Customer Reviews

Green Witchcraft II: Balancing Light & Shadow

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A friend suggested this to me some time ago after I complained about how "fluffy" or severely dianic so many books in this area sometimes seem to be. I can't thank them enough!

Finally, a book that talks about _balance_. Light and dark, male and female; she reminds you that energy itself isn't one or the other, but neutral. It's what you do with it that matters.

Moura has a proper yet conversational writing style, which lets you absorb and think about the information presented without stumbling through bad grammar and awkward language. Though I'm not too sure about the faery stuff, much of the rest of what she has to say really hit home for me. Her listing of the basic "laws" of witchcraft is simple, clear, and to the point- probably the best phrasing I've seen.

She suggests ways of dealing with your fears via visualization and meditation; offers basic information about ogham, tarot, creating ritual, and obviously, working with both "light" and "dark". She keeps a balance of male and female, leaving this book pleasantly neutral.

A useful book for those looking for "something more" as they wade through the books available about paganism, witchcraft in particular. At the top of my recommendations list, along with Cunningham's "Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner".

Please don't misunderstand me even though I only gave Green Witchcraft II three stars - I do think it is an OK book, and badly needed as well. What with all the "pink sugar witchie" books appearing on the market lately, it's just great that someone dares to write about "the shadow side". My problems with this book didn't arise from that. No; I just expected it to be _all_ about what the title says: "Balancing Light & Shadow", i.e. understanding the Dark as well as the Light in a more general Craft context. Instead, about a half of the book seems to be information on Moura's own Craft tradition. No doubt the book is useful as a whole to those following that specific path, but personally I found no actual use for half of it. The meditations are excellent, though!

Moura is also guilty of a very common slip-up - making a mess of Finnish names, Deities and folk beliefs. There were never any Finnish Gods called "Hiesi" and "Tunni"...

Oh, but if you feel like buying this book, don't be discouraged by my review. GWII _is_ still a book worth its price, especially for those who were really into the first part of the series.

For many, the Dark side of the Craft is a difficult and fearsome subject. Moura makes it understandable and removes the fear by explaining the balance it provides and showing how it can be utilized in a positive way. Another awesome book!

I loved this, not for the content (which was marvellous), but BECAUSE of it. Very few serious books have been written on the dark aspect of paganism because they don't want people to think of it as "black magic," and many (most) that have been written are trashy, focusing only on teenagers who want to [tick] their parents off. It's a side that needs to be explained that's not usually included in 101 books, or anywhere else. I was just glad to see it. The book itself is worth reading, whether you agree with her or not, for another perspective that I believe is widely ignored.

This series of Green Witchcraft books is a great counterbalance to the Scott Cunningham series for the Solitary Practitioner. It delves more deeply into the source of Witchcraft and includes very practical information for ritual and better understanding of the whys and hows of Witchcraft.

I actually read this book *before* reading Green Witchcraft I (couldn't face another beginners-guide-to) and was quite impressed. As a Witch working very much in the folk tradition, and often with the deities often thought of as "darker", it was a good find, particularly the sections on the Goddess and God. However, the latter part of the book seemed rather jumbled. It contained a lot of good ideas, but could probably ahve been put together better.

As someone who is trying to keep my distance from all the sweet candy colored magick in Witchcraft today, I was thrilled that Moura's second book tackled the Dark side, because without it there is no balance!

I loved everything about this book (well, ok, the reviewer that said the last two chapters could have been better was right), the meditations, the rituals, and I was amazed by the chapter on the Ogham!

She includes coorespondences for Dark Power Herbs, Deities (from a variety of pantheons), and more. I really like Moura's tradition of the "Green Witch" and how she approaches her Craft, and would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone past their 101 stage who's ready to dive into the less talked about/utilized side of the Craft.

I own all three of the books in the greenwitch series

and could not be more pleased with them. Not only is the

the casual acceptance of faerys, spirits, and the like

similar to own upbringing with my mother and grandmother,

even those not so wonderfully blessed not only can see what it

must have been like, and start on the path of the old ways

without fear or distrust. BRAVO!!!!My dear lady...you've

done it once more!!

Blessed be my dear readers! Merry meet again!

Robynwolfe

This Book is a detailed description to understand the light (White magic) aspects of Magic and the (Black magic) Dark aspects of Paganism. In order to accurately understand what your doing and why or if you need to seek out balance and understanding of both sides. Read this!

I thought this was a very good work due to the fact it emphasises balance and the importance of full and dark moon rituals. Before reading this,I only did full moon rituals. Now I have incorporated her wisdom into my own practice. As a result, I do have a better sense of balance. Im giving it 4 stars because I feel it is slightly repetitive from the last book.