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theesotericcamel's review against another edition
4.0
A very engaging look on what it means to be a practicing witch in the modern age. Peter Grey draws from many different sources for inspiration (which you can see for yourself in the Select Bibliography included at the end). And it is Grey's wide sense of inspiration that helps imbue the text with relevance. Although not as revolutionary as I was led to believe, there is still a lot of food for thought contained within. Each chapter seems devoted to dissecting an idea or concept associated with witchcraft. Chapter subjects range from such things as The Witches Sabbath, Lycanthropy, The Goddess, and even Satan himself. Each chapter traces the possible origin(s) of the symbol, how it has changed over time, and how it fits into our modern times. Mind you, this is not a history of these concepts as such. More of an examination on why they are strongly associated to witchcraft and how we can use it to our advantage now. This book is definitely aimed at the self-identified witch. It urges one to get out of the armchair and engage in the world. For you see, all the essays that make up each chapters are supposed to coalesce into the big picture... Which is for witches everywhere to get up and do something. Peter Grey sees the world being raped by capitalism and greed, all at the expense of the environment. The environment and nature, Grey argues, is the source of magick and witchcraft. It is up to us to defend our allies, and this book is a clear call to arms.
qheretic's review against another edition
1.0
I did not finish this one because within the first 20 pages, Grey compared the radicality of Witches to the radicality of Tupac, describing him as an “n-word thug” railing against the racism of the American system. I’m quite disappointed in Peter Grey who decided that he would unambiguously evoke a violent slur that would risk alienating his audience because there is no way around the fact that many Black folks really don’t want to see that word casually thrown around and wholly uncontextualized to describe us. And we have made this quite clear over decades. Further that the editors of Scarlet Imprint didn’t think that if they were going to let it slide that it shouldn’t have been further contextualized and not just a slur casually thrown around. Probably has something to do with the fact that Peter Grey is the founder, which unfortunately makes it feel that he must be above reproach at his imprint, when clearly he needed to be informed that this was a problematic choice.
I got this to read as I’m planning a performance about witchcraft and environmentalism. It was a recommendation from a store that I thought I respected but this has really spoiled that relationship, as so far I have seen no critical engagement from the larger pagan community with the text or Grey about what is just casual slur usage for the sake of a point. Black people’s trauma is not just a prop for being utilized to spice up your argument.
I’ve seen several witches talk about their love for this book without so much as a comment about how the first 10 minutes of reading we are presented with this.
We need to do better witches. We need to do better. This goes for any and everybody, but especially a community that is involving itself in so called “activism.” That unfortunately rings hollow when we don’t hold our members accountable for violence that is the foundation of the things we claim to be hexing the patriarchy for.
I got this to read as I’m planning a performance about witchcraft and environmentalism. It was a recommendation from a store that I thought I respected but this has really spoiled that relationship, as so far I have seen no critical engagement from the larger pagan community with the text or Grey about what is just casual slur usage for the sake of a point. Black people’s trauma is not just a prop for being utilized to spice up your argument.
I’ve seen several witches talk about their love for this book without so much as a comment about how the first 10 minutes of reading we are presented with this.
We need to do better witches. We need to do better. This goes for any and everybody, but especially a community that is involving itself in so called “activism.” That unfortunately rings hollow when we don’t hold our members accountable for violence that is the foundation of the things we claim to be hexing the patriarchy for.
mothie_girlie's review
emotional
medium-paced
1.0
The author delves into some good information, but the sheer white male privilege in this book...just no
jerianne's review
1.0
It takes some pretty big balls to center a book on witchcraft around the work of known abuser Ted Hughes, but I guess inspiring speculation about the size of his balls was probably Grey's motivation in the first place.
I know a lot of people really love this book, and I agree that it makes some very insightful points, but the gems are thoroughly embedded in comically overwrought and pretentious prose, and encrusted with archaic attitudes towards sex and women masquerading as empowerment.
I have grown very weary of reading white men's tone deaf edgelord opinions on witchcraft and seeing them praised for their faux wokeness.
I know a lot of people really love this book, and I agree that it makes some very insightful points, but the gems are thoroughly embedded in comically overwrought and pretentious prose, and encrusted with archaic attitudes towards sex and women masquerading as empowerment.
I have grown very weary of reading white men's tone deaf edgelord opinions on witchcraft and seeing them praised for their faux wokeness.
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