Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings! For today’s post, I have decided to do a book review of the book Of Blood and Bones: Working with Shadow Magick & the Dark Moon by Kate Freuler. This is a book that I had on my wishlist for some time but I had not gotten a chance to purchase it when I happened upon a copy at my favorite local store! I purchased it and began to slowly read through the book, which is something that I do not often do, as I tend to get truly absorbed and finish books very quickly. However, with magickal texts that are weighty in nature, I find slowly reading through them over some weeks, while also reading other books, is often a preferable way to imbibe the material.
Now, this book is exactly what the title suggests, it is part Dark Moon-related Shadow Magicks but also part Baneful Craft. I truly appreciate any author willing to talk about Baneful Magick, as it is far too often pushed away with a simple “This is something not to do” mentality. I also deeply appreciate that the author speaks about hexing and cursing, even giving example spell workings, but entreats the reader to first do Shadow Work and dig into their unconscious to see if a curse or hex is really what they want to do! It is such a smart and well-reasoned approach that neither glorifies nor condemns your decision to use or not use Baneful Magick in a given situation. I fully believe that anything baneful should be something that is a last resort if practiced at all and certainly not something I ever desire to do, but it is important to have options if the situation demands it. I am very happy to find sources that discuss this with true nuance instead of outright condemnation and I applaud the author for her dealing with this topic!
The Dark Moon parts of the book are very rewarding, as Dark Moon energy is something I feel a very close kinship with. I also adored that the end of the book is about Rebirth, showing that even the most Shadowy times lead to growth and new understandings! It felt like a balanced way to conclude a tome full of heavy subject matter, especially in the middle where it dealt with Baneful Magick, Sacrifice, and Death Work. This book is one that beautifully illustrates the complex nature of Magick and Spirituality, which I believe should not be watered down to only include Love and Light, although Love and Light does have its place!
I hope that you have enjoyed reading my thoughts on Of Blood and Bones by Kate Freuler. Have you read this book? Do you plan on reading it now? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is the book cover. I found the image on https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Bones-Working-Shadow-Magick/dp/0738763632.
Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/
Further Reading
- Of Blood and Bones: Working with Shadow Magick & the Dark Moon by Kate Freuler