Christian Day

Whether your religion is one of the monotheistic “Big Three” or some flavor of Paganism, honoring your ancestors is usually a pretty important part of one’s belief system. However, even in some Pagan religions, people’s lives become hectic and they’re so absorbed in the mundane events of their daily lives that they often forget to light a candle for grandma in front of their ancestor altar.

Christian Day’s The Witches Book of the Dead smashes that complacency to smithereens, and he makes a point to tell readers flat-out that “if you honor your ancestors, they will honor you!” In other words, that means if you’re consistent with saying a prayer for your grandma or lighting a candle for your great-grandpa in front of your ancestor altar, when the time comes and you really need something like a new job or a new apartment and you ask them for help, they will be more inclined to nudge things around so that you do succeed in getting that promotion or finding your dream home.

Day also portrays the idea of necromancy in a new light. While some people may think of dastardly black magic, he uses both myths and historical research to point out that before the word was demonized, it simply meant the art of talking to your departed grandma or other go-to ancestor.

From learning to be more aware of the spirits around you to setting up an ancestor altar in your house, The Witches Book of the Dead will fascinate readers no matter what their religious views are. While this book isn’t for everyone,  if occult topics are your guilty pleasure, then Day’s guide will be right up your alley!