Book Title: Of Blood and Bones: Working with Shadow Magick of the Dark Moon
Author: Kate Freuler
Rating: 5/5
I am really happy with the esoteric books that are coming out recently. As my last book review mentioned, intermediate witchy content is almost nonexistent on the market. I'm happy to announce that 'Of Blood and Bones' by Kate Freuler helps to fill that gap. This book will remain on my shelf, and I will recommend it in the future. Let me start by saying that the terms 'blood,' 'bones,' and 'witchcraft' are in the book's title. If you are a vegetarian who gets upset at the thought of using byproducts, why are you even reading this book? I can't believe I have to point this out, but I was frustrated with the reviews on Goodreads. I felt like someone had written a review, and others copied and pasted it without changes—negative feedback with little to no evidence to back it up. No, the author does not have to be Wiccan to use the term 'athame.' Gerald Gardner did not invent the idea of a ceremonial knife. That idea came from Gardner's intense interest in Kris knives, which are ritual knives from Indonesia and Malaysia. He took the name 'athame' from the French version of the Key of Solomon, and now it's a widespread term in Western witchcraft. Every American witch can step inside a metaphysical shop and see the term 'athame' in books and on shelving labels. Ok, now that I've vented my frustrations, let us review this wonderful book.
At the beginning of the book, Freuler discusses some of the controversies and misunderstandings of the shadow or darker elements of witchcraft. I love that she touches on topics such as shadow work but only spends a little bit of time on them. This book is intermediate. Most witches are already versed in those topics; if not, they can be easily Googled. There's no point in adding unnecessary bulk to a book rehashing common knowledge. One point the author made early on really stuck with me: all elements can become negative when too much is applied. Too much lust can become an obsession, and too much emotional empathy can create depression; everything needs to be handled with balance in mind. This concept is not stressed enough in our modern age. We teach young witches to be careful when sending out negative energies, but we never caution about an overabundance of the positive. Everything in life walks a fine line.
When discussing deities, Freuler acknowledges that she only listed deities with which she is familiar. The author stresses that individual research is important if you decide to take that route. I like that she divided the deities based on their archetype (psychopomp, war, destruction, etc.) She also discusses how to invoke a god. At first, my gut reaction was, "Don't do that! That's way too dangerous." But then I remembered that this is a book about the dark aspects of witchcraft. Although she cautions using this method, I like that she didn't shy away from discussing it. This is the moment I really understood an earlier quote: "These topics polarize the community but are undeniably linked to witchcraft in history and modern culture whether we like it or not. Things that are misunderstood or taboo are often subjects that need to be openly discussed in order to demystify them." (Introduction pg. 2) By taking Frueler's balanced approach, talking about the safe way to do things, we could prevent many bad and dangerous things from happening to unsuspecting witches.
The next few sections are about fluids and animal parts. As Freuler mentioned in her controversies section, these materials are all part of historical witchcraft. You don't have to use any of them, but it is knowledge nonetheless. I agree with other reviewers that she mentioned safety gear in every paragraph except for filling the bones, which should be done only when wearing respiratory gear because inhaling the dust can be unhealthy. This is the only negative thing I have to say about this book. However, the author clearly states safety precautions for the rest of the items and processes. So, please, do your research before performing anything for the first time. Freuler gives you a lot of information about the process, but she is not a taxidermist.
There is so much wonderful information in this book. I could continue this review for eternity. Since I'm already at four paragraphs, it's a good time to wrap up. This book is a must-read, in my opinion. After a witch has Googled all the basics, this should be on their TBR list. I already know I will be gifting this book to a couple of my friends. I hope the author, Kate Freuler, writes another book in the future. The world needs more frank and honest information about the darker side that the 'love and light' generation has been deprived of.
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