BOOK RELEASE DAY!

I'm so excited! Today is finally the release day for Modern Witchcraft: Goddess Empowerment for the Kick-Ass Woman. I love this book and I really hope you will too!

Blurb:

Deborah Blake’s Modern Witchcraft is a guidebook to witchcraft as a female-empowering religion, including detailed instructions on how to practice self-care in today’s society through goddess worship and magic.

In a time when most formal religions are on the wane, Wicca is said to be the fastest growing religion in North America. What is it that draws people to Witchcraft, and how does a spiritual path with its roots in ancient beliefs and traditions transform itself into a practice that resonates so deeply with today’s modern woman?

There are a number of explanations for the phenomenon, such as Witchcraft’s connection to the natural world, or acceptance of members regardless of lifestyle choices. For women, however, the greatest appeal may be the worship of a goddess (or goddesses). No stern patriarchal God here. Instead, Wicca and most other forms of modern Witchcraft embrace deity in both the feminine and the masculine. Suddenly, women can look at the divine and see themselves reflected back. In addition, many women are frustrated, frightened, triggered, and down-right furious with the current social and political environment, but feel powerless to create positive change. Witchcraft can give them a sense of personal empowerment.

There are many different Witchcraft paths and a multitude of approaches to its practice. This book will guide the reader on the journey to connecting with the feminine divine both without and within, and open the door to this magical religion that will enlighten, uplift, and energize their lives.

Buy Links

Barnes & Noble |Amazon | Macmillan| iTunes |Kobo| GooglePlay | BooksaMillion

Live Witchcraft Class and Full Moon Ritual

As some of you might already know, I started a Patreon page a couple of months ago, and one of the rewards (at the $25/month level) is a live class on various witchcraft topics. (This is a pretty good deal, when you consider that back in the days when I gave online classes--which weren't done by video-chat, so they were way less personal or interactive--they often cost at least that much. And you didn't even get to watch a cat wander in and out of the screen...)

I'm going to be doing a special edition this month, on Wednesday January 31st at 7:30 PM est, in case you were curious about it or thinking of joining in. Wednesday is a big day: it's a super moon, a blue moon, and a total lunar eclipse, all at the same time. To give you some idea of how rare this is, the last time there was a total eclipse during a blue moon (the 2nd full moon to fall in a month) was 1866! So not only is there going to be a class segment, I will also be doing an actual live ritual (albeit a simple one, since I will be sitting in front of a computer). The ritual will focus on coming out of the darkness and into the light. Since this theme works for Imbolc as well, if you can't tune in during the class, you can use the ritual for Imbolc instead. (For those who are at this level, the video is always available later in case they aren't around during the time the class is live. Considering we have people in multiple countries and time zones, this is always going to be an issue, alas.)

To follow me on Patreon, you can go here and check it out. There are a variety of support levels, including $1 and $3 levels for folks who just want to be supportive but don't have much of a budget, as well as levels that get you rewards like a spell a month, or snippets of my works in progress, and much more. (There is even a level that can get you a live tarot reading every month or help with your own writing!) Plus exclusive cat pictures, of course. Mostly, Patreon is a way to support the artists/authors/creative folks you like, so they can keep on doing what they're doing. And believe me, we appreciate it.

Check out my Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/deborahblake

I hope some of you will join me at this once-in-a-lifetime class!

IN OTHER NEWS:
I've been working hard on the third Rider book, DANGEROUSLY FIERCE. Expect some big announcements soon!

A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft Release Day Giveaway

Okay, so the book actually came out in print a few days early, and some people already have it. (THANK YOU so much to those who have posted reviews! SMOOCHES!) But today is the official release date for A YEAR AND A DAY OF EVERYDAY WITCHCRAFT, my latest book from Llewellyn. As you might guess from the title, it is a 365 day book (well, 366) that is part devotional, part daily reminder to put spirit into your life. Here is the description:

Enjoy the Sacred Wisdom of Witchcraft Every Day
Connect with your witchy self each and every day using quick, easy, and fun practices. This handy book features simple yet meaningful ways to integrate witchcraft into your daily life, inspiring you to take your magic to a new level whether you’re a beginner or an experienced practitioner.
Deborah Blake guides you on a journey through the Wheel of the Year, providing witchy wisdom, affirmations, spells, questions to ponder, and much more. From working with herbs and gemstones to connecting with deities, A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft explores a variety of modern Pagan practices to help you get more in touch with your personal path of witchcraft.

It is the #1 New Release in Wicca over on Amazon, which is pretty cool.

 As are the rankings :-)

So of course, I'm going to have to celebrate with a giveaway, right? I have two remaining ARCs (advanced reader copies), which are almost exactly like the actual book, only not quite. Plus a couple of fun witch's shoe pens for Halloween/Samhain. So we're going to have two winners to celebrate, instead of one. Because that's how much I love you people.

Look how cute!

Magic approves.

 As always, no purchase is necessary (although the author would be very happy if you would leave a review, tell all your friends, and such). And you get credit on the Rafflecopter form for anything you already do, like follow me on Twitter. Happy new book day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BIG News for my Llewellyn Readers

I keep saying that I'm not going to be writing any more books for Llewellyn, because writing the novels for Berkley is taking all of my time these days. In fact, I've been saying that for a few years. But then my beloved editor Elysia asked me if I could write The Witch's Broom book (the Kindle version is on sale for $2.99 right now, btw), and since she's my favorite, I had to say yes. Then I got the idea for Everyday Witchcraft and I just had to write that one. But that's it, I said. Absolutely no more.

Only, um, I got this idea about a year ago. And I was silly enough to mention it to Elysia at Pantheacon last February, and she mentioned it to Bill, the publisher, who was there too, and they both said, "We REALLY want you to write this book."

I said no. I swear I did. I'd just gotten the second Berkley contract with two new novels, a new novella, and the revisions for Veiled Magic and there was no way I was going to have time. Absolutely not. Every once in a while Elysia would email me and say, "Hey, when are you going to write that book we talked about?" or "Gee, Bill reminded me I should ask you about that book." "No," I said. "Can't possibly do it. Way too busy."

But here's the thing...it's kind of a cool idea. I've had lots of fans ask me if I could do a year and a day book, or some kind of witch's devotional, or something along those lines. So the idea I got, almost a year ago, was to do a 365 Day book that would take the reader on a path through the year that would teach, inspire, and recharge them, no matter what their level of experience or the depth (or lack thereof) of their practice. It could be used as a personal year and a day journey, or as a devotional, or just for fun.

Did I mention I love 365 Day books? I have them for writing, and witchcraft, and other spiritual paths, among other things.

Magic the Cat insisted on helping with the picture, so I guess she likes them too.

So when Elysia emailed me again a few months ago and said, "REALLY, Bill wants to know when you're going to sign the contract for this. We really, really want you to write it!" I um, kinda said, "Okay, you win. I'll write it."

The contract for the tentatively titled 365 Days of Everyday Witchcraft got signed this week, just in time for Yule. Consider this my gift to you, my readers, who have been so lovely about supporting all my previous work. It won't be out until late in 2017, because, you know NOVELS (and the tarot deck that's coming out in January 2017), but you will be getting one more witchcraft book from me.

This is the last one. I mean it. Seriously.

Anyone besides me a little excited about this? (And yes, I'll probably be doing a giveaway later this week to celebrate--I just couldn't wait one more minute to share the news!)

Magical Monday: A Prosperity Spell

I asked folks over on My Facebook Page what kind of spell they'd like for this week. Naturally, I got about sixty different answers. (Thanks, guys. BIG help.) But a number of people asked for prosperity, so I'm going to share my favorite prosperity spell with you. I have a few, but this is the first one I wrote (for my first book, Circle, Coven & Grove) and it has worked well over the years for me and others.

Prosperity magick is often done on Thursdays, using a green candle. If you want to add a stone to the mix, many of the green stones, like malachite, jade, or aventurine, are also associated with prosperity.

One of the things I always suggest when doing prosperity work is to keep an open mind. If you ask for one specific thing, like money, you might or might not get it. But if you leave room for the Universe to improvise, you might end up getting just the right thing and the right time to fill whatever need you have.

When I am going to do this spell, I often take a green votive and using the tip of my athame or a toothpick, scratch a few rune symbols (such as Uraz and Gifu) into it, along with  my initials.

God and Goddess hear my plea

Rain prosperity down on me

Bring in monies large and small

To pay my bills, one and all

Money earned and gifts for free

As I will, so mote it be

Note: If you are concerned about getting your prosperity in a way that is less than positive (a relative dying, for instance), you can always add at the end of this or any other spell: For the good of all, and according to the free will of all, so mote it be.

Magical Monday: A Spell for Bravery

In honor of Memorial Day, which we in the USA are celebrating this weekend (even though it is actually at the end of the month--that's the way we roll here), here is a spell for Bravery.

Most of us don't have to go into actual battle, thank goodness, but life can be a pretty daunting experience sometimes, and most of us have circumstances now and again where we could use a little more courage. I hope this spell (from Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook, Llewellyn 2010) helps you when you need a little boost.

BRAVERY

Goal: To boost courage when needed

Optional Extras: Orange or red candle, piece of carnelian or tigers eye—if you want, light a yellow candle for air, a red candle for fire, a blue candle for water, a green candle for earth and a white candle for spirit

Notes: This is a simple spell and can be said any time you need a boost. Write it down and tuck the paper in a wallet or pocket if you need to, or carry the stone with you.

Gods grant me courage

To face what lies ahead

And deal with the challenges

In the best way possible

Earth lend me strength

And make me strong and grounded

Air blow fear away

And keep my head clear

Fire burn away doubt

That would sap my will

And water calm and sooth me

So I might go with the flow

Spirit burn strong within me

That I might be brave

In the face of difficulty

Gods grant me courage

Gods grant me courage

So mote it be

A Spring Prosperity Spell

Snowdrops in my yard

Spring is the perfect time to do prosperity work for the rest of the year. Nature is beginning to grow and burst into bloom, at least in most places, and we can use that energy to work towards positive increase in our own lives.

Keep in mind that prosperity doesn’t just mean having cash money in your hands (although that’s not a bad thing). If you ask for prosperity with an open mind, it may manifest in unexpected ways: a gift or aid from someone else, an unforeseen opportunity, or a situation that looks grim that turns out to be less so than expected.

For instance, I recently got a flat tire. While I was waiting for AAA to come and put on the spare, I asked the goddess to make the situation turn out as well as possible. You’ll note I didn’t specify “please don’t make this cost me any money.” There was a giant bolt in the side of the tire; even the goddess couldn’t fix that. But when I got to the place where I’d bought the tires, it turned out that there was enough tread on all the other tires that I only had to buy one, instead of two. And it also turned out that there was a road hazard warranty I didn’t remember, so the replacement tire only cost me $64 instead of $112. So in this particular case, prosperity meant that I was only out a little bit of money instead of the larger amount it could have been.

As another example, I was expecting a check from one of my publishers (an advance for the books I just sold, not huge, but enough to make a difference) and found out it was going to be delayed, possibly for months. My finances are precarious enough that this could have been something of a disaster, at least temporarily. Then I got word that I was getting an unexpected payment for books that had sold better than I’d thought. Again, not a huge amount of money, but enough to carry me through until the other check finally shows up. Ta da! A gift from the gods!

In this case, my own hard work was paying off in unanticipated prosperity. That’s an important thing to keep in mind, since Witchcraft isn’t just about “wishing” for something better, but also doing the practical work that will enable it to manifest when the time is right.

Now that spring is here, be sure to start planting the seeds for your own prosperity in actions and intentions. And while you’re at it, you may want to say this spell, just in case you need a little extra help.

Note: You may want to put a vase full of lush flowers in full bloom on your altar as an offering, and/or place a coin in front of you to represent the prosperity you ask for. If you are using a candle, green is a good color for this. For an added boost, try doing the spell on the night of the full moon. If you are at all concerned about your prosperity coming at a cost to others, you can always add “For the good of all and according to the free will of all,” at the end of any spell.

God and Goddess, hear my plea

Bring abundance now to me

Let the blessings overflow

And good things come to all I know

Send me that which I desire

Help me lift myself up higher

Steer my path so I might gain

And true abundance now attain*

*Originally published in Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook: Wonderfully Witchy Blessings, Charms & Spells (Llewellyn, 2010)

I'm a Cover Model--This Month!

As some of you know, I am actually on the cover of the next Witches & Pagans Magazine, and the lovely C.S. MacCath does an in-depth interview with me inside. The magazine has just gone to print! And there is a 72 hour special advance-buy price, if any of you are interested in getting a copy.

(Mom, I'm looking at you.)

ORDER A COPY

Gee, that woman sure looks familiar....

Here's the summary, snitched from the newsletter (but really, it is all about me, I'm sure you agree). Let me know if you're going to be getting a copy. I'll probably do some kind of W&P giveaway...

The new Witches&Pagans magazine issue
“Wicca & Witchcraft” is at press.

Order in the next 72 hours, you can get this issue at a special introductory price of $6.45!

A short descripition:

Meet Magickal Witches: Two charismatic ladies light up this special issue concentrating on Witchcraft and Wicca. In “Craft of the Wise” we meet a reigning Queen of Gardnerian Witchcraft, the distinguished Wiccan elder Patricia Crowther. Ms. Crowther has been part of the Craft for over fifty years, and in this conversation with Michael Night Sky, she remembers back to the days of Gerald Gardner when Wicca was new and shares her observations on the state of witchcraft today.

Deborah Blake specializes in teaching her readers how to bring magick to everyday life. In this interview, "(Not Just) Your Everyday Witch" we sit down with the charming and vivacious author of seven books on practical magick to find out how she keeps her own world magickal. (Spoiler: she's got a black cat named "Magic" who helps out quite a bit.) Find out what makes Deborah tick — and what new projects are in the works for her — in this exclusive interview by C.S. MacCath.

Chase Down the Great Beast — in London? Nomadic magickal travel writer and explorer Natalie Zaman recently crossed the Atlantic to hunt for traces of the mysterious magician Aleister Crowley. Follow her as she day-trips around London on the trail of the Golden Dawn and find out what she uncovered in "Wandering Witch Goes to London."

Explore the Heart of Wicca and Witchcraft: What is the one piece of liturgy that most Wiccans share? The answer is the “Charge of the Goddess.” Sable Aradia parses the poem for the deeper meanings that illuminate the heart of Wiccan theology. Is Wicca an ancient tradition, or a new religion? Ivo Dominguez, Jr. helps untangle the ways in which the history of Wicca reveals the heart of this magickal path. Mike Howard discusses the roots of traditional British sorcery in “Witchcraft before Wicca.”

The Culture of the Craft: Catt Foy investigates what’s actually in that Witches’ cauldren in Shakespeare’s MacBeth.
What’s in your Spellbook? Cory Thomas Hutcheson uncover the secret depths of the magician’s book of wisdom.

PLUS: Our columnists speak out: Raven Grimassi extols the value of unwritten tradition; Archer shares the lore of magical elixirs ; HecateDemeter incites us to consider the radical acts of witchcraft while Ashleen O'Gaea introduces us to her tradition: Adventure Wicca. Jason Mankey claims the title of “Witch;” John Michael Greer challenges us to embrace a Pagan view of time; and Fritz Muntean excoriates mythical origin stories. Plus two new columnists: Diotima Martinea introduces a new column on Pagan astrology; and rabble-rousing activist H. Byron Ballard introduces us to her flavor of down-home Southern witchcraft. Plus letters, reviews, Pagan poetry and lots more! 88 pages, published in December, 2014.

The Sekrit Project Big Reveal with Mickie Mueller!

As some of you already know, my first book for Llewellyn came out in 2007. Circle, Coven & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice was based on my first year's practice with my coven, Blue Moon Circle, and contained a year's worth of full moon, new moon, and sabbat rituals, as well as advice for those practicing with a group of any kind.

To my amazement, I got lots of great feedback from solitary witches too, saying how useful they found it. (You can check out some of the reviews on Amazon, if you don't believe me.)

Alas, the book went out of print last year. That's not unusual in publishing--once they have sold out all the originally printed copies, the publisher has to look at the current sales to see if they merit another print run. And unless you are very popular, that doesn't happen a lot. [On the other hand, The Goddess is in the Details, my 3rd book, went to a 5th reprint last year, so you never know.]

In theory, that might have been the end of that. You can still find the occasional print copy around, usually used, but there won't be any more.

Or will there...?

Thankfully, Llewellyn was really great about giving me back my rights to the book, so I decided to put it out as an eBook. There was only one catch. Well, two. The first catch was that I don't know squat about putting out eBooks. It's a pretty complicated procedure, where you have to convert the manuscript into the correct format (which is very fiddly), upload it to Amazon, jump through all sorts of hoops--not something I had time for while working on two different nonfiction books and a Baba Yaga novella.

So I called on the wonderful Sierra Meintser again. You might remember that she is my way-more-savvy-than-I-am-about-computers friend who did a bunch of online research for me in the past. This time, she actually taught herself how to do all this eBook voodoo, and made it possible for the book to be published after all. (And yes, if you're thinking about publishing your own eBook, she is going to be adding that skill set to her new business. Just sayin')

But then there was catch number two. The book belonged to me...but the original cover was still the property of Llewellyn. I needed a new cover. And this is where Mickie Mueller came in! She did the amazing illustrations in The Witch's Broom book, so naturally I thought of her right away. And luckily, when I asked her if she was interested, she loved the idea. So we've been working on the project for the last couple of months. In sekrit :-)

Here's Mickie's take:

"When Deborah contacted me to create a new piece of art and cover design for her book Circle, Coven & Grove: A Year of Magical Practice, the first thing we did was to discuss her vision. It obviously needed to portray some kind of coven. We discussed it and decided that a small coven would be perfect so that the figures would have some impact. We also wanted to add Magic the Cat in there somewhere. We decided a coven of three would look great and then I started thinking about composition, mood and color. I wanted the scene to be dark and witchy, but at the same time welcoming and inviting and not scary.  I think of Deborah as being that kind of teacher, her roots are firmly planted in the world of the witch, but her friendly demeanor makes her a great teacher, I wanted that to come across on the cover, so I suggested that we could base the center figure on her likeness.  We really had fun with it. She sent me some photos of her early days with her coven for reference, and the wonderful thing that happened was that it brought the story of the teachings in Circle, Coven & Grove back full circle and infused the art with the energy of those early days with her group.

So we had decided on the three figures. I kept thinking of an altar covered with magical tools, the coven looking into the book and the central figure looking at the viewer, inviting them in. I couldn’t seem to get past the idea of an altar because I thought of the cat being there in the middle of everything. I had done art of an altar with a cat on it a couple of times already, and so I kept trying to think outside the box. Once I got the Book of Shadows off of a table or bookstand and right into the hands of the central figure, it finally all came together!  A magical and artistic epiphany, it’s not the tools, it’s the teachings, what you carry inside of you!  So I kept it simple; three figures, there was the book in the center, the teachings, the cat happily rubbing against everyone’s legs and I thought, “They need some light out there in the woods.” Once I sketched the witch on the right with a candle, it hit me! Bell, book, and candle!  Since the candle was going to have a lovely glow, I decide the book and bell could have a magical glow as well. Deborah approved!

I kept the colors complimentary so everything would pop. Blueish gray and warm golden oranges were my palate. I really had fun layering the trees in there to give the whole thing atmosphere. I added the same orangey golden glow to the horizon so that we would be at the in-between time of dusk, a very magical time to be in the woods.  I had originally suggested a circle of magical symbols to be superimposed over the art for the cover design, upon seeing that, Deborah suggested the moon phases to better represent her coven. I loved the idea and took it a bit further adding the astrological illustrations on an inner circle, further suggesting the changing cycles of the magical year."

 So, are you ready to see what she came up with? I REALLY love the way it turned out. I hope you do too!

What do you think? It sure is different from the original cover, isn't it? 

I also decided that I wanted to make the book affordable for people, so I only priced it at $2.99 And no, I probably won't even earn back what I paid Sierra and Mickie for their work, but that's not the point. Remember I told you that I had one more surprise gift for my readers, to thank them for all their support and enthusiasm for me, and the new book in particular? This is it! My gift to you. I hope you like it.

Circle, Coven & Grove on Amazon And yes, Nook users, we'll be putting the book up in all the other fomats after 90 days.

Don't forget that the contest celebrating the release of The Witch's Broom is still on for the next three days, and you can get extra entries by doing some things (like spreading the word about the book) every day the contest is running. The Contest Blog Post We did pretty well for a while there, getting the book up as far as #9 on Amazon's "nonfiction/witchcraft" list. It's sitting at #20 now, which still makes me pretty darn happy.

And I'll be packing up all the signed books people ordered from me from the "But Now" link at the top of the blog, and taking them to the post office later today! (Along with a few little treats, just because)

Thanks again for all your support. So, what do you think of the Sekrit Project? Inquiring minds want to know...

ADDENDUM at 7:20 PM
My fans ROCK!!!