag or backpack without sustaining serious damage.
Within these communities, individuals have utilized different forms of activism, including protest, art, and storytelling, to challenge societal norms and fight for their rights. Beating the witch drums can manifest in different ways, depending on the situation and context. It can involve raising awareness through social media campaigns, organizing protests or demonstrations, creating art that challenges the status quo, or using one's voice and platform to speak out against injustice.
The Green Witch Tarot
Ann Moura is a long-time specialist on green witchery who has been writing books on the topic since 1996. She’s teamed up with artist Kiri Østergaard Leonard to create a tarot deck that targets people in this branch of the Craft. Green witchcraft promotes a strong relationship with nature, earth magic, elementals, and the immanent Goddess and God. The deck follows this theme with an emphasis on seasons, the eight sabbats, faerie lore, herbs, plants, animals, and the bounty of nature. Characters in the deck are displayed in the normal activities of daily life.
Moura elected to change the names of several Major Arcana cards to augment the deck’s theme: 0 – Greenman, 1 – Witch, 3 – The Earth Mother, 4 – The Horned God, 6 – The Lady and the Lord, 7 – The Battle Wagon, 8 – The Crone, 9 – The Holly King, 10 – The Wheel of the Year, 11 – The Standing Stone, 12 – The Oak King, 13 – The Lord of the Shadows, 14 – The Sidhe, 15 – Nature, 16 – The Wild Hunt, 20 – Harvest, and 21 – The World Tree. The trump card archetypes are similarly adjusted to reflect the deities and practices of green witches.
Card characters are accompanied by animals and plants that correlate with the card’s meanings. The suits are named for typical altar tools: pentacles, athames, wands, and chalices. The suits correspond to an element, cardinal direction, and a season. Knights can be male or female. Queens and Kings are older and more mature characters that represent an accumulation of power and authority in their suit element.
The accompanying book The Green Witch Tarot Companion begins with an overview. The cards are described in some depth with meanings, reversals, and a few keywords. The third chapter offers six tarot spreads to experiment with. The book is logically organized and will be easy for beginners to work with.
The cards have no borders, something that will please many readers! The imagery features detailed panoramic landscapes with great depth and some interior scenes to provide contrast. The color palette is warm and energetic with bright hues. Seasonal depictions help with timing. Most of the human figures are well rendered and successfully convey the card’s meaning.
Card images sometimes stray to a greater or lesser extent from the RWS canon. In the 5 of Wands, five people are standing around a fire conducting a ritual. Ants crawl along a branch in the foreground. The 7 of Chalices is an interior scene with a woman sitting at a table day-dreaming about the seven chalices before her. Faeries are fluttering around her head and there’s a butterfly near the chalices. A frond of Solomon Seal is visible in the corner. The Knight of Wands is a woman riding a horse along a dirt path that runs past fields ripe with wheat. Golden Seal grows at the edge of the field and a night hawk is soaring overhead. The Ace of Athames features a knife instead of a long sword. Beneath the knife are bright yellow dandelions. A mouse is climbing through the flowers.
The Major Arcana cards are more mythic and folkloric. Trump 4 – The Horned God features a handsome deity with deer horns surrounded by animals in a forest glade. It’s clear that nature is his primary venue as well as the source of his power. Trump 18 – The Moon is simply gorgeous. It features a night scene with a woman approaching a tree-encircled pond. A fish leaps as a gentle full moon glows overhead.
The only trump card I felt really didn’t work was Trump 20 – Harvest. It features a scene with a man standing behind a table covered with fresh produce. A woman standing near a cottage is in the background. There’s nothing wrong with the quality of the image, but it doesn’t capture the profoundly spiritual and karmic nature of the Judgment card. There are many possible mythic events and deity transformations that could have been chosen to give the card more oomph.
Nevertheless, this is a fine deck for any green witch or pagan. The deck and book do a great job of conveying the themes of the Craft. The cards can be integrated into rituals; the deities in the trump cards correlate with sabbats. The imagery of the more difficult cards is thoughtful and somewhat less threatening than decks in the RWS family. The Green Witch Tarot would be a lovely, thoughtful Yule gift to give this year.
~review by Elizabeth Hazel
Creator: Ann Moura, art by Kiri Østergaard Leonard
Llewellyn, 2015
boxed kit with 240-page book, deck, and non-custom unlabeled white box, $28.99
The images are somewhat whimsical, but not overly quaint and sentimental. The scenes depicted throughout the deck take place in an idealised world where magical doings and beings are both sacred and commonplace. All events are shown occurring in a pseudo-mediaeval world which allows both the artist and viewer some leeway with questionable historical details and factual inaccuracies.
The phrase also implies the importance of collective action and solidarity. When individuals come together and unite their voices, they can create a powerful force capable of effecting change. Just as the beat of a drum can bring people together and create a sense of rhythm and harmony, beating the witch drums represents a call for unity and collective resistance against oppression. In conclusion, "beat the witch drums" is a metaphorical expression symbolizing protest, resistance, and defiance against an oppressive force. This concept highlights the power of collective action and the importance of challenging societal norms and fighting for justice and equality. By beating the witch drums, individuals summon their inner strength and courage to challenge authority and demand change..
Reviews for "The Art of Sacred Drumming: Nurturing the Witch Within"
1. John - ★★☆☆☆
As someone who enjoys horror novels, I had high hopes for "Beat the witch drums." However, I found the plot to be weak and predictable. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult for me to invest in their experiences. Additionally, the pacing was slow, which made it hard to stay engaged in the story. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to other horror fans.
2. Lisa - ★☆☆☆☆
I couldn't even finish "Beat the witch drums." The writing style was unappealing and felt amateurish. The dialogue was forced, and the attempts at creating suspense fell flat. I found myself rolling my eyes at the predictable and cliché plot twists. The lack of character development made it impossible for me to connect with any of the protagonists, and I simply lost interest in the story halfway through. Save yourself the disappointment and look elsewhere for a good horror read.
3. Alex - ★★☆☆☆
While "Beat the witch drums" had an intriguing premise, the execution left much to be desired. The writing lacked finesse, and the descriptive passages were overly florid. The portrayal of the supernatural elements felt forced and inconsistent, creating more confusion than terror. The pacing was uneven, with long stretches of unnecessary exposition, and the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. Overall, I found this book to be a missed opportunity and would not recommend it to fellow horror enthusiasts.
4. Emily - ★★☆☆☆
"Beat the witch drums" had potential, but unfortunately, it failed to deliver. The characters were poorly developed, and I found it hard to sympathize or care about their fates. The horror elements were lackluster and lacked the necessary atmosphere to create tension. The plot meandered and lacked a clear direction, leading to a disjointed reading experience. I was left feeling underwhelmed by this book and wouldn't recommend it to anyone seeking a truly frightening read.