The Wisdom of Water

Don’t bother asking if you can borrow this book from me. I’m selfishly keeping it nearby so that I can savour the knowledge that has come from the author’s years of research and contemplation on the subject of our most precious resource - water.

Since 1990, Australian author (John Archer) has been obsessed with water in all its forms and manifestations. He obviously has a deep respect for this life-giving element that so many people take for granted. In this book he explores the environmental implications, health aspects, and spiritual dimensions of water. John’s journey has led him on pilgrimages to holy wells, to remote temples where water is worshipped as a living deity, to hot volcanic springs and icy waterfalls. In The Wisdom of Water (his 21st book) he has detailed the stories and myths connected to this precious element.

It’s a collection of legends, scientific data, poems, Zen parables, rituals and personal observations, in which he has, “listened to the rhythms of the waves on the shore, to the sound patterns of lakes, small streams and majestic rivers. Watching the fluid reflections of the sun, moon and stars in the eternal moving mirror of the waters I have merged my consciousness with that of the infinite.”

Although this is an extremely well-researched, scholarly work, it doesn’t try to be too academic; it’s quite readable and easily digested. John Archer has (literally) immersed himself in this subject with great passion. And the author suggests that this is not a book to be hurried through, he asks that the reader takes time to think about the messages contained herein, so that you can “look up at the clouds with new eyes and hear the voice of waterfalls and ocean waves...”

This book is simply brilliant. It covers every facet of water that you can imagine: dew, rain, hail, rainbows, ice, snow, rivers, lakes, springs, waterfalls, and the ocean too. Within each of these areas you will find references to nymphs, gods and goddesses, trivia, and folklore.

This has been one of the most poignant, informative and insightful books that I have ever read. If you want a deeper understanding of this element, you simply must buy this book. But don’t lend it to anyone, because you won’t get it back!


Published by: Allen & Unwin
Author: John Archer
ISBN: 978-1-74175-239-7

Craft of the Wild Witch – Green Spirituality and Natural Enchantment

Poppy Palin is a talented writer whose words take you on an evocative, lyrical journey into the ways of the wild witch. Every paragraph is rich with expression. ‘Craft of the Wild Witch’ is a book about the basics of Natural Witchcraft, but Poppy’s way of weaving eloquence amongst her lessons is an enchantment in itself. This makes it a learning experience that is a joy to read as well!

What is wild witchcraft? According to Poppy Palin it is, ‘witchcraft for those of us who yearn to express our own inherent spirituality in a joyous, meaningful manner, not within temples or churches, but out in the landscape and within the deepest fathomless places in our own souls... places that echo the furthest reaches of the starry-veiled cosmos.’ And... ‘The essential message of wild witchcraft is found under cinnamon leaves, where the bright scales of hidden creatures shine, found in the fronds of glistening weeds swaying in brackish depths, in the swell and surge of massing thunderheads, and in the dazzling sparkles of sunlight dancing on a summer sea, there is beauty, magic, and meaning in the world if we only try to find it.’ To put it simply, if you want to be a wild witch, then be prepared to live that lifestyle every hour of every day - it’s not something that you do (or become) on full moons and Sabbats only!

It is a book that focuses on the positive side of being a Solitary Practitioner. Being a wild witch is a path for individuals who feel the ebb and flow of the seasons, and who connect with the unseen realms around them and within them. This is a well rounded book that delves into the realms of the fey spirits, and is balanced by chapters that reinforce the notion of being responsible and practical in your magickal workings.

Rather than directing us to only look at the world around us, many parts of this book steer us toward an understanding of our own nature first and foremost. And as she says in her preface, ‘The understanding of our true soul nature will come as unexpectedly as the warmth to be found in midwinter sunlight, as tenacious as the twisted tree that blooms and grows despite its exposed position, as moving and awe-inspiring as the sound of a single swan’s wing-beats that are heard as it makes its way home alone across the moors.’ Many pages are devoted to gaining an understanding of our own soul nature, and our inner qualities, though self analysis.

Trance journeys to otherworldly places are also undertaken in this book. The purpose of these meditations is to converse with spirit companions, and to find inspiration and information relating to the craft of the wild witch. Familiars, rogue spirits, thoughtforms (intentional and unintentional), and animal spirit helpers are other forms of entities that may be met during trance journeys, and the nature of all of these beings are fully explained. Personal safety through effective preparation, and the use of psychic protection during these trance sessions, are other areas that are comprehensively covered over a number of chapters.

This is a large book in many ways, it is over 300 pages in length, and it covers many aspects of the earthy, practical paganism that most books on Wicca tend to ignore. We are shown the value of deep meditations, which can be used to connect to the knowledge stored within various realms (spirit and plant alike), and we are encouraged to seek the fullness that seemingly mundane situations can offer. As Poppy says, ‘each apparently average moment has magical potential within it.’

I liked the fact that many pages were devoted to the essence of witchcraft, where the author impressed upon the reader the value and necessity of core factors such as observation (of the natural world, omens, and the effect that the different seasons have upon us); visualisation techniques; commitment; etc. These fundamental principles are the basis of effective magical workings, but they are also the most likely things to be glossed over in other books of this sort.

The chapters in this book are full of wild wisdom for beginners on the path, and for experienced pagans who want to look at their spirituality from a different point of view. Poppy’s reverence for nature and the cycles of the natural world are obvious. Her world seems to be one of complete trust in the natural order of things, viewed with a keen eye for detail and the beauty therein. And fortunately for us, she is able to communicate the essence of this optimism to us in a poetic and inspirational way. I loved this book, and if seeing the world from a fresh, new perspective appeals to you, and if you like the idea of literary lushness seeping deep into your soul as you read, then you will love this magical book too.

Author: Poppy Palin
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications 2004