By Phyllis Curott
Review
I have chosen to inaugurate my blog by reviewing one of the most influential readings of my life. A book that has struck a chord deep inside me and that has changed my perception for good. Above all, a first-hand testimony that managed to uproot my sense of shame for what I felt was my true nature, in all areas of life, making me feel free and entitled to spread my wings and reveal myself to the world with awareness and pride.
Book of Shadows (1998) by Phyllis Curott is a book that has made history, not only for the Wiccan community, but also I believe for every woman or man who feels within her or himself the ever growing call to the consciousness of the divine feminine.
The Italian edition (2012) that I purchased and that you see in the picture is from Casa Editrice Venexia – a publishing house that I love – but the first Italian edition of the book came out with Sonzogno Editori in 1999, with the title ‘Il Sentiero della Dea’ – ‘The Path of Goddess’.
Phyllis needs no introduction: lawyer, activist, author, member of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, of which she has also been Vice President and keynote speaker along with the Dalai Lama. Last but not least, she is Founder and High Priestess of the Temple of Ara.
I bought this book a bit as a mystery box and I loved it from the first chapter. I thought I would have found myself reading a Wicca and anthropology manual. Instead, to my surprise I wonderfully discovered Phyllis’s autobiography, written in an open, profound, and straightforward way. ‘Book of Shadows’ is indeed the perfect title for this grimoire and memoir at the same time, which narrates a journey of discovery and self-discovery, through the veil of magic. In the words of Deepak Chopra:
“A modern-day Persephone myth full of magic and mystery, Book of Shadows transcends the bounds of its genre.”
I fell in love with this
autobiography because – while
I was reading the adventures of a young and single Phyllis in the New York of
the ’70s, graduated from the most prestigious Universities, band manager
immersed in the rock scene, a successful young career woman divided between an exhausting
and at times inglorious job and a new spiritual connection to nature, creativity,
and the divine feminine – I saw myself in her.
Book of Shadows thus retells Phyllis’ journey, physical and metaphysical, from her first discovery of the world of magic and women’s circles, to her growth and awareness of her inner strength, up to her dedication…
But I don’t want to spoil this wonderful grimoire for you! Read it now, at Samhain or Yule, snuggling up with a steaming mug of herbal tea, lighting a white candle, under the moonlight. You’ll come back for more every night.
I would like to thank Phyllis Curott for gifting this wonderful adventure of hers to the world. My review score cannot be any other than 100% positive.
