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What Is Remembered Lives: Developing Relationships with Deities, Ancestors & the Fae
Honor the Spirits and Deities of the Otherworld & Receive Their Blessings
This book is an invitation to connect with the spirits that you sense around you, honoring them and sharing their stories so that they may live on and so that you may become your truest self. Within these pages, you will discover that you can interact with deities, your Beloved Dead, and the Fae, leading to growth and expansion both spiritually and emotionally.
Learn to reach out beyond the mundane world and commune with other realms of existence. Explore hands-on techniques for working with intention, developing your own Place of Power, and negotiating with the spirits that you contact. With dozens of exercises as well as instructions for beginners and experienced spiritual practitioners, this book is a guide to initiating and sustaining relationships that are more powerful than you could ever imagine.
This book is an invitation to connect with the spirits that you sense around you, honoring them and sharing their stories so that they may live on and so that you may become your truest self. Within these pages, you will discover that you can interact with deities, your Beloved Dead, and the Fae, leading to growth and expansion both spiritually and emotionally.
Learn to reach out beyond the mundane world and commune with other realms of existence. Explore hands-on techniques for working with intention, developing your own Place of Power, and negotiating with the spirits that you contact. With dozens of exercises as well as instructions for beginners and experienced spiritual practitioners, this book is a guide to initiating and sustaining relationships that are more powerful than you could ever imagine.
264 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2019
38 people are currently reading
424 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 3, 2019
I recommend Phoenix LeFae’s new book, What is Remembered, Lives for those beginning spiritwork, regardless of path or tradition.
LeFae explores the practicalities of developing intense relationships with the unseen, but more importantly, contextualizes these relationships and spurs readers to consider larger questions.
What is divinity? From where do spirits derive their significance and, indeed, their existence? So many witchcraft books skate over such issues in favor of focusing on ritual, so it was quite a treat to read LeFae’s musings on those topics.
A large part of the book focuses on deities. Here, LeFae uses the gender-neutral term “Godds” to encompass them all. As someone who doesn’t work with deities in the traditional sense, I still enjoyed these sections for their rich presentations of mythology.
I especially loved LeFae’s section on “Deities of Revolution,” and I’m sure many other witches will enjoy that part in particular. In most of the sections about divinity, you’ll no doubt recognize the mythology, but the author presents it in a fresh, modern context.
I disagree with the author’s argument that land spirits are “the Fae.” I’ve always personally seen the Fair Folk as separate from spirits of place, and also generally separate from elementals and nature spirits. This is a controversial issue in the modern Craft community, though.
Lots of witches define these terms (“Fae,” “land spirit,” etc) in vastly different ways, and it is difficult to even begin to say who would be right about it. I can definitely respect what this book says, even if my own views differ quite a bit on this one topic.
The chapter on the concept of the Mighty Dead really captured my imagination. I think the author could’ve spent more time on this subject, and could even possibly just write an entire book, just on that!
I just think that the author’s knowledge and insight into the Mighty Dead is a bit too big for this book and deserves more room to stretch. If LeFae wrote another book just about that concept, I know I’d read it, and probably a lot of other witches would, too.
The author mostly focuses on the Mighty Dead in a witchcraft context (referencing Gerald Gardner, Victor Anderson, and others), but it is easy to apply the lessons outside of this, too.
I found myself thinking of it in the context of various philosophers who’ve passed on - as a philosophy student myself, I do have the urge to honor folks like Derrida and Foucault who’re no longer with us, and the lessons LeFae teaches apply there, too.
The concept of the Mighty Dead and how they relate to others who’ve passed (often called the Beloved Dead) was a topic I really struggled to grasp in the past. I enjoyed seeing such care devoted to explaining it.
I give this book a solid five out of five stars for the author’s excellent tackling of a very complex topic. I look forward to more books from LeFae and, like I said earlier, I really think a whole book just about the Mighty Dead would be a great read, too!
You can pre-order this book from Amazon, or directly from the publisher. It will be released on October 8th, 2019. Many thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC for this review.
LeFae explores the practicalities of developing intense relationships with the unseen, but more importantly, contextualizes these relationships and spurs readers to consider larger questions.
What is divinity? From where do spirits derive their significance and, indeed, their existence? So many witchcraft books skate over such issues in favor of focusing on ritual, so it was quite a treat to read LeFae’s musings on those topics.
A large part of the book focuses on deities. Here, LeFae uses the gender-neutral term “Godds” to encompass them all. As someone who doesn’t work with deities in the traditional sense, I still enjoyed these sections for their rich presentations of mythology.
I especially loved LeFae’s section on “Deities of Revolution,” and I’m sure many other witches will enjoy that part in particular. In most of the sections about divinity, you’ll no doubt recognize the mythology, but the author presents it in a fresh, modern context.
I disagree with the author’s argument that land spirits are “the Fae.” I’ve always personally seen the Fair Folk as separate from spirits of place, and also generally separate from elementals and nature spirits. This is a controversial issue in the modern Craft community, though.
Lots of witches define these terms (“Fae,” “land spirit,” etc) in vastly different ways, and it is difficult to even begin to say who would be right about it. I can definitely respect what this book says, even if my own views differ quite a bit on this one topic.
The chapter on the concept of the Mighty Dead really captured my imagination. I think the author could’ve spent more time on this subject, and could even possibly just write an entire book, just on that!
I just think that the author’s knowledge and insight into the Mighty Dead is a bit too big for this book and deserves more room to stretch. If LeFae wrote another book just about that concept, I know I’d read it, and probably a lot of other witches would, too.
The author mostly focuses on the Mighty Dead in a witchcraft context (referencing Gerald Gardner, Victor Anderson, and others), but it is easy to apply the lessons outside of this, too.
I found myself thinking of it in the context of various philosophers who’ve passed on - as a philosophy student myself, I do have the urge to honor folks like Derrida and Foucault who’re no longer with us, and the lessons LeFae teaches apply there, too.
The concept of the Mighty Dead and how they relate to others who’ve passed (often called the Beloved Dead) was a topic I really struggled to grasp in the past. I enjoyed seeing such care devoted to explaining it.
I give this book a solid five out of five stars for the author’s excellent tackling of a very complex topic. I look forward to more books from LeFae and, like I said earlier, I really think a whole book just about the Mighty Dead would be a great read, too!
You can pre-order this book from Amazon, or directly from the publisher. It will be released on October 8th, 2019. Many thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC for this review.
October 2, 2019
First I'd like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
If I am honest, I am still on an ancestor kick. I am currently on the lookout for a good altar to set up in my library and when I saw What Is Remembered Lives by Phoenix LeFae on NetGalley, I knew it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book, and not all of them good (I'd honestly give it 3.5 stars). I'll begin with what I didn't like.
While reading through the Table of Contents and the background information on the author, there were a couple of red flags that popped up. These included cultural appropriation and her largely Wiccan background. Now I have zero issues with Wiccans. It isn't my practice but based on the title, I was hoping for a different take on working with deities, ancestors, and the fae. However, I was pleasantly surprised that Wicca was only really present in the rituals mentioned in the book, and those are easily changed to fit your own practices. The cultural appropriation, however, was less forgivable. As I began reading, my fears were almost snuffed out by her having part of a chapter dedicated to cultural appropriation where she discussed close cultures and cultural theft. However, on the very next page, she starts culturally appropriating from Hindu and Native American cultures. Each of her rituals mentions smudging, with complete disregard for Native American culture. Every time she mentioned smudging in her rituals, I cringed. I can forgive someone who doesn't know any better, but after you clearly discuss cultural appropriation then steal from closed cultures anyway, you have no excuse. There are some Voodoo practices and deities mentioned in the text as well, but LeFae claims to be initiated into Voodoo, so I can't knock her there if she is really initiated.
There were also a couple minor issues that really bothered me. First, her use of the term Godd. Originally she did this to use a gender-neutral term for the deities, and I loved it, but there were several areas where it seemed she forgot that she was using Godd instead of God and Goddess. It seemed she more often than not forgot to use Godd when talking about goddesses. This made the use of Godd seem insincere and contrived. Second, she dedicated very little of her book to ancestor work. It was a little disappointing. The vast majority of the book is working with deities, which is fine, but I was hoping for more on ancestors and fae.
Other than the above-mentioned issues, the book is overall a great read. I know it seems like I hated the book, but I didn't. There are a lot of really wonderful rituals and spells included throughout that are worth purchasing the book for. LeFae begins with a great grounding ritual and dedicated several chapters on how to connect with deities, ancestors, and the fae in a deeper, more meaningful way. For those looking into hedge riding, her pathwalking rituals are a great place to start. Furthermore, she breaks down finding your astral garden/office which she refers to as a Place of Power. No matter what you call it or how you imagine it, its all essentially the same thing. If you are struggling to travel to the Otherworld, her pathwalking ritual to reach your "Place of Power" may help you hedge cross. Her deity rituals were beyond beautiful. They all included pathwalking rituals that can be read and recorded for solitary practitioners or used in group rituals. The deity rituals were by far my favorite part of the book and her view of deities was different from what I am used to. LeFae seems to view deities more as spirits that rose to "power" through belief. I rather like this idea of deities. Furthermore, she mentions multiple different ways to work with different deities, depending on the magic you wish to sew. The rituals focused on actual magic, instead of just meeting with a deity.
While her ancestor section was rather short and lacked in rituals, it provided excellent information on the different types of ancestors and briefly how you can work with each. Her list of potential Mighty Dead to work with was fantastic and was essentially a short history of magical figures that have shaped modern neopaganism. I'll be honest; there were people and stories mentioned in this chapter that I didn't know or hadn't heard. I also loved that she mentioned that a lot of the fantastical initiation stories were likely made up, but that those fantastical stories were needed in the beginning to bring validity to the Craft. I agree with her in this regard and love her rational approach to the world and working with spirits.
The final section covers working with the Fae. She is sure to mention that the Fae include a large range of spirits, most of which are local. I am a huge supporter of practicing local witchcraft and working with the spirits of the land. When you are in tune with the spirits that live around your home, you'll notice that your magic will benefit as a whole. The spirits around you want to help you. I'm glad LeFae made this connection and encouraged her readers to reach out to these spirits and develop a practice that involves them. Furthermore, she provides a practical list of "rules" on how to work with the Fae, including being clear in your intent and not thanking them for their help verbally, but instead with offerings. Furthermore, she mentions the use of iron around Fae and how this folklore likely originated. My experiences have been rather similar to those of LeFae in that I haven't found iron specifically hurts the Fae, but out of respect, I don't bring it around them if I can help it. Overall, they dislike man-made things and prefer natural items.
All in all, this book is worth the purchase and worth the read, if not just for the lovely pathwalking rituals and guided meditations. To any witch or hedgewitch looking to expand their spirit working practice, this book offers some great suggestions, rituals, and information about a variety of ways to work with all sort of amazing spirits. I encourage you to recognize the cultural appropriation and modify those practices in your own Craft. I am of the mind that we can appreciate a book and author while recognizing their flaws.
You can find more book reviews on my blog Flying the Hedge
If I am honest, I am still on an ancestor kick. I am currently on the lookout for a good altar to set up in my library and when I saw What Is Remembered Lives by Phoenix LeFae on NetGalley, I knew it would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book, and not all of them good (I'd honestly give it 3.5 stars). I'll begin with what I didn't like.
While reading through the Table of Contents and the background information on the author, there were a couple of red flags that popped up. These included cultural appropriation and her largely Wiccan background. Now I have zero issues with Wiccans. It isn't my practice but based on the title, I was hoping for a different take on working with deities, ancestors, and the fae. However, I was pleasantly surprised that Wicca was only really present in the rituals mentioned in the book, and those are easily changed to fit your own practices. The cultural appropriation, however, was less forgivable. As I began reading, my fears were almost snuffed out by her having part of a chapter dedicated to cultural appropriation where she discussed close cultures and cultural theft. However, on the very next page, she starts culturally appropriating from Hindu and Native American cultures. Each of her rituals mentions smudging, with complete disregard for Native American culture. Every time she mentioned smudging in her rituals, I cringed. I can forgive someone who doesn't know any better, but after you clearly discuss cultural appropriation then steal from closed cultures anyway, you have no excuse. There are some Voodoo practices and deities mentioned in the text as well, but LeFae claims to be initiated into Voodoo, so I can't knock her there if she is really initiated.
There were also a couple minor issues that really bothered me. First, her use of the term Godd. Originally she did this to use a gender-neutral term for the deities, and I loved it, but there were several areas where it seemed she forgot that she was using Godd instead of God and Goddess. It seemed she more often than not forgot to use Godd when talking about goddesses. This made the use of Godd seem insincere and contrived. Second, she dedicated very little of her book to ancestor work. It was a little disappointing. The vast majority of the book is working with deities, which is fine, but I was hoping for more on ancestors and fae.
Other than the above-mentioned issues, the book is overall a great read. I know it seems like I hated the book, but I didn't. There are a lot of really wonderful rituals and spells included throughout that are worth purchasing the book for. LeFae begins with a great grounding ritual and dedicated several chapters on how to connect with deities, ancestors, and the fae in a deeper, more meaningful way. For those looking into hedge riding, her pathwalking rituals are a great place to start. Furthermore, she breaks down finding your astral garden/office which she refers to as a Place of Power. No matter what you call it or how you imagine it, its all essentially the same thing. If you are struggling to travel to the Otherworld, her pathwalking ritual to reach your "Place of Power" may help you hedge cross. Her deity rituals were beyond beautiful. They all included pathwalking rituals that can be read and recorded for solitary practitioners or used in group rituals. The deity rituals were by far my favorite part of the book and her view of deities was different from what I am used to. LeFae seems to view deities more as spirits that rose to "power" through belief. I rather like this idea of deities. Furthermore, she mentions multiple different ways to work with different deities, depending on the magic you wish to sew. The rituals focused on actual magic, instead of just meeting with a deity.
While her ancestor section was rather short and lacked in rituals, it provided excellent information on the different types of ancestors and briefly how you can work with each. Her list of potential Mighty Dead to work with was fantastic and was essentially a short history of magical figures that have shaped modern neopaganism. I'll be honest; there were people and stories mentioned in this chapter that I didn't know or hadn't heard. I also loved that she mentioned that a lot of the fantastical initiation stories were likely made up, but that those fantastical stories were needed in the beginning to bring validity to the Craft. I agree with her in this regard and love her rational approach to the world and working with spirits.
The final section covers working with the Fae. She is sure to mention that the Fae include a large range of spirits, most of which are local. I am a huge supporter of practicing local witchcraft and working with the spirits of the land. When you are in tune with the spirits that live around your home, you'll notice that your magic will benefit as a whole. The spirits around you want to help you. I'm glad LeFae made this connection and encouraged her readers to reach out to these spirits and develop a practice that involves them. Furthermore, she provides a practical list of "rules" on how to work with the Fae, including being clear in your intent and not thanking them for their help verbally, but instead with offerings. Furthermore, she mentions the use of iron around Fae and how this folklore likely originated. My experiences have been rather similar to those of LeFae in that I haven't found iron specifically hurts the Fae, but out of respect, I don't bring it around them if I can help it. Overall, they dislike man-made things and prefer natural items.
All in all, this book is worth the purchase and worth the read, if not just for the lovely pathwalking rituals and guided meditations. To any witch or hedgewitch looking to expand their spirit working practice, this book offers some great suggestions, rituals, and information about a variety of ways to work with all sort of amazing spirits. I encourage you to recognize the cultural appropriation and modify those practices in your own Craft. I am of the mind that we can appreciate a book and author while recognizing their flaws.
You can find more book reviews on my blog Flying the Hedge
June 21, 2019
I am more than pleasantly surprised by this book. The blurb of this book totally sucked me in. For as long as I have remembered I have been intrigued my that mystical other dimension, for lack of a better term. I can remember being a child and just feeling like there was something else out there. This book finally proved that I am not alone in those feelings.
This author was very insightful into how to find that connection. It explains everything from grounding oneself, how to perform rituals, and even step by step exercises. I really like how the book was broken up in how to work with all the deities, unseen, guides, and fae.
The only gripe that I really had with the book is that the formatting was messed up in parts. There were times that some of the fonts that were used showed up as boxes with question marks, or that words left out certain consonants and vowels so I had to read a sentence a few times in order to figure out what the author was actually saying. I even tried to read this on my actual kindle instead of my iPad via the Kindle app to see if that was the problem. Nothing changed the issue and because it did get distracting by the very end it was not a five-star read.
This author was very insightful into how to find that connection. It explains everything from grounding oneself, how to perform rituals, and even step by step exercises. I really like how the book was broken up in how to work with all the deities, unseen, guides, and fae.
The only gripe that I really had with the book is that the formatting was messed up in parts. There were times that some of the fonts that were used showed up as boxes with question marks, or that words left out certain consonants and vowels so I had to read a sentence a few times in order to figure out what the author was actually saying. I even tried to read this on my actual kindle instead of my iPad via the Kindle app to see if that was the problem. Nothing changed the issue and because it did get distracting by the very end it was not a five-star read.
October 1, 2019
What is Remembered Lives: Developing Relationships with Deities, Ancestors & The Fae by Phoenix LeFae is the perfect text for the ambitious beginner. Written in a clear, easy to follow tone, What is Remembered Lives introduces the reader to ancestor veneration, deity worship, and Fae work through personal anecdotes, suggested rituals and meditations, cross-cultural comparisons, and historical background.
With this text, you can learn how to befriend the Fae, gain the favor of the Mighty Dead, and protect yourself from unseen forces, plus much more. This is a great starter text for any Witch and/or Pagan who wants to explore spirit work.
What I Liked
I particularly enjoyed how LeFae addresses cultural appropriation at both the beginner of What Is Remembered Lives and throughout the text as a whole. While LeFae mentions deities and entities from closed cultures, she asserts that a person cannot work with these entities unless they’ve undergone the proper initiations or received permission from existing practitioners. Few authors actively condemn cultural appropriation, so I appreciated it being mentioned.
I also enjoyed how accessible the text is. Unlike some other books on Witchcraft and Paganism, What Is Remembered Lives includes rituals that can fit into busy schedules, incense and other recipes that incorporate easy to find ingredients, and bits of advice to help build up a daily (or regular) practice. No matter if you’ve been practicing for one day or one decade, there is likely something within the text that you can use and learn from.
What I Disliked
The topic of What Is Remembered Lives is quite broad, which unfortunately, leads to a slight lack in depth. For a total beginner, this wouldn’t be an issue so long as you continue your research beyond this book. It’s a great starting point, but it shouldn’t be your only Witchcraft/Pagan book on your shelf. The way in which the text discusses deities tends to be a bit reductive, and often ignores the various Reconstructionist views of modern worship.
My Rating: 4/5
Overall, What is Remembered Lives is a great book for beginner Witches and Pagans who want to shift their focus to the Spirit World. There is an excellent balance between practical advice, historical information, and theoretical discussion. I definitely recommend picking up a copy once it becomes widely available!
With this text, you can learn how to befriend the Fae, gain the favor of the Mighty Dead, and protect yourself from unseen forces, plus much more. This is a great starter text for any Witch and/or Pagan who wants to explore spirit work.
What I Liked
I particularly enjoyed how LeFae addresses cultural appropriation at both the beginner of What Is Remembered Lives and throughout the text as a whole. While LeFae mentions deities and entities from closed cultures, she asserts that a person cannot work with these entities unless they’ve undergone the proper initiations or received permission from existing practitioners. Few authors actively condemn cultural appropriation, so I appreciated it being mentioned.
I also enjoyed how accessible the text is. Unlike some other books on Witchcraft and Paganism, What Is Remembered Lives includes rituals that can fit into busy schedules, incense and other recipes that incorporate easy to find ingredients, and bits of advice to help build up a daily (or regular) practice. No matter if you’ve been practicing for one day or one decade, there is likely something within the text that you can use and learn from.
What I Disliked
The topic of What Is Remembered Lives is quite broad, which unfortunately, leads to a slight lack in depth. For a total beginner, this wouldn’t be an issue so long as you continue your research beyond this book. It’s a great starting point, but it shouldn’t be your only Witchcraft/Pagan book on your shelf. The way in which the text discusses deities tends to be a bit reductive, and often ignores the various Reconstructionist views of modern worship.
My Rating: 4/5
Overall, What is Remembered Lives is a great book for beginner Witches and Pagans who want to shift their focus to the Spirit World. There is an excellent balance between practical advice, historical information, and theoretical discussion. I definitely recommend picking up a copy once it becomes widely available!
November 24, 2019
It's been a good long while since I read a Llewellyn book and I am surprisingly pleased at how much I enjoyed this one. I think witchcraft has come a long way since I was reading this publisher in the nineties. I thought LeFae did an excellent job of presenting her methodology for honoring what a druid might term the three kindred: the gods, the ancestors, and the fey or land spirits. Every time I thought I had caught her up with something I thought was missing she covered it in the next few pages. I would totally use this as an intro to devotional practices for students and the like. I look forward to writing a glowing review over at my patheos blog.
April 25, 2023
I was excited to read this book, as its central philosophy of "what is remembered lives" is something that rings very true to me. However, I found the material basic to the point of redundancy for the most part.
The introductory part of the book is actually by far the most interesting and useful. The advice and exercises given regarding exploration of the personal "place of power" and introducing yourself to a deity are pretty useful and thought-provoking.
The three main sections of the book all feel quite disparate, like they weren't too well-thought-out as part of one book. The first, about working with deity, is actually barely about working with deity; instead, it's almost entirely just extremely basic overviews of a handful of specific deities. The rituals given for each deity are largely very similar to each other, and I think most readers will find that, for each deity covered, they either skim over it because they aren't drawn to that specific deity, or they end up frustrated because they are interested in working with them, but the information given is so bare-bones that reading it feels like a waste of time.
The second part, about working with the dead, is... fine. Nothing revolutionary, nothing you couldn't find anywhere else - but that's not necessarily an inherently bad thing. The author's writing style is certainly plenty readable, and I'm sure the accessibility of the text will be really helpful for a lot of people, so that's a positive. There's a small handful of passages in this section that I highlighted, but again, nothing massive. It still feels like you're getting the cliffnotes version of the material, just waiting for the author to dive deeper into the subject material, but it never happens.
The last major part is about working with the fae, which I found frustratingly oversimplified again. The author explains how a lot of modern-day ideas about the fae are inaccurate leftovers from the Victorian obsession with them, but then goes on to supply most of the info on them from those Victorian "misconceptions". (I put that in quotation marks not because I disagree with a lot of those ideas being wrong, but because the author can't seem to decide on their own opinion on the matter.) Again, the rituals suggested feel very same-y, and while that sort of reliable/consistent ritual formula works well for many people, it's definitely not interesting to read.
Overall, this is a book with plenty of lovely sentiments, a few interesting ideas, but very little substance behind those things. I would suggest to anyone looking to read this book to instead find separate, more in-depth books on each of the three major topics.
The introductory part of the book is actually by far the most interesting and useful. The advice and exercises given regarding exploration of the personal "place of power" and introducing yourself to a deity are pretty useful and thought-provoking.
The three main sections of the book all feel quite disparate, like they weren't too well-thought-out as part of one book. The first, about working with deity, is actually barely about working with deity; instead, it's almost entirely just extremely basic overviews of a handful of specific deities. The rituals given for each deity are largely very similar to each other, and I think most readers will find that, for each deity covered, they either skim over it because they aren't drawn to that specific deity, or they end up frustrated because they are interested in working with them, but the information given is so bare-bones that reading it feels like a waste of time.
The second part, about working with the dead, is... fine. Nothing revolutionary, nothing you couldn't find anywhere else - but that's not necessarily an inherently bad thing. The author's writing style is certainly plenty readable, and I'm sure the accessibility of the text will be really helpful for a lot of people, so that's a positive. There's a small handful of passages in this section that I highlighted, but again, nothing massive. It still feels like you're getting the cliffnotes version of the material, just waiting for the author to dive deeper into the subject material, but it never happens.
The last major part is about working with the fae, which I found frustratingly oversimplified again. The author explains how a lot of modern-day ideas about the fae are inaccurate leftovers from the Victorian obsession with them, but then goes on to supply most of the info on them from those Victorian "misconceptions". (I put that in quotation marks not because I disagree with a lot of those ideas being wrong, but because the author can't seem to decide on their own opinion on the matter.) Again, the rituals suggested feel very same-y, and while that sort of reliable/consistent ritual formula works well for many people, it's definitely not interesting to read.
Overall, this is a book with plenty of lovely sentiments, a few interesting ideas, but very little substance behind those things. I would suggest to anyone looking to read this book to instead find separate, more in-depth books on each of the three major topics.
July 21, 2019
I feel personally that, " What is Remembered Lives", by Phoenix LeFae has come into my life at just the right time. I have been struggling to find a way to include Gods and Goddesses into my solitary practice. This book has allowed me to look at things from a whole new perspective. While reading this book, I experienced this overwhelming feeling of warmth and clarity. My search was finally over for the knowledge that I was missing.
I was grateful to the Author for starting the book with grounding exercises,( this will be my #1 reference book for grounding) as well as suggestions on how to prepare yourself for rituals. She includes stories of her personal experiences with several Deities she has come in contact with, and her perspective on how to start a personal relationship with them. I have yet to come across a book with such clear information for the groundwork on contacting Deities, as I have in this book. The book includes exercises for trances, Place of Power meditation,( still working on), and numerous rituals with complete instructions down to the last herb, candle and crystal you will need to perform them.(Did I mention I love this book?) There is even a section that includes stories of the history behind several Deities, to familiarize yourself with them, should you choose to use them in a ritual. I think anyone practicing any form of witchcraft, should have this book in their witchy library. I only wish I could give it more stars.💜 #Whatisrememberedlives #Netgalley
I was grateful to the Author for starting the book with grounding exercises,( this will be my #1 reference book for grounding) as well as suggestions on how to prepare yourself for rituals. She includes stories of her personal experiences with several Deities she has come in contact with, and her perspective on how to start a personal relationship with them. I have yet to come across a book with such clear information for the groundwork on contacting Deities, as I have in this book. The book includes exercises for trances, Place of Power meditation,( still working on), and numerous rituals with complete instructions down to the last herb, candle and crystal you will need to perform them.(Did I mention I love this book?) There is even a section that includes stories of the history behind several Deities, to familiarize yourself with them, should you choose to use them in a ritual. I think anyone practicing any form of witchcraft, should have this book in their witchy library. I only wish I could give it more stars.💜 #Whatisrememberedlives #Netgalley
September 13, 2019
I was very happy with the set up of this book. It can benefit both absolute beginner practitioners as well as those looking to enhance their craft with meeting spirits and Godds (I liked this term).
It began with a nice intro to the basics of rituals and went into specifics of various Godds, the ancestors, and the Fae. The Godds mentioned are newer to me, so I enjoyed that section and reading their stories. She also gave information on what to use to call to them.
I was especially happy with the trance meditations which I did record and listen back to. They really work well when used. (Yes, I did receive a message from an ancestor.)
One thing I'm not sure about is why other reviews mention that this book is about past lives. There is absolutely nothing in the text about that. This book is about honoring those that live in liminal spaces and contacting them.
I would recommend to someone having trouble reaching their patron gods and spirit guides or who want to reach out to and ancestor or passed-on relative.
It began with a nice intro to the basics of rituals and went into specifics of various Godds, the ancestors, and the Fae. The Godds mentioned are newer to me, so I enjoyed that section and reading their stories. She also gave information on what to use to call to them.
I was especially happy with the trance meditations which I did record and listen back to. They really work well when used. (Yes, I did receive a message from an ancestor.)
One thing I'm not sure about is why other reviews mention that this book is about past lives. There is absolutely nothing in the text about that. This book is about honoring those that live in liminal spaces and contacting them.
I would recommend to someone having trouble reaching their patron gods and spirit guides or who want to reach out to and ancestor or passed-on relative.
November 6, 2019
This was an interesting read. I was drawn to it by it's title. I agree that so long as one is remembered they never die. I always felt bad for those (human, god, all life) that have been forgotten. This book teaches how to reconnect. as a solo practitioner, I don't practice all the rituals in this book; daily life is just too busy. But I do enjoy reading about what others are doing, their work. And sometimes I use a bit of their magic in my own little life. Good book for those seeking and wanting to learn more about wiccan/pagan culture. Good work Phoenix LaFae!
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
December 15, 2024
I was expecting to explore the cosmology more. With only a light retelling of the lore to showcase the factions within the neopagan world. It was highly syncretistic and off-hand. Which is fine. That does make it feel a bit like just the notes from a friend. It lacks the authoritive nature you usually trust from a book.
The structure was not equal with deities taking the lionshare compared to the other two directions. Yet each diety mentioned only had basic bare-bones info supplied about them. I agree with another reviewer that this leaves you frusturated with those you are drawn too or are tempted to skim past the many you that you don't have connection too.
The structure was not equal with deities taking the lionshare compared to the other two directions. Yet each diety mentioned only had basic bare-bones info supplied about them. I agree with another reviewer that this leaves you frusturated with those you are drawn too or are tempted to skim past the many you that you don't have connection too.
March 2, 2021
I've read a lot of books about witchcraft and understanding spiritual deities. I found this one refreshing and found myself reading it several times taking away more each time. I believe no one can truly digest all LeFae offers in one reading. I know I will be coming back to it again as my work with the deities continues. It's a great resource because she encourages the reader to think outside the box.
October 30, 2019
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Llewellyn.
What is Remembered Lives is a clearly written, easy to follow practicum for connecting with spirit. The exercises and rituals are straightforward enough for a beginner but could be useful for an experienced practitioner.
I really liked Phoenix LeFae's tone - it was friendly and knowledgable.
What is Remembered Lives is a clearly written, easy to follow practicum for connecting with spirit. The exercises and rituals are straightforward enough for a beginner but could be useful for an experienced practitioner.
I really liked Phoenix LeFae's tone - it was friendly and knowledgable.
September 3, 2019
An interesting and well written book, full of ideas and useful exercises.
I liked the style of writing and how the book is organised.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I liked the style of writing and how the book is organised.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
October 26, 2019
I love this book. Looking into the world of the unseen, being taught how to communicate with the varying Godds, and fae was very intriguing. A truly great book to add to your shelf regardless of your practice.
November 1, 2019
Engaging and entertaining. There were several tips and a lot of information I didn't know about the Godds, the Ancestors and the Fae. It is great to have a book like this with such a simple language and that puts it all together for a quick reference when needy. Totally recommended!
July 15, 2020
It was good, but I was surprised by how much of the book was with deities (I thought they'd be split evenly, but it was like half deities and then splitting the other fourths between ancestors and the fae.)
August 8, 2020
3.5/5
August 28, 2020
This book is a must if you are exploring witchcraft and spirituality. Clear, concise and so very helpful, highly recommended
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