HAPPY 2021!!!

WELCOME to the Edge of the Circle Newsletter. This newsletter has come about as an effort to reach out to the Pagan/ Occult community (particularly in Seattle where we are based) to inform the community of what events are happening at our store. Without further ado, welcome, and enjoy.

Regards, Erica (Raven) Branch-Butler, Editrix- golanv1@yahoo.com

WHO WE ARE: Edge of the Circle Books is Seattle's resource for Paganism & the Occult. This newsletter seeks to provide the Seattle community with a place to list events, post articles, and do a bit of networking.

Edge of the Circle Books strives to be your ideal Magical Pagan store.

Open 7 days a week, Noon 'till 8pm.

Call: 206-PAN-1999

We are also now on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edge-of-the-Circle-Books-Events/106285532728383

Become a Fan, post your event on the discussion page!

Also on Facebook: THE SEATTLE PAGAN, OCCULT AND METAPHYSICAL RESOURCE BOARD has been created in order to facilitate networking throughout the Pacific Northwest. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1000179343332589/

If you have a Magical Group, Ritual Group, Pagan Church or organization, Druid Grove, please feel free to post your events and classes here.

Meetups, talks, book signings, public rituals, etc—all are welcome here.

We'd prefer no advertisements for Professional Readers, Reiki practitioners, etc. However, if you are teaching a class, or giving a workshop or talk, feel free to post your event.

This group is specifically for sharing events of interest to the local community, it is not meant for discussing magical paths and traditions, or asking general questions about magick or paganism. Please remain civil, do disparaging posts about groups or individuals. Off topic posts WILL be moderated.

..and check out the Edge’s new TUMBLR Page!

http://edgeofthecirclebooks.tumblr.com/

REMINDER: We buy used Occult Books! Our buyer is in on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays!

CLASSROOM/RITUAL SPACE IS AVAILABLE-- PLEASE CALL FOR DETAILS!

No charge if your class or event is free!

Prices subject to change without notice.

PRIESTESS OF THE MORRIGAN:

Prayers, Rituals & Devotional Work to the Great Queen

by Stephanie Woodfield

Publisher : Llewellyn Publications (January 8, 2021)

Language: : English

Paperback : 272 pages

List Price: $21.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Become a priestess of the Morrigan and build a personalized devotional practice with this profound book on deepening your connection to her. Through stories, prayers, and rituals for groups and solitaries, Priestess of the Morrigan shows you how to serve the Great Queen and enhance your spiritual journey.

Explore the true nature of the Morrigan, discover what it means to channel her voice, and learn about her role in prophecies and curse work. Create your own unique tradition with this book's ritual-building advice and guidelines for developing a yearly cycle of celebrations. Stephanie Woodfield, a devotee to the Great Queen for over twenty years, uses her personal triumphs and challenges as beacons for your path to becoming a priestess of the Morrigan.

Review:

"Stephanie Woodfield has written another fascinating book, following up on her Celtic Lore and Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess. Those seeking to deepen their practice with the Morrigan will find insight and inspiration to take those next steps. Definitely worth a read."―Morgan Daimler, author of Morrigan: Meeting the Great Queens and Raven Goddess

"With the rising challenges and increasing complexities in the world, it is no surprise that a multifaceted and many-layered goddess is stepping forward to call forth the people that are needed for the tasks at hand. This book does a superb job of describing the Morrigan, the process of transformation that comes from her touch, and a wealth of modern rituals that are effective and authentic. May this book be nine times eternal!"―Ivo Dominguez Jr., author of Keys to Perception

About the Author:

Stephanie Woodfield (Orlando, FL) has been a practicing Pagan for the past twenty years. A devotional polytheist, teacher, and Priestess of the Morrigan, she is one of the founding members of Morrigu's Daughters and is an organizer for several Pagan gatherings. Stephanie teaches classes on devotional work and magical practice in the US and internationally. A long time New Englander, she now resides in the Orlando area with her husband, a very pampered cat, and various reptiles. In her spare time she enjoys creating art out of skulls and other dead things. She is called to helping others forge meaningful experiences with the Morrigan, as well as the Gods and land of Ireland.

THE HEARTH WITCH'S YEAR:

Rituals, Recipes & Remedies Through the Seasons

by Anna Franklin

Publisher : Llewellyn Publications (January 8, 2021)

Language: : English

Paperback : 256 pages

List Price:$19.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Filled with spells, recipes, and crafts, this book helps you discover the magical rhythms of the natural world. Join Anna Franklin, bestselling author of The Hearth Witch's Compendium, as she shares time-honored recipes and step-by-step instructions for bringing enchantment and joy into your life. You will discover dozens of incantations and spells to help you celebrate the cycles of the seasons, honor the gods and spirits, and release negative energy and anxiety.

The world is filled with magic, if we can just slow down and learn how to channel it. The Hearth Witch's Year provides hands-on tips for sabbats, solstices, saints' days, and more than 100 other auspicious dates so you can connect with the earth's natural energies and manifest your deepest desires.

About the Author:

Anna Franklin is a third-degree witch and high priestess of the Hearth of Arianrhod who has been a practicing Pagan for more than forty years. She is the author of twenty-eight books, including the Hearth Witch series, and the creator of the Sacred Circle Tarot, Fairy Ring Oracle, and the Pagan Ways Tarot. Her books have been translated into nine languages. Anna has contributed hundreds of articles to Pagan magazines and has appeared on radio and TV. She lives and works in a village in the English Midlands where she grows her own herbs, fruit, and vegetables, and generally lives the Pagan life.

YEAR OF THE MAGICKAL DRAGON:

A Seasonal Journey of Magick & Ritual

by Virginia Chandler, John Matthews (Foreword)

Publisher : Llewellyn Publications (December 8, 2020)

Language: : English

Paperback : 208 pages

List Price:$17.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Walk with Dragons through the Wheel of the Year~

This powerful and enlightening guide shows you how to connect to dragons and practice magick with them throughout the year. Virginia Chandler introduces you to legendary dragon spirits that are integral to the eight sabbats, from Samhain's ancestor dragons to Beltane's dragons of making. Your practice will soar to new heights as you join them on a journey through the seasons, exploring meditations, sacred sites, rituals, oil and incense recipes, and more.

Year of the Magickal Dragon empowers all areas of your life by showing you how to work with dragon energy. Each chapter guides you in building relationships with these marvelous dragons and learning their specialties. As you walk with them, you'll balance your home and hearth, invigorate your spirit, overcome barriers, and gather your personal harvest. This hands-on book also features journaling prompts, altar work, and extensive dragon lore, making it a must-have resource for your practice.

Includes a foreword by John Matthews, author of The Grail: Quest for Eternal Life.

Review:

"Are Dragons real? In the collective unconscious, they are certainly alive and well. In Year of the Magical Dragon, Virginia Chandler presents a fascinating array of dragon-legends from many cultures, including real-world sites associated with their lore, supporting a spiritual journey through the year to awaken their energies within. A treat for all who have desired dragons."―Diana L. Paxson, author of the Wodan's Children trilogy and Sword of Avalon

About the Author:

Virginia Chandler (Atlanta, GA) is a seasoned author of three fiction books, including The Last Dragon of the North (Double Dragon Publishing, 2015), and has worked with John Matthews on several books focusing on Arthurian lore and legend. She is a former first officer of the national organization Covenant of the Goddess and is active in her local Druid and Pagan community.

John Matthews (Oxford, UK) is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than one hundred books on myth, faery, the Arthurian Legends, and Grail Studies. John has appeared on the History Channel and Discovery Channel, and he was an advisor and contributor on Jerry Bruckheimer’s film King Arthur.

MOUNTAIN CONJURE AND SOUTHERN ROOT WORK

by Orion Foxwood, Mat Auryn (Foreword)

Publisher : Weiser Books (January 1, 2021)

Language: : English

Paperback : 256 pages

List Price:$18.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Traditional Southern root magic and conjure from someone who learned the old ways growing up in rural Appalachia.

Folk magic conjurer and root worker Orion Foxwood invites you to take a walk through his native Appalachia, through moonlit orchards and rural farms, to the dark of the crossroads. From the oral tradition of his ancestors to the voices of the spirits themselves, Foxwood brings readers the secrets of Southern magic:

Working by the signs (the ability to synchronize work such as farming, fertility, and orcharding)

Faith healing
Settling the light (candle magic)
Doctoring the root (the ability to use herbs, roots, stones, or animal parts for magic or for clearing, cleansing, and blessing a person)
Praying or dreaming true (blessings of spirit/God to a person, place, or thing as well as prophetic or predictive dreaming)
Blessing or cursing

Mountain Conjure and Southern Root Work shows how to create magic in today’s world with the old ways and traditions of Appalachia.

Attributes of Conjure~

Though magical practitioners tend to use what works and draw from an eclectic menu, conjure is not eclectic. It is synergistic. Its core of beliefs and practices is always growing while never losing its taproot. Its synergistic qualities have allowed it to travel through many threatening cultural encounters, not the least of which were slavery, forced relocation, cultural assimilation/homogeneity, and genocide of indigenous Native American people and their practices. An often overlooked component of conjure is the European pagan (with a Christian overlay) magical practices that were also incorporated into the lore, recipes, and techniques. Though often not as obvious, they do contribute to the taproot of conjure.

This taproot extends deep into hundreds of years of culture, ethnicity, and change in the fertile compost of its history. Then it rises into the blood, culture, and teachings of those who pass it on from generation to generation. In my conjure, this root’s primary origin is in African practice. It incorporated Native American and then European spirit work from the south of America toward the north, where it continued to grow into Asian, Jewish, and many other cultures. It shows its face in different places under different names such as hoodoo, witchcraft, root work, and a host of other guises. The conjurer of today is often not born into it or raised around it as I was. In fact, it seems that many cultural and familial ways are dying out quickly. This is the primary reason that I have written this section of my book with a tone of soulfulness, and sometimes even sadness.

Conjure reaches deep into the American spirit (good and bad) and forces a discovery of authenticity of spirit if it is to grant sound spiritual and magical power to the practitioner. Let’s be clear: conjure is about power. Power is the ability to effect change. Our ancestors in this work kept conjure alive to rescue their souls from tyranny and keep them safe in the hands of God (the spirit) and the powerful spirits and ancestors of their lands of origin.

Working the Root:

You have to represent yourself to the spirit world to gain the fullest benefit of it.
You need to make space for a consistent relationship with the spirit world, not just one based on desperation.
There are many gateways into this relationship.
Conjure is an act of co-creation and spiritual relationships based on reciprocity. Our own inner spirit requires attention and maintenance, like all aspects of us, and it is our primary gate.
You have to consciously choose your spirit relationships and attend to them.
The painful illusions of life and the futility of outworn patterns can be healed through relationships with both tides of life.

Review:

“We walk a steep and rock-strewn path here in Appalachia—a place haunted by undying and toxic stereotypes, as well as a history of relentless extractions and intractable poverty. Out of this rough stew, we create poetry, music, and magic. Orion’s book explores one of our many paths to the Mystery and invites the reader to join that exploration.” --H. Byron Ballard, folklorist and author of Staubs and Ditchwater: A Friendly and Useful Introduction to Hillfolks’ Hoodoo

"Mountain Conjure and Southern Root Work is a masterpiece. From the very first page, Orion invites us to walk through the culture, history, and magic of root working. Orion’s eloquence is majestic; to read this book is to understand the true meaning of the word ‘soulful.’ Read this book and you will understand the workings and social role of root workers in all their ancestral depth, and the cultural significance and beauty of Appalachia.”-- Elhoim Leafar, author of The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bags.

"Orion is my kind of magic maker -- an old-timey candle-burning, spirit-connected, go-out-and-play-in-the-forest kind of root doctor. Mountain Conjure and Southern Root Work is a rare invitation into his magical mystical world. If you want to learn authentic spiritual practices that are steeped in tradition, I can think of no better book than the one you are holding in your hands."-- Madame Pamita, author of Madame Pamita's Magical Tarot and The Book of Candle Magic

About the Author:

Orion Foxwood is an elder in the Celtic and Romano Celtic Traditional Craft, a high priest in Alexandrian tradition and the founding elder of the Foxwood Temple of the Old Religion. He lectures throughout the United States and the United Kingdom on the Craft, Faery Seership tradition, Southern folk magic, and conjure.

OZARK FOLK MAGIC:

Plants, Prayers & Healing

by Brandon Weston

Publisher : Llewellyn Publications (January 8, 2021)

Language: : English

Paperback : 278 pages

List Price:$19.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Bring ancient methods of healing and magic into the modern world with this impressive book on Ozark folk magic. Providing lore, herbs, magical alignments, verbal charms, and more, folk healer Brandon Weston sheds light on the region's secretive culture and shows you how to heal both yourself and others.

Ozark Folk Magic invites you to experience the hillfolk's traditional magic through the eyes of an authentic practitioner. Discover how to optimize your healing work and spells according to the moon cycles, zodiac signs, and numerology. Explore medicinal uses for native Ozark plants and instructions for healing magical illnesses. Combining personal stories and practical advice, this grounded book makes it easy to incorporate Ozark folk magic into your practice.

Review:

"This is an honest, clear look at American witchcraft and folk magic, veering far away from the fantasy realm magic, which is sadly entwined within the modern imagination."―Marcus McCoy, blacksmith at Troll Cunning Forge and editor of the Verdant Gnosis book series

"Brandon takes you on a remarkable journey into the Ozarks, giving a well documented and unique vision into the mysteries of Ozark medicine, myth, and magic. Brandon, a healer from this bioregion, is able to interpret the stories he's collected, giving cultural context...The information gleaned from this process is invaluable and a real treasure to ensuring these traditions will not be forgotten and are understood. He provides a strong foundation and thorough overview of the magical considerations that formulate this system and how the modern practitioner can incorporate it into their praxis today."―Catamara Rosarium, convenor of The Viridis Genii Symposium and proprietor of Rosarium Blends

"Weston's piece is both reference book, recipe book and working book all in one. Insightful and personal, his insider perspective and lived experience as an Ozark person combined with his astute academic mind make for a useful and pleasurable guide to the folk magical ways of the Ozark region...This work not only provides the reader with the ability to see how people made do with what they had in the past, it provides the valuable service of preserving this cultural knowledge in such a way that it is still useful, practical and most importantly, connective for the people interested this region today."―Rebecca Beyer, founder of Blood and Spicebush

"Those of us who practice these old and peculiar traditions always welcome new and experienced voices writing about folkways that are little known but cherished still. Brandon Weston's book is one of those―a gem of discovery for historians, folklorists and humble healing folks. This is a solid addition to any library."―H. Byron Ballard, teacher and author of Staubs and Ditchwater

"Brandon Weston is a true folklorist and brings valuable firsthand experiential knowledge to his presentation of Ozark folk traditions. A valuable read for both its preservation of American folklore and its intimate insights on a vibrant, living folk tradition of magic and healing. This work stands as an important modern contribution to the study of American folk traditions and is a must-have."―Matthew Venus, artist, folk magician, owner of SpiritusArcanum.com

About the Author:

Brandon Weston (Fayetteville, AR) is a healer, writer, and folklorist who owns and operates Ozark Healing Traditions, an online collective of articles, lectures, and workshops focusing on the Ozark Mountain region. As a practicing folk healer, his work with clients includes everything from spiritual cleanses to house blessings. He comes from a long line of Ozark hillfolk and is also a folk herbalist, yarb doctor, and power doctor.

MAGICKAL MEDIUMSHIP:

Partnering with the Ancestors for Healing and Spiritual Development

by Danielle Dionne

Publisher : Llewellyn Publications (December 8, 2020)

Language: : English

Paperback : 288 pages

List Price:$18.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Make Contact with Your Beloved Dead for Personal Transformation & Powerful Magick

This invaluable resource weaves together mediumship, magick, spiritualism, and ancestral reverence to help you forge strong connections to your deceased loved ones. Professional medium Danielle Dionne provides hands-on exercises and accessible techniques for honoring your ancestors and working with them for divination and healing.

Magickal Mediumship shows you how connecting with the spirits of the dead enhances your spiritual development and empowers your magickal practice. You'll explore recipes and rites to aid communication and psychic ability, rituals to strengthen your relationship with spirit allies and deities, methods for spiritual hygiene and protection, and much more. Death comes to all of us, but it is not an end. This book helps you partner with those beyond the veil and face death as a positive and natural part of your magick.

Includes a foreword by Christopher Penczak.

Advanced Praise for Magickal Mediumship:

"Chock-full of exercises, personal experiences, and Danielle's great sense of humor and refreshingly affable tone—she lifts the veil on the closely guarded secrets of communicating with and partnering with those who have transitioned from this life to craft magick in one's life...This is the best book on these topics that you could ever get your hands on and is sure to be a classic."—Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch

"Danielle Dionne’s love and caring for this work and this path of service shines through in every chapter. This is a book that is wise, humble, and one that you will read again and again."—Ivo Dominguez Jr, author, astrologer, ritualist, and Wiccan elder

"What you hold in your hands is a delicate delight of contemplation, deep-thought, instruction and practise. It is a storehouse of impeccable wisdom."—Kristoffer Hughes, Head of the Anglesey Druid Order, coroner, and author of When the Last Leaf Falls and The Book of Celtic Magic

About the Author:

Danielle Dionne is a professional psychic medium and witch. She trained under internationally renowned mediums, including John Holland and Tony Stockwell, and under prominent magickal and occult teachers such as Christopher Penczak and Devin Hunter. Additionally, she studied at the Arthur Findlay College, a spiritualist college in Stansted, England. Danielle is an initiate in the Temple of Witchcraft tradition and serves as Scorpio Deputy Minister for death, dying, and bereavement. She has been teaching psychic mediumship development since 2009 and runs Moth and Moon Studio, a spiritual development center. Danielle lives on a farm in Chester, New Hampshire.

EXPERIENCE THE MYSTERY OF TAROT:

Ceremonies, Spreads, and Meditations to Deepen Your Connection to the Cards

by Katalin Jett Koda

Publisher : Llewellyn Publications (December 8, 2020)

Language: : English

Paperback : 272 pages

List Price:$18.99

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Take Your Destiny Into Your Own Hands~

Combine Tarot with Simple Ceremonies to Change Your Life

Experience the Mystery of Tarot explores a fresh perspective on the cards and shares meditations, ceremonies, and exercises for using tarot to make positive changes. For each card, you will discover an in-depth exploration of card meanings, as well as essential qualities, activity suggestions, and a hands-on exercise or ceremony.

Learning to make sense of your experience through myth and ritual enables a better grasp on what's coming up in the future so you can resolve difficult situations and improve your connections with loved ones. Within these pages, you will also discover layout suggestions and dozens of ideas for gaining insights into relationships, finances, work, health issues, spiritual questions, and so much more. This unique, embodied approach to tarot supports beginners and experienced readers alike in the quest to transform our lives and embrace the joy and love that await us.

About the Author:

Katalin Jett Koda is a visionary author, tarot reader, energy healer, Reiki master, and queer mystic. She has been deeply intimate with the natural, non-human liminal worlds since she was a child. After a series of health issues, she developed clairvoyant abilities that allow her to see energy fields, guides, and helper spirits. For more than two decades Jett has taught the arts of healing, divination, tarot, and ceremony. Jett continues to receive guidance and inspiration from her ancestors, interdimensional guides, and living teachers around the world. She offers her gifts locally in Portland, Oregon, as well as globally and online. Visit her online at

THE METAMYTH TAROT

Created by Josiah Wolf

( As So Media )

List Price:$45.00

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

With modernist, minimalist, genre-inspired art, The Metamyth Tarot is a 78-card tarot deck that draws inspiration from pulpy paperbacks, classical poetry, urban legends, American tall tales, detective movies, comic books, ancient TV serials, modern conspiracy theories, and adventure fiction in general.

The goal was to create a deck that captured as many stories as possible. Science fiction next to classic symbols of Western mysticism; characters from noir films juxtaposed with the Dao. As many stories as possible, no matter how weird or seemingly incongruous. And after over one year of full-time work, this story is complete.

There are no Swords or Wands or Cups here... not officially. All four suits have the classic associated symbols for Fire, Air, Water, & Earth.

The identifying pips on the Minor Arcana and the Court Cards are placed in the corners, inspired by playing card design (and aiding in attempts to more quickly find your favorite card).

Many of the Major Arcana have been retitled: some for better reasons than others. (The Hanged Man and The Devil card have been renamed to be a tad... friendlier, for instance, while the Death card has not.)

The court cards are 'conventionally' gendered: two female and two male; two young and two old. They are not titled... the young female court card is 'P', the young male 'J'. The mature female is 'Q' and the mature male 'K'.

Justice is the eighth Major, Strength is the eleventh. It's just true. I could be convinced otherwise, but it would take some doing.

Every card has a paper texture applied to it. The photographs don't really do it justice, but they do look quite spectacular (if we say so ourselves).

Do you like color? We're nuts for color. We also like Tarot decks, and think it's a shame that so many of them don't seem to like color as much as we do. This is our attempt to help change that.

On top of unique personal readings, this deck especially excels for those who use Tarot for writing prompts, storytelling, or world-building exercises.

It's a Tarot deck designed to resonate with a group near and dear to our hearts: curious people. If you like Tarot (we assume you might) but ALSO like the film Double Indemnity and math and pirates and baking shows and the works of Joseph Campbell... this might be your guy.

If you DON'T especially like those things, then I've got some great news. It also has something for fans of Batman and Greek myth and Charles Mingus and Zora Neale Hurston and The Matrix and Robin Hood and The Great Gatsby and...

Have we mentioned...? It's really pretty.

TAROT GOLD & BLACK EDITION

by Arthur Edward Waite, Pamela Colman Smith, and Mary K. Greer

Drawings by Pamela Colman Smith from the Rider-Waite Tarot

in metallic gold lines on a textured black background, with a companion book, "Insights into the Arcana," by Mary K. Greer

Boxed kit (5 x 7¾) includes a 78-card deck and guidebook

Publisher : Llewellyn Publications / Lo Scarabeo (October 8, 2020)

List Price:$39.95

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Following the success of the Tarot Black & Gold Edition, this stunning deck reverses the process with exquisite gold-foil line art on an outstanding black textured background. Designed to be a complementary twin, this deck exalts Pamela Colman Smith's art beyond their original splendor. Tarot Gold & Black Edition also includes a guidebook by tarot luminary Mary K. Greer.

About the Authors/creators

Arthur Edward Waite (1857 – 1942) was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot. He was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and he wrote a number of books on esoteric topics.

Pamela Colman Smith (1878 – 1951) was a British artist who created the original pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations that became the iconic Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot. "Pixie" Smith was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, where she likely met her collaborator, A.E. Waite.

Mary K. Greer is an author and teacher specializing in methods of self-exploration and transformation. A Grandmaster of the American Tarot Association, she is a member of numerous Tarot organizations, and is featured at Tarot conferences and symposia in the United States and abroad.

Mary also has a wide following in the women's and pagan communities for her work in women's spirituality and magic. A Priestess-Hierophant in the Fellowship of Isis, she is the founder of the Iseum of Isis Aurea.

Mary has studied and practiced Tarot and astrology for over 34 years. Her teaching experience includes eleven years at New College of California, as well as at many workshops, conferences, and classes. She is the founder and director of the learning center T.A.R.O.T. (Tools and Rites of Transformation).

Her books include Tarot for Your Self: A Workbook for Personal Transformation (1984); Tarot Constellations: Patterns of Personal Destiny (1987); Tarot Mirrors: Reflections of Personal Meaning (1988); The Essence of Magic: Tarot, Ritual, and Aromatherapy (1993); Women of the Golden Dawn: Rebels and Priestesses (1995); and Aromatherapy: Healing for the Body and Soul (1998), with Kathi Keville.