Book Review: Between the Horns: A Book of Liminal Witchcraft
- Author: Elwynn Green
- Publisher: Weiser Books – an imprint of Red Wheel Weiser
- Publication date: 24-Sept-2026
- RRP: US $19.95 / UK £17.99
- ISBN: 9781578639281
- Website: www.theantleredcrown.com
- Reviewed by: Clair T
Do you know where the liminal is? Have you ever been there? There are perhaps some examples that we all share knowledge of. For instance, twilight, that moment between dawn and daylight or dusk and night time. It is a threshold between one place and another, a bridge or stairs, a doorway, or even between the sand and the sea. This book is not about those places you may have seen on screen, in books or media. This a genuine account of “a practical and accessible approach to the craft.”
What you receive is a 206 page book that has a beautiful glossy antlered skull with a green serpent entwined underneath the title. I find that a lovely tactile way to begin the journey. Elwynn greets you with a prologue that talks about how society has created a modern day witchcraft that is capitalist, but not deep or substantial like that we are actually searching for. In Elwynn’s words, he noticed that after the pandemic “many people struggled to simply be.”
The book is divided into:
Prologue
Introduction
10 Chapters
The Nieves
Afterword
There is a lot to talk about in this review, without spoiling everything for you in one go!
I have seen some of Elwynn’s videos over the years on YouTube and love listening to his approach to how he practises. From meditations, spell work, sabbats and spirit guide messages it is a privilege to follow someone who has a lot of knowledge and a wonderful calming energy when you watch him speak. Also a no-nonsense approach which is authentic and a podcast with a whole host of people you may have heard of and topics to delight you! Plenty of fun and giggles along the way.
But back to the book!
Normally I would talk about chapter by chapter but for those out there who like bibliomancy, open it up and see where it takes you. For example I landed on chapter 2 (Tools) page 25 titled The Skull. I found this interesting as perhaps using a skull is not for everyone yet when you think about it, it is a way to communicate with spirits of ancestors or animal spirits too. You don’t have to have a real skull of course! This then led me to “Types of Spirit” pages 105 to 115 where we meet many celestial and terrestrial entities. Including, beloved/honored/forgotten dead and brownies/hobs/duendes & tomtes. Towards the end of this chapter there is “Offrung Freo” where you give offerings freely to the spirits and a ritual that you can practice and may find yourself in receipt of a sign that the spirits have heard you.
Next I found myself landing at an exercise called Psychic Fire, page 85, where you are guided to get yourself to a place where you follow the setting to do a body scan.
“Looking for the feeling or image of dark energy that may appear as rust or dark spots of fuzz or webs against the illumination of the fire. This is completely normal and is basically psychic dirt that we pick up during daily life.”
Elwynn developed a technique, psychic fire, to generate and guide the “violet flame” to cleanse your aura. It is a powerful visualisation and something that can be practiced when in places where negative or predatory spiritual presences are. It is a fire that you can send out to consume all that said energy and call it back once cleansed.
I haven’t included the full working method here but I hope that you get the gist of what is written.
You will find in Chapter 3:
Influence, Ingredients and Associations
It is not an exhaustive list of “ingredients” but a very substantial amount of information and each with a poem and description. It also happens to be a list of Elwynn’s favourite ingredients that work well with liminal dualities.
This is followed by Shapes in Magic, not sacred geometry but regular/standard shapes and what they mean to us on a personal level. For example a triangle which you may already associate with the power of 3, mind/body/spirit and also of manifestation. Also a colour that corresponds to it which in this case is green. It is one of the building blocks that we are familiar with.
At this point I would like to include a quote from Elwynn:
“that it is, (this book) for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. I hope anyone could pick up this book at whatever stage and get something from it 💚”
Thank you Elwynn!
Chapter 9 Spirit of Flight, in essence is about how we perceive a witch travels. They don’t physically fly but can move on the astral plane – maybe… There is an exercise in this chapter called “Where the waters take you,” to be performed on a day when it rains, a simple ritual to liberate yourself when you feel stagnant. You are invited to find a place with a shallow river or slow stream and stand within. Quiet your mind but listen to the trickle of water as it touches your skin. “Let yourself experience the constant and unpredictable pattern of change that water teaches” and ask the questions:
What am I resisting?
How am I resisting?
Why am I resisting?
Then follow Elwynn’s words as he guides you through a practice that involves the cupping of water and feeling the water flow to remove blockages. I am fortunate enough to live near a stream that flows to a lake!
One more chapter that I know you might be interested in is about scrying and divination, chapter 6. Elwynn was taught a method to open yourself up to all forms of divination. In this busy world we live in, when was the last time you did “Naethin” (nothing)? Nothing is not meditation or just sitting still! The exercise Naethin is in 2 parts. Part one, sit and wait……. Wait for what? To find yourself in a “place” where you have stopped moving/fidgeting/being distracted and just be still and accept the feelings that come through. When you are absolutely there you will be ready for part two.
*Please note this involves visualising death which will most likely feel uncomfortable. You have free will to explore this as far as you want to, in my opinion, but this is a good exercise to explore the liminal.*
We are within a world of mirrors and by shifting our perspective may open us up to being more intuitive. Isn’t it a curious thought to wonder where exactly intuition comes from? How can picking up a deck of cards lead us to divine information? This exercise is about finding yourself in a place where you are open, open to all forms of divination.
So, would I recommend this book? Absolutely!!! There are parts that a beginner will benefit from in terms of tools, directions and herbs. Yet if you are experienced, maybe you will find an exercise to explore that which you haven’t already come across. This is but a snippet of a truly amazing book. I have followed Elwynn on YouTube for a while and enjoy how he puts things across as I mentioned in my opening to this review. I am grateful for the opportunity to keep coming back and using this as part of my own practice. The liminal is definitely in more places than you could imagine. Thank you Elwynn for writing a guide to opening myself up to the liminal world.
Author Bio:
Elwynn Green is the fourth in line from a family of mediums and witches and is known by most for his abilities in divination and spiritual work. He was previously an archaeologist, studying Northern European prehistory and digging at sites in and around the UK. He enjoys teaching through his social media outlets and Patreon, and sees the need for a more practical and accessible approach to the craft. He has written for publications, such as The Enquiring Eye at the Museum of Witchcraft in Cornwall and Gentle Hearts Unite in California, and has been featured on several podcasts as well as hosting his own, The Antlered Crown, with his wife Amanda. He also hosts a biweekly book club. Originally from England, Elwynn lived in Chicago for seven years, before relocating to Northern Ireland.
Between the Horns is now available here: https://redwheelweiser.com/book/between-the-horns-9781578639281/ and from all good online bookstores.
