Iāve got an ongoing list of things to do with a blank notebook or journal (because I canāt stop buying them), and Iāve pulled out the ones that I think might be of interest to magical, witchy, or pagan types. Hopefully, if you guys find yourselves stuck in front of that first blank page, thereāll be something here to inspire you!
Some of these examples have links or descriptions to further elaborate on what I pictured when I put them on the list, but donāt feel boxed in by any of these! Always feel free to think outside of the box.
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Magical Journal YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT IS :ā))Ā
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Dream Journal
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Psychic JournalĀ
[1][2] Keep a record of your insights, premonitions and predictions. Be sure to make a note of when youāre right!
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Prayer/Chant Journal Even if you donāt write your own, having the ones you enjoy all in one place makes a great reference.
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Meditation JournalĀ [1][2] Journaling can be a form of meditation in and of itself, but you can also keep track of your meditation experiences or just log when you do it. If youāre doing guided meditations, you can list which ones you used as well.
Personal Almanac Make a personal, customized version of the magical almanacs or planners that get released every year.Ā
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Collect Truth Write down the things you agree with. why do you agree? Decide whatās true, or what feels true. If you can, include things that you donāt actually agree with, but you still think are true ā thatās a fun thing to contemplate.Ā
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Collect Lies I actually started keeping track of the false beliefs Iād either told myself or had been told, and perhaps a little more tricky ā things I see others telling each other that I donāt agree with. Feel free to talk about whyĀ you have decided these are lies. And look back every now and then to see if you still agree with yourself.
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Formulas Write down your favourite (or even experimental!) recipes for oils, incenses, inks, or whatever else youāve got going in the cauldron so that you donāt forget how to make them.
Recipe Book Invaluable for a kitchen witch, especially if youāre keeping track of the magical effects of certain recipes!
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Book Exercise Journal Almost every book and every course suggests keeping a journal for it to record your progress, do the assignments, et cetera.
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Spelled Book Turn each page into a spell! Rip it out or otherwise engage with the page to use it.
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Spirit Dossiers If you work with spirits, keep profiles of their personalities, likes, dislikes, interactions with them, et cetera.
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Charger Book Imbue pages with a magical signature, leave objects on page to charge them.
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Book of Spreads Iāve got two spread books ā one book has my own spreads, and one book has spreads from other people that Iāve liked. Itās beyond helpful to keep track of these somewhere in case you ever want to use them again, or share them with a friend!
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Good Advice from Other Witches
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Altar Photobook Include pictures of your altars for reference, or other altars you loved!
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Correspondences List This is especially useful if youāre trying to develop your own personal correspondences!
Spirit Grimoire Pick a spirit, or group of spirits, and create a grimoire for them
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Shrine Book Make a scrapbook shrine for your gods.
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Book Notes Journal Keep notes on the witchy/pagan/etc books you read so you can remember what your thoughts, insights, and problems with them!
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Witchy Transcript In Dedicant: A Witchās Circle of Fire, Thuri Calafia talks about her witchy transcript: āAll the spiritual work Iād done, the meditations Iād used, the rituals Iād written, the books Iād read, everything I could think of pertaining to my spiritual path.ā She goes into more detail about what to include in her book, but take the idea and run with it!
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Tarot JournalĀ
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Magical Travel Guide Map out your land, neighborhood, et cetera. Make notes of the sacred sites, where spirits live, your local witchy stores, places you do ritual, which grocery store sells fresh basil, where you found the wood you used for your wand, crossroads, and other places of interest. š»Ā Astral Mapping Similar to the above, but for those of yāall who go Over There.
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Good Ideas I keep a notebook of magical concepts and ideas I find in fiction that I want to figure out how to recreate in real life.
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Aesthetic Scrapbook If youāre developing a magical aesthetic [1][2], then keep a book devoted to that! š Shadow Work JournalĀ [1][2]
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(Witchy) Things To Do With A Blank Notebook Keep your own list! When youāre not sure what to do with your next blank notebook, see what stands out on the list and try it out!Ā š®
Combine all ingredients! Use in pumpkin pie; pumpkin breads, cookies, and pastries; pumpkin coffee drinks; et cetera!
Chefās Note: When it comes to spices (especially aromatic ones such as these), it is always best to use whole spices if you can. Carefully toast them in a dry pan until the aroma is strengthened, allow them to cool, and then grind them. This will enhance the flavor and aroma of the spice, giving you the full impact that it has to offer. I personally prefer to use a mortar and pestle (a kitchen one, separate from the one I use for spellwork), which takes more time, but preserves more flavor than a motorized grinder.
Magical Ingredient!
Now, Iāll be the first to admit that this recipe is magical in and of itself. Just the flavor alone is something that I crave and savor all year long. Many times has my boyfriend teased me about being aĀ ābasic white girl,ā at which point, I often agree. I am that person who loves pumpkin so much that Iām there the first day those lattes come out at Starbucks. But what so few realize is that this spice blend is incredibly simple to make at home (and often tastes better than packaged pumpkin pie spice).
However, while I could go on all day about the magical uses for this blend, it would get rather redundant given previous articles about cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. So instead, Iām going to look at nutmeg!
Sweet, warm, and aromatic, nutmeg has an interesting history that is linked very strongly to imperialism, spice trade, and European colonization. The spice with which we are most familiar today is the seed of the nutmeg tree (myristica fragrans), but in truth, the whole fruit is edible and used in culinary traditions. The fruit is harvested from the tree and used in Indonesian cuisine as manisan, while the seed is dried until it separates from its outer shell. A bright red membrane which surrounds the nutmeg kernel inside is harvested and dried, developing a yellow-red color. This membrane, called the aril, is then sold either ground or whole as another familiar spice: mace.
The seed itself is the nutmeg spice with which we are most familiar – the kernel isolated from the fruit and aril. Sold either whole or ground, it is used in cuisines throughout the world and has a history of being used in many European meat dishes, as well as in pastries and spice blends.
Initially nutmeg, like many other spices involved in the spice trade, was aĀ ātrade secretā regarding its location. It grew naturally on the Banda Islands, and was traded with mainland Asia. Eventually, the commodity reached the port of Basra, where it was traded with Muslim sailors. From there, it was spread to the rest of Europe where it was prized for both its flavor and as a protective ingredient against plague.
Like many spices, it was part of what drove the Age of Exploration. By the 16th century, its production origins were discovered by Portuguese explorers. Banda was conquered and its spices – nutmeg, mace, and cloves – were traded with the sailors until the Dutch East India Company claimed the island in 1621 (this was not a particularly pleasant scenario – the indigenous Bandanese were effectively wiped out by European settlers through warfare, starvation, exile, slave trade, or disease).
British control of other Bandanese islands were conceded to the Dutch in exchange for Manhattan and New Amsterdam in colonial America, giving full monopoly over to the Company through much of the 17th and 18th centuries. During the Napoleonic Wars, however, Britain regained temporary control of the islands, and used the opportunity to transplant nutmeg trees to other colonies, establishing new plantations for the trade.
((Fun fact: Many foods cooked in colonial America involved the use of nutmeg as a primary flavoring agent. Vanilla was significantly harder to produce and obtain, but nutmeg was easy to transport and lasted much longer, making it a popular spice in the Americas!))
Today, nutmeg continues to be produced primarily in Indonesia and Grenada, which control the majority of the production of nutmeg and mace in the world market. Itās used in cuisines throughout the world, a wonderful flavoring agent for both sweet and savory foods.
In terms of medicine, nutmeg has traditionally been used to encourage digestion and relieve bowel cramping. Under Elizabethan rule, it was used to help ward off the plague due to its pleasant and calming scent (it was widely believed at the time that odor could carry disease). In modern medicine, nutmegās health benefits beyond nutrition are virtually negligible, but has been discovered to cause hallucinations in large doses. This is inadvisable, however, as nutmeg can be toxic in doses of more than one teaspoon. (Do not despair for the recipe above – itās extremely unlikely that anyone would consume a whole jar of pumpkin spice in one sitting!)
Magically speaking, nutmeg is often associated with wealth, luck, love, and divination. Carrying the whole seed as a charm can bring luck in games of chance (making it quite popular in gambling spells), and can ensure good luck while traveling.
The seed can be carried in a purple sachet or strung on a purple thread as a charm to help encourage favorable decisions in legal matters.
Ground nutmeg has been used for money, divination, and love spells in several traditions – the powder can be added to money drawing powders and sachets, sprinkled into a loverās shoes to encourage love, or added to drinks which can be consumed prior to meditation and divination to enhance clairvoyance or to be shared with a lover to strengthen relationships.
The essential oil of nutmeg can also be used in money-drawing oils, or warmed to provide the scent of the spice in order to provide comfort, peaceful sleep, and clarity in divination.
In food, as always, the associations carry over. This spice is very versatile, being used in dishes ranging from savory yellow vegetables to meat dishes such as haggis or roast beef. Pair it up with other spices and herbs with similar purposes, and watch the magic come to life!
So when youāre mixing up that pumpkin spice and adding it to your pie this year, be mindful of the history and uses that nutmeg possesses. It is rich and vibrant, both positive and negative. Like all ingredients in food, it is a living ingredient even when dried and ground. It makes for a wonderful experience in working magic into your meals each day!
I get asked a lot about how I got started practicingĀ seiĆ°r, so Iāve decided to try and compile a Helpful Postā¢
from all the resources Iāve collected over the years instead of gesturing vaguely with a spindle or babbling at another stranger for hours. I would suggest checking out the bibliographies of these sources (when they have one.)Ā
Lately Iāve been doing some research on the timing associations of the cards, and have found some pretty interesting methods that I thought Iād share!
Here are a few different systems Iāve found of simple Minor Arcana suit associations that you might want to try:Ā
š Wands:Ā New Moon š Swords: Waxing Moon š Cups: Waning Moon š Pentacles:Ā Full Moon
While itās definitely possible to have a timing system for the Major Arcana as well, itās certainly more complicated. Generally, I prefer to read the timing as āthis will happen once the issue represented in this card is resolved.ā However,Ā I did find a neat, simple system that associates the days of the week with several Major Arcana cards:
Days of the Week
š Sunday (Sun): The Sun š Monday (Moon): The High Priestess (fyi: The actual Moon card is associated with Pisces ā go figure!) š Tuesday (Mars): The Tower š Wednesday (Mercury): The Magician š Thursday (Jupiter): The Wheel of Fortune š Friday (Venus): The Empress š Saturday (Saturn): The World
As with everything related to tarot and divination, remember that tarot merely predicts a possible future ā not an unchangeable one. Always take timing associations with a grain of salt, and remember that you have power and control of your future!Ā
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So maybe youāre a college witch with limited space and money, limited to the one window in your dorm. Or, maybe youāre a witch without extensive backyard space who wants to start up a magical garden. Perhaps youāre a kitchen witch who wants the freshest herbs right at her fingertips.
For many witches, having a garden seems to be a bit of a no-brainer. After all, plants and magic go hand-in-hand. Plus, when thinking of a witch, itās hard not to think of a cottage in the woods with a little vegetable garden out front. Unfortunately for the majority of us, our cottage in the woods is a tiny flat, and our garden out front is a windowsill with limited space.
This is when it comes time to embrace your craftiness and bring your garden indoors! Not only does it place your garden in a convenient location, it also allows you to freshen the air, recycle what would otherwise harm the earth, and embrace your witchy green thumb!
Samwise Gamgeeās Dream Come True!
Okay, so if you follow my blog, chances are that youāre wondering if this whole potato theme for today is because of St. Patrickās. I promise, Iām not enforcing Irish stereotypes on purpose. I just really like potatoes, and when it comes to gardening, itās a bit of a disservice to overlook this vegetable. After all, when we think about kitchen gardens or home gardens, we think of herbs or flowers, and not about the veggies we eat that live a rather subterranean existence. But potatoes – those lovely little brown lumps that we can get for a couple dollars per five pound bag in the supermarket – are not only inexpensive. Theyāre extremely hardy little plants that can be grown rather easily.
You donāt need much to get started with this project. First, you needĀ āseed potatoes.ā This is not hard to find. Simply take a few potatoes and allow them to grow a bit. They will sprout a few short little stalks from the eyes on the surface. Save these, and get potting mix and two medium to large plastic pots that can easily stack one inside the other.
Carefully cut a few panes out of the inner pot as in the picture above, then place the inner pot into the outer one. Fill the pot part way with soil, add your seed potatoes, and cover them with potting mix. Water as needed until the potato plants peek up out of the soil. Cover them again and repeat this process gradually until the pot is full.
In roughly three months, youāll have potato plants that are ready to begin harvesting. Simply lift the inner pot up and pluck your potatoes as needed from the sides! Fresh potatoes, free!
Ideally, this method of potato cultivation can help feed a family of four for about a year. My family had used this method, and our family of five was able to stay fed for a year off of two of these planters (we like potatoesā¦ and we eat them a lotā¦)
How Can I Witch This?
Potatoes are very useful in witchcraft, and you can find out some of their magickal uses in my Foodie Friday article about Seafood Gnocchi. As for growing them, many of those properties remain the same!
As with any gardening venture, add crystals to the soil to promote healthy and fruitful plants, draw sigils and symbols on the pottery or planters, and incorporate protection or fertility ingredients into the soil – such as eggshell or coffee grounds.
Outside of the useful culinary benefits of having a potato planter on your front porch, a garden such as this is useful for outdoor space cleansing in small spaces, and for inviting prosperity into your home or property since potatoes represent such comforts as full bellies and pockets.
Since a small number of potatoes can be used to produce a much larger quantity in this planting method, you could even turn them into a prosperity or slow growth money spell! Pour your intent into the seed potatoes when you plant them, and as they produce new crops, give them water and food as an offering in order to keep the spell fed! Some of the potatoes produced in this way can also be converted into offerings or used in spellwork, in addition to being used to cook with!
The possibilities are practically endless where potatoes are concerned! See what you can do with these nifty little spuds!
To get a clear picture of storm craft, Iām going to break the storm down into parts – the calm, rain, lightning and thunder, wind, and the collection.
The Calm Before the storm, the skies darken, and an eerie, yet energizing silence fills the environment. This is the element of spirit. Energy begins to increase, and a pathway is opened for the other elements. Focus on your breathing. Be mindful of the environment around you. Rain Tiny drops begin to touch your skin; then, build up into larger, sharp, liquid spears. Water represents cleansing, the subconscious, and healing. Stand in the rain to remove unwanted negative energies. Find a natural ābowlā of rain water to scry with. Add rain water to a healing spell. Storm water, in particular, can be used to cause a āstorm of eventsā for someone or something that has harmed you. Lightning Fierce, and occasionally deadly, lighting can bring good fortune, or bring harm. It may be the sign youāve been waiting for if youāre growing a garden. Watch it flicker across the sky in a guided meditation for increased energy.
Wind Howling winds are packed with strength, and are capable of carrying many items in their surroundings. Write notes on leaves to carry away negative energy, or carry positive energy to someone in need.
The Collection When the storm has passed, there are still remains left to be discovered. After a heavy rain, there may be quite a bit of mud and fallen or misplaced items. Ā Ā ~ Mud can be used as a natural healing method for cooling swollen areas on the body, and for bee stings. It can also be used to build – sculptures and sigils would be a great start. Letās not forget our feathered friends! A mud-filled bird bath is a great offering for birds, who use mud to build their nests. Ā Ā Ā ~ Winds may leave fallen branches, and heavy rains may uncover items that were buried in the ground. Look carefully! You may be able to find some lovely stones, or even the perfect wand. Many of our parents told us not to stand in the rain or play in the mud, but Iām telling you itās a good thing. Take off your shoes and take a hike when the rains come by, and let the mud sooth your crafty soul. Begin the storm craft.
ASTROLOGY is divination using celestial bodies: the sun, moon, planets, and stars.
CARTOMANCY is fortune telling using cards such as the Tarot.
CLAIRAUDIENCE is āclear hearingā of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.
CLAIRVOYANCE is āclear seeingā of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.
CRYSTALLOMANCY is divination through crystal gazing.
DOWSING or DIVINING RODS are methods of divination where a forked stick is used to locate water or precious minerals.
NUMEROLOGY is the numerical interpretation of numbers, dates, and the number value of letters.
OCULOMANCY is divination from a personās eye.
PALMISTRYis the broad field of divination and interpretation of the lines and structure of the hand.
PRECOGNITION in an inner knowledge or sense of future events.
PSYCHOMETRY is the faculty of gaining impressions from a physical object and its history.
RADIESTHESIAis the general term for divination using a device such as a divining rod or pendulum. Other forms include ātable tippingā which was practiced at the White House in the 19th century, the Ouija board, automatic writing (or superconscious writing), and scrying.
SCIOMANCY is divination using a spirit guide, a method generally employed by chanelers.
SCRYING is a general term for divination using a crystal, mirrors, bowls of water, ink, or flames to induce visions.
TASSEOGRAPHYis the reading of tea leaves that remain in a tea cup once the beverage has been drunk.
Uncommon Types of Divination
AEROMANCY divination from the air and sky, particularly concentrating on cloud shapes, comets, and other phenomena not normally visible in the heavens.
ALECTRYOMANCY is divination whereby a bird is allowed to pick corn grains from a circle of letters. A variation is to recite letters of the alphabet noting those at which a cock crows.
ALEUROMANCY is divination using āfortune cookiesā; answers to questions are rolled into balls of dough and once baked are chosen at random.
ALOMANCYis divination by table salt.
ALPHITOMANCY uses special cakes that are digestible by persons with a clear conscience but are unpleasant to others.
ANTHROPOMANCY is the long-outlawed means of divination by human sacrifice.
APANTOMANCY is divination through chance meetings with animals (e.g., a black cat), birds, and other creatures. Mexico City is said to have been founded where Aztec soothsayers saw an eagle flying from a cactus carrying a live snake.
ARITHMANCY or ARITHMOMANCY is an earlier form of NUMEROLOGY where divination is made through numbers and the number value of letters.
ASTRAGLOMANCY or ASTRAGYROMANCY is a form of divination by dice where the faces of the dice bear numbers and letters.
AUGURY is the general term for the art of divination and is chiefly applied to interpretations of signs and omens.
AUSTROMANCY is divination by the study of the winds.
AXIOMANCY is divination through the observation of how an ax or hatchet quivers or points when driven into post.
BELOMANCY is an ancient form of divination performed by tossing or balancing arrows.
BIBLIOMANCY involves divination by books.
BOTANOMANCYis divination from burning tree branches and leaves.
BUMPOLOGY strictly a modern term, a popular nickname for PHRENOLOGY
CAPNOMANCY is the study of smoke rising from a fire.
CATOPTROMANCY is an early form of crystal gazing that utilizes a mirror turned to the moon to catch moonbeams.
CAUSIMOMANCY is divination from behavior of objects placed in a fire.
CEPHALOMANCY refers to divination with the skull or head of a donkey or goat.
CERAUNOSCOPY seeks to draw omens from the study of thunder and lightning.
CEROSCOPY, CEROMANCY is a form of fortune telling in which melted was is poured into cold water.
CHIROMANCY is divination from the lines on peopleās hands.
CHIROGNOMYis the study of the general hand formation.
CLEROMANCY is divination by ācasting lotsā, similar to dice but with objects such as pebbles or sea shells.
CLIDOMANCY or CLEIDOMANCY is divination using a dangling key. see RADIESTHESIA.
COSCINOMANCYis divination using a hanging sieve. see RADIESTHESIA.
CRITOMANCY is the study of barley cakes.
CROMNIOMANCY is divination using onion sprouts.
CYCLOMANCY is the practice of divination from a turning wheel.
DACTYLOMANCY is an early form of RADIESTHESIA using a dangling ring.
DAPHNOMANCYrequires one to listen to laurel branches crackling in an open fire.
DEMONOMANCY is divination with the aid of demons.
DENDROMANCYis divination with either oak or mistletoe.
GASTROMANCY is an ancient form of ventriloquism whereby the voice is lowered to a sepulchral tone and prophetic utterances are delivered in a trance state.
GELOSCOPY is the divination from the tone of someoneās laughter.
GENETHLIALOGY is divination by the influence of the stars at birth.
GEOMANCY is the study of figures on the ground and the influence of the Earthās ācurrentsā.
GRAPHOLOGY is the analysis of character through handwriting.
GYROMANCY is a divination procedure where a person walks in a circle marked with letters until they become dizzy and stumble at different points, thus spelling out a prophesy.
HALOLMANCY see ALOMANCY
HARUSPICATIONĀ isĀ fortune-telling by means of inspecting the entrails of animals, as practiced by priests in ancient Rome.
HIEROMANCY or HIERSCOPYis divination by observing object of ancient sacrifice.
HIPPOMANCYis a form of divination from the stamping and neighing of horses.
HOROSCOPYis the practice of casting of astrological horoscopes.
HYDROMANCYis divination by water including the color, ebb and flow, or ripples produced by pebbles dropped in a pool.
ICHTHYOMANCYis divination using fish.
LAMPADOMANCYis divination using lights or torches.
LECANOMANCYuses a basin of water for divination.
LIBANOMANCYis the study of incense and its smoke.
LITHOMANCYis divination using precious stones of various colors.
MARGARITOMANCYis the procedure of using bouncing pearls.
METAGNOMYis the divination using āvisionsā received in a trance state.
METEOROMANCY is divination from meteors.
METOPOSCOPYis the reading of character using the lines if the forehead.
MOLEOSOPHYis the study of moles and indicators of a personās character and future indications.
MOLYBDOMANCY draws mystic inferences from the hissing of molten lead.
MYOMANCYis the study of the prophetic meaning of behavior of rats and mice.
OINOMANCY is divination using wine.
OMPHALOMANCYĀ is counting the number of knots in the umbilical cord to predict how many more children the mother will have.
ONEIROMANCY is the interpretation of dreams and their prophetic nature.
ONOMANCYis the study of the meaning of names.
ONOMANTICS is the application of ONOMANCY applied to personal names, particularly in the sense of occult interpretation.
ONYCHOMANCY is the study of fingernails.
OOMANTIA and OOSCOPYis the method of divination by eggs.
OPHIOMANCYis divination from serpents.
ORNISCOPY and ORINITHOMANCYis the study of omens associated with birds, particularly birds in flight. seeAPANTOMANCY
OVOMANCYis another type of egg divination.
PEGOMANCYconcerns itself with spring water and bubbling fountains and the omens contained therein.
PHRENOLOGYis the long practiced study of head formations.
PHYLLORHODOMANCYis a means of divination whereby one slaps a rose petal against the hand and judges the favorability of the omen by the loudness of the sound.
PHYSIOGNOMYis the study of character analysis through physical features.
PSYCHOGRAPHYis a form of mysterious writing having a divinatory nature.
PYROMANCY and PYROSCOPYare forms of divination by fire or flame, often assisted by substances thrown onto the flames.
RHABDOMANCYis divination using a stick or wand. These methods were forerunners of the divining rod.
RHAPSODOMANCYis a means of divination using a book of poetry whereby the book is opened at random and a passage read.
SIDEROMANCYis the burning of straws with a hot iron, the resulting figures having divinatory properties.
SORTILEGEis the casting of lots and the assessment of omens indicated.
SPODOMANCYis divination using cinders or soot.
STICHOMANCYis another form of throwing open a book and selecting a random passage for the purpose of divination.
STOLISOMANCYdraws omens from the way people dress.
SYCOMANCYis performed by writing messages on tree leaves; the slower they dry, the more favorable the omen. A modern variation is to write on slips of paper (always including one blank) and rolling them up. They are then held in a strainer over a boiling pot; the first to unroll will be answered.
TEPHRAMANCYis divination by ashes obtained from the burning of tree bark.
TIROMANCYis a type of divination using cheese.
XYLOMANCYis divination from pieces of wood, either from their shape when collected or their appearance while burning.
This is a book review for Guided Imagery for Self-Healing (Second Edition), by Martin L. Rossman, M.D.Ā
Iām gonna start with the pros/cons and final judgement first:
Pros:
A healing book written by an actual licensed medical doctor
Written mainly from a mundane, scientific perspective rather than an āuwu love and light perspectiveā so it seems/feels much more credible/believable. Does have an entire chapter dedicated to the relations between healing and spirituality/religion for those more inclined towards that side.
One of the first things he tells you in his preface is that guided imagery isnāt a substitute for actual licensed medical care. Tells you not to jump to conclusions and use self-healing right away while ignoring conventional medicine; āpeople HAVE died from curable illnesses because they would not consider conventional medical treatmentā(Preface, page xix). Also, continually repeats/reminds you of this throughout the book)
SOURCES. Lots of sources; each reference to a scientific study is properly cited; however how accurate/reliable the sources are remains to be said. Also, a section solely for each and every resource he mentioned ever
Recognizes that science and medicine are both not perfect in their studies (nearly all studies are not the ideal double-blind) WITHOUT rejecting hard evidence and still very much being in support of hard evidence Ā
Very open about different ways, methods, and personal interpretations; is never like āthis is the ONLY wayā
Contains a script for each new exercise he talks about.
Very organized, stays on topic. Itās easy to jump around/skip sections (especially the unnecessary examples) without getting lost.
A chapter of the book dedicated to guided imagery for some specific issues
Cons:Ā
Somewhat outdated; second edition, the most recent edition, is still from 2000
Talks about the Left brain/right brain theory, which has been debunked wholly today. Although, he uses it mainly for metaphor purposes and not as empirical truth. Ā
10,000 unnecessary examples later
Judgement: Awesome book for learning relaxation (relaxation is a learned skill as stated in the book). Also a very good book for anyone seeking to learn or improve guided imagery/visualization skills. Highly applicable both magically and mundanely.
More Detail:
This book is all about using guided imagery (aka āvisualizationā) for healing and relaxation purposes. Dr. Rossmann easily clears up misconceptions regarding healing, relaxation, and guided imagery at the very beginning of the book. Relaxation is something you can LEARN to do and is not entirely an ingrained āyou can do it or notā thing in your personality. He talks about the importance and benefits of regular dedicated relaxation. As for healing, he supports the mental effects of thoughts on healing while not rejecting modern science, and in fact has found many legitimate studies to support what he has found. And of course, he has the credibility of being an actual licensed medical doctor.
Dr. Rossmann is very, very clear that while guided imagery/healing thoughts can supplement the healing process, it is obviously not a replacement for licensed medical care. Heās very clear that people have legitimately died from rejecting actual mundane medical treatment. Tells you not to ignore conventional medicine and continually reminds you of this throughout the book.
When talking about methodology, the book is very open to multiple ways of doing things and does not have any ultimatum āthis is the only wayā type stuff. Itās all right to have different ways of relaxation, Ā different forms of imagery, Individual Advisors, etc.
While the book is primarily written from a scientific and mundane perspective, it does not outright reject spiritually, and in fact has an entire chapter dedicated to how guided imagery and spirituality/religion may be integrated (Chapter 14).
The only major cons I would say are that it is a bit outdated as the second edition was published in 2000. Also talks about the left/right/whole brain theory, which has been debunked wholly today. However, he uses this mainly for metaphorical purposes rather than as a basis for what he is saying, so itās not as bad as long as you keep that in mind. Finally, there are just 10,000 unnecessary examples in some chapters. You can easily read just three of them, skip the rest to get to the informational content again, and still understand what he is talking about with ease.
Overall a very good book, I recommend it to anyone who needs to learn to chill or cares for their overall health in general.
teakepp 