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A Complete Book Of Shadows
Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2003 ISBN #0-7387-0287-0 Ann Moura is a third generation Green Witch (one who works with the energies of nature and the Elementals). Her personal tradition is one that evolved from that of her Brazilian mother and grandmother of Celtic-Iberian descent, and their combination of Catholicism, folk magic and Craft concepts. She is not only living her tradition personally, but passing it on through educating her children in the Craft. A Grimoire is a highly personal Craft tradition, a written record that contains the work done by each practitioner as they find their way along their path. For someone to be willing to share their personal work is, in my personal opinion, a great honor for those who will read it, and a great sacrifice of privacy for the person willing to share it. Ann Moura, in the introduction to this book, indicates that the book was written for three specific classes of people: (1) those who have read her books on the Craft, but who have not, for whatever reason, put together a Grimoire of their own, (2) one who has studied the Craft, and perhaps practiced it, but who would like a "clean" copy of a valid Grimoire adn Book Of Shadows, with added space for personal notations and (3) the novice who is seeking a Craft path who desires a complete Book Of Shadows to use as a reference in forming their own work. This book is designed to be used as Ann Moura uses her own Book Of Shadows - using ribbons or some other type of marker to keep your place for reference in each section as you move back and forth when performing your rituals. I really like this idea - and I am going to toss in a personal thought here: whatever type of marker you choose to use (I prefer satin ribbon myself) - color code them to each section (Circle Casting, Ritual, Additional Options). I have to say - my personal Book of Shadows, from the year that I spent studying and doing coven work, does not look anywhere near this good! I have the material that I need, but knowing how to present it makes a world of difference! Ms Moura makes it clear that this is not a book of "explanations", not a "how to" book. This is a working Book Of Shadows in her life. She is presenting the material that she has studied and used. It is important to make this distinction. From the book: "Think not that any secrets have been given awayhere, or that any oaths have been violated, for Nature has no secrets but is open and free to any who have the will to explore, listen, observe and learn; and at the end of my rituals, I say, "As I have been received, may I offer food for the body, mind and spirit to those who seek such of me." By taking this Book Of Shadows into your hands, you are accepting from me that which you seek - food for your body, mind and spirit. Take and use that which appeals to you, change or alter those things that you feel you should, and add your own entries in the blank pages provided for this purpose, for a Book Of Shadows and Grimoire grows with each generation. Let t his book bea guide for you, as you walk along your own path with the Goddess and teh God. May your Craft flourish in joy, may the Divine inspire you, and, "Blessed Be Thy Feet That Bring Thee On Thy Path." Ann Moura The Book Of Shadows itself is divided into three sections: Ritual, Spells and Divinations. The amount of information contained within each section is tremendous. It is not, however, overwhelming, once the practitioner realizes that there is a method to follow: (a) locate the ritual thatyou are going to use, (b) locate the spell that you are going to use, (c) locate any material that you are going to add to the ritual to personalize it. In following the ritual and the spell, you will know when to move back and forth within them. It doesn't take long to feel comfortable doing ritual - whether within a group (coven) setting, or as a solo practitioner (which is becoming a choice for more and more people). The section on rituals contains information on the Creed of the Green Witch, on the Litany and Rules of Conduct, on the three styles of Green Witchcraft (Folk Art, Personal Magic, Religion), and the Wiccan Wheel Of The Year (Sabbats and Esbats). There is also a wealth of information on grounding, ritual components, Craft names (names of the Gods and Goddesses), signs and symbols, basic tools and the arrangement of the alter. I was lucky - I had a wonderful High Priestess who sent her students shopping with a list of both items to obtain and shops to obtain them in for best prices! Finding all of the information that you need concerning any one tradition in book form is almost unheard of - Grimoire Of The Green Witch <.i>is a true find! Yo add to the fray - under Magical Pointers are the Runic, Ogham and Theban alphabets! Read the book to see how you will use them! Also contained in the chapter on Ritual is a wonderful index of Wiccan terms. It helps when you read something to know exactly what is being referred to, and not having to guess! I found this section to be highly accurate, easily accessable and a wonderful reference source. Under Circle Casting, we find various type of circles, including Basic Casting adn Opening, the Elemental Powers CIrcle, anchoring a circle and more. Once the student understands the meaning of the components for casting a circle, they will know what they need to do, and how to go about doing it. Also - how to put what is needed to be done together with their personal preferences for doing it. All the information here is important - but this chapter certainly stands out. Specific rituals are set out for each Esbat, Full Moon, New Moon, Dark Moon and Sidhe Moon Esbat. Each of these ceremonies works with different energies, and needs to be honored as such. Also, the practitioner needs to have an understanding of what time of the month to perform personal ritual depending on the purpose of the ritual. There is also a specific section for each of the Sabbats - Yule Sabbat, Imbolc Sabbat, Ostara Sabbat, Beltane Sabbat, Litha Sabbat, Lughnassadh Sabbat, Mabon Sabbat and Samhain Sabbat. These all represent turning points in the year, and have a list of activities associated with them. A wonderful stepping off point for both novice and seasoned practitioner. Also included is a wonderful section on chants, songs and poems - material t hat can be used within a ritual to pay homage or to simply strengthen the intention of the ritual being done. The stronger the connection that the student makes with the ritual they are doing, the more focused their intent and purpose, the better the outcome will be. The section on performing the rituals is complete, yet concise. Timing is paid attention to, along with "how" the ritual is performed. For those wanting to know which rituals are included here, the range is diverse, and includes Handfasting and Handparting rituals, as well as Companion Quest. A very important section in regards to self-empowerment is the meditation section. Included are meditations on releasing fears, on past lives, the Oracle Cave and Unmasking The Crone. The student can both take these meditative journeys on their own, and take others through them. (Now, Ann Moura does not say this, but I find that this section is not only one of personal empowerment but of sharing the knoweldge that comes in taking ones own journey.) The section on spells is a very special section, dealing not only with the text of the spell, but with other issues, such as the inclusion of crystals; working with a sigil; using color correspondences; choosing the proper day of week for the ritual; inclusion of trees, incenses and herbs; working with essential oils; smudging (clearing away negativity by burning sage, sweetgrass or other herbs, singly or in combination); planetary and zodiac associations; numerology; plant associations; sacred geometry; pplanetary seals and much, much more (including candle magic and a wonderful spell chart!). Certain spells are also included in this Book Of Shadows - including those for protection, finances, health and fertility, as well as other spells for basic Craft work. They are presented in a manner that is easily understood and easy to follow. After all - that is the idea here - to help others follow the way of the Craft! The remainder of the book deals with the making of teas, magical oils and bath potions, as well as different types of divination, to include tea leaf reading, Tarot, Scrying with a Black Mirror, Pendulum reading, Rune and Ogham casting and palmistry. Enough information is included for the student to be able to actively work with any one of these areas. My sugestion would be, if a student is drawn to one or more of the divination practices, to study it further and form theri own understanding of it. Grimoire For The Green Witch certainly does what it was intended to do - and that is to present a working Book Of Shadows and Grimoire for referance and individual (or group) work. There are a world of ideas presented here, coming from someone who has worked with them in her own life, and is sharing not only her life's work, but her heart's work. Approach this book with humbleness and consideration - and it may be willing to open new doors for you! Thank you for visiting my Personal Empowerment page. May your day be Blessed.
Bonnie Cehovet
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