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A review by jmbq_reads
A Witch for Every Season: Spells, Rituals, Festivals & Magic by Rachel Patterson
4.0
Looking for new ways to celebrate the turn of the seasons? This new handbook from kitchen witch Patterson provides a new look at the Pagan Wheel of the Year, breaking it down by seasons and then months in order to give the reader inspiration for enhancing old celebrations and developing new ones. Patterson begins the book by explaining that the Wheel is not so much about dates as it is about making connections with the world around us, whether that's in paying attention to seasonal changes in the plants and animals that share the land where we live or in learning more about the history and culture of place and finding new things to celebrate.
Each month's chapter begins with the etymological origins of the month's name before exploring what's happening in nature in that time frame, the holidays and traditions associated with the month, as well as ways to incorporate practices such as moon magic, spells, corresponding animals and crystals, making incense or oils, plant magic and kitchen witchery, setting an altar, meditation, and connecting with deity. While there is some repetition in the introductory information for some of these headings, the book is intended to be used as a reference tool, picked up when needed, so the information carried over offers good reminders for occasional practitioners.
Patterson's lists are based on what she experiences in England, so readers in other parts of the world may find that dates and natural observations, plants, and other traditions may not be as relevant to their own practice. It might have been useful to have space within each chapter for readers to fill in associations of their own as they deepen their knowledge of the place where they live.
As an additional note, I appreciated the author's acknowledgment that the male-female duality used in the Sacred Marriage at Beltane is outdated, but I would have liked to see that acknowledgment applied to correspondences as well (items noted as having "masculine" or "feminine" energy). That gendered language was not applied to all items, so I wonder why it is necessary at all, and I'm sure this is an area that practitioners will grapple with for some time to come.
In general, this is a solid reference tome for those looking for ways to connect to the seasons through ritual and celebration. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Thanks, Llewellyn Publications and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.
Each month's chapter begins with the etymological origins of the month's name before exploring what's happening in nature in that time frame, the holidays and traditions associated with the month, as well as ways to incorporate practices such as moon magic, spells, corresponding animals and crystals, making incense or oils, plant magic and kitchen witchery, setting an altar, meditation, and connecting with deity. While there is some repetition in the introductory information for some of these headings, the book is intended to be used as a reference tool, picked up when needed, so the information carried over offers good reminders for occasional practitioners.
Patterson's lists are based on what she experiences in England, so readers in other parts of the world may find that dates and natural observations, plants, and other traditions may not be as relevant to their own practice. It might have been useful to have space within each chapter for readers to fill in associations of their own as they deepen their knowledge of the place where they live.
As an additional note, I appreciated the author's acknowledgment that the male-female duality used in the Sacred Marriage at Beltane is outdated, but I would have liked to see that acknowledgment applied to correspondences as well (items noted as having "masculine" or "feminine" energy). That gendered language was not applied to all items, so I wonder why it is necessary at all, and I'm sure this is an area that practitioners will grapple with for some time to come.
In general, this is a solid reference tome for those looking for ways to connect to the seasons through ritual and celebration. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Thanks, Llewellyn Publications and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.