THE GOOD SPELL BOOK : Love Charms Magical Cures and Other Practical Sorcery by Gillian Kemp

THE GOOD SPELL BOOK : Love Charms Magical Cures and Other Practical Sorcery
Gillian Kemp
Little Brown & Company
Young Adult
ISBN: 0316488399

Want to win the heart of the one you love? Rid yourself of an unwanted admirer? Ease cramps? Soothe a headache? Retrieve a missing pet? Win the lottery? The Romanies, a tribe the Western world commonly refers to as Gypsies, have a long-standing tradition of staving off illness and attracting romance through charms, magic, and other practical forms of sorcery. With handwritten notes in the margins, colorful place-holding ribbons in the spine, and images that like look like pressed flowers throughout, THE GOOD SPELL BOOK is a homespun guide to tapping into your positive powers.

In the opening pages, journalist and astrologer Gillian Kemp introduces us to the Romanies, a nomadic people who have wandered for more than a millennium. Since their arrival in Western Europe 600 years ago, the tribe has diminished in number, but remains the object of mistrust and wonder because of their tradition of traveling in caravans; divining with crystals, Tarot cards, and tea leaves; and their mystical connection to the forces of nature. As Kemp advises, those who wish to work the Gypsy magic must follow the cycles of the moon, suspend disbelief, and let love be the ultimate guide. The spells she compiles are not for people wishing to exact revenge or cause pain, but rather for people driven by good intentions.

The spells are divided into five categories: love, health, pets, wealth, and happiness and involve simple, natural objects and the occasional crystal ball. Curing baldness requires rubbing garlic oil into your scalp, deciding between two interested suitors means watching two tulip bulbs to see which one will bloom first. Unfortunately, city-dwellers might have a hard time finding "a natural knot in the tendrils or shoots of a willow tree" or "St.-John's-wort, a golden flower that smells like turpentine," but there are plenty of other more readily accessible options.

So, how, exactly, can we attract the one we love? According to Kemp, light a white votive candle and place it in a glass cup on a Friday night. Imagine that the flame is your loved one's heart and the container is his torso. As you stare into the flame, it should rise with the passion you are pouring into his heart. After saying, "May this flame of passion burn within your heart. From me, you will not part," allow the candle to burn itself out. Repeat on consecutive nights until you get the result you desire.

I would wish you good luck, but you can do that yourself by gathering seven twigs from seven trees...and keeping the faith. "Faith in a spell intensifies the imagination and supports what is willed. Both words and thoughts are a powerful vibratory force. You must believe that what you wish for will come true.

--- Reviewed by Krista Madsen