Wizardly Book Talk – Practical Protection Magick (Ellen Dugan)
In this first episode of Wizardly Book Talk we sit down to chat about my thoughts on Practical Protection Magick by Ellen Dugan.
My copy of Practical Protection Magick by Ellen Dugan
Welcome to Wizardly Book Talk where I offer you a seat in a comfortable chair to join me in a chat about books that I read. Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, occult or fantasy, let us dive into these different realms to discover what wisdom awaits!
For our first gathering of the minds, we are chatting about Practical Protection Magick by Ellen Dugan. Grab some tea, friends, as I give you my thoughts on this book of knowledge.
This conversation will avoid overall spoilers as this is a great book that you should take a chance on, especially if you are a beginner of the realm of protection magick. I’m mostly going to be giving my thoughts on tone, how I feel about the content, and give you a general view of the book structure. Very fascinating, I know!
I will admit, this is not the first book I’ve read from Ellen Dugan. Oh no, I have been reading her fiction books for the past couple of years now. I started with the first Legacy of Magic book and have read each release since so I came into this nonfiction book with a fair amount of positive bias. Her voice, familiar and clear, in this book reminds me of chatting with my aunts (they aren’t in the magickal community, as far as I know) about all kinds of random topics while enjoying their presence. I love my aunts, so this is a high compliment from where I’m sitting.
Dugan weaves her own personal gnosis, experiences, and gained wisdom from years of being a practicing witch all through the entire book. It’s very fun to read! Now, while she does have a casual more conversational tone and makes some jokes here and there (I very much appreciate the Buffy the Vampire Slayer quotes!) she does pay adequate seriousness when the subject matter calls for it.
The instructions for the rituals and spellwork are clear and concise. I have even earmarked a few that I want to experiment with in the future which always has me wanting to give a classic witch cackle with glee. Speaking of cackling, I appreciate the conversation about curses and hexing along with some great ideas on how to alleviate these kinds of situations in a rational and practical manner.
My absolute favorite thing is an interesting book structure. Breaking up this book into sections based on the Elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water) with some great information and ideas about how to utilize and work with these Elements for protection. There are also themed discussions in each of these sections that give inspiration on how to handle some energetic pests and improve your own natural defenses to go along with practical protection magick and warding. After the Elemental sections, there’s additional information and concepts that don’t really fit into those areas that are their own chapters.
There’s even very interesting information about invited and uninvited psychic vampires which I had never even entered my mind over the years. After reading and reflecting some, I too have encountered these sorts of people in the past but now I know what to do and what to keep an eye out for in the future. Very handy dandy indeed!
Another point that intrigued me was Dugan talking about hex signs. I don’t remember encountering this term in the past but something about it is really sticking in my brain. It’s certainly a topic I have taken a note to dive into at some point in the future. There’s something there that could be very beneficial for my own practice. I’m keen to find out!
In the back of the book there’s a little glossary with some terminology there if you aren’t used to these sorts of magickal verbiage which is a nice touch for those new to the Craft. I also adore books with Bibliographies. Gives me more books I’d like to read as I continue my own Wizardly Journey.
Having finished this one, I need to collect more of Ellen Dugan’s nonfiction witchcraft books. Unfortunately, this is the only one of hers (nonfiction) that I have so it will probably be some time before I have another chat about a Dugan book.
Here’s a bit of wisdom I pulled from these very pages: Being a confident badass is never overrated.
Tell me, friends, have you read her books before? What do you think of them?
I do hope you’ve enjoyed taking a small part of your day out to chat about books with this Wizard. I tip my hat to you for being here!
May you be treated how you’ve treated others.
See you next time!
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South of Midnight - Thoughts from a Wizard
A Wizard sits down with his thoughts after playing South of Midnight over the weekend…
Image from IGN.com
Happy Monday, everyone! Ready for a new week?
This past weekend I was dealing with some form of exhaustion, so I took some time off to rest, recuperate, and play this game I found on Xbox Game Pass called South of Midnight (Games, 2025).
I wouldn’t really consider this a review but more like some thoughts and a retrospective from one not of the cultures depicted in the game. I’m going to do my best to be thoughtful about my wording as I want to pay proper respects while I process some of my musings having just finished the story of that game.
First of all, as a Wizard, I loved the magick presented in this game. It was fun, action packed and really paid thoughtful homage to mythologies and folklore of the South (I think the Louisiana area perhaps?). It was just so cool overall! A joy to play through, truly.
There are a few things about this game that really had me thinking about, yes magick and energy and how trauma can affect the very land on which we live, but also it is a reminder of what a trauma filled history the United States truly has. This game had a similar effect on me that Rolling Thunder Hear my Cry (Wikipedia, 2025) had on me as a young person. It reminded me that we need to have deep empathy and acknowledge that there still is caste system at play in the modern age that sorts people into groups like rich/poor, white/other that creates unnecessary and cruel barriers if you aren’t in the “right” categories, if that makes sense. Like, yes I have had struggle and trauma in my life, but I can’t deny that I have benefited from privilege attached to my skin color without me even realizing it over the years.
I very much appreciate these stories that people like me need to engage with. It reminds us that, yes, we are all human and all bleed red at the end of the day, but that doesn’t change that there is much pain in our history that has created a system that inherently benefits groups of people more than others off of something that is literally only skin deep to this day. I’m not the right person to speak in depth on this topic nor am I an expert in this arena. Even in my neighborhood where I currently live, I see this difference of treatment played out which is why I take the time out to sit with the people of the area and listen to their life stories. I feel like hearing the truth of history and listening to people really help us with the empathy that I feel is so necessary to live in harmony. Especially nowadays.
There were stories of loss, heartbreak, viewing some harrowing escapes through the spirits in the game, and there were very difficult stories of humans making choices that had far reaching consequences on the area. The idea that areas that have witnessed traumatic or violent events can have the energetic threads there tangled that causes that area to become a feeding ground for more sorrow, pain, and negativity is one that makes a lot of sense to me. I’ve always been sensitive to the energies of places and people so those times where I have visited, and lived in, these scarred areas where abuse, trauma, and violence have taken place over the years I can feel… a weight and/or like there is a layer of grease or tar on my skin. They are very uncomfortable places to be. If you live in one, it’s hard to realize the affect it has had on you until you are away for a time and then return.
In the game, there are these magickal people called Weavers that repair tangles in the Grand Tapestry of the world. The tangles are these places steeped in negativity and trauma. It makes me wonder… are there other folklore or even mythologies where this concept exists? Are there ways, like the Weavers in this game, to repair the wounds left in these places? Or are these places just meant to be eventually abandoned and reclaimed by the Earth? I feel the Earth would eventually recycle that energy back into itself to be made into something else, but that could take a very long time. Are there areas where it never energetically recovers?
In a way, I wonder if the Healers and magickal practitioners or our age can repair these areas. Or is it even our place to do such things? Many thoughts about this. It’s very interesting indeed. As I’m still early in my formal occult education, I don’t have the answers or even know where to start in finding them, but it is very interesting to ponder, nonetheless.
The game is a wonderful reminder of how rich the folklore found around the United States really is. I really need to do some deep dives into Southern Cajun folklore and research the magickal practices and spirits therein someday.
Bottom line is, play South of Midnight.
It’s a great game with a great story. And oh my Gods the music is just phenomenal! Just send shivers through me down to my toes!
And the game is a short one which I’m glad for. I have not wanted to be tied down with an overly long cumbersome game as I have much to do with both work and school.
May you be treated with how you’ve treated others.
See you next time!
References
Games, C. (2025). Compulsion Games South of Midnight. Retrieved from compulsiongames.com: https://compulsiongames.com/games/south-of-midnight/
Wikipedia. (2025, May 29). Rolling Thunder Hear my Cry. Retrieved from wikipedia.com: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roll_of_Thunder,_Hear_My_Cry
School Milestone, Wands, & Other Things
Made it to Level 3 at school!
The journey both of artistry and wizardry has been quite interesting and, in all honesty, they are one in the same now.
I’m currently Level 3 (Year 3 equivalent) at the Grey School of Wizardry majoring in Magickal Practice and minoring in Wizardry. I joined GSW a bit over a year ago though I feel like I’ve been there for years with all of the knowledge gain, skill gain, and overall growth as a person I’ve had.
I know this is like skipping past beginnings of things but honestly, I don’t know how to blog so I’m just writing what’s on my mind. Hopefully over the course of the blog blanks will be filled as I develop and learn more about blogging here.
Currently, I’m in a Magickal Tools class which I really like as I love making things with my hands. The lesson I’m on is making a wand. Now, I have already made wands in the past a few times. The first of which was at the 2024 Summer Conclave where we had an in person wand crafting class that was truly enlightening for me. That has been a consistent thing in my brain: Wizardry feels right. It feels perfectly natural and exciting!
Now, I have (since yesterday) finished the wand for my class and have consecrated it with the instructions from the Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart as directed by the instructor. I’m really proud of it!
I’ll do a separate blog post about it after I turn in that assignment, and it gets graded. Don’t want anyone thinking I am plagiarizing myself for school by posting a completed school assignment online before I turn it in.
Outside of school, I have been learning about candle crafting and just making things that I think are cool. It’s hard to not just focusing on things that make money, especially considering the economic struggles of the current time, but I found that I can’t make anything if I put too much stress behind it. I’m trying to allow projects to unfold naturally while allowing myself the space to breathe. It’s not an easy thing to do when things feel so strained but I’m doing my best.
Following our passions and soul paths feels really difficult when modern society tries to force us to be cogs in the machine, if you know what I mean. I see so many that are tired and angry (rightfully so, all things considered) and I hope that we all come out of this stressful period stronger and are able to thrive more than just survive.
May you be treated how you’ve treated others.
See you next time!