Contemporary Witchcraft Books Have Arrived

It is always exciting when a delivery finally makes its way to your door.  The current COVID-19 situation seems to have thrown not only postal services around the world completely out of whack, but has also impacted upon other modes of transport and delivery.  I found time ticking merrily away recently as it has been a number of weeks since my publisher had notified me that I was able to order early pre-release copies of Contemporary Witchcraft; Foundational Practices for a Magical Life.  

With the return of weekend markets starting to appear in my calendar, the first this Sunday, 18 October 2020 being the Adelaide Psychic Fair that is held at 230 Flinders Street in Adelaide, I was starting to get concerned that my delivery of books would not arrive in time.  Ye of little faith.  The long awaited boxes (plural as there were two of them) of books were collected from the post office this evening.

My dissatisfaction with books aimed at neophytes (seekers) venturing into the world of magick and witchcraft where the emphasis seemed to be merely on spells as opposed to establishing deeper practices that would aid and support them upon their journey, resulted in me writing Contemporary Witchcraft.  

As already mentioned on the book's own page, Contemporary Witchcraft aims at providing the neophyte with the ability to render the “veils” between this world and the mystical one by applying themselves to the work in order to understand these mysteries.

Ironically a pre-introduction to contemporary witchcraft, or modern Wicca, emerged when I had sent the manuscript off to the publishers.  That pre-introduction evolved into A Little Book of Wicca which is specifically designed as an initial information guide for anyone who is curious about the practice of Wicca but who not not yet decided whether this is actually the right spiritual path for them.

If you live in Adelaide and are looking for something to do on Sunday, I will be at the Adelaide Psychic Fair at 230 Flinders Street.  Later in the month, on Saturday, 31 October 2020, the Adelaide Health & Wellbeing Market will finally be returning to the beautiful Church of Trinity on Goodwood Road, Clarence Park.  I will be minding my LunaNoire Creations stall under the marquee out the front.  Then on the Sunday, 1 November 2020, I will be at the Gawler Psychic Fair. If you are attending any of these events, please pop along and say hello.

Shadows, Shades and the Dark Goddess

Lately I have noticed an increase in social media chatter about “shadow workings”, and in particular relation to working with “shadow beings”.  While these days everyone seems to have their own interpretations with respect to things, I feel it is important to differentiate between “shadow working” (based on a Jungian psychological term for understanding the repressed/rejected aspects of the self), and working with actual ghost like “shadow beings” who are not of this mortal world.

Throughout history, “shadows” (as in “shadow beings” or “shades” as they were also called) referred to the spirit or ghost of someone who had died and was residing in the underworld.  When the Greek hero Odysseus descended into Hades (the Underworld) in Homer’s Odyssey, he encountered “shades”, tormented ghost like beings.  Likewise, Aeneas who traveled into the Underworld in Virgil’s Aeneid.  In his Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri also referred to many of the dead as “shades”, including his own guide, Virgil. 

When U R not Okay

As I manage three blogs, I have spent a good part of today considering where to put this. While this is primarily my writer's blog, the topic aligns with my forthcoming book, Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms, with respect to our shadow.

Today is ”R U OK” day here in Australia, a day where people are encouraged to “meaningfully connect with the people around them” and to start a conversation with anyone who may find that they are struggling with life.

This campaign was born out of the tragic suicide of Barry Larkin in 1995 who, according to the “R U OK?” web page, left family and friends in deep grief and with endless questions. Fourteen years later, in 2009, his son, Gavin, chose to champion just one question to honour his father and to try and protect other families from the pain his endured. That question was “Are you OK?"

Contemporary Witchcraft - Pre-orders of the Early Release Now Open

I am delighted to be able to advise that pre-orders for my forthcoming book, Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life, will open on Saturday, 5 September 2020, with physical copies expected to be received by the end of the month.

Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life aims to set the series of foundational practices that will benefit any neophyte (beginner) interested in contemporary witchcraft (initiatory Wicca) or to magick in general. As I explain, how you design and build your practice is entirely up to you however with solid understanding of some foundational practices, you can be assured that you are effectively set for life, regardless of where your own path takes you.

 My initial instruction into contemporary witchcraft not only focused on the practical application of ritual and magick, but also the “behind the scenes” information, providing an insight into the psychological changes, as well as what is actually happening on the astral level. It is this understanding that enabled me to gain a stronger belief in the magical work that I was undertaking – a belief that also proved to be most beneficial during dark nights of the soul, the times of doubt when the logical mind saw me questioning what I had been dedicating much of my adult life to.