Book Review Monday: Witchcraft for Woods and Forests by Melusine Draco

Buy it here: Traditional Witchcraft for the Woods and Forests: A Witch’s Guide to the Woodland with Guided Meditations and Pathworking

Although this books describes itself mainly as a pathworking book, it also contains information on spells using trees, how to make wands and which trees to pick and which offerings to give, folklore surrounding trees, sacred fires, celebrating the seasons as opposed to the strict sabbats found in more Wiccan flavoured and much more.

The pathworkings or guided meditations themselves are gorgeous, and give you a very defined space within which to wander and seek your own path. Safety advice is given, both in finding or using a guide during the meditation and eating and grounding oneself properly once you return, which I will bang on about even after I die. It’s so important.

The Woods and Forests featured are British Woodlands, and even though you are given a Hunter’s Wood to work with, there is enough information on other native trees and types of woodland to build your own Wood to more closely resemble one you are familiar with in your part of the UK.

The only thing I’m not happy with is with gendering trees/rocks/energy which many people are guilty of. It strikes me as silly to force a human construct onto other creatures – especially when there is no gender binary even in humans. If a thing is receptive, say so. If a thing is fiery, say so. If it’s open, it’s open. Say what you mean – everyone’s idea of masculinity/femininity is so vastly different anyway so the words are meaningless at this point.

But! That’s a very small flaw within an otherwise fantastic book. This is a book I will be keeping in my collection, and referring to it often.

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