Magick Made Easy: Charms, Spells, Potions and Power

I love this book. Patricia Telesco is a fantastic author. The Basic magickal components (Herbs, stones, etc), and their traditional/suggested uses in Folk Magick was well organized(alphabetically, by category) and well explained! This book is unintimidating and easy to refrence. She also gives the reader a good neutral foundation on which they can build their own opinions and practices. The very best aspect of this book was the fact that she presented a concept that is very much tied to various Earth Religions, but didn't give the book a religious slant at all. (Being a Christian Witch,) I appreciated the fact that there wasn't a pre-set religious affiliation to the information! This allows one to learn just "Magick"...leaving the religious application up to the reader!! The book is and easy read for the beginner, and a valuable refrence.

I've been wanting more reference material for my library and this one won't see much shelf time! The alphabetical component listings that make up the majority of the book were a really neat twist on the books that provide cut-n'-dry spells by topic. Here, rather than getting spell recipes, you're given all the information on magickal ingredients so you can create your own personal "recipe" for successful spiritual living.

Magick Made easy was obviously designed to be a recipe book focused on components rather than spells themselves - the idea being to encourage us to find our own combinations of magical ingredients to make that special spark happen in everyday life and Circle. Folk magick, as explained by Telesco, IS simple - but NOT fluffy. The difference is attitude. This book isn't for ritual magicians, it's for kitchen witches and everyday folk who want to bring an extra spritual dimension to things. I also loved the cover - very clever.

I am a big fan of Patricia Telesco's works, as she offers practical usage for modern, everyday items in a magickal context. Although this book seems like a sequel to Spinning Spells, Weaving Wonders, it is different enough to warrant a purchase. The first part of the book, "Off to 'Oz'", answers common questions about magick, such as "does folk magick have a religious element", and Telesco offers her own rules of magick, much as Cunningham did. Getting started in folk magick is discussed, as is folk magick fundamentals. The second part of the book, the Components, is divided into Traditional and Modern components, and covers such items as coral, hawthorn, lead, snakes, batteries, blenders, and more. These entries are in alphabetical order and include themes, elemental correspondences, and sample applications. If you are looking for practical ways to use ordinary household items in your magickal practices, this book is well worth the price.