Book Review: By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn by Althea Sebastiani

By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn: The Theory & Practice of Effective Home Warding

Holding a copy of Althea Sebastiani’s By Rust of Nail and Prick of Thorn in your hands, you’ll quickly realize you’re in for a brisk read. In fact, I started and finished it in one evening. However, you would be mistaken if you assumed that there isn’t much to be learned within the pages of this small but substantial guide.

The thing about the fundamentals of any topic is they are simple. Two times two equals four, I comes before E except after C, and home warding is in no way complicated or intensive. To that effect, Sebastiani’s approach to this particular text is as simple and straightforward as it’s subject matter and, for that, I appreciate her very much.

This is not to say that you won’t receive a complete education on the magickal art of home warding from this book. As a matter of fact, you’ll finish what only seems like a crash course with a thorough understanding of the how’s and why’s of protecting your home with powerful and effective wards. What’s more, Sebastiani encourages her pupils to get started right away. Not so subtly warning readers of the dangers of “lazy witchcraft”, she implores us all to “solidify everything you’ve read so far by putting it into practice and setting it bone deep so that it becomes reflexive.”

I’m certain you will in fact get the results if you take Sebastiani’s teachings and apply them as she instructs. They include: what you can and cannot ward against, the pitfall of warding your home too tightly, how objects already located in and around your home can become powerful wards, the process of constructing and laying such wards and 2 techniques for emergency warding, on the spot – no tools necessary.

When it comes to a magickal education, I love the no nonsense approach. Althea Sebastiani effectively teaches us warding in less than 100 pages and then further coaches us to get cracking on our own wards, while her words are still fresh in our minds. If only more magical texts were so uncomplicated and spurring.