Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings! Today’s post is a book review of Morgan le Fay’s Legacy: Nurturing the Ancient Wisdom Within by Nicole Muir. I just found out about this book about two weeks ago, and I ordered it not long after. It is a new release, having been published in September. That is why I think I may be the first one to review the book publicly, as I had not found reviews on Goodreads or Thriftbooks (where I purchased it)!
I want to begin by stating that this is a very quick and easy read, being only 126 pages, and having large print, which is great for those seeking to get their knowledge quickly. I read the whole thing in under an hour, mostly because it worked as an overview of much of my knowledge, or a reminder. Now, the book is marketed as being beneficial for both seasoned practitioners and those just beginning on their path. I have to say, as a Priestess of Morgan le Fay and an Enchantress and Sorceress walking the Path of Avalon, I did not find this to be very beneficial to me. As I already stated, the author did not add anything to my knowledge (simply stating information I have known for a long time). However, I did think the meditations offered were not bad and could be useful to even seasoned practitioners.
I appreciate the intent behind the book, and the author shows a great amount of reverence for Morgan, but I think it could have been better executed. Firstly, in chapter one, the author referred to Morgan as not always being referred to in a magical light in the legends. “Morgan was portrayed more as a regal figure, endowed with vast knowledge and insight, rather than magical abilities.” That is a direct quote, and I take issue with this because I have read every variation of the Arthurian Legends, and every appearance of Morgan le Fay several times over, and even when she is portrayed as regal and human, she always has magick. Whether it is being a healer or a Seer giving prophecy, she is forever magickal! Now, I can get past that, as not everyone who is a Devotee of Morgana will have been as well read and may have been using modern fiction novels as a base there. However, she went on to state that early depictions of Morgana show her as less magickal, which is not correct because her earliest literary reference in Vita Merlini shows her as a Goddess, great healer, and shapeshifter leading the Ninefold Sisterhood of Avalon!
By the end of the book, I realized that much of what the author stated as lessons from Morgan le Fay were based on her own experience. I have no issue with people using their own experiences to teach what they have learned through Divine Connection to Goddess in their books, but I do have an issue with the fact that the author never stated that this was based on her personal experience! I was uncomfortable with that fact, and unhappy to see that she did not include any sort of bibliography or further reading to cite her sources. While I enjoyed the effort that was put into the book, and the author’s respect for my Matron Goddess, I was not impressed at the scholarship not being properly sourced.
At the end of the day, I do not think this was a bad book, even though I have given many critiques here. I actually think that the meditations and very basic information provided would be of benefit to new magickal practitioners looking to better understand Morgan le Fay! I would call this a good jumping-off point, where I would hope they would go on to read the original source legends to supplement their knowledge. I actually would recommend this to someone who is interested in basic magick from a Morgan le Fay standpoint, and let them whet their appetite with this, and if they were still interested in deepening into Morgan’s magick, I would recommend further study! Finally, while this is far from perfect, and could have used an editor pushing for a bibliography and some specific citations of when personal experience was being used, I think the book is still worth reading for those wanting a baseline and simplistic overview of Morgan le Fay in magickal traditions. I hope you have enjoyed reading my thoughts on Morgan le Fay’s Legacy. Are you interested in reading this book? 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.in/Morgan-Fays-Legacy-Nurturing-Ancient-ebook/dp/B0CHHT8D4G.
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
- Morgan le Fay’s Legacy: Nurturing the Ancient Wisdom Within by Nicole Muir