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Book of Shadows: A Modern Woman's Journey into the Wisdom of Witchcraft and the Magic of the Goddess

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PORN WARNING
The Journey of a Priestess
Breath taking, Spiritual lifting book
Good, but I wanted more memoir
Insightful, poetic, powerful and just a wee bit scattered...

Book of Shadows: A Modern Woman's Journey into the Wisdom of Witchcraft and the Magic of the Goddess
Phyllis Curott
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767900553
Release Date: 1999-10-05

Book Description

Since Phyllis Currot first published Book of Shadows, the story of her spiritual journey and initiation as a High Priestess in the Wiccan community, Witchcraft has captured America's imagination as a theme for fiction, television shows, and films. Now America's highest-profile Witch returns to dispel more myths and misrepresentations of her faith, and to share a practical guide to the beautiful spiritual rituals and philosophies behind Wiccan tradition.

Rich with enchanting stories from Currot's own experiences and detailed advice for creating potions, working with Nature, and finding the Divine within, Witch Crafting is much more than just another superficial recipe book. Curott's unique guidebook integrates the inspiration of religious wisdom with sound, practical information. Witch Crafting reveals how to: incorporate Wiccan practices into your daily life; master the secret arts of effective spell casting; create sacred space and personal rituals; perform divinations for insight and success; and tap the magical power of altered states, such as dreaming meditation, prayer, and trance.

Perfect for beginners or seasoned practitioners, Witch Crafting is the ideal handbook for anyone seeking to unlock the divine power that makes real magic happen, and to experience the power and gifts of the universe more fully.

Customer Reviews:

PORN WARNING .......2006-10-11

I enjoyed the book. I was ready to buy the sequel. The book is excellent and is NOT porn but true stuff I believe. But the web site mentioned at the back of the book (web site is registered to Ms. Curott) is a pornography site. I contacted her publicist 5 months ago who said she would contact the web master. But after 5 months the web site still directs people to a porn site. Not good. And not good for wicca. Do NOT go to this web site mentioned in the book!
And MS CUROTT. - if you are out there - tell us that that website is NOT your will and that you are fighting it in courts or something! It's disgusting!

The Journey of a Priestess.......2006-08-02

'Book of Shadows' is Phyllis Curott's journey of initiation as a Priestess of the Goddess. By simply reading the introduction, you can tell that Curott's main goal was to prove that Wicca/Witchcraft (used interchangeably) is a valid spiritual path. Before her story begins, she includes a sort note telling the reader that the events have been slightly modified.
This had already started a bit of skepticism in me. How would one know what was reality and what had be made up?

Currot starts her journey as a student at Brown University. She meets a "White Witch" who convinces her to attend a women's gathering at a local metaphysical store. At this gathering, she met many women who called themselves "Witches" and three High
Priestesses, who spoke to her of a training program. At the same time, she started a job with an abusive ex-lover.

The book continues on describing her journey, including vivid descriptions of coven meetings and the sexual and emotional abuse by her boss. The plot is full of feminist themes, and it was clearly understandable. She describes how women have been abused through out history and even in the modern world. It was her goal to tap into her Inner Goddess and become both emotionally and spiritually liberated.

'Book of Shadows' is part testimonial, part Wicca book. The author goes into detail about what she saw, sensed, and felt throughout her journey, which makes the plot more interesting. On the other hand, this book is also jam packed with information about Wicca and paganism. At times, it seemed as if Wicca was the main focus of the book. At the same time, you would probably need a lot of background information to understand her story and experiences.

Currot's writing style flows and is easy to understand. I have to admit, this book was hard to put down once I started reading. Any reader can recognize that she most certainly has a gift for writing. At times, it seemed like I was reading a book of poetry. I think Phyllis Curott gave an accurate and needed portrayal of Witchcraft. Though it is extremely feminist, it is very understandable. 'Book of Shadows' was a rather interesting read. I'd recommend it widely, especially to Feminists and beginners of the Craft.

4.75 out of 5 Magick Wands!

Breath taking, Spiritual lifting book.......2006-07-15

This was one of the first spiritual books that I read. I fell in love with this book immediately just by looking at the front cover. This book really touched my heart and soul. It helped me find my spiritual path. I recommend this book to everyone. She is a wonderful author and woman.

Good, but I wanted more memoir.......2006-04-25

I really enjoyed this book. I'm a big fan of memoirs by "regular people" who have a strong interest in something unusual, and this definitely fits the bill. My only wish for the book was that the author had stuck to what she does best: describing her personal experiences and emotions in a vivid and lively way. Occassionally she wanders off into a little mini-lecture on Wicca and the "history of witchcraft" (which is of course a subject of some controversy) and when this happens, the book gets rather flat and dry. Better to leave off the educating and stick to the storytelling. Perhaps it is because I am already well-read on elementary Wicca that I found these diversions distracting, but I suspect that even if it was new to me I would have preferred to have Curott "show me" instead of "tell me." Overall a good read, though.

Insightful, poetic, powerful and just a wee bit scattered..........2006-02-02

The first thing to say about this book is that for the first time in a long time I found myself marking passages where Curott's poetic and melodic phrasing called to my heart and beautifully expressed complicated concepts. There is no doubt that Curott has a poet's heart - I certainly wouldn't hesitate to buy a book of poetry written by her.

The second thing to say about this book is that I completely understand the criticisms levelled at Curott from reviewers. The story is self-indulgent and very ego-centric. Obviously as a fictionalised autobiography (and when you think about it aren't most autobiographies at least partly fiction?) the book is designed to be ego-centric, but Curott is just a touch too self obsessed and self congratulatory.

Additionally, I also agree with some of the criticisms levelled at Curott's explanations of her experiences with the coven. Firstly, Curott continually drives in the point that she is "special" and was "chosen" by these women. This isn't how witchcraft and indeed how covens find members - self determination and personal responsibility is at the heart of every witch's life and these are two things that Curott glosses over.

Secondly, the characters in Curott's book are paper thin and basically a hodge podge of sterotypes - the old wise crone who loves Curott more than the other coven members; the lesbian couple who represent each the warrior and the mother; the friend in a bad domestic violence relationship; her lover the enigmatic Jake; the ex-lover and current boss who still wants Curott and won't take no for an answer. These characters are all "cardboard cut outs" and all basically exist to serve Curott.

I wish we could have seen more of her faults and her shadow side and less of the phrases "ivy league lawyer", "he said I was beautiful", "we have been waiting for you", "you're special", "I knew I was intelligent" and "I was working 15 hour days".

Witchcraft and Wicca has changed immensely since the late 70's and early 80's timeline that this book is situated in. Indeed readers might be surprised to know that Curott is in her 50's now.

The whole first person perspective the book is written in is vaguely successful, but it would have worked a lot better if Curott hadn't packed the entire book full of the knowledge and understanding she gained in the 20 years since the events of the book took place. The result is a weird dicotomy between a naive spiritual awakening and the knowledge gained through 20 years of practice. Sometimes the book is so stuffed with information that four or five pages are spent discussing myths and legends which while interesting, does not fit well with the novel like construction of the book.

Despite my criticisms I have given this book 4 stars because as I said - it has been a very long time since a book has moved me enough to record and preserve pearls of wisdom, passion, thought and belief from its pages.

Read this book, and read the workbook "Witchcrafting". You won't be sorry.

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A Blown Cover puts Jane Back on the Job
I couldn't put it down!
Love at first fight
implausible details
Good, but "begs the question" morally....

Shadow Woman (Jane Whitfield Novel)
Thomas Perry
Manufacturer: Ivy Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0804115397
Release Date: 1998-04-29

Amazon.com

When her latest client, a Las Vegas gaming executive who has lost the trust of his criminally-connected bosses, asks for help, Jane Whitefield gets him out of town with a spectacular display of casino magic. Then she keeps her promise, gives up her dangerous trade, marries her loyal doctor, and settles down to live peacefully in upstate New York. As if. Fifty pages into Thomas Perry's third book about Whitefield--who uses a mixture of her Seneca ancestors' wisdom and a lot of modern muscle and computer smarts to make people in danger disappear--her client screws up. Jane's highly developed code of honor makes her leave her bridal bed to rescue him from an eerily psychotic Los Angeles couple who use everything from sex games to attack dogs to track him down. Previous paperbacks in this first-rate series are Vanishing Act and Dance for the Dead.

Book Description

Jane Whitefield is a name to be whispered like a prayer. A shadow woman who rescues the helpless and the hunted when their enemies leave them no place to hide. Now with the bone-deep cunning of her Native American forebears, she arranges a vanishing act for Pete Hatcher, a Las Vegas gambling executive. It should be a piece of cake, but she doesn't yet know about Earl and Linda--professional destroyers who will cash in if Hatcher dies, killers who love to kill . . . slowly. From Vegas to upstate New York to the Rockies, the race between predator and prey slowly narrows until at last they share an intimacy broken only by death. . . .

Customer Reviews:

A Blown Cover puts Jane Back on the Job.......2003-10-10

Native American (she's part Seneca) Jane Whitefield has stopped guiding people in danger to safe locations because of a promise she made her husband Dr. Carey McKinnon, who thinks what she does is much too dangerous. But Pete Hatcher, a Las Vegas casino executive she helped disappear because his bosses thought he was about to blow the whistle on their illegal activities, calls for help. His ex-employers have set an assassination team on his trail and he's made a couple of foolish mistakes that blew his cover. Jane feels responsible for him and goes on one last job, promising her husband this will the last one.

This thriller ranks right up there with all of Mr. Perry's fine books. Five stars from me.

Reviewed by Vesta Irene

I couldn't put it down!.......2003-08-12

I enjoyed the first two books in the Jane Whitefield series, but this, the third, was even better. Jane has helped a client "disappear" and now she thinks she's going to stop helping people get away and settle down with her new husband. But the client, Pete, is being hunted by some very clever, very persistent bad guys, and Jane finds herself having to help him elude them yet again. Meanwhile, someone is trying to find Jane by getting to know her husband . . . It's a good book and Jane is a very likeable heroine. I highly recommend it.

Love at first fight.......2002-05-10

In the first few pages, Jane disables a very large bad guy in an elevator. He grabs her ankle as she exits (He's 'lying down.'). She says to him, "Think about it. Do you really want me alone with you in that elevator?" He lets go.

I'm in love.

Nobody outsmarts, outfights, or outlasts bad guys like Seneca adventurer Jane Whitefield. The first three books in Perry's wonderful series--Vanishing Act, Dance for the Dead, and this one--are the only books that can stand comparison to Tony Hillerman's "Navajo mysteries." And in some ways, Perry is the better writer. Don't miss these books.

implausible details.......2002-03-27

The book has a good story line, but is based on circumstances that just don't ring true. Who would take home a strange woman{a hit woman no less), give her a house key, his wife's clothes, allow her to make phone calls, search and bug his house, while he lies sleeping in the locked master bedroom? And the list goes on. Jane needs to shed that [individual] and get someone with a brain. I just didn't think the details supported the story line enough to make it believable.

Good, but "begs the question" morally...........2002-01-21

This is the second of the Jane Whitefield books I've read. They've both been exciting - real page-turners.

But I keep coming back to one question: How does Jane justify what she does morally? While I'm all for rooting for the underdog, the clients she takes on seldom seem like they're worth risking her life over.

Speaking of risking lives, several innocent bystanders get killed BECAUSE she's doing such a good job of hiding her clients. How is that justifiable? Why are the unspoken rules of her unique "profession" more important than the lives of others?

Book Description

After forming an intense bond with Natasha, a wolf cub she raised as part of her undergraduate research, Renée Askins was inspired to found the Wolf Fund. As head of this grassroots organization, she made it her goal to restore wolves to Yellowstone National Park, where they had been eradicated by man over seventy years before. Here, Askins recounts her courageous fifteen-year campaign, wrangling along the way with Western ranchers and their political allies in Washington, enduring death threats, and surviving the anguish of illegal wolf slayings to ensure that her dream of restoring Yellowstone’s ecological balance would one day be realized. Told in powerful, first-person narrative, Shadow Mountain is the awe-inspiring story of her mission and her impassioned meditation on our connection to the wild.

Riding in the Shadows of Saints: A Woman's Story of Motorcycling the Mormon Trail

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Riding in the Shadows of Saints: A Woman's Story of Motorcycling the Mormon Trail
Jana Richman
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Release Date: 2006-07-25

Book Description

Searching for Faith, Family, and Inner Peace on the Back of a Motorcycle

Between 1846 and 1866, about 50,000 Mormons traveled the Mormon trail, burying more than 6,000 of the faithful along the way. Four generations ago, seven of Jana Richman’s eight great-great grandmothers walked all or part of the 1,300-mile trek, from Nauvoo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River to Salt Lake City. Traveling on faith and little else, they endured unfathomable hardships—bitter cold, extreme heat, mud, icy river crossings, blizzards, buffalo stampedes, disease, hunger, and exhaustion—never stopping until they reached their promised land where they could be free to practice a religion that few outsiders understood and many violently condemned.

One hundred and fifty years later, Jana Richman packs maps and a laptop computer on the back of a motorcycle and follows the route of her ancestors, searching for the peace and faith the women before her carried with so much confidence. Jana also searches for a clearer understanding of how her devoutly Mormon mother is able to reconcile an independent spirit and enormous inner strength with her intense belief in a patriarchal institution.

Riding into the nation’s heartland, visiting graveyards, chatting with missionaries, and soaking in the rituals of the faith she so casually shrugged off as a teenager, Richman begins to unravel her family’s mysteries and confront her own long-held prejudices about the Mormon Church.

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Making Her Own Way
Another Great Story by Charlotte Vale Allen!

Claudia's Shadow
Charlotte Vale Allen
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Making Her Own Way.......2001-07-08

Rowena Graham inherits the home and restaurant of her sister Claudia after Claudia’s apparent suicide, but isn’t convinced that her sister would have committed suicide. Claudia quickly leaves behind her old life as head librarian after remodeling the house that hadn’t been changed since they were children. Claudia goes to work in the upscale restaurant, wears her sister’s expensive designer clothes and shoes and drives her Mercedes.

Rowena’s relationship with Claudia had always been turbulent; Claudia was unpredictable, self-centered and often cruel. After Rowena discovers Claudia’s habit of videotaping her ... antics with a string of lovers, Rowena is even more suspicious that one of the lovers might have been involved in her death. Claudia’s former therapist, with whom she claimed she had been having an affair, takes an interest in Rowena but she is reluctant to pursue the relationship with him and somewhat suspicious of his motives.

As the secrets, lies and distortions of her family life gradually unravel, Rowena is even more disturbed with her sister and deceased, alcoholic mother. Rowena had been made to feel for years that she was the plain, ugly unsuccessful sister. Her mother lied to the children for years about the disappearance of their father after the divorce when Rowena was 7.

The book explores the devastating effects of FAE – Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. With the support of some wonderful friends, Rowena starts to get her life back on track and eventually solves the mystery of Claudia’s death. As in other books by Charlotte Vale Allen, you feel you know the characters so well that they have become part of your family, and you are reluctant to leave them behind when the book ends.

Another Great Story by Charlotte Vale Allen!.......1999-06-30

I recently discovered Charlotte Vale Allen by reading "Illusions", one of her older novels. I become so deeply meshed in the story that I literally wept at the end. I was emotionally drained and in a daze! She has a way of getting inside a woman's psyche. You know in your soul that she is an expert on the subjects about which she writes. "Claudia's Shadow" follows the theme that you just never really know a person, not even your own sister. I was captivated until the very end. I highly recommend her books. I'm working my way through all them. I've not been disappointed yet and I'm on my seventh one!

Cast a Giant Shadow: The Inspirational Life Story of Sandy Allen "The World's Tallest Living Woman"

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Cast a Giant Shadow: The Inspirational Life Story of Sandy Allen "The World's Tallest Living Woman"
John Kleiman
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0759681058

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The Woman Who Owned the Shadows
Paula Gunn Allen
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The Woman in White (Silhouette Shadows, No. 50) (Silhouette Shadows, No 50)

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The Woman in White (Silhouette Shadows, No. 50) (Silhouette Shadows, No 50)
Jane Toombs
Manufacturer: Silhouette
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The woman in the shadow
Louis Joseph Vance
Manufacturer: J.B. Lippincott company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00085T1LQ

Book Description

1930. Vance, American screenwriter, short story writer and novelist, begins The Woman in the Shadow: Those were dark days at the chateau and dull, dark nights and long. The year was wearing out in moods of sadness unrelieved. As if the very elements took their tune from the despair of the people, the sun was chary of its shine, the skies wept with little rest, frosts came before their time. The girl Gisella, braving the weather daily for her walk or ride, grew used to trudging sodden leafy carpets and viewing the hills with their Autumn livery whipped to tatters and all their wild beauty dimmed by drifting silver veils; and sometimes pausing on an elevation, would rest for minutes, dreaming on those swaying shades and seeing them as prison walls, not less real because so wraithlike, walls of wan enchantment shutting away sunlight, youth, and laughter, and all the pleasant ways of yesterday. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

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The other woman's shadow,
Angela Selina Bianca St. Clair-Erskine Forbes
Manufacturer: E. Nash
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