On my path I’ve been lucky to have some incredible teachers, Raven Grimassi being one of them. He and Stephanie lived one town away from me giving me so many opportunities to take classes with them in person and I loved that. Raven was always very grounded in his teaching and I found that I identified with a lot of what he taught. I frequently recommend him to those starting out on their path for that reason.
One of the things that I love about Raven is that he loves history and it shows. You can tell that he has been lost in the books most of his lifetime researching all the different paths that witchcraft has taken through the years. That research, that history, makes the craft that he teaches different and it’s a huge part of why I love his work. If you are familiar with his work you will be able to see the influence that he has made on my path. He finds a way to pull things together and to make everything make sense. He will teach you things that our ancestors have done and make it relevant for today allowing you to add to the energy that you are raising with that of those who have walked before you. He really has done an amazing amount for our community by not only teaching but digging up the knowledge from the past and helping us to both understand it and to preserve it for years to come.
Many of you know that Raven crossed to the other side earlier this year. He will be missed by many people for a long time. In his final year though he was still writing being the incredible teacher that he is and he produced a book that I absolutely can’t wait to have in my collection. They are taking pre-orders for the book right now and it is set to come out in September. I was incredibly excited about a review that Stephanie posted on her page this morning and I wanted to share it with all of you. Publisher’s Weekly published the following:
“Grimassi (Communing with the Ancestors), a scholar of neopaganism, harkens back to what he considers the heyday of witchcraft in America during 1960s and ’70s in this illuminating history and manual. He considers the common practices of lunar- and forest-based witchery (both of which originated in European paganism) as the “Rooted Ways.” Arguing that modern witches should return to older sources, Grimassi believes that overcodification of practices has led to witches becoming “lost in the labyrinth” of scholarship. Proposing a loose structure to practicing witchcraft, Grimassi asserts that those interested in learning about the tradition should focus on the “hunter-gatherer” essence of magic. He points to writers who placed an “emphasis on self-initiation and personal intuition,” such as Gerald Gardner, Alex Sanders, Sybil Leek, and Doreen Valiente, whom he views as seminal figures of a 1960s Wicca renaissance. Including many references to their work, he then explores European witch folklore, traditional witch deities (such as the “Antlered God of the Forest”), rituals (such as “Drawing Down the Moon”), and witch tools (such as the wand and the pentacle). Readers interested in the basics of witchcraft in the European tradition will find a cornucopia of helpful information in Grimassi’s accessible guide. (Sept.)” Link to article
You can pre-order the book from Raven’s House of Grimassi here: Pre-order What we knew in the night. At the time of publishing this article the link was not working on the website. If you have any trouble Amazon also has the pre-order.
I do believe that this is a book that you won’t want to miss. <3
Have a magickal day,
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Jasmeine Moonsong