Customer Reviews

Cottage Witchery: Natural Magick for Hearth and Home

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a young witch, it's true, but that doesn't mean my opinion doesn't count. This book is AMAZING! I read my mom's copy and I love the author's sense of humor and breezy perspective on Wicca and spells. I love how she personalizes the book by including her own experiences! This book is a wonderful addition to any wiccan, beginner or not's bookshelf. Ellen Dugan is a talented author/witch who inspires the reader in all sorts of ways! Buy this book right away!

Mrs. Dugan reprises with another absolutely fantastic book dealing with the elements of natural witchcraft and its connections to the hearth and home. Practical and amazingly easy to read and retain information from, Mrs. Dugan takes the reader on a fantastic journey through the parts of your own home that seem to lack a magickal mystery, and insures her readers that the home is one, if not the best place to practice witchcraft. Jam packed with useful information, hearth magick seems less of an abstract idea and more of an accessible entity, completely surrounding you.

As to her style, Ellen connects with her readers and steers clear of the "bow-down-to-my-almighty-knowledge" attitude that some writers stick close to when writing a book on the subject of Wicca. With ease and expertise, Mrs. Dugan writes what's in her own clever heart, but fully delivers the vast amounts of info one would deem necessary to have in order to practice this wonderful, natural craft, the Craft of the hearth and of the home. Does it really sound as if Mrs. Dugan is speaking to her readers in a tone one would use with a two year old? Personally, I don't see a hint of that. After reading book after book after book, the titles, the authors and the information, for me, seem to bleed together and become indistinguishable in a muddled, wordy mess. Ellen Dugan stands out among the rest who have attempted to write on this difficult and vast subject and fully utilizes the humor and wit she is know for.

A FULL FIVE STARS to Mrs. Dugan and "Cottage Witchery". I hope to see more from such a talented and informative author in the future.

This book started out strong and seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I've been hoping for a book that focuses on the home, and ways to not only bring magic in, but also tips and ideas for decorating in a more magical way. The first few chapters seem to do exactly that - with detailed descriptions of what a witch's home could be, basic blessings, tips on finding the center of your home, etc. I was really excited! Unfortunately, soon after, the author committed the cardinal sin of many Wiccan titles: trying to do too much. She seemed to lose her focus, and the book becomes a mishmash of different ideas - protection, elemental work, feng shui, color magic, herbal magic, etc. Because she tries to cram so much in, she manages only to skim the surface of any of these areas - which means she gives information that has been given 1000 times elsewhere. I'm not new to magick, so I don't need the "color magick 101" course. I was hoping for more depth here, but it just wasn't there...

As a novice kitchen witch & yet to begin gardener this book was quite helpful in sparking ideas. While no chapter went into deep detail the basics are covered and that's what I was after. Ms. Dugan's style is very conversational which I prefer over academic language. It's an easy read, and offers inspiration, not concrete "must be this way" type solutions. Ms. Dugan encourages creativity and adapting her charms. If you're just getting started this is an excellent resource. If you're more advanced in the art of kitchen or green witchcraft you may want to look for a different title as I doubt you would find the indepth information you may desire here.

I really liked this book. At times it was a little to cutsy for my taste, but the information was good. I'm not into ceremonial robes and all the "stuff" and formal ritual of Wicca, and I believe all the space in my home is sacred. I found it easy to read and was able to use the info as is or adapt it to my own style.

Loved, loved, loved this book!!

Ellen Dugan is an inspiration for those who want to practice hearth witchery. I felt as if I was at her home enjoying a nice cup of tea and learning all about cottage witchery. I will admit, if you are very strict about how you practice, than this book may not be for you. She is much more fluid and relaxed than most of the other books I've read. Not to say she isn't serious about the craft, she is! She gives you a beautiful way to practice magic in your day to day life.

She is an absolute joy to read! I hope she comes out with a follow up as I do agree she could of added a bit more throughout. I could of easily enjoyed the book doubled it's size. I did not find it hurried though. If fact, I read it a little bit at a time as there is a lot of information for someone early in their path.

Much Fun - thank you Ellen!

If you are a witch that is not into rituals this is the book to have, there is no fuss about the charms here. As a natural witch I consider every space sacred, not just an area of my home. Ellen Dugan does a fantastic job showing everyone that no one needs to purchase tons of gadgets to do a spell just your intent and what you have on hand. After all this is what witches in olde times had to do.

The whole time I was reading Ellen Dugan's Cottage Witchery, the theme from Practical Magic was bopping through my head. It's a cool read! Filled with folklore, handy (and indeed practical) magicks and everyday charms + correspondences, Cottage Witchery taps us on the shoulder and reminds us exactly *why* we call ourselves Witches. Our path is fun, it's mysterious, it's magickal and so very real. This charming text also helps connect us to our house, home and the earth we live in. Cheers to it all around!

~Raven Digitalis~

I truly enjoyed this book. From the cutesy writing style to the suggestions on the methods of incorporating more natural objects in my decorating scheme. This book gave me lots of good ideas. My pagan bookclub read this book last month, and it was a hands down success, we all enjoyed it.

What a great book! I, like a couple of the other reviewers listed here, am not into rituals and ceremony. I like to bring the magic of the outdoors in, and being a young mother, don't necessarily have time to put a lot of work into it. I do, however, love it when people wander into my house and exclaim over the feelings of safety and comfort that it seems to emit. Having just moved into a new house, this book really came in handy.. it described all of the things that came naturally to a practicing "hearth witch," and added some fun, practical ideas as well!