There is a lot to discuss when it comes to “American Brujeria: Modern Mexican American Folk Magic” by J. Allen Cross, so let’s get this out of the way….I LOVE the cover art for this book. LOVE. IT. I’ll be taking no further questions about this.
As authors and publishers become more concerned with issues such as inclusion and cultural appropriation, we’re seeing books become more careful in the handling of these issues. Cross goes to great lengths to explain his mixed ancestry and how that affected him and this book. He also explains how he decided to call his practice American Brujeria (with no accent over the I as in the Spanish language). Most importantly, Cross identifies appropriation. As a middle-aged white woman who practices what one could kindly call an “eclectic” style of witchcraft/spirituality, I appreciated hearing some easy-to-understand dos and don’ts of being respectful.
“American Brujeria” combines research with interviews Cross did in Mexican communities, what he finds is a blend of Catholicism and folk magic. When you’re done with this book, you’ll know a lot about Saints, church supplies, Vicks VapoRub, baths, protection magic, and just so much more. It’s a great exploration of magic and Mexican culture. My review isn’t doing justice to this important work, you need to trust me on this, it is a good book.
You can learn more here.
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As the pandemic continues to affect the global economy, Christian History magazine dedicates its latest issue to exploring how Christians have influenced economic life. In this issue, Christian History examines how, in past centuries, individuals and church leaders founded financial and trading institutions that are essential industries and taken for granted today. As contained in Biblical accounts, Christians found a higher purpose in the market and influenced complexities that define the world’s marketplace and global economies. (from their press release)
Considering how great “Witch’s Wheel of the Year” was, I should have known that Mankey wouldn’t just phone it in for “Llewellyn’s Little Book of Yule”. What I wasn’t prepared for was the sheer abundance of enthusiasm Mankey for all things winter holiday. Normally I don’t look at reviews or ratings for books I plan on reviewing, but I couldn’t help but notice that many readers were disappointed in the lack of laser focus on Yule. I suppose it’s a fair criticism, considering the title is “Llewellyn’s Little Book of YULE”, however, what some found a weakness I found a strength. Just like in “Witch’s Wheel of the Year”, Mankey is effortlessly inclusive, working to make sure all holidays from right after American Thanksgiving through the New Year. In a world of overlapping religions and traditions, “Llewellyn’s Little Book of Yule” does an excellent job guiding you in ways to incorporate as many, or as few, observances as you wish.
Today we are talking about an academic work exploring the Byzantine empire that is an accessible read and incredibly relevant for today. “Byzantine Intersectionality: Sexuality, Gender, & Race in the Middle Ages” by Roland Betancourt is an eye-opening, thought provoking work.
As pro-life evangelicals, we disagree with Vice President Biden and the Democratic platform on the issue of abortion. But we believe a biblically shaped commitment to the sanctity of human life compels us to a consistent ethic of life that affirms the sanctity of human life from beginning to end.
“The Pagan Book of the Dead” explores the afterlife from a variety of cultures and sources and how it evolved. Medieval Christian depictions of the afterlife were apparently the English-speaking world’s first torture porn. I have trouble handling horror (movies or books) and dude, the crazy ways a soul could be tortured was/is messed up! Rarely did I see anything about heaven, occasionally I would read about forgiveness, but primarily, that afterlife is all about torture. And although medieval Christianity takes the taco for discussing afterlife as primarily torture, they don’t own the exclusive rights to unhappily ever afters. In fact, one of the biggest features of “The Pagan Book of the Dead” is that unlike most of Lecouteux’s books, which focus on English, French, and German texts, this book also has texts from Arab countries, Nicaragua, and Asia. Believe me, they can be just as judgmental and punitive.
If you’ve been a reader of The Magical Buffet for any time at all, you know that I am a lady that LOVES herself some Claude Lecouteux. He has written numerous books about medieval beliefs and magic (many that have been reviewed on this website!). This time he, and his co-editor Corinne Lecouteux, are exploring the various realms of the medieval world with “Travels to the Otherworld and Other Fantastic Realms.”
Travelers’ tales open up an unusual world for us; they allow us to discover mythic geography and meet people from the far ends of the earth. In its own way, each tale reflects the reactions of the human being when faced with the unknown. The letters of Alexander of Macedonia to his mother Olympias and his teacher Aristotle are a perfect example of this. Out of these letters emerge alarming creatures of unparalleled strangeness.
According to Christian History, this issue “features a collection of in-depth articles chronicling how the Scientific Revolution, that unfolded in Europe between 1550-1700 in Christians founded universities, laid the groundwork for modern science. Over the past twenty centuries, followers of Christ pursued scientific and technological innovation with Christian motives and understandings, that were both productive and controversial.”
Faith divided: How one faith became two—and how their conflict began by Eliza Rosenberg, postdoctoral teaching fellow in world religions at Utah State University
Throughout the years I’ve reviewed many books about plants; herbalism, growing them, trees, culinary herbs, and many more perspectives. However, recently I was approached about the opportunity to review a book about plants written from a unique perspective, the Bible. “In the Garden: An Illustrated Guide to the Plants of the Bible” discusses trees and shrubs, edible plants, medicinal and aromatic plants, and flowers from the Old Testaments and New Testaments.