Happy February! Today for Top 5 Wednesday I’m sharing the highest rated books on my TBR list, according to Goodreads.
From Yoga to Kabbalah: Religious Exoticism and the Logics of Bricolage by Veronique Altglas
Average Rating: 5 stars
Religious exoticism implies a deeply ambivalent relationship to otherness and to religion itself: traditional religious teachings are uprooted and fragmented in order to be appropriated as practical methods for personal growth. Western contemporary societies have seen the massive popularization of such “exotic” religious resources as yoga and meditation, Shamanism, Buddhism, Sufism, and Kabbalah. Veronique Altglas shows that these trends inform us about how religious resources are disseminated globally, as well as how the self is constructed in society. She uses two case studies: the Hindu-based movements in France and Britain that started in the 1970s, and the Kabbalah Centre in France, Britain, Brazil, and Israel. She draws upon major qualitative and cross-cultural empirical investigations to conceptualize religious exoticism and offer a nuanced and original understanding of its contemporary significance. From Yoga to Kabbalah broadens scholarly understanding of the globalization of religion, how religions are modified through cultural encounters, and of religious life in neoliberal societies.
Pennsylvania Month-by-Month Gardening by Liz Ball and George Weigel
Average Rating: 4.67 stars
With a fresh look and updated information, Pennsylvania Month-by-Month Gardening includes all the when-to and how-to information that has made these books so popular over the years, presented in a new, easier-to-use format with more full-color photography and the most current information available. Complete with specific advice on growing flowers (both annuals and perennials), bulbs, grasses (both lawn and ornamental), roses, groundcovers, shrubs, trees, and vines, this book is one no garden lover will want to miss! In the winter, certain tasks are needed to plan for and improve the next growing season. And once things really start growing in the spring and summer, you’ll find advice on the best way to get the most beautiful flowers, the lushest lawns, and the sturdiest trees. From planting to watering and fertilizing, and from maintenance to problem solving, Pennsylvania Month-by-Month Gardening shows all levels of gardeners the best practices to grow satisfying and rewarding results.
Under the Bramble Arch by Corinne Boyer
Average Rating: 4.63 stars
Following Under the Witching Tree, this second book in a trilogy by folk herbalist Corinne Boyer explores the magical and medicinal applications of the plants of the wayside–those liminal places where the wild meets the unkempt and forgotten landscapes of humankind. This book presents a wealth of hands-on practices exploring charms, spells, recipes, and rites.
Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic by Aidan Wachter
Average Rating: 4.6 stars
Six Ways is a handbook of magic and sorcery, rooted in witchcraft, folk magic, chaos magic, and animist spirit work. Subjects covered include sigils, servitors, meditation, trance, spiritual cleansing, warding, dream sorcery, candle magic, talismanic magic, and tending to the spirit ecologies we live with and in.
Six Ways looks at how and why to build relationships in all of the worlds, manifest and unmanifest (what Wachter calls the Field) that allow us to perform effective magic. Effective magic is magic that changes us at the mind, soul, and spirit levels while improving our real-world circumstances.
The focus is on finding pathways to the Otherworlds and building symbiotic relationships with the Others (the spirits and allies) that dwell there. Sorcery then becomes the practice of working within those relationships to effect the changes we seek in our lives.
Do I Have to Wear Black? Rituals, Customs & Funerary Etiquette for Modern Pagans by Mortellus
Average Rating: 4.6 stars
Explore death and dying from the perspective of magical and Pagan communities. Filled with rituals, meditations, legal considerations, and practical advice, this book provides profound insights into death as a spiritual process.
Within these pages, you will discover more than fifty rituals for funerals, memorials, and remembrances as well as meditations for mourning and letting go. Each chapter shares the beliefs and specific rituals of a distinct tradition, including British Traditional Wicca, Dis-cordianism, Eclectic Wicca, Heathenry, Hellenism, Druidry, Thelema, and more.
You will also discover hands-on advice for creating shrouds, coffins, and death masks as well as tips for advanced planning, wills, and power of attorney. Whether you want to share this book with a non-Pagan funeral professional, learn what to expect at a Pagan funeral, or develop a ritual for a loved one’s passing, the wealth of material within is designed to help readers experience final transitions in a spiritually meaningful way. With contributions from a variety of practitioners across many traditions, Do I Have to Wear Black? delivers a multitude of magical rites and detailed explanations in one thorough manual.
Hissing Potatoes 