If you have read the website for any time at all, or follow me on social media, you know that I am a lady that loves to eat and drink. I love it even more when my website enables my vice! Entering from stage right is, “Witchcraft Cocktails: 70 Seasonal Drinks Infused with Magic & Ritual” by Julia Halina Hadas. That is right, witchy shit meets booze. I am here for it.
“Witchcraft Cocktails” is a beautiful blend of bartending and witchcraft. Hadas does an excellent job giving the reader bartending 101. She provides an overview of spirits, bar tools, and techniques. You can become a competent home bartender with everything provided. This is followed with a nice witchcraft overview. It is hard to take such a vast and diverse topic such as witchcraft and boil it down to a manageable introduction. Hadas does an admirable job of covering basics enough to provide the reader with the knowledge they need to get the most of out of the cocktail recipes provided.
Since we are dealing with witches, the cocktail recipes that follow are divided up by season. They range from new versions of classics and some original recipes. I drink a lot of cocktails, but I am not an expert! But let’s answer the question you all have; did I make a drink out of the book? Of course!
Although an enthusiastic consumer of food and drink, I’m also lazy. So, I chose a cocktail that merely required some juice purchases, the Revitalizing Tequila Sunrise. And while on the topic of laziness, “Witchcraft Cocktails” has a recipe to make your own grenadine, which I skipped and used my store bought. According to Hadas, “Blending the rejuvenating agave plant spirit of tequila, the brightness of lemon, and fresh, smile-inducing orange, this cocktail will put a pep in your step.” (Just remember with tequila, you may first have a pep in your step, but if you over imbibe it will put you down.) This recipe evokes the energies of youth, creativity, and purification. Each recipe includes a way to amp up its effectiveness. In the case of the Revitalizing Tequila Sunrise she suggests having citrine in hand while enjoying the cocktail. (Believe it or not, this crystal lover does not own any citrine.)
Full disclosure, I did not feel rejuvenated after drinking this. However, I did not use one lick of fresh juice in it, and it was still DELICIOUS. What is nice about “Witchcraft Cocktails” is that a drink can be as simple (me!) or complex as you want to make it.
If you are a practitioner of witchcraft that enjoys the occasional cocktail, or a cocktail drinker looking for a new perspective, “Witchcraft Cocktails” by Julia Halina Hadas is for you!
You can learn more here.
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Today we’re talking about “HooDoo Cleansing and Protection Magic” by Miss Aida. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I can now say Miss Aida has written a practical, accessible, and diverse book that anyone can use.
Hughes follows a pre-Celtic Druid tradition that has been passed down as an oral tradition. As such, he spends some time giving you background. He explains the three types of Druid; Craft Druid, Elemental Druid, and Intuitive Druid, which is the rarest. Hughes discusses the morality and belief system that he, and others of his tradition share. It is an interesting read, particularly since I have read a lot of books most would consider Druid-adjacent, but not focused on the whole of pre-Celtic Druid spiritual life.
For starters, it is 44 full-color cards featuring crystals! Pretty, pretty, crystals. However, there is more to this deck of cards than just full-color crystal porn. Lembo outlines that there are 11 Soul Purpose archetypes: Art, Building, Communication, Education, Entertainment, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Healing, Investigation, Justice, and Protection. Within those archetypes are 44 life paths. This deck is designed to help you understand yourself and your goals. Each card has a Soul Purpose, a life path, and a crystal, and affirmation to help support you.
At its heart, “The Vanishing Trial” is about Robert Katzberg’s life and times as a law student, clerk, federal prosecutor, and ultimately, a defense attorney for those accused of white-collar crimes. However, in telling his story, we learn a lot of the nuts and bolts of being an attorney, particularly a defense attorney. A cast of colorful characters populate “The Vanishing Trial” because we learn that a trial lawyer is not only intelligent, but also a showman. Katzberg’s recollections reveal the strengths, and flaws, in the federal legal system. It is a fast, fun read.
Full disclosure, I am not a fan of horses. It’s not like I actively hate them, I just don’t have that gushing adoration that so many people have for them. As a little girl, I never went through a “horse phase”. I didn’t even go crazy for unicorns until my late teens/early twenties when I learned more about them. (Specifically, that they could be beautiful killers. The murdering unicorns are the ONLY reason to watch the movie “Cabin in the Woods”.)
Each chapter features a horse drawn from a wonderfully curated collection of examples in religion, folklore, and history. After the example you will find a spell or ritual associated with or inspired by the example. The spells are clearly written and well thought out, being sure to list supplies at the start. And, if you’re a nerd like me, the BEST part is at the end of each chapter there is a list of additional resources! I don’t if it was the authors or the publisher who made the decision to do this, but I hope to see more books going forward contain this feature.
“The Green Witch’s Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Natural Magic” by Arin Murphy-Hiscock delivers. It. Is. Complete. Try as I might, and I’ve given it a LOT of thought, I cannot come up with any angle or component of grimoires that Murphy-Hiscock might have missed. The title says, “Green Witch” but let me say, unless you are a magic practitioner that actively hates nature, anyone can use this book.
We have got a fun book to discuss today! “Cinemastrology: The Movie-Lover’s Guide to the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars” by Stella Wonderly. In a world of overwhelming movie choices, thanks in no small part to the abundance of streaming services, “Cinemastrology” is here to help you use your Sun sign in deciding what to watch! See? I told you it was going to be fun!
As time goes on, more and more people view, and use, the tarot as tool for self-discovery as opposed to telling the future. With this progression, we’re seeing more decks that are designed to facilitate with that process. Monica Bodirsky has created just that sort of deck with “The Shadowland Tarot”.
In another creator’s hands, “The Shadowland Tarot” could be an alarming, or frightening experience. Fortunately, Bodirsky’s (who also illustrated the deck) shadows are playful, charming, and nothing to be feared. Her “Shadowlands” are populated by a colorful cast of characters that you’ll want to get to know better.
I’m 99% sure that I’ve stated this repeatedly on my site, and on social media, and in interviews, and I may have grabbed random people on the street to share this, but when it comes to compilation style books (encyclopedia, complete book of, compendium) there are two people I adore for it: Judika Illes and Sandra Kynes. And although it isn’t titled as an encyclopedia or compendium, there was no way I was not going to review “Magical Symbols and Alphabets: A Practitioner’s Guide to Spells, Rites, and History” by Sandra Kynes.