Small Magics is friendly and folksy but not fluffy. It's full of interesting and important information. Done in the vein of sit down, get comfy, have a cuppa and let's talk, the author invites you in to hear her thoughts. She doesn't talk AT you, she talks TO you. And oh, the tales she tells! She's the local village witch, you see, and she's willing to divulge her Practical Secrets from an Appalachian Village Witch, the book's subtitle.
Practical and down-to-earth, she grounds you. And she definitely puts you in the mood to do magic. There are really helpful tips and pointers to help you do exactly that. Anybody embarking on something new or taking a refresher course needs a good teacher. You've hit the jackpot with this author. She prods you the whole time, reminding you that practice makes perfect.
For starters, she's not enamored of the word witch, which she says is offensive to some cultures and conjures up negative images for many people Shed prefers the term energy workers. Although she's friendly and folksy, she also takes a no nonsense approach to the craft. The author wants results, not excuses, She doesn't want you to just read the book, she wants you to DO it.
"Sometimes it requires an emergency to push our baby-bird selves out of our nest of books and prove we can fly." This author says that while you're perfecting your skills, you should also be creating your own. Doing energy work and thereby magic isn't just about following instructions, it's about making the rituals your own.
But she'll be right there with you. guiding you along the way and teaching you how to become your own community's helpful energy worker, practicing your own. brand of magic.
~review by Judy Blackstone
Author: H. Byron Ballard
Llewellyn Worldwide, 2023
189 pp. $17.99
