Tag: Witchcraft

Why The Witch’s Name Works

Recently, I received an ARC (Advanced reader copy) of the revised The Witch’s Name, by Storm Faerywolf. Originally published in March of 2022, the revised edition is launching on March 10th.

A name is something that we writers will think a lot about when it comes to our characters. But what about our own name? It’s not something we’re given a lot of say over. What if we got to choose our own?

Now, I understand that a lot of you are not here for witchcraft content. But stick with me. For one thing, The Witch’s Name is a great example of a well-written nonfiction book. But it’s also a topic that I think more people should consider, whether your life is mundane or magical.

Let’s discuss.

Passion for the subject

Let’s start with Storm’s writing voice. It’s clear in reading this book that the topic of chosen names is one that is of great importance to him.

Which makes sense. It’s an important subject to me as well. It feels like it should be an important subject for a lot of people.

If you’re going to write a work of nonfiction, it needs to be about something that really matters to you. Something that you really, really care about.

Writing a book takes a long time. We know this. And in order to come to the page every day, you need passion. You need discipline, sure, but discipline and passion work best when they work together.

Of course, it isn’t just about getting a book done. Passion shines through in writing. It makes any subject more interesting if the person telling you about it is passionate.

Research heavy

The Witch’s Name is a well-researched book. There is so much information in here about the history of names from different cultures. About the many different ways a name might change according to different faiths and disciplines. Then, of course, there’s the in-depth information about many famous witchy names.

(I’d add to this information that Mormons are given new names when they’re married in the Temple. But it’s very impersonal and chosen at random.)

Let me tell you, I love to see a witchcraft book that is so amazingly researched! I love to see fellow practitioners putting in the work!

Part of being a witch, for many of us, is indulging in a lifetime of study and learning. We need to understand the why of something. The when, the how.

I was fascinated by the different ways people may come to choose their own name or change their name. I was also fascinated by the many different ways we might come to find our own names. I was fascinated by the history of famous names. I learned so much. For instance, did you know there was a Roman goddess of door hinges? And that there were three total gods or goddesses of the doorway, making a doorwat trinity? That was so cool to learn!

Accessible tools!

It should surprise no one that I read quite a few witchcraft books. I also read magazines and blogs, and listen to podcasts. And one thing bothers me more than anything else when I’m consuming witchcraft content.

Here’s a hint: it’s the same thing that irritates me when I’m looking for recipes online.

I hate when a spell, ritual, or recipe calls for an ingredient or tool that I do not have and don’t know how to get. And so often this ingredient is just tossed out like everyone’s got it in the back of their spice rack.

“Here’s a quick and easy spell/recipe that you can do right now, with things you probably already have at home. Just grab some dill, a peacock feather, some ground flaxseed, distilled water from the Dead Sea, shards of non-lab-grown diamonds, the blood of a three-hundred-year-old man, and a large mixing bowl.”

There is nothing like this in The Witch’s Name. Every single ritual or spell requires simple things that are easy to come by. Candles of various colors. Simple rocks. A journal and a pen. And I am here for accessible tools!

Spicy therapy

Now, here’s where we get to the real reason I loved The Witch’s Name.

A lot of witchcraft is really just spicy therapy. Actually, a lot of the best witchcraft is spicy therapy.

Do I believe that witchcraft can influence the universe and tilt things in our favor? Yes. Do I also believe that the most powerful magic you’ll ever work is the magic you do on yourself? For sure.

The Wich’s Name is about so much more than choosing a name. It is about figuring out who you are. Or at least starting on the path to figuring out who you are, because that can be a lifelong journey.

Who are you? Not what do you do for a living. Not what are your hobbies or passions. Not who are you in relation to other people. Not what religion you are. Not what nationality you are.

Who are you?

This is a question I think we should all seek an answer to. Because everything else can be taken away. There may be a time in my life when I am not a wife, roommate, co worker, American. There might even be a day when I am not a Christian, writer or witch. And if all of those external descriptions were striped from me, who would I be then? At thirty-nine, I don’t know. But if you’d asked me before I read this book, I would have told you I did.

Why are we revising this so fast?

The Witch’s Name was fantastic. I really only had one concern.

Why did it get revised so fast?

The original text came out in 2022. That’s not that long ago.

I didn’t read the original version. So if you already have that book, I don’t know whether you should get this one or not. Personally, I always like to have the latest versions.

But if you didn’t read the original, I do recommend this one with my whole chest. I learned so much reading The Witch’s Name. And as I practice the rituals again, I think I’ll learn even more.

Now, I’m sure that as we close this out, you probably have one remaining question for me. Do I have a witch name? I do. And I highly encourage you to seek out your own. It’s incredibly empowering.

No, I’ll not be sharing mine. Names have power, after all.

If you want your own copy of The Witch’s Name, click here. This is not an affiliate link, nor was I paid for this review. I just had an arc thoughtfully gifted to me.

If you love what we do here and want to support Paper Beats World, please like and share this post. You can also support us financially on Ko-fi.

Want to start of the year with a free book? Check out Seeming, book one of Station 86.

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I’m a Christian Witch. Here’s how it impacts my writing

Writers have a weird job. We sit down and make up things that never happened, then write them down on paper to entertain people. We might try to tell some truths about things along the way, but mostly we’re playing pretend on the page.

That’s a weird thing to do, when you think about it. Which is maybe why everyone wants to psychoanalyze writers. Especially horror writers, I’ve noticed. It’s almost like people think you’re weird if you make up stories about people getting brutally ripped apart by otherworldly creatures or psychos in masks.

What’s wrong with people?

However, it’s true that a writer’s life and beliefs will inevitably influence their writing. Of course it will. No matter what you do, your personality bleeds through on the page. What you love, what you hate. What you hope for and what you’re afraid of.

Now, I’m not saying that Paul Tremblay has murdered anyone. No more than I’ve ever battled a demon while trapped by an ice storm. But I am saying that my personal beliefs do make their way onto the page. Sometimes it’s on purpose, but sometimes it’s not.

Let’s discuss.

If you don’t already know, I am a Christian. But not in a red hat, everyone’s going to burn in hell except me, way. I’m a bit more classic Christian. Feed the poor, care for the sick, love your neighbor, and flip over tables if need be.

I’m also a witch. Yes, you can do both. No, it’s not common, but it happens.

I’ve been fascinated by witchcraft since I was a kid. Charmed, The Craft, Practical Magic. I especially loved Willow from Buffy. I loved that she gained all this amazing power just from studying! Willow wasn’t born into witchcraft. This isn’t a legacy or a superpower for her. She chose it, studied like hell, and became as powerful as the Slayer.

So it’s no wonder that, once I finally started exploring witchcraft, I wanted my characters to explore it as well. I even included some actual spells I actually wrote in Quiet Apocalypse. In this way, I grounded the story in a bit of reality.

Yes, I actually do mean realistic. Because as a witch, I do believe in ghosts. But I also believe that ghosts aren’t the only thing that can get into your home and mess your life up.

However, I don’t usually believe in the chain rattling, blood coming from the walls, apparition sort of ghosts. No, the spirits I’ve encountered are a bit darker. A bit more clever.

My witchcraft experiences have encouraged me to write more about that sort of haunting. It’s less dramatic, but feels more real. At least, to those of us unfortunate enough to experience it.

Finally, both witchcraft and Christianity have made me see my writing as a sacred thing. A gift that I can use to make the world a better place. Or, at least make my life better.

Writing can be shadow work. I used it that way in Quiet Apocalypse. Writing can be a manifestation. Writing can illicit emotions or make people see the world in a different way.

Writing can change the world. At the very least, it can brighten someone’s life. I don’t ever take that for granted.

Witchcraft and magic have touched all of my writing. Woven is largely about the difference between religion and faith, and standing out in a world that wants to force you to fit in. Quiet Apocalypse is about the darker sides of magic fighting the light. And the thing is, this isn’t something I plan or don’t plan. It happens in the rough draft, and I decide to go with it.

That, I think, is the real moral of today’s story. Let the things that move you into your writing. Let the things that shape you into your writing. I could have written this exact same post about living in a Western PA steel town. Or growing up in a single-parent, single-child household. Or being a horror fan. All of these things shape who I am. So, of course, they shape the art I make.

Who you are should shape the art you make. And the good news is that this isn’t something you have to learn. Just let it come out.

Paper Beats World is a labor of love. If you love what I do here, please consider liking and sharing this post and leaving a comment. You can also support me financially on Ko-fi.

Spooky season is coming, and it’s time for some creepy reads. Check out my horror novel Quiet Apocalypse, about a witch trapped in her apartment during a dark winter storm with a demon devoted to ending the world.

Or check out my horror short, The Man In The Woods. A man tries desperately to protect his granddaughter from the mysterious man in the woods. But his fear only grows when a new housing complex is built too close to the woods.

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My review of Inspiring Creativity Through Magick

Writing and magic seem to go hand in hand. When I started my witchcraft practice, I was shocked by how many witches were also writers.

Well, not just writers. Singers, painters, dancers, actors. Witches seem drawn to art.

That makes sense to me. Writing has always seemed to me a tangible form of magic. To be able to experience other worlds while lying on your couch. To be distracted in stressful times and invited to another place or time. To hear the thoughts and musings of people long dead, but still here in ink and paper. To write something, and have it read by people all over the world.

That’s magic.

Many books have been written about writing from a magic perspective. I’ve read a few. But, I’ve never really talked about them here. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because the witch part of my life still feels like something very private. I’m slowly getting over that. I even posted a whole Modern Witch review series on Haunted MTL. So I think it’s time to introduce you to my favorite writing books for witches. Because if there’s one thing that’s universal, it’s that we all want to be better artists.

Today, we’re talking about Inspiring Creativity Through Magick, by Astrea Taylor.

Published in 2023, Inspiring Creativity Through Magick is a firsthand guide to creating a fulfilling ritual around your art. It walks the reader through each step of the creation process, from inspiration to the final product. And it is delightful.

The book starts with a conversation about creative spirits. Muses, and the like. This was great fun, and I actually learned about spirits I hadn’t heard of before.

The thing I appreciated most about this part was the discussion of the unnamed creative spirits that many artists say they’ve come in contact with. Taylor even mentions Stephen King talking about his muse in one of my favorite writing books of all time, On Writing. There he talks about his muse being a short man with a cigar that might show up and start working his magic if King puts the work in and all the conditions are right.

Taylor also talks about Big Magic, another book I’ve talked about here. This book also talks about feeling as though the artist is a partner in the act of creation. We are all capable of tapping into the creative flow of the universe and inviting spirits that want to help us bring our creations to life.

And we know this is true. Every artist has those moments when it doesn’t even feel like we’re on the same plane of existence anymore. When the words are coming or the paint is flying with no effort. When all the pieces fall together, or that subplot now makes sense and is exactly what the main story needed, or the character says just the right (or wrong) thing at just the perfect time. When you write a poem that just smacks you between the eyes because it’s so true, and you hadn’t even thought of those words before they were in front of you on the page, somehow coming out of your own hand.

Clearly, this was my favorite part of the book.

We then delve into the step-by-step process of creating a finished art piece. Not the technical details, of course. This book is for all artists, after all, and that would be a bit much. Instead, it explores the basic stages of creation. The inspiration phase. The first pass phase where we create our rough drafts and start telling ourselves our stories. The edits, and revisions. And of course, the eventual release of the work out into the world.

This is wonderful for many reasons. First, sometimes it’s hard to feel the creative magic in the later phases. Writing a rough draft is all creation. Making something from nothing. There are no rules, we’re just throwing words on the page and seeing what sticks. But editing? Revising? Grammar checking? That’s not creative.

It very much is. Honestly, I find that I’m far more creative in the second and third passes of my stories. It doesn’t feel as immense anymore. I have a better idea of what I’m trying to say, and how I utterly failed to say it the first time. So I can fix this bit here, and rewrite that part there. I know what doesn’t work, and now I can figure out what does work. And this is a process that is clearly explained in a far better way than I ever could in this book.

It’s also wonderful to have this breakdown of steps, especially as a beginner. Looking at a finished project, it’s impossible to see all the work that went into it. And if you’re starting at the other end, looking at a blank page, the thought of turning that blank page into a whole book is incredibly overwhelming.

Breaking this process down, step by step, is more manageable. And it’s something I still do. Today, I’m not writing a book. I’m just writing this scene or this chapter. I don’t need to worry about the edits or the rewrites. Or even the next chapter. All I need to worry about is writing this page right now.

One thing I will say is that Inspiring Creativity Through Magick does feel like a beginner book. If you’ve been creating art for a long time, it might feel redundant. I already knew the steps of creating, I didn’t need them drawn out for me. So there might be parts that a more experienced artist finds a bit boring.

Overall, though, this was a really useful book. I think every artist can take something useful and uplifting away from this book. Whether you’re a witch or not, it’s well worth a read.

If you want to support Paper Beats World, you can do so on Ko-fi

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Falling From Grace is coming in December

Once upon a time, I wrote a story about a boy who wove visions and a girl who spun light. About how, together, they changed their world for the better.

I love that story. But it had a few problems. Problems I only saw after writing three whole books about Devon, Lenore, Sultiana and Victor. All of my main characters but one were born into nobility and wealth. All of them were mages.

Now, that is all well and good. But it’s also a narrow view of the world. Most of us aren’t wealthy. I’m sure as hell not. Most of us are not gifted with such inherent talent that it cannot be denied, which I feel is the closest equivalent to mages in our world.

Some of us have to get by on working hard, saving money and learning skills.

So I wanted to write a story in the world of Woven about a regular woman. Maybe someone not gifted, or destined to do great things. A woman who chose to do great things instead, and shape the world around her through determination and courage.

This brought me to Grace.

You might remember Grace as the angry woman Victor left behind when he moved to Septa. And if you didn’t like her, I’m sorry. I never meant for her to be even a temporary antagonist. She had every damn reason to be angry. Wouldn’t you be if your boyfriend vanished and ended up dating some rich girl?

I needed to give Grace a chance to tell her own story. And in doing so, I told a little of mine as well. Because while I was writing this book, I was also discovering modern witchcraft.

Falling From Grace was first published in 2020. It was a terrible year for most of us, but at least Trump lost his election bid that year. But this time he won, and I think we need Grace again.

I think we need as many women and men as possible who are ready to fight against a mad king. We need witches, advocates and activists. And we need stories about them. So here is mine.

Preorder Falling From Grace here.

I loved writing this book. And I hope that you love reading it. It’s fun, sweary, irreverent and optimistic. I hope it inspires you to see some light in a dark time.

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