Book Review: A Witch's Mirror, by Levannah Morgan

A Witch's Mirror: The Art of Making Magic offers you an overview of traditional witchcraft as practised in Devon. The book stays away from complex and ceremonial rituals that are often found in modern magical practices, and focuses more on the simple ways in which witchcraft can become part of your everyday life. The back cover reads:

“Magic is something that should be lived. Much of the magic in this book is about apparently simple things, it is the author's belief that these things, experienced with all the senses, and done with intent, can be deep forms of magic and have the most profound effect, and be just as powerful as complex rituals, if not more so.”

The book is largely the author, Levannah Morgan's, personal accounts of different spells and rituals. Sometimes books based mainly on one persons personal experience can be slightly limited as to what the reader can take away and relate to their own practice, with this book however this is not the case. Due to the large focus of the book being how to connect to your natural surroundings and building an intimate relationship with magical energies, the personal slant delivered by this book works perfectly.

The book is certainly an interesting read, especially for those who frequently visit the South West of England. It makes frequent reference to many landmarks as well as the Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle.

On a practical level this book is brilliant, all of the general advice given is very clear and easy to understand. One of my favourite sections was on “Sitting Out”, this is a practice that is sorely lacking from a lot of similar books and notoriously hard to describe, however Levannah manages to convey the essence of it with the same clear cut ease she applies to everything else in the book.

The other thing that I love about this book is the fact that all the spells in the book are very adaptable and could work for a number of different situations. They are also ones that can be completed using things that most people would have in their house already, or could easily find. A lot of other books make claims to deliver such spells, but rarely do.

For the those more experienced with witchcraft this book offers some interesting information and fascinating perspectives on a number of points, particularly on working with the Moon and the Sea. I've practised for a number of years and still found it a very engaging read with a lot of stop-and-think moments.

All in all I would thoroughly recommend this book to magical practitioners both new and old.