I love the historical detail and folklore, the blending was very well done. I enjoyed how modern practices were spoken about as well. Fantastic book

I loved this book. It blended history & folklore tales perfectly. I also enjoyed Keldon’s other book The Crooked Path and this one has the same tone. I’m a fan and will pick up anything Keldon writes in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

This is what one of my new favorite books on spirituality. So many texts talk about walking an old path, but too few actually explain the historical context in such detail. I could not put this down.

Kelden does alternate between history and modern perspectives to connect the learning to today. The star of the show, however, is the meticulously research look at witchcraft in Europe and the Early American colonies. This book dives deeper than any I've read before (certainly not with all of the information in one place). This is a must read for anyone interested in the path.

What an amazing blend of historical context, folklore and mythology to bring together a guide to much of what we call "witchcraft." Beautifully written and meticulously researched, it still read less like an academic text and more like a fun tour guide. Well done!

A good history book, informative and well researched. I liked how it was historically correct and some of the exercises
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The Witches' Sabbath examines the historical and folkloric development of what we now think of the word “witch”. There is background on the folklore of flying, and explores why we associate this myth with witches. With extensive research and compelling stories collected from across Europe and the early American colonies, this book is the ultimate resource for discovering an oft misunderstood and overlooked aspect of Witchcraft.

A great read for anyone who wants to learn more about witches and the Sabbath. This book contains both historic and folkloric tales. As an "experienced" witch, I still found things that I never even knew in the book. A great resource to have on your witchy bookshelf!

Whether you're fascinated by history or practice as a witch, Kelden's new book The Witches' Sabbath is a practical tool for the curious. If Kelden's name sounds familiar, its likely due to his other book The Crooked Path. This new book focuses on the historical aspects of witches'' Sabbath celebrations and folkloric practices, as well as goes into the modern practice of Witchcraft and the rise of neo-paganism. The book is incredibly well written and researched, so it actually doubles as a history book that writers can use to get details right.  Kelden combines multiple witch cultures, so you will see things like Norse practice mentioned as well. Keep in mind, the focus is definitely on European traditions.  There are some practical exercises for those who practice. 

The Witches' Sabbath is available now from Llewellyn Worldwide Publishing.

The Witches' Sabbath: An Exploration of History, Folklore & Modern Practice by Kelden is hands down one of the best witchcraft books I have ever read. It seamlessly combines folklore with modern witchcraft, offering historical and practical advice for modern-day traditional hedgewitches regarding the Witches' Sabbath. The first three chapters focus heavily upon folklore and history, with tons of in-text citations to back everything up. If you have been following my blog for a while, you know I love nothing more than a well-researched and well-cited witchcraft book. I was not disappointed with Kelden's work, and applaud him for taking the time to do so.

Chapter four focuses on hedge riding, the practice of spirit flight. Kelden very briefly covers the history of hedge riding and includes exercises to help you traverse the axis mundi or world tree. I love that he offered multiple perspectives from multiple cultures on what the axis mundi 'looks' like so that readers can find a system that they relate to and works well for them. For me, this has always been the Yggdrasil, the world tree from Norse mythology, for a variety of reasons. However, I never thought to use the Greek mythology of Olympus and the Underworld in such a way, but it makes total sense. Knowing that there are many witches out there that work with Greek deities, this would make a great axis mundi. Kelden also includes recipes for flying ointment, tincture, and tea, which I can't wait to try myself. I am always looking for new ways to reach an altered state of consciousness prior to hedge riding and look forward to using his suggestions.

The book continues by diving into how modern witches influenced the development and understanding of the Witches' Sabbath, describing how it came to be a part of traditional witchcraft, Wicca, and other forms of witchcraft. I always find this information fascinating as there is so much drama that surrounds it. It's always mostly old white men arguing over the validity of their lived experiences as if we witches don't experience things differently. Anyone who has traveled to the Otherworld will tell you it changed from person to person. The experiences I have there are not invalid because another witch did not experience the same thing. I love the Kelden touches on this as well, explaining that we each experience the Sabbath in our own way. Furthermore, he is sure to explain that while much of the witch trial testimony was given under duress and torture, the fact still remains that people worlds and centuries apart gave similar testimony. I think a lot of people overlook this when they are quick to dismiss the claims of supposed witches from the witch trials. True, they were probably not witches, but they were provided valuable insight into the folk beliefs of the time, beliefs that run through multiple cultures, suggesting they are part of ancestral memory.

Finally, Kelden makes the book accessible and inclusive. He promotes using local witchcraft and designing a practice that works for your situation. This is most easily seen in his discussion of the compass round, where he suggests using magical correspondences for the cardinal directions according to where you live. I have written about this before, and love that Kelden addresses this as well.

I honestly have nothing negative to say about this book other than I wish it was longer. I wish that he had taken it a couple steps further and included some personal stories in the book. Other than that, this is a book that is sure to delight any witch that is interested in the Witches' Sabbath, hedge riding, traditional witchcraft, or folklore. There are some great beginner tips here, I believe this book is better suited for more experienced witches who are looking to take their craft to the next level. The Witches' Sabbath: An Exploration of History, Folklore & Modern Practice by Kelden is available for pre-order now and will be released January 8th, 2022.

This book had more of a modern Wiccan slant to it than I expected, but the history and folklore of the Witches Sabbath were well researched and informative.

I was particularly pleased to see a segment on Austin Spare and his take on this, despite a couple of minor inaccuracies like adding a second 't' to Mrs. Paterson's name.

The history makes for dry reading, but has been well-researched and I recognised many of the books used for reference. It dispels a lot of misunderstanding about the Witches Sabbath, which was originally made up by witch hunters, then later taken up by modern witches in association with the astral.

Exercises are given, which may be of use to some readers. For myself, the historical record is the main value of the book.

True to subtitle it is really information based on the history and story of this topic. Do get some exercises though. An introduction to a number of topics.

The Witches' Sabbath was a fascinating read for me. I really didn't know anything at all beyond a couple of small bits of info before digging into this great book. I really think a handful of our patrons will love it, so I have ordered a copy for the library. Thank you!

I asked for this book’s eARC because I so enjoyed the authors book The Crooked Path. I found the style, tone and quality of writing similar, so it did not disappoint. I loved the historical aspect of this book and reading the folklore along with Kelden’s personal experiences. This is one I will reference again and recommend to others. Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The author states in his conclusion that he hopes that "whether you planned on traveling to the Sabbath yourself or were a merely a curious researcher, this book has proved to be useful in your endeavors." It is as a curious researcher that I personally read this book and thus as a researcher that I will review it.

The book contains eight chapters, alternating between those which explore the history and folklore of the Witches Sabbath - the regular gathering of witches for the purpose of worship and fellowship, and those which discuss how modern practitioners channel the old traditions into their own lives.

I did skim the modern chapter, but was the chapters on history and folklore which drew my attention. Relying on historical writings, and drawing heavily from confessions gained during witch trials, the book delves deep into such topics as where the Sabbaths were held, who was in attendance, how the witches traveled there, and what happened at the meetings. There's some truly fascinating stuff here.

The author acknowledges that many of the witch trials confessions were made up, but argues that the similarity among the confessions - from far flung points of the world - speaks to a kind of folk knowledge of what supposedly went on at these diabolical gatherings.

I found the information incredibly interesting and presented in a well written, even entertaining way. The author states that "the goal of this book was to... wander along a folkloric path into the hidden depths of history wherein the Witches' Sabbath emerged", and I think he has achieved this goal admirably.

Side note that anyone wishing to write a fictional story of witches would find this book a great source of historical information and inspiration.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A great read for anyone who wants to learn more about witches and the Sabbath. This book contains both historic and folkloric tales. As an "experienced" witch, I still found things that I never even knew in the book. A great resource to have on your witchy bookshelf!

Loved how the author wove both historical accounts and her own personal narrative throughout the book. Great for anyone interested in educating themselves more on the world of witchcraft!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Great read for anyone who wants to learn more about witches and the Sabbath, for anyone who’s interested in both historical and folkloric tales as well as personal experiences. I loved the recipes and exercises listed in this book as well!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

Interesting with plenty of information. If you want to learn more about this topic this book is great.

I loved this history and different backgrounds discussed in this book. I would use this as a reference guide in my practice as well as continuing education.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a great reference and extremely interesting to read also.