The Real Halloween: Ritual and Magic for the New Millennium

Rating:
Summary: Great book for adults who love Halloween
Review: I picked this up thinking that it would primarily be written for Wiccans. It did include several of the charms and spells that I expected, including an intriguing section about making a scrying mirror. What made me buy the book, though, was the other content. It is a great source of historical and cultural information about Halloween.

I especially enjoyed the brief section on the Mexican Day of the Dead, which includes a great recipe for "bread of the dead". Another section describes how the lost tradition of carrying turnip lanterns evolved into modern jack-o-lanterns. I followed the book's instructions for making my own turnip lanterns and hung them on my front porch this year--they looked fantastic! (By the way, hollowing out the turnips is easiest using a melon baller.) Another highlight is the vampire-hunting party game. I didn't get a chance to try it this year, but I'd like to adapt it to use with my friends.

The book is full of activities, recipes, and interesting Halloween facts. The layout is attractive and includes lots of color photos, which adds to a fun read. I would recommend this to Halloween enthusiasts of any age.

Rating:
Summary: Great book for adults who love Halloween
Review: I picked this up thinking that it would primarily be written for Wiccans. It did include several of the charms and spells that I expected, including an intriguing section about making a scrying mirror. What made me buy the book, though, was the other content. It is a great source of historical and cultural information about Halloween.

I especially enjoyed the brief section on the Mexican Day of the Dead, which includes a great recipe for "bread of the dead". Another section describes how the lost tradition of carrying turnip lanterns evolved into modern jack-o-lanterns. I followed the book's instructions for making my own turnip lanterns and hung them on my front porch this year--they looked fantastic! (By the way, hollowing out the turnips is easiest using a melon baller.) Another highlight is the vampire-hunting party game. I didn't get a chance to try it this year, but I'd like to adapt it to use with my friends.

The book is full of activities, recipes, and interesting Halloween facts. The layout is attractive and includes lots of color photos, which adds to a fun read. I would recommend this to Halloween enthusiasts of any age.