The Book of Ancestors
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By: Claire Goodchild (Black and the Moon)
Publisher: Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company
Book Size: 6.5 x 8.25 in (approx.)
Book pages: 280
Release Date: October, 2023
Purchased or gifted?: Publicity copy gifted from Claire by way of Voracious books
Absolute favorite page: 14 - Honoring the Archetypes (but more specifically 15 which is an image, see below)
Favorite Details: The thickness of the book and the illustrations, Identifying the Forgotten (page 9)
First impressions: I loved the book upon receiving it mainly because its so timely. My mom, my uncle and myself recently started digging into our family’s heritage probably a week or so before Claire asked me if I wanted a copy. So it couldn’t have been better timing. I have been a huge fan of her work for years and we have been Instagram friends, regularly chatting on and off, for nearly a decade. It warms my heart to see her having such success with her books and decks. Especially since we both starting in this community right around the same time.
I am not going to lie to you, I haven’t had much time to read the book because my mother saw it on my desk and took it. She’s been reading it quite a bit though and has been sharing her insights (she’s very intuitive) with me. She’s doing the bulk of the research on our family so I let her keep— for the time being, lol. So this review is going to be based on what I have read so far.
First up, this book features Claire’s unique art style. She has said extremely consistent in this style over the years which primarily consists of bones mixed with vines, flowers, cemetery elements (like tombs and urns) and, vintage style apothecary elements. The backgrounds are always that warm, vintage style paper look. The kind of thing you would expect from a box of love letters found in the attic of your French grandmother’s chateau, detailing her escapades with her lover before the years of your grandfather.
This book is very thoughtful. Over the years, I have come to be much more careful when I speak about ancestral work. Many people are adopted or just don’t have a strong enough connection to family to know much about their ancestors. Or you might be like me. Who I call dad is actually my stepdad who’s been here my entire life. I don’t really know anything about my biological dad’s family. And sadly on my mom’s side, many of the records have been lost and the people who would have the information have passed long ago. So connecting with your ancestors isn’t always an easy task when you have don’t have any details to go by.
Which leads me to page 9, Identifying the Forgotten. There are so many people in everyone’s lineage that remains nameless. Whether it’s from estrangement or genocide as Claire mentions in the book or just not knowing what happened to someone. Many people in older times were born at home without access to someone who could keep records. And so, there are many people you will never come to know by name or face. And yet, they are your ancestors all the same. And Claire describes each of your ancestral archetypes in the first chapter, helping you to figure out who is safe to connect with and who isn’t, regardless of how much you actually know about them.
Another thing I really enjoyed is chapter 2: Ancestor Grimoire. That’s the first time I’ve heard that term and I loved it immediately, before even reading further. She gives background on the practice which apparently reaches back to the Mesopotamian’s. She also gives you a wealth of instructions on how to go about setting up your grimoire, keeping it organized and things you might want to have in it.
There are plenty of spells and rituals throughout the book for everything from connecting with your ancestors, offerings, funerals, healing and more. She also gives plenty of ways you can research your lineage as well some more practical ways you can connect with your ancestors. Learning a language for example is one of my favorite examples. I started learning French about five years ago because I have ancestors who came from France as well as Benin, both French speaking countries. I would like to go to both places someday to see if I can connect to my ancestors through the land. So I loved seeing this practice in the book. But she goes far beyond that sharing tips for learning about ethnic foods and textiles, working with vintage furniture and even a list of questions to ask living relatives.
The quality of the book is gorgeous. It’s full color. The cover is so thick and has a wonderful feel to it that is carried throughout the pages in the book. So far, I haven’t found anything I don’t like about the book or feel cause to ding. It’s well written and thoughtful. You can tell she’s been working on this for a very long time and I’m looking forward to getting it back. Just kidding, I’m going to buy another copy for myself and perhaps give one to other family members as well.
Who is this book for?
Anyone researching their ancestry who has an interest in witchcraft. This is truly a book of ancestors for witches and people in the spiritual community. She offers so many ways to learn about and connect with your ancestors, many things I’ve never even considered. I guarantee you will find something useful to help you in your search. Great job, Claire!
Any decks you’d like a review on? Have any questions about decks at all? Leave me a comment and stay tuned for more reviews.
This page may contain affiliate links which may allow us to collect a commission when you click and make a purchase through the links on our site. There is no additional cost to you for doing so.
