Because just Googling stuff really ain't enough sometimes, y'know?
Now, listen. It’s a tricky topic in this digital era, but we gotta discuss it: research. We gotta discuss what it is, and what it means to do it, because frankly, there are a few places where that whole concept gets a little lost, and they tend to be places like:
Religion
Politics
Medicine
Lately, I’ve been getting some comments about what sources are good for Christian Witches, and how one even knows where to start in trying to figure out what’s going on in the spiritual world. This seemed like as good a time as ever to broach the subject, but rather than make some quick rambling TikToks, as I like to do, I thought this deserved some more consideration and attention—so here we are with a blog!
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And now, especially if you’re new, you might’ve heard the term “Christian Witch” and said, “What? Those don’t exist. You can’t be a Christian and a Witch! It’s impossible!”
To which I say: hit backspace on whatever it is you’re typing in my comments. I’ve heard every single argument under the sun about why Christians can’t be witches, and not a single one has, so far, convinced me otherwise of my position. If anything, listening to Christians tell me why I should keep my Christian faith all vanilla has only validated everything I believe even more. Sorry, friends. (I’ll keep looking into your arguments, though, to see if maybe one day, one of you will get me. I wouldn’t bet on it, but hey–anything is possible, right?)
Anyway, back to what we’re talking about, follow me here, because we gotta organize this. To make sense of our topic, we’re gonna get into three things:
What it means to research
How to evaluate a source and create a research question
My beginning recommendations for a budding Christian Witch
There won’t be a billion of them, but there will be some that I think are foundational, and that I will be organizing into categories of theology and philosophy, contextual history, and books actually dealing with magic.
Let’s get into it.
What Does it Mean to Research?
So, here’s the thing. This is where we may get a little testy, because on this internet? In this day and age?
Mmm.
People’s research skills leave a lot to be desired. As someone who teaches research writing and how to research, what I want to give y’all is a bit of a refresher, because just going onto Google and browsing link after link for things that say what you want them to say is, you guessed it, not research. That’s just Googling. And it’s a great start to find what you’re looking for, but it’s not going to take you very far if you’re really serious about a topic.
To research means you are looking for reputable, established data from professionals in their field, and you are combining these facts and ideas together to create a more complete picture of whatever it is you want to know about. If we want to get more technical, Hampshire College puts it like this:
Research is a process of systematic inquiry that entails collection of data; documentation of critical information; and analysis and interpretation of that data/information, in accordance with suitable methodologies set by specific professional fields and academic disciplines.
Really, this is… just a more intense way of saying what I said. Basically, again, we are:
Coming up with a research question, or in scientific disciplines, a hypothesis
Collecting information related to our research question and keeping record of it
Digesting and understanding all of that information to make a new point or idea that our research actually supports.
And I wanna make clear about the second step there: this “collecting of and recording information” covers a lot of things. It means conducting experiments and noting the results; it means analyzing a dig site where you’ve found new pieces of pottery or other ancient cultural artifacts; it means gathering several different historical documents from a certain time period and connecting the dots to catch a snapshot of a dominant cultural mindset at the time. That’s what Hampshire means by “different professional fields and academic disciplines”: not all research is mixing weird stuff in test tube beakers and hoping it doesn’t blow up, y’know?
Moreover, let’s get even more specific with “research” here, because all the stuff we’re looking at today is obviously stuff that other people wrote about first. Does it count if all we’re doing is reading books other people wrote rather than packing a bag and heading out to ancient temples ourselves? Are we really researching if we’re not trying to learn ancient Greek and replicate spells from the Greek magical papyrae on our own? We’re really just reading the works of other people and calling it done, if you think about it–and I’m here to tell you that yes, that counts. That of course that counts.
That’s large in part where research begins, and where a bulk of it continues to live. The fact is that not all of us have the resources to go do archaeological digs ourselves, right? Not all of us can go mixing chemicals and seeing what happens, or go propagating tons of plants to crossbreed them and see what we get. So while research for the hyper sciency folks means actually doing that primary work–doing the studies and providing the data for other people to repeat and verify through peer review–for the average folks, researching means reading the papers of those sciency folks who have the resources and funding to go do all of this. It means reading the books and papers and essays of lifelong professionals dedicating their whole being to going directly to the source, getting right in the weeds, and finding information that most of us don’t have access to–and that’s okay. That counts. That is absolutely research.
But now, there’s a point here where people might say, “Yeah, so? Why don’t all the WebMD and Blogspot articles count as doing this? They’re full of information. If all I’m supposed to be doing is gathering information, then that should be fine!”
Except this leads us to our next point, which is how to actually research effectively in the first place. Because just McGoogling something and clicking the first link you see is not it.
How to Do Research: The Research Question & Source Evaluation
So first things first, let me reintroduce you to this beautiful graphic right here. This is called the CRAAP test, and it’s something I really encourage you to internalize deep in your bones.
Seriously. Hold onto this and cherish it like your child, because it is a fantastic way to evaluate your sources–something that a lot of people in any category, never mind witchcraft and occultism, need to do to ensure that what they're reading is actually worth the time they're spending schlogging through it.
But in essence, when we talk about what a good source is, we want to consider these five things as listed in the CRAAP test:
Currency
Relevance
Accuracy
Authority
Purpose
Obviously, you want to be using sources that are up to date, related to your research question, that are cross referenced and verified by other sources or at least show what sources they used so you can cross reference and verify them, that are written by people who know what the hell they’re talking about, and that aren’t trying to coerce you into any one way of thinking, but are just interested in presenting the facts. It sounds like a lot, but all of those things are necessary to consider, because you might find a source that says everything you were hoping it would say–only to realize it was written by someone with no qualifications, education, experience, or anything in the field you’re researching in. Worse, you may find that there are thirty other papers debunking the hell out of it. That means that source is dookie.
And a source saying what you want it to say is really important to pick at here, because a lot of times, when people do research, they start with what they believe, and then they work backwards, scouring the internet for sources that verify what they already believe and, more importantly, want to believe. This is called confirmation bias, and it is like a disease to good research everywhere. What you want to start with is what you’ve heard me mention a couple times now: your research question.
A research question works kind of like Jeopardy. Usually, my students will create that question, and the answer to it will be their thesis for their project, right? For example, they might start with the question: how does exercise effect one’s mental health? And then, after doing the research and compiling their notes from various sources, they will say: exercise effects mental health by [insert whatever they found here]. They don’t start with what they think about how exercise affects mental health and work backwards, only picking sources that agree with what they say. They look at all of it and see if there are any patterns, recurring facts, anything like that, and then establish one sum of all that work into their own words for their own project.
Another good example of this is Discovering Christian Witchcraft. Hey-o, shameless plug! But seriously, I even show this to my students when showing them what it looks like to integrate research and sources, because I’ll tell you a secret: in this book, where my co-writer Mimi and I discuss foundational, entry-level knowledge for Christian Witches, not a single source actually says anything about Christian witchcraft or how to do it.
However, our sources do talk about a bunch of other things: the history of magic in early Christianity and Europe, the way the idea of the Witch was perceived in a Christianizing Europe, how the word Witch changed from its original definition, and how things that people think are so anti-Christian–everything from cursing to working with demons–can actually still be found, and in fact sometimes even pioneered, by Christian philosophers, theologians, and actual clergymen based on their writings and personal affects. All of these things, while not outright saying “yes, you can be a Christian Witch,” are pieces of the puzzle that support our thesis in this book.
Think of it this way: just like carrot, celery, onion, chicken, and water are all their own separate items, it’s when you combine them in just the right amounts for just the right amount of time with just the right heat that transforms them all into chicken soup. Your research is helping you find those separate ingredients; when you combine them all and balance them with each other, you create your soup–your conclusion, or your thesis.
It’s by taking all of this information into one spot, analyzing it, cross referencing it, and looking at it from a bird’s eye view that Mimi and I can say with confidence: yes, Christian Witchcraft exists and is possible, because of all these things we’ve discovered. That’s what research is: figuring out your question, finding materials based on your question, reading them with attention to how they answer question (the R and P in our CRAAP test, remember), and compiling it all until you have enough to comfortable turn that question into a thesis, or position, or argument.
When you do it this way, and you’re not putting cart before horse by starting with your thesis, you actually open the door for true discovery, because you learn things you otherwise might not have wanted to learn in an attempt to prove your premature thesis true. For example, through my research, I discovered that actually, the institution of witchcraft wasn’t just for the sake of the powerful oppressing the weak. It was also for the weak themselves, the common folk who could barely get by as it was and who desperately wanted some person or thing they could blame when hail came and ruined their already precious crop or when disease stole their only cow from them. Witchcraft existed as an avenue for people to point fingers and find an enemy they could release their frustrations on, rather than having to wallow in helplessness in the face of fate–and ironically, there some Christian clergymen that wrote off the very belief in witchcraft as a pagan superstition to be cast aside. Isn’t that wild?
So when you research, consider your sources. It’s not that only books are worth reading–and in fact, there are many, many books that are not worth reading. I hate to say it, because I hate when people say it, but it is unfortunately true: not everything that’s written in a book is true, factual, or useful. Anyone can get on Amazon KDP and post whatever the hell they want and make money from it, so you gotta be discerning with books–including with mine!
Places to Look for Good Sources When Doing Your Research
Other good sources include journal articles, which if you are in university or have a library card, you can easily find through user friendly databases like JSTOR. This database is my best friend, I swear. I can type anything in here and find all kinds of sources so easily. But other good ways to bump up your research game are to use Google Scholar instead of plain Google, or check out your school’s or local library’s databases and bookshelves on specific topics.
And before you ask, in fact, yes—you can even use sources like certain YouTube channels, granted that you vet them. Some of my favorite YouTube channels on this religion and occult stuff include Esoterica, run by Dr. Justin Sledge, who has a PhD in occult philosophy, and Religion for Breakfast, run by Dr. Andrew M. Henry, who has a PhD in religious studies that focuses on early Christianity and late Roman religion. Both of these people have the credentials to be talking about what they’re talking about, as well as the practical experience in their field of expertise: they are the ones that go out to the scene of the magic and look at it and report back to all of us who rely on their works for our own research.
Now, let me address one more thing before we move on. I would hope this wouldn’t be true for anyone in my audience, but a lot of people roll their eyes at PhD holders; they wave off academia, thinking it’s just some snobby kid’s club full of people stuck in “the system,” committed to upholding the “status quo.” And while there is some truth to be had to the Arrogant Academic stereotype, with plenty of academics turning their nose up at popular culture or popular media, the fact is that academics exist precisely to do what most of us don’t have the practical time to do: to dedicate their whole lives to research, to progressing what we know about topics, so that all of us might be better informed overall.
They are going to be inherently more informed and credible than the people who decry the entire institution of academia as some elitist conspiracy trying to keep us all believing a false narrative like sheep. (Which isn’t to say there aren’t valid criticisms of academia as an institution, by the way, but like–let’s get real. Academia is where the information worth anything really is; it’s not on some random ass Blogspot post or in some book in the witch section at Barnes & Nobles by someone with a goofy “witch” name).
So always, forever, look for people who either have the formal education in what they’re talking about, or at the very least, the deep experience in whatever they’re talking about–but preferably both, if you can find them. With all that said, let’s take a look at some of my favorite sources that I think any Christian Witch should start with for their spiritual foundation.
My Top Beginner Books for Christian Witches
Now, of course, I’ll recommend you Discovering Christian Witchcraft as the one-stop-shop starter book. It’s a great place to get situated before learning further, and it gives so many jumping off points for you to begin your own research with. However, if you’ve already read it and want to get deeper into other topics, or you would prefer to go directly to the sources I used, let me give you a little list here.
Theology:
Before we talk about anything magical, we gotta get our theology and philosophy right as Christian Witches. To that end, my favorite sources on theology and spirituality are:
If there’s one thing that’s worth having, it’s a good Bible translation. More than that, it’s worth having a scholarly Bible translation–one packed with footnotes, maps, in-text essays, extra essays, and introductions to each book, so that you can zoom out a bit and get more context on whatever the hell it is any part of the Bible is actually talking about.
These sources are published by the Oxford University Press, an academic publishing institution. Some of the people involved in composing them, namely editors like Professor Mark Zvi Brettler and professor Amy-Jill Levine, are seriously decorated scholars of religion at universities like Duke University and Hartford International University. If they’re putting their stamp of approval on these editions of the Bible, and adding their two cents to it, I’ll be inclined to trust them over the average pastor rocking up to lead a church with no formal education, no theological background, no nothing.
I should also mention that the Jewish Study Bible is just what Christians would call the Old Testament, while the Jewish Annotated New Testament is obviously the story of Jesus and beyond, but analyzed through the lens of Judaism because Jesus Himself was Jewish and was speaking out of Jewish tradition. Again–context. It’s important!
Like the JANT, this translation of the New Testament is damn good–and it’s because it actually includes some of the early Christian writings that weren’t included in the Canon. Compiled by former professor, now pastor, Hal Taussig–who boasts his own pretty impressive list of qualifications and experience–it’s a work that comprises the efforts of multiple Biblical scholars to find other pieces of Christian writings that, even if they’re not considered “official,” were super important for early Christians–like the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla and early poems like The Thunder: Perfect Mind. Having two copies of the New Testament alone may seem weird, but personally, speaking like someone who has very clearly been influenced by Episcopal mentality: you can never really have enough commentaries and extrapolations on the Bible by smart and passionate people.
Now, this one is insane and intense, I will not lie to you. It’s… a beast. A 500 page beast. But it’s written by the late Jurgen Moltmann, a man that championed a specific view of liberation theology that insists that God doesn’t just watch our suffering from above, but instead actively suffers with us and can be found among the most hurt in society. He was another religious scholar, with plenty of education and experience as a professor–and he was also someone who, being born in 1926 in Germany and sucked into Hitler’s army at the age of 16, had experience with the ugliest parts of humanity. As a prisoner of war in WW2 who managed to survive the whole ugly ordeal, he learned firsthand the horrors his country inflicted and spent a whole lot of time grappling with it through theology and philosophy and education.
This work is a hefty, but solid introduction to a religious framework bent on the uplifting of all people, starting from the very least of us. It also unravels a lot of ideas about God and Jesus and especially the Crucifixion that can help you reframe some things in a pretty healing way.
This book is incredible. Like Moltmann’s work, it falls into the category of liberation theology, which, if you take the Love Thy Neighbor thing seriously, is pretty important. Howard Thurman (1899 - 1981) was once a champion of civil rights, as well as a philosopher, theologian, pastor, and educator in places like Boston University. He founded interracial churches in the rise of the Civil Rights movement, pushed hard for justice and equity among all people, and wrote excellent works like this one.
This book, published in 1949, goes into the theology of the oppressed, or the disinherited. It explains the ways in which we tie ourselves up and demonstrates the ways in which Christianity, despite being so abused, can actually be the paradigm that emboldens and empowers the disinherited when taken up by those oppressed folks. It pushes back on the things that rule society—Fear, Deception, and Hate—ends with the true core of being, Love. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in making things on earth be as they are in heaven.
When it comes to Christian thought and philosophy, mysticism is going to come up. There are a lot of fantastic books on mysticism, and I’ll be mentioning two here, but this one? This is just a good, clean, accessible, easy-to-read starter on the subject. Written by John R. Marby, yet another PhD holder and educator, as well as an ordained minister, it’s one that comes, in John’s own words, from the need of something more streamlined than the insanely dense texts on Christian mysticism most theology students have to work through otherwise. He took the time to go through and make this book something clear and easy to understand for anyone, not just students spending all their time studying in seminary, which makes it pretty valuable.
Now, this is actually an anthology of the words of multiple mystics over time. It has some explanation and introduction to each piece by American Catholic theologian and scholar Bernard McGinn, but what’s cool about this is that it is really a compilation of key sections of primary sources. A primary source is something that comes from the time period or figures that we’re looking to study. For instance, if you wanted to know about the Civil War and found the actual journal of a Civil War general, that journal would be a primary source. Writings of the actual mystics in question are primary sources: they’re the direct words of the mystic without being watered down or combined together into one streamlined idea. It is dense, and it’s definitely something you want to digest slowly, but it helps to read about mysticism and then actually read the words of the mystics to see the origins of all these ideas.
Boy, is this one wild. Written by Christena Cleveland, a former professor at Duke University, has a pretty stellar record. From her website:
Christena Cleveland, Ph.D. is a social psychologist, public theologian, author, and activist. She is the founder and director of the Center for Justice + Renewal which supports a more equitable world by nurturing skillful justice advocacy and the depth to act on it.
This book is one that explores her journey in discovering the Black Madonna: the figure of Mary and child Jesus depicted with dark, even black skin, rather than traditional white depictions common alongside them in Europe. Part memoir, part theology walkthrough, it is raw, real, and elegantly discusses something of note: that strange entity that so many people pray to and call God that simply does not seem like God. She calls it whitemalegod, but many Christian Witches know it under a different name: the Evangelical Egregore. This is a fascinating read that I recommend to anyone, honestly, witch or not.
Now, this is probably my only source where our author doesn’t have a fat, shiny PhD. He has some education in Biblical Greek and Hebrew, but for the most part, Conner here seems to be like me: someone with a minor educational background in these subjects who is doing his own research and bringing his findings to light.
He gets some points revoked in our CRAAP test on Authority and Purpose, because there are certainly times where his bias against mainstream theologians shows and he starts taking a few shots at how modern theologians are basically too pansy to acknowledge the truth of what he’s saying–but when I cross reference the guy, he’s saying the same stuff that my study Bible is saying, and that lines up with other sources I have, so… fat dub for Conner, I guess. And for us, because of all the sources I have, this is the one that is so insanely, directly about what we’re about. It’s an absolute God-send of a source, and to think I spotted it at some fair from so far away on a total chance just, to me, makes it feel like an important book to have on my shelf.
Historical
Now, some other things you’re going to want to know are actual historical facts that can demystify some of the Bible. For instance, if you’re wondering if there was anything before Judaism that suggested a God like ours, or if you want to know what kind of sociopolitical climate the early Christians were operating in, or if you want to know what the hell St. Paul was really talking about, these are the books that will get you started.
We’re starting here because oftentimes, one of the first things people need to learn is how to unlearn. We’re often taught that the Bible is the perfect, infallible word of God, and here comes Ehrman to absolutely shatter that idea to pieces–because we have undeniable evidence of meddling in this allegedly perfect book!
As a PhD and M.Div holder, teaching at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ehrman has quite the impressive publications list. He’s written over two dozen books on the New Testament and other areas of Biblical studies, has been titled the James A. Gray distinguished professor at UNC, and does all kinds of work to help people better understand the New Testament especially. Most apologetic types will criticize him for being agnostic, but trust me: sometimes not having that cognitive dissonance around religion actually gets you further to the truth than farther, especially when it comes to acknowledging the uncomfortable history that people so often try to brush under the rug.
Franceska Stavrakapolou is an important figure. If you love the work of Dan McClellan on TikTok and elsewhere on the web, you’ll be interested to know that this scholar here was actually his PhD thesis advisor, and she’s working at Exeter University as a Professor of the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion. What’s especially interesting, though, is that she isn’t of any particular faith; in fact, she’s an atheist, and just like with Ehrman, that’s what makes this book all the more honest in a way that many more apologetics-geared books are not.
That’s important, because this book breaks down the background and origins of the God of Abraham, as well as the cultural and sociopolitical conditions He gained His notoriety in. It’s an insane book, full of information you’d never believe if you didn’t see just how much work Stavrakapolou put not only into researching and sourcing her claims, but also going directly to the historical sites she talks about to further study, analyze, and understand the God of the three major world religions. It’ll rattle your perception of God like nothing else, I’m telling you.
Now, I won’t lie: this book is a bit dry. It’s academic, it’s straightforward–well written! But it took some extra effort for me to focus on. However, with Robert Louis Wilken being quite the accomplished historian and theologian, and this book being published by Yale University Press, we know we’re in for some good stuff. I mean, check this guy’s stats out (a la Georgetown University):
Robert Louis Wilken is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of the History of Christianity emeritus at the University of Virginia. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, past president of the American Academy of Religion, the North American Patristics Society, and the Academy of Catholic Theology. He is chairman of the board of the Institute on Religion and Public Life, the publisher of First Things. Among his numerous publications are The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity (2013), The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God (2003), The Christians as the Romans Saw Them (1984/2003), and Remembering the Christian Past (1995). He has taught at Fordham University, the University of Notre Dame, the Institutum Patristicum (Augustinianum) in Rome, the Gregorian University in Rome, and Providence College.
Damn! (And ayo, Providence College! Rhode Islanders, represent!)
But this book is so awesome because I always found myself wondering what the hell the Romans were thinking at the time of Christianity’s inception. We get so much from the Christian perspective and so little from the surrounding points of view. It was this book that showed me that, in fact, the bans against witchcraft and magic weren’t anything special to Abrahamic religions–because of the nature of what was considered witchcraft and magic in these times. Extremely eye opening, using firsthand accounts from some of Christianity’s most outspoken early critics and even folks who wanted to be advocates (but couldn’t reconcile some things about the upstart faith), this book shows exactly where Christianity was fitting into the Roman empire in the early days.
This book made me, a former Top Hater, a St. Paul stan. I kid you not.
Yet another heavy hitter with the qualifications to be talking. Bristow has a PhD in ministry, along with years of experience lecturing as an adjunct professor and preaching at various churches across the country. What inspired him to dive deep into St. Paul is anyone’s guess, but what he came up with in the end was an extensive, enlightening view of the specific verbiage St. Paul used in his letters and why he actually wasn’t saying anything that people nowadays attribute to him. It’s a short book, yet packed with information that’ll give you a whole different look of St. Paul the Apostle and his writings.
Like Cleveland’s work, Kristen Kobes du Mez has a work here that addresses the foundations of the thing we call the Evangelical Egregore. This book is an overview of the changes in Christianity from the early 20th century to today, showing step by step how the hell the religion became the warped seedbed of Christian Nationalism it is today.
Du Mez has a PhD in American History, focusing on women’s and religious history, and she currently teaches history at Calvin University. She writes a lot on Christianity from a feminist lens, bringing a lot of lost history to the forefront. If you’ve ever been wondering why Christianity feels so messed up, definitely give her book a read (and watch your blood pressure, because God, did this book have me up a tree by the end due to all the messy, nasty history no one tells you about).
Magical Books
And now, of course, I couldn’t very well give you a recommendation list without putting some interesting books about magic itself on here. These tend to be a bit more informal, and I hold somewhat different standards for them than with academic, historical, and mainstream theological stuff, but that’s only to account for the author’s personal experience with the things they’re talking about (as you can’t exactly get a degree in Angel Work, can you?). Let’s take a look, starting with a great book on angels.
If you’re looking to get involved with the angels, then this book is all of the good stuff–the ceremonial magic, the hardcore sigils and methodology–and none of the goofy New Age gunk that insists that angels are cute little winged babies out to give you hugs and kisses anytime you ask for them.
Damien Echols is an interesting figure, too. According to this interview from The Guardian, at just 18 years old in 1993–the height of the Satanic Panic sweeping especially southern and Bible Belt states–Echols was convicted for the triple murder of three other teens in West Memphis, Arkansas, despite the fact that there was no evidence to prove his guilt, and in fact more than enough to prove his innocence. The courts used things like his interest in metal music and Stephen King novels as proof that he was one of the terrible Satanic people in town going around doing rituals and even killing people, and he sat in prison–in fact, even ended up on death row–for years before he was finally released. His works routinely nod to his personal experience on death row, and in this book, he credits the angels for appearing to him in prison and getting him through the darkest time of his life.
This is a great book full of practical knowledge. It’s an awesome reference book that I use frequently, and the base concepts in it still stick with me to this day. One of my favorite takeaways from it is how Echols insists that you really don’t need any tools or materials to do magic; you need only your own will and focus. It’s great.
Now, even if you aren’t Italian, I’m going to recommend this book. That’s because it’s a pretty stellar look at not your typical Wiccan-flavored, New Age magic, but old school magic, the kind peoples nonnas and nonnos knew to do when things got troublesome out in the village. It’s a great peek into what folk magic means, and how people have always been living syncretic lives under the cover of Christianity–how old gods became renamed as Saints, how Mary, Jesus, and official Catholic Saints became figures of spoken spells, and how even a good plate of seafood pasta can become a powerful tool for blessing.
Mary Grace-Fahrun, or “Rue,” didn’t go to school for the things she talks about here (as, again, what college has a degree in Italian Folk Magic?) but her being the child of Italian immigrants and deeply connected to her culture means she has the first hand knowledge, directly from the people who practiced, to write this work and share these stories. This is another way we can assess someone’s credibility: not just by education, but by experience and cultural connection. And she does a wonderful job bringing all these things to light here, with practical tips, spells, and more.
Such a fascinating book, really. Sister Karol Jackowski, with a PhD in Philosophy from New York University, was once a nun of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and now, she’s a nun at the independent, self-governing Sisters for Christian Community. She’s written several books, but this one is of note, because it’s extremely heartening to know that a nun proper could do what she’s done here: speak to people of all faith backgrounds and see the value in each and every tradition and path.
After a lengthy discussion of what magic means and how such a thing is a part of faith tradition, Jackowski gives us spells, charms, and even Saint prayers that she’s collected in her conversations with the many different people she’s met in New York. It’s a treasure, and it’s got a little something for everyone, I think.
Now, no doubt all these books will give you plenty to read and work through–so check them out from wherever you get books, and enjoy taking this first step to deepening your understanding of both God and the craft!
Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her spiritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.
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