Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was very helpful in my day-to-day. I did learn a lot from this book. I am thankful to the author

This book provides a broad overview of heathenism with plenty of historical information and modern perspectives. Practical steps for practice are covered in-depth.

This book is fascinating. I loved learning about Norse traditions. The book is written in a progression way. It takes you from the history to actually practicing magic. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is an absolute must for any one who practices or is interested in Heathen Magic. It includes a comprehensive section on the history and foundations of Heathen Magic as well as the deities involved. Then it goes into basic spell work, the tools needed, and some wonderful recipes, spells, and rituals. I found the entire book fascinating and was never bored. It has been added to the top of my list of books to recommend to those interested in this type of Magic.

I found this book fascinating. I've always drifted more towards Celtic Magick so I was excited to read about Norse traditions. I loved that the book was split in half with the first part covering history, traditions, and an introduction to deities, and the second half focusing on practicing Heatheb Magick. I will say my favorite part was chapter 10, Herb Magic, I loved the recipes. This will make an excellent addition to the library of any practioner.

A well researched, informative and interesting book about heathen magic. Learned a lot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Beautiful book for those experienced on the topic and those new to the subject matter. Well written and very informative.

I was incredibly impressed by Elves, Witches & Gods and the immense research put in by the authors. While the history is dense, it doesn’t feel like reading a text book. We learn Nordic craft rituals along with the history behind them, we learn the pantheon & entities, once again accompanied by the history. I personally found this to be the most well laid out and thoughtfully written book I’ve read on the topic of Nordic craft & witchery. Accessible, informative, and ultimately a very enjoyable read.

This was very informative and did a great job combining folklore, historical texts, and personal experience. It made for a really interesting read.

I loved the citations being at the bottom of the pages. I didn't realize I had a preference until this book and the ease I found in finding the sources. I am absolutely awful at pronouncing words I don't know so I also really loved that it shows how to pronounce some of the difficult words.

This is a fantastic resource that was a pleasure to read.

It is great for those going into their intermediate working with heathen magic. Different things to think about and are introduced.

An excellent and thoroughly enjoyable read. Cat Heath takes you on a journey through norse heathenry that provokes the reader to experiment and experience fully who she calls the spinning goddess through means both practical and magical.

I found the sections dealing with the use of spindles as a means of magick very informative, thought provoking and deeply inspiring. As someone who has always wanted to find a way to include magick into his spinning this book helped me immensely and for that I cant thank the author enough!

Elves, Witches, and Gods: Spinning old Heathen Magic in the Modern Day by Cat Heath stuck out to me when looking through upcoming releases from Llewellyn and after reading the description I knew I needed to get my hands on an early copy. Boy am I glad I did! Heathenry is a term used to describe Germanic and Scandinavian magical practices, which resonates with me deeply as both my mother and father can trace their ancestral roots not only back to Celtic Ireland and Scotland, but Sweden and Germany as well. In fact, my father was surprised to learn he has "Viking" blood in him. We knew my mother's family hailed from Sweden but were completely taken aback my father's family had similar roots. Needless to say, I feel a deep connection with all things Scandinavian, and heathenry is no exception.

Heath does an amazing job introducing heathenry using historical texts, folktales, and her own experiences to drive the techniques and rituals outlined in the book. This is by far one of the best occult books I have read in a very long time for a couple of reasons. First, I absolutely love historical texts, myths, folklore, and the like, and draw heavily upon them when developing my own practice. I still do. The fact the Heath does the same and explains the texts in a methodical and analytical way while expanding the texts to explain how they apply to modern heathenry and occult practices did not fall on deaf ears. Most of the book felt like I was conversing with a similar mind to my own and while her writing style is different than mine, I could feel and see myself in her words. This type of writing isn't for everything, but if you enjoy my posts explaining folklore, myths, and historical texts, then you will definitely enjoy Heath's writing.

Second, Heath cites everything within the text with citations annotated at the bottom of pages. This is my favorite way to read citations so I don't have to go flipping back and forth to find the exact source referenced in the material. This allows me to quickly judge the validity of the source, from which she uses far more primary sources than secondary, and therefore the validity of the information. It also very quickly allows me to see what is speculation and personal experience versus what is backed up by history. I am a huge fan of this type of citation and put me at ease while reading.

Finally, I love how candid Heath is throughout the book. She speaks from decades of experience and isn't afraid to admit when she has messed up. I envy her practice and her ability to travel the world. Maybe one day I will be able to do the same. I love reading the personal experiences of others in the craft as they are often more insightful than the picture they paint elsewhere. It's all well and good to write and post manicured rituals and spells, its another to read the raw details on how such a ritual or spell originally came about and the trials and tribulations it took to get to today.

As a hedgewitch, I found the sections on "The Pathway Between" and "Herbal Charms" to be two of my favorite sections of the entire book. The Pathway Between covers liminality and spirit communication. However, Heath builds up to these practices, laying the foundation in Part One: Cosmology before giving you practical magic to practice on your own.

At the end of the book, Heath offers a list of recommended resources, many of which are now on my list to read later. These sources are broken up into sections, including both historical and modern, which I appreciate. There is also a short pronunciation guide to help you navigate some of the difficult Nordic, Icelandic, and Germanic words, although I would have liked to see a pronunciation guide next to each word when we first encounter them. I was having to Google the correct pronunciation of each word so I could read smoothly. I have a learning disability that affects my ability to read new words, so without the pronunciation guide next to each word, I kept getting tripped up and couldn't progress until after I had heard the word aloud.

Apart from wishing for a pronunciation guide next to new words, I did not like Heath's constant backtracking. She summarized what she had just talked about often throughout the book, which may be helpful for those who are easily distracted, but I found it rather annoying. I think it's mostly because I didn't like how she summarized, not that she did. This is really me issue and not a book issue, but one I felt the need to mention all the same. Some sections were also difficult to get through, not because the text wasn't fascinating, but because it was so dense. This may turn off some readers, but it is well worth it in the end.

Overall, I loved this book so much I purchased a hard copy the moment I finished it. I strongly encourage every hedgewitch out there to pick up this book. I promise you it will be worth it. You can order your copy of Elves, Witches, and Gods: Spinning Old Heathen Magic in the Modern Day by Cat Heath now!

Such a comprehensive and fascinating book! I knew a little about this before hand but this has truly expanded my horizons. Cat Heath is so knowledgeable, and gives so much inspiration for one to deepen ones practise. Recommended!

Elves, Witches & Gods is a Spinning Old Heathen Magic in the Modern Day written by Cat Heath: Patricia M. Lafayllve. A book that is sure to weave the threads of ancient heathen magic into your life that is full of history, inspiration, and practical information. Elves, Witches & Gods is a book you are sure to read again and again.

This book was absolutely fascinating and packed full of well researched heathen traditions. It would be a treasure in any practitioners library. I think it would be helpful for anyone diving in to already have some base knowledge and experience as this is not a beginners manual for practices, rather it is a beautiful enrichment resource. The writing style is rich making this a joy to read where you get lost in lore rather than feel like you are studying, but trust you are learning. Highly recommend.

This is a must have book if you are studying Northern traditions & in particular seidr. It also would be excellent to round out your library & practice. It is a treasure trove of information exercises, rituals, translations & further reading material & ideas. Beginning with a relatable horror of mystical experimentation that was also a delight, I screamed: a burial mound attempted ritual scene I was all ready to dig into that morphs into a holy hell when details of accomplices come to pass on lack of acumen & need to pull out! This was the best vet everyone before you go on this type of endeavor moral story!!. I lost all my notes on this review which were copious, maybe for a reason. So will cut this to the bone: best book to easily understand & get involved in practices as well as who, why & how. Immensely easy to read, comprehend & gets you excited about getting more involved. Couple of quick notes: I fight languages & should be multilingual but not really. This actually pressed me to think of wading in to explore. I also have been drawn to spinning wool for whatever unimaginable reason & now it makes sense. It hit me hard about 17 years ago & coincided with meeting someone I adored that was more than willing to get me more involved in Northern tradition than what I had been [specifically stories, history, runes, crafts & basic belief systems] My excuse was it was so un portable but loved watching a friend with her spinning wheel. I have long thought that Freyja taught Odin seder & that she is the one that put him on the world tree for the knowledge of the runes, but that is me & feel more heavily drawn to Freyja & Freyr & idea of Vanatru. This meshes with that but has so much more: I have never heard someone explain Odin so closely to the way I see him or how I have felt he is as well as why. I have a tendency to rely on feelings & things I see individually, she displays reference backup to prove points. The nine worlds explanation immediately made me think of the nine planets & now that is stuck in my head but not seeing how it would work [this is me not her but felt the need to add] If you are serious about hands on real magic & lifting those veils, this is it. Literally this author could have made a good 3 to 5 books out of this 1 & am so impressed I can't see straight. Once again have this at the top of my book queue when it comes out in solid form as I want to be able to flip around when needed

This is definitely not a book for the curious or beginners! I had to look a lot of things up while I was reading, which is always frustrating. I wish I had known this was an advanced book. Still, I learned a lot and felt like I grew as a practitioner by reading this.

A beautifully written book for Heathens and Witches/Volvas alike. Highly recommend for anyone new to the path of Northern Paganism or who have been walking it a while but could use the refocus and fresh new look at the road we walk. I loved not only the basics of Norse cosmology and foundations of Heathenry but really diving into the details from recels to fiber crafts to honoring the Gods and Spirits from the heart. It really is a must read and I'm so glad its in the world.

Although not Heathen myself, there is much I learned and much I can utilize in my own magical practice. This book was well researched and written in an easy-to-understand manner. I will definitely be referencing it in the future. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a reader that has very limited knowledge of Heathenry but a love Icelandic folklore and nature worship, I found this book to be very comprehensive without being overwhelming. Cat Heath has a poetic style of writing that is both lovely and engaging. I found the detailed descriptions regarding the reconstruction of period rituals to be credible and thoughtful. It is evident that Heath has poured love, tremendous effort, and conscientious research into this work. I enjoyed reading this book and learning more about the art of seiðr.