By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn is a short but pleasant read. It contains topics such as energy, spirits, warding, and protections. I liked this book a lot, it gets straight to the point, isn’t filled with hardly (if any) fluff which is my personal preference, and does contain good invaluable pieces of advice such as to use what you have as it doesn’t have to be fancy, and practice makes perfect. It is also very transparent from the start, as the introduction states it’s not a complete guide. I’ll definitely be keeping this in my personal collection for future reference.
The only few things I noticed that I didn’t particularly agree with, is that at one point it is mentioned to bury the spell in it’s glass bottle which is generally not recommended to do due to the environmental effects. There are a few areas that mention to NOT burn a herb, but doesn’t state why. It’s not a complete guide but mentioning a quick reasoning for this would be helpful. My last point is that a small section the book states to ‘don’t be a lazy witch, grind it yourself’ when referring to red brick dust. This is an ableist claim as there are many disabled witches who are unable to physically grind their own dust, and there is nothing wrong with purchasing ready-made dust for those who want or need it.
Overall, I found this book helpful and invaluable to the subject of wards and protections
Last reviewed: 12/12/23
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.