Coming in february 2026 and now available for pre-order on llewellyn.com!

Slava! Slavic Paganism and Dual-Faith Folk Ways (Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.) by Anna Urošević Applegate

From the foreword by fio gede parma:

The power and gift of Slava! is its precious intimacy. We are invited into the heart and hearth of Anna and her people, with profound insights of neighboring Slavic cultures and communities. Through fierce scholarship, integrated magical prowess and practice, and a sheer enthusiastic desire to share the bounty of Slavic lore, mythos, and history, we become not just acquainted, but touched by these forces and these ancient and revived ways.

The Reviews Are Pouring in… PRAISE FOR SLAVA!

“For years, many contemporary Pagans have drawn their inspiration from Germanic, Classical, or Celtic cultures.  Now, Anna Urošević Applegate presents the traditions of Slavic Polytheism in Slava! Slavic Paganism and Dual-Faith Folk Ways. Her book begins with an exploration of the native, Pagan origins of the Slavic faith, and goes on to examine how this later became coupled with Christianity to survive as a Dual-Faith Tradition.  Applegate includes rituals, prayers, and even recipes to provide a truly immersive experience for anyone who would like to learn more about the cultural traditions of eastern and central Europe. I found the book to be both informative and thought-provoking, and highly recommend it.”

—Alaric Albertsson, author of Wyrdworking and A Handbook of Saxon Sorcery & Magic

“Anna Urošević Applegate reveals the magical treasures of the Slavic Pagans in her new book Slava! She invites us to join her as she takes us into folk practices of the Old World and teaches us how to incorporate them into the New. Anna weaves together Slavic history, Cunning practices, and her own family traditions into a book that feels like it’s being read to you by the village witch. Learn how the old Slavic Pagans honored the spirits, Gods, and ancestors in the old way so that their lives would be filled with magick and community well-being.”

—Chris Allaun, Author of Whispers from the Coven

“Slava! is a thoughtful work of cultural ambassadorship, merged with spiritual memoir, along with a good helping of anthropology, well-vetted folklore, history, and Magick, capped off by compelling storytelling. Within these pages you will encounter tree and plant wisdom, spells, ancestor veneration and considerations, environmental stewardship connections, rites directly from Slavic tradition and those created by the author, deities, fairy-lore, useful tools, and more. This polytheistic, earth-centered, and, at times, Otherworldly, tome looks at the past to pave a road to a lively and meaningful Slavic Magick practice of now and the forevermore.”
—Priestess Stephanie Rose Bird, author of Sticks, Stones, Roots, and Bones and Motherland Herbal

“Slava! is not just a valuable introduction to the spirituality of the Slavic people, especially from the south, to their Gods, customs, and celebrations. Anna Urošević Applegate’s work is priceless for any seeker wanting to understand the process of assimilation, syncretism and survival of Pagan deities and spirits within the Church, not only the Orthodox, but also within the Catholic Church on the European continent. It was exciting to read how the conclusions of Urošević Applegate come to confirm personal investigations about the relevance of the Byzantine Empire in the transition of a Pagan Europe to one dominated by virgins and its saints. Slava! is much more than a book about the spirituality of the Slavs; it is a reunion of the author with her roots: an exercise of memory, for her, for her relatives, for her people. Slava! is an important key to understanding for any European Pagan, as our Gods never disappeared; they took new names and forms. European Paganism is still alive, especially in rural and remote areas. Immortals live! Slava!”
—Ness Bosch, Priestess, Iberian Shamaness, and Author of Sacred Bones, Magic Bones: Stories from the Path of the Bones; Divine Wounds: Finding Healing by Working with Goddesses and Archetypes; and Sacred Tattooing: Ink for the Spiritual Seeker

“Slava! by Anna Urošević Applegate is a masterful work of ancestral reclamation, demonstrating how folkloric heritage can be woven into a meaningful and beautiful spiritual practice. Equal parts scholarly survey and intimate memoir, Anna guides readers through the rich world of Slavic folkways with clarity and care. By and by, Slava! is a profoundly resonant book that contributes much to the growing body of literature on contemporary folk practice and the reawakening of ancestral identity.”

—Kelden, author of The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft; The Witches’ Sabbath: An Exploration of History, Folklore, and Modern Practice; All Them Witches: Folktales & Rhymes; and Hickety Pickety: A Witch’s Guide to Folklore

“Slava! is one of the most important books to come out of contemporary Polytheism today. It fills a crucial gap in the literature available both to academics and, more importantly, to practitioners….Most importantly, Anna discusses syncretism, the blending of Christian and Polytheistic practices that make up an all-too-often neglected aspect of contemporary living Polytheisms, one that many Polytheists are ashamed to discuss. This book is essential for anyone interested in the potent call of Gods that predated Christianity by millennia. Anna highlights the thing that many contemporary Polytheisms miss: our traditions evolved connected to spirits of particular places, particular peoples—and while anyone may honor the Gods, learning about those origins can only deepen a person’s connection to the Holy Ones. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.”
—Galina Krasskova, PhD candidate, Theology, Fordham University; author of A Modern Guide to Heathenry and Living Runes

“Slava! is a richly researched and exquisitely written book that fulfills such an important need, not just from a Pagan perspective, but from a cultural, historical, and sociological one. Right from the first word, I found my heart fully enchanted. Reading even just the acknowledgement and dedication brought me to tears. The deep love which Urošević Applegate brings to her lived experience alongside her breathtakingly vast historical and cultural knowledge has resulted in a brilliantly crafted, important work. A wealth of practical exercises, journal prompts, and traditional practices allows a welcoming pathway into engagement. Urošević Applegate has brilliantly captured just how fluid the influence of belief and practice can be. Even if one had little interest in Pagan practice, this book serves as an important record of historical and cultural patterns and influence. For those who are interested Pagan literature, but find the current array overly weighted to recognizable themes and topics, Slava! is an engrossing read that offers a perspective both familiar and yet rivetingly new. I already know my own copy is going to be a forest of sticky notes.”

—Tiffany Lazić, registered psychotherapist and author of Psychopomps and the Soul: Traversing Death and Life for Healing and Wholeness

“Anna Urošević Applegate, priestess and Serbian-American witch, invites readers to experience the mythic depths of Slavic faith, ancient and new. Magical stories from the author’s own past and family tradition/history, enrich her substantial scholarship with immediacy and depth, showing how strong and fresh the living current of Slavic devotion runs— right here, right now, in this 21st-century time of need.  

In reading this work, I was struck repeatedly with how much I DIDN’T know about Slavic spirituality and practice, despite some familiarity with Russian folklore. A comprehensive reference and inspiration both, this book glows in its depictions of Slavic rituals and sacred space, and of the divinities and earthly powers in the Slavic world of the sacred.

As a syncretic priestess, Anna brings insight from several traditions (as well as Serbian sources unavailable to the general English-speaking public), into her illumination of Slavic faith; she presents us with many beautiful rituals and suggestions for devotional practice, not neglecting the importance of simple prayer.

Slava! entices all who are curious— for knowledge, for connection, for beauty— to be drawn deeper into the rich tapestry of Slavic cultures, and if so called, to make it their own.”

—Paul B. Rucker, visionary artist at paulruckerart.com

“In recent years, many practitioners have sought their ancestral roots, seeking to embrace and find a comfortable medium between that which contains both Christian and Pre-Christian.  Dual-Faith practice is an increasingly focused-on trend in the development of current magical and Pagan practice, especially in the Diaspora, and Slava! is a wonderful addition to a growing body of perspectives on this nuanced issue. Rodnovery for a long time has been the purview of the academic, or those fortunate enough not to have lost their mother tongue and still have connection. Slava! invites readers of both Slavic and non-Slav background to learn about the nitty gritty of the traditions and beliefs of a huge area of Europe. More importantly, Urošević Applegate speaks directly and repeatedly to the question of Dual Faith, a question many readers from many backgrounds are tackling for themselves.”
—Benjamin Stimpson, author of Ancestral Whispers and Of Doves & Ravens: The Witches and Wisefolk of Wales and the Borders

“Slava! Slavic Paganism and Dual-Faith Folk Ways is a much needed publication, opening up doors for the English-speaking diaspora and enthusiasts of Slavic culture, especially those interested in exploring South Slavic heritage and traditions. Anna’s scope of research includes both the neo-Pagan traditions of Rodnovery (Native Faith), and the old syncretic Dual-Faith practices of the South Slavic common folk, offering a unique synthesis of lore and practices accessible to modern Polytheists, Pagans, and witches alike. The author’s care to interview local Rodnovery groups in several countries, as well as meticulous sourcing of information, is commendable. Complete with examples of historical spoken charms, family recipes for traditional dishes, and contemporary rituals and exercises, Slava! is a homely, cozy, and accessible guide into South Slavic-inspired practice.”

—Joanna Tarnawska, author of Polish Folk Magic: Ancestral Lore & Traditions of the West Slavs

AVAILABLE NOW: In Praise of the Lady of Power (Nemetona Press, 2024)

This is available in two formats: as a full-color 88-page paperback with a matte finish cover and perfect binding or as a full-color e-book. Both versions contain Anna’s original photos of her various altars and shrines to The Bony Lady.

in praise of the lady of power: an english-language booklet of prayers dedicated to la santa muerte (Nemetona Press, 2024)

What Readers Are Saying

“This is a perfect addition to any devotee’s library! The devotional prayers are excellent and uplifting!” —Amazon Review

“I just love this beautiful, well-presented and extremely informative devotional book on La Santa Muerte. In Praise of the Lady of Power is a very welcome addition on my bookshelf, filled with practical, delightfully detailed descriptions of devotions and prayers for Mexico’s skeleton saint. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about the practices associated with Santa Muerte.”

—Jade Melany, author of The Initiate’s Way

“It simplifies the process of approaching Santa Muerte, and gives you an understanding of the history and folklore behind Her. It covers the colors of the robes associated with the Saint, the proper way to set up Her altar, offerings, as well as beautiful and inspiring prayers for each color and aspect of this Saint. Anna adds to this book references and suggested reading that helped me pull together why this Saint called to me in the first place. She leaves you with an Appendix that includes some special treasures as well.” —Amazon Review