Review of Lisa Lister’s book Witch: Unleashed. Untamed. Unapologetic.

Review of Lisa Lister’s book Witch: Unleashed. Untamed. Unapologetic. August 2, 2017

In the book Witch: Unleashed, Untamed, Unapologetic, author Lisa Lister incites the rebellion that today’s Trump-era society needs.

Creative Commons
Photo by Max Pixel, Creative Commons CC0

In this bold, incendiary book (published May 9, 2017 by Hay House), author Lisa Lister combines personal revelations, paganism, a buffet of love and support, and a rewriting of history into a strong herstory. The result is nothing less than a manifesto and a road map to women’s personal power.

Witch is the book all women have longed read. Lister has written the words all women long to speak aloud —

“It is safe for me to be powerful.”

Although Witch may contain some maxims you’ve likely read before (if you’re a good witch), Lister does a good job of reminding and rebranding women’s power.

Perhaps the biggest feat of Witch is the celebration of the word ‘witch,’ which has been unjustly dragged through the proverbial crap for centuries as a result of patriarchal and religious tyranny. She points out the power that lies dormant in reclaiming the word.

Magic Circle by John W. Waterhouse, from Wikimedia Commons
Magic Circle by John W. Waterhouse, from Wikimedia Commons

“The more we fear the witch, the more we fear our own power – which was, and still is, exactly the point of patriarchal propaganda… Fear is the most powerful torture of all.”

The book’s prose is conversational – it’s almost melodic. Lister builds a rhythm that resonates in the heart and excites the mind. Her personal stories, sprinkled throughout the chapters, make the book sing with soul.

Although some may find value in Chapter 8, The Force of Nature, it’s a bit ‘begginer level’ for me, as it merely goes over the basics of solar and lunar holidays. I skimmed over it, having understood most of the concepts already, and you might too. It sticks out a little in the collection of chapters, simply because it reads more like a textbook while the rest of the book seems so personal and inspirational by comparison. However, I think many people who are new to the witch’s call will find great use in it.

Witch is geared primarily toward women – I say this because she often encourages the reader to love their lady parts. She also refers to witches as women, with quotes such as:

“The witch is a woman fully in her power.”

The cover of Witch, from Amazon
The cover of Witch, from Amazon

This makes sense if you consider that the witch’s holocaust was geared more toward women, and women have long been oppressed, and still are. Even though Lister does not acknowledge that male and non-binary genderqueer witches have also existed alongside their female counterparts, and are our allies, I believe any witch who loves the Goddess and is not easily disempowered could gain some perspective as well, if they can get past the many references to lady parts.

I rated this book 5/5 stars. Lister effectively loosens society’s collar on women and witches, and encourages us to escape the bonds that bind us to an inauthentic life. Not only that, but she encourages us to run free and make our own paths. In this day and age, Witch is exactly what we need.

Lisa Lister also has a fantastic instagram account. 


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