Review: Enchantments: A Modern Witch's Guide to Self-Possession by Mya Spalter
I know that it's been awhile, but here's another book review!
I found out about those book through the podcast The Witch Wave (which is awesome, go give it a listen!). Pam Grossman, the host, had Mya Spalter on as a guest and they talked about her time at the New York City witchcraft store called Enchantments and about the book that she wrote based off of her experience at the store. It sounded really intriguing so I decided to order it and give it a read! The review is under the cut!
Here's a peek at the table of contents:
The book covers a lot of really cool topics and the overall message seems to be just to practice what feels right to you.
Each chapter starts with a fun little illustration and there are a few smaller illustrations scattered throughout the book.
Sometimes there are small asides in the book and they are formatted inside a bracket like the one pictured below.
This book talks a lot about closed cultures like Hoodoo and Voodoo but does not really contain a firm clause against appropriation.
There is also a lot of Wiccan dynamics mentioned throughout the book that I was not expecting. If you are triggered by Wicca or do not enjoy it, I definitely would not recommend reading this book.
The author's voice is very playful and matter-of-fact. I get a very down to earth vibe from reading this book and enjoy the random stories that she tells about the Enchantments store.
My biggest disappointment with this book is probably that it almost never touches upon the subtitle. In the podcast, she talked so much about Self-Possession and it sounded like an amazing concept. She does not really dive into the concept in the book other than in the introduction.
All in all, if you're looking for a quick fun read, I would recommend this for beginners.
