Review: A New Dictionary of Fairies by Morgan Daimler

Title: A New Dictionary of Fairies: A 21st Century Exploration of Celtic and Related Western European Fairies
Author: Morgan Daimler
Format: eARC
Pub. Date: March 1st 2020
Source: Netgalley / Moon Books


Book Description:

Fairies are a challenging subject, intertwining culture, folklore, and anecdotal accounts across centuries and millennia. Focusing primarily on the Celtic speaking cultures, with some material from adjacent cultures including Anglo-Saxon and Norse, A New Dictionary of Fairies has in-depth entries on a variety of fairies as well as subjects related to them, such as why we picture elves with pointed ears or where the idea of fairies being invisible comes from. It also tackles more complicated topics like the nature and physicality of the fairy people. Anyone with an interest in the Good Neighbours will find this book a solid resource to draw from.

Review:

★★★★

This is a really good reference book and a comprehensive guide for all things related to fae and fairy folk.

As the title suggests, this isn't a book so much as a dictionary, so things are listed alphabetically in an index, as a dictionary would be. Some of the entries are a really short few sentences, and some entries stretch on for multiple pages. Because it's listed in a dictionary format, it is extremely easy to navigate if you're looking for something specific to reference.

I was pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of items that are included in this book. It ranges from mythology/lore from all sorts of areas (such as Celtic, Norse, and Christianity), there's poets and poems and ballads, there references to actual, real historical accounts/people, and things like how the various fae folk look in appearance, or their demeanor.

Because there's such a wide canvas here, this is a good reference guide not just for magick practitioners and those interested in the fae, but authors and writers as well. There's also a lot of footnotes and research, so you can do further searching with relative ease.

The actual writing itself is a bit choppy and could use a little editing, but it was solid enough that I didn't notice too much.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, thank you!

Review: The Magick of Food by Gwion Raven

Title: The Magick of Food: Rituals, Offerings & Why We Eat Together
Author: Gwion Raven
Format: eARC
Pub. Date:January 8th 2020
Source: Netgalley / Llewellyn Publications


Book Description:

Delight Your Senses and Your Soul with a Feast of Recipes, Rituals, and Spells

Discover a magickal collection of lore, recipes, and practices from modern and ancient cultures of the world. The Magick of Food reveals how to transform the mundane task of fueling your body into an opportunity for deep nourishment and connection to loved ones and the divine. This powerful book provides detailed information on food magick and rituals, from edible aphrodisiacs to feasts for the gods.

Whether you're preparing boar tacos for Bacchus or a vegetable frittata to celebrate the equinox, this book helps you find community through food and build your kitchen witch skills. Using history, magick, and more than forty delicious recipes, you'll breathe new life into your devotional practice while you connect with ancestors and deities.

Review:

★★★★★

This book was absolutely what I needed.

I love to cook. And I love to bake. And I love to feed people. It is one thing I am good at and it is something that helps me express how much I care about someone else. Food comes from the heart, and this book is a complete celebration of that for a kitchen witch.

There are a wide variety of topics covered in this book, such as history, mythology, recipes, and rituals. I found the sections on history fascinating. It's interesting to read about how similar our traditions are in the 21st century (such as feasts like Thanksgiving) and also how very differently we enjoy the same things (like feasting when DoorDash delivers to us).

I appreciated how this book made me think of common things I do just a little bit differently. The biggest of these was a glaring example of cooking with intention that I'd never thought about before: chicken soup for those who are sick, and how we make it for them with the intention of them to drink it and feel better. It made complete sense, but I'd never framed it that way before.

It's also clear that the author did a fair amount of research for this book. It's littered with footnotes, references, and samples of texts by other writers. But as much as there were references cited, it never felt like it was a textbook. The author tells such heartfelt personal stories that it feels as though he was writing this paper just for me, friend to friend. I really liked that sense of comfort and familiarity. (And also he talks about how he goes to witch camp. I wanna go to witch camp!).

Another thing that I really appreciated is that Gwion Raven addressed the fact that not everyone has access to supplies, let alone groceries. He discussed food deserts, and how things can be substituted or adapted based on what you do have. So many magick publications just assume you have access to every single herb and ingredient on the planet and that you have endless space and equipment and it's not true for so, so many people. It was nice to see it addressed by someone.

The recipes included here are also pretty varied. I wish there had been a bit more of them, but there's still a pretty good number. They include things like ancient recipes, recipes for the sabbats, cocktail recipes, every day recipes, and even a section on aphrodisiacs.

Some of the recipes that I'm the most eager to try include: Kykeon (Ancient Greek horchata of sorts), Boar Tacos with Spicy Berry Salsa, Roasted Goat Leg with Grape Molasses, and Samhain Pot Roast for one.

I think that this is a great book for those who partake in magick and who also love food. It's a good mix of history, ritual, and recipe book that make it easy to read, and easy to bookmark for later reference.

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!

Mini Review: Everyday Enchantments by Maria DeBlassie

Title: Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings
Author: Maria DeBlassie
Format: Paperback, 200 pages
Pub. Date: October 26th 2018
Source: Author


Book Description:

Spellbinding meditations on conjuring your own bliss. Everyday Enchantments is a love letter to the magic of everyday life, the sweet moments and the profound that we often overlook in our hurry to get from one place to the next. This collection of essays reminds us to escape into the ordinary, find beauty in a simple cup of tea or rereading a beloved novel and joyfully let our world turn upside down when synchronicity strikes in the form of wrong turns down forgotten lanes and unexpected midnight conversations with the moon. Everyday Enchantments is a study in what it means to live deliciously, joyfully, and magically. And it's an invitation to conjure your own bliss, because, let's face it, we could all use a little more magic in our lives.

Review:

★★★

This is a quick little read, a book of short collections of thoughts about every day life.

I will say, that this book to me was very soothing. It's comprised of these little "everyday enchantments" that act almost like guided meditations. They're realistically written with a sense of calm and coziness that make it appealing to read. Because the book is divided into these little fragments, it's also very easy to walk away from and read a little snippet at a time.

I think that if there were an audiobook of this, it would be very peaceful and full of ASMR, and I would enjoy it very much. I think reading it loses a little bit of the meditative type tone, as opposed to hearing it.

Because this is written from the author's day to day life, not all of it was very relatable. I might, for example, know the familiar scent of coffee as I make breakfast on a Saturday morning, but I'm from the land of ice and snow and don't relate to a lot of the daily goings on in New Mexico.

I also know that this has nothing to do with the content of the book, but I adore that cover. Even that conjures up cozy images and draws you in.

If you're looking for something that might work as a grounding tool or for something to calm you down, I think this is a good option for you. You'll certainly relate to some of the enchantments, and might look at some things with a new sense of appreciation.