The Green Witch

Structure: ★★★ Prose: ★★★ Pacing: ★★ Intrigue: ★★ Logic: ★★ Enjoyment: ★★Overall Rating: ★★A strange and vague guide on green witchcraft that feels unsatisfying to the end.I'll preface that I'm not a witch, nor am I very familiar with practices or origins of witchcraft of any kind, which is why I was interested in this book. Therefore, my opinions may be uninformed, so take this review with a grain of salt.I found that Murphy-Hiscock explained the ideals and general practices of green witchcraft fairly well, although I've seen many reviews from witches stating otherwise. I did find that the concessions to make witchcraft accessible for everyone were a little hokey. That one should make shrines to each element, but you don't actually need an object like a candle or a jar of water, that a photo of fire or a waterfall will work just fine? I can't imagine communing with a postcard of Niagara Falls. Secondly, the author tends to give information with a high level of conviction but no information or citations to back it up. I understand this is a craft that is carried down more in person than through cited sources, but she included plenty of sources in the back of the book without citing to them. The sources also don't leave the reader with much confidence, with books like “Witchcraft for Dummies” included in her research.I also found that there was a lot of general knowledge that is sure to leave a lot of newcomers a bit directionless after reading. Things like telling readers to find their local plants and use them in their spells is just like saying, “Find local vegetables and make a meal with them.” It's kind of an obvious thing to suggest and yet doesn't give any specifics on what kind of things to look for and what specific spells to use them with.I was really hoping to learn about the origins of green witchcraft and the role of green witches in their heyday, but there wasn't much in the way of historical learning. It really felt like a white-centric point of view on witchcraft without delving into various cultural impacts on modern witchcraft, so I think there are probably much better books to learn about witches and wiccan practices.The last section was what I had most looked forward to before even reading the book. That is, the recipe and ingredient guide. This was probably the most useful and informative section, although there were also a lot of generalizations there too without any regard for botany or geology. Even in the recipe section there we recipes like the one for an “Herbal Milk Bath” that just called for water, milk and “herbs”. Why even write that recipe if it doesn't call for something specific? Why not create a few “milk bath” recipes with different herbal blends for different uses? In conclusion, this kind of felt more like a cash-grab than a well-informed guide.