I wanted to love Elemental Magic a lot more than I did.

My initial perception that we, as readers, would be *working* on or with actual elemental magic. It's limits, the benefits, the drawbacks- you know a very- in depth- 'Oh, the places we'll go' sort of thing. 

No. The author simply states an incomplete dictionary of magical properties associated with objects (trees, crystals, etc...) and very basic magical aspects- (North, South, East, West) with meanings, and properties associated with them; Basic attributes and creature associations, etc. 

The "magical dictionary" was largely incomplete and sometimes when to great lengths to describe a lot about one topic to just drop it and move onto another one. Some chapters lumped large, widely useful things together, gave them a very prelin=minary label and moved on. i.e.- lumping rosemary, lavender, and other significant and widely useful herbs together and just said they can be used for protection- period, the end- new topic. Um, that is a whole chapter right there. Sorry, sorry.

There were some prayers, rituals, meditations included that some may find useful to their practice. I fly on a more autonomous path, so they were largely outside of my areas of practice.

If you are looking for very high-level information about natural magic/magical-inherent properties, or just an overview of basic magical practice, this may be a good book for you.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Elemental Magic is a hot mess. Disorganized, repetitive, self-referential, vague, and occasionally contradictory, this guide to magic and the natural world needs an editor, more detail, and clearer information. The writing is poor and too frequently makes unconnected asides or is tangential. It's easy to find most of the information contained in the book online on free sites, where it's often better presented,

3.5 stars. Accessible overview of all things traditional magic, with good high-level overviews of everything from elements to plants to ethics. I wish there was more in-depth information presented here, and more "practices" as the title implies.

I was hoping for a beautifully illustrated and informative book about the elements that make up a magical life.  Instead, this book is very encyclopedic and cold. The photos included feel very dated (like out of an encyclopedia written in the 1960s).  If you're looking for a warm, cozy read, this book isn't it.  If you're looking for an encyclopedia that might give you the information you want on the properties of magical elements, you can try this book.

This book provides a very good, accesible overview of everything involved with this craft. The writing was easy to read, interesting and it didn't feel like the author was "info-dumping" at any point. 

The only improvement I would suggest is to perhaps add a little more detail in places, but the book is still informative and enjoyable as is.

A good resource for anyone interested in the natural aspects of the craft. There's a lot of information here but its very accessibly presented so I'd recommend the book for beginners. I didn't find anything particularly new but it made a good refresher for aspects I had not considered for a while, so it's also good for teh esetablished practitioner.

I have read many of Nigel Pennicks interesting books. This book is my favorite. First it gives one of the best most relative introductions I have ever read about Magic. We are part of the Natural World. As much as we distance ourselves from the outdoors, the creatures we live with and arround, at the end of the day we belong here. 
The basics of practical Elemental Magic are given. Earth , Air , Water , and Fire are described as well as Dieties that have been associated with the, As the book continues the seasons are looked at in a natural way that encourages common sense and getting out and doing simple activities. 
I found that reading this book brought back many memories of things my Grandmother talked about when she was still alive. The connection between dancing and our natural history is something I hadnt thought about for a long time. We are cut off more everyday with our devices and constant monitioring by well meaning gov programs and rules. However we are all Earth people and we long for a connection in many cases. This book will inspire you with simple exercises and discussions, I wanted to get outside and go for a walk in the fielsds nearby after reading. Excellent starting point for a magical life can be found here.

He talks about "traditional spirituality" and "European spirituality" as if they are monolithic. There are some bare bones correspondences that you can find in many other books. Not sure if this is going to be changed but my review copy contained no bibliography and there were barely any citations to back up the lore he relates (example: oak trees were used by x culture to do y"). The only reason I'm not giving this review one star is that it's not offensive like so many other books.

My favorite part of this book is that it works in so many ways to use the elements in magical workings.  This book feels like it covers everything: stone and crystals, plants, animals, and the changes of the earth--all are including in ways to use magick and this book.  I feel like I really learned a lot from this one!

This provided a general overview on many topics tied to magic. I got an advanced copy but I found it difficult to read. I am guessing that in print form it will be organized better.

A fantastic resource for anyone exploring magic. This book has a wealth of information regarding the principals of elemental magic, including lore, properties of minerals, animals, plants, cycles, and practical uses for personal growth.

There is an eye on staying in harmony with when and how to put things into practice that is wound between the sections, allowing you to get the most of practices if you align as many as possible. For example, the information helps you in making sure you are working in the right cycle, on the right day, using the right color or stone etc. There is also guidance to create your own ceremonies, and for making your own magical items, such as wands.

I really found the mineral and plant sections fascinating and as with the rest of text, so packed full of information that covered both the lore and modern concepts and uses.

It's a wonderfully presented text that should be on the shelf of anyone looking walk a naturally harmonious path. I know I will be coming back to it again and again.