The Witching Year: A Memoir of Earnest Fumbling Through Modern Witchcraft | 
pick“The history will never be perfect, and we‘ll never know what really happened or how people really used to practice magic. No one will ever agree on these things. So I‘m trying not to see Witchcraft as a path home to the past. Not anymore. I think it might actually be a path to the future.”
Good stuff.
A stay at home day for me and after I did all my buddy reading and word games, I started this and vacuumed, washed the kitchen floor, did laundry, made an apple cake and a big pot of chicken orzo soup for dinner. I‘m quite liking this so far
Using these monthly graphics as another way to track my reading.
I read 9 books in January, which is high for me but January always skews high. I credit the motivation of a New Year and my commitment to #AuldLangSpine! Three of the books were fairly short, as well.
The Witching Year was my favorite. Hard to beat that premise in terms of my interests, and her writing is clear, fun, colloquial, and sometimes poetic. Fire Exit was also a stand-out!
pickI usually read a novel alongside my nonfic. I became so singularly obsessed with reading this memoir, however, that I skipped the novel entirely. I even felt compelled to underline this baby. I bought a special pencil and everything. 😅
The author & I are definitely kindred. Despite being soul-twins, there‘s plenty we *don‘t* have in common. She hates water while my childhood nickname was Alyish the Feesh 🐟. 👇🏻
When I picked this up, I didn‘t even realize it was blurbed by AJ Jacobs and partially inspired by his book, “The Year of Living Biblically,” which is my *favorite.*
I can‘t express how much this is all resonating. ✨
Currently reading in a coastal cabin while wind, rain, and waves rage in the darkest night outside my door. Getting the sparkly star-shaped ceiling light; fresh, aromatic wood; and the animal skull in the shot just felt right.
pickI am once again back after several months of not posting! Maybe this time I can maintain some sort of posting rhythm 🤥 Anyway this witchcraft memoir appealed to me because I too have dabbled in all things witchy on and off since tweenhood 🔮 What really worked for me is how Helmuth balanced her natural skepticism while also being open to experience.
pickA year to explore and learn about witchcraft. I appreciated her honesty with all she experienced. Certainly made me ponder things.
Got curious based on the tagline: a memoir of earnest fumbling through modern witchcraft. I borrowed from the library a little early for this one, so I don‘t have a ton of time with it. 🤞 I‘m disciplined to get through it. 8 people are waiting.
First- I loved the packaging- this was so much fun to open- and I need 2 posts for all this delight 🖤 A huge thank you to Melanie- I love all of it so much! And a huge thank you to Ashley for hosting this swap!!! #modernwitchswap #mws
pickAn aspiring witch spends 366 days studying spell books, celebrating the Wheel of the Year, burning through colored candles, summoning demons to do her bidding—& having real epiphanies about grief, doubt, & love. I so appreciated Helmuth‘s hang-ups—ahistoricity, cultural appropriation, fear of doing it “wrong”—& the humor and care with which she handled them. Curious about witchcraft? You have an honest, smart, funny companion for the crooked path.
