In Old World Witchcraft, noted author Raven Grimassi covers totally new territory - in his work and in the world of popular witchcraft books published in the last few decades. This book is actually about "an enchanted worldview," one that has not necessarily been inherited from the beliefs and practices of any particular region and one which is available to us today. The "Old World" in the title is actually about a magical view of the Plant Kingdom and the spirits attached to it. While Grimassi's previous books discuss the cultural expressions and commonality of witchcraft beliefs and practices in general, this book penetrates much deeper. Old World Witchdraft reveals rarely discussed topics such as the concept of Shadow as the organic memory of the earth. Readers will learn rooted techniques that possess power because these ways have always been connected to it. They will learn methods of interfacing with the ancestral current and with the organic memory of the earth. Through these they can connect with the timeless arts and learn methods of empowerment directly from the ancient source. Totally new information about familiar tools is presented. For example, the mortar and pestle is a tool for spell casting, a device that creates interfacing with plant spirits and with shadow, and a focal point for veneration of the Plant Kingdom. Grimassi also presents the art of using plant ashes for magical sigil work. This book is for people who have had their fill of books that say the same things over and over, who want to take the next step, and who are eager for the more rooted ways that have remained largely hidden.
"Grimassi (Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft) has written over a dozen books on neo¬paganism and witchcraft and is a self-styled expert on non-Celtic European witchcraft. In this title, he refutes current concepts of what witchcraft is and has been, dismissing most scholarly work as dependent on either the testimony of tortured victims of the Inquisition or the writings of those seeking to just
Janet Tapper, Univ. of Western States, Portland, OR, Library Journal, November 1, 2011 iss
