The Element of Earth (Kitchen Witchcraft)

This book is the fourth in the Kitchen Witchcraft series. It's not a big book but it is packed with information done in a simple format. It's friendly and folksy as it guides you through using Earth magic. The chapters are not clearly defined but in a way, it's helpful. Since the information is more like thumbnail sketches, you only have to leaf through a few pages to find what you're looking for easily rather than plodding through several pages of a lengthy chapter looking for a tidbit of information.

 Inside the pages you will find how to work with the Earth using rituals, magical uses, spells, folklore, correspondences, history, elementals, meditations and even a few recipes. Your tools are practical and affordable. Most of the information you're given doesn't seem very in-depth but that's only in a few cases. The author's excellent explanation of a pentagram is clear, concise and very informative, There are no lengthy explanations, the author just jumps right in and tells you what you need to know. It's almost like taking a refresher course on material you already know but may have forgotten parts of. The book is all about the basics without a lot of hoopla.

Since the book is Earth-based there is quite a bit of concentration on grounding and centering. But you will also learn about symbols, gemstones, herbs, angels, food, color and animals, to name a few. Anything that comes from the Earth is included. At the end of each segment, there are useful exercises to do. I found fascinating  the chapter about connecting energy with your ancestors and the land through meditations in places you never imagined ...a library? a farmer's market? a cellar?

For someone who's just getting into the study of Wicca and Witchcraft. this book is a great primer. It's not a big, heavy, unwieldy book with small print. The type is well-spaced and a readable size. Even though this book is the fourth in a series, it would still serve as a good starting point since it seems elements of the other three (3) books are also included.

The author makes herself very accessible. On the first pages she introduces herself, then lists several sources for contacting her.

~review by Judy Blackstone

Author:: Rachel Patterson
Moon Books, 2021
142 pp., $14.95