Reviews

Witch in the Neighborhood

Witch in the Neighborhood
Lady Isis Rose, Alexandrian Archives , 2008

3/5 Broomsticks 

The first look at Witch in the Neighborhood by Lady Isis Rose promises a fun read. Illustrated by Sabrina, the Ink Witch, these ninety pages offer a primer for beginning witches and a gentle reminder for those more accomplished, that witchcraft isn’t something you do, it’s the way you live.

Sections include, “Merry Meet,“ “Making A Beginning or Creating A New World One Neighborhood at a Time,” “What’s in Your Wicca Basket?,” “A Cauldron of Festivities,” and “Merry Part Until We Merry Meet Again.”

Lady Isis Rose introduces the book as her solution to the demise of the tight-knit neighborhood communities of old. She leaves no excuse for not becoming involved in your community if you happen to be in the broom closet. “You can be a slightly eccentric person who is the most interesting thing about your neighborhood.”

From putting a Witchy spin on the Welcome Wagon of our mothers’ and grandmothers’ day and mindful ways for getting to know your neighborhood to accepting the mantle of your gift by acting as healer, wise woman, gardener, environmentalist, historian, hostess, chef, librarian, decorator, artist, counselor, priestess and sorceress among your neighbors, there is no shortage of methods offered to help Witches walk the talk.

From her cauldron of festivities she brews up simple ways to honor and celebrate the seasons of the wheel by drawing on the commonalities shared with other faith-based observances.

I especially appreciate her suggestions for hosting a Bardic Circle during the Yule season. This time of year more than any other puts a good deal of pressure on many families. A night of food, beverage and the simple entertainment of poems, stories, song, dance, juggling or any other amusement one can conjure (and a night sans gifts) would surely be a welcome respite for all.

If you are new to Witchcraft and Wicca, this book will get you started on the right path by making the practice of your beliefs part of your daily life. If you are long in the tooth, it might be just the spark you need to reenergize your daily practice and bring you in closer connection to the world right outside your own door.

Witches&Pagans #24 - Heathen & Northern Traditions


 

 

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