Dining Out

"Mother Nature's Herbal" is One Bad Mother!

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:42:04 -0500

Those of you who know me, know that nature and I do not get along. I am allergic to just about anything that grows: trees, flowers, grass, and hair on all the cuddliest of pets. This may cause you to ask, why in the world would I ask to review “Mother Nature’s Herbal” by Judith Griffin. Easy, I never developed any food allergies and this girl loves to eat! I was excited to learn what things I ate and drank that may already be beneficial and if there were any other yummy options out there to try.

Well “Mother Nature’s Herbal” met, and exceeded, my expectations. After being out of print for nearly ten years, I can understand why it has been brought back. Firstly, the book is a visual dream. The cover has a beautiful aged Victorian appearance, and there are delightful vintage illustrations throughout. Enough about the visuals though, because books are to be read!

This book is insanely thorough. I’ve read my fair share of “herbals” before, and the amount of information here buries all of them combined. Section one is entitled “A Cultural Herbal” and man she isn’t kidding around! Native American, Mayan, colonial America, medieval era, Indian, Oriental, Mediterranean, and other cultures are all represented here. Unlike other books, Griffin doesn’t just give you a list and move on. Each chapter gives you a lesson in the culture and history of herbal use of the region, along with the author’s personal experiences of learning and working with the herbs. In addition, the big pay off for me…recipes! For instance, want to know how to make a colonial Thanksgiving turkey, pesto genovese, or paneer? Then buy this book! Now, not only can I justify my love of Indian food because of its herbal health benefits, I can try making some of my favorite dishes!

The second section of “Mother Nature’s Herbal” is “Grow and Use Your Own Herbs”. Not being the hands in the earth kind of gal, this part wasn’t nearly as exciting. That said, it was detailed, but written plainly enough, that even a indoors gal like myself could clearly understand how to grow a garden. Griffin covers just about anything you may want to know: how to grow your herbs organically, landscape plans for themed herb gardens, using old roses, and so much more.

After that, she advises you on what to do with your herbal harvests, such as herb vinegars, no salt herbal blends, teas, and again, much more. There is also a section devoted to the use of essential oils and flower essences that you may make out of your harvest. There’s even a growing guide, nutrient guide, and purchasing guide in the appendices.

“Mother Nature’s Herbal” is a fabulous resource, whether you’re a gardener, or just someone who likes to learn more about the food you eat.

A Goodly Review

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:26:29 -0500

“The Goodly Spellbook: Olde Spells for Modern Problems” should be required reading for anyone even considering studying magic. End of review. Seriously, I have read my fair share of books examining magical systems, schools, or spells, and none have impressed and inspired me as much as this book. I haven’t been this thankful for a book since “Magick for Beginners” by J.H. Brennan, and since that one is getting hard to come by, I’m extra glad to have a new book to recommend to any interested in magic. Now that you all know I LOVE this book, let me tell you why.

“The Goodly Spellbook” is written by Lady Passion and *Diuvei, who are High Priestess and High Priest of Coven Oldenwilde. Those of you who have been with The Magical Buffet since the beginning are no strangers to these names. Coven Oldenwilde was the first organization we profiled in issue one. In the very next issue Lady Passion wrote an article called, “THE WILD, WITCHY RIDE: How to Create and Conduct Elaborate, Popular, Public Sabbats”. I knew that Coven Oldenwilde was a special group and that Lady Passion was a gifted writer, I expected an interesting read, but instead was blown away. I started reading the preface of the newly released paperback, which was fine, but then on page 17 I read this line and knew I was about to read something extraordinary. “Magic is an authentic spiritual practice, best used in tandem with medical, legal, and other reasonable measures.” This sentence may seem mundane to some, but any who have read books about magic know that this level of intelligence and rationale are rarely exhibited.

In my opinion the book’s title is not adequate. “The Goodly Spellbook” sounds like it’s just a bunch of spells. A book of lists. This is not the case. The book is divided into 3 parts, scope, skills, and spells. The scope section is equal parts history, philosophy, and ethics. If everyone knew that all practitioners of magic followed the ethics laid out in this book, no one would fear magicians. Moreover, before all you haters out there get started, the Wiccan Rede is not printed in this text. So no fluffy bunny comments are allowed.

The skill section is a collection of everything you could ever need to know. A person could devote their whole life to the study of just what is in this skill section, never opening another book. “The Goodly Spellbook” covers correspondences, scrying, geomancy, chants, charms, magical alphabets, mystical dance, knot magic, and tons more!

Finally, the spell section has roughly 92 different spells for review. Each spell is described in detail, including variations, spell origin, timing, ingredients, recommended ambiance, and a section devoted to the magical theory behind the spell. For once, reading from a published spellbook is engaging.

It’s not just flash, there is real substance. Any leaders of a Coven could write a book about their unique practices, but “The Goodly Spellbook” not only discusses Coven Oldenwilde’s use of magic but also is thoroughly researched. The book is littered with footnotes that attribute a multitude of sources, and the bibliography, which is handily divided up by section (scope, skills, spells), is an impressive reading list, filled with respected classics and new interpretations.

Technically, I ended the review in the first paragraph, but for those of you here at the end, take this to heart, if you want to know what all magical practices should aspire to be, read “The Goodly Spellbook”. End of review, this time I mean it.

A Service for Spirits: Spoiler Alert! I Liked It!

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 08:01:14 -0500

Sweet! Ancestor worship is back! Seriously, I have always had an interest in cultures and religions that instead of fearing death and the specter of those who have died, revere those loved ones who have passed on. Unfortunately, most of the Western world is scared of those ideas and suspicious of those who embrace ancestor worship. That’s where Matthew Ikonen comes in with his book “A Service for Spirits: Book One of Three Worlds Shamanism”.

This book is an exploration of a single ceremony, but don’t let that underwhelm you, if Ikonen had gone further it would have been too much information at once. In my incredibly undereducated opinion, this ceremony is an excellent blend of the pageantry of Haitian Voodoo tempered with more familiar feel good touches of modern Wicca….with a splash of pop culture thrown in just to make you smile.

In the incredibly entertaining introduction Ikonen let’s the reader in on a little bit of his past, that of course informs the piece you’re about to read. He also reminds us that although ancestor worship is frowned upon by modern Christianity, that in Mexico and Latin America Catholicism and ancestor worship mingle peacefully. In other words, there are good Christians, just south of the border, who honor their ancestors along with the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Better still, Ikonen brings into focus the mystical traditions to be found in Christianity, summing it up with what may be my favorite line of all time, “I’ve often been asked who the most powerful magicians are in the world, and my response has always been ‘Latino Grandmothers. Don’t piss them off; if she starts lighting candles and praying the rosary you better watch your ass!’”

You can find a free PDF of “A Service for Spirits” on the author’s website www.matthewikonen.com. With that you get the ceremony, which is an excellent read and I’m sure would be a great resource for those looking to explore ancestor worship. I encourage those who find the ceremony appealing to pay for the $7.00 version. Not only do you get the ceremony, but you also get, in my opinion, the best part, which is Ikonen breaking down the ceremony. In the second part of the $7.00 version he explains the symbolism of the ceremony, offers tips, and clearly details all the components involved. Anything worth doing, is worth doing right. If you decide to explore the ceremony or wish to incorporate parts of it into your practice, don’t mess around, get the complete text.

"Your Altar" Can Be Your Road Map

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:11:06 -0500

When you first start to read “Your Altar” by Sandra Kynes, you may feel a bit overwhelmed. If you’re like me, when you think of setting up an altar, particularly a home altar, you imagine a wonderful jumble of icons, mementos, crystals, and aromas. Set up solely to please the eye, with no deeper thought than that. Then you open up “Your Altar” and you find yourself going, what?! You want me to follow set ups?! Some so involved that I may want to chart them out?! Whatcha talkin’ about Sandra?

Then as you continue to read, you realize what’s going on. Sandra Kynes is providing us with a guide to exploring our relationship with our altar. She offers various game plans from approaching one-part altars (you know, altars with one thing) up to nine-part altars (you can guess the difference right?). I know, this still sounds complex and overwhelming, but once you settle in and surrender yourself to the book all becomes well.

“Your Altar” isn’t just a book about altars, although obviously it could have been. This is a book about symbolism, history, meditation, archetypes, and how all of that can be used to create your personal altar. Each altar set up is its own chapter, rich with details, charts, and diagrams all designed to help you determine what is right for you. Honestly, the book is so authoritative on matters of symbolism that I will probably add it to my stock of reference books that I go to when writing articles about symbols for The Magical Buffet magazine! This book isn’t a rulebook; it’s a guidebook. A map to your altar, if you will.

Before you start learning about different altar set ups Kynes talks about meditation. It’s a wonderful little introduction to the concept of meditation for someone new to the idea, and a nice reminder of how it should be approached for those familiar with the practice.

The first Appendix to the book gives a very brief overview of the history of altars. Obviously, I found this to be tremendously interesting and could’ve read a whole book just about this. Perhaps that will be Kynes next book. She follows that Appendix with a second one about preparing crystals and gemstones for use. A very helpful section that serves to remind us that you cannot just slap a quartz point down and call it a day.

“Your Altar” although at first may seem constrictive in the end can be a map to personal spiritual freedom.

The Thoth Companion: Reminding Me I'm a Fan Girl

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 17:31:10 -0500

In case you didn’t think the world of ceremonial magic was a complex tapestry, “The Thoth Companion” is here to set you straight. Every tarot deck deserves contemplation, a careful study of its symbolism and associations. However, when the rich world of tarot collides with the complex world of ceremonial magic, as it does in the Thoth tarot deck, a guide would be appreciated.

With that I present to you “The Thoth Companion” by Michael Osiris Snuffin. In the introduction he suggests that this book is not for beginners, and I would agree. Without some basic Golden Dawn or Thelema knowledge, the book may seem to be in another language. Although I’m fairly clueless when it comes to Crowley, I’m a bit of a Regardie fan girl, so I had enough knowledge to follow along.

This book is fantastic. I wish I could get someone to write as detailed a book about every tarot deck I like (although few decks are interesting enough to warrant this level of examination)! The book is divided into logical parts. First are the trump cards. Each card is discussed, and a photo of the card is provided. With each trump card the author lists the Hebrew letter, meaning, attribution, path, and connects. This has a lot to do with the Tree of Life, which is big in the ceremonial magic world. If you don’t know what the Tree of Life is that I’m talking about, you’re not ready for this book. Next section is the court cards. Again, detailed discussion of each card, and listed with the individual cards are elemental attribution, Zodiacal attribution, crest, symbols, key concepts. Finally, as far as card types go, there are the suit cards. As before, all the detailed discussion you could want, and for each card, Snuffin lists title, Qabalistic attribution, and Tetragrammaton attribution.

At the end of the book there is a small section about tarot divination. This offers advice to tarot readers and has examples of spreads. Most of what is discussed is fairly common in all tarot circles, and I feel the author made the correct choice in dedicating more time to examining the deck. There are dozens of books, and probably hundreds of websites, that can tell you about tarot reading, but until I read this book, I had never seen such a wonderful resource for a single deck.

The back has an appendix, with plenty of handy quick reference charts. There is also a bibliography that could serve any interested student well in learning all there is about ceremonial magic and tarot. It serves as a reminder to me that I am a fan girl when it comes to ceremonial magic, not a serious student.

To sum up, if you’re interested in ceremonial magic, such as Golden Dawn or Thelema, and/or you own the Thoth tarot deck this book is for you. This is a serious study of a single deck, so not for the casual tarot enthusiast.

Moon Tides, Soul Passages

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:19:26 -0500

Originally Published on 4/7/07.

Are you Wiccan? Are you interested in astrology? Are you interested in the moon? Are you interested in mythology?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then you should definitely purchase a copy of “Moon Tides, Soul Passages” by Maria Kay Simms. It bears the subtitle of “Your Astrological Cycles of Personal and Spiritual Development”, and in those regards boy does this book deliver. Thanks to the software that comes with the book Simms takes you on a guided tour of your spiritual life through the phases of the moon. Rich with mythology, filled with beautiful illustrations, “Moon Tides, Soul Passages” is written with a voice of authority that helps the uninitiated, like myself, weave their way through a budding understanding of astrology, the moon, and the women’s mysteries.

Although the book doesn’t clearly tell you to, I would highly suggest that once you purchase “Moon Tides, Soul Passages” you skip to Appendix 1 and load the disc into your computer. With a couple of clicks you can run a detailed chart for yourself that you can reference as you work your way through the text. Simms’ writing is intimate and personal, but it also resonates with experience and expertise. There are plenty of personal examples, mythological associations, and celebrity information to help keep you entertained. Lastly, Simms concludes with numerous well constructed rituals to help you bring the moon into your spiritual life.

In short, “Moon Tides, Soul Passages” is an entertaining, informative, and at the list price of $22.95 (including the software!) it’s a steal. I enjoyed this book greatly and encourage others to give it a try…you won’t be disappointed.

Really? Seriously?

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 07:15:46 -0500

It's hard for me to believe, but it's true...more people have expressed an interest in me reviewing their books. It began back in April when Starcrafts Publishing asked if I would like to review Maria Kay Simms book "Moon Tides, Soul Passages". At the time, we posted it to the Online Extras section of our website because we really had no better home for it. I had never done a review before, and honestly, we figured the odds of anyone asking me to do it again were pretty slim.

Enter the gigantic publishing juggernaut of Llewellyn. A few weeks back one of the publicists there wrote me a very nice email and to make a long story short...Rebecca is getting some review copies. I know! It's in the too weird to be true category, except that, well, it's true!

Suddenly Jim and I needed to figure out how to deal with the fact that there were going to be more reviews in the future. What you see now, is the end result of that discussion. We both like this blog format because it gives the reader a chance to offer their own opinion on the book as well.

I can't say how frequently there will be new stuff here. A lot of it depends on how frequently I get books to review and how long it takes for me to read them. I'm a lazy girl, but I refuse to write a review for a book I haven't read! Another factor is whether or not I liked the book. The Magical Buffet isn't about negativity, we follow the advice our mothers gave us, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." There will be no venomous reviews here. Sorry.

So, welcome to The Magical Buffet's latest experiment! Just for neatness, I will be posting my review of "Moon Tides, Soul Passages" here, even though it was reviewed months ago. That way all of my reviews will be together.

Also, if you're an author of a book and would like me to review you, just send me an email and we'll talk.

~Rebecca