Working with Fairies - book review

Book Reviews: 2006

Working With Fairies: Magick, Spells, Potions & Recipes to Attract & See Them
By Anna Franklin
New Page Books (Career Press) ©2006

I enjoyed this book, though I found the sub title a bit misleading about the book’s contents. I was expecting to see page upon page of spells and charms but was pleasantly surprised by very thorough history lessons on many of The Wild Folk.

The eight chapters in the book contained a wealth of information of historical accounts of fairies from around the world. Where they live, what they do and how to obtain their help as well as avoid their ire comprised major portions of each chapter.

Chapters were divided into sections like The Other World, Devas and Dryads and Elementals. The last one was the most extensive filling about a third of the book with informational tidbits, poems, meditations, correspondences, and suggested rituals for each of the four Elemental Fae.

I have never been a big “fairy” person per se, but I found the historical accounts fascinating and well worth the read. The glossary in the back was a helpful addition to the book. Keeping track of who’s who and what is often difficult in books like these. Having a well-formatted index with easy to read bold headings in the back made it easier to keep track of that.

In the chapter called Fairy Families, I especially liked the listing of the Muses and what their ‘specialty’ was. This is something that I often wanted to know in the past but was unable to find the information as accessible as it is presented in this book. Information such as this is presented in a factual, straightforward manner. The author includes dates, places and names when possible as much of her source material came from historical accounts of ‘witch’ trails.

The recipes included in the book are made with common ingredients for the most part, making it possible for those interested in deepening their relationships with fairies to try their hand at making them.

If you are interested in fairy lore, or want to include fairies as part of your practice, this is a good book with plenty to hold your interest.

4 Goats (out of 5)

All titles (books and other items) on these pages must be ordered through Amazon.com. Please click the title of the item you wish to purchase. In most cases, reviews are provided by Amazon.com. As an Associate of Amazon.com, we receive a small fee for referrals to items sold through our site. Thank you for your patronage.

We believe that in order to buy a good book you have to know what's in it first. That's why here at Magickware we review new Pagan and Wiccan books. Titles are listed below in reverse chronoligical order. To make your purchase easier for books you want they are linked directly to amazon.com. If there is a new book that you would like reviewed please contact us with your request. (Publishers and authors can send review copies to the snail mail address on the contact page. We do not pay for review editions, COD packages will be refused.)

Visa, MasterCard, Money Orders and PayPal accepted Information on ordering, shipping and returns