Divided into four distinct sections, Llewellyn’s 2010 Witches Companion is a lovely read and a potentially useful collection of essays. Please note that unlike most of Llewellyn’s other annuals, this is NOT much of an almanac. There is a lunar calendar (starting in September 2009 and going through December 2010) and a moon void of course table, but that is pretty much it in terms of ‘traditional’ almanac material.
I encourage readers to see this as a collection of essays that are worthy in and of themselves. Most of the contributors are either published authors (like Deborah Blake, Elizabeth Barrette, Susan Pesznecker, Lisa Mc Sherry, Lupa, Ann Moura, Magenta Griffith, Raven Digitalis, and Gail Wood) or they are well-known in the pagan community (Boudica, James Kambos, Gede Parma, Dallas Jennifer Cobb, and Phaedra Bonewits). But there are several newcomers who hold their own with the others: Shirley Lenhard, and Danny Pharr in particular.
The topics are grouped into four areas: Community Forum” (Provocative Opinions on
Contemporary Issues), “Witchy Living” (Day-to-Day Witchcraft), “Witchcraft Essentials” (Practices, Rituals and Spells) and “Magical Transformations” (Everything Old is New Again). It’s a broad collection, and within the essays there is something
sure to interest everyone.
Many of the essays are a bit general – they seem to be an invitation to look deeper into the author’s other writings rather than a deep exploration of the given topic. This is one of the few negatives, and it’s a mild negative. Can I help it if I want to know MORE than the annual gives space to explore? A few essays that stand out from that are Lisa Mc Sherry’s essay on “Cyber Altars” (I’m not likely to create one, but I feel I could now), Magenta Griffith’s “Crafting in Small Spaces,” Deborah Blake’s “Crafting the Perfect Spell,” and Lupa’s “Giving Back to the Spirit World.”
I enjoyed this annual immensely: Highly recommended.
~review by Luisa Martinez
Editor: Sharon Leah
Llewellyn Publications, 2009
pp. 288, $9.99
