Forbidden Mysteries of Faery Witchcraft is not for beginners nor for the faint of heart. Storm Faerywolf covers topics that are often overlooked, diminished, or considered taboo in other witchcraft books. His writing is clear and yet poetic, philosophical and yet reader friendly, and presents the dark side of witchcraft with all the care and reverence its due. If you're looking for a "Wicca/Witchcraft 101" style book or a primer for how to deal with enemies, this is not the book for you. Overall, Forbidden Mysteries of Faery Witchcraft is both innovative and timeless in its approach and will be a great addition to the magical library of anyone looking to deepen their understanding of The Craft.

If you have read Storm Faerywolf's Betwixt & Between, this is a more advanced level of those teachings. I recommend reading that book first before diving into this one. Faery/Feri, as I understand it as a non-initiate, is a system that embraces the dark side of creation, and so it makes sense that this book dives into that. It is the other half to Betwixt & Between's light. The cosmology of Faery is expanded by this book, and gives anyone willing to try the material out access to deeper levels of themselves.

I always love a book that helps me learn more about my craft and perfect my practices. This book was no exception, definitely one to buy and have on my shelf for reference.

I was all about reading this book because I am on board for anything dealing with those darker secrets of the craft, and life, that people pretend don’t exist. It takes a fair amount of bravery to discuss those topics so openly. I was not disappointed in content while reading this book. Faerywolf does not shy away for hexing, death, or sex magic, providing a fair amount of information on how these practice are used in the tradition to which he belongs.
For the most part, I enjoyed the book. It did have a hint of pretention and more than once, I was off out by the terminology used. As a mental health advocate, I found a story about PTSD to be fantastical. However, I was not there, so who am I to say anything about what transpired? It does fall into the formulaic pagan book setup with story, spell, story, mediation. It’s old hat, but not Faerywolf’s fault as this is standard of the genre.
If you are interested in the darker aspects of witchcraft, Forbidden Mysteries of Faery Witchcraft is worth a read. There’s a fair amount of information and it’s always interesting to see how other paths tackle these issues. The book is available now at your favorite book retailers.

Author, Storm Faerywolf’s book provides the reader with an inside look at the workings and traditions that evolved from Victor and Cora Anderson’s Feri Tradition and are known as Faery Witchcraft.

I am always skeptical of books that infer that the teachings within are those which are not freely shared. It gives a certain layer of mystery and feeling that the reader is privy to practices that are only shared with the most trusted. I am not saying this as judgment as to whether that word “forbidden” or “hidden” should be in the title of any book, just simply making a statement relevant to my experience in that what is truly only for those with the appropriate training is never shared fully in a book. I believe that by having that bit of information, the reader can then make use of the material presented to the best of their means. And, so on that note, Storm has treated his readers to “just enough” information to whet the appetite to learn more of the BlueRose lineage of Faery.

I am familiar with his work, having read Betwixt and Between: Exploring the Faery Tradition of Witchcraft and having had the privilege of attending ritual and class with him at the Temple of Witchcraft “Templefest” event year before last.

I loved that he dedicated the book to Victor and Cora Anderson and acknowledged that all great works set upon the path are the result of collaboration and the impact of many teachers, students and others who support and encourage the individual’s practice. That was also true of my impression of him in first meeting, that this was a genuinely very nice guy who was passionate and dedicated to both sharing and evolving his teachings to be inclusive.

Unlike Storm’s first book, Forbidden Mysteries is a bit darker in its magick; really getting to the heart of practice, ritual and exploring those aspects of witchcraft that require courage and boldness. The appendices provide the basics of Faery practice, some beautifully written poetry and invocations for use and the role of the Divine Twins in the lore of the Faery. Additionally, there is a glossary, which is a wonderful addition, again, making the material much more accessible to those who do not follow this path of witchcraft and would be otherwise unfamiliar in understanding some of the concepts.

This book is chock-full of exercises of preparation, Rituals, spellwork and Chapter Five’s exercises move through the alchemical elements finding common ground within all practices of witchcraft, but most decidedly with Fae influence.

So, to begin with, the spelling of Faery in this title is explained in this way…

…. While there are many different legitimate spellings for our particular tradition in use (most notable “Feri”, though Faerie, F(a)eri(e), and even rarely Fairy sometimes appear) I tend to use the archaic “Faery” as it was the spelling used at the time of my introduction to the tradition, and I also feel it better poetically evokes the relationship between the practitioner and the fae; a detail of mytho-poetic practice that some lines of our tradition do not follow but is central to my own practice and my lineage of BlueRose…. (excerpted from the Introduction).

This simple statement clears up much misconception about identification of the Fae and the Traditions that honor them.

The book is separated into four parts, taking the reader through many topics that are the staple of any practice of witchcraft and carefully aligning them with communion and understanding of the world of the Faery. We are given fair warning about the true nature of witchcraft and the dangers that lay in interactions with any who walk those realms, but as the author states, not for the reasons stereotypically associated with the practice. The danger lay in what is revealed of ourselves in the process and whether we have the courage to embrace all parts of our being and the places that those aspects inhabit and interact with those who are of the greater Earth or even more distant realms of existence. These pitfalls are exemplified in the telling of stories of the descent into madness by those who wandered into the realms of the Dark Faery and were not prepared for the price to be paid. The truth of the witch’s path is one of facing the shadow of their being as well as the light and in so doing being able to reach into the darker abyss where those greatest allies and teachers of the Fae reside.

We learn that the Faery are not the whimsical winged beings that tales have provided, but are often in folklore associated with the darker nature of things, not much different than the many layers and types of humans we encounter. Each has a dark nature and depending on the situation shows it in its ferocity or lessens the sting in resonance to the finely tuned calibration of the human encountered.

Each chapter and section following gives the information necessary for those who wish to cultivate an understanding and relationship of sorts with those beings of the Faery. I found these offerings to provide a perspective of work and a tradition that encompasses nature in her wholeness. We are reminded of the darker aspects of all of our spiritual work and that greater knowledge of what we consider to be demons and goddess of primal origins are part of the entirety of our world and all others.

I could dissect each chapter and point you in the direction of specific rites or exercises, but to a large degree that would spoil the unveiling of what should be an experiential journey of your own devising. Storm provides you with the tools and what you make of them and how you arrive at your own conclusions about the Fae is yours, and yours alone, culled from your courage and your boldness. This book is definitely one to be added to any library of a practitioner of witchcraft. Not simply in adopting its tradition as your own, which may well be the case after reading and exploring further, but in keeping with the true definition of a witch-one who seeks knowledge of the natural world-and I would add… and in so doing, gains the greatest gift of all, knowledge of themselves in all of their parts.

http://paganpages.org/content/2018/12/book-review-forbidden-mysteries-of-faery-witchcraft-by-storm-faerywolf/

I've been a practicing witch for over 20 years, so the Faery Tradition is not new to me. I've read and incorporated some of Francesca De Grandis' Third Road tradition into my practices. Therefore, I expected to be able to pick up this book and dive right in.

Given the amount of beginner material in the world, I was pleasantly surprised that I couldn't do that. Despite my previous work, this book is above my skill level. It's beautifully written, but it has a weight that comes both from reverence and respect. Taking Storm Faerywolf's warnings to heart, the mysteries at the farther reach of this book aren't ones I feel ready to explore.

Faerywolf does a very good job of demonstrating the beauty, power, and dangers of working with Faery energy. He explores advanced topics such as the mysteries of working with faery goddesses, demon work, divine possession, and offensive magic in a way that captures both the poetry and seriousness of the topics. Despite my reluctance to complete most of the exercises in this book, it was a powerful read. I'll definitely be seeking out his other book on the Faery Tradition, Betwixt and Between, and coming back to this one later.

This book is about the Feri tradition and is not for beginners in the craft. It tackles subjects not typically covered, such as demons and necromancy but stresses the need to be sensible in its use.

While this book was above my level of competence, I found it to be well researched, well written and educational. As the author stresses this book is not for amateurs and is more suited to more advanced practitioners.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For more reviews please visit my blog:
http://www.wonderfullyweird88.com/

Forbidden Mysteries of Faery Witchcraft was a refreshing read. It was very poetic and the mastery it was written with showed in every page. The book imparts as much of a tradition as is possible for the outer court, delving deeper in subjects most books on the craft won’t even touch.
Storm Faerywolf gifts us with numerous underworld trance journey’s written in sympathy with Tam Linn and The Faery Queene. He gives the history and information about Bluerose, introducing us to the aspects of the goddesses and gods he works with. Bluerose is descended from Victor and Cora Anderson’s Feri tradition. He also discusses curses and the measures he would use to determine when, if and how they are justified. One condition is to determine a curses is for justice rather than revenge.
His developmental exercises are effective. He approaches the reader with something I’ve discussed with others for a long time -- that one shouldn’t deal with external demons until our internal ones are confronted. He uses the 12 step program first developed for Alcoholics Anonymous to confront our own shadow and integrate it. It’s a proven, effective method. Following that, he gives incremental exercises in learning how to aspect.
I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book for a fair and honest review.

A very different take on Fae Magic and at times too poetic for my tastes. Strangely it takes an unexpected turn and advocates for invoking demons and encouraging possession. Way too odd for my liking so I only gave it 3 stars, except for the hexing. I do like a good hex 😀

The phrase “faery witchcraft” is very overused in occult circles. Almost every author has a different approach to what it means. You can find plenty of books about how to befriend the benevolent fair folk. Some suggest cute little houses for them and leaving them sugar.

This is not one of those books.

In this book the term “faery witchcraft” doesn’t refer to a single practice. It's not only about working with certain spirits, either.

Instead, it’s a reference to the Faery or Feri tradition. The blind poet, Victor Anderson, was the founder of Feri. Some authors consider it a type of Wicca. In my view, the structure and beliefs don't map onto established Wicca. Instead, they stand on their own. It seems like both a system of occult attainment and a collection of compatible beliefs.

Real talk here, though. This book is not for beginners. It’s not a Wicca 101 book, or even a Witchcraft 101 book. It’s not for newbies. I can see picking it up for simple informational purposes or anthropology. Beyond that, it’s a bit pointless to read it with no prior research.

I recommend reading Faerywolf’s earlier book, Betwixt and Between, before this one. It's also about the Feri tradition. It's a bit more beginner-friendly. It would be best to have a few years of Craft experience (eclectic or otherwise), too.

This isn’t something you can jump into and hope for the best. Faerywolf is honest about that in his books, including this one

I’ve been studying the occult for over fifteen years. I still felt very challenged by this material. I’ve read Betwixt and Between and worked through the exercises there. I still don’t feel ready yet to attempt most of the work described in this second book.

To be candid, even reading through some of it made me feel highly liminal. It felt like treading somewhere far beyond my current capacities, for better or worse. In particular, the description of Feri godforms seemed pretty hard for me to grasp. I read a lot of passages twice, trying to grasp things on the level at which they were being discussed.

I’m not a Feri initiate. After reading this book (and the earlier one), I’ve concluded that I’d like to be one someday. I can already tell that this won’t be an easy process.

I’d consider it on par with working Crowley’s A.’.A.’. system, or any other intense course of study and practice. Still, it’s something I now keenly desire. It will be my goal for the foreseeable future.

If you are curious and would like to learn more about the Feri tradition, Victor Anderson, and related topics, I recommend picking up Betwixt and Between as well as this book. You can also visit the tradition’s website here. It’s definitely worth getting the original texts by the Andersons, as well. That said, know what you’re getting into.

If you’re interested in delving into it, realize that it’s not easy work. Faerywolf even notes that a lot of the exercises in the book are not for amateurs.

Prepare, and have the proper mindset, and you can learn a lot from this book. I know I did, even though it caught me off-guard.

Isn’t that a good thing, though? The Feri tradition is nothing if not liminal - it’s pretty obvious even though I’ve only started studying it.

I didn't expect this to be such an entertaining book. Storm has a good aryle, little too poetic now and then, but that makes you easily understand the most complex topics and ideas of Faery witchcraft. Now I nees to read his previous work! Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

I am not part of this community but a good read for those who are wanting a deeper look into it. It is not a beginner book, more of an intermediate book, those more on the path, more focused.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have always loved anything about the mystical Fae and the world of Faery. I have had my own studying of my mystical arts and it is a big part of my life. I went into this book thinking my previous studies would have prepared me for what I found in this book. Well it did not. I knew there was a dark side to the Fae but there were parts that even I had not thought up. It gave me a much better understand of this tradition of magick. I am glad that I got to read this and open my eyes to what is behind that veil of Faery.

Faery Witchcraft is not new to me as I have practiced this as part of my beliefs It is a refreshing take on witchcraft and it's many facets. I see so many who believe strongly about the importance of the threefold law and to do no harm and this is another part of the witchcraft tradition. This book stressed a sensible take on using hexes and curses for justice, not revenge. While many may not believe this, dark magic is a very important part of witchcraft that many overlook. I bookmarked several pages to go back and read again. It is well written and researched. Bringing a part of what you believe in is a very personal touch and this is what the author has done. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to explore different view on beliefs I was honored to receive this book from Net Galley and Llewellyn Publishing for a honest review and no compensation otherwise.