Happy mid-week everyone! Welcome back to Witchy Wednesday, the day of the week where I openly talk about anything witchy. I admit I love this day of the week, though it is no longer the only day of the week I discuss anything witch or Pagan related.
Things have been busy here but I hope that you are all doing well! My younger son had a 24 hour stomach bug last week and my oldest now has a sore throat…such is this time of year. I am enjoying my day off from work and doing some cleaning up around the house but at this very moment, I am enjoying some hot tea and reading an audio book as I relish in the amazing information held within this book I finished last night.
As pagans, witches, whatever term you prefer, we all start at the beginning. We search the internet for resources and thumb through pages of the very few books we find in public libraries. It is sad that there are so little resources in our public libraries, for this reason our store is going to make a section of donated books. Books that people can open and read while sitting in the store. Books that people can openly read without getting scowled at by others walking by. We want Mystic Dragons Lair to be a place where everyone feels comfortable and welcome, a place where they can be their true selves. For those who do not know their true selves, maybe we can help them find that.
This book is not your average “beginner” book. It is a resource, one that should be kept on hand for anyone who is just getting their toe wet in the world of paganism and magick.
Rise of the Witch 
Author: Whiskey Stevens
Published: September 8th 2021
Publisher: Llewellyn
Book Length: 223 Pages
Genre: Non-Fiction, Reference, Pagan, Witchcraft
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (Use my referral ID: Bibliophagist20)
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacts my review.
Rise, Witch, Rise It’s time to claim your magical power and build a practice that is wholly yours–one that spiritually fulfills you and reveals your purpose. More than a how-to guide, Rise of the Witch is a deep exploration of the inner workings of witchcraft and your integral role in creating magick. Whiskey Stevens provides a comprehensive look at both the basics and more advanced topics, taking you from the history of the Craft to shadow work and everywhere in between. Rise of the Witch teaches a wide variety of magickal skills, such as creating and casting spells, harnessing powerful energies, and making sacred space. Whiskey also empowers those who are hesitant to come out as witches or need to keep their practice secret. Packed with guidance on the elements, tarot, intuition, and more, this book helps you fully embrace your unique brand of magick. Includes a foreword by Panda Bennett, creator of Stardust Soul Oracle and host of the YouTube series “Witch Hunt”
The very first line of the first chapter of this book really sums up what it is like to start down this path.
Coming to the path of witchcraft and magick is much like falling down the rabbit hole.
There are so many different categories of practice and knowledge within the subject of witchcraft and magick that one who is just beginning can easily seem overwhelmed. This book changes that, it makes things a little more digestible and it is packed full of so much information.
This book breaks different subjects down by chapter and gives a few exercises for the reader to do. I love when authors do this, it really gives you a way to further what you’ve just read and enforce the new knowledge. The writing style is easy to read and I moved through the chapters effortlessly.
Chapter two is all about altars and I really loved that Stevens talked about hidden altars. Despite how open people have become, some are still aggressively against anything that could be considered witchcraft. Rather than refusing a part of themselves, many practice but do so in secret. I have not actively looked for books about hidden altars etc. because I was that person that refused to practice when I was young.
However, I assume there are not many books that discuss this issue. Well, this one does! I was very excited when I saw that Stevens was talking about how to keep a hidden altar. This is so important for beginners, especially those who are not ready to be public about their practice. There were a few other types of altars I was happy to see discussed. The digital altar, something so many have turned to in this digital age. Personally, I would not create a digital altar, it feels more like what Stevens discusses is a digital book of shadows or grimoire.
Another thing that I enjoyed in this book was that Stevens personally shared some prayers that she uses and keeps in her journal. Prayers are not the only tools that witches use though, there are many physical tools that we all grab for when the time is right. The author talks about a few of these and how they may be used.
Here is where I found myself questioning again. Stevens claims that a gaming system such as an Xbox can be a tool for practice. My first thought was…are you kidding me? I was thinking that was an insane proposal, until I read further. Digital poppets…in a game such as sims or another RPG game. Allegedly, you can create your persona and use them as a digital poppet. Energy is energy and I suppose digital energy is the same. While this is not something I would put into my practice, I do see, again, how in this digital age this would be appealing.
A depth year, what a concept! I fell in love with this concept as soon as I read this part of the book. The idea of a depth year is to live an entire year without buying anything for your practice. This is a wonderful way to more deeply connect with the things that you do have. I actually might apply this but rather than a year, work my way up to that. I might start with a month and each day, that I can find the time, pick one item to more deeply connect with. Now that is one thing that I need to do…find more time within my busy day so that I can practice on a more regular basis.
Overall this book is great but I just don’t connect as much with doing magick the digital way. Texting myself a spell for calm does not feel as right as saying it under my breath or carrying something in my pocket does. However, I suppose that for many of the younger generation and those whose lives are consumed by technology, making magick practices more digital is convenient. This novel is great for anyone who is just stepping into this new magickal world but does not want to start with five different books. This book talks about altars, sabbats, worshiping deities, crafting spells, and so much more. A very well rounded resource that should be in everyone’s library. If you are a well rounded or practiced witch, this book might not offer much new information but it could be a good refresher.
Thank you again to so much Llewellyn for sending me this book. I am so grateful to have had the chance to read it, this will be a novel that I will share with everyone…especially those who are just starting their path.
When you started your practice, which books did you find really helpful.
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AH!!! I’m so excited to find another witch running a book blog! As a baby witch and a solitary pracitioner, I’m very excited to follow along your
Wednesday posts and get witchy book recommendations. If you are interested (absolutely no hurt feelings if not) in book tags, I actually just made a book tag with a magickal crystals theme on my blog. Consider yourself tagged!
awww thank you so much!! I started as a normal book blog, not wanting to post my witchy book reviews and it has slowly moved to that more. I am so happy you have found me and I will be following your blog as well! I am going to check out the book tag, those are always fun! Thank you so much and I look forward to reading more of your content.
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