Teenreads.com -- LIFE MAGIC: The Power of Positive Witchcraft by Susan Bowes

LIFE MAGIC: The Power of Positive Witchcraft
Susan Bowes
Simon & Schuster
Young Adult
ISBN: 068485354X

When Susan Bowes says she is a "white witch" she isn't referring to being Caucasian. Rather, she distinguishes her wiccan arts from the less optimistic realm of black magic. In LIFE MAGIC, Bowes stresses the importance of channeling your spiritual energies, allowing your "feminine goddess" to rise again, communing with nature, and celebrating life.

Bowes helps us incorporate ancient pagan rituals into our everyday existence with a guide full of animals, history, philosophy, lunar calendars, Chakra charts, spells, lush art, and inspirational divinity. "The ways of the Goddess are there in every puff of wind, ripple of water, crackle of fire, and clod of soil. The Goddess, mistress of the hidden traditions, speaks to us in our dreamtime and in those silent moments when suddenly everything comes clear...Nature is her embodiment on Earth, just as the moon is her totality in the heavens. She is the universal female principle."

Bowes rediscovered her interest in magic and myth after surviving a plane crash at the age of 36. Derailed from her quest for corporate success, she has traveled the world to study with healers, walk on fire, sail through hurricanes, and expose the mysteries of the universe through the written word. LIFE MAGIC is full of odd little tidbits and fun "facts" (depending on your perspective). Considered sacred in ancient Egypt, the cat is one of the most enduring "totem animals." According to Bowes, the domestic cat acts as a bridge between the spiritual and actual worlds. The feline is mercurial, fertile, and, ultimately, very feminine in nature. The number two "represents the duality of the humanity and the Divine, the spirit and the flesh... By discovering the law of two that operates all around us, we can unify our lives." If your wishes relate to love, it might be best to work your white magic on Venus' special day, Friday.

Once you are familiar with the necessary signs and symbols, it's time to try to cast some spells. A word of warning before you begin: "Never seek to invade another's private thoughts or personal space...or manipulate someone against his or her will...The universal law states that anything you do will reverberate upon you with ten times as much force. As long as you remember that witchcraft is used only to heal and help, you cannot go wrong."

Traditional rituals can be used in the pursuit of love, discovering your destiny, cleansing the soul, summoning abundance, blessing a newborn, easing the pain of mourning. Finding your life purpose, for instance, requires sitting in front of a bonfire on a Wednesday (the day of communication) during the waxing phase of the moon, decorating your altar with yellow flowers and five yellow candles (the color of creativity), holding a piece of amber, staring, chanting a mantra, waiting --- and breathing. As you might suspect, being a witch requires some effort and concentration, but perhaps your inner Goddess will guide you.

--- Reviewed by Krista Madsen