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16 reviews for:
The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magical Arts
Judika Illes
4.05 AVERAGE
16 reviews for:
The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magical Arts
Judika Illes
4.05 AVERAGE
This is a fascinating book with collections of spells from history spanning the entire globe. By looking at each spell, it's components and what is is seeking to cure/fix/banish it provides a fascinating insight into those cultures and time periods. The introduction is well-laid out and you really get a sense of how magic has evolved over time for various peoples and religions/practices.
slow-paced
As someone that grew up in a household of witches- much of the information is either misinformed or included with malicious intent. I am not sure which is worse when this book is so accessible to people interested in witchcraft. The only reason I'm granting above 1 star is because some of the basic information is useful but much of the book is misguided in how someone reading is advised to engage with witchcraft.
In the wise words of my mother who looked through this book after me, and has been practicing witchcraft for 25 years: it's a whole lotta F around and find out
In the wise words of my mother who looked through this book after me, and has been practicing witchcraft for 25 years: it's a whole lotta F around and find out
Iles is very clearly widely read and it shows. This book is comprehensive, as the title suggests. It's also not necessarily practical (yet still very worth reading/having). It's full of historical spells and workings, alongside more modern usable ones. I really like Iles' style of writing, which is easy to understand but doesn't feel dumbed down at all.
This book is--enormous. I did not read it cover to cover. There is a 102-page intro section that contains all kinds of good, basic information about the construction of rituals and the details and tools of spellcrafting, which was interesting for me as a beginner. The spells themselves are taken from many, many magickal traditions throughout history, giving them a wide variety. Illes modernizes the wording and ingredients for many more traditional spells, which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on the reader.
As someone who is less interested in performing these spells and more interested in their details and historical context, this book left something to be desired. While there is a hefty bibliography in which all the source texts are named, individual spells are not linked back in any way to the original sources, making it at times unclear whether you are looking at something from Middle Kingdom Egypt, 10th-century Britain, or 1920’s New Orleans. Sometimes you can tell from ingredients or deities invoked, but not often.
I ended up trying out one recipe for a magickal floorwash while I had this book in my possession; it smelled nice at the very least (peppermint and angelica root)! I copied out a few others for later ideas as well, but most of this is too entailed for my taste.
As someone who is less interested in performing these spells and more interested in their details and historical context, this book left something to be desired. While there is a hefty bibliography in which all the source texts are named, individual spells are not linked back in any way to the original sources, making it at times unclear whether you are looking at something from Middle Kingdom Egypt, 10th-century Britain, or 1920’s New Orleans. Sometimes you can tell from ingredients or deities invoked, but not often.
I ended up trying out one recipe for a magickal floorwash while I had this book in my possession; it smelled nice at the very least (peppermint and angelica root)! I copied out a few others for later ideas as well, but most of this is too entailed for my taste.
informative
medium-paced
I've just finished my solid browse through this tome. That is, I read the informative sections at the front & browsed the spell chapters, rather than read the whole damn thing. It was a fantastic read & will make a valuable addition to the shelf. If it doesn't collapse it, that is.
5000 Spells covers a wide range topics, cultures & divinities with Judika Illes doing a good job of presenting multiple view points on the usual controversial topics (hexes, love spells, etc).
I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of certain spells for historical context/inspiration & that the author didn't shy away from poisonous or unpleasant materials (due warnings are included, of course).
I gave 5000 Spells 4 stars instead of 5 only because I felt there was an emphasis on African cultures. This *was* refreshing & very interesting (I have a huge gap in that area myself), but it felt unbalanced.
5000 Spells covers a wide range topics, cultures & divinities with Judika Illes doing a good job of presenting multiple view points on the usual controversial topics (hexes, love spells, etc).
I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of certain spells for historical context/inspiration & that the author didn't shy away from poisonous or unpleasant materials (due warnings are included, of course).
I gave 5000 Spells 4 stars instead of 5 only because I felt there was an emphasis on African cultures. This *was* refreshing & very interesting (I have a huge gap in that area myself), but it felt unbalanced.