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[lunabee34]

1. I got a card from talitha78. Thank you!

2. My 2024 in books from Goodreads

I read 72 books in 2024. Go, me!

3. And here's the first books of 2025:

The Best American Poetry 2002 by Robert Creeley

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Robert Creeley and I clearly do not share taste in poetry. LOL



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The New Yorker - The Fragrance Foundation Book of Cartoons by Luxe Pack New York

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As with any set of New Yorker cartoons, I didn't get some of them, but on the whole, these are pretty funny.



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Witches Among Us: Understanding Contemporary Witchcraft and Wicca by Thorn Mooney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is really informative and accessible, especially for people who know very little about witchcraft and Wicca. Mooney spends a lot of time contextualizing and defining terms. She also provides an excellent list of scholarly resources as well as resources from within the community for further understanding.



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Comments

[lyr]

Oh, interesting. I haven't read that Mooney book, but I am curious what they said about Wiccan beliefs.

[sabethea]

Just what I was thinking! Tempting, though I’m looking for books on Cornish witchcraft at the moment and I know the beginnings anyway.

[lunabee34]

It really is only about modern contexts, so it talked about the late 19th century/early 20th century origins with Gardner and explained some very basic tenets like the Wiccan Rede. It talked about some the controversies within Wicca and how other ways of practicing witchcraft either branched off it or are opposed to it in some ways. Very general stuff here. I think this is definitely not the book for someone who already has knowledge about witchcraft.

[sabethea]

Oh, fair enough. Yes, I think I could probably skip that then. I remember discovering my parents for some reason had a copy of “witchcraft today” when I was about 14; I’ve never discovered why, given that it’s not at ALL their thing (they’re scientists and my dad’s an atheist and mum is a “church three times a year” Christian).

Always was mine, though: when you grow up seeing auras and don’t realise it’s weird because you just assume everyone sees them and judges mood by the colours around people, you can’t help but be a bit occult minded… (My mum has never properly been able to explain that to her scientific satisfaction; when I told her about it, I was quite clearly surprised she didn’t know and drew her a terrible drawing that looks nonetheless like every single drawing of auras in books as drawn by a completely unartistic seven year old.)

[princessofgeeks]

This is amazing!

[sabethea]

Honestly, the first time I saw a picture of auras round a person in a book (which was about seven or eight years later because, as I say, not the sort of thing our household went in for having), I freaked the fuck out because it was Just. Like. I. Saw. Them. when I was younger (they kind of faded over time, like my eyesight got worse? though even now I have a sense of people’s auras, but it’s rarely literally visible in the same way it just always was as a kid) and like the picture I drew.

So I have this physical proof which, as I say, even my mum can’t explain as I’d never known anything about auras. I think she found out when I asked if she was ok because her colour was sad, or something, and she looked at me like I was talking a different language, so I thought I’d got the word wrong and tried to explain that “you know, the colour round you that changes sometimes when you’re sad?” And no, no she did not know.

[princessofgeeks]

It's great that you did not let adult skepticism crush your own vivid experience. Thank you for the story.

[lunabee34]

Cosigned.

[lunabee34]

A long time ago, I started writing a short story/novel about someone who sees auras. If I ever start writing it again, would you mind if I picked your brain about the experience?

[lunabee34]

When I was in high school I secretly bought a book of spells from Waldenbooks; I don't know what happened to that book. I barely remember it and would love to revisit it as an adult. I don't remember the title of it.

Being able to see (or sense) auras is incredibly cool. Have you ever seen someone's aura and been like that person is bad news, stay away stay way?

[lyr]

I'm not a Cornish practitioner myself, but I have heard good things about Gemma Gary's Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways.

[lunabee34]

It really is only about modern contexts, so it talked about the late 19th century/early 20th century origins with Gardner and explained some very basic tenets like the Wiccan Rede. It talked about some the controversies within Wicca and how other ways of practicing witchcraft either branched off it or are opposed to it in some ways. Very general stuff here.

[lyr]

Ah, some of the basic background stuff.

[starandrea]

72 books is so many! Way to go!! ♥

[lunabee34]

*high five*

[princessofgeeks]

The Mooney book sounds wonderful. I should read it as a follow on to the groundbreaking "Drawing Down the Moon" from lo these many years ago.

[lunabee34]

That's one of the books mentioned as a resource.

I suspect that you would find this book thin in comparison to Drawing Down the Moon; I think that one is much more comprehensive.

[princessofgeeks]

Good to know.

And from what you said upthread I don't need to read it after all.

[amejisuto]

You're a reading machine!

I'm glad you liked that Witches Among Us. I hope you like the other one just as much!

[lunabee34]

I've started it! I just read the ritual about the comfort object. <3

[amejisuto]

My snuggie that you got me is perfect for it! I'm hugging AB2 now!

[lunabee34]

Awwww, yay!

[amejisuto]

Seriously, you should get one, if only for Fiona. He's so snuggly and huggable it's amazing. It just makes me smile every time. Best stuffie ever!

[lunabee34]

That's a good idea. Both kids love stuffies so much, even Dylan at 22!

[amejisuto]

Hell, I haven't had a stuffie for years and I'm loving on AB2. And I'm gonna be 52!

[scintilla10]

72 books! Congrats! :D

[lunabee34]

Thank you!