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Home > Books & Reviews > Pagan > 2002 Witches' Datebook Search

Book Review:
2002 Witches' Datebook


Author: Thea Bloom
Spiral Bound, 144 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: August 2001
ISBN: 0738700398
Price & More Info: Click Here


 
Upon first glance inside, you will discover that there is a world of information on each date. Llewellyn did a good job in forecasting the Moon phases, which sign the moon will be in at any one point, where certain planets will be on the date specified and so on. As I read the calendar through, I was amazed.

If accuracy in the planetary motion is not that critical, then this will be a good reference for you. It does not contain a complete ephemeris, but there is enough information to enable an astrologer to know what planetary influences are occurring at one point or another. But that's not all there is.

For the trivia alone, this is worth the price. Things like "First airing of The Witching Hour, a Pagan radio show hosted by Winter Wren and Don Lewis, on station WONX in Evanston Illinois, 1992" and "Rebecca Nurse hanged in Salem, Massachusetts, 1692" abound in the pages of this datebook. It has birthdays listed for those in the Wiccan/Pagan community listed (like the birthday of Isaac Bonewits, Wren Walker, Scott Cunningham) along with the founding of such organization as The Church of All Worlds and the AURORA Network in the UK. Plus, there are dates listed for things like handfastings of famous Pagan couples, death dates, and trivia.

There are articles on each page of this datebook listing things like bread recipes, incense recipes, spells for attuning with the runic months and the Ogham months, as well as articles on the different current holidays (Pagan holidays of course). There are the usual notations for American holidays like Flag Day, Veteran's Day, and even when Kwanzaa begins and ends.

At the back of the book, there is an address book. I think this is a good addition, as I have very seldom seen addresses and phone lists in a datebook of this nature. It has an additional place for email addresses, and with the increases in email communication, this can only be a bonus. This is something that not even the expensive planners have as an addition to their content.

The true gem, and one of the reasons to keep this even when 2002 is over is the articles in the front. People like Wren Walker, Estelle Daniels, Dorothy Morrison spice up the book with good articles and information for the pagan who buys this book. I loved the suggestions for Urban Pagans that Dorothy Morrison gives, and the recipes and suggestions for gingerbread that Thea Bloom gives us.

There is plenty of space for events and appointments in the day's entry (so long as you write small) and it can be a valuable tool for those on a time crunch.

One warning however, while it is not obvious, this book does stand out. If you are still in the closet, you may want to consider getting another book. With the amount of information packed into each page, whipping it out to write an entry into it in front of others who don't know about your beliefs could lead to some awkward questions.

There is little artwork since there is a lot packed into these pages, and the artwork that does appear is all black and white line drawings. The artwork is good, don't get me wrong, but that is not the primary purpose for purchasing this book.

All in all, I give this datebook 4 stars out of 5, for the amount of information in it, the trivia and the mini ephemeris contained within.

Reviewed by Daven


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