Full Title: Fairy Witchcraft: A NeoPagan’s Guide to the Celtic Fairy Faith
Author: Morgan Daimler
Publisher: Moon Books: Pagan Portals
Length: about 100 pages
Review: 5/5
Morgan Daimler is a long-time witch and Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan who is currently a member of Ar nDraiocht Fein, a neopagan Druid fellowship, and is a practitioner of a neopagan form of the Celtic Fairy Faith. Daimler is widely published in both fiction and non-fiction, the latter being mainly on the topics of paganism and witchcraft. This is Daimler’s second book on the topic of fairy witchcraft (the first being A Child’s Eye View of the Fairy Faith).
As with most Pagan Portals books, Fairy Witchcraft is meant to be an introductory guide. At just 100 pages long, it can hardly be expected to be comprehensive on the subject, but Daimler does a very good job covering all the basics and still finding room to add a few tidbits that may be helpful to the more experienced practitioner. Daimler spends a bit of time discussing holidays, altars, tools, and ritual format for the fairy witch, and while I personally use a different calendar and set up, I think this information would be indispensable for a beginner. I would recommend this book to any newbie looking to begin down the path of work with the fae, and I would also recommend it to any intermediate practitioner looking to reexamine and reinvigorate their practice. Many may find that their own way of doing things differs from Daimler’s (I know I did), but the text never claims that there is only one way of doing things. Rather, the reader is encouraged to find practices that best suit them. The text is also peppered through with illustrative anecdotes that really give the reader insight into the depth of Daimler’s practice.
The most refreshing thing about this book is the acknowledgement of the diversity of the fae. Not all of them are happy sweet little winged people who want to give you good luck, certainly not! Daimler discusses various types of fae (but does not list them all, which would certainly require an encyclopedia all on its own) and warns the reader that not all of them are nice. There is a reason there is lore about predatory fae (such as kelpies) and there are certainly reasons that protective charms against the fae have been passed down. Still, Daimler thinks that working with the fae isn’t any more dangerous as any other kind of spiritwork or witchcraft – as long as the proper precautions are taken. My thoughts exactly.