Data:
=====
Author: Marian Green
Title: The Gentle Arts of Aquarian Magic
Publisher: Aquarian Press, Grafton Books
           Harper Collins Publishers
           77-85 Fulham Palace Road
           Hammersmith, London
           W6 8JB, England.
Illustrations: None.
Copyright: 1987
ISBN: 0-85030-553-5
Price: 6.99 GBP or 12.95 USD for paperback.

Short characterization:
=======================
"Use the Symbols and Powers of Natural Magic to Expand Your Own
Experience of Life, and to Benefit Everyone Around You" is what it
says on the inside of the cover. Minus hype it's true.

Contents:
=========
Personal Alchemy
The Magic of Earth
The Magic of Water
The Magic of Fire
The Magic of Air
The Hidden Paths
The Magic of the Moon
The Magic of the Sun
Star Magic
Mastering the Crafts
The Magic of Trees
The Magic of the Underworld

The author:
===========
Marian Green is an accomplished author of occult books, particularly
about Green Ray magick. She is also the editor of Quest Magazine, a
quarterly occult magazine that also arranges postal courses and
interfaith meetings.

The chapters:
=============
In the introduction Green introduces the subject of Natural Magic and
explains how to work with the book.

The first chapter deals with the attitude of the magician and how
magick will affect her life.

The second chapter deals with the magic of the landscape, minerals and
the place. 

In the third chapter Green deals with wells, the sea and folk customs
surrounding them. The legend of the Grail is also mentioned.

Chapter four is about bonfires and candlemaking aswell as the hazards
of fire.

The fifth chapter deals with scents and breathing. Different states of
consciousness are also brought up.

Chapter six deals gives detailed instructions about pathworkings.

In the seventh chapter the phases of the moon and moon goddesses are
discussed. 

In chapter eight Green talks about the solar festivals.

Chapter nine is about astral travel, astrology and astronomy.

In the tenth chapter the text deals with divination, even giving an
example of a divinational tool the practitioner can make for herself.

In the eleventh chapter Green brings up genealogy and totem trees. She
also goes into some detail about some well-known trees and their
symbolism. 

The twelfth chapter is about initiation.

The book concludes with a bibliography, a resource list and an index.

Personal view:
==============
Marian Green is one of my favorite Craft authors. I like her writing
style, and I don't mind her frequent references to "here in Britain",
since Sweden isn't so far off, nor very different in many aspects. On
the other hand Green has some views about gender polarity that I find
hard to swallow, and she can be quite the ethnocentric. I don't mind
her sometimes very esoteric scholarship either, but I can imagine
quite a few people will. I find myself returning to this book for
inspiration and sometimes for details about a technique I haven't
tried yet.

Conclusion
==========
This is a book for the aspiring witch, preferably located in
Europe. If you already have "The Elements of Natural Magic" much of
the book will be a rehash. 

--Ceci (94-08-20)