Customer Reviews

Sorgitzak: Old Forest Craft

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

 

 

In these recent years, anyone who has an opinion is able to write, sell and publish what they will about Wicca and this sort of thing has both helped but more often than not hindered Wicca's true growth potential. Why? You get a LOT of poor quality material with very little that is good (let alone useful!)

Here is an alternative to Gardnerian &/or Cunningham inspired Wicca: Sorgitzak.

Ms. Cummer has shed some light on her forays into the murky realm of old world Witchery that few have the intestinal fortitude to venture into. You won't find redes, ethics lectures nor laws but rather good old fashioned common sense written in a style that is reminiscent of how one would learn form a friend.

She gives you everything from a first person perspective so that you get a sense of being there with her as she unveils this beautiful journey to you. Her section on Guided Meditations is filled with some very good and useful suggestions for Inner Workings. What's so special about this? She not only has rites for women but also for men! It's a very RARE thing to offer a balanced perspective instead of Goddess only material.

There's no 'Bibliography' for none is needed. Why? She's not relying on any mainstream Sheeple authors to fill in blanks for her but rather this is a book that has lore she's won thru hard work, perspiration and good old fashioned persistence from the Spirits, Gods and Fey.

Much of the work is 'directly inspired' by the Gods (some like to call that channeled information) and that is much to her credit. Few are the practitioners worth their salt who can venture to the lands of the Shining Ones and come back with knowledge. Most Metaphysical authors usually just end up as parrots, parroting other parrots. Not so here.

The sections I enjoyed the most was 'Beyond the Boundary of the Circle" beginning on page 154 & finishing on page 163, then I enjoyed the section "For the Men to Journey to the Overworld" on pages 188-192. How rare a thing for a woman to write a book on Witchcraft to include a section (regardless of how short or long it is) for men? You don't find that in the mainstream Sheeple books.

When we get to the section entitled, "Beyond the Earth" beginning on page 216, we begin to "Dare" as the ritual forces you to look beyond your own silly internal world of worry, doubt, fears, aches, pains, and general nonsense of life to the world of the Gods, the Fey, the Shining Ones. This is a dangerous rite (in my opinion) only because it starts to open doors that for some are better left closed. Meaning if you want to pretend to be a Witch with your kitchen witchery and 'anything goes' approach, then you're welcome to do so; BUT if you desire to truly peer into the what the Shining Ones are, have and offer, then this ritual will help you break down those doors! Now when you read this, you may ignorantly say, "Gee Moloch, that's not such a big deal" but that's what it's supposed to appear as. The rite is deceptively simple yet effective in its application. Ms. Cummer is to be applauded for her simplicity yet effective use of ritual and chant.

Two other sections I enjoyed are "Glamourie" and "Connecting to the Fey" and the author gives you much food for thought as to how you should approach the subjects. The former is one that she sheds a new light upon by getting you to rethink what you know about Glamours and how they work. I found her attitude and her charm reasonably effective. In the latter, she starts you off by telling you about a true story regarding a fog and then she gives you a charm to help you acknowledge the Fey. Notice I did not say 'summon' the Fey (because that's foolish and stupid) but rather how to acknowledge them and by the universal laws of Hospitality and Politeness, they will come to acknowledge you as well.

I love this book. It's succinct, charming (no pun intended) and has a nice style to it, it also includes an Index for fast look up! (Are you listening, mainstream Sheeple publisher?) All in all I give this one five out of five stars. I highly recommend you buy a copy and read it. She is truly a gifted Witch who has a powerful connection to the Old Gods, Fey and Spirits. Learn from her.

Veronica Cummer has written an amazing book. Sorgitzak: Old Forest Craft is definitely a page turner, it's such a refreshing break from the "same `ol" Craft books that I've been reading for so long. Sorgitzak is an awakening call; it aids in stirring the blood with ancient energies that now begin to yawn and awaken once again. She has brought me a more meaningful and deeper understanding of the craft, which I've practiced for many years now. Not every book is for everyone but this book is for me and I will treasure it as a spiritual gift. Thank you.

This book is unlike any I've read about Craft. It is deep, rich, and it is definitely not a beginner book. Much of the information is channelled directly from the Gods or the Fae, and it is refreshing to find a book where you hear directly from Them. There is a great deal of philosophy, theology, and wisdom in these pages. There are also rites that can be used with this pantheon, so it is practical, as well as thought-provoking.

If you are dissatisfied with the many superficial books on modern witchcraft/Wicca, you will welcome this book! It is not a book you can race through, as it really makes you think! Ms. Cummer does not mince words, and there is a lot in this book to be contemplated, worked through, and experienced! I plan on re-reading it, as I'm sure I'll get as much out of a second read as I did from the first.

As a practitioner and teacher of Craft for many years, I am always looking for more advanced books that push the boundaries. This is one of the few I have found that is personally challenging.

I look forward to future books from this author!

In the first few pages I too thought that maybe she made this up just to write a book but I soon changed my mind. As I got further into it I was convinced it was honest. One reason why was that the information was "channeled" or "recaptured" by a coven not Ms. Cummer alone. Another reason was the Basque connection (see The Roots of Witchcraft by Michael Harrison). I don't see a lot of modern Wicca in it as another reviewer did. I have always believed in the European Gods (support your local Gods). The kicker came near the end with the following quote "...the pain of living within the bounds of a desert-born religion which was never really ours to begin with nor ever really could be entirely, because it's symbols were not born where we were born, anymore than it's Gods were."
Nice job.

It's not my particular path, but I have to say, it's very good. It's not a book on how to channel Isis, 'Goddess of Everything', it's how to speak to the fae and spirits and how to prepare yourself to do so. It's not by the numbers, but so close that if you can't easily read between the lines, set it down and read it later. You'll probably get more and different information the more you read it. I can already tell that I will have to read it again. ha ha!
I don't think you have to be in a Trad Coven to find this interesting, I am not, and I did.
It's well written, not too heavy and definitely not too 'lite', a book that a lot of people could enjoy.
It's definitely a keeper.

The Ancient Gods are unnamed from different pantheons but reconizable. The book is poetic with an innergy and depth that makes the Witchblood and the Archetype and psychology of the Ancient
Forests of Europe excite and come alive while realizing the emptiness of the foreign desert psychology of the last two thousand years. In a few spots Wiccan but it's Heart is very, very Strong

This is a one of a kind book on ancient forest craft traditions. Hedgewitchery might suit the frame. It is definitely not new age
Wiccan, which our book market is flooded with.The book relates not to any one tradition of paganism but to all participants of craftwork. My sense was that it's author was at least a 1,000 years old in her awareness and knowledge of Old European Craft traditions. The deities spoken of in this book are not the usual frame of deities one sees in the print. The concepts of the Watchtower Directions/guardians is duel in that each direction is balanced by both male and female guardians. All 8 directions are discussed. The contents is meaningful to anyone of the pagan faiths seeking inroads to enriching their ritual and understanding of craft work.

I recently had the pleasure to read this particular tome and I was awestruck by the fact that for once I have come across a book on witchcraft that does not rehash the same old material that can be found in the many copy cat books available on witchcraft today. And one of the more interesting things that I found was even though I was initially skeptical about a book on Old Traditional style witchcraft that had channelled material as its base source of information. I found my initial thoughts on the material to be totally misplaced. Ms.Cummer did a fantastic job in presenting her material and I was equally pleased that she laid it out in a format that was user friendly to both men and women. The section toward the back half of the book which includes numerous meditations was written in a very easily understood and usable manner. I applaud Ms. Cummer for this wonderful training tome that was both enlightening and enjoyable at the same time. Thank you Pendraig Publishing for helping to bring this wonderful training tool to light.

This is a very interesting book that makes me take a serious look at how real the Gods are. Written in a poetic prose style, it immediately speaks to my bardic sensibilities. Drawn in by the story I was transported to a time where magic was real and the Gods spoke through their priestess and priest. The funny thing is, that time is today. If you consider Witchcraft a religion that connects you to the Old Gods, how can you deny these Gods when they appear and teach you? Veronica Cummer stays true to her path as priestess and her gift as a medium by opening the door and letting the Old Gods speak.

This is not the land of make-believe that so many Wiccans prefer to live in, while they memorize the charge of the Goddess by wrote and allow nothing more than play acting in their "circle". As a witch I do love the charge, and I understand that not all are gifted mediums who can let the Goddess take their body and speak to the coven. But Cummer is not only a gifted medium, but a teacher and storyteller of this growing tradition of Witchcraft. No this is not the Old Craft as taught by Robin Artisson, nor is it the Wicca of Traditional British tradition. It is something of the Goddesses and the Gods.

While I consider myself Wiccan and follow a more traditional path, there are some very good lessons to be learned here. The Goddess is alive and magick is afoot!

I liked this book. At the same time, it left me a little confused until I did some research.

Great concepts! Very poetic and easy to read. I recommend the book on these points.

What threw me is that Sorgitzak is a word that is derived from a 'language of deity' channeled through the author and her coven out of Minnesota. There are strong Wiccan underpinnings and tones, but that seems to be because her group grew into the practices outlined in this text from a Wiccan group. (I had to find a podcast interview with the author to figure this out.) The author was also aiming for a more introductory book on her practices.

Please DON'T let these previous statements discourage you from buying this book. It is a wonderful example of getting back in touch with our Goddesses and Gods in a more personal way. I think I was just mostly cheesed because it kept coming up for Traditional Witchcraft searches, and I wouldn't say that it was quite in line with what I expected (like Robin Artisson, or Hedge Rider, or Paul Huson.)

This is a great transitional book between Wicca and Trad Witchcraft.