Not For Ourselves

A Book Review

By Cate Cavanagh

Theresa Chaze has once again proven herself to be a premier Wiccan author of amazing skill and creativity! Not For Ourselves is a robust novel that spans lifetimes in the most unique way possible by weaving a tale of revolving reincarnation.

Readers knowledgeable of the Craft will find this approach familiar yet refreshing in depiction as we witness the flashing back and forth of a character in the present reliving moments of a previous life whose errors have followed her through many incarnations including the present.

Through Alyssa’s eyes we see how conflicted relationships are fast forwarded to the present as she comes to recognize antagonists of her past life tormenting her in the present. Alyssa’s biggest challenge is to rejoin her past self and seek to correct the error that sent her span of lives into the condemnation of karmic debt.

A victim of stalking and terrorism by a local police officer Alyssa is forced to send her cats to live with her sister, Michelle. Reporting this officer (Nevel) is useless as the blue wall converges about him, rendering him protected against prosecution. As her torment continues week after week and month after month the result is the loss of her job as well what has become her fragile sanity. Despite this she fosters enough strength to vlog a diary of what is happening as well as publishing his threatening phone calls. When he and a fellow officer come to her house with false charges and threats, Alyssa finds her cause has been followed by the FBI for some time. Angry that they allowed her to live in constant fear she searches for a way to find peace again and to come away with her goddess given power once more!

Complicating matters is James, the FBI agent that rescues her and Wayne the attorney helping his father deliver hay to the reclaimed horse farm that Alyssa resumes on her path to recovery. But is Wayne in town to defend her tormentors?

So thorough is Theresa’s research she writes of how Alyssa houses an injured possum rather than have him free to roam the stable because its feces can cause serious, life threatening illness. As a horsewoman, I was very impressed with this authenticity.

Authentic as well as her description of projecting oneself into a past life and back again. Authentic as well is how she depicts the physical, mental, and emotional turmoil that rapid astral traveling can be. Those of us of the Craft have experienced this and it is very impressive that Theresa set before her the daunting challenge to recreate not just the physical sensations of trying to undo past errors but the very important tenets of the Wiccan path.

Upon completion of Not For Ourselves, those of the Craft will be sated knowing that someone like Theresa writes a true representation of this treasured belief system while opening a whole new realm of reading experience for the average reader.

Kudos to you Theresa Chaze! Well done!

Available on Amazon as a Kindle and in paperback as well as a PDF on the author's website.

Website