Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful Experience
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. Kala took alot of "real" life problems and showed a way to deal with them in wonderful ways. Not many books take into account what she has written in this book. It's not a book that says do this spell and things will get better. I am so glad I bought this book. I feel that this book was written with great sincerity and words that came from the heart. It is not another generic book like many others out there. Congrats Kala Trobe...you wrote a WONDERFUL book!!
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Experience
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. Kala took alot of "real" life problems and showed a way to deal with them in wonderful ways. Not many books take into account what she has written in this book. It's not a book that says do this spell and things will get better. I am so glad I bought this book. I feel that this book was written with great sincerity and words that came from the heart. It is not another generic book like many others out there. Congrats Kala Trobe...you wrote a WONDERFUL book!!
Rating: 
Summary: Worth Adding to Your Library
Review: I have been a witch for 14 years and have a problem finding books that are just not a big repeat of ones already purchased. I can highly recommend this book though for new to the craft as well as old. Yes, it covers the usual, but at the same time it is new and refreshing. However, it does cover more intense and topics that are usually not touched on in novice books (such as the Qabbalah) I am pleased to have added this to my own library!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent companion to witchcraft...
Review: I have never felt the urge to write a review for a non-fiction book, but this book is truly deserving of one. It is the most complete and comprehensive book on Witchcraft I have ever come across. If there is one book you must buy on Wicca, Witchcraft or Magick, it is this. It can be read as a companion (a Witch's guide!!!) to Witchcraft, or it can be used as a means to develop and evolve as a Witch, spiritually. It contains material on improving oneself mentally, spiritually and physically. It even contains recipes and ideas on preparing magickal food(!), as well as ideas on mental and physical fitness. It clarifies morality, how to live, gods and goddesses, ancient and modern symbols and symbolism, chakras, auras, divinition (including the Tarot!)... It contains magnificent summaries on the tools of a Witch - the athame, wand, pentacle, and cup, and its pages are adorned with magick and spells. And there is a certain charm in the writing, - a wild, impetuous, precipitate, mad, inexorable charm. My friend, on picking up the book, could not put it back down again!!! The Witch's Guide is an excellent companion, and definitely a valued book in my collection.
Rating:
Summary: A Smart Hip Look at the Craft Grounded in Spirit &Tradition!
Review: I think Kala Trobe did a superb job in covering all aspects of day to day life for Witches. This information and topics may already be known to those who are accomplished Witches, practicing for many years. That said, I would like to see, perhaps a compendum to this one for those advanced in the arts. I myself having only been practicing for a little of three years and still learning find this book a welcome addition to mine as well as anyones personal library.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book (for many reasons!)
Review: I wasn't sure how I would take this book at first, as it seems packaged for teens and I thought it might be another 'Basic Wicca' book. After the first few pages though I felt the author's sincerity shine through and by the time I got to the section 'Karma Drama' I was hooked. The best sections are 'The Witch and Mental Health' and the part on eating disorders had an especial impact for me. After reading it, as somebody who's suffered from anorexia for the past 2 and a half years, I realized a lot about what these things do to the body and spirit. Not anything I didn't really know inside me already but it's good to see it written down, and in a 'Witchcraft' context. More books need to be like this and address the issues many of us have to go through in life at some point. The author doesn't pretend to give any 'cures' but she does us a favor by recognizing the facts. She also discusses them in a magickal way. She explains that these things are karmic issues which means they can be positively approached as 'learning' processes, perhaps related to other lives as well as to childhood issues, and gives ideas for aiding self-improvement.There is a lot more in the book, it goes on and on, with much knowledge presented on many different subjects. It gets less 'personal' as the book goes on, but the first section is very directly aimed at street-level, talking about drugs and drink and depression and other subjects that aren't discussed in other books on the subject that I know of. I found it a good start and when I knew she was on my wavelength I could just get on with the rest of the book! It is big, not a 'read thro' but more of a dipper, could last you many years to read!!! I would recommend this book to anybody who isn't perfect, but who is trying to do there best in a 9-5 world, using magick when possible, but basically having to be a *normal* person and live in this world while believing in other things. It also goes into a lot of detail for people who want to dig further into spells and history of Wicca and biographies of magicians & occultists, but its real strength and attraction lies in the first chapters 'Philosophy and Ethics'.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book (for many reasons!)
Review: I wasn't sure how I would take this book at first, as it seems packaged for teens and I thought it might be another `Basic Wicca' book. After the first few pages though I felt the author's sincerity shine through and by the time I got to the section `Karma Drama' I was hooked. The best sections are `The Witch and Mental Health' and the part on eating disorders had an especial impact for me. After reading it, as somebody who's suffered from anorexia for the past 2 and a half years, I realized a lot about what these things do to the body and spirit. Not anything I didn't really know inside me already but it's good to see it written down, and in a `Witchcraft' context. More books need to be like this and address the issues many of us have to go through in life at some point. The author doesn't pretend to give any `cures' but she does us a favor by recognizing the facts. She also discusses them in a magickal way. She explains that these things are karmic issues which means they can be positively approached as `learning' processes, perhaps related to other lives as well as to childhood issues, and gives ideas for aiding self-improvement. There is a lot more in the book, it goes on and on, with much knowledge presented on many different subjects. It gets less `personal' as the book goes on, but the first section is very directly aimed at street-level, talking about drugs and drink and depression and other subjects that aren't discussed in other books on the subject that I know of. I found it a good start and when I knew she was on my wavelength I could just get on with the rest of the book! It is big, not a `read thro' but more of a dipper, could last you many years to read!!! I would recommend this book to anybody who isn't perfect, but who is trying to do there best in a 9-5 world, using magick when possible, but basically having to be a *normal* person and live in this world while believing in other things. It also goes into a lot of detail for people who want to dig further into spells and history of Wicca and biographies of magicians & occultists, but its real strength and attraction lies in the first chapters `Philosophy and Ethics'.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely astounding.. a work of true Art.
Review: Thank you, Kala. This is one of the most incredible books I have ever read in my life. You are a true Witch, living the path every moment as it's meant to be.
Everyone interested in the Craft on a *deeper* level than the basics, must get this book. It has it all.. and more.
This is not a 101.. nor is it a 202 or 303.. It's not a training manual, it's a LifeBook.. it applies ones spiritual Path, which is often dilluted these days by mundanaeity, to everyday life--GROUNDED in Reality.
If you are daring to see the underlying truths existing all around you.. and questioning all that you are and all you do in the name of your Path, you must invest in this work of art. It's a gem and continues to be one of the most influential works in my Library and in my Life.
Cheers!
~Colin Smith (OakRaven)~
Rating:
Summary: Good Insights!!!
Review: This book goes further than any more I have seen to bring new elements into witchcraft like systems and histories of people who�ve influenced magic. Well not *bring* but emphasize. She also looks at modern things like smoking and drinking and eating disorders and exercise. There is some good practical stuff too. It tells you everything you should know as an exploring witch, and then some. All *newbies* and more experienced witches should get it. Kala has a good down to earth style it�s not like she�s on some pedalstal. It reminds me a bit of Fiona Horn but also looks at *darker* stuff. It is also about being more than a witch, trying to be a decent person and find spiritual enlightenment like we all should be trying to. It�s inspiring!!!
Rating:
Summary: A real guide to witchcraft
Review: While at first glance it may look like another hokey teen witch book of spells, I was pleasantly surprised to find it one of the best introductions to witchcraft I have come across. She dispenses with the simplistic fluffy formulas for fixing the tribulations of adolescence in favor of a genuinely honest overview of contemporary witchcraft. (no plastic wrapped spells for getting a hot boyfriend, or curing teen angst with pretty crystals) Instead she presents a philosophy and thealogy that really struck a chord in me: a 38 year old cynic. So many writers of beginner witchcraft books come across as flaky. Kala, on the other hand, is definitely a "hip witch". And, as such, she addresses many serious concerns such as drugs and suicide not found in other books. Witchcraft for real people. This is one of the few basic witchcraft books that I will unhesitatingly recommend to those who are skeptical about witchcraft or cynical about religion in general, yet wish to learn what it is all about.
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