Ann Moura

There is a serious dearth of advanced magical texts in the world of pagan/witchy books, especially when it comes to the topic of other worlds. I'm not sure if it's because people are trying to aim so broadly that they miss the mark, or because it requires a lot of confidence and the willingness to open onseself up to ridicule. A lot is fun fluff (which there's nothing wrong with, I might add!) So, I came to this with equal parts hope and trepidation.

This turned out to be exactly the kind of show more thing I'd been hoping to read for a long time. It takes the concept of other worlds seriously and resonates with my own personal gnosis and experiences w/r/t the subject. It's packed with interesting information from the author's own practices and personal experiences and it really touches on the vast array of unseen something or other that some of us experience in the world. I particularly liked the anecdote about her seeing our world from the POV of the Other and how she relates it to some more interesting, if fringe, theories some physicists have. Despite being about a subject that is often thought of as a bit out there and ungrounded, Moura is very down to earth and frank with the way she describes things, suggesting that the Other World is something parallel and overlapping our own.

Recommended for anyone who is interested in the subject of experiences with otherwordly beings, and who is at least open to the possibility that they not only exist, but that they can be contacted/interacted with by humans. show less

Before I begin, let me tell you that I have been a witch for eighteen years and have a degree in history and am working toward a second degree in anthropology. I had read other books of Ms. Moura's and had found them acceptable, if not particularly wonderful. I was actually looking forward to reading this book when I bought it.
With that background, let me say that this is a horrible book. It opens with a bad paraphrasing of Plato's Parable of the Cave (no citation for The Republic given) show more and only gets worse from there. The author makes wild leaps of logic with little or no supporting evidence and completely ignores recognised academic research that contradicts her assertions. Interspersed within the text are several sections that are supposed to be meditations but which devolve into what can only be described as christophobic ranting. There is nothing about this book that recommends it on any level, other than the handsome cover art. show less

This second book in a series is rather good. As the title says, the main focus of this book is the light and shadow side of witchcraft, which is not the same as ’white’ or ’dark’ witchcraft as people so often try and label it. The author speaks of balance. That energy and world has a little bit of both light and shadow within. That have of the year is in shadow just as have of the year is in light. This book goes into the idea and way of understanding and balancing this natural part show more of life within someone’s life and path. show less

Although I did not like Ann Moura's Green Magic and Green Witchcraft books, I love this Grimoire. The information in this book is great. I have kept this as a reference for a very long time and plan to keep it even longer.