The Natural Home Wheel of the Year: Crafting, Cooking, Decorating & Magic for Every Sabbat

by Raechel Henderson

Recipes, Crafts & Activities to Inspire Your Creativity and Bring More Meaning to Every Season Welcome natural energies into your life with vibrant wheel of the year traditions that encompass your whole home. For each sabbat, Raechel Henderson features sections on low-cost activities, inspiration for your seasonal altar, journal prompts, food recipes, decoration ideas, and more. Choosing from more than 160 suggestions, you Mix spicy incense • Bake oatmeal cranberry cinnamon chip cookies Draw milk baths • Shape ice lanterns • Scry with ink and water Crystalize flowers with sugar • Build insect hotels • Sew ribbon garland Conduct a garden water blessing • Leave offerings for the faeries Brew ginger beer • Infuse honey with herbs • Concoct pomegranate dye Create acorn runes • Arrange a dried citrus wreath With color photos and an ecofriendly emphasis on found and foraged materials, Raechel teaches a nature-based approach to the sabbats that builds meaning in the spaces left barren by modern life. Her many sustainable ways to enjoy seasonal themes and lessons offer new perspectives and the opportunity to enrich your life at each turn of the wheel.

Genres: Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Paganism

272 pages, Paperback

Published December 8, 2023

Reviews

[Leah M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn Worldwide for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've been reading up on a lot of books featuring the Wheel of the Year, and the first thing I noticed was that Henderson doesn't spend a lot of time reinventing the wheel (okay, pun intended, you got me) and wasting time explaining what all of these sabbats are. She gives a brief overview, but doesn't delve too deeply into any of them. Instead, Henderson spends her time providing real, useful, and practical techniques that readers can use, broken down by sabbat.

As someone who uses both natural and repurposed items, Henderson's techniques most often use items that are available within your house or can be gotten from natural areas nearby. I especially loved how there are journaling prompts that correspond to each sabbat, inviting us to reflect on various questions depending on the season and the changes that are going on in nature. This allows us to connect to the natural world in an entirely different way, but also in one that allows us to grow in novel ways.

There are tips for how to decorate your altar, colors and herbs that correspond to the season, recipes to prepare, crafts to make (including to decorate your altar), and specific blessings to incorporate at certain times of the year. Overall, this is a wonderful book if you're looking for ways to incorporate the wheel of the year into your practice, and find some relatively easy crafts and recipes to make. None of the crafts or recipes is too complicated, and don't require materials that you can't find easily.

[Books Tea Magic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wheel of the Year — I’ve learned and honored through mostly Celtic traditions. This first time I’ve heard of it as a modern notion. Interesting!. I wholeheartedly agree that tapping into and celebrating the changing of the seasons is a natural cycle that keeps us connected to Mother Earth and ancient wisdom. I also like how this book is divided into two sections; techniques, followed by specific rituals crafts, and offerings for each sabbat. The techniques have tips and steps that will be helpful for witchy people that aren’t overly crafty but still want to make things and encompasses a relatively small section of this book. Then it jumps in with Samhain ✨🖤🎃 the beginning and my all time fav. Raechel Henderson calls Samhain “the harvest of the soul” which 100% resonates! The foraging and altar suggestions are inspirational including crafting ideas, magical correspondences, herbal tea recipes and baking — quite thorough. This book might appeal most to witchy folks that lean towards kitchen witch tendencies or those looking to up their DIY game. A unique offering to subtly bring family and friends into the Wheel of the Year celebrations, with some great ideas for gatherings or occasions out of the home like women’s circles..

[Paperback Pagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I was hoping for. Lots of ideas for getting in the holiday spirit year-round. Being pagan there aren't always models in our life to base our holiday traditions on. I felt like this gave a well-rounded picture for creating traditions and celebrating in style.

More detailed review on my blog

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: The Natural Home Wheel of the Year: A Guide to Embracing Nature's Energies

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Natural Home Wheel of the Year by Raechel Henderson is a delightful guide that invites readers to embrace the natural energies that surround us throughout the year. With its emphasis on low-cost activities, craft ideas, and delicious recipes, this book offers a plethora of options to infuse creativity and meaning into every season.

Henderson's book is divided into sections dedicated to each sabbat, providing readers with a comprehensive range of ideas and inspirations. From creating an enchanting altar to engaging in journal prompts, from baking mouth-watering cookies to shaping ice lanterns, there are over 160 suggestions to choose from. The author's attention to detail and vibrant descriptions make it easy to envision the activities, making them all the more enticing.

One aspect that sets The Natural Home Wheel of the Year apart is its eco-friendly approach. Henderson encourages the use of found and foraged materials, enabling readers to connect with nature on a deeper level. The inclusion of color photos and graphics throughout the book enhances the reading experience and brings the ideas to life. Skimming through the pages becomes a joyous exploration of nature's wonders.

The layout of the book is well-organized, making it user-friendly and easy to navigate. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced practitioner, you will find the information accessible and engaging. The combination of recipes, crafts, activities, and journal prompts ensures that there is something for everyone, regardless of their interests or skill levels.

I particularly enjoyed the author's sustainable approach to seasonal themes and lessons. In a world that often neglects our connection to nature, The Natural Home Wheel of the Year fills the void by providing practical ways to incorporate nature-based practices into our lives. Henderson's insights offer new perspectives and opportunities for personal enrichment at each turn of the wheel.

In conclusion, The Natural Home Wheel of the Year is a visually appealing and informative guide that encourages readers to embrace nature's energies. With its abundance of ideas and emphasis on sustainability, this book is a valuable resource for those seeking to infuse their lives with meaning and creativity. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or new to the concept of sabbats, Raechel Henderson's book offers a delightful journey through the seasons, leaving you inspired and connected to the natural world.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Natural Home Wheel of the Year is an accessible and useful guide to the natural/magical calendar written and curated by Raechel Henderson. Released 8th Dec 2023 by Llewellyn, it's 272 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats.

The book is graphically pleasing, with simple line drawn illustrations and clear color photography throughout. It's arranged around the 8 high holidays of the pagan/Celtic calendar (Samhain,Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, and Mabon), with recipes, crafts, and activities for each. The crafts are simple, attractive, and do-able without a lot of extra tools or supples.

The author's voice is friendly and positive, and there's a lot of practical wisdom scattered throughout the book. Salient points appear in highlighted text boxes, and the author/publisher have included appendices with templates and links/bibliography lists for further reading and learning.

There's an emphasis on nature crafts, and ecofriendly tutorials. Each tutorial includes a bullet list of tools & supplies, followed by step-by-step instructions. The tutorials are well photographed and "action" shots are well staged without hands or other items blocking the steps.

High quality, well written book with useful tutorials. It has a definite pagan/wiccan slant, but the author is *not* heavy-handed or proselytizing in language or philosophy. The tutorials run the gamut from making runes, to creating wreaths, altars and ritual, and making teas and other recipes.

Five stars. This would be a great choice for public library acquisition (with the codicil that in the USA at least in some areas, there are active book bans happening and this book could be a lightning rod for controversy for some not very valid reasons). It would also be lovely for gift giving or for home crafters, smallholders, and self-sufficiency fans.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Shirley Andrade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exploring the Sabbats

The author states that the Wheel of the Year refers to the cyclical nature of the seasons, and describes the it as a modern invention, first created as a Wiccan tradition, the wheel has been adopted by a larger group of non-Wiccan witches and pagans. She states that all three groups celebrate the cycle of nature and the turning of the year, and one doesn’t have to be Wiccan, pagan, or witchy to celebrate the Wheel of the Year.

The author has outlined this book into two parts, with the first part covering the various techniques and methods used in the crafts throughout the book, and the second part covers each individual sabbat with sections on the altar, rituals, activities, recipes, crafts, and decorations. Additionally, she discusses each sabbat in more detail proving each as follows and indicating the approximate Southern Hemisphere dates in parentheses:
1. Samhain: October 31 (April 30)
2. Yule: Winter Solstice ( June 21)
3. Imbolc: February 2 (August 1)
4. Ostara: Spring Equinox (September 21)
5. Beltane: May 1 (October 31)
6. Litha or Midsummer: Summer Solstice (December 21)
7. Lammas or Lughnasadh: August 1 (February 1)
8. Mabon: Autumn Equinox (March 21)

I found the section on ancestral altars and offerings very helpful and informative. Additionally, I enjoyed all the information on the many and various foods, recipes, rituals, and activities for each sabbaths for each sabbat.

This book is great, not only for a beginner, but a seasonal advanced practitioner as well. Highly recommend.

[Josie Russo · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the wife of a practicing witch, but not a practitioner myself, I make a point of looking for resources of how to include her spiritual beliefs in our everyday lives. But I also want to honor her holidays the way I would anyone else's, and sometimes need more specific direction.

I was drawn to The Natural Home Wheel of the Year because it focused on using items you can easily find in your house, with bits of education for the newcomers sprinkled throughout. The flow of the book was great, beginning with the new year Samhain and moving through the Wheel.

I really appreciated the variety of suggestions Henderson offered. From simple journal prompts to more complex recipes, there is something for every level of witch (or wife of witch, in my case). Some books can be intimidating with all the new items and activities they make it seem you absolutely have to buy and do to be a "good witch", but that pressure is notably absent from The Natural Home Wheel of the Year. All templates are available in the back, and she gives specific examples on how to use things that normally would end up thrown away, so there is a green aspect to it I love too.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a little more guidance on ways to celebrate the Wheel of the Year, and I look forward to anything else Henderson decides to publish,

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Natural Home Wheel of the Year by Raechel Henderson helps the reader to incorporate the 8 wheel of the year celebrations into their lives through easy to do activities. The spirit of each of these sabbats/seasons is practiced through decorating, crafting, recipes, nature activities and journal prompts. The ideas Raechal puts forth are economical, many involving things you would already have, can make or forage for outside. There is a emphasis on being environmentally conscious and inclusive.
This book is divided into sections dedicated to each sabbat. First there's a brief history/explanation of the holiday. Then there are decor ideas featuring altar cloths/wreaths/candle work, there are recipies featuring in season foods, there are crafting ideas like making candles/balms/incense, journal prompts featuring the themes of the sabbat and activities to make the most of the season like seed prepping/making fire starters/dying eggs/nature walks. There are templates included to help with crafts and beautiful photos to inspire.
The book is easy to read and refer to, the crafts are approachable and it really helps to make magical practices easier to incorporate in your everyday life. This book provides easy ways to connect with the natural world and become more intune and grounded in its energies.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who celebrate the Wheel of the Year (eight sabbats that follow the seasons), Raechel Henderson offers plenty of crafty and low-to-no-cost ideas for celebrating. As someone who prefers to work both with natural materials and repurposed items, Henderson provides instructions and inspiration for DIY rituals, altar arrangements, crafts, decorations, and recipes from Samhain to Mabon, and she stresses the use of craft as a "moving meditation" on the season. The sections on each sabbat don't go into much detail about the history or traditions, but they provide insight into the themes of each season to help the reader celebrate more fully.

The book includes information on various crafting techniques like making stamps, papermaking, and creating beads. It also includes an appendix on sabbat correspondences for quick reference as well as templates for several of the crafts pictured in the book. Full-color photos emphasize the natural and simple delights throughout the year. A wonderful book to help anyone, pagan or not, celebrate the seasons without breaking the budget. 4 stars.

Thank you, Llewellyn Publications and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

[Miska Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. It has perfect for families who are pagan or not (in our case we are omnists, atheists, and agnostics).

It helps people create rituals for their family based on the seasons, and teaches basic mythology at the same time. The crafts are all well within the beginner-intermediate level (I would consider myself to be intermediate) and I didn't consider any of them to be beyond my skill.

I loved the journal reflections each Shabbat in particular, and felt that they would be really helpful in my person therapeutic practice.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a family but is not christian and is looking to make specific rituals that are still family focused, secular or pagan in nature (it's easy to make these either) and are concentrated in nature.

I especially loved the advice to grow native plants. I think we all should do so!

I plan to do several of the recipes and activities. I received this book from net galley and am leaving a fair review based on my own personal opinions with no compensation.

[Feya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raechel Henderson created a beautiful and elegant guide to help others find ways to celebrate without breaking the budget. The Natural Home Wheel of the Year, offers an appendix for quick references, as well as altar placements, and recipes to truly celebrate the seasons.

This book has many diys crafts to celebrate each holiday with themes without breaking the budget. I do like that they touch on the history, it doesn’t go into detail but it’s enough to give a nice foundation. My daughter and I went through this book together, I love that she was able to understand the rituals, crafts, and themes.

5 stars and recommended.

[Carissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Admittedly, I got this from the library on a whim so my hopes were modest at best. It just feels very basic and lacking soul. Rituals should have meaning, heart, purpose of appreciating our existence whereas these suggestions are ...not. There is no delving into the whys, just snippets here and there. That makes all these suggestions an activity, not a ritual. Part of it, too, I think if my problem with this pagan approach: it is still very euro-centric.

But honestly? All that could have given it an average review except that for some reason, I have to give the warning: DO NOT PUT ESSENTIAL OILS ON YOUR PET. Yeah. This gets marked down a star for that blatantly stupid suggestion.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book if you’re new to the wheel of the year. It gives you a brief description of each holiday along with recipes, crafts and journal prompts for each. You can easily start at any holiday and skip around as you’re reading. So many of these recipes and crafts are cheap easy things that anyone can do without having to go out a buy a lot of pricey supplies. There are also great tips for reusing everyday items in your crafts. You can easily incorporate these activities into a family event and get everyone involved.

[Ditte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but not for me.
I feel like this book wants to do a lot of things and because of that it gets a little "wishy-washy".
I like some of the ideas for the crafts, ex the acorn runes, but that's because you can craft something for your craft (pun intended, maybe...) where you can use nature in a magical way. I would have loved more like that as well as the inspiration for how to celebrate the different times of the year.
I'm not fond of the crafts like table cloths, salt dough leaf incense holder etc, but that's probably because I'm not crafty like that.

[JadersCorner · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC NETGALLEY APP REVIEW

I have mixed feelings about this book, yet the author claim you don’t have to be pagan, Wiccan, etc to practice, but her rituals are some of the most sacred practices in those religions/beliefs. Her content holds value, but I feel she set out in her open to be inclusive for reads and left out basic rules to follow when practicing these ‘rituals’ as she calls them.
I would maybe use this for ideas, but I would hold her credit to everything in this book.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was ok. I appreciated learning about each section of the wheel of the year. But I’m not a witch or Wiccan, just have an appreciation for natural things and more witchy ways. So some of the book was not for me, as I’m not creating alters or giving offerings. I appreciated some of the recipes. And a few crafts looked fun. But a lot of the crafts looked a bit on the childish side. Which could be great if you plan to celebrate these times with your kids.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations and art in this book - that was the first thing that stood out to me from the introduction. I also loved the sheer variety in different ways to celebrate each sabbat and the options one could choose to do. This made the book very easy to read and understand and it didn’t feel like the author was trying to push one way to celebrate sabbats over another. A great, fun read.

[Amelia Maness-Gilliland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. This is one of those books you keep on hand to refer to throughout your year. It is filled with ideas, projects and recipes that encourage you to slow down and be fully present in each of the seasons. I’m a huge fan of living seasonally and with intention and this book supports that quite well!

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

While we are all familiar with the Sabbats, this book adds to how we celebrate them. With activities, recipes and crafts to add to your celebrations, this books a nice white to add some new things even creating new traditions, throughout the year.

[Solarpunkmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really good, except for a big error on page 147, where a list of edible flowers contains the highly toxic Narcissus. Narcissus, also known as daffodil, is poisonous. Do not try eating it. Other than that it’s a good book and I hope it gets reprinted without the error some day.

[Juli Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my taste.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The photos and layout are beautiful and I really enjoyed the content. It’s definitely staying in an accessible place so I can refer to it each season.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a lot of notes. Many ideas to honor the seasons!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a very crafty person, but I think most of the crafting ideas are pretty simple and easy to do. I'm more of a cook. I can't wait to try some of these recipes. A good book for beginners and for long time practitioners.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Natural Home Wheel of the Year by Raechel Henderson is bound to be a classic. This beautiful book shows you how to celebrate and make your home festive for the Sabbats of the year using little if no money. There are crafts and tons of useful information, as well as beautiful photographs. I can't wait to buy this book and put it to use!