Book Review: The Shamanic Witch by Gail Wood

So I finally finished reading The Shamanic Witch and I have to say I loved every minute of it. Sometimes I grow bored with books on the Craft or Wicca because they seem to become repetitive but this one was a nice change. There was more information on Shamanism than there was on Wicca. I believe the author expects people who read this book to be fairly versed in Wicca and the Craft already.

If you're interested in incorporating Shamanistic practices with your Wiccan practices I suggest reading this book. I thought it was very insightful about the world of Shamanism and how it can be related back to your Craft. It was full of useful meditative/trance exercises and guided you on how to enter the Lower, Middle, and Upper Worlds. It was also very clear and concise about methods and the process of entering a trance state with intentions directed towards your goal.

Not only did it have exercises to help people become in tune with their spirit animals and guides, it also gave background information on the world of Shamanism, their ethics, and what it means to be a Shaman. I thoroughly enjoy reading about history and especially that of different traditions. However, I don't like when history is long winded or takes up most of the reading. In this case, the book was great in keeping the history to an appropriate level without it being too long or straying away from the ultimate message of the book.

Some exercises that I thought were random or maybe a little out of place were the exercises on body empowerment. The book didn't really speak much about this but rather jumped into it. I agree that everyone should be empowered spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically, but these exercises seemed better suited for a different book or at least have a section dedicated to this.

Many parts of this book spoke about the drum and rattle that Shamans used on their journeys which I thought was very interesting. I would love to take a class on Shamanic drumming one day. Many of the exercises included drumming or the alternative with a drumming CD. If you're like me it takes a while to find a CD that's right for you. It's more of a hit or miss with a CD that is appropriate for journeying. I would've appreciated maybe a referenced CD that provided long drumming sequences appropriate for journeying. If any of you know where I could find one leave a comment below!

If you are considering reading this book, try the exercises that are in it. The purpose of this book is to help in training someone who is willing to try shamanic journeying and wants to experience this. That's why there are so many exercises in this book. Good luck on your journeying!