Weave the Liminal: Living Modern Traditional Witchcraft by Laura Tempest Zakroff.
Weave the Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakroff is a great book that touches on the history of modern Traditional Witchcraft, who and what is a witch, how to create and craft your own witchcraft practice that suits you, and exploring the liminal. I really enjoyed the way it is written, it is easy and fun to read, and I chuckled several times at Laura’s funny and witty writing style. Laura includes some really good paragraphs about black and white magic and how magic isn’t inherently good or bad (and touches upon the historical use of black magic), good safety advise regarding drugs and trances, provides a few great online resources (although US-centric), and states again that nothing is completely good or evil. I’m really glad that these were mentioned as these are easily left out of other witchcraft books, however they are important points that every practitioner should know.
There are a few points in the book that I personally disagreed with. At one point the book mentions that by respecting anything that you take, it’s cultural appreciation and not cultural appropriation. To a certain degree this is correct, as long as they’re from open practices and the reader is aware of their origin and context. Taking from closed practices, no matter how respectful you are, shouldn’t be encouraged.
There are a few sections in the book that present as anti-christian.
The book states that you shouldn’t label yourself as a victim because you aren’t one. I know this is meant to come across as empowering, that the horrible experience doesn’t define you as a person. However this comes across as dismissive, and almost puts the blame on the victim.
Lastly, there is no bibliography or any references, only a few resources, so the readers cannot go back to Laura’s sources.
Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who would like to expand their craft and get the most out of it.
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.