Witch Way Now

Judika is one of my favorite authors and has been since I first began my foray into paganism and magick. An accomplished author, certified aromatherapist, tea and tarot reader: this woman knows her stuff and it shows in her classes, books and articles. She is an author and has written a number of books on topics ranging from the paranormal to witchcraft and magick.

When I began my magickal studies I was excited, scared and feeling a little lost. I found a group in NYC and began taking classes but still wanted a little more. My book collection was slowly growing (now it's taking over my apartment) and I was committed and studious. I purchased books like Raymond Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft and Wicca: The Complete Craft by D.J. Conway. I read one to three chapters in each book everyday and completed the exercises and questions at the end of the chapters. Plus I was carrying smaller books around with me, reading on the train or when I had time at work. If only I'd paid this much attention to my school work in my mundane life, I could be working at NASA by now!

I knew I needed to learn the fundamentals, the background and basics etc but what really peeked my interest and need for knowledge was magick. Growing up I was certain that there was magick in everything. The woodpecker that returned to my neighborhood every spring. The smell of my mothers' rose garden filling my bedroom. Forcing my father to place my bed under the window so I could sleep in moonlight. I knew there was magick in everything and I wanted to know more about it. I searched the internet for new books to add to the growing pile and I discovered The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magickal Arts by Judika Illes. I had to have this book.

In this photo: Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints and Sages, Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, Pure Magic, Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, and Encyclopedia of Spirits.

Apparently Nimitz, my familiar, likes Judika's books as well!

Aside from finding this book that, from the description had everything I was looking for, it was also an encyclopedia! I've had a love for large encyclopedia type books since I was a kid. Maybe it's because of the Taurus,Virgo action going on in my birth chart but a ton of information properly organized into one giant book is like heaven to me. So obviously I bought it.

The book arrived and it was everything I expected. There was information and spells for every topic under the sun: protection, fertility, love, money etc. Recipes for oils, inks and powders and information on magical tools. I was hooked. I read through the book, using the information, recipes and spells that I found inside. The first oil blend I ever made came from a recipe in this book. This book is well researched, organized and thoughtfully put together by a woman that clearly knows what she is talking about. I've used it so much some of the pages are falling out and post-it notes are stuck on pages that I refer to frequently. Judikas' down to earth approach makes magic seem tangible and accessible. So I went back to the internet and started investigating her other books of which I own almost all of them.

Fast forward a few years and I'm shopping in Namaste Books and I happened to see a flyer for a lecture and book signing with Judika Illes! After I stopped grinning from ear to ear I immediately called a friend and fellow Judika fan and we made plans to attend the lecture. The talk was about her latest book, Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints and Sages. Judika gave a great lecture and at the end she was nice enough to sign books for everyone that attended. She is also doing tarot and tea leaf readings on saturdays at Namaste Books which, of course we signed up for ASAP.

A couple of weeks after my reading with Judika I saw an event posted on facebook that sounded to good to be true. Hosted by Order of the World Tree (a coven out of Ridgefield Park, NJ), Judika was going to be teaching a three hour Spell-casting workshop. Really!?@!#? Giving all those tourists directions on the subway must have really paid off because the universe has been sending some awesome things my way lately. In a span of two months, I'd met one of my favorite authors, had all of my books signed by her, received a tarot reading from her and now a spell-casting workshop! Obviously my friend and I went.

We got up early, took a train to New Jersey, borrowed my mothers car and arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn for the workshop. Yes, you read that right. A spell casting workshop in the middle of the day in a conference room at a nice hotel. I hadn't thought about that until Judika made the point during the workshop. The magickal/pagan community has come so far. Now, instead of meeting in secret and having someone look out for crazed villagers with pitchforks and torches, about 30 people met out in the open to discuss magick.

The workshop was great. Judika covered a variety of magical bases (I have 10 pages of notes to prove it), the people in attendance were wonderful and the Order of the World Tree did a great job putting this event together. Judika answered everyone's questions, covered a variety of topics, sold and signed books and took pictures with everyone that asked. What did I get out of this workshop?? That's a tough query to answer. Judika talked about so much: botanicals, candle magic, oils, the symbolism of using a mortar and pestle and much much more. But what really stayed with me is what she said about magick. Judika said that magick is everywhere. Its all around us, all of the time and spell casting is a means to communicate with that power. That statement took me back to when I was that little girl that needed to sleep in the moonlight. It made me realize that even in a hard and energetically overwhelming place like New York City magick was still everywhere. Before this workshop I was feeling bogged down and a bit spent in various areas of my life, magick being one of them. After this workshop I felt renewed and reassured as a witch. The magick isn't gone and it never will be, it's our choice to tap into the magick that is always around us. I just need to work harder at renewing and maintaining my connection with it.

Meeting Judika was a wonderful experience. The workshop was great, I met some wonderful magickal people and I immediately went home and cracked open my spell books. Judikas' books have helped me grow as a magickal being and for that I will always be grateful (plus her tarot reading gave me just the push I needed... or gentle kick in the ass!) Don't ignore the magick and never stop learning! Thank You Judika.