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busdjur's review
4.0
Cozy self-care book with nice witch-theme. Helpful even for those who are not interested in the witch-parts because it contains good advise for relaxing, stressing down and finding focus.
katejones's review
1.0
This should teach me to read what a book is about before going for a pretty cover... Did not finish. At all.
ardb's review
3.0
If you’re a DIY Witch, this book is for you. While there is some mention of closed practices like the use of “sage smudge,” and calling a standing bowl/bell a “Tibetan singing bowl,” it is extremely beginner friendly; not overly religious in content, and is easy to read. However, this book contains about 100 varying DIY’s. She states in the first chapter, “This book proposes a variety of magical techniques to use in your practice of self-care. Most of them are easy and accessible, and others ask for minor purchases of herbs or stones,” however, her first DIY’s are buying a new journal and making a vision board (you can choose not to do a DIY, or modify it, but she doesn’t provide information on substitutions).
To her credit, she does acknowledge the financial struggle that can come with trying to practice self-care. Her writing is very sympathetic and does a fair job of defining why she suggests what she suggests. For example, she informs the reader that soy and beeswax candles burn cleaner than the cheapest option, and that stones and crystals are reusable.
I would have appreciated the inclusion of online resources to find ethically sourced crystals (somebody hmu please!), herbs, and essential oils. A criticism I have is that it's all very “love and light.” It’s my personal view that a big part of self-care is acknowledging what you need to work on to better yourself, and moving forward and healing from there. You’ll probably hear a lot of witches talk about “shadow work,” and while I agree with the consensus that it’s not usually best for beginners, I stand by my opinion that introspective analysis is an important part of self-care for anyone.
Overall, I would have appreciated hearing more of her voice. She really does have a way of writing that is conversational and explanatory but not condescending. I would recommend this to beginner witches (or the witchcraft curious). As always, I recommend shopping local. This book does retail for $16.99 USD, so if that’s on the higher end for you and/or don’t think you’ll be making body scrubs and bath bombs, I recommend buying second-hand.
To her credit, she does acknowledge the financial struggle that can come with trying to practice self-care. Her writing is very sympathetic and does a fair job of defining why she suggests what she suggests. For example, she informs the reader that soy and beeswax candles burn cleaner than the cheapest option, and that stones and crystals are reusable.
I would have appreciated the inclusion of online resources to find ethically sourced crystals (somebody hmu please!), herbs, and essential oils. A criticism I have is that it's all very “love and light.” It’s my personal view that a big part of self-care is acknowledging what you need to work on to better yourself, and moving forward and healing from there. You’ll probably hear a lot of witches talk about “shadow work,” and while I agree with the consensus that it’s not usually best for beginners, I stand by my opinion that introspective analysis is an important part of self-care for anyone.
Overall, I would have appreciated hearing more of her voice. She really does have a way of writing that is conversational and explanatory but not condescending. I would recommend this to beginner witches (or the witchcraft curious). As always, I recommend shopping local. This book does retail for $16.99 USD, so if that’s on the higher end for you and/or don’t think you’ll be making body scrubs and bath bombs, I recommend buying second-hand.
agudenburr's review
5.0
A great book with a variety of techniques and spells to help take care of yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
whisker_away's review
2.0
Not my favorite of this collection. The tips are fairly generic but appreciated if you haven’t read much about meditation or topics to journal. Overall, I think you can gain most of this knowledge through the other books.
theescapistreader's review
1.0
0.5 out of 5 stars
Can I really be disappointed when my expectations were next to non-existent? Debatable.
Let's start with the self-care part of the book. There's nothing revolutionary about the things the author suggests we do as self-care pactices: naps, baths, journaling, meditation, teas, scents and the like. Trite, all of it. You can cover all that with a quick google search. You don't actually need this book to tell you how to look after yourself. It is common knowledge at this point that the aforementioned practices are soothing and helpful.
Now that that's out of the way, let us discuss why this book is c o n f u s e d . While reading it, I distinctly felt that a big chunk of it was just jumble of spiritual undistilled ideas. The "worshipping" portion of this book (prayers, spells, incantations) comes off as self-indulgent in the sense that I found it to be rather shallow and not attached to the Craft. "Witch" is a word heavily associated with neopaganism, but other than some vague animistic notions -that at times were appropriating Native culture-, I don't think I learnt anything of value about modern day witches. Moreover, I'm somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of using a belief system and one's faith solely for aesthetic purposes, which was exactly what I think happened here. What makes me think that? Why, the mental calculation of all the MONEY one would need to apply some of the crafts and ideas presented in this book in their every day life . I wasn't aware that witchcraft practices were so vastly commercialised. The self-promo doesn't help to convince me otherwise.
However, it wouldn't be fair to say all that without aknowledging my own bias. As an atheist and a firm believer in healthy scepticism, I found the pagan/wiccan/call-it-what-you-want portion of this book unecessary, especially considering the points made in the previous paragraph. As a student in the STEM field, I couldn't have suspended my disbelief enough to accommodate for all the unscientific waffle in this book. All that being said, I have a great and active interest in religions and belief systems and the symbolism behind their dogmas and practices, that has been passed down to me through my religious upbringing. So I think it is fair to say that "The Witch's Book of Self-Care" failed to satisfy my curiosity in that regard.
To sum up, I would NOT reccommend the "Witch's Book of Self-Care". If you're looking for a Self-Help book, maybe look into a regular one, but definitely not this.
Happy reading!
P.S. Trigger warning: Discussion of depression
In my opinion, the way this book discusses mental health is rather problematic, so you might want to stay away from that. There is a spell on how to accept/embrace your depression for crying out loud (!), that could be understandably triggering to people. Oh, and one last thing: Essential oils can't heal your mental health troubles.
Can I really be disappointed when my expectations were next to non-existent? Debatable.
Let's start with the self-care part of the book. There's nothing revolutionary about the things the author suggests we do as self-care pactices: naps, baths, journaling, meditation, teas, scents and the like. Trite, all of it. You can cover all that with a quick google search. You don't actually need this book to tell you how to look after yourself. It is common knowledge at this point that the aforementioned practices are soothing and helpful.
Now that that's out of the way, let us discuss why this book is c o n f u s e d . While reading it, I distinctly felt that a big chunk of it was just jumble of spiritual undistilled ideas. The "worshipping" portion of this book (prayers, spells, incantations) comes off as self-indulgent in the sense that I found it to be rather shallow and not attached to the Craft. "Witch" is a word heavily associated with neopaganism, but other than some vague animistic notions -that at times were appropriating Native culture-, I don't think I learnt anything of value about modern day witches. Moreover, I'm somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of using a belief system and one's faith solely for aesthetic purposes, which was exactly what I think happened here. What makes me think that? Why, the mental calculation of all the MONEY one would need to apply some of the crafts and ideas presented in this book in their every day life . I wasn't aware that witchcraft practices were so vastly commercialised. The self-promo doesn't help to convince me otherwise.
However, it wouldn't be fair to say all that without aknowledging my own bias. As an atheist and a firm believer in healthy scepticism, I found the pagan/wiccan/call-it-what-you-want portion of this book unecessary, especially considering the points made in the previous paragraph. As a student in the STEM field, I couldn't have suspended my disbelief enough to accommodate for all the unscientific waffle in this book. All that being said, I have a great and active interest in religions and belief systems and the symbolism behind their dogmas and practices, that has been passed down to me through my religious upbringing. So I think it is fair to say that "The Witch's Book of Self-Care" failed to satisfy my curiosity in that regard.
To sum up, I would NOT reccommend the "Witch's Book of Self-Care". If you're looking for a Self-Help book, maybe look into a regular one, but definitely not this.
Happy reading!
P.S. Trigger warning: Discussion of depression
In my opinion, the way this book discusses mental health is rather problematic, so you might want to stay away from that. There is a spell on how to accept/embrace your depression for crying out loud (!), that could be understandably triggering to people. Oh, and one last thing: Essential oils can't heal your mental health troubles.
cassandrasharp314's review
4.0
I actually really enjoyed this books. It had a lot of tips simular to most self care teachings. But they've added some "witchy" things that kind of help you physically focus on the self care your doing such as using incense and sometimes putting herbs in a bottle as you tell yourself the things you need to hear to help you refocus and take care of you. Its fun and helpful and helps you connect spirituality. (The book is very open about using its knowledge to help you in your path no matter what your beliefs.)
bunniesgutzz's review
2.0
Not worth the read and if you do your research into the author she isn't a good person or reputable source.