Spells: 21st Century Occult Poetry

by Sarah Shin (editor), Rebecca Tamás (Editor), So Mayer (Introduction)

Spells brings together thirty-six contemporary voices exploring the territory where justice, selfhood and the imagination meet the transformative power of the occult. Reflecting recent struggles around #MeToo, and the growing interest in witchcraft and astrology, these poems unmake the world around them so that it might be remade anew. Spells are poems; poetry is spelling. Spell-poems take us into a place where the right words can influence the universe.

Edited by Sarah Shin and Rebecca Tamás, with an introduction by So Mayer, Spells other contributors include Rachael Allen, Nuar Alsadir, Khairani Barokka, Emily Berry, A.K. Blakemore, Jen Calleja, Vahni Capildeo, Kayo Chingonyi, Elinor Cleghorn, Nia Davies, Kate Duckney, Livia Franchini, Will Harris, Caspar Heinemann, Rebecca May Johnson, Amy Key, Daisy Lafarge, Francesca Lisette, Canisia Lubrin, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Lucy Mercer, Hoa Nguyen, Rebecca Perry, Nat Raha, Nisha Ramayya, Sophie Robinson, Erica Scourti, Dolly Turing, and Jane Yeh.

Genres: Poetry, Occult, Queer, Witchcraft

160 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2019

Reviews

[Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting collection with a few standout new voices. I was disappointed that many poems did not live up to the premise or seem to have anything to do with the occult. Many were also glib or nonsensical.

However, there were a few 5* gems:

Banshee by Rachael Allen
Gift by Jen Calleja
My narrative costume is a witch without reputation by Amy Key

These poems were definitely worth the read, and I will keep an eye out for future works by these three poets.

[Loranne Davelaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik kwam dit boek tegen in een leuke erg feministische boekhandel en kocht het omdat ik het nergens anders dan in een leuke erg feministische boekhandel tegen had kunnen komen. De heksendichtheid was me iets te laag voor een boek dat 'Spells' heet maar er zaten een paar heel goede gedichten tussen.

[Juraj Holub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I like occult. I like poetry. I like (post)modernism. But outside of 3-4 poems, this collection missed a mark for me.

[Eli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the introduction to this about the power of words. I also loved the cover art. I like poetry and the occult, so I should have been the target audience for Spells. Unfortunately, for me personally, the poems missed the mark for the most part. Most felt contrived, not like a spell you'd scoop from your unconscious mind. It also felt too self-referential. Still looking forward to seeing more from this indy publisher.

[Stephi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun collection with a few great poems and mostly good ones.

3.3 stars

[Gustavs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Embarrasing for the authors of the few standout quality works to be grouped together with the rest of the contents of the collection.

90% of the collection consists of works written without any self awareness, by people inspired by pinterest aesthetics, to whom the occult is buying a few shiny rocks at the market and spells are something to curse your ex with.

It is endlessly filled with cliches, self obsession and pride. Truly a torturous read.

Lone star is earned by the introduction.

[Ava5000 · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful

[rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I am not entirely sure how I feel about this collection.

On one hand, I think its beautiful: each poet had their own, unique and compelling narrative voice which often times left me in awe. The forward to this collection was by far one of the most beautiful introductions I have ever read, So Mayer's way with words is honestly spellbinding.
However, once it got to the midway point of this collection, I honestly hadn't a clue what was going on. Though beautifully written, most of the poems in this book verged on incomprehensible, relaying on repetition of abstract images to create a sense of otherworldly or spell like nature.
This collection honestly made me feel as though I am simply not smart enough to understand it: and maybe I'm not. Like I said, each poem was beautifully written with its own unique voice, but in my case, the meaning of those voices seem to have been lost in translation.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic collection exploring the concept of literature as magic; of the spoken or printed word having the ability to conjure.

[Freya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredible, it’s made to be read out loud & felt wholeheartedly.

[Ada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Com passa amb moltes antologies, és irregular. Alguns poemes fantàstics, altres més prescindibles. Però m'ha fet conèixer alguns noms interessants.

[Nicola Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first bought this poetry collection as a present for my friend’s birthday a few years ago and low-key fell in love with it before giving it to her. Couldn’t forget about it over the years and finalllllly treated myself to a copy.

It’s the kind of collection to make you wanna roll around in the dirt and really think about your position in your own life (but in a good, empowering way)

Not every piece is to my liking but I’m obsessed with a few of them and it’s just such a great collection, no matter your poetry style or tastes there’s something for you in here (for me personally it’s Ursula K. Le Guin and Sophie Robinson OOOOF)

[Audrey Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of my favourite poems are in this book. And I really love the concept around this collection. Such an incredible variety of works that you just don’t get from a collection of one poets work. Probably the most daring and unique collections of poems that I’ve read. Though they didn’t all land, I certainly hadn’t read anything like them.

My main issue I had with this collection is that so many of the longer poems, whilst some of them were beautiful, most of them failed to engage me, and felt like a bit of a slog to get through them. These poems might be to some peoples tastes, they just weren’t really to mine. I also think how they were laid out in the collection did a lot of them a disservice. I’ve definitely read from collections that have felt a lot more fluid in how they read together than this one.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always conflicted about reading introductions, especially with fiction, as they tend to contain more than a few spoilers. Here I thought I was in much safer territory, but the introduction was so ambitious and promised so much that the poems struggled to live up to my expectations. Despite that unevenness, there were some standouts for me:

- "Ritual for Rose" by Paige Emery (p. 22)
- "Lorde Concordance on a Night of a Full Moon" Distilled by Alexis Pauline Gumbs (pp. 26-28)
- "My narrative costume is a witch without reputation" by Amy Key (pp. 46-48)
- "Come to Dust" by Ursula K. Le Guin (p. 53)
- "mystics of youtube" by Sophie Robinson (pp. 104-106)
- "Lost to the Phosphorous" by Erica Scourti (pp. 107-117)
- "from My Bodily Remains" by Tai Shani (pp. 118-120)

[Amanda Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything Ignota puts out is absolutely magical. We all took turns reading the copies stocked in our bookshop—enduring even an out-of-pocket e-mailed Evangelical complaint—until there were none left to read, and I finally had to commit to the bookseller's last resort & purchase a copy of my own elsewhere. Being able to explore what constitutes magic for others gave me space to channel the mysterious & inherent powers embedded within my bones, and sit with how each of us transmit this power into the world. Intentional & lovely work lies within.

[Issara Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is like a portal to another world. It's magickal, but not in the way I thought it would be. There's a reverence in its touch. It's not that I touch it, it's that it touches me. It allows me, as its gift, to glimpse things unseen, un-understandable, and attempt to understand, It says, in its subtle, unknown way, 'See me, feel, me, taste me. Lick at the edges. Dive in and know me, if you dare. I am just the beginning. It's up to you. It's up to you.'

[Chlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this through researching other poets during my masters degree for a poetry beyond text module, and I was not disappointed.

This Anthology opened the pathway to discovering new poets of all different backgrounds and cultures and new techniques and just *blows kiss* it was so refreshing. This is the kind of poetry I most enjoy, especially done in a contemporary style, and will be a part of my permanent collection.

[Frynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has some of the best poems I've ever read and at the same time some of the most incomprehensible ever. Most flew right past me, but some were everything. Maybe I'm not supposed to get it. Maybe it's just read read read and reread and it will get you somewhere in the end.

[Rebecca Valley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love love love some of these, others felt a bit too opaque for me. It served as a reminder to cherish the voices of Emily Berry, CA Conrad, & Bhanu Kapil, and time consider some favorite poets in the context of the occult/spiritual/unexplained.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few great ones, but unfortunately not as spell bounding as I had hoped and some of the poems i really had to force myself to get through. I like to highlight the best phrases and I only highlighted about 4 places - which isn't much for me.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Enchantment is vulnerable. Vulnerability is enchantment.
Enchantment, like vulnerability, is necessary.
We are living in the broken open. So much has piled on to us
that we push back. The crush is so intense that we cry out.
We are open: we are broken."

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful collection of witchy spell-poetry. Beguiling word magic and poetic incantations centred on selfhood, life, love, sexuality and the power words have over our thoughts, actions and collective manifestations.

[Alicia J Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the concept of this- a bunch of poets all coming together with poetry of the same theme. I only really liked a handful of entries from the entire book but I did love the rawness and dedication that all of them had . Great angsty-girl-in-autumn read

[Silvia Paizan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a beautiful cover and a powerful introduction, but most of the poems didn't quite say anything to me.

[Shauna Caffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gorgeous collection of though and emotion provoking poetry, exploring the nature of magic and evocation.

[Charlotte Newbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

On first reading the pieces from Kaveh Akbar, Rachael Allen, A. K. Blakemore and Jen Calleja were the stand outs

[Téa Nicolae · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3 a wonderful collection! i adored so many poems and was incredibly touched by the assertion that is found in the anthology's beginning, which is that "spells are poems, poetry is spelling" :)

[Denver Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply enchanting and beautifully written. So many incredible voices. Can re-read and still be spellbound by the words.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best poetry collections I’ve ever read. I definitely reading it in order

[Grace Hefner · Rating 2 out of 5]

there were a few gems in here, but the overall collection was disappointing. Canopy by Emily Berry goes hard though!!