Book Title and Author:: Witchcraft Therapy by Mandi Em
Status? : Still Reading
My overall rating of the book : 9/10
How does this book relate to my magickal practice?: As I mentioned before, Iāve been in a rut/funk/yucky place whatever you want to call it, and Iāve been needing to get out of there as itās not been good for me. So when I saw this book I said āLetās give it a go, youāve been wanting to delve deeper into the craft, so this is a twoferā.
My personal thoughts/opinions: Itās been excellent. Sheās good about giving adaptations for those who may not have access to certain materials and thereās flexibility to make the rituals your own. And thereās been so many points that made me really sit and think. And itās practical and common sense as well, like taking safety seriously, and that sometimes in the morning you donāt feel grateful and are inclined to be thinking āOh forkā, not āIām so gratefulā. She admits she doesnāt go for the āwooā angle, and for those of us who were raised in the sciences, itās relatable.
Iāve gotten to try so many different things: Iāve cleansed the house with salt and an herbal spray, Iāve made a poppet, Iām starting to incorporate more morning ritual and meditation (with the realization that Iām not coherent 1st thing in the morning), and thereās a lot more I want to try.
She also talks a lot about the marriage of the magical and mundane, you can do all the spells you want to get a job, but youāve also got to send out resumes to get a job. She also talks a lot about how magic is empowering, and how sometimes toxic positivity creeps in and we need to soundly reject it.
An interesting quote from the book: Do I have to pick only 1? Itās quite lengthy so Iām going to paraphrase.
"Modern spirituality can quickly turn into a contest of who can be more forgiving/loving/positive when bad things happen. Thereās nothing wrong with those goals, but this is undiscerning (aka toxic) positivity and is not effective.
If bad things have happened to you, it had nothing to do with your vibes, worldview, or amount of effort youāve invested. We all have a tendency to experience the consequences of our actions, but some things are completely and totally beyond our control. No matter what your beliefs are, sometimes bad things just happen.
Much like those bad things, trauma is difficult to define because itās multi-faceted. It can be from one event or many, it may be concrete or vague.
But itās entirely subjective. Other people cannot define your experiences or judge the marks that theyāve made upon you. When dealing with trauma, thereās no room for comparisons, judgment, or expectations regarding the ārightā way to heal. Despite the current cultural climate that favors toxic positivity and the use of spirituality to bypass negative emotions, the very best thing you can do for your own recovery is to hold space for your trauma rather than invalidating them and pushing through. You can recognize that lingering in pain may not be serving you while still giving yourself the patience to heal from it on your own terms.
Magic can be a wonderful part of the healing process as itās about empowerment. Many of the things we experience stem from an imbalance of power, and by means of magic we can transmute those things as a way to take power back. But a wise witch knows the critical importance of help and safety, reaching out for support, and engaging professional and legal help if needed."
All in all, would I recommend this book?: Yes, and Iām going to continue working through it.