The Magickal Life: A Wiccan Priestess Shares Her Secrets

by Vivianne Crowley

In this comprehensive guide, Vivianne Crowley shows that we can tap the mysterious power of the natural world and the creativity of the human mind by practicing true magic. With down-to-earth advice and detailed exercises that teach you how to perform magic such as rituals for health, prosperity, and love, Vivianne Crowley illustrates simple techniques for enhancing your life. She also shares her own inspiring journey, shedding new light on the connection between the ancient spiritual wisdom of magic and contemporary self-help techniques such as meditation, yoga, and positive thinking. Perfect for novices and seasoned practitioners alike, The Magickal Life illustrates how magic can help you lead a more successful and satisfying life and see the world as full of endless possibilities.

Genres: Nonfiction, Wicca, Witchcraft, Spirituality, Reference, Magick

309 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2003

Reviews

[Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was good until she brought up weight and fertility and how outdated her beliefs are. Rest of the book lost its flair after that. 1.5 stars

[Hubert · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

[Cassandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Obesity is from lack of love? Anorexia is magic? Yeah… that’s a pass from me…

[Teragon Bearyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remains on my altar. I really enjoyed it.

[Moria · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the MOST basic occult & Wicca 101. I got this second hand, thankfully. I was under the impression that this was written more as a memoir, which I actually enjoy from magical people. The first chapter or two was written that way and I was happy. I liked that the author's background seems to be more English hermeticism, which is a little different from most witches in the US. And to be fair, the book is easy to read & has a pleasant, conversational tone. I tired very hard to finish because I planned to review it. I got about 2/3 through, but couldn't finish since it was such a waste of my time & frankly boring.

The problem is that it quickly turns into a VERY generic overview of occult/new age topics. One quick chapter gives the basics on tarot. Another - crystals. A third - auras & chakras. And so on. It'd be one thing to read about a person's experiences with their first tarot deck, how they deepened their practice, their search for different decks, what they learned that's unique, etc. That isn't here. It's literally reads like "tarot exists, here's a one page history, here's a list of what the cards are." You can find WAY more detail for free online. There's nothing new or original here.

I guess if someone where an ABSOLUTE beginner, who doesn't even know that topics like tarot or crystals or auras exist - they would like this book. Then again I can't imagine such a person seeking out this book before looking online. Again, maybe if the book came out in the 1970's or 80's it would be helpful? Nevertheless, this is one of those infamous useless 101 books that have given New Age publishing a bad name.

[Rosa Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Magickal Life covers many subjects within Wicca, and is a fun, interesting read for beginners as well as those who have been following the path for many years. Beginning with her childhood experiences, Vivianne tells us how she came to Wicca and discusses a lot of basics on subjects such as divination, healing and the properties of various crystals. I really loved this book.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, this book has already changed my opinion of Wiccans as foofy hugging types that appear as if they lack a central nervous system. Magic is clearly defined and I look forward to learning more.

[Katrina]

I haven't finished this yet, but I'm not actively reading it right now... so I'm moving it to read. I've actually only read about half of it. I'll go back to it later, I'm sure.