The green witch’s guide to navigating life’s ups and downs.
A beautiful quote attributed to Rumi is at the beginning of Chapter Eight in Rebecca Beattie’s wise and gentle book The Way Through The Woods which says, ‘You were born with wings, You were not meant for crawling, so don’t: You have wings. Learn to use them and fly.’
In this gentle, captivating book, Green Witch Rebecca Beattie sets out in a very practical and user-friendly style the pathway to being able to fly once again, despite or in spite of the life pathway you have been on or are in the process of travelling.
She reaches out through personal experience and learned knowledge, using the analogy of walking a pathway through the woods, a place of deep mystery, occasionally dangerous but immensely full of wisdom and healing. Rebecca is a Gardnerian Wiccan.
Dividing life’s journey into seasons is a very comfortable way to be able to take a look at how life tends to move in tune with the seasons, which also falls in with the Wiccan spiritual pathway utilising feminine spirituality and the teaching of Tarot to offer healing and enlightenment.
As you work through the chapters, which are best read carefully and slowly, there is a second tier to the story that of an archetype, perhaps yours, perhaps not but complementary to learning, understanding and accepting the healing being offered throughout the pages.
Beginning with the Winter season, that of coldness, death and rebirth, she discusses the death of a loved one and the emotional trauma that we, in the modern world, fail to accept as we move forward so quickly, setting out a lovely incense recipe and a simple and yet effect ritual to undertake in Memory of your loved one.
This sets the style for the rest of the book, each chapter commencing with a small but significant slice of poetry, and the Tarot card relative to the topic of discussion. As each of the seasons unfold, each chapter holds much wisdom, many life lessons and a gentle, positive way towards acceptance and healing, which culminates in The Manifesto of the Perfectly Imperfect Life.
Once again the final Section commences with a lovely piece of poetry from Rudyard Kipling which leads into a most appealing statement of intent and motivation. This then concludes with the invitation to go out and find your perfect ‘tree’, sit under it, take a deep healing breath and listen to the beauty in the world around you.
The perfect ending to a charming, eloquent and very comforting book on travelling life’s pathways through the often difficult and troubling woods in which we all live.
Author       Rebecca Beattie
Distributor:Â Â Â Â Booktopia/Amazon
ISBN:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 978-1783967841
Publisher:Â Â Â Â Â Elliott & Thompson; First Edition
Release Date:Â Â April 2024
Website:Â Â Â Â Â Â https://www.amazon.co.uk/Way-Through-Woods-Witchs
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley
consciouslivingmagazine.com.au/category/arts/book-reviews/
