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Robotswithpersonality

The Witching Year: A Memoir of Earnest Fumbling Through Modern Witchcraft | Diana Helmuth

Relatable: Read three books and two journal articles, then I might be open-minded about it... 🥴

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Robotswithpersonality

The Witching Year: A Memoir of Earnest Fumbling Through Modern Witchcraft | Diana Helmuth

Mom's winning! 😅

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candc320

Something in the Walls | Daisy Pearce

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This cover 😍!! The story was good as well, sort of a folk horror/domestic drama/gothic horror. It ended up having the roots of the “mystery” being very realistic and sad, which I wasn‘t expecting, and I think I would have preferred it if it kept its feet more in the paranormal. That being said I still enjoyed it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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monalyisha

Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic | Tabitha Stanmore

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When I began reading this history of “practical magic” in 1300s-1600s England, I was nothing short of obsessed. My interest, however, slowly tapered off. There are interesting bits sprinkled throughout…but it started to feel like a lot of the same. I‘m also not a big fan of the stylistic, “as we will see in the next chapter” phraseology.

What initially hooked me was the close overlap of priests & “cunning folk”, religion & “service magic.”👇🏻

monalyisha 1/7: I know my understanding of the history surrounding witch trials is colored by my geography (I actually lived in Salem, MA for a spell, while the author‘s from the UK) but I still found a lot of what Stanmore uncovered shocking! I was under the impression that anything smacking of magic would‘ve been condemned as witchcraft & grounds for getting a person (usually a woman) hanged during this time period. 👇🏻 (edited) 1w

monalyisha 2/7: Instead, Stanmore‘s research suggests that “cunning folk” (with proven track records of helping their communities) were largely safe & well-regarded (even the women!) for most of this time even amidst “witch fever.” Although she admits that “such a relaxed attitude towards magic becomes much rarer in the 16th & 17th centuries,” she writes that “scholars have noted that up until the 15th century, magic is largely portrayed as morally neutral.” 1w

monalyisha 3/7: During that time, priests & monks could & did employ “cunning folk”; some even identified as “cunning folk” themselves! A few of the more popular practices included finding lost things, finding lost people, and healing the sick. The exact rituals, which Stanmore describes whenever possible, are hugely fascinating! 1w

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monalyisha 4/7: I was particularly rapt when learning about how amulets were made (harnessing the unique properties of the stars, writing powerful inscriptions (sometimes prayers), and intentionally choosing metals based on which planet they corresponded with; as well as supplicating or trapping angels and/or demons). 1w

monalyisha 5/7: I loved reading about how ghosts were believed to be attached to treasure as a form of penance for the person who‘d died, and therefore could be helpful to treasure hunters rather than a source of fear. It was believed that *some* ghosts wanted the pure-hearted to find the wealth they‘d selfishly hoarded while alive so they could be forgiven the sin of avarice and move on. So, a haunting wasn‘t always a deterrent; sometimes, it was desirable! 1w

monalyisha 6/7: Folks also found biblical justification for the practice of palmistry (see: Exodus 13:9), stemming from the conventionally accepted idea that God commonly drew signs in nature — our bodies being part & parcel. These signs could be “read,” therefore, for wisdom or clues about the future. 1w

monalyisha 7/7: This sort of fantastical & spiritual grey area is totally my jam. If I were a more diligent researcher, I imagine this is exactly the book I‘d write. But I‘m too dreamy & distractible to have written it at all, & certainly to have written it in the style that Stanmore did. She‘s academic & colloquial in equal parts but always, unfailingly direct. I like more pottering lyricism to my prose. Less enthusiastic a pick than I imagined…but a pick! 1w

AnnCrystal Insightful review 👏🏼☺️👍🏼🧹📚💝. 1w

Clare-Dragonfly I love a less-than-enthusiastic review that makes me want to read the book. 😄 This sounds right up my alley! 1w

monalyisha @Clare-Dragonfly It‘s definitely thought-provoking and I‘m not mad I read it! 1w

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monalyisha

Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic | Tabitha Stanmore

Puppy‘s first pool time. Summer is coming. 💦

dabbe 💜🐾🖤 1w

AnnCrystal 💕🐕🌊🐾💝. 1w

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Chrissyreadit

Midsummer: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for Litha | Llewellyn, Deborah Blake

Happy June #summersolace season 💛 What intentions will you set for this amazing season with opportunities for growth and abundance?
My intention is to be mindful and present. The sun card is a good card for reflection and affirmation of your intentions in this season! #naturalitsy

TheBookHippie, AllDebooks

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MysticFaerie

Something in the Walls | Daisy Pearce

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3.5⭐️/5⭐️

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