Double, Toil and Resist
I’ve been a fan of Paige Vanderbeck ever since I started listened to her podcast, “The Fat Feminist Witch.” I was delighted to hear about her new book Green Witchcraft: A Practical Guide to the Magic of Plants, Herbs, Crystals, and Beyond. It did not disappoint! Green Witchcraft is an excellent resource for modern Witches of all levels of experience.
Check out my interview with Paige Vanderbeck on That Witch Life Podcast!
Throughout the book, Paige breaks down the different plants, flowers, stones, and more into their botanical, elemental and astrological components. She also describes them with what chakras they are aligned with, what energies they carry, and their magical uses. This makes for a great reference book when you come across something in your yard or park that you might like to use in your spells.
Spells, Rituals and More
Green Witchcraft offers a host of excellent spells and beautiful rituals, as well as lovely meditations. It also provides recipes for different incenses. Some of my favorite include the “Willow Tree Full Moon Meditation,”which helps the practitioner create a deeper relationship with the willow tree, and the “Psychic Hangover Tea,” which (as a professional Tarot reader) is something I’ll definitely be utilizing!
Voice
My favorite part of Paige’s work is her voice. She writes just how she speaks on her podcast: friendly, warm, helpful, informative without being bossy. The tone is encouraging and the flow quite easy. She includes enough personal story to keep the more prescriptive work from being dry, but you never feel muddled in analogy.
Audience
As Paige discussed in my interview with her, she is a non-traditional Witch. This book would be great for any Witch, whether or not they ascribe to a specific Tradition, but the book does seem to have a special niche for those who are practicing alone or not following a formal Tradition. I appreciate how she breaks through the “I can’t because…” that seems to hound a lot of Witches. Early in the book, she points out that she herself lives in the city but still connects deeply with plants and their Magick. One does not need to live in a specific area to discover this kind of Magick, the book promises. Through many easy exercise, Paige shows how Witches everywhere can embrace the Magick of plants.
A Visually Lovely Book
Books don’t have to be pretty to read them…but it doesn’t hurt! I quite enjoyed the visual appeal of this book, from the gentle font and the decorative imagery on each page. Again, books don’t have to be pretty to be worth reading. But it’s a nice bonus!
Basically, Witches, add it to your shelves!
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