This book is not an in-depth guide to the topic of magic for hedge witches but the Pagan Portals series are introductory books so this was to be expected. The book takes the reader on a whistle-stop tour through connecting with magical ingredients, trees and other items found in nature, runes, candle magic, the elements, magical bottles and sachets, ritual, magical space, animal familiars and hedge riding. But each topic is only covered superficially so if you are a beginner you may need something with more detail and if you are an experienced hedge witch, you may know this stuff already.
The book contains a lot of correspondences but these are personal to the author, so may give you a new perspective on what to use and when. One thing I liked was the format of the spells. There are only a few spells in the book but they are not written out like a recipe, as is found in many spell books. Instead you are given a list of possible ingredients that you can choose from, depending on what is available to you at any given time. I liked this freedom and it also allows a witch to make her spell her own, rather than following someone else’s instructions.
This is not a book to read if you want to be entertained. It is a reference book full of information about magical items and how to use them. The text is often written as if it was once a bullet pointed list made into a paragraph but that is great if you have the book next to your altar and just want to look something up quickly. Reading from cover to cover is quite a dry experience, but if you buy it intending to use it as reference then I’m sure you will not be disappointed.
With thanks to Netgalley and John Hunt Publishing for providing a free advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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