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The Book of Blessings and Rituals - A Review

Today I'm reviewing The Book of Blessings and Rituals - Magical Invocations For Healing, Setting Energy and Creating Sacred Space by Athena Perrakis, Ph.D.


Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Cover



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Release Date: 7/30/19


Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an contemporary witch.  I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft.  I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts nearly 400,000 views.


I'll begin this review with the physical book.  The review copy I received is a hard cover book but did not have a dust jacket.  The image on the front shows assorted religious emblems and is a very vibrant raised image on cover.  The art inside is illustrative art and lends itself nicely to the context of the book.  There is no index in this book but the table of contents is pretty extensive.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book


The chapters are broken down by month and include an assortment of rituals and blessings that correspond.  January, for example has new year's blessings and directional invocations while September offers  prayers for Rosh Hashanah, Mabon  and a Honey Blessing Jar project.

As in many of her other books, the author provides a clear and concise delivery of the information within the pages. The chapters begin with a brief overview of each month which includes a brief history or explanation of that rites within.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book


The October chapter provides a brief look at Samhain (Summer's End in Gaelic) and how the Celts may have celebrated this new year.  The author gives us several rituals and a project associated with the celebration of the dead. Creating an ancestor altar has been one of my yearly traditional for quite some time.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book


I really enjoyed the diversity included in this book.  While reading up on Samhain I was delighted to find a section on Diwali.  Diwali is Sanskrit for light or lamp.  Its an ancient Hindu festival celebrated at the New Moon in October.

The blessing begins:

On this new moon,
we remember light's victory over darkness.
Diyas glow like treasures,
thunderous sounds boom triumphantly
illuminating the night with color and sound
Now is the time to delight in celebration.
Lakshmi, I honor you on this day.
Thank you for blessing us with your abundance.

Over all, this book is well organized, and provides a well rounded bit of information from an assortment of cultures. Including projects with each chapter provides the reader the opportunity to not only read about rituals they may not have heard about, but also the ability to put them into practice as well.   I believe this is a great book to have on your self to compliment an extensive religious text collection or to introduce yourself to new paths you may have otherwise missed.





All Dressed Up...

Originally I was writing this article about how the fashion and film industry has shaped what we use in magical practice for our rituals.  Then a thing happened. So I modified my questions and went with it.

Does the goddess care about what we wear?
Robes or disrobed, yoga pants and hoodie - does she care?
And is she the "real" goddess?  Is she the goddess of the ancients who worshiped before me.
I say yes, and here's why.

Lunar Altar - Renee Sosanna Olson


There is a lot of buzz in the Hecatean world right now around some assertions made about the goddess and what she does and does not approve of. Let me start by saying, frankly it isn't my business to care about what other's spiritual path may or may not be. Speaking specifically to Hecate, if you follow her as the MMC construct, that is your prerogative. I do not. If you follow her as an evil hag, that again, is your prerogative.  I do not. So until recently I really had no real opinion of the current debate. I read Sorita d'Este's well written response to the original article with two feelings. One of connection as I felt deeply in alignment with Sorita's words and then one of "Utoh" - Now everyone is going to have a voice on this. Jason Miller, Cyndi Brannen that I have seen thus far and certainly probably some I haven't. I still did not feel compelled to comment.

Until I read this - LINK

This article made me look back into myself for what my beliefs are instead of looking out into the world. I thought about my spiritual practices and my magic.  These are exactly what they are. Mine.
I thought about my candles and my music. I thought about my chants and my hymns. This is what I learned.

My personal path is one of magic and science. My chants call out the attributes that I want to empower in my life. My life needs Brimo, the fiery one. My life calls out sometime in desperation for Soteira. I need the mother of all to save me. On my dark days I call upon the Phosphoros, light-bringer to help me find my way. There are times when I need Nyktipolos or Prytania to deal with a loss or death.  Each of these aspects of the goddess are within me. They are either strong or weak.  They can be positive or negative but they are still within me.

“Lamp-bearer, shining and aglow, Selene, Star-coursing, heavenly, torch-bearer, fire-breather…” (IV, 2557). Note: In the PGM, Hekate is syncretized with other goddesses including Selene.

When I stand at my altar and light my candles, I focus my mind into itself and pull out these energies into the forefront of my manifestation. I watch the flames dance and bring Brimo into my spirit. I see her in all her glory waging the war to save those in need.

Lunar Altar - Renee Sosanna Olson


My rites are self reflective so that I can call upon those energies at anytime and speak up for those who are less fortunate. I can represent Kurotrophos in the fullest sense in the day to day world. My magic is self empowering calling upon the energies of the goddess by candle light and walking the walk by sun light.  I'm not completely sure I would call it worship either.

Not everyone practices what I practice. Some practice exactly what I do while they're chopping vegetables. Their focus on each slice pulling into manifestation of a power they wish to possess.  Sometimes having a different path is the best thing you can have.  Sometimes, walking the line is the best thing you can do. Celebrate the differences and decide for yourself if you're chatting with the one Hecate.  The one goddess?  Back to our original thought, are we honoring Hecate? Are we following the spiritual path of the ancients? Does she wear saffron robes and bronze sandals?

I am. I believe they were connecting with an energy to help themselves in some way. Isn't that really what we all do?  We connect with something, even if it is just ourselves with a purpose. To me that purpose is to become Krataiis, the strong one, and she may very well be in yoga pants and a hoodie.


Blessings
Sosanna