Morbid Magic: Death Spirituality and Culture from Around the World

by Tomás Prower

The Ultimate Book on Macabre Lore & Spiritual Traditions from Yesterday & Today Written with a mix of reverence, approachability, and deadpan wit by a funeral industry insider, Morbid Magic is the first multi-cultural guide to death spirituality and traditions from all over the world and from different historical eras. Tomás Prower presents an impressive array of topics, including each culture's views on the hereafter, mourning periods, the deceased's legacy, handling of remains, and more. Discover the lore and magic of death, both on the physical and spiritual planes. Explore hands-on activities, spells, and prayers that will open your eyes to new practices. Experience personal stories and anecdotes by modern people from various regions and religions. This fascinating book makes death a more approachable topic and helps you understand and utilize the profound wisdom of cultures around the globe. From Judaism in the Middle East to shamanism in East Asia, Morbid Magic presents an amazing, in-depth look at how the world deals with death.

Genres: Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Paganism, Spirituality, Folklore, Death, Ebooks

360 pages, Paperback

Published September 8, 2019

Reviews

[Siavahda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this from the publisher via Net-Galley in return for an honest review.

Being a big fan of Prower's earlier book Queer Magic, I jumped at the chance to get an early read of another work of his. That might have been a bit of a mistake on my part, although a lot of that was simply that death magic isn't my area of expertise or interest - not the book's fault!

That said, Morbid Magic did make me uncomfortable, not because of the subject matter but because of how it was handled. The book is essentially a brief summary of (some of) the mortuary rituals and afterlives of various cultures, singling out a few deities from each for a slightly more in-depth description. Honestly, my alarm bells started ringing when the Sumerian goddess Inanna, in the book's first section, was described as 'a self-serving and self-centered woman deserving no praise'. I'm not a professor, but I *have* studied Inanna for years, and not only is that an interpretation I have never come across (this is allegedly the take of 'modern anthropologists'), it's incredibly dismissive and trivialising towards a goddess known as the Queen of Heaven. Morbid Magic frames the legend of Inanna's Descent [to the Underworld] as an Aesop's fable-esque tale to explain injustice - which it doesn't really do - and completely ignores the role of Tammuz and how that, second part of the myth acts as a Persephone-like explanation for the 'death' of the seasons. It's the most bizarre reading I've ever come across. Another passage on Lilith is pretty strange as well, excising some of the most consistent aspects of her myth - the book mentions the amulets that kept her away from pregnant women and newborns, but seems to suggest the practice came out of nowhere, rather than being a fundamental part of her Jewish origin story (her interactions with the angels sent to retrieve her after she fled Eden).

Myths are myths, though, and everyone knows a different version; the weirdness about Inanna and Lilith didn't make me happy, but I was willing to overlook it. The colloquial voice Prower uses in this writing is, I think, deliberate - normalising death seems to be part of the book's mission, although I didn't see that explicitly stated in the introduction, only implied - but it's jarring considering the subject matter. Possibly Morbid Magic just isn't intended for those who don't already have a comfortable relationship with death or death magic, but considering Prower's (longer than usual) section on how much people crave their deceased love ones be treated with dignity and respect, those are two traits that seem to be lacking throughout the text. The 'rundown' on the death rituals of each culture felt like exactly that - a bare-bones (if you'll excuse the pun) laundry list of facts that would have worked nearly as well in bullet-point form, with little to no context given to explain the views and rituals of different cultures. Meaning that, while Prower doesn't offer any personal judgement on said rituals, he definitely sets up several to be tabloid-shocking to the average Western reader - the use of the term 'sex slaves' while discussing the Vikings stands out unpleasantly in my memory.

The Vikings are actually a good example of what ended up being my major issue with this book, which is that Prower lumps together waaaay too many different cultures under single umbrellas. The Vikings, for example, weren't a single coherent people - 'viking' isn't even a noun, it's a *verb*, so speaking of 'Vikings' really only refers to the raiding parties rather than the cultures those raiders came from. Far worse is how 'Sub-Saharan Africa' is treated as one culture! Which is especially bizarre considering that Prower acknowledges, in his introduction of that section, that that's far from the actual case. Morbid Magic states that there's just too many native traditions and beliefs [about death] in Africa to go over them all, 'so, instead, what I'll do is take you on a tour of a *general* body handling and funeral traditions that are applicable throughout a good majority of cultures on the continent'. I don't know if there was any way to do that well, but the sheer amount of generalisation Prower does made me incredibly uncomfortable. Statements like 'deceased ancestors in Sub-Saharan Africa take on the role of protectors of the family' are offered without naming tribes, kingdoms, or even *countries* as sources. Zambia and the Xhosa in South Africa both receive (very, *very*) brief paragraphs that go into a little more detail, but it's too little, too late.

Prower treads more carefully when he comes to Native Americans, but opens the section by inexplicably describing the skin-walkers of the Dine - *after* first mentioning the taboo of outsiders discussing skin-walkers at all! I say 'inexplicable' because there's literally no need to even mention skin-walkers - while the myths fall under the heading of 'morbid', I guess, they have nothing to do with funerary practices or rituals and are thus nowhere near the purview of this book. They seem to be included just for shock value, since nowhere else in the book has Prower tried to include things just because they're 'macabre'.

Honestly, that's a problem throughout; I'm not sure what the point of this book is supposed to be. Of all the topics to choose, death rituals don't seem like something you can just take quick snapshots of and call the job done - not when they're so intrinsic to so many cultures, and so incredibly important to so many people. In that way, the very premise of Morbid Magic feels disrespectful - I think this book would have needed to be a good bit longer, and gone into a lot more depth, to have covered the subject properly. The quick profiles of various death-related deities I can understand - mostly because I've seen similar things before - but the inclusion of magical rituals created and shared by individuals known to Prower at the closing of each chapter is just...odd? Out of place? It's like Morbid Magic can't decide what it wants to be; a guide to funerary practices around the world, or a book of modern necromancy/death magic - and because it tries to be both, it fails to satisfactorily accomplish either one.

This really isn't a book I'd recommend to fellow witches, although the writing is snappy and readable enough that I guess it could be entertaining for those in your life with vaguely morbid interests. I can see it being a good gift for a Goth friend, for example. But that's about the only use I can think of for it.

[Abigail · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF because the epigraph was by woody FUCKING allen. seriously??? in 2019???

[Agata Wang · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no better way to start a book off on the wrong foot than to open with a Woody Allen quote in 2019. Why??? Ugh. It took me a bit of internal fortitude to not just shelve this book right then and there.

This book has a lot of promise in terms of its subject and the sheer amount of knowledge Prower has gathered. He has a very “conversations on the Internet” writing style that I’m personally still getting used to in books. I really appreciated the inclusion of an LGBTQ viewpoint, as well as his “challenges” to the reader - ways the author thinks our current death culture would benefit from listening to the wisdom of our ancestors.

Because he covers death traditions from all over the world and all through history, Prower has made more of a quick reference than an in-depth exploration of each tradition. This wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for the commentary that accompanies some of the traditions and deities is really.... off the cuff? Disrespectful? In the end, it felt like I was reading through power point slides for a high school presentation on world religions. First DNF of the year.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of Morbid Magic.

This was a fantastic and extremely informative read.

It was interesting, shocking and surprising, in all the right ways!

The author does a wonderful job of laying out the funeral rites of nearly every religion and culture in the world, no easy task.

His personal and professional experience in the mortuary industry gives him a unique perspective and an insightful and honest look into the death rites and rituals.

He is honest and forthcoming, and speaks openly about death, not as a taboo subject, because death is not taboo.

We all know the famous line by Benjamin Franklin, which in its entirety states, ' “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” '

Ben is right. And so is Mr. Prower.

In some way, we have all experienced death, through the deaths of loved ones or perhaps having a near death experience or illness.

Mr. Prower's seeks to break the taboo of talking about death.

Why are we so scared to talk about something as natural as death?

Everyone dies. The least we can do is prepare for it.

Mr. Prower's writes about the most fascinating rituals ancient cultures have when preparing and caring for their death.

He also gives the readers an interesting task at the end of each recap, asking us to take what we have learned from each culture and applying it to our personal lives, in a way, encouraging us to take a proactive approach to our future demise.

I've learned so many things, some of it gross and some of it hilarious.

Two words: erotic strippers.

Or my favorite: The 18 Courts of Hell.

How about sky burial? (It's not what you think.)

And how freaky is ritual strangulation? (Exactly what you think.)

Is it wrong to say reading a book about how cultures prepare and honor their dead was fun?

You know what? Who cares?

This was a great read! Everyone should read it.

[Sarah Washington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating read for anyone who enjoys the spooky and the macabre. Death is often seen as a taboo topic in many cultures, so it is easy to be ignorant of many of the various death-related rituals that exist throughout the world and throughout history. After reading Morbid Magic by Tomás Prower, I feel much more educated on these topics.

[April Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been looking for a book that would give me an overview of the death customs of many different cultures throughout history, and Morbid Magic fit the bill quite nicely. The author infuses macabre humor into the historical narrative from time to time, which made it even more entertaining to read.

The basic setup goes like this:

1. Name of the culture..
2. Examination of their death customs.
3. Examination of any death-related deities from that culture/time period..
4. Suggestions for how to implement at least one of their customs in the modern world (for example, some early cultures believed that the spirits of their dead would disappear if people forgot about them, so the author suggests honoring your dead by keeping them alive through stories and art).. .

There are several cultures included, which provides a good overview but doesn't get too far into the weeds with any time period/culture. The good thing about this is that it provides enough info to whet your appetite, and it also makes it easier to decide which cultures to dive more deeply into via other resources.

The book also references death magic, which is something that readers can use a "take it or leave it" approach to. Personally, I chose to leave it in terms of modern times but was fascinated by the magical beliefs of ancient cultures.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Death is something that most of us don’t like to talk about, or is something – if we mention it all – approached with humour. Yet it’s really the only thing, other than birth, that all humans have in common. In this book, Tomás Prower provides a tour of the world’s interpretation of the end of life.



The setup is pretty simple: for various cultures – national and magical – Prower offers an explanation of how death is viewed in that location. A lot of the content revolves around funerary rites – whether burial or cremation is common, say – and gives some idea of the standards that apply. He also offers takeaways from each version of death: things that the reader can apply to their own lives or to their engagement with death, either their own or someone else’s. There’s shades of self-help in several of the suggestions, but they are all reasonable, and of value.

The book is populist rather than particularly deep. With the range of destinations covered through text, this is understandable: fitting the whole in 360 pages was always going to be about offering a taste of locales rather than an in-depth examination. The writing is for the tourist, rather than the sociologist, which is by no means a criticism –��it’s a difficult subject to raise anything other than a reluctant or morbid interest in, for most readers – but that also means that it can sometimes feel as if there’s a lack of research rigour, or that certain areas have been squashed together for the sake of convenience.

Prower’s writing style is pally and convivial, but this sometimes engenders the feeling that he’s providing some very much reduced coverage of a culture rather than something particularly in-depth. But even so, I learned some things I hadn’t known, in a pleasingly light manner, which I enjoyed.



I suspect some readers of this work have come away from it with a bit of confusion. The title would indicate that magic is important to the book, and though magical rites do appear in some places, this is much more a book of funerary or morbid ritual, of community approach to the departure of life rather than a collection of incantations designed to harness the power of life’s cessation. It is true that anyone picking up a book from Llewellyn could reasonably expect a grimoire, but it’s not really the case here. There’s a couple of rites – some prefaced with warnings of how they could severely ruin one’s day – but mostly the spiritual practitioners’ takes on death reflect how their cultural and spiritual backgrounds influence their experience of death and grieving.

It’s fitting that Prower mentions Jessica Mitford’s The American Way of Death towards the end of the book. While his text is produced by an esoterically-minded publisher, it’s very much more in Mitford’s wheelhouse than a magus’s. True, there’s ritual instructions to be found in this text, but it’s very much something to be shelved alongside The American Way of Death – a thoughtful explanation of the behaviours around death, worldwide, with some food for later thought. It’s certainly worth a look, as it’s likely there’s something in here that will spark interest for further research.

I was offered a copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. You can find further information about this text over here.)

[Lady Nightwolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Enjoyed Anytime Your Morbid Curiosity Taps on the Glass

Tómas Prower takes us on an amazing journey into the one of the most important, yet seemingly taboo, parts of life: Death. I have been enjoying this one for a month now. This is the reference book I didn’t know I needed in my life and I have learned so much so far and will probably need to buy copies for my close friends and relatives. It has seriously opened my eyes to various religious practices, deities associated with it across cultures, and how people around the world grieve. It has also broadened how I, myself, see the subject matter. As a professional in the funerary arts (after reading this I feel like that’s kind of what it is: an art), Prower has first-hand experience handling the complicated relationship most westerners have with dying, death, and the grief that we experience when our loved ones pass on to the next plane of existence.

Each chapter and section covers a different culture, starting with the ancient and moving into the modern, extrapolating out the belief systems surrounding death, the gods and goddesses involved, practices related to both the preparation of the body of the diseased, and the rituals that are undertaken by the living to ensure a good afterlife for the person whom as passed, providing some first and second-hand stories on how others have used the rituals and knowledge related to their own cultures to help them with their own experiences. He also gives tips regarding things we can do now to strengthen our own relationship to the inevitable and also to help plan now so that our families and friends can focus on grieving so they can live their own lives again. Not only does this book feed your morbid curiosity, but it also silently builds coping mechanisms.

For those of us who live in this giant melting pot of western culture, this guide to the world of death and culture is super important. Most of us do not talk about death enough and do not have a healthy relationship with it, but it is something we will periodically experience as both those who experience the loss of another and our own inevitably. Death doesn’t always have to be seen as morbid and taboo, it can also be seen as the end of a marvelous journey that we have all had the privilege of undertaking. By building a healthier relationship with the end, we can learn to celebrate and relish the adventure leading up to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. for the advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

[Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished reading Morbid Magic: Death Spirituality and Culture from Around the World by Tomás Prower (release date September 8, 2019) and I have to say I am thoroughly intrigued. The book is a world tour of death rituals and rites around the world, with each section focusing on a specific location on Earth, from the Middle East to the Americas. Each section gives a brief snippet of how each culture views death and handles funerals, a brief description of the deities associated with death, a death-related takeaway, and finishes with experiences from those practicing within those cultures. There is not a lot of magic in this book, which was disappointing, but learning about how other cultures handle and view death and funeral rites was fascinating to me. You see, my ex-husband was a funeral director. Through him, I developed an interesting view of death and funeral rites because I was exposed to things daily that most other people experience very little throughout their life, especially if you live in a country that hides death away like we do in the US. Now he obviously spent more time with death than I did, but it was an important part of our life and through him, I realized that death isn't something to be feared, but honored and celebrated. I work with spirits all the time and accepting death as an inevitability and as something that shouldn't be feared but instead honored is important to my practice. I was overjoyed to read the story of one of his friends who mentioned how seeing death transformed her practice regarding spirits and mediumship. I strongly related to her story and felt confirmed in my belief that my experiences with the funeral industry in the United States made me a better practitioner. I loved reading the experiences of others with death. It was one of my favorite parts of the book. It gave me a better understanding of multiple cultures, including Islam and Judaism. My ex-husband started in the funeral industry at a Jewish funeral home, so I was accustomed to Jewish practices but reading a woman's story of how her community came forth to help her filled me with such comfort and joy. It made me appreciate our diverse cultures and religions and how we all must die, no matter our religious or political affiliations; that we are all just humans.

You can read my complete review on my blog: https://bit.ly/2XWPAD8

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great overview to various death magics and customs from all over the world. Morbid Magic would be a wonderful addition to anyone’s magical book collection or if you are interested in learning more about different cultures approaches to death and dying.

Death has been a fascinating topic to many people over the years and I am no exception. While I have read about and knew most of the customs for Europe and South America, I learned a lot of interesting new tidbits in regards to Asian countries, North America, and Australia. The one that will stick with me forever and will be great in conversations is the Funeral Strippers. Yes, strippers. For that alone, you need to purchase Morbid Magic to read about it!

What’s great about having overviews for all the countries is if certain things really interest you, Tomas Prower includes lots of links and bibliographic notes where you can look up more details.

And what I thought was a great bonus was in each chapter you get a take away of a thing you can do to help your transition into death easier for those around you or for yourself. Some of the suggestions were; questioning why things are done the way they are and see if you want to do something different, make sure to let everyone know what you want done with your body and things, letting people know what you think of them before they die, and many more ideas.
While some of the suggestions may seem like no brainers, it is still nice having a guide to help you along.

Prower also included other people’s stories on how death has touched them in their lives. It’s always interesting to me to see how other people deal in a certain situation. And just as a reminder that death shouldn’t be feared since it’s a natural part of life and happens to everyone.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. The book is very well researched. I like how it was sectioned off into regions with takeaways and testimonials from practitioners. For a book that was trying to encompass the entire world, Prower definitely tries to be fair. Whether he succeeds or not is up to the communities effected. I can only speak on the Christianity section and it was fine.

Where this didn't go well with is that it opens with a quote from Woody Allen 🚩. I know some people are okay with him but he makes me uncomfortable. The second thing was in the section on Islam, the takeaway is try and spend time with a corpse 🚩, to experience its stillness. Even going so far by calling those who work with death spirits but not want to be around an actual dead body as "posers" 🚩. I loathe gate keeping. Questioning others authenticity is such 💩. The final one was the section on the Sub-Saharan & African Diasporic Magical Community. Prower states that an effort was made to get testimonials but that those he contacted suddenly stopped speaking to him 👀. I'm just gonna leave that there.

I will say that Prower's section on Latin America felt more in depth than the rest. One of his degrees is in Latin American studies and has written on a book on La Santa Muerte. That seems to be his strong suit. This I would chalk up more to a fine effort but needed more.

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While no survey work on a subject can be perfect, it's clear Prower has done his research and put in the time to catalog as many traditions as he could into one book. This is a bit of a niche area, but I think one deserving of more attention and discussion.

Prower does an excellent job of balancing humor with gravitas, and I appreciate his example in the introduction (though perhaps Dominik might not have, were he around to object). Death magic and lore is not stuff to be trifled with, and should be explored with as much caution as one gives things like chaos and mischief/trickster deities.

I am not terribly well-informed on the death rites of just about any culture, especially ancient, but I did check some of his citations and they seem legitimate. This is unfortunately often a concern with pagan/magic-related publications, and I'm glad to see this isn't one of those cases. At the very least, this is a fascinating read for someone interested in death rites and their lore, regardless of any interest in working with death deities or leading death rites.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I originally expected and I am completely ok with that. What Prower presents is an historical analysis of the different ways that cultures view and approach death and the afterlife. That may sound boring to some, I am not among that list, but Prower's writing style approaches the subject in such a way that it is hard to put down.

Prower is able to bring humor and wit to a subject that many view as being anything but that. While doing so, Prower is also able to give advice and suggestions for ways to blend these historical views into your existing practice, with great caution.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the way different cultures have viewed the one absolute in life, death....

[amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know quite what I was expecting when I requested to read this book but reading the first page I was swiftly unprepared but not unpleasantly so.

My summer has been a harsh one full of sadness and death with the recent passing of my grandmother so I didn’t think I would be able to finish this book since everything is so raw but Mr. Prower’s charm and wit had me laughing out loud at several instances. The burial and funeral practices shared around the world are fascinating. This was a good, quick read . Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my Arc. Please visit my blog for more reviews like this.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that centers on death around the world, can bring clarity to a person. Being absolutely terrified and unprepared for death myself, I try to read as much on the subject as possible. Our society and culture doesn’t talk about or celebrate the journey of death. This book looks at it from many perspectives, what happens after death and what lies beyond the veil.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

#read #reader #book #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #bookreview #greatreads #alwaysreading #reading #ilovebooks #currentreads #bookaddict #booknerd #bookish #bibliophile #goodreads #readerlife #booklife #readandreview

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tours the world discussing various death rituals, rites, and customs. I found this book fascinating, easy to read, and very informative. I especially liked the voices from community members part. It was a nice way to get a different and personal perspective. Each section is concluded with a takeaway to implement in your own life, which was a very nice and helpful addition I believe.

Overall, this was a good book if you are interested in death practices. I want to read his other books now.

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.*

[Angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick impressions: The book attempts to be comprehensive and cover as much of the world as possible. However, such coverage is not consistent. Some areas do get better coverage, and others are pretty superficial. This is one of those books I really wanted to like. The topic sounds interesting, and I did enjoy the author's previous book on Santa Muerte. However, this book was just not as good.

Full review on my blog (goes live Dec. 9): https://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.c...

[Ileana Renfroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morbid Magic is the first book I've read by this author. It was interesting and easy to follow.

It's a multi-cultural guide to death spirituality and traditions from all over the world and from different historical eras. The author discusses several topics including each culture's views on the hereafter, mourning periods, the deceased's legacy, and handling of remains.

From Judaism in the Middle East to shamanism in East Asia, Morbid Magic presents an amazing, in-depth look at how the world deals with death.

[Ryleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal book. Was flickering through it at my local book shop and found the page about Australia. And I was amazed it talked about the indigenous Australians and how they perform their rituals and send offs. But what I mainly loved is they were talked about with respect and treated like humans and not some species that needs to be protected. Which unfortunately happens a fair bit. Tomás you are amazing keep up the brilliant work

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, the handling of the subject matter feels careless and not very thorough. The only positive thing I can say about this book is that it may be decent as an introduction to the subject matter for a reader who is completely new to it, and as a reference point for further research. Unfortunately, you can get that in many different places, and there is not really anything insightful that this book adds to the subject.

[Megan Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. It definitely lived up to the hype.

I loved the way Tomás narrated this book (props for calling out obnoxious historical patriarchy moments!), and loved how we were taken on a world tour delving into death and dying practices and beliefs from many cultures.

Highly recommend this one if you are seeking to learn more about death spirituality from cultures around the world!

[Alan D.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although heavy at times, this was incredibly entertaining and kept my interest during al of the book. The author did an amazing research that will impress everyone that opens the book, and his style makes it all the more appealing! I didn't expect a book about such a darksome subject to make me smile ovr and over again, but this one did!

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I needed at the right time

What a delightful, culturally respectful trip through multiple cultures and their respective views and beliefs concerning death. The takeaways in this book make every letter worth it. One of the best things I've read in a while! As my mom just passed a month ago, this was just so timely.

[Lady Death]

I found this book to be a great starter for anyone who is just beginning to learn about afterlife practices from other cultures. I found I already knew most everything in this book, so it wasn’t for me. Great however if you wanted a entry level book to figure out what topics you may want to learn more about.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a lot of time with this book because it fascinated me on so many levels. Prower makes learning about death and different customs interesting and not like a text book. I've already recommended this book several times.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[L.A. Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great primer on death

This was a great book that gives an overview of different outlooks on death. Don’t be afraid of it. I plan on doing the challenges in a special notebook to give to my friends and family so they know what I want.

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bibliography for death rituals

This book reads like a bibliography with epitaphs for all of our planet’s continents... it’s truly amazing to be a human reading about how different we all are yet how death equalizes us all.

[Shawnae · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read...

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the writers way with words. I typically enjoy books on death and death practices. If you are into that and anthropology or even just magick this book is for you.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning the different mourning rituals and global philosophies on death. The ending of the book seemed jarring to me. We went from learning death ritual to two hexes and a cleansing ritual, and then a very brief but profound summation on grief.

[John Ayala]

I loved the magic community members input and perspective of the author. The book is entertaining, like a mental journey across the globe, since it describes the perception of death by several cultures. I also loved getting to know different deities.