The Red Mother is an exploration of the witch's journey into their power. Through tale and rhyme, learn the craft of weaving charms, enchantments, and spirit work. Read of pacts made at crossroads, knots of power tied, twisted wishes, and death defying miracles. Let the Red Mother guide you. Her tale, her spirit, her odyssey is written within for the most cunning to discern and adapt.
This volume continues the Cunning Words grimoire tradition of teaching the craft through narrative as well as a manual of rites. The practical magic and unique catalog of spirits within is inspired by the folkloric witch and historic compendiums of spirit conjuration.
Marshall has done it again. This book, a sequel to "Cunning Words", is a modern Grimoire that will inspire witches for years to come. It is a book of stories, highlighting themes of desperation, deliverance, growth, and wisdom with spells and charms woven throughout. The witch can gain a lot of inspiration for their own magical practice while working with the entity called The Red Mother.
I recently read “The Red Mother: Cunning Words Collection Volume II" by Marshall W.S.L and I am so very glad that I did. I have read Cunning Words which is the first book in this collection, so I knew what I was getting into and to be honest, I had pretty high expectations about it too. I didn't want a direct copy of the first book, I wanted new stuff in the same style and Marshall freaking delivered!
I loved the interwoven-ness of the stories between books, and also very much enjoyed getting to know our Red Mother on a deeper level. (We chatted together about it on the Witch Talks Podcast too!)
I stand by my claim that Marshall is a master wordsmith. The stories he spins within this Grimoire will leave you wanting more (always a good sign in a book) and I'm not kidding when I say that I could FEEL the magick coming through the words.
I adore the short folk stories that have inspired the spells found at the back of the book as it gives them power. It gives them spirit.
Marshall has managed to capture the magic that sits between saying too much, and not saying enough. Personally I believe that stories are the best way to teach, and that's exactly what Marshall has done. The wisdom within each story and the purpose behind each detail was phenomenally executed.
Marshall has also chosen to include authors notes throughout, which are helpful and appreciated as they ground the reader in Marshalls intent for each story, and reiterated safety and consent concerns where necessary.
I also appreciated the double spacing between paragraphs. It made it very easy to read and far less overwhelming in comparison to most other books on the market. As a neurodivergent person, this was very helpful and meant I flew through the pages easily.
Another thing I loved was the deliberate, but not forced, inclusion of gender diversity and LGBTQIA+ representation which is still SO needed in this space.
The only criticism is that I would also like to have an index to easily find what I want but I can also simply colour code and tab the stories that correlate with certain spells for ease of use.
Do I recommend it? Yes absolutely. I give it 5 witches hats.
If you’ve read my other reviews, I rarely give a 5 witches hat rating because not all books are for all people, but this is one that I truly think it is a joy to read, and agreed with everything within its pages, which is a big statement!
Just as good as the first! I love how inspiring Marshall's work is. I always think of new spells when I read his work. I will say, of the three mothers, this was the one I was most excited for.❤️❤️❤️ Can't wait for more!
Marshall does a wonderful job of turning ideas from traditional witchcraft into easy to understand stories. As humans, we love a good story. I like how he has put so much effort into crafting these tales about the Red Mother to allow us to see the many sides of her and what she represents. I did enjoy his first book, Cunning Words, a little bit more. Cunning Words wove more of a tapestry of story than The Red Mother does, but it is a solid book that I would recommend to anyone looking to deepen their understanding of witchcraft.