Pagan Portals: Sun Magic by Rachel Patterson.
Pagan Portals: Sun Magic by Rachel Patterson is a short read covering the solar cycle, properties of the sun, correspondences, recipes and rituals, and symbols. It is a short, easy read that lightly covers a broad range of topics, including recipes and activities that the reader can try themselves. The writing format is very casual/informal which, depending on the reader, will either be a good or a bad thing. Rachel includes some good safety advice regarding essential oils, plant foraging, ingesting plants, and wearing suncream.
There are a few areas in this book that is dislike or disagree with. There are a few areas that mention ‘smudging’ when talking about smoke cleansing. Smudging is a smoke ritual belonging to closed Native American cultures, and when used by someone who hasn’t been accepted into the closed practice, is deemed as cultural appropriation.
The correspondences included in this book do not explain why they are the way they are, so it feels like pieces of incomplete information is being thrown at the reader with no context. At some points in the book, Rachel states it is up to the reader to ‘find out why’ or says she doesn’t know why (even if the reason why is well documented). When talking about dates, Rachel ends the year with “ish”, giving the book an un-researched feel. There are no sources or references either which adds to this feeling. The reader will need to cross-reference against other sources to verify the information.
There are areas copied from Rachel’s other book “Witchcraft… into the Wilds”, so if you’ve read the other book you may notice this repetition. I also thought it would flow better if there were symbol illustrations when explaining solar symbols, as currently the reader has to imagine what the symbols look like.
Overall, this book would be okay for an absolute beginner looking for a solar witchcraft 101 book. However the reader needs to be aware of the cultural appropriation present and needs to keep in mind that there are no sources.
Last reviewed 14/03/23.
Disclaimer: Anything stated within these book reviews are based on the writer’s opinions, beliefs, and life experiences and should not be taken as universal truth. The writer’s opinion of said books are subject to change over time and reviews may be amended in future to reflect their most up-to-date opinion. It is generally recommended for you to read these books for yourself so you can form your own personal opinion.