Tag Archives: high magic

Nov8

Writing News

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Apologies for being totally useless at getting my newsletter organised this year, where I’d be sharing with you all the news about my writing as it happens, but I seem to have started infinite plate spinning early on in the year, and am only just taking a few down so I can manage the rest.

It’s been brilliant having the first three books in the Lizzie Martin Witch Lit series to share! The Naked Witch has 25 reviews, the others, 9 and 10 respectively, and I’m hoping to double all those totals in 2020.

If you’re new to Witch Lit, I often get asked what it is, and why I decided to write it…

I believe the best description is borrowed from Chick Lit. Stories with a heroine-centred narrative focus on the trials and tribulations of their individual protagonists. These women live in a modern world, coping with work and home life. The books are peppered with a smattering of light heartedness and humour. All you have to do is substitute ‘witch’ for ‘chick’.

Witch Lit is contemporary, magical realism, where the magical and the mundane co-exist. The stories are gritty and believable while magic is sprinkled through the stories, offering the reader a new perspective on reality.

In response to why I write it, why wouldn’t I want to write about a woman who can hold down a full time job, single parent a fourteen year old daughter, raise money for the local children’s hospice and knock three coconuts off a shy…on a bad day? Why not write stories about passionate, earthy women, living real lives and embarking on wild, wonderful and outrageous adventures?

Characters with an underlying sense of their own spirituality are fascinating to read about and even more compelling to write about. Stories emerge from a different perspective but are set in the familiar world the reader inhabits.

Unlike Chick Lit, Witch Lit women do away with the sweet, sickly or fluffy. Their passion, determination and creativity shine through the stories, though none are averse to a well-rounded buttock or a chiselled jaw. Witch Lit isn’t anti-men but Witch Lit women’s lives don’t revolve wholly around their presence or absence.

The Witch Lit anthology came out this year too, a cornucopia of delightful stories, poems and essays, including my short story ‘The Butterfly Door’. All profits from this anthology go to Books for Africa.

This year I’ve completed the fourth book in the Lizzie Martin Witch Lit Series, The Eloquent Witch, and am on the verge of completing the fifth aswell, The Able Witch. Once book five is complete, I shall write book six and then publish all three books in close succession.

I’ve had two stories published by Zimbell House Publishing in their anthologies ‘Unleashing the Gods’ and ‘1969’

I wrote ‘The Crocodile Brooch’ for the steampunk story, and ‘Sister Moon’ for the story set in the sixties.

I’ve a short story ‘Charlotte’s Ghost’ in this year’s Ghostly Rites 2019, published by Plaisted Publishing House. These stories are scary!

I’m working on two new short stories at the moment, as well as finishing my novel, and I’ll keep you updated on their progress.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the catch up on my writing and publication progress. Do let me know if you’d like me to update you on other aspects of my writing, inspiration, writing process and characters. You can find all the books listed above on my Amazon Author page here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06

or for my friends across the pond https://www.amazon.com/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06

Ghostly Rites is not yet linked to my page as it’s a new release, but you can find it here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghostly-Rites-2019-Plaisted-Publishing-ebook/dp/B07ZQV2Y4Q

or here https://www.amazon.com/Ghostly-Rites-2019-Plaisted-Publishing-ebook/dp/B07ZQV2Y4Q

Thank you for your patience. Happy reading! Bright blessings xx

 

Feb18

DJ Conway – A book to change your life

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On hearing of the sad passing of author DJ Conway, I wanted to share how one of her books changed my life….

It wasn’t the book I really wanted. I had my heart set on two books, each a comprehensive tome about gods and goddesses of every pantheon from around the world. Until I saw the price.

And then I spotted it, its glossy black spine shining at me. It was a large volume. It was second hand, but still in perfect condition. I handled it with care, pulling back the cover to reveal the price pencilled in the top right hand corner. My heart beat hard, my cheeks glowing with excitement. I turned pages, read paragraphs and thanked the goddess. I paid cash at the counter. Magick of the Gods and Goddesses was in my hands! I almost skipped out the door, not suspecting my life would never be quite the same again.

Magick of the Gods and Goddesses was the first book where I found details of the Kabbalah, and more appropriately for my needs, the witches Qabalah, inspiring me to seek further and look for other work. I began to read. I started to research. I discovered the writing of Dion Fortune. I travelled the magical paths of the Qabalah. I wrote Destiny of Angels, my first novel, starting my journey as an author, and this book was with me from the beginning.

From this book I learned of Angels and Archangels, Elementals, Elements and Planets, as well as the beliefs and history of the world of the occult, from Egypt to Africa, Greece to India and more. There’s Ritual and Magick, Shamanism, Witchcraft and Paganism, and at the back, a cross reference section I’ve found incredibly useful. Because there’s so much, there may not be all the detail, but there are links to other reading throughout the book.

Her legacy will live on in more than twenty non fiction works, and every time I open my copy of Magick of the Gods and Goddesses, I shall think of her smiling down on me, happy that her love of the occult fields she studied for more than thirty five years, is still much appreciated by her readers.

Here are the links to her Amazon author pages https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B004582BDC?_encoding=UTF8&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&ref

and for my friends across the pond https://www.amazon.com/D.J.-Conway/e/B004582BDC/ref

 

 

Feb22

Sneeky peek – Wrath of Angels

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wrath-of-angels-cover-proof-v1 Sometimes the first few pages aren’t enough so here, for your enjoyment is a little more of Wrath of Angels…

As a full moon filled the night sky, Angel walked down the
stone steps to the basement of her house with the basket for
her path working on her arm. Once below she lit the wall
sconces and the braziers on either side of the altar. Light and
warmth seeped into the stone walls. A single red rose lay on a
seven pointed star on the altar surrounded by thyme,
feverfew, yarrow and verbena.

She wore an amber shift belted with a cord of olive green
and gold, a green cloak and at her throat hung an emerald. As
Thoth greeted her on the astral plane, promising to protect
her, she stood upon the Path, a rose in one hand and a lantern
in the other. Her heart began to beat fiercely and the rose in
her hand vibrated as she walked into a courtyard surrounded
by cool, white buildings and seated around the well within sat
female love deities. Freyja sat with Venus, their fair hair
glistening in the sun while Rhiannon, her horse tethered to
one side, spoke with Ishtar. They laughed together as Angel
approached. The maiden Cerridwen caught Angel’s eye and
smiled at her and as Angel smiled back, she stood naked
before the beautiful naked women.

Angel felt no embarrassment. A vibration began in her
groin as if something was awakening in the root of her being
and as the sensation climbed up her body, she felt aroused and
uplifted by the beauty of those around her. Each woman came
forward and embraced her and then held a hand as a circle
was formed. Into the middle, Angel lay the rose and the
lantern before taking her place in the circle.

The rose sparkled and the lantern began to glow until a
glistening golden ball spun hovering in the air before them.
The sphere darkened and then stars appeared, some singly
and some in clusters until the ball glistened and shone. Ishtar
stepped forward, reaching into the ball and plucking a web of
twinkling stars which, with skilful hands she fashioned into a
girdle. Turning to Angel, Ishtar wound the stars around her.
Never had Angel felt so complete nor so content as she did in
such lovely company.

The ball spun again and from it flew a white dove which
landed on the outstretched palm of Venus. She walked
forward and offered the bird to Angel who took it on her
finger. She spoke one word to it as she stroked its milky white
head. Over and over she spoke the word, the word that
encapsulated love in just two syllables. Aidan. She lifted her
hand to the sky and the dove flew away.

The women watched the sphere as colours and images
flashed across its surface. Forests, mountains, deserts,
meadows and plains were a backdrop to every living creature
that roamed the earth and Rhiannon stepped forward and
plucked a lynx from its tree top resting place. She brought her
before Angel and the lynx lay down. She observed the women
with her luminescent reflective eyes and when Angel looked
at her, she saw mirrored back, her own perceptions and
understanding. She knew from then on, to trust her female
intuition. The lynx stood before Angel, shut it’s eyes and
bowed before vanishing.

As the sphere spun again, fields of glowing corn, wheat
and barley showed on the surface and the lilting tunes of a
flute began to play. As the music grew, accompanied by drum
and violin, the women began to walk around the circle while
Freya could wait no longer and took Angel’s hands and they
danced. Angel’s feet reflected the notes her ears heard and she
began to feel with her whole being. Her body swayed and
skipped as all the women joined in, a joyous dance borne
from the music. There were no thoughts of why or how but a
communal joining within the beauty of the tune. As the music
faded away, the flute the last to leave, the women, bright eyed
and breathless, took their places.

As Cerridwen approached the spinning ball it became her
cauldron and from it rose the number seven. She went to
Angel, took her hand and Angel understood. She saw the
Seven of Wands, appreciating the struggle of one against six
but saw too the dominance and the forth coming victory of
the one. She saw the Seven of Swords and understood the
Occult Intelligence, the hidden force behind the action, the
unqualified force without will. As she saw the seven chalices
of the Seven of Cups, she wondered at the power of creativity
within the Sephirah Netzach but also understood that with so
much energy and so many possibilities it was difficult to
know which choices are real and which are illusory. She saw
the Seven of Pentacles and the potential of a fruitful harvest
and understood the need for action to bring in the abundant
crop before it spoiled. As these thoughts entered and worked
in her mind, Angel lifted her hands, as did the others and a
waterfall of love and beauty washed over them as the sky
filled with pure white light.

Back in the basement, Angel thanked and bid farewell to
her guests as her mind pondered the force and beauty of
Netzach and the form and logic of Hod.

You can buy Wrath of Angels here … https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wrath-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00KTH2E4Y/ref

https://www.amazon.com/Wrath-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00KTH2E4Y/ref

 

You can find all my books on my author page here…https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wendy-Steele/e/B007VZ1P06/ref

https://www.amazon.com/Wrath-Angels-Lilith-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00KTH2E4Y/ref

 

Watch out for my new novel, The Naked Witch, available for pre-order from tomorrow!