Witchcraft

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Stephanie Woodfield - Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess (www.goodreads.com)

submitted 1 week ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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This is a great witchy read that I picked up recently.

Woodfield's book covers the complex history of the celtic goddess The Morrigan. Given that what we actually know about the celts is limited, this history is cited from numerous fragmented sources.

In addition to covering a great deal of celtic lore, Woodfield's book also includes rituals for each aspect of The Morrigan, as well as some spells. If you work with The Morrigan, this is a great resource.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

What's her qualifications/background?

There's so much bullshit talked about the Mór-ríoġna that my first instinct is to be sceptical. How do we know this isn't another Robert Graves?

PS: your link says "Stephanie Woodfield (Brookfield, CT) has been a practicing Witch for over fourteen years and a Priestess for ten years. Her lifelong love of Irish mythology led to a close study of Celtic Witchcraft. A natural clairvoyant and empath, she has worked as a tarot card reader and is ordained as a minister with the Universal Life Church."

I'm not NECESSARILY against yanks studying our paganism (e.g. Erynn Rowan Laurie writes very competently and respectfully on it), but this woman doesn't seem to have any history/linguistic/anthro qualifications either (she'd've said it in her author bio if she did)

Anyway I found it on Annas-Archive, I'll have a look and give you my thoughts after the workday if I get time. Bad first impressions.

PPS: Flicked to the 'pronunciation guide' at the back and there's a few mistakes but it's not as bad as I feared. Cailleach (ky-lee-ACK) – why is the C velarised if it's broad?? Fir Bolg (FEER-bolg) – at least transliterate it FEER-bulg.... Morrigan (MORE-ee-gan) – at least she got the first vowel correct (yanks on youtube don't) but she hasn't softened the G.... Ogham (OH-gum or OH-um) – it's clear she doesn't speak the language

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is a good, detailed take. She's not a scholar, just a witch doing her best. And this is more of an account of one person's personal practice than a detailed, academic historical text. Still, I think she does a better job than most of what's out there. As always (for anyone else out there following this thread) read with a grain of salt. Or a barrel of salt.

If you have good book recommendations, I think I speak for everyone lurking when I say please post them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Here are some primary sources about her:

https://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/regamna.html

http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/1maghtured.html

http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/2maghtured.html

Book: https://www.morrigan.academy/book