By Melissa Antoinette Garza
As a child, my mother, aunts and grandmother always engaged in conversations regarding our ancestors and lineage. My cousins, siblings and I were told that we were the descendants of Hungarian Gypsies. One morbid anecdote we heard, again and again, surrounded my great grandmother Nana Sevigne.
Nana Sevigne was the mother of 19 children, but her husband and the father of the entire brood was an awful and abusive man. So abusive that my grandmother would never speak of him, other than to tell this story.
Nana Sevigne read tea leaves. She had predicted many minor occurrences within the small community of friends and family she spoke with. Whether it be divorces, marriages, pregnancies or the sex of children, Nana Sevigne could always read the leaves and tell. One year prior to the death of her husband, she told everyone when he was going to die. When the day in question arrived, he died of a brain aneurysm.
My entire family has always been fascinated and many of us dabbled in similar practices of our ancestors. Prior to my mother becoming temporarily involved in an insane religion, Ouija boards, tarot cards, testing ESP and other magical games were common practice. We didn’t have a book of spells or magic, though I always wanted one. WITCHCRAFT: A HANDBOOK OF MAGIC, SPELLS AND POTIONS would have been welcome in my house with open arms, and we all would have eagerly read every page.
I, more than most in my family was drawn to Witchcraft and spells. I never really grew out of it. I’m not ashamed to admit that I do believe in much of the Wicca practices.
On two occasions, I went to a psychic named Gary McKinstry. The first time, as a fun event I decided to have a Psychic party. I looked him up and he seemed to get really good reviews so I decided to have him come over.
He was dead-on in both sessions. He knew nothing about me and this was years before my brother or I were on the internet. Still, he knew my brother was a filmmaker. He knew I was in a go-nowhere relationship and asked a question that still gives me chills. He asked, “why do I see Kramer from Seinfeld.” The idiot’s nickname was Cosmo. He touched on so many aspects revealing that Cosmo definitely wasn’t the right man but when I found the right one he would be a perfect fit. He was correct.
Now to be clear, I’m not foolish. I know frauds exist here just as much as they exist in Christianity. Some lie just for money. I would never waste my time or money with John Edward or the late Sylvia Browne just like I wouldn’t send money to a faith healer like Peter Popoff. That said, just become some people are frauds, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t sincere psychics, spells, magic and potions that work. In the same way that just because Popoff is a phony doesn’t mean that all pastors and prayers are insincere.
Anyone who knows me know that I often gravitate to the Wicca faith and have had an innate pull toward it, for as long as I remember. I can’t explain the connection, but my husband and I have visited Salem MA more than almost anywhere else. We had our honeymoon in Salem. I’m sure some of my interest is due to the stories I heard growing up, but there is an ancestral link. My bloodline which carries both Hungarian Gypsy on my mother’s side and Cherokee Indian on my father’s side, pushes me toward this faith and practice.
When I received the book WITCHCRAFT: A HANDBOOK OF MAGIC, SPELLS AND POTIONS, I was excited. I have a very open mind even though in some areas I’m skeptical. I’m certainly not one to be shut off to a belief system and religious practices. Particularly, I find ones that have been around and utilized for centuries the most interesting. At first, I just perused the book and looked at the spells that enticed me the most. I soon realized that the entirety was engrossing and demanded full attention.
First and foremost, this isn’t a book for young adults. There are many Wicca books written for teenagers. This is too in-depth and teenagers may be more likely to act erratically and cast spells that demand animal sacrifice or ill-will toward others.
WITCHCRAFT: A HANDBOOK OF MAGIC, SPELLS AND POTIONS provides a thorough collection of different omens, charms, and the overall way to correctly administer spells and potions that have historically been used for generations.
This is such an interesting read. I actually used one of the spells to bring one of my rabbits Luna closer to me and though it may be a form of the placebo effect, it seemingly worked.
I also said a spell to stop leg pains during the night and I no longer need Lidocaine or Bengay.
There is a certain strength and power one gets when reciting a spell, especially if you are a woman. There is an insight to the writings that spark an authoritative pride within. Many religions are patriarchal and women are subservient. Here, women have full control over their lives, and if they choose the lives of others.
This certainly is a must-read for open-minded individuals who are curious about Witchcraft and spells. I’ve never seen a more in-depth and thorough collection which varies in offering writing and spells from the Hindu faith, different Native American tribes, Gypsies, Gaelic, and many more.
If you are a full-on atheist or so devoted to their own religion that you refuse to view outside material, you won’t buy this book; but I wish you would. Being open to new ideas and accepting that their may something deeper within the universe that you haven’t yet delved into is, if nothing else, fascinating. To think that we may have some sort of control over our own path or that we can interfere with the freewill of others is something philosophers debated for centuries. This book offers the ability for the reader to make up their own mind by using the same magic that had been so heatedly debated.
I would never cast a spell against anyone and despite my curiosity in making a voodoo doll, I would never create one. I fear that any negativity I put out to the universe will come back to me so I concentrate on positive spells.
Reading the information of how to create the doll or how to curse an enemy using a mirror is still so compelling and I do have a deep desire to try it, but thankfully my willpower and my husband’s words of wisdom stops me.
As stated before the book also delves into omens. I’ve always been one to want to find out what something means. I have dream books and have looked up strange events when they have occurred. The omens in WITCHCRAFT-HANDBOOK-MAGIC-SPELLS-POTIONS goes through many common situations and also unusual scenarios that would strike anyone as a sign.
My willpower also needs to be in full force when I get to the section about raising the dead. There is a part of me that wants to attempt to raise David Bowie and Freddie Mercury. Sadly, I’ve seen too many horror films where raising the dead just turns out bad.
WITCHCRAFT-HANDBOOK-MAGIC-SPELLS-POTIONS is an amazing find. Anastasia Greywolf has done so much research and compiled more information than you could find on the internet if you tried. If you’ve ever thought about incantations, the history of Witchcraft or the ancient practices of your religion or ethnicity, you’ll find it here.
I’ve read it front to back and have marked the chants that I say on a regular basis. In many ways, this can be used a self-help book that has a strong historical background.
The illustrations was done by artist Melissa West. If you look at each piece, her artwork is truly captivating. The work expresses both the modern and the past. It’s a perfect addition to the writing and compliments each spell in its own unique way.
WITCHCRAFT-HANDBOOK-MAGIC-SPELLS-POTIONS is officially released on May 15, 2016 and can be purchased on Amazon for $11.00.
Buy or pre-order here: www.amazon.coma/Witchcraft-Handbook-Magic-Spells-Potions/dp/1577151240
