Today I'm reviewing, The House Witch - Complete Guide to Creating a Magical Space with Rituals and Spells for Hearth and Home by Arin Murphy-Hiscock.
Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page
Release Date - 11/20/2018
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an atheist witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need for a deity. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 13 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts nearly 400,000 views.
I like to start out with a review of the physical book. This is a small book. It would easily fit in a handbag or tote to take with you when you're out and about. The cover is nicely printed and has a rough fabric feel. Both the front and back are illustrated and offer a nice hand feel. It offers a brief reference section with a short index and a quick list of basic color references as well as ingredients and supplies. The pages are nicely bound and the spine looks great on the shelf. The introduction is short and to the point. It tells what we're going to find within the pages of the book and is well written and easy to read.
To be such a small book, the chapters are packed full of information. I really enjoyed with the way the author broke down the book into well defined chapters and sections that provide a great deal of easy to understand information. Chapters such as A Place to Call Home and Your Spiritual Hearth open the door for the reader to fully understand just how much magic already lives in our sacred spaces. The home being one of the most sacred. I found the section on incorporating the ancestors to resonate the strongest with me and in my personal practice. The author provides the following, which I found extremely powerful.
One of the things I really liked about this book is that it does offer examples from across spiritual paths. In the section related to the history of the hearth cauldron the author gives examples from Welsh, Irish and Norse histories, however I felt that adding a bit here related to some other cultures would have made the book a bit more inclusive. I would love to see these types of connections made from other cultures such as South Africa or Ghana. The more we open ourselves up to magic around the world the more we can learn to relate to others outside our personal experiences.
I really enjoyed the section on household spirits. The author takes the reader through out the house and around the northern hemisphere. While a short book and I understand not all could be provided, I would have loved to see more here again from the southern regions of the planet. While much has been written about our witchy history from places like Scotland, Ireland and Norway; I would love to see more around other cultures as well. From the title, I did not take this was a book devoted to the way white cultures interact with magic. And seeing so many cultures left out was a bit of a disappointment. That being said, however, if you're looking for a book that pulls in deities, mythologies and magic from these northern regions this book is right up your alley.
Overall this is a good book related to hearth magic from a northern perspective. I found it useful in giving me some background on the European background of household magic. I do think that it is a good introductory book, however the reader really should look to other sources to enrich their practice with magic from around the world.
Supplemental Links
http://mentalfloss.com/article/61852/6-types-witches-around-world
https://www.languageconnections.com/blog/magic-witches-around-the-world/
https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-witches
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_(folk_magic)
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| Photo Credit - Book Cover |
Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page
Release Date - 11/20/2018
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an atheist witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need for a deity. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 13 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts nearly 400,000 views.
I like to start out with a review of the physical book. This is a small book. It would easily fit in a handbag or tote to take with you when you're out and about. The cover is nicely printed and has a rough fabric feel. Both the front and back are illustrated and offer a nice hand feel. It offers a brief reference section with a short index and a quick list of basic color references as well as ingredients and supplies. The pages are nicely bound and the spine looks great on the shelf. The introduction is short and to the point. It tells what we're going to find within the pages of the book and is well written and easy to read.
To be such a small book, the chapters are packed full of information. I really enjoyed with the way the author broke down the book into well defined chapters and sections that provide a great deal of easy to understand information. Chapters such as A Place to Call Home and Your Spiritual Hearth open the door for the reader to fully understand just how much magic already lives in our sacred spaces. The home being one of the most sacred. I found the section on incorporating the ancestors to resonate the strongest with me and in my personal practice. The author provides the following, which I found extremely powerful.
Ancestors, thank you for being here with me and my family.
Guide us daily and help us make the right decisions.
Be our strength and our comfort,
And help protect this home.
Thank you for your lives and your accomplishments.
Ancestors, we thank you.
One of the things I really liked about this book is that it does offer examples from across spiritual paths. In the section related to the history of the hearth cauldron the author gives examples from Welsh, Irish and Norse histories, however I felt that adding a bit here related to some other cultures would have made the book a bit more inclusive. I would love to see these types of connections made from other cultures such as South Africa or Ghana. The more we open ourselves up to magic around the world the more we can learn to relate to others outside our personal experiences.
I really enjoyed the section on household spirits. The author takes the reader through out the house and around the northern hemisphere. While a short book and I understand not all could be provided, I would have loved to see more here again from the southern regions of the planet. While much has been written about our witchy history from places like Scotland, Ireland and Norway; I would love to see more around other cultures as well. From the title, I did not take this was a book devoted to the way white cultures interact with magic. And seeing so many cultures left out was a bit of a disappointment. That being said, however, if you're looking for a book that pulls in deities, mythologies and magic from these northern regions this book is right up your alley.
Overall this is a good book related to hearth magic from a northern perspective. I found it useful in giving me some background on the European background of household magic. I do think that it is a good introductory book, however the reader really should look to other sources to enrich their practice with magic from around the world.
Supplemental Links
http://mentalfloss.com/article/61852/6-types-witches-around-world
https://www.languageconnections.com/blog/magic-witches-around-the-world/
https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-witches
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_(folk_magic)
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