Everyday Magic: Spells and Rituals for Modern Living

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 336 pages
• Published by: Llewellyn Publications
• Edition: 1st Edition September 1, 2002
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1567184693
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1567184693
• Book Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 10.4 ounces

Reader Reviews
I purchased my copy of Dorothy Morrison's book "Everyday Magic: Spells & Rituals for Modern Living" several years ago not long after I began to study Wicca and Witchcraft. I regard it to be a very handy reference, and have done some of the spells that Ms. Morrison describes within its pages. Divided into two parts, the first part is entitled "Ancient Arts, Modern Solutions" and contains four chapters. The first two chapters provide basic information about various phenomena and things that can affect the outcome of a spell, such as location, timing (moon phase, day of the week, etc.), colors, words, herbs, flowers, trees and stones. The third chapter discusses the use of modern kitchen appliances for preparation work. The fourth chapter is a brief discussion on the karmic implications of magick with an emphasis upon understanding just how powerful magickal energy can be, including situations where someone may not realize that he/she may be unintentionally sending out magickal energy that may have positive or negative results. (Several examples are described.) The second and much longer part of the book is a grimoire containing over 300 spells subdivided into 100 topics. These topics include addiction, anger, business success, communication, computers, creativity, depression, divorce, enemies, friendship, gambling, health, jobs, legal matters, lost items, money, obstacles, parking spaces, protection, stress, success, traffic, wisdom, and many others. It is important to note here that in dealing with any negative matters, Ms. Morrison always provides positive ways to handle them. As she correctly points out in Chapter 4 of Part 1 about karma, whatever energy that you put out will come back to you three times as much. Thus, it is wise to only perform spellwork that has a positive intent. Though I regard "Everyday Magic: Spells & Rituals for Modern Living" as a valuable reference (especially with its appendixes about herb and deity associations), I do have some concerns when it comes to novices. In Chapter 1 of Part 1, Ms. Morrison's brief description about location, subtitled "Atmosphere and the Working Environment", discusses the fact that performing magickal work is generally regarded as being spiritual and is usually performed in the presence of an altar. However, it does not mention that before any spellwork is done, the working space (usually referred to as "sacred space") should be ritually cleansed, especially if no spellwork has ever been performed there before. This ensures that no lingering, possibly negative, energies are present. Also, it does not mention that spellwork is typically done only within a sacred circle. Casting a sacred circle protects you from any outside influences that may meddle with your spellwork. Performing spellwork in an area that has not been ritually cleansed or outside of a sacred circle can prevent the desired outcome of the spellwork from occurring. If you are a novice, I highly recommend that before attempting any spellwork, that you first familiarize yourself with sacred space and sacred circles. Several good instructional books include Starhawk's "Spiral Dance", Christopher Penczak's "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" & "The Outer Temple of Witchcraft", Scott Cunningham's "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner", Silver Ravenwolf's "To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft" and "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft" by Denise Zimmermann & Katherine A. Gleason. For more information about the deities mentioned in "Everyday Magic: Spells & Rituals for Modern Living", I highly recommend Janet & Stewart Farrar's books "The Witches' God: Lord of the Dance" and "The Witches' Goddess: The Feminine Principle of Divinity". Overall, for its compact size and amount of information, I rate "Everyday Magic: Spells & Rituals for Modern Living" with 4 out of 5 stars. One final piece of advice that I give to a novice is as follows: keep your spellwork secret; telling others about any spells that you have cast is the surest way to keep them from happening. Comment | | (Report this)