Moon Lore: Lunar Themes of Wisdom and Magic

by Elizabeth Pepper

All hail to thee, Queen of heaven!
Thou showest two horns to mark six days,
And on the seventh will divide thy crown in two.
On the fourteenth day, turn thy full face unto us. Seven is the Moon's mystic number, because each one of its four phases is completed in seven days. Nineteen is a sacred number in Old Irish and Celtic lore, for the sequence of Moon phases within a single zodiac sign is repeated every 19 years. As both the largest and the brightest object in the night sky, and the only one to appear in phases, the Moon has been a rich source of myth for as long as there have been myth-makers. Elizabeth Pepper's Moon Lore is a compendium of lunar tales, charms, chants, and curses from ancient time to the present.

Genres: Nonfiction, Folklore, History

64 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Sky Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

i just reread it and it felt kind of like a children's book. i understand that it's supposed to be a short read but it felt rudimentary. liked the poetry though

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fell victim to this in an Amaterdam book shop. It was beautifully illustrated and fairly entertaining but not worth 10 euros really. Still enjoyed reading though x

[Kristin Perkins]

2019 is the year I become a witch.

[Austin Heinz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely little book with excellent illustrations. It's very enjoyable. I can't give it more than 3-stars, and that's mostly because a lot of the book's content ends up being many, many long lists of "associations" between different ideas. It's sometimes just a lexicon of all the things that different plants, moon phases, and signs are related to - sometimes it feels like dozens of things listed for each item. It might be useful to some people, it just doesn't make for a great reading experience as you get lost with such a deluge of generalizable conceptual connections. However, this is such a small book that one cannot expect much from it, and it is exactly what you'd hope from the title and cover. I'd just recommend maybe enjoying the first half or so, and save the rest as a reference if you need it!

[Clóighi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up Moon Lore in a little witchy spiritual shop whilst visiting Edinburgh and i was super excited to read as I absolutely adore the moon. The cover was super pretty and the blurb had me intrigued.

I did enjoy reading about how the moon was associated and perceived throughout time and I liked the trivia based knowledge at times. The illustrations were cute too.

But overall, i felt super fooled by the contents and how it was just baseline knowledge with no sources/citations. It felt childish to read at times and didn’t really live up to the title name; it was just a lot of poetry and random facts. A more fitting title for the contents = ‘moon trivia’

I’d say it’s an okay piece for those entering the realm of witchcraft/spirituality or perhaps a child who wants to learn about the moon throughout the existence of civilisation and the influence within everyday life.

[Mande Garrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fine, it's basically moon trivia. Some useful info about herbs, but kind of a mish mash. Useful intro to the moon as a symbol.

[Oliver · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please, give me some sources!

I admit, the poetry was fun.

[Tristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a precious book filled with wonderful little snippets about Moon mythology in a variety of cultures. It also has really wonderful woodcut illustrations that complement it perfectly. A must-have for any witchy library!