This month’s book is entitled, Grandmother Moon, by Zsuzsanna E. Budapest (1991). The cover of this book features a beautiful crone with silver hair, holding a snake and a hare, with a full moon behind her. The subtitle reads: “Lunar magic in our lives – spells, rituals, goddesses, legends & emotions under the moon.” Each chapter in the book addresses a full moon (there are 13 chapters in all). Though Z. Budapest has chosen to use a particular set of names for the moons in her book (e.g., the first full moon of the year is called the “cold” moon), the contents of each chapter can easily be applied to whichever set of names you chose for the full moons of the year.
Each chapter begins with a beautiful drawing illustrating a goddess or activity associated with a particular full moon. A short section of prose follows related to the time of the year the moon appears in the sky. Next, there is a section where “the goddess speaks”. Here, a goddess associated with the full moon (or corresponding zodiac sign) speaks to the reader. Some of these passages are very moving, and I think that Z. Budapest has done a wonderful job of channeling the goddess in this way. I felt like the goddess was speaking to me personally as I read each passage. Next, a particular emotion or sentiment is highlighted; for example, the first moon of the year’s emotion is “joy”. More passages follow, outlining particular spells associated with the moon and/or time of year, and listing pertinent festivals and goddesses from around the world. Finally, each chapter ends with a personal tale from the author’s life that is related to the lessons of that moon.
In all, there are many ways to apply each chapter’s information to your life and your own relationship with the goddess. I appreciated being able to read stories about the author’s life, and especially about the times she spent with a particular goddess (in trance). Her personal writings are very compelling. They often gave me the chills, enticing me to explore a particular goddess further. Many passages in this book were informative, and everything was enjoyable to read. The paperback version of the book sells for $19.00. If you can’t find it new, try locating a used copy on Amazon’s website.
-a Book Review by Lady Minerva
