Laurie Cabot's Book of Shadows

So I'm one of those people that I dance to the beat of my own drum and don't care to tell people what they should read or who they should follow. However, I recently purchased this book and it is honestly my first I'm reading from this author. Please don't ask me why it took me 30 years to finally pick up a book by Laurie Cabot when I have known of her and seen her all my life growing up and have read almost every Wiccan/Pagan/Psychic book on the metaphysical store shelf. I'm not sure the answer like to believe that things happen for a reason and come to us in times that we actually need them.Now I have to say I am extremely pleased with my choice in this book and in this author. Laurie Cabot was definitely a wise woman way ahead of her time. This book covers the art, science and religion of Witchcraft in its truest form and incorporating a plethora of hands on teaching for time old and tested workings.To me, this book is an essential read and a must-have in every Witch's library. It's not just a typical thrown together book of correspondences, tables, and Wicca 101. Inside this tomb of information, you'll find everything from learning the importance of loving yourself, instant alpha level mind triggers, chakra and crystal work, working with various types of healing, ritual, magic and more.All of this with the decades of experience written to the page and including the trappings of her own personal Book of Shadows. In this book you will find Laurie's spells, her teachings as taught to her and generations before and her personal rituals for the Sabbaths and Esbats, rite of handfasting and even clergy training.Yes, in fact, there is an entire informative chunk of this beast of a book aimed specifically to those wanting to reach higher and learn about working with clients, teaching Witchcraft and Magick, conflict resolution, community service and rights of passage, Wiccaning all the way on a path leading to initiation into High Priest/Priestesshood.This isn't a book you read so much as you explore, absorb and distill. I'm impressed on how much information fits perfectly into this single volume. It's literally like sitting down with Laurie herself in her famous Witchcraft courses within her Salem storefront.HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!Sidenote: THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE BOOK YOU WILL WANT TO GET IN HARDBACK - IT'S TRULY A COLLECTIBLE COMPENDIUM AND WORKING MANUAL THAT YOU'LL REFERENCE TIME AND AGAIN.I know I will. Thank you, Laurie. And obviously to Christopher Penczak who no doubt was a driving force in Laurie's return to the written word. This book will hopefully live on for the generations to come.Blessed Be.

Legendary is the only word can adequately describe Laurie Cabot and her legacy. Laurie Cabot is a name synonymous with Witchcraft around the world. Laurie has dedicated most of her life to educating people about the Science & Religion of Witchcraft. She taught Witchcraft in many universities over the years and in the 70’s Laurie opened the very first Witchcraft store in Salem Massachusetts, choosing the location of a place synonymous with horrific deeds committed against innocent people accused of Witchcraft. In a huge act of reclamation and transformation she set up shop to help educate people regarding the truth about Witchcraft as a Science and a Religion in a location historically known for its ignorance of Witchcraft. It is there for many years that she assisted people by helping them bring magick into their lives. Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis later bestowed upon her with the title “The Official Witch of Salem” in the mid 70’s along with the state’s Patriot Award for significantly improving the lives of the citizens and the community of Massachusetts. Today Salem is considered the Witch Capitol of the world.Her first book Power of the Witch was groundbreaking in America, helping to make Witchcraft accessible to the average person – what particularly made this book stand apart was Laurie’s emphasis of the “Science” of Witchcraft – putting an emphasis on altered states of consciousness and teaching how to achieve them while dispelling much information about witches during a period of “Satanic Panic” fear in the United States. She has appeared in countless magazines, books, television programs, documentaries and radio shows to help demystify the confusion surrounding Witchcraft. For many witches around the world, Laurie Cabot was their first introduction into the world of magick.A few things always stick out in my mind when I think of Laurie Cabot’s legendary life, though there are countless stories. National Geographic once came to photograph Laurie and her students performing a ritual. In the ritual she called upon the blue light of Jupiter so that people would understand Witchcraft as a science. The photographs taken outside of the ritual circle contained anomalies in several of the shots which mystified the photographers. The photos showed a blue lightning-like energy emerging from the chalice on the altar and eventually spreading out across the room, which they didn’t hesitate to publish.As a world-famous psychic she also assisted Salem Police in correctly locating the body of a missing woman named Martha Brailsford. She then proceeded to perform a binding spell on the killer and instructed the police how and where to catch him. The killer’s arrest unfolded just as she had said.She also removed the “Curse of Bambino” from the Red Sox. The Curse of Bambino was an 86-year losing streak for the Red Sox after selling off Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. After removing the curse and performing a blessing, the Red Sox had a winning streak and became the first Major League baseball team to win a seven-game postseason series after being down three games to none.After more than 70 years as a practicing Witch and in an act of complete transparency, Laurie Cabot’s Book of Shadows reveals the full teachings of her Cabot Tradition of Witchcraft to the public with the help of her daughter Penny Cabot and former student Christopher Penczak. The massive 503 page book published by Copper Cauldron contains all three levels of training in the Cabot Tradition. As such it is divided into three sections, Witchcraft as a Science, Witchcraft as an Art and Witchcraft as a Religion.The first section, Witchcraft as a Science focuses on reaching altered states of consciousness, psychic development, working with energy, building up your self-esteem and healing inner blockages. It’s full of meditations, hermetic principles, scientific theory and practices which include things such as finding your spirit guide, psychically diagnosing someone’s health, animal communication, speaking to the dead and astral projection.The second section, Witchcraft as an Art focuses on becoming a Priestess or Priest of Witchcraft and the art of spells. It covers topics of the tools of witchcraft, creating and using an altar, casting a circle, working with candles, creating potions and incense, performing divination, healing others, ethics in witchcraft and the responsibility of a priest/ess.The third section, Witchcraft as a Religion, is full of the deeper mysteries and lore of the Cabot Tradition. A closer look at the Wheel of the Year is given, Celtic Astrology is taught as well as topics such as faeries, the Earth’s Dragon Energy of ley lines and vortices, planetary influences, and a deeper look at Arthurian Legend and Pagan mythology within the Cabot Tradition. More advanced magickal practices, topics and workings are also covered. The Book of Shadows concludes with clergy training which includes child blessings, funerals, croning/wizarding, facing bigotry and making a difference in the world through service within one’s own local community and the world at large.This book is a must have in every witch’s collection whether they are in the Cabot Tradition or not. The book is written in a very clear and easy to understand manner and is full of the wisdom, insight and training developed over 70 years of one of Witchcraft’s elders who has left a huge mark in the history books of Paganism and Witchcraft. The book is nothing less than her Magnum Opus.

This is a nice all around BOS from the author's tradition. Lots of information in here to use as a general reference. You might not agree with everything in here but that is to be expected. I suggest you take what you like and leave the rest and make your own personal BOS that fits your specific needs.On a side note Ms Cabot has written several really good books. I suggest reading them. One of her students, Christopher Penczak, is an excellent author as well.

I am only in the First Degree...so I am not sure of the next degrees of the book but I must say soo impressed with this book. I have been saying for decades some of the very things that are expressed in the first degree..... for decades! It reinforces to me and to others that there is so much more to being a witch and we start with ourselves. I am not sure of the rest yet but must say if it continues as it started this will become my new book to share along with Psychic Witch by Mat Auryn. It is everything to me finding two books that are my life in much better verbiage. This book is an absolute gem for any shelf and would recommend it and like the Psychic Witch will likely be purchasing more copies to share! An absolute gem to understand and learn with.

This book has helped get back to practicing my faith! I love how it is set up.

I have always like Laurie Cabot's books as they are full of information and are written in an accessible manner. I am not Wiccan and do not follow a Celtic tradition, and this book has a LOT of that which, being 'her book of shadows' is to be expected as she is outlining HER tradition. If you are looking for a general book on Paganism/Wiccanism, this is not your tome; you are going to dig for some of the information you are looking for, and some of it is not going to be here. I find this book invaluable however, for the reference information and the reading lists that are provided at the end of every chapter. Even if you are not Wiccan and you don't work with the Celts, this is still a very valuable resource.

good read

The whole book was basically a rehash of material from her previous books. Anyone who has been practising Wicca for more than a few years will learn nothing new from this disapointing read.

Received next day. Full of great information , love it.

Wonderful book, promptly received - thank you!!! 😊