Water, Stone, Heart by Will North =A9 2009 Random House ISBN:
0-307-45161-3 Hardcover 288 pages $24.00 (U.S.)


This review is a unique experience for me. It is the first time
I have reviewed a book I first encountered in a Reader=92s
Digest abridgment. After finishing the short version and being
impressed by the way Mr. North wove a story which swept me long
with the raging flood waters, I decided to write to him and
offer my compliments. He wrote back to thank me for my nice
remarks, but to chide me for reading the =93short version=94
(less than half the length of the original novel). I wrote back
and teasingly suggested that he contact his publicist about
getting me the full length version =96 AND HE DID!

Despite the fact that I knew the highpoints of the novel, it
felt just as immediate and new as when I read the condensed
version, and that is saying something as the editors at
Reader=92s Digest are really good at retaining the more vital
elements while excising non-important parts.

This is a novel set in the recent past (2004) and concerns the
event which was much talked about in the Wiccan/Craft community
=96 the flood in Boscastle, Cornwall, England which severely
damaged the Museum of Witchcraft located therein. This is not a
story about Witchcraft, but it touches upon it and incorporates
it with consideration and understanding, which is rare in a
mainstream book.

Several of the characters are learning their way through their
early involvement with Witchcraft, which is portrayed as a
gentle faith, with roots connecting to ancient places and
beliefs (although there are no claims of direct knowledge). The
local people, while they may not be believers in the Craft,
know that it is part of their community. They have to know,
since the Museum of Witchcraft is a prominent part of the
landscape. Even the local =93C of E=94 vicar acknowledges that
there are some things Witches are better at handling.

There are no magical battles, no use of magic to avert natural
disasters, no boring lectures in this excellent book. What
there is a well-told story of life and love, knowing and
healing, and life as we all know it.

If you are looking for an enjoyable book to read, with no
agenda or axe to grind, I certainly recommend this one.

All the books I have seen Mike review to date have been
fiction. The ones that are supposedly about real magick
all contain psuedo-esoteric verbiage good for nothing but
playing the role of a magician in a fantasy movie or writing
books like the above.

Not one of the authors of the books that are supposedly about
real magick can demonstrate any magickal skills at all.

They can talk the talk but they can't walk the walk.

Sid

--
Sidney Lambe
Wiccan Priest and Apprentice Magicianhttp://tinyurl.com/7vs9zb
usenet4444  (at) gmail (dot) com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

All the books I have seen Mike review to date have been
fiction. The ones that are supposedly about real magick all
contain psuedo-esoteric verbiage good for nothing but playing
the role of a magician in a fantasy movie or writing books
like the above.

Not one of the authors of the books that are supposedly about
real magick can demonstrate any magickal skills at all.

They can talk the talk but they can't walk the walk.

Sid

-- Sidney Lambe Wiccan Priest and Apprentice
Magicianhttp://tinyurl.com/7vs9zb usenet4444 =A0(at) gmail
(dot) com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Sidney,

You keep putting down the authors of the books I review,
saying that they can't demonstrate any magickal skills at all.
I"ve never seen you demonstarte any skills either,

other than denigrating those individuals who are willing to
share their beliefs and practices with others. What's the
matter? Couldn't find a publisher willing to accept your
attempts at writing, or are you, as one of my friends said "A
twelve year old boy typing with one hand"?

Time to put up or shut up.

I call upon you to demonstarte, in the real, physical world,
your magickal abilities. If you have magickal abilities here
are a few simple tasks:

First - Use any form of divination you like to determine where
I live and describe the building.

Second - Without physically approaching the building move an
object which I will have placed on top of my refrigerator.

Third - Accuartely describe the object and the time when the
movement occurred (between the hours of 9am and 8pm local time)
before the end of the month of November 2009

If you do those simple things, then I will acknowledge
publically your magickal abilities. Otherwise, stop putting
others down for not demonstarting their abilities.

Mike

On alt.religion.wicca, Mike <gleason.m... at (no spam) comcast.net> wrote:

[delete]

This clueless loser actually thinks he can tell me what I
can or can't post on the Usenet.

Mike, if you want people to take your reviews seriously,
I wouldn't continue with these demonstrations of
mental incompetence.

Sid

--
Sidney Lambe
Wiccan Priest and Apprentice Magicianhttp://tinyurl.com/7vs9zb
usenet4444  (at) gmail (dot) com

I'll make you a simple deal - you go ahead and spew your
stupidity, and I'll simply pretend you don't exist.

Have a nice, delusional life.

Mike

On alt.religion.wicca, Mike <gleason.m... at (no spam) comcast.net> wrote:

[delete]



I'll make you a simple deal - you go ahead and spew your
stupidity, and I'll simply pretend you don't exist.

Have a nice, delusional life.

Mike

You are the one selling delusions.

The delusion that one can become a magician
(witch/sorcerer/mage/druid/necromancer/seer/wizard, etc.) by
playing the role of a magician.

The role of a magician as defined and described by people with no
demonstrable magickal abiities who are simply playing the role
themselves based on books they've read.

In fact, they use the very same sources that the authors of the
fantasy novels you also pedal.

And it is only within the pages of these novels that what you
are selling as 'magick' works.

You are catering to spoiled consumers who don't want to
do the solitary and disciplined work that learning real
magick requires.

Sid

--
Sidney Lambe
Wiccan Priest and Apprentice Magicianhttp://tinyurl.com/7vs9zb
usenet4444  (at) gmail (dot) com