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Ivory's Reviews > Witchery: Embrace the Witch Within
Witchery: Embrace the Witch Within
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by
In my quest to develop my understanding of witchcraft and different types of magic, I found myself drawn into the work of Juliet Diaz via her appearance on the witch wave; reading this book seemed like the natural next step to that progression. As I opened the book, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but I soon found out: it's literally exactly what it says it is.
I've been studying witchcraft for just over three years, but I haven't practiced in any way other than the occasional sigil. This book gave me the nudge I needed to get into the active practice of witchcraft, even if I didn't learn much new from it.
Diaz begins her book with an introduction, as most books on witchcraft, then with a ritual--this was new. The ritual in question was a simple one, requiring only the ingredients a practitioner may find in their kitchen (and perhaps some incense,) but it is marked as essential for activating the reader's connection with the knowledge in the book. I found this an incredibly good idea: so much of the time we find ourselves researching and researching and researching, but never actually doing. Perhaps it is the fear that we'll do something wrong, or simply the fact that it's something that we haven't done before; this was a great way to get over that first hurdle. After performing that ritual, I have found myself increasingly able and willing to do actual spells and to really engage with magic in a way that I haven't before.
This was the first of a series of strengths in the work that I found really supported young witches just coming into their practices. The book is well-written and enthusiastic, not getting bogged down in overly-complicated explanations or terminology, and does a good job of explaining the basic concepts behind witchcraft well, as well as suggesting basic exercises to get to grips with them in a practical way. I believe it was Kelly Ann-Maddox who spoke about the risks of becoming armchair-occultists; this book seems like the right foot to get off on to avoid that.
I also found, despite being familiar with most of the material presented, the rituals and spells offered to be extremely useful. Instead of declaring that there is only one spell for each intent, and listing all the exotic ingredients you need for it, Diaz offers a selection of different spells and rituals, all to the same end--some are more complex and require specific crystals and herbs, but others are simple, requiring only yourself and something to cleanse with. This makes the craft accessible to a new generation of witches in a way that many books previously haven't.
However, every book has its flaws, and Witchery is no exception. I have two main issues with the book.
One: I feel as if Diaz could've gone more into detail explaining the need for each component in the rituals and spells she offers. She does this with the tools for cleansing, however, it doesn't come up again. I had to ask myself if it would be okay to leave out a component to the earlier spell, something which could've been avoided had its significance been briefly summarised in the text. Of course, I understand why this was not done: it would require significantly more explanation than is perhaps appropriate in a book for beginners, though it still would've been majorly appreciated.
Two: Disclaimers. There is a small print legal disclaimer in the front of the book, but it would've been nice to have the standard 'herbal magic should not be substituted for regular medical care.' While I'd hope that it would be common sense for most people, I still worry.
Since most of my issues are "I'd love to hear more about why each of these things helps," I think what I'm really getting at is a desire for Diaz to write another book for higher level practitioners that really gets into the details of the practice. Of course, Diaz also has provided several sources of further exploration, so I'd assume it possible to find explanations there, though I shall miss her positive and welcoming writing style.
Overall, would definitely recommend for anyone new to the craft, but not as a definitive resource.
I've been studying witchcraft for just over three years, but I haven't practiced in any way other than the occasional sigil. This book gave me the nudge I needed to get into the active practice of witchcraft, even if I didn't learn much new from it.
Diaz begins her book with an introduction, as most books on witchcraft, then with a ritual--this was new. The ritual in question was a simple one, requiring only the ingredients a practitioner may find in their kitchen (and perhaps some incense,) but it is marked as essential for activating the reader's connection with the knowledge in the book. I found this an incredibly good idea: so much of the time we find ourselves researching and researching and researching, but never actually doing. Perhaps it is the fear that we'll do something wrong, or simply the fact that it's something that we haven't done before; this was a great way to get over that first hurdle. After performing that ritual, I have found myself increasingly able and willing to do actual spells and to really engage with magic in a way that I haven't before.
This was the first of a series of strengths in the work that I found really supported young witches just coming into their practices. The book is well-written and enthusiastic, not getting bogged down in overly-complicated explanations or terminology, and does a good job of explaining the basic concepts behind witchcraft well, as well as suggesting basic exercises to get to grips with them in a practical way. I believe it was Kelly Ann-Maddox who spoke about the risks of becoming armchair-occultists; this book seems like the right foot to get off on to avoid that.
I also found, despite being familiar with most of the material presented, the rituals and spells offered to be extremely useful. Instead of declaring that there is only one spell for each intent, and listing all the exotic ingredients you need for it, Diaz offers a selection of different spells and rituals, all to the same end--some are more complex and require specific crystals and herbs, but others are simple, requiring only yourself and something to cleanse with. This makes the craft accessible to a new generation of witches in a way that many books previously haven't.
However, every book has its flaws, and Witchery is no exception. I have two main issues with the book.
One: I feel as if Diaz could've gone more into detail explaining the need for each component in the rituals and spells she offers. She does this with the tools for cleansing, however, it doesn't come up again. I had to ask myself if it would be okay to leave out a component to the earlier spell, something which could've been avoided had its significance been briefly summarised in the text. Of course, I understand why this was not done: it would require significantly more explanation than is perhaps appropriate in a book for beginners, though it still would've been majorly appreciated.
Two: Disclaimers. There is a small print legal disclaimer in the front of the book, but it would've been nice to have the standard 'herbal magic should not be substituted for regular medical care.' While I'd hope that it would be common sense for most people, I still worry.
Since most of my issues are "I'd love to hear more about why each of these things helps," I think what I'm really getting at is a desire for Diaz to write another book for higher level practitioners that really gets into the details of the practice. Of course, Diaz also has provided several sources of further exploration, so I'd assume it possible to find explanations there, though I shall miss her positive and welcoming writing style.
Overall, would definitely recommend for anyone new to the craft, but not as a definitive resource.
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