Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Witches' Almanac #34: Three New Articles

The table of contents for the 2015-2016 Witches’ Almanac has been revealed. This issue won't officially be released until September 1, but you can pre-order it from Amazon.com, which lists it as being available in both Paperback and Kindle versions.

This year's edition contains an article about the late Margot Adler who died on July 28, 2014. (And lest you think that the folks at the Witches' Almanac were just jumping on the bandwagon, the Almanac was already at the printer when Adler passed.)

I have three articles in this edition:
  • “Picking Things Up”  — Do you pick up a penny when you see it on the ground? This article reveals the origin of and some variations on this tradition.
  • “Walpurgisnacht”  — This article describes the German legend surrounding The Brocken and a recent visit there. According to the legend, on Walpurgisnacht (May Eve), witches gathered from the four corners of the world to attend the Witches’ Sabbat. Riding brooms and goats, they flew to a mist-shrouded mountain peak called the Brocken, or Blocksberg.
  • “Fireflies”  — On a hot summer night, just as dusk descends, at the edge of a wood or marsh, something magickal happens. As the sunlight fades, small twinkles of light, faint at first, pulse in the growing shadows. As night overtakes the twilight, more flashes appear, glowing brighter against the contrast of the deepening dark. This article recounts some of the legends associated with these bioluminescent cuties.
Publishing since 1971, the Almanac is famous not just for its astrological predictions by astrologer Dikki-Jo Mullen, but also on the articles about all subjects mysterious and interesting.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Book Review: A Cast-Off Coven (A Witchcraft Mystery, #2)

I'm posting this review a little late and out of order.

A Cast-Off CovenA Cast-Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The second in the Witchcraft Mystery series, this installment involves a mystery set in a Fine Arts school. An alleged ghost is scaring students and faculty alike and when someone dies, she must determine if it was really an accident, and if not, whether the paranormal was involved.

Good ghost story and excellent narration by Tantor Audio's Xe Sands.

View all my reviews