Publisher chose to only provide a preview chapter of this book. What I read looks pretty good and interesting. The chapter includes a fairy tale (as I understand from the introduction, you get part of the tale on each chapter, and/or multiple tales that connect over the book), a lesson from Baba Yaga presenting and explaining her magic, and then a explanation from the author of the book further developing the lesson. The writing is very good, can be a bit whimsical at times. Whether you read if for the tales or the magic, or both, this is a good book (or at least it looks like it would be a good book)..

I've heard of Baby Yaga before, and as I'm not someone that's inherently witchy, I wanted to learn more about the craft. I really enjoyed what this book had to share. It opened my eyes on the beliefs of others. I believe it to be incredibly important to keep educating yourself on all areas, because how can you deny something if you know nothing about it?

I was only able to read the first chapter as a sample, but I really enjoyed it. The different fiber arts and how they are used in Slavic magic was very interesting to read about.

Thank you netgalley and Llewelyn for providing the first chapter for review. So far I like the layout. Each chapter will be separated into 3 parts that weave your journey with Baba Yaga. A fairytale, the author’s insights and your practical work. I was very engaged with the writing and excited to try the cross-stitching. I just wish I had the entire book to give a more complete review. I feel it is being published at the perfect time for those wanting to connect with traditional Ukrainian magic and the grandmothers wisdom and protection for those in Ukraine as well as in our own lives.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn Publications for providing me with this Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!*

Sum It Up:
It’s important to note that I only received the first chapter of Baba Yaga’s Book of Witchcraft, so this review will focus mainly on that material! The author opens this with an anecdotal tale of their own experience, showing their familial and personal connections to Slavic magick and Baba Yaga. In the introduction Pamita explores the format of the chapters, detailing the way she will approach the information from a historical, cultural, and modern viewpoint. There’s also a grand sense of storytelling here, with a scene being set and a tone provided to suit the mythos and the practitioner.

What Worked and What Didn’t:
The first chapter begins with the folktale, giving context to the importance of embroidery and utilizing intention and pattern to create symbols for protection, abundance, and more. Pamita intertwines explanation with more vocabulary here, welcoming the participant in their new journey and explaining how tradition is passed from old to young, just like in the story we just read.

It was very interesting to read about the incorporation of stitch-work in a magickal practice, but I wasn’t sure of our narrative direction until the point that Pamita began to describe the connection between folklore and daily life. It would have been interesting to see some mention of this, or other practices, in the introduction!

What Stood Out:
I really enjoyed the pictures and descriptions of the different stitches and patterns and how they can be used to amplify different intentions. Having the photo next to the written description gave this section a lot more depth and made the knots and stitches more fun to look at. It was easier to picture each of the knots being used in practice when they were displayed clearly against the page.

Overall, I really enjoyed what was provided in this first chapter of the book. I would have liked to read the entire thing to provide a more comprehensive review, but I appreciated that the section provided was high quality. Looking at the table of contents, it appears as though there will be several sections of interest including “the hut and the altar,” “the spirits of the lake,” and “the hair.” This book is scheduled for publication on April 8th, 2022! Learn more here.

Madame Pamita shares a little-written about magical tradition with her personal stories and magical practices of Ukrainian witchcraft. This is a good introduction to the folklore of the area as well as how folklore is the same and different across borders. The magic is practical, beautiful, and unique. This book can be enjoyed by those looking to connect to a familial tradition, curious about Slavic magic, and/or those interested in Slavic folklore.

I liked this book, it has some great references in it. It is very specific to Baba Yaga so unless you plan on practicing with her I would say use it as a guide.

I really enjoyed the first chapter of “Baba Yaga’s Book of Witchcraft” by Madame Pamita. From the sample I read, I think this will be a really good book for anyone interested in learning more about their Slavic heritage and how to connect with Baba Yaga in general. This would also be a great read for those who are not magickal practitioners, but want to learn more about Slavic mythology and folklore. I’m really looking forward to reading the entirety of the book when it is released.

I received an ARC for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn.

Ho avuto solo l'anteprima grazie a Netgalley, ma da quel poco che ho visto sembra molto carino e folkloristico.
Ogni capitolo è diviso in tre parti: una storia del folklore ucraino, un commento dell'autrice sotto le mentite spoglie di Baba Yaga, degli incantesimi o teoria magica che si può dedurre dalle prime due parti.
Purtroppo non sono di origini slave quindi non saprei dire quanto sia accurato, ma fortunatamente vengono lasciate le fonti per ogni singolo capitolo e si può approfondire/verificare facilmente..

Credo proprio che lo comprerò (quindi aggiornerò la recensione su goodreads)

I really adored this short sample of Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft. The excerpt was rich in Slavic traditions and the prose were whimsical and evocative. this book appears to be a study in the old ways and ancient magic, the first chapter left me eager to read more.

Thank you to Netgalley for and early look in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! What an excellent and comprehensive look at so many beautiful Slavic traditions. I love the way each chapter is split into three sections which beautifully take the world of fairytale and Lore into the modern age. I feel so empowered to try these practices after reading this book.

There's not anything particularly outstanding about this book so it's hard to really say much about it. If anything, it's very beautifully printed (images) but it's very...sparse. The book is only a few pages long and does not give me what it promised me, fear!! But also witchcraft (plural). Instead, it's a very (very) basic talisman stitching book, giving us information on what the different patterns mean. That's it. So if that sounds interesting, I'd say check this out. Otherwise, it may be better to find something longer, which may also contain this information and more

Update: I didn't realize that this was a preview of the book. Since I was only able to access what appears to be one chapter, my thoughts are: It seems like this will be an interesting read, however, I can't say in what ways

Baba Gaga's Book of Witchcraft by Madame Pamita looked like it could be an interesting book as I only received the first chapter. BabaYagasBookofWitchcraft #NetGalley

The part of the book I had access to was pretty short so it’s hard to form a good overall opinion. I liked what I read and I’d be interested in reading more. It seemed well researched and thought out. The writing was nice.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft has an eye-catching cover and great captivating, Slavic folk story. There is some great and authentic folklaw - and of course magic as well as wisdom within this book. As soon as I saw the cover and Baba Yagas name, I knew I had to read this!
This book would make a great starting point to learn about old magic and ways and I loved the embroidery patterns included inside. This is the second book by MADAME PAMITA I have had the pleasure of reading.

I received advanced access to the first Chapter of Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft by Madame Pamita and I absolutely adored it!

Rather than a book of pure fairytales or instructional magic the author combined the two. We are first introduced to a story and the magic within - then we learn how to use that magic within our everyday life. Do I think I'll ever sit down and do needlework? Probably not, but having the knowledge and the tie back to the fairytale just brought the reading experience to the next level.

I look forward to reading this book in its entirety once it's published! Thank you to Llewellyn and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received advanced access to the first Chapter of Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft by Madame Pamita and am excited to see what the author has in store for the rest of the chapters!

This book fills in a much needed space where there is lacking for books on Slavic witchcraft and magic. I’ve always been fascinated with the tales of Baba Yaga growing up with Slavic ancestry. This book does a deep dive into weaving the tales along with the craft throughout the book.

The first chapter gave just a taste of this going over the beginning of one tale where Baba Yaga is a trickster/teacher and details protective talismans created with embroidery and how to create your own.

The author took great care to research her material and lots of sources are cited for her writing.

One thing that stuck out to me as possibly being harmful is the following quote:

“An illness, a misfortune; yes, these can just be the result of your carelessness, but they can also occur because someone looked at what you had with an envious glance, or because they were angry at you and wanted you to be harmed.”

To perpetuate that you could be sick or unlucky because someone looked at you wrong or with jealousy is just plain dangerous and wrong. If it’s a Slavic superstition, it needs to be labeled as so.

Otherwise, I look forward to reading more of this book once I get my presale. It will be nice to read about practices my ancestors did and bring back some of that into my practice.

RATING: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting read, just wasn’t my cup of tea. But if your into this - it seems well structured and written. I’m very neutral with this one, I didn’t like but didn’t not like it. Just not something I would add to my personal library.

Incredibly novel way of approaching witchcraft through a timeless (and often misunderstood) figure like Baba Yaga. I found the writing approachable and fun, though some of the directions/instructions/ingredients a bit out of my reach. Though I might not be able to follow every project in the book, I enjoyed the journey and getting to know more about Baba Yaga.

I was disappointed this wasn't the full book, but what is available here is spectacular. Slavic witchcraft is often overlooked but has certainly made a resurgence in recent years. Pamita combines folklore, history, and modern practices to create a practical book of witchcraft centering around Baba Yaga. Each chapter begins with a story, a retelling of folkloric tales, to introduce the topic of discussion before deep-diving into the practice at hand, including practice spells and crafts. The book is well-cited, and will likely prove to be a must-have on any witch's bookshelf. I look forward to reading the rest of the book in the future.