Crone's Book of Charms & Spells [Paperback]

Valerie Worth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2002

This charming little magic book holds the carefully guarded secrets that a wise woman of bygone days could have penned in her grimoire by candlelight. Herbal elixirs, powerful charms, amulets, balms for all folk who come to her seeking their heart's desire: enhanced health and healing, protection, love, marriage, fertility, wealth, youthfulness, beauty.

Quaint and mystic, this treasury of lore also describes twelve rituals to guide you through the mysteries of a full year of seasons. Begin with an ice-sparkling ceremony for the first day of the year and celebrate the winter solstice in a glorious burst of red and gold fire. Each ceremony grows out of the unchanging truths of the cycle of seasons and of the universe itself. 

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The posthumous publication of The Crones Book of Charms & Spells gives us one more chance to experience the melodic rhythm of Worth's prose and to feel the emotion stamped in her poetic inscriptions and incantations. Evoking images of the wise old woman in an isolated cottage, these carefully crafted potions, spells, charms, and amulets reflect the importance she places on taking delight in the process of one's work, as well as in the final product. The Crone's Book of Charms & Spells makes for entertaining reading, and with a little common sense and caution, will make a powerful addition to your own library. --Brian Patterson

From the Publisher

The late Valerie Worth was a prolific poet. Her natural gift of rhyme helps make her Crone's Book of Charms & Spells (previously published as The Crone's Book of Wisdom) set a level of excellence that other writers will always try to equal.

Traditionally, ceremonies and spells were often done in rhyme. If you remember that everything is made of energy, and that energy is vibratory in nature, then the making of spells in rhymes is quite logical. Rhymes set up patterns of sound which can resonate through our bodies and through the universe. Perhaps this is the basis for the use of power words or god names in ceremonial magick. Or maybe it is the source of the power behind mantra magick as used in India. But one thing is clear: it works. And with the rituals and techniques in this book, you can make it work for you.

The rituals for the year are beautiful. For example, in the ceremony for the Fall Equinox, at the moment when the Sun has set, you stand before your altar and say, "Now the sun is overwhelmed, And we are left alone to die: With all the faded trees, the wasted flowers, Do we also fade and waste..." The ceremony for the Dark of the Moon in November includes "Even the night is dead, Now at the dark of the moon: Even the demons are dead, Now at the dark of the moon: All who once lived are dead, Now at the dark of the moon."

With over 60 talismans and a description of the magical powers of 60 herbs, this book is a gem. I know there are certain books you especially like and often refer to. This is going to be one of them.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 2 edition (September 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567188117
• ISBN-13: 978-1567188110
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,334 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

116 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant, beautiful book., January 4, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crone's Book of Charms & Spells (Paperback)

Yes, some of the spells involve dead flies, spiderwebs, and dead bird hearts... But they are, in fact, necessary components for pretty useful and creative charms.

Since I hate not knowing everything there is to know about a book before buying it, I'll explain a bit about the various sections in "Charms and Spells."

The beginning is indeed a short description of an old, wrinkled woman living inside a cottage deep in the woods, but it's not a stereotype... Witches DO get old.

The second chapter is a compellation of magickal herbs and their various medicinal and charming purposes.

The third chapter consists of "thrice a dozen charms"... Mostly the heart of the book. A few may be considered useless and dangerous, but the rest are quite helpful and easy to create.

The fourth and final chapter consists of ceremonies to be performed for each month of the year... A good guideline if you want to do your part for the Earth during the holidays.

Scattered on almost every page of the book are striking images depicting every herb and act enlisted.

All in all, "The Crone's Book of Charms and Spells" is a worthwhile purchase, and it's a steal! Price doesn't govern quality(like a few books I know), after all.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cheers for the Crone, February 6, 2002

By 

Kelly (Fantasy Literature) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Crone's Book of Charms & Spells (Paperback)

It;s almost become a cliche to say that Valerie Worth's two "Crone's Books" are written in a style so evocative that we really feel we're reading our great-grandmother's Victorian grimoire, or that we found this stuff in a trunk in the attic, etc. That's because it's true. Worth wasn't a witch at all, but a poet, and she had always been fascinated by folk magic. From this fascination came the Crone's Books, two books of magic written in an archaic and poetic style.

The device works perfectly. Come on now, fellow witches, admit it: when you first got into the Craft, you were secretly longing for some great-aunt to draw you aside and confess that your whole family had been witches since time immemorial. ;) This book was written in the sixties, but it *feels* like lovingly preserved family tradition, and therein lies the magic. The writing style takes you right into a frame of mind where you're ready to believe anything is possible, and that's always the best way to make your magic work!

Now, not all the spells are useful, and some of them will be found unethical or offensive by some readers. However, there are some gems, especially the Ceremonies for the Year. (The book ends with a set of twelve rituals to celebrate the Wheel. They are absolutely spine-tingling.) Overall, _The Crone's Book of Charms and Spells_ is a testament to the power of language to make magic. I've readtons of modern spell books that just don't give the reader that magical feeling. This book inspires both the Witch and the fantasy writer in me. Brava.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Provocative and Informative, October 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Crone's Book of Charms & Spells (Paperback)

As someone who usually writes their own spells, I picked up this book warily, but am so glad I did! Unlike some of the previous reviews, I believe this book has EVERYTHING to do with witchcraft AND wicca. Some of the spells, like those for revenge, are not ones that Wiccans might do per se, but it is nevertheless interesting information.

Creating powerful talismans and amulets, and working useful spells is what this book is all about. Pick it up and see for yourself!