Backwoods Witchcraft - Elaine
Witch Body - Kelly M.
Good Juju - The Were-Owl
Stay tuned for the next round of October fun, which will pop up at some point tomorrow!
I'm not sure why, but there often seems to come a point each October where everything around me seems to vibrating in a frenetic symphony of breathtaking beauty, busyness, and strangeness. It feels as if at any moment all the whirling pieces are going to tumble to the floor in exhaustion. I'm surrounded by people who are battling their first cold virus of the dark season, my computer and wifi have been outright testy, the contact gadget on the blogging platform I use here has packed it in and doesn't seem to be interested in being re-installed, and I'm only managing to sleep in two or three hour increments. I'm picking up phantom scents, messages are sailing in from the beyond, and my readings and rituals have been exceptionally clear and effective. The lights in my home have been flickering and though I'm calling an electrician friend to take a look, I half suspect that the culprit is simply the spirited energy whirling around at this time of year.
Despite the weird-and-weary-ness, this month is the best taste of the season. October is the deep breath of fiery exquisiteness after the bright greens of summer faded to oceans of parched beige grasses and dull, dusty hills. September teased us with a fresh tide, but it is the colourful flags that October flies, barking and popping in the blustery winds, that make autumn extra special. The full moon last week was howl-worthy. The stars, on the nights that aren't cloaked in mist or clouds of woodsmoke hovering over my little town, are extra bright in the crisp air. The sounds of geese are fading, most of them having flown to warmer climes, and now we hear the questioning call of owls and the yipping echoes of the coyotes.
October is wild magic.
This next giveaway is about cultivating your own practice, and conjuring your own meaningful relationship with magic. It's about where you came from, what you've learned along the way, and the varied paths you explore as you experience the world. I have three books that look at personal magical practice from very different viewpoints, and I think there is something here for everyone.
First up is the wonderful Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic From Appalachia, by Jake Richards. Jake takes us on a tour of his roots, and the stories and ancestors that helped him form his practice. This is southern conjure territory, so if you shy away from dirt, bones, psalms, or fortune telling, then you might want to choose another book from the stack. (Though I think you'd be missing out on some good tales and fine charms, if you did.)
From the publisher:
In Backwoods Witchcraft, Jake Richards offers up a folksy stew of family stories, lore, omens, rituals, and conjure crafts that he learned from his great-grandmother, his grandmother, and his grandfather, a Baptist minister who Jake remembers could “rid someone of a fever with an egg or stop up the blood in a wound.” The witchcraft practiced in Appalachia is very much a folk magic of place, a tradition that honors the seen and unseen beings that inhabit the land as well as the soil, roots, and plant life.
The materials and tools used in Appalachia witchcraft are readily available from the land. This “grounded approach” will be of keen interest to witches and conjure folk regardless of where they live. Readers will be guided in how to build relationships with the spirits and other beings that dwell around them and how to use the materials and tools that are readily available on the land where one lives.
Next up is Good Juju: Mojos, Rites & Practices for the Magical Soul, by Najah Lightfoot. Najah has an impressive and varied background of magical experience and she shares myriad ways you can create meaningful rituals and practices for yourself.
From the publisher:
Learn to better express your spirituality and build up your magical practice with this book's powerful spells, rituals, and tools. Designed to help you navigate whatever ups and downs life throws your way, Good Juju is your perfect choice for learning to embrace nature, the old ways, and the magick all around you.
Using simple practices that don't interfere with any religions, Good Juju helps you lay a foundation for daily ritual work. You'll also learn how to craft mojos, create and work with altars, tune in to your intuition, and much more. Author Najah Lightfoot guides you in keeping your mind, body, and spirit strong as you discover your magical work and align with your higher power.
I'm entirely enchanted by this next book, Witchbody, by Sabrina Scott. The graphic tome is actually Scott's masters thesis, and is not only beautiful to behold but is a wild treat for your brain to wrap its tendrils around. I ponder something new each time I flip through this book. I wish I'd bought one of her original risograph printings when I first discovered Witchbody a few years ago, but I'm immensely glad that the good folks at Weiser picked up Sabrina's work and printed it for all of us to enjoy.
From Sabrina:
A RAMBLING & POETIC AUTOETHNOGRAPHY OF WESTERN OCCULT MAGIC AS A PATHWAY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING ADVOCACY
The first graphic novel of its kind, Witchbody is a meandering synthesis of autoethnography, magic theory, and philosophical speculation. It is full of wonder at what it can mean to learn and teach and change and grow in this world which belongs to all of us: you, me, plants, trees, coffee cups and garbage bins. What can it mean to be a witch today, in the city?
Thank you so much to everyone who has been playing along, leaving kind comments, and sharing my yearly October celebration of books, witchery, and wonder. It makes me grin so brightly that you come back around each year and seem to enjoy this merrymaking as much as I do. We aren't finished yet!
Legal Bits:
* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.
* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =
* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.
* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.
* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.
I have chosen all the books/cards featured this month myself. I have not been paid to feature a book, nor have I been asked to advertise for anyone. This giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by anyone other than Rue and Hyssop
* This giveaway (or "sweepstakes") is open to all residents of Canada, (exluding Quebec residents) the USA, Great Britain, Europe, South America, who are 18 years of age or older. This giveaway is void where prohitibited by law. Please be aware of the contest/sweepstakes laws in your area.
* Canadian residents will be subject to a skill testing question before being able to claim their prize (this is standard law in Canada). The skill testing question will be in a form similar to: 1 + 2 - 1 =
* This giveaway is not for profit and no purchase is necessary to enter.
* This giveaway is sponsored/administrated solely by this blog/blog author and is not affilitated with or sponsored by Blogger, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other entity, nor can they be held liable.
* By leaving a comment intending to enter into the draw for the giveaway (or "sweepstakes") you are knowingly agreeing to these rules/conditions.