Old world witchcraft Ancient ways for modern days

Grimassi (Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft) has written over a dozen books on neo-paganism and witchcraft and is a self-styled expert on non-Celtic European witchcraft. In this title, he refutes current concepts of what witchcraft is and has been, dismissing most scholarly work as dependent on either the testimony of tortured victims of the Inquisition or the writings of those seeking to justify their persecution of witches. He also appears to disdain Wicca as the fanciful imaginings of the Victorians. Having made these points, Grimassi moves on to share the plant magic that is the basis of the "Old World Witchcraft" taught to him by hereditary witches-whose teachings, apparently, emanated originally from the faery realm. (Take that, scholars!) He lays out a complex schema informed by an "Old World" understanding of the sacred hallow and the use of shadow, the organic memory of the earth. The second half of the book is full of detailed spells, charms, correspondences, and rituals. VERDICT Readers of this book will most likely be experienced witches looking to further their spiritual studies and dedicated to parsing the magical prescriptions to suit their own purposes.-Janet Tapper, Univ. of Western States, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.