​After last month's review of American Gods for the Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge, I thought I would continue with another work of Neil Gaiman, this time writing with the amazing and late Terry Pratchett (I say late, but I will admit that the term seems a little strange...what on earth is he late for?) ~ Good Omens. 
I must admit, I am particularly fond of my copy of Good Omens because across the top is a review snippet from another favorite author of mine - Clive Barker (who said of Good Omens, "The Apocalypse has never been funnier"). There is just something about seeing the names of three amazing authors on one cover, even if they did not write it all together. 

Its the end of the world as we know it...or that is what orders from Heaven and Hell are, anyways. Here on earth, things have their own ways of working out - that free will thing and the wonderful blunders and follies of humans tend to twist fate as it has always done. This time, however, the hindrance of the apocalypse is being helped along by our unlikely heroes - the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale. 

I must first say that I believe Crowley to be one of my most favorite characters in literature. 
The humor in this book in undeniable. I find myself laughing out loud frequently - and forcing those around me to listen as I read certain, particular funny excerpts. 

I sadly did not have the time to create every single one of the sixty projects in Witchy Crafts - I did do 6 of them from different sections to try and get a good idea of Lexa's instructional style and how workable each project was. The following 6 projects are the outcome, for good or bad, hah!

Witchy Crafts has something in it for every magickal crafter! There are crafts for beginners, crafts for experts, crafts for low budget, and crafts for when you want to go all-out on an altar piece or gift. Some of the crafts are huge and might take a week to make while others are tiny and could take less than an hour if you know what you're doing. There are crafts for every type of magickal practitioner as well, in my opinion. None of the crafts in this book have a definite religious brand on them and they can all be tweaked a little to suit your needs and style. 

I double and triple checked the book and couldn't figure out exactly what I did wrong. It migth have been the glue temperature, it might have been the type of incense cone I used, it might have been Mercury in retrograde or a void moon...who knows. If you attempt this particular project and it works for you, please let me know so I can see where we differed! 

I did, of course, have to add my own flair to the wand with replacing raffia/hemp with gold plated copper wire and doing a lil pyrographed sigil on the back. 

I tried this out in 2 different recipes to which I added my own ingredients:
Latte: Add a teaspoon or so of used coffee grounds (does cause some coffee residue in bathtub to clean out later) and a couple of drops of patchouli

Calm: Add 5-10 drops lavender essential oil and some lavender blossoms (last part might cause lavender residue in the bathtub to clean out later)

These recipes are very different from each other in that the coffee recipe can add a caffeinated kick to your bath  while the lavender calms you down and relaxes you. I can't take credit for the first recipe at all (coffee and patchouli smell divine together btw) as I first tried it from a sampler bar at the organic foods store Earth Fare in Tennessee years ago - been in love ever since.

There are 60 projects in this book and I intend to try my hand at all of them eventually. Some of these would make such great Yule gifts for my witchy friends! I currently have on my crafty to-do list the Pentacle Wreath and Coasters, Goddess Cornucopia, all of the tarot projects (of course), the ritual capelet and clasp, and the Altar Fan. Yea, its a long to-do list...

Besides not being able to figure out what the hell went wrong with my incense cone wand stand...I did have a couple of other issues with the book. 
When Lexa uses clay, such as in the Heirloom Chalice projects, she doesn't explain very clearly that baking the heirloom pieces like toys and buttons could cause them damage like melting and burning - big safety tip there. I know it should be common sense but I've seen enough craft projects in my time to know that people can get really into what they are doing and without gentle safety reminders they tend to forget that sort of thing. 
In the chapter Marvelous Mixtures: Recipes to Delight the storage notes are lacking. When dealing with oils, especially base oils like cocoa butter and almond oil, I always consider the fact these might go rancid without proper storage. I was disappointed to find no notes on storing the lotion bars, sugar scrub, or milk bath and as to how long they should be stored for before going bad and no longer can use. This is something readers would have to look up on their own, so the book is not an all-encompassing resource for these crafts. 

I really loved all the little extra chapters added to the beginning and end of the book that sort of hugs the projects together. 
The section on creating a craft group is wonderful for those witchy types that want to get together to celebrate and create. Its especially good for those of us who are solitary and hermits...ehem...to remind us to get out there and be around like-minded magickal people sometimes. 
The Witch Trials and Errors chapter near the back of the book that covers different difficulties you might run into when creating these craft projects is super helpful. She covers allergic reactions, the need to work with non-porous materials like glass, and keeping your craft tools away from your kitchen tools. 
I'm also a big fan of the charts in the Appendix. These are great and super simple references. I do, however, always recommend every practitioner create their own metaphysical correspondence charts at some point. 

While I really, really loved the projects and the whole concept of the book, I did have a couple of working issues with it. In the end I give Witchy Crafts 4 Stars

Lexa Olick has been crafting for over twenty years, creating artwork through knitting, crochet, felting, ceramics, sewing, and more. Her artwork has been featured in the online magazine Dark Romance, Dog Fancy magazine, and the Showtime series The L-Word. Lexa is also a talented writer who as received numerous awards for her screenplays. 
Visit her online at WitchyCraftsBlog.com

I have had this book for a number of years. It is one of my most read and well loved books on the shelf (please forgive its battered state, its been through a lot). It first came into my life when I was in high school and my small group of friends that were also witches were discussing the book. One of us bought it (Lady Aconita! Do you remember who actually owned it?) and we were passing around notes from it during class (a sort of alternative form of education I suppose). When there was a falling out within that group, I knew I would have to get my own copy eventually...that eventually came nearly a decade later. 
When I decided to write a review of this book, I looked at other reviews and mentions online to see if this writing would still be relevant today. Obviously I decided that it was because witches older and younger than myself are still grabbing it off the shelves! That being said, the reviews of the book are on a wide scale with some loving it (like myself) and some outright hating it. One only needs to look at the Amazon reviews to see the spread of opinions. 
While I do not want to linger on the discord of some of the bad reviews, I did want to acknowledge that many that I read seemed to be written by people making assumptions about the book rather than reading it for themselves. These assumptions are often based on RavenWolf's controversial books for teens, which have been disregarded as "fluffy" and, in some cases, inappropriate for the age range they are published for. This is, of course, another topic all together but I did want to say I love Silver RavenWolf's writing, she is one of the reasons I studied witchcraft as a teenager, and many of the people that consider her work to be "fluff" ...well I can't really see it and don't think they've actually read much of her work. (Another note: her works of teen fiction are meant to be taken as that - fiction, not how-to manuals). 
-deep breath- 
Now that we have that covered, let's move on and get into The Ultimate BOS, shall we?

The book is mapped out in 5 sections (not counting the index and what-nots in the back). Each section takes us deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole from the very basics of witchy history (including the why-fors and how-tos) and on to a grimoire of practices and principles. Each section is also marked by little black tabs on the side so that you can go to any particular part of the book upon opening, rather than consulting the main table of contents in the front. 
Each section has its own table of contents. I found this incredibly helpful rather than a 4 page table of contents at the very front to have to keep referring back to. The book actually reads more like an encyclopedia. The organization and effort that went into it...well, I cannot imagine and I wish my own book of shadows was this well put-together (confession: its actually a box of pages at this point waiting on me to reorganize and put it back into book-form). 

In this section, Silver covers some basic history and principles of witchcraft. 
I wanted to note that this section is heavily influenced by Silver's own religious beliefs rather than an over-all view of witchcraft from different cultures. Most of the principles and sections here deal with Wiccan belief systems such as the Charge of the Goddess, sabbats, the Wiccan Rede, and the Witch's Pyramid. That being said, most of this information is good to know for any witch seeking a magickal education, even if they don't practice this in their own lives. 
I am a particular fan of the sections on circle-casting (as it answers the question of why we cast a circle in the first place), rites of passage, and ritual from preparation to structure. Yes, this is all basic, 101 sort of stuff but I think even well-versed witches would do themselves some good to review these beginner principles now and then and remind themselves of where we come from and why we do what we do. 

This is the smallest section of the book and, I must admit, the one I use the least. Here is where the basic tools are described and the reader is given some basic knowledge of how to use them. I think it is the briefest section because one could write whole books on each category (and have). If you find yourself here, wanting to learn more about the 4 main ritual tools, candle-making for magick, the creation of poppets, and more then I would recommend finding a book that focuses soley on those matters rather than a book like this that only has space for a brief overview to give you the basic idea of why they are important. 
Books I recommend include:

Once we get into the last three sections of the book, the table of contents at the beginning of each section become more and more necessary. These sections are much larger and detailed than the last two. It is also helpful that the sections are laid out alphabetically so if you are studying herbalism and astrological connections, this section is where you need to go and you can easily flip between Astrology and Herbs either by checking with the table of contents or focusing on A and H. 

 I think this section also shows that, though Silver is an old-hand at most aspects of witchcraft, she is particularly fond of certain aspects - Astrology, history, and spell work. 
The only part about this section that I found to be an issue (a very minor one) is I don't really understand the inclusion of Affirmations here nor would I have organized the section in the ways she has with Hoodoo and Pow-wow as merely mentioned as segments of spellwork and not given more of a place in the first part of the book as a cultural and magickal lifestyle and practice. I am sure she had her reasons but I can't place them in my own head. I also give a lot of thought to wondering if she or the editors placed things in the book as they are now. 

Here is a favorite section of more than a few of my friends. Silver begins to guide us to dip our toes into the work of Hermes Trismegistus, Alchemy, and correspondences. I admit, I don't use this section much as I prefer to refer to my own tables of correspondences and associations rather than using those supplied by others. I will say that I recommend this section highly to those just getting into associative magick and into creating their own talismans and amulets. The correspondence charts and segments here pair very well with the last section with working on spells, using tools, etc. 

Here is what I consider to be Silver's forte - using magick in everyday life. Here you will find spells, advice, and magickal mindsets for problems spanning minor life struggles of acne and homesickness to major difficulties of imprisonment, finding a job, and eating disorders. 
I think this is the section that we can see Silver as a leader in her community and as a mom as she takes so much into consideration and, I believe, that much of this section probably came from real issues that either she, her daughter, or those in her life have had to deal with. As someone who loves to help others add magick into their lives every day, there is a lot of love from me to Silver for putting this section in The Ultimate Book of Shadows (and for including similar sections in most of her non-fiction books). 

I do wish this book came in hard back. This paperback book tends to get a little battered and the spine on mine is already warped from continual use. Also, my back cover is torn from the simple act of moving it around my office space. I get that the addition of a hard cover would make the book heavier but its already a size that I would not consider lugging around to the cafe or study group with me unless necessary so I would not be opposed to a little more weight. This is, of course, more of a publishers issue than it is a book or author issue (are you reading this Llewellyn?!?). 

This book is also great to take into consideration when creating your own book of shadows. Use the sections and tables of contents when figuring out what sections you would like to include in your own book or in a book you might be creating for a coven, a beginner witch under your mentorship, or your child if you plan to raise them in the path. 

As I am sure you have guessed by my continuous mentions of how much I like this book, I am rating it 5 stars. It is a book that will be on my shelves for perusal and reference for many years and I don't foresee there being a time I don't recommend it to those starting out in the craft. 

This book is HUGE. I mean that literally. This is one of the biggest books in my library and not one that I would want to carry around with me very much. If it weren't for the modern cover and paper, the brightness of the art, and the slick design, this could easily resemble one of those ancient tomes in movies that the wizard drops down on the table before his apprentice (usually coughing from the cloud of dust lifted) and the table creaks under the weight of it. 

Illustrations in the book are sparse however, spattered across almost every page are stars, pentacles, and little wands in place of bullet points.This smattering of images is wonderfully whimsical, witchy, and much appreciated.

I've run into a lot of people who sneer at spell books sold at book stores and claiming that the readers and practitioners that buy these books fall into that derogatory category of "Fluffy Bunny." I encountered that harsh judgement in my own home with regards to this very book. Its a rather large book, as I said, and its colors, size, and title are very evident on my book shelf no matter where I've lived. A friend came over with an acquaintance of hers that is an IT expert, a practicing witch, and says he is a descendant of the Romany people. He saw my book shelf as he was working on my computer (I'm hopeless when it comes to tech stuff it seems) and pointed out that I had a spell book. His tone was derisive and he looked me over saying "You know those books don't work. They don't explain why magick actually works." 
I only smiled and asked how the computer work was going, unwilling to go into this conversation with a stranger that had a hold of my most expensive piece of property at the time. 

The thing is, I sort of agree with him...sort of. 
I don't usually buy spell books. Its not because I don't see their value but its like he said, they don't explain why this or that spell actually works (if it works at all). These are like books of recipes. Spell books tell you the tools you need (kitchen tools and ingredients), the words to say (turn you oven on 450), how to use the tools and dispose of the spell after (mixing, baking, how long, and clean up). They don't usually explain that the reason you are using citrine and cinnamon in your better business spell is because citrine is a strong manifestation stone and cinnamon draws in clients and money just like a recipe won't go into detail about why baking powder helps your cakes become fluffy and that the reason to use butter instead of margarine is flavor as well as moistness. 

Simply reading the first part of the book, with its essays on using magickal tools to key concepts of how spells work, shows that this is not a recipe book. The jist of this whole matter can be summed up in the opening of the second chapter - Key Concepts for Casting Magic Spells:

Judika does an excellent job at giving us those key concepts. 
Even though every spell might not go in depth as to the why-fores and where-bys, there is an explanation to be found for the reason the author recommends goats milk for beauty and Galangal root for gambling spells. If the current spell you are reading doesn't have the explanation, a quick check in the index and the other spells or listings in that category will quickly point you to an explanation. 

My favorite thing about this book isn't necessarily the spells however, its the recipes to make your own magickal ingredients. In the back of the book is a Formulary that has recipes for such spell ingredients as Florida Water, Crown of Success Oil, Dragons Blood Ink, and Kyphi. I love having recipes for these ingredients at hand with simple explanations of how to create it so that I don't have to rely solely on ordering off the internet for those items that I can't usually find around where I live. I also think its good practice for people to make their own magickal ingredients just as it is good for them to make their own magickal tools - not only does this add their own energies to the mix but it connects them to their spiritual heritage. 

Her recommendations for psychic enhancement such as the Oya Courage Spell, her dreama nd psychic vision incense recipes, and pretty much her whole chapter on the Evil Eye I love! Lately I've also been digging on her protection spells recorded for protecting children. Also, her recipe for Kyphi is one of the easier processes and certainly one of the best ones I've found so far when it comes to results. 

A little warning for those of you who practice a form of magickal craft and belief system that shuns any spell work that 1) controls the free will of others or 2) has a negative effect on another person - you stand a chance at being offended by some of the spells in this book. Judika has proven herself to be well-versed in Hoodoo and folk magick as well as having knowledge of modern Western magickal practices of Wiccans and newer faiths. She doesn't skimp on spells from one system or another in this book and magick of all sorts can be found here. 

I give Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells 5 stars!

Before we get into this recipe, i want to say that, yes, I am aware this is not a "real" latte because I didn't heat the milk and create foam as a latte demands. You can heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave but I am not sure how to make the foam without special equipment so...those of you who are barista purists, I hope you will forgive me. 

For this recipe you will need

• Chai
  
• Hot water (of course)
  
• Milk (your choice of type)
  
• Pumpkin Spice Syrup
  
• Cinnamon (optional)
  

Brew your chai tea as you would normally. If you like it strong, add an extra bag to your mug or pot. 
Add a tablespoon of Pumpkin Spice Syrup to your mug. You can make it more or less depending on how sweet or strong you want the flavor to be. 
Add milk. 

Super simple, I know but can you imagine how much money you're saving by not spending $5 a pop on one of these at the local coffee spot? If you wanna feel fancy shmancy, add a dash of cinnamon to the top and put your chai in a branded to-go cup before you leave the house or settle in at your desk. Be sure to take a selfie and share it with me @SeerandSundry on Twitter!

The tarot spread for today's Tea&Tarot is an expansion on the traditional Celtic Cross spread created by Eileen Connolly. Most tarot readers know the Celtic Cross spread as it is the MOST used spread for tarot readings. It is a 10 card spread and, Eileen Connolly reads the positions as

I want to make it clear that this is Eileen's way of reading the Celtic Cross because many tarot readers have different meanings for some of the positions, myself included. 

For the expansion, for each position of the Celtic Cross you will have 3 cards instead of 1 for a total of 30 cards. The cards will, for the main body of the cross, be placed in a triangular formation, while for the side bar will be laid out horizontally. 

Eileen, in Tarot - The Handbook for the Journeyman, says that the Triadic Celtic Spread can "open the Pandora's Box of what's really going on deep inside you." She goes on to make clear that this is not a forecast or fortune-telling spread; "it is to allow you to understand how and why events occur." 
Pictured is my spread created regarding a business question I had:

This is, obviously, not a spread I recommend for daily reading or a quick and simple question. My recommendation is to use this spread for times when your question has a lot of facets to consider and is effecting your life in more than just one area. Have your notebook or tarot journal handy for copious notes. Having this many cards going at once can make it difficult to see and make connections from one card to another. I personally filled up 7 pages in my own tarot journal just from this one reading with notes on location, timing cards, how one card not only effects the triad that it is in but cards on the other side of the reading, and more. 
I also recommend you do this spread in an area where you have ample space...my normal tarot altar could not contain 30 cards splayed at once so I had to move to my desk. Remember, sacred space can be created anywhere - even the floor of your living room or bedroom if necessary. 

Don't be afraid of do-it-yourself recipes or large readings. Both can be super beneficial to your life and magickal practice. 

Recently, my witchy sister Lady Aconita asked me to test out a tarot spread that she created. You can see her spread, notes, and thoughts on her blog here. 
I of course jumped on it because I love testing new spreads AND love sharing my tarot love with friends. 

The topic of the spread was rather prompt for me. The purpose is to analyze your emotions and figure out what is effecting them and, if they are particularly non-beneficial, how to escape their hold on you. 
Being pregnant, I have mood swings, however, in the last week or so, I've experienced some depression due to stress caused by my letting people around me effect how I see myself, my world, etc. This spread was just perfect timing for that and, since I don't believe in coincidences, I knew this was a sign from spirit to get my tail into gear and use my tools to figure a way up and out of the funk I was in. 

I did tweak some of Aconita's working for the spread I laid out. 
I changed #3, Who is not helping you? to Who or What is not helping your situation? 
The wording helped me because, as you might see here, I could read the 5 of pentacles as either someone being uncharitable or the problem could be my own unwillingness to ask for aid that is close at hand. 
Also, rather than Clarification, I chose to lay an Outcome card. 
For me, clarification cards are cards drawn after a reading is laid out and they are placed over the area that needs clarification. Say I wasn't understanding card 3 and wanted some deeper insight, that is when I would draw a clarification card, lay it over or next to card 3, and read it from there. 
By making the 5th card space "Outcome" I could also see if I how I can use the lesson learned in the reading to bring myself towards an outcome I wanted and if the outcome in the layout was not what I wanted, then I'd have a heads up to change my direction. (I will be talking more about this in a future blog post on how to implement advice from tarot readings into your life.) 

In all, I really like this spread. I would recommend it for people who are feeling the blues or are unsure if people around them or their own actions or a combination of both are what is effecting the mood they are in. I also recommend trying this lay out with the Osho Zen Tarot as I find that deck to be great for doing readings based on emotions, shadow work, and depression (I didn't here because I like to try out new spreads with the Rider-Waite first). 
Thank you Lady Aconita for giving us such an awesome spread! 

The deck come sin a box that slide sin and out rather than opens on a certain side. This does make it so that it has to be handled with some care when taking it off the shelf as the bottom just wants to slide right out. That is my only complaint. Otherwise the images on the packaging are nice and its sturdy storage. 
The package comes with deck and book nestled in the middle of the box and there's no rustling or clanking around in there when stored. 
I still prefer to store my decks elsewhere than the boxes, preferring a handmade back or box. (More on how I store my tarot decks here.)

This is a standard, rectangular deck, about the size of playing cards, which is nice since I have small hands and larger decks get difficult to shuffle. Decent thickness and grade of card. A little nicer than playing cards and not so slick they slide off of each other and go all over when shuffling (I've had cards that I think they coat with baking grease before they package them! ACK!). 
The images on the carFds are very Asiatic. There are a lot of Buddhas, a lot of traditional style Chinese motifs and figures. Then there are more modern cards, especially those cards dealing with money seem to have a bit more of a modern vibe to them. 
The colors used in the deck are very vibrant and pop out. Even the more soothing cards like the pale blue and white of Receptivity or the shades of dawn in Trust (both of which use more pastel and softer colors) stand out with a depth of pigment that pops all the more because of the black edge of the cards. 
The deck contains 79 cards since there is an inclusion of the Master card which is Osho himself. I will say now that I'm not much of a follower of Osho and had only heard of him in passing before purchasing this deck. I'm also not much of a Zen practitioner so I'm sure these two factors flavor my review and readings. Someone who is a bigger fan of Osho or who practices Zen methods in their life would probably get a lot more out of this deck. 

I feel this deck is best used for meditation, pathworking, therapy, and self-care. I prefer to use this deck for personal readings and for those clients who seek tarot advice regarding their own inner conflicts or mental/emotional struggles. 
I would recommend this deck to anyone into Zen or Osho of course! I also recommend this deck to those who read the cards for meditation or self-care such as those who are in or have a career in counseling or therapy and the like. This is a fantastic deck for therapeutic purposes. Lastly, I recommend it for those who are interested in oracle decks or who read tarot intuitively as this deck is not a traditional deck and does not need traditional reading methods. 
I would NOT recommend this deck to those who desire a deck with the traditional symbols and images as they will not find them here.

To purchase your own Osho Zen Deck, please feel free to check out Amazon and, of course, the Osho website. 

When I learned Eat Pray Love was a book, I knew I had to read it. This review was first written in 2014 for Amazon. I edited it and posted it here for you all as the sentiments expressed are pretty much still the same. The book came back to my attention when doing readings with the Chrysalis Tarot and learning that The Visionary in the deck was based on Ketut from Eat, Pray, Love. When I pulled it one day in a daily reading, I was spurred into an Eat, Pray, Love marathon of book and movie and had to share. 

I need to go ahead and get this out of the way.
Most books are better than the movie. This is a well known and constantly repeated fact. There are a few exceptions to this rule - Witches of Eastwick, Chocolat and Practical Magic being three of those exceptions (sorry ladies who love the books, they bored the hell outta me and totally not what I expected after such imaginative movies).
This movie and book were not exceptions.
If I was enamoured with the movie, I am deeply involved with the book...
I'd wear its Letterman jacket, or ring...we might just get matching tats.

I won't complain about the movie here - though I do wish I could have seen on screen some of the amazing people the script omitted but were beautifully described in the book. I do understand partially why the screenwriters and directors omitted the political discussion on America's immigration policy and the war in Iraq as such a view could make the movie more about politics and less about this woman's journey - but man I would have loved to "meet" Yudhi and hear his guitar.
I smile immediately at the intro that explains how this story, with its 3 main sections and its 108 parts, like the beads of a mala with this 109th bead being her section of thanks. It was such a beautiful, thought-provoking explanation. I hadn't ever read a book set up in such a way. It was introducing me to a friend for the first time, it seemed, after its reputation preceded and we had eyed each other from across the cocktail party. Hello. It also made me get out my mala after it had been put away for a few months.

When you first start to read this amazing story, which begins in Italy, I suggest having some sort of snack near at hand. This first part will make you starve. This week I indulged in Olive Garden five cheese ziti and Great Alaska Pizza Company pepperoni pizza, which are both things I normally try to avoid. I also finished off a tub of triple chocolate gelato. I don't know if my thighs will forgive my reading this book.
One of my favorite characters is in this part of the book is Luca Spaghetti. This is a man who I would invite out to eat just to hear him talk about food and people and life. I think they did a good job casting for him in the movie but this character, I don't think, could ever really be captured on film.

In the second part of the book...the reader, or this reader I should say...I felt like I was reading a very different book and story. In fact, Liz could have easily written her story in three books without causing the reader to feel something was missing after each adventure. 
We are quickly transported from Italy to India...from the world of laid back, amused pleasure to a universe of calm, spiritual, focused concentration.
As much as I wanted to visit Italy after reading part 1, I am dying to visit India after reading part 2.
The idea of spending 4 months in an Ashram, where my only focus is meditating, yoga, the Geet, and getting in touch with the Divine...sounds...well, divine!
Liz is honest about the experience though. There are difficulties such as malaria carrying mosquitoes, being surrounded by poverty, the rough days of getting up at 3 am to meditate, do yoga and attend what is called the Geet all before breakfast at 9. I know myself well enough that a week of that would either make me or break me.

Part 3 in Bali sounds cool enough but unless a guy who looks like Yoda gives me a prophesy, I don't plan on visiting. I feel this part of the book is so much more about the people than the place and I would so love to meet Ketut Liyer, Wayan the healer and her 3 girls (yea she has 3 in the book, not just Tutti), Yuhdi, and Mario the Italian/Indonesian.
Of course, if you've seen the movie, you know that this is where Liz finds love in a Brazilian man named Filipe. Their story is actually continued in the book Committed. So if you fell in love with Felipe too, you might want to check that out.

While I loved the romance of it and am super happy that Liz found a champion that made her believe in love again, I was more in love with the ending concept.
In Bali, Liz focuses on Balance. 
How do you balance a life between pleasure and devotion? 
I have this question too. Should I be an Epicurian? Experience everything life has to offer? OR should I cultivate a life of meditative devotion to the divine? I think I chose my pagan ways because it has this balance. For Liz, this balance was found in practice of her meditation, her yoga, her relationships and her love. She found no reason to give up any of these things. All she gave up was attachment to misery that is guilt and shame and worry. I love that.

I give this book 5 stars, and a witchy nod of approval.
I have recommended it to all of my friends and read it aloud to Damon, whether he wanted to hear it or not, hah! I recommend it to you, too!

Book Blessings,
December