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Year of the Witch Lib/E: Connecting with Nature's Seasons Through Intuitive Magic
“In her much-needed and brilliant Year of the Witch, Temperance Alden guides readers to observe their own land, celestial cycles, seasonal cycles, and even their own biological cycles to inform their magickal year.”-- Mat Auryn, author of Psychic A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick, and Manifestation
When we think of the wheel of the year, the Wiccan wheel with its celebrations of the Yule, Beltane, Mabon, and Samhain come to mind. But what about a wheel of the year for the rest of us pagans and witches? As a witch living in sunny South Florida, longtime hereditary witch Temperance Alden has often felt at odds gearing up to celebrate Yule, for example, when it is 76 degrees and sunny outside.
Year of the Witch will help readers create their own intuitive practices in harmony with the climate, culture, and local spirits where they live. It’s of interest to witches coming off the Wiccan path and looking for a more personal approach to celebrating the rhythms of nature. Year of the Witch covers all aspects of this new, seasonal
When we think of the wheel of the year, the Wiccan wheel with its celebrations of the Yule, Beltane, Mabon, and Samhain come to mind. But what about a wheel of the year for the rest of us pagans and witches? As a witch living in sunny South Florida, longtime hereditary witch Temperance Alden has often felt at odds gearing up to celebrate Yule, for example, when it is 76 degrees and sunny outside.
Year of the Witch will help readers create their own intuitive practices in harmony with the climate, culture, and local spirits where they live. It’s of interest to witches coming off the Wiccan path and looking for a more personal approach to celebrating the rhythms of nature. Year of the Witch covers all aspects of this new, seasonal
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First published November 1, 2020
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About the author
Temperance Alden
11 books60 followersTemperance Alden is the author of Year of the Witch (Weiser 2020), teacher, and folk witch based in South Florida. Temperance began her spiritual journey with family traditions in 2001, and has spent over nineteen years of practice devoted to growing and developing her personal path of witchcraft and paganism. Temperance studied History at Salem State University and is currently studying Religion in South Florida. In her free time, she is most likely reading too many books and blogging her way through the internet.
Temperance runs the online community Wild Woman Witchcraft and loves teaching folk witchcraft to the next generation of witches! Temperance can be found on YouTube: www.youtube.com/wildwomanwitchcraft, ig: @wildwoman_witchcraft, twitter:@temperancealden, or www.wildwomanwitchcraft.com
Temperance runs the online community Wild Woman Witchcraft and loves teaching folk witchcraft to the next generation of witches! Temperance can be found on YouTube: www.youtube.com/wildwomanwitchcraft, ig: @wildwoman_witchcraft, twitter:@temperancealden, or www.wildwomanwitchcraft.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
January 11, 2021
Edit: I'm removing a star to make my rating more honest. After mulling it over and going through the book again, I do struggle to find enough redeeming qualities to make this a 3-star read.
A huge thank you to Weiser for sending me a copy of this book to review. Unfortunately, I did feel quite let down by it, but I think mostly because of all the hype surrounding it. It goes without saying that this book is going to be wildly popular regardless of how I review it, as Alden has quite a large following. As such, if you are already a fan of Alden's work online and want to support her through the purchase of this book, by all means go for it. I have no doubt you'll enjoy it if you already love her content! For the most part, it's relatively harmless and offers much the same content as other beginner books.
That all being said, as much as I was expecting to like this book, I find myself being generous with a three star rating. I must be honest in saying that to those looking for a beginner book who either do not know of Alden's work already or are indifferent to it, I can't recommend Year of the Witch over other beginner books. My complaints can be condensed into four major concerns.
My first, and perhaps my biggest, complaint is that on a purely objective level, this book feels sloppy. The writing isn't on par with other authors, and even as a debut novel, I found myself wondering why certain sections were left the way they were. It feels as though it is written with an understanding of what topics Alden wanted to talk about and what big points she wanted to make, but then there was a struggle to create the important connective tissue that leads one idea into the next and improves the reading experience. Whether for lack of experience in writing or a rush somewhere in publishing, I could never fully sink into this book. I found myself re-reading sections in confusion or remarking at repetitive areas far too frequently to be enjoyable.
My second complaint is perhaps more of a critique of Alden's delivery. In the book, there is a tendency to make very strict, decisive statements without acknowledging the nuance of the situation or topic. I won't deny that there are some areas of life that could do with a little less nuance, but I personally do not count beginner-level witchcraft among them. I'd rather see authors encourage beginners to approach their craft with more open-mindedness than is shown in the book, which often comes off as contradictory and perhaps confusing to someone just starting out. I think this is partially because Alden simply has a very strong voice that occasionally borders on aggressive. At face value, the tone she takes isn't an inherently bad one; it just feels as though Alden sometimes uses the book to "make a point" or poke at different groups of witches she doesn't like, as opposed to educating her audience. That's obviously speculation, but nonetheless, I found an underlying tone of pettiness throughout the book to be unpleasant and tiring. This is definitely where I imagine Alden's usual audience won't have a problem with the book at all, whereas it simply isn't my cup of tea.
I feel a disclaimer that my third complaint is very personal and perhaps petty is in order. I simply did not agree with a lot of the content in this book. There is a section about climate change that makes a point to say many scientists believe humans don't influence climate change...without addressing the scientists who very much agree that we do. I thought that was odd and borderline inappropriate (or I read this section wrong completely, in which case it was confusing, because I re-read that section about 10 times...and again while writing this review, because I was so surprised). There were also odd comments such as how "Water is the most important element" because it's the one we need to survive. I imagine this was a joke...as we need all four elements to survive...? I just don't find it a funny one for a book targeted toward beginner witches. And I just thought it was a really strange thing to say? So and so forth. At a certain point, I had to come to terms with the fact that perhaps Alden and I just have different approaches to witchcraft, but nonetheless, I must suggest any beginners reading this book to take most of it with a grain of salt and to question it as you read it.
Lastly, I was hoping the section of the book dedicated to the sabbats would save the book for me, but I was unfortunately mistaken. The way I'd seen the book talked about made it seem as though there was more innovative, modern, and creatives ideas for navigating the more traditional wheel of the year. Perhaps that was a mistake on my part, but the end of the book was full of very typical sabbat information. History, correspondences, and that kind of thing. Nothing particularly wrong, but also nothing new that made me feel like this book offers anything other beginner books don't.
So, that's my review. I haven't been looking forward to posting it, because I don't like criticizing anyone with a particularly large audience base, but I really could not bring myself to give it more than three stars and feel I was being honest. That being said, this book is being applauded by loads of other experienced and credible witches in Alden's circle, so as aforementioned, it's likely just a personal preference. Another thank you to Weiser for sending me a copy!
A huge thank you to Weiser for sending me a copy of this book to review. Unfortunately, I did feel quite let down by it, but I think mostly because of all the hype surrounding it. It goes without saying that this book is going to be wildly popular regardless of how I review it, as Alden has quite a large following. As such, if you are already a fan of Alden's work online and want to support her through the purchase of this book, by all means go for it. I have no doubt you'll enjoy it if you already love her content! For the most part, it's relatively harmless and offers much the same content as other beginner books.
That all being said, as much as I was expecting to like this book, I find myself being generous with a three star rating. I must be honest in saying that to those looking for a beginner book who either do not know of Alden's work already or are indifferent to it, I can't recommend Year of the Witch over other beginner books. My complaints can be condensed into four major concerns.
My first, and perhaps my biggest, complaint is that on a purely objective level, this book feels sloppy. The writing isn't on par with other authors, and even as a debut novel, I found myself wondering why certain sections were left the way they were. It feels as though it is written with an understanding of what topics Alden wanted to talk about and what big points she wanted to make, but then there was a struggle to create the important connective tissue that leads one idea into the next and improves the reading experience. Whether for lack of experience in writing or a rush somewhere in publishing, I could never fully sink into this book. I found myself re-reading sections in confusion or remarking at repetitive areas far too frequently to be enjoyable.
My second complaint is perhaps more of a critique of Alden's delivery. In the book, there is a tendency to make very strict, decisive statements without acknowledging the nuance of the situation or topic. I won't deny that there are some areas of life that could do with a little less nuance, but I personally do not count beginner-level witchcraft among them. I'd rather see authors encourage beginners to approach their craft with more open-mindedness than is shown in the book, which often comes off as contradictory and perhaps confusing to someone just starting out. I think this is partially because Alden simply has a very strong voice that occasionally borders on aggressive. At face value, the tone she takes isn't an inherently bad one; it just feels as though Alden sometimes uses the book to "make a point" or poke at different groups of witches she doesn't like, as opposed to educating her audience. That's obviously speculation, but nonetheless, I found an underlying tone of pettiness throughout the book to be unpleasant and tiring. This is definitely where I imagine Alden's usual audience won't have a problem with the book at all, whereas it simply isn't my cup of tea.
I feel a disclaimer that my third complaint is very personal and perhaps petty is in order. I simply did not agree with a lot of the content in this book. There is a section about climate change that makes a point to say many scientists believe humans don't influence climate change...without addressing the scientists who very much agree that we do. I thought that was odd and borderline inappropriate (or I read this section wrong completely, in which case it was confusing, because I re-read that section about 10 times...and again while writing this review, because I was so surprised). There were also odd comments such as how "Water is the most important element" because it's the one we need to survive. I imagine this was a joke...as we need all four elements to survive...? I just don't find it a funny one for a book targeted toward beginner witches. And I just thought it was a really strange thing to say? So and so forth. At a certain point, I had to come to terms with the fact that perhaps Alden and I just have different approaches to witchcraft, but nonetheless, I must suggest any beginners reading this book to take most of it with a grain of salt and to question it as you read it.
Lastly, I was hoping the section of the book dedicated to the sabbats would save the book for me, but I was unfortunately mistaken. The way I'd seen the book talked about made it seem as though there was more innovative, modern, and creatives ideas for navigating the more traditional wheel of the year. Perhaps that was a mistake on my part, but the end of the book was full of very typical sabbat information. History, correspondences, and that kind of thing. Nothing particularly wrong, but also nothing new that made me feel like this book offers anything other beginner books don't.
So, that's my review. I haven't been looking forward to posting it, because I don't like criticizing anyone with a particularly large audience base, but I really could not bring myself to give it more than three stars and feel I was being honest. That being said, this book is being applauded by loads of other experienced and credible witches in Alden's circle, so as aforementioned, it's likely just a personal preference. Another thank you to Weiser for sending me a copy!
January 6, 2021
I liked the idea of this book, taking an idea people see as concrete and exploring how we can make it individual to our crafts and journeys, but the book did not hold up. First of all, it's rife with antisemitism, anti-science, and cultural appropriation (I put specific examples below in spoiler tags). Secondly, it is not well edited. The book does not flow well, there are really random anecdotes and a lot of the book seems irrelevant to the overall point being the wheel of the year. She doesn't start taking about the wheel of the year until halfway through the book and a lot of the information felt basic and not original. It's hard to tell which level of practice this is targeted to; it's confusing for baby witches, but doesn't add any extra substance for more seasoned witches.
Ultimately, the bad outweighs the good and I am disappointed in this book. I wouldn't recommend.
Ultimately, the bad outweighs the good and I am disappointed in this book. I wouldn't recommend.
January 27, 2021
Full disclosure: I couldn’t finish this book. It’s completely disorganized, disjointed, and doesn’t really say anything new.
There is a small section about “hormonal cycles” that left a bad taste in my mouth. The author talks very negatively about birth control saying she believed it “stunted my natural magick”. I understand that people have their own experiences in regards to birth control however there are some people who HAVE to take it for health reasons. Making them believe they are disconnected from their own bodies and magic because they take the pill is isolating at best and dangerous at worst. She also equates menstruation to womanhood excluding men and nonbinary people who also menstruate.
The one thing I was happy to see was an explanation on how smudging and smoke cleansing are two totally different things. I’m glad that discussion is making its way into new witchcraft books since I still see the term “smudging” used fairly often.
There is a small section about “hormonal cycles” that left a bad taste in my mouth. The author talks very negatively about birth control saying she believed it “stunted my natural magick”. I understand that people have their own experiences in regards to birth control however there are some people who HAVE to take it for health reasons. Making them believe they are disconnected from their own bodies and magic because they take the pill is isolating at best and dangerous at worst. She also equates menstruation to womanhood excluding men and nonbinary people who also menstruate.
The one thing I was happy to see was an explanation on how smudging and smoke cleansing are two totally different things. I’m glad that discussion is making its way into new witchcraft books since I still see the term “smudging” used fairly often.
February 6, 2021
Skipped around and ultimately didn’t finish it. Once an author denies climate change, shames women for using birth control, and appropriates other cultures and religions, I’m out. Infinitely disappointing. While I appreciate Alden’s approach to using what you have (like McCormick spices), the book is wholly useless, repetitive, and borders on trans exclusionary and racist. Wish I had read reviews on here before ordering a signed copy!
March 8, 2022
I'm going to be honest: this book is a scam. I got it in a bundle with other books on witchcraft so I didn't pay for it directly, but if I did, I would have wanted my money back. Let me explain.
The whole first chapter talks about the importance of intuition and why you don't need to learn the craft. Remind me why I need this book again if I can figure everything out on my own? Intuition is free, and so is the internet where I could get all of the information found in this book and more. She says she regrets trying to do things "the right way" when she first started out, but learning is the first step to being able to make your practice your own. You can't break the rules if you don't first know them.
Quickly, I noticed what many other reviewers also said. The synopsis of this book makes it sound like it will be about the wheel of the year and adjusting it to fit where you live. In theory, the idea is great since, at its core, the wheel of the year is about connecting with the seasons and cycles of nature. But there is barely anything in this book about the wheel of the year and you have to make it through seven unnecessarily directionless chapters to get there. And then creating your own wheel is not even introduced until the very last chapter of the book!
Worse, it reads like a bunch of condescending Instagram captions hastily smashed together into book form. Consider how the first chapter starts off, "In my opinion," and you'll get a good idea of how this book will play out. It is badly in need of an editor and readers who will tell the author she can't just make things up and act like it's a fact without sources. Witchcraft may include things science can't explain, but we're not as gullible as she thinks.
Here's a better option to think about than reading this book. If you don't connect to the wheel of the year, consider not incorporating it into your practice AT ALL! No one is telling you it's required, especially if you're not Wiccan since it's a Wiccan construct based on Celtic fire festivals and embellished. You can still observe the seasons of your area without feeling like you need a wheel of the year. They will be there no matter if you celebrate sabbats surrounding them. And you don't need a 200+ page book to tell you that. So be free, you little nature-worshipping witch!
The whole first chapter talks about the importance of intuition and why you don't need to learn the craft. Remind me why I need this book again if I can figure everything out on my own? Intuition is free, and so is the internet where I could get all of the information found in this book and more. She says she regrets trying to do things "the right way" when she first started out, but learning is the first step to being able to make your practice your own. You can't break the rules if you don't first know them.
Quickly, I noticed what many other reviewers also said. The synopsis of this book makes it sound like it will be about the wheel of the year and adjusting it to fit where you live. In theory, the idea is great since, at its core, the wheel of the year is about connecting with the seasons and cycles of nature. But there is barely anything in this book about the wheel of the year and you have to make it through seven unnecessarily directionless chapters to get there. And then creating your own wheel is not even introduced until the very last chapter of the book!
Worse, it reads like a bunch of condescending Instagram captions hastily smashed together into book form. Consider how the first chapter starts off, "In my opinion," and you'll get a good idea of how this book will play out. It is badly in need of an editor and readers who will tell the author she can't just make things up and act like it's a fact without sources. Witchcraft may include things science can't explain, but we're not as gullible as she thinks.
Here's a better option to think about than reading this book. If you don't connect to the wheel of the year, consider not incorporating it into your practice AT ALL! No one is telling you it's required, especially if you're not Wiccan since it's a Wiccan construct based on Celtic fire festivals and embellished. You can still observe the seasons of your area without feeling like you need a wheel of the year. They will be there no matter if you celebrate sabbats surrounding them. And you don't need a 200+ page book to tell you that. So be free, you little nature-worshipping witch!
January 21, 2021
I was interested in this book because I have enjoyed earning about the wheel of the year as a way to celebrate and come closer to nature. I was really disappointed to find that when discussing the seasons the author appeared to support climate change denial. As somebody who loves the world and makes great efforts to protect it, I found this really offputting. I struggled through a bit more of the book, hoping it would provide good info on how to discover more local practices and traditions, but provided really simple information you can easily find online about the sabbats. I never finished the book and don't see myself picking it up again.
April 5, 2021
Like many, I was really excited to read this book. I am an avid listener of Occultism With A Side of Salt, a podcast which Alden cohosts, and as soon as she mentioned it I knew I had to read this.
As someone who is in the process of creating their own wheel of the year, I was ready for this book to be jam packed full of information, spells and rites with detailed histories and nuanced explanations of how the old wheel doesn’t exactly fit the modern day.
There is a very, very small section that actually covers this, and the rest of the book is Alden making strange remarks about how birth control damaged her rhythm, and claims about how climate change is inevitable as it’s a natural force.
These sections really let the book down, and a lot of the information is just factually incorrect.
I’m also feeling as if I am reading two books, as this just isn’t succinct enough.
The book claims to focus on reclaiming the year (which why I got so excited about it to begin with) but discusses at length about how to set up an altar, and why she gets upset when people call her a “plastic witch”.
I’m finding myself getting increasingly frustrated with Witches who have huge followings on social media writing books that really lack depth, nuance and show zero specialisation.
This very easily could’ve been an amazing book full of insight had Alden bothered to actually specialise her knowledge.
As someone who is in the process of creating their own wheel of the year, I was ready for this book to be jam packed full of information, spells and rites with detailed histories and nuanced explanations of how the old wheel doesn’t exactly fit the modern day.
There is a very, very small section that actually covers this, and the rest of the book is Alden making strange remarks about how birth control damaged her rhythm, and claims about how climate change is inevitable as it’s a natural force.
These sections really let the book down, and a lot of the information is just factually incorrect.
I’m also feeling as if I am reading two books, as this just isn’t succinct enough.
The book claims to focus on reclaiming the year (which why I got so excited about it to begin with) but discusses at length about how to set up an altar, and why she gets upset when people call her a “plastic witch”.
I’m finding myself getting increasingly frustrated with Witches who have huge followings on social media writing books that really lack depth, nuance and show zero specialisation.
This very easily could’ve been an amazing book full of insight had Alden bothered to actually specialise her knowledge.
November 28, 2020
The section of the book that actually talks about the wheel of the year (which doesn't start until almost 100 pages into the book) only has the most basic information that you could get from Yoututbe videos instead. The Sabbaths section would be good for beginners, but the author throws in so much half-baked information about a bunch of different topics like astrology and herbology that (to me) would only confuse beginners. The book as a whole is poorly written, and clearly did not go through beta readers or professional occult editors. Better beginner books are out there.
December 6, 2021
I am SO disappointed by some of these reviews because it is ABUDANTLY CLEAR a lot of them did not read the fucking book. They’re just repeating what another review said and this is what sucks about Goodreads. If you haven’t read the book, don’t leave a review because you don’t know what you’re talking about!!!
As a PSA:
1. If you read the book, or even the entire chapter where she talks about climate change, it’s pretty obvious that she isn’t denying climate change.
2. Some people somehow read her personal view of her battle with PCOS and birth control and made it into something else.
3. To the reviewer who said this was just another Wiccan book, the author isn’t Wiccan. She practices folk magic, and uh, that’s pretty different.
4. Some people were mad about her talking about Qabalah and one reviewer in particular seems to not even know that Qabalah is a syncretic magic and should ABSOLUTELY NOT be referred to as Kabbalah. That is infinitely more offensive, oh my god. Qabalah IS NOT a “misspelling” of Kabbalah— it is a syncretic magic that combines Kabbalah with pagan religions (Egyptian, Greek), Enochian magic, and a fuckton of other shit. Absolutely DO NOT refer to that as Kabbalah for the love of god, they are two completely separate things, whatever your opinion on it may be.
5. As someone who is Cuban, the author using cascarilla is not her appropriating Santeria, for fuck’s sake. Anyone can use cascarilla, it is regularly sold in botánicas for those who do not make it themselves (I do) and is sold to anyone and everyone. You do not have to be a santero or santera to cleanse and protect with cascarilla. YES, there are parts of Santeria that are closed practice because you need to be initiated into the religion, and absolutely those spells and rituals are NOT for everyone. That would have been appropriation and obviously offensive, because those rituals REQUIRE initiation to begin with. It is frustrating to me to see with increasing frequency people with no connection to Santeria or my culture make these sweeping statements for us without having cultural or religious context. The line between Santeria and Catholicism is blurred all of the time for most Cubans, because orishas are santos. You will have “catholic” (because Cuban Catholicism isn’t exactly Roman Catholicism) Cuban people go to a babalawo or a botánica all the time. And to be honest, I am especially okay with it because this author practices folk magic which is also tied to Catholicism, so I think cascarilla is more than okay for her to use. The way it’s made (with holy water and reciting Padre Nuestros) requires that belief. If you don’t have it, then I’m not sure you’d be using cascarilla to begin with. I am very tired of white people speaking for us without understanding even a little bit about our culture.
I don’t agree with everything the author says, and there absolutely valid criticisms here but most of these reviews don’t have any of those in there. It’s definitely on me for not writing a review on this sooner. I’m going to expand on this review later this week and I will be providing direct quotations from the actual book to back it up because listen, at the end of the day, criticize away, but do so in good faith. There is plenty of criticism of this book that is valid and that I agree with, but I do not agree with this practice of mass reviewing one person’s interpretation of a book when you’ve not read it yourself and when you’re also not very educated on a lot of things. It honestly frustrates me to know there are people being vocal on the internet (not just here, and not just about this) about things they haven’t researched very well.
As a PSA:
1. If you read the book, or even the entire chapter where she talks about climate change, it’s pretty obvious that she isn’t denying climate change.
2. Some people somehow read her personal view of her battle with PCOS and birth control and made it into something else.
3. To the reviewer who said this was just another Wiccan book, the author isn’t Wiccan. She practices folk magic, and uh, that’s pretty different.
4. Some people were mad about her talking about Qabalah and one reviewer in particular seems to not even know that Qabalah is a syncretic magic and should ABSOLUTELY NOT be referred to as Kabbalah. That is infinitely more offensive, oh my god. Qabalah IS NOT a “misspelling” of Kabbalah— it is a syncretic magic that combines Kabbalah with pagan religions (Egyptian, Greek), Enochian magic, and a fuckton of other shit. Absolutely DO NOT refer to that as Kabbalah for the love of god, they are two completely separate things, whatever your opinion on it may be.
5. As someone who is Cuban, the author using cascarilla is not her appropriating Santeria, for fuck’s sake. Anyone can use cascarilla, it is regularly sold in botánicas for those who do not make it themselves (I do) and is sold to anyone and everyone. You do not have to be a santero or santera to cleanse and protect with cascarilla. YES, there are parts of Santeria that are closed practice because you need to be initiated into the religion, and absolutely those spells and rituals are NOT for everyone. That would have been appropriation and obviously offensive, because those rituals REQUIRE initiation to begin with. It is frustrating to me to see with increasing frequency people with no connection to Santeria or my culture make these sweeping statements for us without having cultural or religious context. The line between Santeria and Catholicism is blurred all of the time for most Cubans, because orishas are santos. You will have “catholic” (because Cuban Catholicism isn’t exactly Roman Catholicism) Cuban people go to a babalawo or a botánica all the time. And to be honest, I am especially okay with it because this author practices folk magic which is also tied to Catholicism, so I think cascarilla is more than okay for her to use. The way it’s made (with holy water and reciting Padre Nuestros) requires that belief. If you don’t have it, then I’m not sure you’d be using cascarilla to begin with. I am very tired of white people speaking for us without understanding even a little bit about our culture.
I don’t agree with everything the author says, and there absolutely valid criticisms here but most of these reviews don’t have any of those in there. It’s definitely on me for not writing a review on this sooner. I’m going to expand on this review later this week and I will be providing direct quotations from the actual book to back it up because listen, at the end of the day, criticize away, but do so in good faith. There is plenty of criticism of this book that is valid and that I agree with, but I do not agree with this practice of mass reviewing one person’s interpretation of a book when you’ve not read it yourself and when you’re also not very educated on a lot of things. It honestly frustrates me to know there are people being vocal on the internet (not just here, and not just about this) about things they haven’t researched very well.
July 7, 2021
Poorly written with too many opinions being touted as fact. Really, my favourite part of the book was the quotes at the beginning of each section. Thinking on it a bit, I'd say this book feels like a series of long, witchy comments made on social media mashed together and left unedited and assumed itself a book just because it's printed. It's like the example you'd bring up in an argument of books versus podcasts, where someone says books are edited and cohesive, and another person would hold up this book, triumphantly declaring it is neither.
March 7, 2021
Started this early in the morning, and I don't think I'm going to finish it. I agree with the other reviews - her talking of birth control "stunting" her magic, or how we as a collective are to blame for climate change (the whole "we are the virus" thing that came up as covid started), and so much misinformation about deities in there, the Wiccan lense despite claiming to be all-inclusive...yeah, I'm out. So disappointed too. This book was so hyped up and I had high expectations.
Not to forget her casual mentions of Kabbalah and Lilith and Jewish mysticism as a whole while that's... Yknow.. Closed. This book left a bad taste in my mouth.
Not to forget her casual mentions of Kabbalah and Lilith and Jewish mysticism as a whole while that's... Yknow.. Closed. This book left a bad taste in my mouth.
November 28, 2020
Not bad, but still focused on the Celtic-Germanic "holidays." Was kind of hoping there would have been more discussion about incorporating aspects of your own culture rather than borrow from others because it's what others are doing. Not all witches are of Celtic-Germanic background, so why would they necessarily connect with or want to celebrate holidays or traditions that are not actually theirs?
And it was kind of only in passing the whole fact that most of these "traditions" were formed in the mid twentieth century. Some of them were kind of picked and chosen without regard to the original host culture.
It's not a bad book. I was just hoping for more..
And it was kind of only in passing the whole fact that most of these "traditions" were formed in the mid twentieth century. Some of them were kind of picked and chosen without regard to the original host culture.
It's not a bad book. I was just hoping for more..
July 28, 2021
Was really excited to read this book in a way to learn more about the wheel of the year and connect with nature but I found it really boring and badly organised… After i got over the initial topics and reached the sabbaths part it improved in my consideration but in general it has several problematic takes and i wish this wasn’t the first book i finish since my 3 years long book reading slump began… (mainly bc i joined a witchy book club and i didn’t wanna look bad 😅)
May 23, 2022
An accessible and applicable book that, in my opinion, demystifies witchcraft to turn it into a means of connecting with nature, the place where we live and our own being.
I loved that it ponders the intuitiveness and adaptability of this work to the individuals who apply it, highlighting their differences in beliefs, cultures and habitat.
I enjoyed it very much.
I loved that it ponders the intuitiveness and adaptability of this work to the individuals who apply it, highlighting their differences in beliefs, cultures and habitat.
I enjoyed it very much.
March 5, 2021
I honestly don't really know where to start. Or what to think. Or where to start. Or what to think.
I really loved the concept. And living in Sweden I was very interested in reading this. How do the wheel of the year work and not work to people in other climates/places.
I guess the first like 70 pages kind of get into the thought and I clearly see the direction. But then 100 pages are spent explaining the weel of the year in a traditional sense and a short chapter after that on how to work it. In my opinion it would be better starting with a small chapter with what we traditionally talk about when we talk about the wheel and then work from there in how to make it and claim it as your own. But I do get where she is coming from and where she is going with this. Also, probably because i have been reading, educating myself and practised almost as long as Alden if I am to guess her age it wasn´t as much news to me as I hoped. For people just starting I think it might.
But I also have alot of opinions and concerns.
First. If you bring in science please state your sources. To understand an academical field it is said that you need to read 100 books. Why? Because what is true is more about direction. If 2 studies say something and 98 of them something else, chanses are those two are wrong. Or they didn´t take the same things into account. Or they used different kinds of experiments. So when we say "studies show" I want to know - as a schoolar - what studies? Are they really representing a field or do they support your truth?
Others have already talked about this in there reviwes in regard of climate change. But is can also be said about other subjects in the book.
I also want to state that I find it fascinating that a book publiced today can have a section about cultural appropriation in a specific setting whitout using the word. Only to later talk about the wheel of the year as a wiccan theft from celtic tradition while also stating it´s germanic tribe roots and that the wheel in many ways are universal and giving tips on books with gods and godesses from all over the world to take into your practise. This without giving any information on things to think about or how to do it with respect. You can have many thoughts at the same time, but is just seems a bit messy to me.
And while we are talking about the subject of cultural appropiation. . .
ODIN IS NOT FATHER CHRISTMAS! HE IS NOT SANTA! Even if odin is called Yule father HE HAD 150 NAMES! You know what. My ex was kind of big. Strong. Long hair. Blond. Blue eyes. Dumb as fuck. Sounds like a Marvel guy we all know? Do what ever you want in your private practise I don't care anymore but don't present is as fact.
I had questions, I had reservations. But over all I thought it was all in good intent and I was still in high spirit till I came to this Odin buisness and I had to go scream at the moon. It will probably take me weeks to calm down. Instagram has the same effect on me every december. Just erase 1000 years of historical inpact and lean on your national romantic pillow. By all means. Do. Sorry for the rant.
I really loved the concept. And living in Sweden I was very interested in reading this. How do the wheel of the year work and not work to people in other climates/places.
I guess the first like 70 pages kind of get into the thought and I clearly see the direction. But then 100 pages are spent explaining the weel of the year in a traditional sense and a short chapter after that on how to work it. In my opinion it would be better starting with a small chapter with what we traditionally talk about when we talk about the wheel and then work from there in how to make it and claim it as your own. But I do get where she is coming from and where she is going with this. Also, probably because i have been reading, educating myself and practised almost as long as Alden if I am to guess her age it wasn´t as much news to me as I hoped. For people just starting I think it might.
But I also have alot of opinions and concerns.
First. If you bring in science please state your sources. To understand an academical field it is said that you need to read 100 books. Why? Because what is true is more about direction. If 2 studies say something and 98 of them something else, chanses are those two are wrong. Or they didn´t take the same things into account. Or they used different kinds of experiments. So when we say "studies show" I want to know - as a schoolar - what studies? Are they really representing a field or do they support your truth?
Others have already talked about this in there reviwes in regard of climate change. But is can also be said about other subjects in the book.
I also want to state that I find it fascinating that a book publiced today can have a section about cultural appropriation in a specific setting whitout using the word. Only to later talk about the wheel of the year as a wiccan theft from celtic tradition while also stating it´s germanic tribe roots and that the wheel in many ways are universal and giving tips on books with gods and godesses from all over the world to take into your practise. This without giving any information on things to think about or how to do it with respect. You can have many thoughts at the same time, but is just seems a bit messy to me.
And while we are talking about the subject of cultural appropiation. . .
ODIN IS NOT FATHER CHRISTMAS! HE IS NOT SANTA! Even if odin is called Yule father HE HAD 150 NAMES! You know what. My ex was kind of big. Strong. Long hair. Blond. Blue eyes. Dumb as fuck. Sounds like a Marvel guy we all know? Do what ever you want in your private practise I don't care anymore but don't present is as fact.
I had questions, I had reservations. But over all I thought it was all in good intent and I was still in high spirit till I came to this Odin buisness and I had to go scream at the moon. It will probably take me weeks to calm down. Instagram has the same effect on me every december. Just erase 1000 years of historical inpact and lean on your national romantic pillow. By all means. Do. Sorry for the rant.
June 24, 2022
I have finally finished this book. I would want to believe that Temperance only has the best intentions, but oh boy did I have to force myself to actually finish it. I’m quite disappointed as some of my favorite content creators were so hyped about it, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re friends with the author.
For one, the book seems a bit all over the place and is in desperate need of an editor.
Bust most importantly, she’s making dangerous claims about hormonal birth control and seems pretty anti-science in other segments as well (highlighting how some scientists believe climate change isn’t man-made, but conveniently leaving out that many, many more prove the opposite.) Simply put, she’s providing false information and often presents opinion as facts.
She also refers to a lot of elements of closed practices and - well - appropriates from them. I’m not an expert in any way, but I did notice a few things that left me uncomfortable.
I’m still giving it two stars, because I had a good time in the beginning. There’s some nice and interesting information in it that I didn’t know about. I would, however, not recommend this book. And if you do choose to read it, take it with a big grain of salt.
For one, the book seems a bit all over the place and is in desperate need of an editor.
Bust most importantly, she’s making dangerous claims about hormonal birth control and seems pretty anti-science in other segments as well (highlighting how some scientists believe climate change isn’t man-made, but conveniently leaving out that many, many more prove the opposite.) Simply put, she’s providing false information and often presents opinion as facts.
She also refers to a lot of elements of closed practices and - well - appropriates from them. I’m not an expert in any way, but I did notice a few things that left me uncomfortable.
I’m still giving it two stars, because I had a good time in the beginning. There’s some nice and interesting information in it that I didn’t know about. I would, however, not recommend this book. And if you do choose to read it, take it with a big grain of salt.
November 15, 2020
"This may be something that you haven't heard before, so let me say it loudly—it is okay to change the wheel of the year in your personal practice. It should be expected and encouraged for you to take initiative to connect to the earth in your earth-based religion."
This is such a needed book for our Pagan communities. I knew I was gonna love it since I loved Temperance's work for a while now and the book did not disappoint. I was not expecting a big focus on the 8 Sabbats but I understand why it was done and I loved the ending chapters where we get useful resources and tips for how to create our own Year of the Witch. This is a fantastic book and I an amazing tool for any Witch or Pagan who wishes to go into the adventure of starting and creating their own Wheel of the Year.
January 6, 2022
DNF @ 50 pages for the transphobia & anti-science alone, but don't even get me started on the "you have to be pagan to practice witchcraft" rhetoric and the God talk, NO THANKS
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The first fifty pages of this were rife with anti-science and anti-feminist rhetoric, as well as gross instances of transphobia and cultural appropriation that other reviews promised would only grow in scale as the book went on. The “humans can’t effect the world enough to influence climate change” really got me doing a head tilt, but then the “men can’t bleed because they’re not biological women” matched with pulling pieces out of several different religions and “birth control is evil” just made me doing a big ole nope on this one. Not going to put myself through another 150 pages of that bullshit, and definitely going to unhaul and unfollow Alden on Instagram.
--
The first fifty pages of this were rife with anti-science and anti-feminist rhetoric, as well as gross instances of transphobia and cultural appropriation that other reviews promised would only grow in scale as the book went on. The “humans can’t effect the world enough to influence climate change” really got me doing a head tilt, but then the “men can’t bleed because they’re not biological women” matched with pulling pieces out of several different religions and “birth control is evil” just made me doing a big ole nope on this one. Not going to put myself through another 150 pages of that bullshit, and definitely going to unhaul and unfollow Alden on Instagram.
March 30, 2021
I'm not happy with this one. The structure is all over the place and the chapters are too short. There's no depth to the topics Alden mentions. It feels like the information she tries to convey is solely based on her own opinion.
I am also unsure for which audience this book is written. It could be a good book for beginners if the chapters would go more into depth and things like "tuning in" before a ritual would be explained. But there's also not enough new or revamped information to read for more seasoned witches.
I am also unsure for which audience this book is written. It could be a good book for beginners if the chapters would go more into depth and things like "tuning in" before a ritual would be explained. But there's also not enough new or revamped information to read for more seasoned witches.
December 6, 2021
A thorough and thoroughly modern take on designing annual traditions tailored to you, your needs, and your surroundings. Too often magical books leave many readers feeling left out or disconnected because they do not live in an area with seasons as described in books or on film, but Temperance does away with that and tells you that you can dig into the world around you as it exists today and make a personal practice tailored the way you experience your own backyard.
August 14, 2022
Oh dear... Where do I even start with this one?
I am still looking at the bibliography. I think that's one of those parts of books that shows quite a bit about the overall quality, because it's where authors take their ideas and show who they took inspiration from, what they think you should read next. It's a bit like a seal of approval. And yet, here I sit, mulling over included titles like "Simplified Magic: A Beginner's Guide to the New Age Qabala", published by Llewellyn.
When it comes down to it, I think this exemplifies the overall issue this book has. There is this idea which could fit in a blog post but has the potential of becoming a book (which I simply sum up as "the Wiccan wheel of the year might not feel right to you, and that's okay, make it your own"), but the filler content around wasn't there to make the actual point, it was just there. And at times, it was badly researched and written in a way that can make it hard to understand.
The main points I see coming up in other reviews, are the menstruation and birth control topic, the climate change misrepresentation in this book, and the topic of handling of culture. Each point gives a different perspective on how this book could have been better.
The birth control issue for example strikes me as odd because while Temperance Alden tells a personal story with her own learnings from it, she writes it woven into general statements, giving it an air of the same which it should not have. I will freely admit that I am not taking hormonal birth control, so I think I can see both sides: The one of women who want or need to take it and think this is a bonkers statement to make, and the one of women who stopped taking it because their natural cycle feels better for them. But making it clear that you are only talking about yourself might be easier if you don't try to write only a short story about how humans can be affected by hormonal cycles. If you think your personal anecdote has value and should be added, then give it the space it deserves to let it make its point.
That point is quickly followed by her statements about climate change. This shows a huge disregard for what science actually says. Yeah, we always had changing climates, and we also have several movements and systems in this earth which result in these changes, but we now add to it. And I think it's too easy to claim humans have only so little influence on changing climates, because while we cannot keep the world static, we certainly can create a deviation from the natural climate change we should actually experience at any given point.
For whoever wants to understand the natural systems that influence our climate more, I wholeheartedly recommend the "Fall of Civilizations" podcast which shows in multiple examples how a change in climate (probably) happened and how it contributed to the civilization the episode talks about.
I actually don't feel all that comfortable talking about cultural appropriation. So, I want to write about another perspective than a lot of other reviewers took, and want to go into how lack of research can lead to some issues that I saw. And it all started with the Beltane chapter, as the chapter talked about maypoles as someone from times gone by. Which resulted in me scratching my head, because... several regions in Germany still have their own traditions very much involving a "may tree", or maypole.
And that's when something clicked for me. To me, it seems like the author is highly comfortable around creating online content. But a book is something else, and I think this book might suffer from not making the switch thoroughly. Cultural appropriation in my opinion is often the result of not understanding the culture in question well enough. If I for example do not know that some cultural action is the result of trying to be able to still live their culture, even if it now has (or at some point had) to be in secret because their culture is actively taken away from them, it is hard to see that they might not be the biggest fans of sharing that stuff, especially if the very same oppression is still going on, just with fancier words. Here is where I need to read or ask about it.
Cultural exchange is at the heart of culture. But at the same time, we have to admit that white people's ancestors have done a "great" job at discouraging this heart of culture, and that we need to rebuild these bridges. What does that mean in practical terms? Research, ask, give credit where it's due. And respect it if the answer is "no".
This book often seems like the first step of research has not been done thoroughly enough, and that is a shame.
Another issue I see, is that this book's idea - or, at least how I understood it - was about how the Wheel of the Year might not be the best fit for you, and how to create your own spiritual year. While I appreciate that Temperance Alden took her time to explain the parts of the Wiccan wheel as most of us already know it, I think the entire first part and this explanation was not as important as the last part of the book could have been. Yet, the actual point, this explanation of how to make it your own, had maybe 15% of the book (if even that), while the rest was a repeat of what most readers will already know.
And once again, I see my main issues I had about the points above repeated: The main point didn't get enough space, the parts about the Wheel of the Year were at times not researched to their full potential, and thus it all results in points not thoroughly thought through, structured and given the space they would need.
All things considered, I still give 2 stars because the main point was barely enough to justify reading the book.
I am still looking at the bibliography. I think that's one of those parts of books that shows quite a bit about the overall quality, because it's where authors take their ideas and show who they took inspiration from, what they think you should read next. It's a bit like a seal of approval. And yet, here I sit, mulling over included titles like "Simplified Magic: A Beginner's Guide to the New Age Qabala", published by Llewellyn.
When it comes down to it, I think this exemplifies the overall issue this book has. There is this idea which could fit in a blog post but has the potential of becoming a book (which I simply sum up as "the Wiccan wheel of the year might not feel right to you, and that's okay, make it your own"), but the filler content around wasn't there to make the actual point, it was just there. And at times, it was badly researched and written in a way that can make it hard to understand.
The main points I see coming up in other reviews, are the menstruation and birth control topic, the climate change misrepresentation in this book, and the topic of handling of culture. Each point gives a different perspective on how this book could have been better.
The birth control issue for example strikes me as odd because while Temperance Alden tells a personal story with her own learnings from it, she writes it woven into general statements, giving it an air of the same which it should not have. I will freely admit that I am not taking hormonal birth control, so I think I can see both sides: The one of women who want or need to take it and think this is a bonkers statement to make, and the one of women who stopped taking it because their natural cycle feels better for them. But making it clear that you are only talking about yourself might be easier if you don't try to write only a short story about how humans can be affected by hormonal cycles. If you think your personal anecdote has value and should be added, then give it the space it deserves to let it make its point.
That point is quickly followed by her statements about climate change. This shows a huge disregard for what science actually says. Yeah, we always had changing climates, and we also have several movements and systems in this earth which result in these changes, but we now add to it. And I think it's too easy to claim humans have only so little influence on changing climates, because while we cannot keep the world static, we certainly can create a deviation from the natural climate change we should actually experience at any given point.
For whoever wants to understand the natural systems that influence our climate more, I wholeheartedly recommend the "Fall of Civilizations" podcast which shows in multiple examples how a change in climate (probably) happened and how it contributed to the civilization the episode talks about.
I actually don't feel all that comfortable talking about cultural appropriation. So, I want to write about another perspective than a lot of other reviewers took, and want to go into how lack of research can lead to some issues that I saw. And it all started with the Beltane chapter, as the chapter talked about maypoles as someone from times gone by. Which resulted in me scratching my head, because... several regions in Germany still have their own traditions very much involving a "may tree", or maypole.
And that's when something clicked for me. To me, it seems like the author is highly comfortable around creating online content. But a book is something else, and I think this book might suffer from not making the switch thoroughly. Cultural appropriation in my opinion is often the result of not understanding the culture in question well enough. If I for example do not know that some cultural action is the result of trying to be able to still live their culture, even if it now has (or at some point had) to be in secret because their culture is actively taken away from them, it is hard to see that they might not be the biggest fans of sharing that stuff, especially if the very same oppression is still going on, just with fancier words. Here is where I need to read or ask about it.
Cultural exchange is at the heart of culture. But at the same time, we have to admit that white people's ancestors have done a "great" job at discouraging this heart of culture, and that we need to rebuild these bridges. What does that mean in practical terms? Research, ask, give credit where it's due. And respect it if the answer is "no".
This book often seems like the first step of research has not been done thoroughly enough, and that is a shame.
Another issue I see, is that this book's idea - or, at least how I understood it - was about how the Wheel of the Year might not be the best fit for you, and how to create your own spiritual year. While I appreciate that Temperance Alden took her time to explain the parts of the Wiccan wheel as most of us already know it, I think the entire first part and this explanation was not as important as the last part of the book could have been. Yet, the actual point, this explanation of how to make it your own, had maybe 15% of the book (if even that), while the rest was a repeat of what most readers will already know.
And once again, I see my main issues I had about the points above repeated: The main point didn't get enough space, the parts about the Wheel of the Year were at times not researched to their full potential, and thus it all results in points not thoroughly thought through, structured and given the space they would need.
All things considered, I still give 2 stars because the main point was barely enough to justify reading the book.
March 2, 2021
I agree with some of the other reviewers. There really was a lot of hype built up around this book which led to me being very excited for it and already planning to add it to my book collection. Ultimately I was relieved that I borrowed it from the library before purchasing.
I love the core idea of the book: making your practice accessible for YOU and uniquely tailored to where you are and who you are. There are some good tips, but also some conflictions.
There was a huge focus on northern hemisphere and western Paganism practices, and I was specifically expecting to see information that literally anyone could use to format their own practice, as that is how it was advertised.
There are a few errors in fact, for example in the history of Brigid. She also leaves the statement about how some scientists believe humans have no influence on global warming simply hanging there, when that isn't the largely accepted view by the scientific community. That felt very irresponsible and not well researched.
An odd confliction is how she briefly talks about how to work with Lilith, but in her IG story/TikToks she had mentioned that she specifically doesn't work with Lilith in a tone that seemed disdainful.
This ultimately felt like an overly simplified version of any book on the Sabbats as a whole or any of Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials collection. I didn't learn anything I haven't learned from 17 years of practice. I wouldn't even necessarily state that this is a good book for beginners, really. Plenty of starter paganism and witchcraft books have echoed the same or similar messages about starting where you are and with what you have, and they all teach the same things in this book.
I really would have liked to see an expansion on the original idea of this book which made me excited to read it in the first place.
TL; DR: Maybe okay for beginners, except for some errors in facts. Not really worth reading for a long-term practitioner.
I love the core idea of the book: making your practice accessible for YOU and uniquely tailored to where you are and who you are. There are some good tips, but also some conflictions.
There was a huge focus on northern hemisphere and western Paganism practices, and I was specifically expecting to see information that literally anyone could use to format their own practice, as that is how it was advertised.
There are a few errors in fact, for example in the history of Brigid. She also leaves the statement about how some scientists believe humans have no influence on global warming simply hanging there, when that isn't the largely accepted view by the scientific community. That felt very irresponsible and not well researched.
An odd confliction is how she briefly talks about how to work with Lilith, but in her IG story/TikToks she had mentioned that she specifically doesn't work with Lilith in a tone that seemed disdainful.
This ultimately felt like an overly simplified version of any book on the Sabbats as a whole or any of Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials collection. I didn't learn anything I haven't learned from 17 years of practice. I wouldn't even necessarily state that this is a good book for beginners, really. Plenty of starter paganism and witchcraft books have echoed the same or similar messages about starting where you are and with what you have, and they all teach the same things in this book.
I really would have liked to see an expansion on the original idea of this book which made me excited to read it in the first place.
TL; DR: Maybe okay for beginners, except for some errors in facts. Not really worth reading for a long-term practitioner.
January 7, 2021
I’m giving this book 3 stars because I really liked Alden’s ideas about how to craft one’s own Wheel of the Year based on where one lives and differing spiritual beliefs, etc. I wish that section had been as long as the one breaking down the traditional Sabbats, as those are easy enough to find information about.
However, I was very put off by the gendered language used to describe menstrual cycles, and disturbed that Alden felt the need to state that some scientists don’t believe humans are responsible for climate change???
I don’t know that I would recommend this book for beginners, though I predict it will be very popular regardless. I love Alden’s online content, however, and look forward to what else she produces.
However, I was very put off by the gendered language used to describe menstrual cycles, and disturbed that Alden felt the need to state that some scientists don’t believe humans are responsible for climate change???
I don’t know that I would recommend this book for beginners, though I predict it will be very popular regardless. I love Alden’s online content, however, and look forward to what else she produces.
December 21, 2020
I love the topics discussed outside of the holidays. Wish the book was more written on that and expanded upon those thoughts. When it came to info on the holidays I felt like I hadn’t learned anything. Its a very very minimal explanation of the individual holidays. I was so excited for this book :( wish it was just further written on the other topics
August 29, 2023
Achei o livro ok. Preferi o Bruxa Natural, mas esse também é interessante do ponto de vista da descoberta do que cada pessoa quer celebrar como praticante de uma fé diversa do status quo.
Algumas coisas me incomodaram, como por exemplo, a questão de energia masculina e feminina, isso pode levar pra um discurso bem problemático e sexista.
Vi muita gente reclamando sobre a autora menosprezar a questão climática e o uso de anticoncepcional. Sobre o primeiro, concordo que uma pessoa só não causa as mudanças climáticas, isso não quer dizer necessariamente que as pessoas não possam reproduzir práticas coletivas em respostas ao problema, e bom, sejamos sinceros, temos que mudar nossos E o sistema, se isso não estiver dentro da sua agenda, me desculpe, mas você não é muito diferente de quem nega o problema.
Agora sobre o anticoncepcional, eu fiz coro com a autora porque também tive inúmeros problemas quando tomei anticoncepcionais, mas acho super desnecessário colocar como ela colocou no livro, parece que não será bom para ninguém e que seria melhor voltar para costumes arcaicos. Tsc, não mesmo. E é um problema enorme falar isso pra uma audiência sobre a qual você tem certa influência.
Por último, a autora fala muito sobre os costumes nórdicos e a roda do ano inspirada na bruxaria folk, o que não é um problema, mas pra quem não se identifica pode ser um entrave na leitura. Particularmente, gostaria de conhecer práticas mais baseadas na cultura brasileira, então não me identifico com grande parte das festas e feriados descritos.
No entanto, acho até descabido exigir que a autora falasse sobre como você precisa seguir tal ou tal coisa sendo a premissa do livro é você construir a sua roda do ano, conforme lhe seja mais produtivo, o que está ali é o exemplo dela, com certeza voltado pro público dela.
Por fim, achei a leitura legal e produtiva, serve de base para buscar as suas referências com relação às suas práticas pessoais, o que é a proposta do livro desde o início.
Algumas coisas me incomodaram, como por exemplo, a questão de energia masculina e feminina, isso pode levar pra um discurso bem problemático e sexista.
Vi muita gente reclamando sobre a autora menosprezar a questão climática e o uso de anticoncepcional. Sobre o primeiro, concordo que uma pessoa só não causa as mudanças climáticas, isso não quer dizer necessariamente que as pessoas não possam reproduzir práticas coletivas em respostas ao problema, e bom, sejamos sinceros, temos que mudar nossos E o sistema, se isso não estiver dentro da sua agenda, me desculpe, mas você não é muito diferente de quem nega o problema.
Agora sobre o anticoncepcional, eu fiz coro com a autora porque também tive inúmeros problemas quando tomei anticoncepcionais, mas acho super desnecessário colocar como ela colocou no livro, parece que não será bom para ninguém e que seria melhor voltar para costumes arcaicos. Tsc, não mesmo. E é um problema enorme falar isso pra uma audiência sobre a qual você tem certa influência.
Por último, a autora fala muito sobre os costumes nórdicos e a roda do ano inspirada na bruxaria folk, o que não é um problema, mas pra quem não se identifica pode ser um entrave na leitura. Particularmente, gostaria de conhecer práticas mais baseadas na cultura brasileira, então não me identifico com grande parte das festas e feriados descritos.
No entanto, acho até descabido exigir que a autora falasse sobre como você precisa seguir tal ou tal coisa sendo a premissa do livro é você construir a sua roda do ano, conforme lhe seja mais produtivo, o que está ali é o exemplo dela, com certeza voltado pro público dela.
Por fim, achei a leitura legal e produtiva, serve de base para buscar as suas referências com relação às suas práticas pessoais, o que é a proposta do livro desde o início.
July 21, 2022
I love Temperance‘s social media content, but I can‘t in good conscience give this a good rating. Not at all what I expected based on the title, and very basic information.
December 27, 2021
I want to preface this review by saying that I really did want to love this book. I follow Temperance Alden on social media and generally enjoy her content. So when I found out she had written a book, I immediately popped in to my local B&N to nab a copy. And while the book isn't terrible, it definitely isn't what I was expecting.
The whole premise of the book is based on how witches and pagans can re-envision the Wheel of the Year to suit their own beliefs and the climate in which they live. Sounds solid enough. As a non-Wiccan myself, the Wheel of the Year as a whole has never really called to me. I celebrate it with friends who find more meaning in it than I do, but in general it is not an integral part of my craft. So I was thrilled at finding a book geared towards practitioners like me who wanted to find ways to create their own Wheel, as it were, filled with our own seasonal observances and important days.
While the main idea for the book is a good one, the execution was unfortunately lacking. It felt like the book was being pulled in several different directions instead of one cohesive flow. The book starts with information on intuitive witchcraft, sections on human and climate cycles (I'll come back to this in a bit), even bits about gardening. We finally get to the Wheel of the Year about midway through, and in the end it just reinforces the current Wheel and has a smattering of surface level lore that could have really done with some further expansion. It just felt...incomplete. At the very end we finally get to some solid information about how to create your own Wheel, but it only fills two short chapters.
However, the real head scratchers occur early on in the book. Not only does Temperance make a comment about birth control stunting her natural magick and not being sure that birth control doesn't permanently alter your rhythm, she also makes note of a handful of climate scientists who believe that climate change is completely natural and not affected by human actions. Very confusing, indeed.
Again, having followed Temperance online for quite awhile, this all came as quite a shock as she has never come across as a climate denier nor has she ever seemed like an anti-medicine advocate. Unfortunately, these tidbits can't be glossed over and it is important for people to know that their medications, even birth control, do not stunt your natural magick. Believing such a thing is ableist to the core as there are so many people who cannot do without their life saving medications, and taking them does not affect your magick one bit.
There is also a fair bit of appropriation in the book. Or, at least, an encouragement to add holidays into your practice that may, in fact, be from other closed practices. So before you add ANYTHING to your personal Wheel of the Year, please do your research and make sure you're not pulling holidays from practices you aren't affiliated with. And also, as a personal bee in my bonnet, don't co-opt Judeo-Christian feast days and holidays while purposefully excluding folk Catholics and folk Christians from the witchcraft sphere. If you don't think they should be allowed in witchcraft spaces, then you shouldn't be celebrating their holidays, just my two cents.
Overall, I don't think this is a terrible book, but I do think that it would have done better with a "kill your darlings" approach and either focusing solely on the Wheel of the Year, the lore, and alternate, non-appropriative holidays to swap in, or it should have focused more on the intuitive witchcraft of the first half. I did really enjoy Temperance's personal voice and would have loved to see her expand on the concepts in the latter half of the book. While I get the connection between the two halves, I don't think the execution was as smooth as it could have been, and we would have been better served getting to the "meat" of the book far earlier. Would I recommend it? Perhaps as a library read, but it isn't a necessary addition to your witchy bookshelf, in my opinion.
Final Rating: 3/5
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The whole premise of the book is based on how witches and pagans can re-envision the Wheel of the Year to suit their own beliefs and the climate in which they live. Sounds solid enough. As a non-Wiccan myself, the Wheel of the Year as a whole has never really called to me. I celebrate it with friends who find more meaning in it than I do, but in general it is not an integral part of my craft. So I was thrilled at finding a book geared towards practitioners like me who wanted to find ways to create their own Wheel, as it were, filled with our own seasonal observances and important days.
While the main idea for the book is a good one, the execution was unfortunately lacking. It felt like the book was being pulled in several different directions instead of one cohesive flow. The book starts with information on intuitive witchcraft, sections on human and climate cycles (I'll come back to this in a bit), even bits about gardening. We finally get to the Wheel of the Year about midway through, and in the end it just reinforces the current Wheel and has a smattering of surface level lore that could have really done with some further expansion. It just felt...incomplete. At the very end we finally get to some solid information about how to create your own Wheel, but it only fills two short chapters.
However, the real head scratchers occur early on in the book. Not only does Temperance make a comment about birth control stunting her natural magick and not being sure that birth control doesn't permanently alter your rhythm, she also makes note of a handful of climate scientists who believe that climate change is completely natural and not affected by human actions. Very confusing, indeed.
Again, having followed Temperance online for quite awhile, this all came as quite a shock as she has never come across as a climate denier nor has she ever seemed like an anti-medicine advocate. Unfortunately, these tidbits can't be glossed over and it is important for people to know that their medications, even birth control, do not stunt your natural magick. Believing such a thing is ableist to the core as there are so many people who cannot do without their life saving medications, and taking them does not affect your magick one bit.
There is also a fair bit of appropriation in the book. Or, at least, an encouragement to add holidays into your practice that may, in fact, be from other closed practices. So before you add ANYTHING to your personal Wheel of the Year, please do your research and make sure you're not pulling holidays from practices you aren't affiliated with. And also, as a personal bee in my bonnet, don't co-opt Judeo-Christian feast days and holidays while purposefully excluding folk Catholics and folk Christians from the witchcraft sphere. If you don't think they should be allowed in witchcraft spaces, then you shouldn't be celebrating their holidays, just my two cents.
Overall, I don't think this is a terrible book, but I do think that it would have done better with a "kill your darlings" approach and either focusing solely on the Wheel of the Year, the lore, and alternate, non-appropriative holidays to swap in, or it should have focused more on the intuitive witchcraft of the first half. I did really enjoy Temperance's personal voice and would have loved to see her expand on the concepts in the latter half of the book. While I get the connection between the two halves, I don't think the execution was as smooth as it could have been, and we would have been better served getting to the "meat" of the book far earlier. Would I recommend it? Perhaps as a library read, but it isn't a necessary addition to your witchy bookshelf, in my opinion.
Final Rating: 3/5
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August 9, 2021
The central theme of this book is that the wheel of the year is what you make it, whether you choose to follow the traditional wheel or decide to create your own. For example, this can mean celebrating the solstices and equinoxes and incorporating national holidays also, but skipping the other traditional Sabbats. Since I’ve lived in climates that all followed the same seasons as the traditional wheel, I’ve never considered a reason to alter it. But I see her point. Not every climate is going to mirror the wheel and sometimes your seasons are the opposite of the wheel’s. So, as with anything in witchcraft, you make it your own.
I was a bit disappointed in this book, although it does have a lot of wonderful bits of knowledge, spells, and traditions, several of which I will try out. However, the chapters on each Sabbat are not as in-depth as I would’ve liked or expected. There is so much more lore that could’ve been explored, examined, and picked apart. As it is, I prefer the Llewellyn Sabbats almanacs for a deeper dive.
Also, what I’d hoped for is probably not what the author intended with her book. She did title it Year of the Witch rather than Wheel of the Year, after all, implying the year is about the witch herself. Fair enough. If I had paid closer attention to the contents, I would’ve seen that half the book is general witchy stuff (ffs we don’t need this in every witch book…) and the other half is actually about the Sabbats.
One other thing rubbed me the wrong way. She spends some time discussing budget witchcraft versus plastic witchcraft, the latter of which is apparently maligned on social media. Then later on she mentions people giving her a hard time on Instagram about her brand of witchcraft. I felt this was unnecessary and unprofessional for a published book. Who cares about your social media drama? We didn’t buy your book for that. It made the author come off as young and immature. I also had no clue who the author was before I read the book, so maybe this was a push for readers to check out her IG…? Ugh. I was feeling both the book and the author a lot more before all of that came up.
My favorite part was at the end of the book where the author gave suggestions for how to come up with your own wheel of the year, incorporating your feelings about each month and season, adding important holidays and birthdays, and including seasonal harvests specific to your region. This section was insightful and helpful. The other big thing I enjoyed were the recipes throughout the book. Sure, you can look up any recipe you want online but there’s something lovely about getting a recipe from a fellow witch. I’ve found some of my favorite recipes in witch books.
End of the day, I’m keeping the book because it does have some good references and suggestions, but it may well get purged later on down the line. Also, this book may be exactly what others are looking for, so take my review with a grain of salt.
I was a bit disappointed in this book, although it does have a lot of wonderful bits of knowledge, spells, and traditions, several of which I will try out. However, the chapters on each Sabbat are not as in-depth as I would’ve liked or expected. There is so much more lore that could’ve been explored, examined, and picked apart. As it is, I prefer the Llewellyn Sabbats almanacs for a deeper dive.
Also, what I’d hoped for is probably not what the author intended with her book. She did title it Year of the Witch rather than Wheel of the Year, after all, implying the year is about the witch herself. Fair enough. If I had paid closer attention to the contents, I would’ve seen that half the book is general witchy stuff (ffs we don’t need this in every witch book…) and the other half is actually about the Sabbats.
One other thing rubbed me the wrong way. She spends some time discussing budget witchcraft versus plastic witchcraft, the latter of which is apparently maligned on social media. Then later on she mentions people giving her a hard time on Instagram about her brand of witchcraft. I felt this was unnecessary and unprofessional for a published book. Who cares about your social media drama? We didn’t buy your book for that. It made the author come off as young and immature. I also had no clue who the author was before I read the book, so maybe this was a push for readers to check out her IG…? Ugh. I was feeling both the book and the author a lot more before all of that came up.
My favorite part was at the end of the book where the author gave suggestions for how to come up with your own wheel of the year, incorporating your feelings about each month and season, adding important holidays and birthdays, and including seasonal harvests specific to your region. This section was insightful and helpful. The other big thing I enjoyed were the recipes throughout the book. Sure, you can look up any recipe you want online but there’s something lovely about getting a recipe from a fellow witch. I’ve found some of my favorite recipes in witch books.
End of the day, I’m keeping the book because it does have some good references and suggestions, but it may well get purged later on down the line. Also, this book may be exactly what others are looking for, so take my review with a grain of salt.
October 14, 2025
I didn't feel like it said anything new. It was not very well organized. It rambled and jumped around and didn't feel fresh or inspiring.
December 3, 2021
This book is beyond fantastic. Alden specifically looks to put the power of celebrating the seasons back into the practitioners hands. Almost all the 101 books I read include the 8 sabbats without realizing that the specific sabbats being regurgitated are euro-centric and were originally drawn together by Gardner in order to have gathers every 6 weeks with others of like mind.
Without going into a history lesson here on goodreads, Alden reminds new readers (and old) that you should be connecting with nature around you, not just what's outlined in general 101 books. I notice that a lot of these reviews on goodreads talk about anti-climate and antisemitism without knowing much about the actual author or the perspectives she is outlining.
I'm surprised to read these reviews, it makes me think these people may not have actually read the book, but rather skipped through a few controversial sentences without any context of what brought them forward. I see people referencing one paragraph but not the one before or the one after that tie together the point of bringing them up. The book doesn't spoon feed you ideas, it encourages you to think critically and consider arguments from different standpoints in order to be better equipped to connect to the earth around you.
All in all, if you are looking for a book that isn't specifically Wiccan but addresses the celebration of the seasons, connecting to the earth, learning your environment, being responsible for your own sovereignty in your path and encourages readers to think critically, this book is a 5 star read. I would also recommend this book to coven leaders who want to help their initiates work through the modern witches wheel of the year through connecting to spirit.
Additionally, I encourage readers to check out Aldens references at the end of the book. It has so many excellent references that will help further education as well.
Without going into a history lesson here on goodreads, Alden reminds new readers (and old) that you should be connecting with nature around you, not just what's outlined in general 101 books. I notice that a lot of these reviews on goodreads talk about anti-climate and antisemitism without knowing much about the actual author or the perspectives she is outlining.
I'm surprised to read these reviews, it makes me think these people may not have actually read the book, but rather skipped through a few controversial sentences without any context of what brought them forward. I see people referencing one paragraph but not the one before or the one after that tie together the point of bringing them up. The book doesn't spoon feed you ideas, it encourages you to think critically and consider arguments from different standpoints in order to be better equipped to connect to the earth around you.
All in all, if you are looking for a book that isn't specifically Wiccan but addresses the celebration of the seasons, connecting to the earth, learning your environment, being responsible for your own sovereignty in your path and encourages readers to think critically, this book is a 5 star read. I would also recommend this book to coven leaders who want to help their initiates work through the modern witches wheel of the year through connecting to spirit.
Additionally, I encourage readers to check out Aldens references at the end of the book. It has so many excellent references that will help further education as well.
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