Table of Contents
Love Letters on a Deathbed: An Introduction 1
Book 1 The Book of Earth
Heathen Verses from the Underworld 13
Word-Spell: Songs of Descent 14
To Begin Your Book of Earth: An Artful Invocation 14
Story Lantern: The Homecoming of Deer-Woman 16
Opening Spell: The Shape-Shifter of the Wild Earth 21
Earth Reflections 22
Earth Reflection I Hands in the Dirt 23
Earth Reflection II Permission to Descend 24
Earth Reflection III Memories of the Birth by Fire 26
Earth Reflection IV Forbidden Fruit and Dark Wings Unfurled 28
Earth Spell: A Gift for the Ground 29
Earth Presences 30
Earth Presence I Leaving the Polished Garden 31
Earth Presence II Kissing the Serpent 33
Earth Presence III The Ritual Container 34
Earth Presence IV My Bone-Deep Tattoos 36
Earth Spell: The Living Altar 37
Earth Visions 39
Earth Vision I Underworld Rising 39
Earth Vision II My Wilder Home 40
Earth Vision III The Medicinal Brew 42
Earth Vision IV The Homecoming 43
Earth Spell: Marking the Moment 44
Testament to Earth 45
Possible Additions to Your Book of Earth 46
Book 2 The Book of Water
Heathen Verses of the Sacred Rivers 47
Word-Spell: Songs of the Many Waters 48
To Begin Your Book of Water: An Artful Invocation 49
Story Lantern: The Queen of Holy Intoxication 50
Opening Spell: Sipping from the Heathen Queen's Goblet 60
Water Reflections 60
Water Reflection I The Moving Prayer 61
Water Reflection II Secret Stories of the Holy Obscene 62
Water Reflection III Saved by the Grandmothers 63
Water Reflection IV Beginning Again 64
Water Spell: Crossing the Threshold 65
Water Presences 66
Water Presence I An Unbridled Joy 67
Water Presence II The Quieter Side of This World 68
Water Presence III Benediction to the Forked-Tongued Seductress 69
Water Presence IV Spells as Conversation 70
Water Spell: Wedding the River 72
Water Visions 72
Water Vision I Art from the Fertile Dark 73
Water Vision II The Liminal Space of Creation 74
Water Vision III Witch of the Waves 76
Water Vision IV Water and Reclamation 77
Water Spell: Visions from the Well 78
Testament to Water 79
Possible Additions to Your Book of Water 81
Book 3 The Book of Fire
Heathen Verses of the Burning Temple 83
Word-Spell: Songs from the Pyre 84
To Begin Your Book of Fire: An Artful Invocation 85
Story Lantern: The Ire of the Fallen Mother 86
Opening Spell: The Oracular Fires 91
Fire Reflections 92
Fire Reflection I The Ancestral Fire 92
Fire Reflection II Reclaiming the Flames 93
Fire Reflection III You Are the Crucible 95
Fire Reflection IV The Earth Bride 97
Fire Spell: A Heathen Desire 98
Fire Presences 101
Fire Presence I Vows of the Fire-Keeper 101
Fire Presence II The Rage That Liberates 102
Fire Presence III The Original Oracle 103
Fire Presence IV What Lies Beneath 105
Fire Spell: Protecting the Hearth 106
Fire Visions 107
Fire Vision I The Flames of Transformation 108
Fire Vision II To Rise from Ashes 109
Fire Vision III The Weight of the Healer's Hands 110
Fire Vision IV Hearth of the Heart 112
Fire Spell: The Spiral of Self 114
Testament to Fire 116
Possible Additions to Your Book of Fire 118
Book 4 The Book of Air
Heathen Verses of the Griever's Breath 119
Word-Spell: Songs of Breath and the Wild Hunt 120
To Begin Your Book of Air: An Artful Invocation 122
Story Lantern: The Blood Cloak 122
Opening Spell: A Storm of Infinite Potential 126
Air Reflections 126
Air Reflection I To Die and Begin Again 127
Air Reflection II The Healer's Road 128
Air Reflection III The Ancient Antidote 130
Air Reflection IV Becoming the Wolf-Woman 131
Air Spell: Portals of the Haunted Heart 132
Air Presences 133
Air Presence I The Breath of the Sacred 134
Air Presence II An Elder Earth 136
Air Presence III The Circles Soul 137
Air Presence IV Dear Innocent 138
Air Spell: Love Thyself 140
Air Visions 141
Air Vision I The Alchemy of Relationship 141
Air Vision II Like Honey Wine from the Magdalene's Tongue 143
Air Vision III The Ministry of Unanswerable Questions 144
Air Vision IV A Joyous Death 145
Air Spell: Drumming the Heart 147
Testament to Air 147
Possible Additions to Your Book of Air 149
Book 5 The Book of Ether
Heathen Verses from the Unseen Others 151
Word-Spell: Songs of the Cauldron Keeper 152
To Begin Your Book of Ether: An Artful Invocation 152
Story Lantern: Return of the Mist Dwellers 153
Opening Spell: The Misty Bridge 154
Ether Reflections 155
Ether Reflection I The Space Between 155
Ether Reflection II The Greatest Challenge 157
Ether Reflection III The Witch's Psychic Soil 159
Ether Reflection IV The End of the Hunt 160
Ether Spell: Removing the Seer's Obstacles 162
Ether Presences 163
Ether Presence I To Live on the Fringes 163
Ether Presence II Sovereign within the Collective 165
Ether Presence III The Language We Do Not Yet Speak 167
Ether Presence IV To Be a Witch 169
Ether Spell: Naming the Patterns 170
Ether Visions 171
Ether Vision I A Subtle Wink 171
Ether Vision II The Ancestral Story 173
Ether Vision III Washing the Dust 174
Ether Vision IV The Spirit Wakes Wild 175
Ether Spell: Asking the Dream-Weaver 176
Testament to Ether 177
Possible Additions to Your Book of Ether 179
Holy Wild Spell: Gifting the Grimoire 179
Conclusion 181
Acknowledgments 185
Notes 187
About the Author 191