The late Valerie Worth was a prolific poet. Her natural gift of rhyme helps make her Crone's Book of Charms & Spells (previously published as The Crone's Book of Wisdom) set a level of excellence that other writers will always try to equal.
Traditionally, ceremonies and spells were often done in rhyme. If you remember that everything is made of energy, and that energy is vibratory in nature, then the making of spells in rhymes is quite logical. Rhymes set up patterns of sound which can resonate through our bodies and through the universe. Perhaps this is the basis for the use of power words or god names in ceremonial magick. Or maybe it is the source of the power behind mantra magick as used in India. But one thing is clear: it works. And with the rituals and techniques in this book, you can make it work for you.
The rituals for the year are beautiful. For example, in the ceremony for the Fall Equinox, at the moment when the Sun has set, you stand before your altar and say, "Now the sun is overwhelmed, And we are left alone to die: With all the faded trees, the wasted flowers, Do we also fade and waste..." The ceremony for the Dark of the Moon in November includes "Even the night is dead, Now at the dark of the moon: Even the demons are dead, Now at the dark of the moon: All who once lived are dead, Now at the dark of the moon."
With over 60 talismans and a description of the magical powers of 60 herbs, this book is a gem. I know there are certain books you especially like and often refer to. This is going to be one of them.
The sands of time cannot erase the ancient ways of the Middle East. Generations of selective history and the destruction of sacred sites cannot destroy them. Elusive, like shimmering heat from a sun-warmed mudbrick, the magic endures. Cast your eyes over the ruins glittering in the golden sun and embrace their foundation. The sun set on the... read this article
