Customer Reviews

Crone's Book of Charms & Spells

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

Valerie Worth, I'm afraid, has not done it again. I bought this book thinking it might be a posthumous compilation of unpublished writings. Instead, I found a new -- and beautifully illustrated -- edition of a book I already had, _The Crone's Book of Wisdom_.

It's a completely new design, with suggested pictures for the talismans in the chapter "Inscriptions of Power." The incantations in "Thrice a Dozen Charms" and "Ceremonies for the Year" have been reset in italics, rather than the all-caps format of the previous edition, which makes them much easier to read.

A useful and inspiring book for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. However, if you're thinking of purchasing it, and already have _Crone's Book of Wisdom_, you should be aware that you're buying *no* new textual material.

Being a Witch and not Wiccan it is not easy to find reading material that is not heavily slanted towards Wiccans. This book had some very interesting information on various plants and herbs as well as talismens and charms. For those that aren't looking for any "deep" learning and just want some interesting facts on plants and miscellaneous spells. I liked this book quite a bit and would recommend it to any Witch who grows weary of looking for a book with no reference to Wicca.

The book gave me a feeling like know other. There were so much information and charms. Plus it had charms and spells for ceremonies of the year, it had materials of wisdom, it had little amulets in it to use called "insprerations of power," and last but not least hundreds of charms. I think that Worth is a wise women and knows a lot about magic charms.

I am just a beginner and I borrowed it from a friend and loved it. Sure some of the herbs are hard to find but the spells are so simple even the youngest beginner could understand them. I recommend this book 100% to anyone into herbal potions and spells. blessed be

I found this book to be very useful in helping me create my own spells. It will stay on my shelf for a long time to come:)

This is one of the greatest books, it was the first book I owned on the subject and it gave me a beginers look into this wonderfull world. I would recomend this book for people new to the Craft and old. Blessed be.

I am just a beginer of witchcraft and i found this book very, very,very Helpful!