Composing Magic by Elizabeth Barrette

July 14, 2007

Composing Magic: How to Create Magical Spells, Rituals, Blessings, Chants, and Prayer
This is the first book I have had the pleasure to read which really gets into the nitty-gritty of putting words to paper for ritual and ceremonial uses.

As a children’s book writer, I have read my fair share of writing manuals, including books on poetic forms. Many of them left me scratching my head and wondering if I had any grasp on the English language at all or if I should just throw in the towel and let someone with a Masters degree in English Lit have all the fun.

Ms. Barrette’s book wasn’t one of these. Her descriptions of the differing forms of poetry and prose was accessible to anyone in plain, sraight-forward description. Each form was demonstrated by an example, many of which were the author’s own creations, as well as examples from more famous authors’ writings. What I especially liked was the inclusion of the historic and cultural explanations of each form of writing. The author also commented on how the form could best be used in a Pagan setting.

Each chapter examines a particular topic or form of writing, followed by a series of exercises meant to encourage the reader to use the knowledge from the chapter in a constructive and practical manner. Each chapter builds on the ones previous, with the suggestion to return to earlier exercises with the newly acquired information.

The final chapters in the book encourage the writer who wishes to become published with practical and down-to-earth advice on this tough but rewarding occupation.

The book contains footnotes, a bibliography and an index. At less than 300 pages, the book is small, but jam packed with tons of useful advice and examples for the person who wants to create truly magical ritual form.