Jason Mankey

This is a solid introduction on creating and using an altar. As the title suggests, the book is geared towards witches and Wiccans, but others could probably get a lot out of it (I did!). The authors usually chose to write individually, rather than with a shared authorial voice, and the chapters definitely show their different perspectives. And as with other books in this series, there are short contributions from other writers. The book starts with a general discussion of altars, and their show more history. It then moves into the creation of altars, how to use them, and a discussion of different types (daily, seasonal, devotional, etc.). There's also a chapter on the creation and use of pentacles.

Reading this book gave me some helpful ideas for using my altar. Some were basic and practical, from putting water in a sealed bottle to minimize spills (somehow that hadn't occurred to me) to reminding me that I could compost spent offerings. Others were more inspirational: I'm pondering a few new ideas on how to actually use my altar. I'd read two of Mankey's earlier books; this is the first by Zakroff I've read, but both write in an engaging style, and I enjoyed reading the book, even the parts I can't see myself ever using. (Hey, this is the most information in one place I've ever seen on pentacles!) Recommended for readers interested in working with Pagan altars. show less

Friendly entry for the beginner and some nice nuggets for the more advanced. I really enjoyed the section on the history of altars (which has inspired more research!) and the personal stories and practices of the authors.

Written in Jason Mankey’s clear, entertaining, and personal style, this is a pleasing addition to any witch’s bookshelf. I also liked the short passages contributed by other writers, especially the one from Angus McMahon about the athame showcase in his occult shop.

However, I don’t know which British Wiccans Jason asked about how they say athame, but most of the ones I know (including me) say uh-THAY-mee. I totally agree that we don’t know how it’s pronounced, so your version is as show more good as mine! Intriguingly, it seems that the early Wiccans said uh-THAIM, as a reporter covering an early Gardnerian public event wrote it as “thaim” in his newspaper article. Neither of these pronunciations is offered as an alternative in the section on how to pronounce it.

A more serious error is the statement that the “thorn” in the Kipling song “Oak and Ash and Thorn” is box-thorn. This species doesn’t even grow in England. The tree referred to in the rhyme is hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) which is a faerie tree in British folklore.

Nonetheless there are some excellent suggestions and rituals for choosing, preparing, and consecrating your athame. Its conversational style makes it an entertaining read, and it’s a comprehensive overview of athame lore.

The section on the Cochrane tradition of folkloric witchcraft is also excellent, and the section on the athame in the kitchen was very enjoyable. show less

This is a useful guide to making your own Book of Shadows. It's primarily aimed at people who haven't made one before, with information on the history of magical books, suggestions on what to include and how to organize what you've included, information on different formats, how to decorate a BoS, and how to cleanse and consecrate one. That same breadth of coverage, though, means that a more experienced practitioner may find ideas and inspiration about what they can do with a BoS they've show more already created. Mankey writes a lot about his own experiences, which I found interesting, but then, I knew I liked his writing style from having just read The Witch's Athame: The Craft, Lore & Magick of Ritual Blades. While he's a Witch, and while this book was written for Witches/Wiccans, a lot of it could be adapted to other traditions. Many of the ideas presented didn't appeal to me (write in a special alphabet?) and the thought of destroying an old BoS made me feel a bit faint, although I could see why you might want to do that. But I found a few ideas in this book that I plan to try, and I'm glad I read the book. show less