New Moon Pagan Book Club meets on line once a month on the 3rd Tuesday in 2024
We will read one book per month and have a discussion on line about it No cost but participants must obtain their own books. You can join in any month if a book interests you, or read them all!
(January 2024) Gems: “The magic of Crystals and Gems” by Cerridwen Greenleaf $15,99 kindle & $25,87 paperback Practice Practical Magic: Did you know that wearing an amulet of green jade on an interview will help get the job? Have you heard that an amethyst ring can help break bad habits and even encourage sobriety? Anyone looking for love can place two pink quartz crystals in the bedroom; you’ll not be alone for long! These are just a few of the hundreds of secrets shared in The Magic of Crystals and Gems. Semi-precious stones and gems have long been known for their magic as well as their beauty. In this book of charms, readers learn everything there is to know about the powers of crystals from birthstone magic to gem divination to jewelry spells. This is a fun, entertaining, and enlightening book that will appeal to everyone who's ever worn a birthstone, kissed the ring of a lover for luck, or bought a crystal for good energy. Learn Amazing Things About Crystals: The Magic of Crystals and Gems is a treasure chest filled with the ancient wisdom of crystals. It is also a handy how-to filled with little-known lore along with the myth, meanings, and specific magical qualities of hundreds of crystals, both common and very rare, including many meteorites. Author Cerridwen Greenleaf shares secrets to how and why crystal balls work, scrying with obsidian, crystal astrology, divination, healing, psychism and connections between the stars in the sky and gems of the earth. This one-of-a-kind work on the power of crystals belongs on the bookshelf of everyone interested in the magical gifts of Mother Nature. (February 2024) Occult: “Qabalistic magic: talisman, psalms, amulets, and the practice of high ritual” by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki ($19,99 kindle & 24,85 paperback) A comprehensive guide to practicing the magic of the Qabalah. Spells for everyday problems related to health, love, prosperity, and protection. Rituals for advanced high-level magic, such as invocation of angelic powers or spiritual vision. (March 2024) Healing: “You are the medicine: 13 moons of indigenous wisdom, ancestral connection, and animal spirit guidance” by Asha Frost $15,99 kindle & $23,99 paperback Indigenous Medicine Woman Asha Frost invites readers to learn the healing medicine of the 13 Ojibway moons and the spirit animals that will guide their wisdom journey.
18th April--SPIRITUALITY Life’s Companion--Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest by Christina Baldwin $24.87 IN PAPERBACK AT AMAZON In this classic book, you will discover the intimate journey of personal and spiritual development that is possible through the practice of journal writing. In Life’s Companion, acclaimed author Christina Baldwin offers readers guidance and inspiration to this powerful way of expanding our inner horizons and opening our minds and spirits to a deeper relationship with the world and the people around us. Complete with enlightening quotations, exercises, sample journal entries, and techniques to nurture and encourage the writer and seeker within you, Life’s Companion will help you transform journalling into a powerful tool for self-growth, heightened awareness, and personal fulfillment. 21 may--MAGICK The Arthurian Formula by Dion Fortune/Margaret Lumley Brown/Gareth Knight $32.37 in paperback at Amazon (some are used that you can also buy). The Arthurian Formula was the last major work by Dion Fortune and formed the corner stone of the inner work of her Society of the Inner Light for the following twenty years, supplemented by the remarkably gifted psychic Margaret Lumley Brown. It later formed the basis for work by Gareth Knight with the Company of Hawkwood and allied groups in later years, inspiring his book The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend. Dion Fortune’s contribution explores the remote sources of the Arthurian legends and the mission of Merlin, played out in the polar relationships between Arthur, Guenevere and Lancelot in both human and faery dynamics and leading to aspects of the Grail. Margaret Lumley Brown develops the threads in the labyrinth formed by the archetypal patterns of the knights and ladies, including particular reference to Morgan le Fay. Gareth Knight’s commentary pulls together these strands with an overview of the various traditions behind the Arthurian Formula--of Glastonbury, Atlantis, the world of Faery, Merlin, the troubadours, the cult of Queen Venus and their application in the practical mysteries of today. 18 June--SHAMANISM The Shamanic Witch--BY Gail Wood $22.99 (kindle) $24.30 (paperback) Shamanic practice seeks healing and wisdom from realms that overlap the everyday world. The use of plant and animal medicines, vision quests, trance work, and ceremonies to heal oneself and others are the foundations of shamanism. So too, Wicca and witchcraft use the magic and medicine of plants, animals, and other realms. By learning to incorporate the practices of shamanism, the witch can enhance his or her natural abilities as healer and creator of positive change. The Shamanic Witch outlines the many similarities between the art of shamanism and the craft of the Witch and explores how the overlapping of these two traditions can be used to enhance one’s practice. Where witchcraft brings the belief and religion, shamanism brings the skills. Sections include Understanding the World of the shaman, Creatures and Spirits of Other Realms, Developing a Shamanic Practice, The Toolkit of the Shamanic Practitioner, The Realms of the Witch, and Melding Worlds: Becoming the WitchShaman. 16th of July--NATURE The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our ancient Bond with Forests and Nature--by Peter Wohlleben $14.82 (kindle) & $19.44 (paperback) A powerful return to the forest, where trees have heartbeats and roots are like brains that extend underground. Where the colour green calms us, and the forests sharpens our senses. In the Heartbeat of Tees, renowned forester Peter Wohlleben draws on new scientific discoveries to show how humans are deeply connected to the natural world. In an era of cell phone addiction, climate change, and urban life, many of us fear we’ve lost our connection to nature--but Peter Wohlleben is convinced that age-old ties linking humans to the forest remain alive and intact. 20 August--HEALING Plant Spirit Healing--By Pam Montgomery $16.99 (kindle) & $20.95 (paperback) A hands-on approach to working with the healing powers of plant spirits • Explores the scientific basis underlying the practices of indigenous healers and shamans • Illuminates the matrix where plant intelligence and human intelligence join • Reveals that partnering with plants is an evolutionary imperative Indigenous healers and shamans have known since antiquity that plants possess a spirit essence that can communicate through light, sound, and vibration. Now scientific studies are verifying this understanding. Plant Spirit Healing reveals the power of plant spirits to join with human intelligence to bring about profound healing. These spirits take us beyond mere symptomatic treatment to aligning us with the vast web of nature. Plants are more than their chemical constituents. They are intelligent beings that have the capacity to raise consciousness to a level where true healing can take place. In this book, herbalist Pam Montgomery offers an understanding of the origins of disease and the therapeutic use of plant spirits to bring balance and healing. She offers a process engaging heart, soul, and spirit that she calls the triple spiral path. In our modern existence, we are increasingly challenged with broken hearts, souls in exile, and malnourished spirits. By working through the heart, we connect with the soul and gain access to spirit. She explains that the evolution of plants has always preceded their animal counterparts and that plant spirits offer a guide to our spiritual evolution--a stage of growth imperative not only for the healing of humans but also the healing of the earth. 17 September--RELIGION The Green Hedge Witch--by Rae Beth $9.66 (kindle)--$16.62 (paperback) Rae Beth, author of the bestselling Hedge Witch, here blends the ancient traditions of hedge witchcraft with our modern concerns for the natural world. Too many still see nature primarily as an enemy, instead of seeing Her as our Mother and our home and as a realm of which we are part, indivisible from, and interdependent with. In relation to liminal places such as hedgerows or forest edges, and to trees, shrubs, herbs, and things made from them for magical uses such as wands, broomsticks and herbal potions, we can reinvent hedge witchcraft and, ourselves, be reinvented by doing so. This is a challenge, a work of the soul for the adventurous type, the explorer. It may be close to the very first and most ancient types of hedge witchcraft--a pure attempt to make friends with wild spirits, gain familiars, live at one, in co-operation. 15 October--HISTORY The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween--Jean Markale $16.99 (kindle)--$17.95 (paperback) A comprehensive examination of the rituals and philosophies of the Celtic holiday of Samhain, the inspiration for Halloween. • Presents the true meaning of this ancient holiday and shows how contemporary observances still faithfully reflect the rituals of pagan ancestors. • Explains why this holiday, largely confined to the English-speaking world since the advent of Christianity, has spread throughout the rest of Europe over the last two decades. One of humanity’s most enduring myths is that the dead, on certain nights of the year, can leave the Other World and move freely about the land of the living. Every year on October 31, when the children of the world parade through the streets dressed as monsters, skeletons, and witches, they reenact a sacred ceremony whose roots extend to the dawn of time. By receiving gifts of sweets from strangers, the children establish, on a symbolic plane that exceeds their understanding, a fraternal exchange between the visible world and the invisible world. Author Jean Markale meticulously examines the rituals and ceremonies of ancient festivities on this holiday and shows how they still shape the customs of today’s celebration. During the night of Samhain, the Celtic precursor of today’s holiday, the borders between life and death were no longer regarded as insurmountable barriers. Two-way traffic was temporarily permitted between this world and the Other World, and the wealth and wisdom of the sidhe, or fairy folk, were available to the intrepid individuals who dared to enter their realm. Markale enriches our understanding of how the transition from the light to the dark half of the year was a moment in which time stopped and allowed the participants in the week-long festival to attain a level of consciousness not possible in everyday life, an experience we honour in our modern celebrations of Halloween. 19 November--HIGH MAGICK Magical Use of Thought Forms BY Dolores Aschcroft-Nowicki and J. H. Brennan $27.75 (paperback) In this comprehensive reference manual, two leading occult researchers present step-by-step instructions, some never before in print, for developing the most basic and essential skills for magical practitioners of any tradition--creating thought forms through astral manipulation. Magical Use of Thought Forms includes sections on the structure of reality and on new visualization techniques to build correct astral images for highly potent magical work, from creating a Familiar or Guardian to building a Memory Palace, also revealed in this extraordinary guide:
The occult art of observation
How to build up desire as fuel for a potent astral engine
The three-point location of occult power in the physical brain
The creation of advanced astral structures including God forms and angelics, audial images, and astral landscapes.
The most spectacular aspect of this book is the instruction given for the performance of the legendary alchemical experiment: the creation of the homunculus, an animated form that can last up to several hours. 17 December--FICTION Queen of Oak: A Novel of Boudica (The Celtic Rebels Series Book1)--by Melanie Karsak Kindle unlimited--$22.99 (paperback) Fate to lead a rebellion against Rome. Destined to become a legend. Britain, A.D.42--Boudica, second daughter of a Celtic king, has little concern for tribal tensions and political intrigues. Called by the gods and the stirrings of her own wild heart, she listens instead to whispers of the oaks. But Boudica would be wiser to heed the warning cries of eagles.Rumours abound that the Romans are amassing forces for another invasion. In an effort to consolidate power, Boudica’s father turns to Prasutagus, the formidable ruler of the Greater Iceni. To win Prasutagus’s aid, Boudica’s father must strike a bargain--a deal with implications beyond Boudica’s imagining. 21 January 2025--ASTROLOGY (divination) Sun and Moon signs--Different Sun-Moon astrology combinations, personality types, and compatibility by Mari Silva Two manuscripts in one book:
Sun Signs: unlocking the secrets of the 12 zodiac signs in western astrology to understand personality types.
Moon Signs: the ultimate guide to understanding your sign, different sun-moon astrology combinations, and compatibility.
Do you find it difficult to relate to other people and understand how and why they think and act the way they do? Do you struggle to establish and maintain relationships and want to try a new approach? Have you ever wondered if there is more to astrology than you might have thought?This book will give you a comprehensive overview of the twelve zodiac signs and how they can explain our personalities and the way we relate to all sorts of people and situations. 18 February 2025--MAGICK The New Book of the Dead: The Initiate’s path into the light--by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki Kindle unlimited--$20.94 (paperback) The New Book of the Dead is written specifically for Westerners. It is a detailed guide for dealing with death and bereavement in all its forms: natural and violent, children and old people. It describes rites of preparation--such as the ritual cutting of the silver cord, and the blessing and license to depart, saying goodbye and letting go the physical realm. This is not a book of sorrow and foreboding, but teaches us how to accept and even welcome death, as a great teacher, the last great mystery and culminating experience of life. 18 MARS2025--HOW TO The Art of Lucid Dreaming: Over 60 powerful practices to help you wake up in your dreams--by Clare R.Johnson, PhD Learn how to wake up in your dreams for creative insights and beautiful spiritual adventures. The Art of Lucid Dreaming is a quick and easy guide to help you get lucid fast. Dr.Clare Johnson, world-leading expert on lucid dreaming, shares her best practical tips and a unique Lucidity Quiz that identifies your personal sleeper-dreamer type so you can fast-track to the techniques that work best for you. When you are lucid in a dream, you can choose to ask your unconscious mind for guidance, perform healing magic, seek creative solutions to problems and explore the dream realm more profoundly than ever before.
We are still meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, at 7pm via Zoom. Please join in anytime.