Rise and shine, pornies! I hope you've been well during my absence. Thanks for the kind words, those who know about my health, and I want you to know I'm feeling better (about damn time!) Still making some calls and appointments, but I'm getting there. ^^ Today's book review goes hand in hand with all this because it's focused on making you feel better and get a better hand at your witchcraft through what seems like an unlikely ally at first sight. I'm talking about Magick From the Mat: Using Yoga to Enhance Your Witchcraft, by Casey Giovinco. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!
- Print Length: 264 pages.
- Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (August 8, 2021)
- Publication Date: August 8, 2021.
- Topics: Yoga, Meditation, Psychic Development, Elements, Witchcraft.
- Rating: 4 / 5 stars.
Explore the Crossroads of Witchcraft and YogaRaise your vitality, find inner peace, and enhance your magick with this hands-on, groundbreaking guide. Pairing sequences with spells and rituals, Magick from the Mat takes you on a fascinating tour through history and details how contemporary practitioners can deepen their practice of witchcraft through yoga, whether you are experienced or not.Professional witch and yoga teacher Casey Giovinco provides more than sixty poses and corresponding illustrations for developing personal power, balance, longevity, healing, and confidence. Discover ways to boost your intuition and connect with your Higher Self. Learn how to harness the elements and use them in your yoga sessions. Featuring dozens of exercises and sequences that improve your chakra work, meditations, astral travel, and sabbat celebrations, Magick from the Mat strengthens your mind, body, and Craft.
I have to admit it took me a long time to go through this book because it is the first time I read anything related to yoga, and I feel this was against me. However, it is easy to follow, the author goes straight to the point, and gives enough details without overwhelming the reader. I especially liked how Casey Giovinco started from the more general aspects and then took the time to dwell on the details.
Things like psychic development, the wheel of the year, the elements, and common concepts that we usually relate to witchcraft also have a place in yoga. Casey makes sure you understand why, how, and what you can do to take advantage of those similarities, which also act as a connection between the two. While a little strange at first, something he openly admits, it becomes clear enough that both things work wonderfully well together!
Downsides? I can't say there are many, to be honest. This book leaves no stone unturned, no aspect without explanation, and includes several images to give the readers a good reference for each asana (yoga pose). I guess the only thing that bothered me was that the religious part was a little heteronormative, with sections devoted to the Goddess and the God only. While trans and gender-diverse readers were invited to explore the God Sequence and Goddess Sequence, I still would have liked a bit more inclusion.
All in all, I enjoyed discovering the connections, similarities, and exercises included in Magick From the Mat: Using Yoga to Enhance Your Witchcraft. Casey Giovinco is an author I wanted to read for a long time, and now that I did can I honestly recommend this book to you. Whether your yoga practice is solid or non-existent, you can expect a great teacher in these pages, along with several surprises along the way!
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| Photo by Stewart A. Photography |
Casey Giovinco (North Carolina) is the Chief Elder of Gala Witchcraft, which combines traditional coven-based Initiatory Wicca with the central goal of reawakening the Gay Mysteries. By combining the skills that he developed as an academic philosopher with the Wisdom of the Western Mystery Traditions, Casey provides a unique approach to problem solving that helps Gay men to achieve lasting success in their lives. He also has been combining yoga and witchcraft for over twenty years. Casey has a RYT-200 certification from The Yoga Alliance, teaches yoga, reads tarot, and works as a witch in residence at a holistic center. Website, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram. Uncrossing Your Roads.
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