Today I'm reviewing Revolutionary Witchcraft A Guide to Magical Activism by Sarah Lyons.
Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page
Release Date - November 5, 2019
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an contemporary witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 429,000 views.
When they say great things come in small packages, they were referring to this book. While the size of the book is small, the content within is larger than life. The cover is a mixture of a hard/soft cover and the short stature makes it easy to toss into a purse or backpack for reading on the go. The author has provided not only a healthy index but also a hefty appendix that goes on in great detail on spell books, rituals and even a new way to look at the wheel of the year. The illustrations are fantastic and show a representation of witches of color in an inclusive way. This reaches directly into the heart of the current life we're seeing in magical workings for social justice.
The books begins with an introduction to activism and the place that a witch holds in that fight. The author defines magic, politics, witchcraft and the history related to how magic was used in our ancient past. As she continues through the chapters, the author provides direction for connecting with the ancestors as well as instruction on shaking off this mundane and delving deeply into the craft for the betterment of all beings. I would note there is at least one mention of the Bible in one of the chapters and it seems to lean to the side that witches are predominately female. While I understand that for most of the world the word witch equates to someone who is female, I would loved to have seen the author set aside that particular notion and allow a non gendered view or allowing space for those who may identify as male, masculine or any other gender variant to be included in the discussion. That being said, I would like to acknowledge how the author said that they felt that witchcraft was a verb and not a noun. To me, witch is a title. It isn't a title like Mr. or Mrs. but more like Doctor. Note, it isn't specifically said in this book that only witches can be female, it is just what I perceived to be implied by the context of the book. This was my opinion and your mileage may vary.
This is one of the first modern witch books I have read that directly calls out to sitting public officials. In the section on Revolutionary History, the author specifically points to the 2016 election as being the catalyst for political witchcraft. To me this has two possible implications. One, it flies into the face of "be silent". If I want to work my magic, I want to do so in secret. I want to make sure they have no idea that I'm coming. There is also an old tale about saying a person's name gives them power. Case in point, many today some 3 years after taking office, still refuse to use the word President as it related to Donald Trump. I'm assuming the opinion is, not saying it removes its validity. We would need to examine his actions and the impact they have had on society as a whole in order to see if that is actually the case. But I digress...
As we move through the book, the author takes us through initiation, journeying, dreaming and soul flight. Reminding us that as witches we are stewards of the land. The section on Standing Rock, I found particularly moving. Many books have lofty goals when it comes to recommending what witches can and cannot do. This book actually provides real world examples of how to get involved in local politics, creating an organization and working with allies of all activity styles. From creating sigils and working with crystals to joining protests and working on access to voting this book provides ways to actually get involved with your community to create positive change.
Finally, I wanted to call out one part of the appendix that I found pretty amazing and have added to my magical practice. As a witch (a River Witch) I spend a great deal of time directly in the path of the water. My home sets on native land stolen by colonizers, and homes and families destroyed, a great people were pushed away and nearly destroyed. Today, they are still being attacked at the highest levels of our government. On page 141 the author provides a statement to the land, acknowledging the rightful ownership of the first peoples to inhabit this nation and face subsequent attack by those coming in and destroying their world. The statement is as follows:
My personal statement:
I honor and acknowledge the Catabwa and Tuscarora people who lived here on this land I now occupy. I want to thank them for allowing me to be here and to continue to grace my visions and my ritual with their energy. I acknowledge that my direct ancestors stole this land and claimed it as their own and are now know as the founders of this place called Seven Springs. I live today in a world created by that carnage and can only hope that my promise to work towards a better world will allow the land here to begin to heal from this heart break.
Overall, this is a pretty powerful piece of work. It was written in a very straight forward easy to read language. It is modern and yet still holds on to those basics that most witches will be able to see right away. I was skeptical at first, but I must say I was/am pleasantly surprised by the depth of the book and appreciated the author's guidance on inclusive speech, healing speech and open honest dialog about how our nation needs to heal from colonization.
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| Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Revolutionary Witchcraft |
Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page
Release Date - November 5, 2019
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an contemporary witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts over 429,000 views.
When they say great things come in small packages, they were referring to this book. While the size of the book is small, the content within is larger than life. The cover is a mixture of a hard/soft cover and the short stature makes it easy to toss into a purse or backpack for reading on the go. The author has provided not only a healthy index but also a hefty appendix that goes on in great detail on spell books, rituals and even a new way to look at the wheel of the year. The illustrations are fantastic and show a representation of witches of color in an inclusive way. This reaches directly into the heart of the current life we're seeing in magical workings for social justice.
 |
| Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Revolutionary Witchcraft |
 |
| Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Revolutionary Witchcraft |
The books begins with an introduction to activism and the place that a witch holds in that fight. The author defines magic, politics, witchcraft and the history related to how magic was used in our ancient past. As she continues through the chapters, the author provides direction for connecting with the ancestors as well as instruction on shaking off this mundane and delving deeply into the craft for the betterment of all beings. I would note there is at least one mention of the Bible in one of the chapters and it seems to lean to the side that witches are predominately female. While I understand that for most of the world the word witch equates to someone who is female, I would loved to have seen the author set aside that particular notion and allow a non gendered view or allowing space for those who may identify as male, masculine or any other gender variant to be included in the discussion. That being said, I would like to acknowledge how the author said that they felt that witchcraft was a verb and not a noun. To me, witch is a title. It isn't a title like Mr. or Mrs. but more like Doctor. Note, it isn't specifically said in this book that only witches can be female, it is just what I perceived to be implied by the context of the book. This was my opinion and your mileage may vary.
 |
| Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Revolutionary Witchcraft |
 |
| Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Revolutionary Witchcraft |
This is one of the first modern witch books I have read that directly calls out to sitting public officials. In the section on Revolutionary History, the author specifically points to the 2016 election as being the catalyst for political witchcraft. To me this has two possible implications. One, it flies into the face of "be silent". If I want to work my magic, I want to do so in secret. I want to make sure they have no idea that I'm coming. There is also an old tale about saying a person's name gives them power. Case in point, many today some 3 years after taking office, still refuse to use the word President as it related to Donald Trump. I'm assuming the opinion is, not saying it removes its validity. We would need to examine his actions and the impact they have had on society as a whole in order to see if that is actually the case. But I digress...
As we move through the book, the author takes us through initiation, journeying, dreaming and soul flight. Reminding us that as witches we are stewards of the land. The section on Standing Rock, I found particularly moving. Many books have lofty goals when it comes to recommending what witches can and cannot do. This book actually provides real world examples of how to get involved in local politics, creating an organization and working with allies of all activity styles. From creating sigils and working with crystals to joining protests and working on access to voting this book provides ways to actually get involved with your community to create positive change.
 |
| Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Revolutionary Witchcraft |
 |
| Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Image Source - Revolutionary Witchcraft |
Finally, I wanted to call out one part of the appendix that I found pretty amazing and have added to my magical practice. As a witch (a River Witch) I spend a great deal of time directly in the path of the water. My home sets on native land stolen by colonizers, and homes and families destroyed, a great people were pushed away and nearly destroyed. Today, they are still being attacked at the highest levels of our government. On page 141 the author provides a statement to the land, acknowledging the rightful ownership of the first peoples to inhabit this nation and face subsequent attack by those coming in and destroying their world. The statement is as follows:
We honor and acknowledge the land we stand on. This is occupied territory that was once called (NAME) and is the home to (Tribe/Nation). We acknowledge that this land was stole by settlers, and that the mistreatment of its first people continues to this day. While we live in a world that settlers created, we promise to work on building a better world with the help and leadership of the land's original inhabitants. We honor this land and thank you for the many gifts you give us each day. Thank you for allowing us to fight on, with and for you.
 |
| Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Location - Seven Springs, NC |
My personal statement:
I honor and acknowledge the Catabwa and Tuscarora people who lived here on this land I now occupy. I want to thank them for allowing me to be here and to continue to grace my visions and my ritual with their energy. I acknowledge that my direct ancestors stole this land and claimed it as their own and are now know as the founders of this place called Seven Springs. I live today in a world created by that carnage and can only hope that my promise to work towards a better world will allow the land here to begin to heal from this heart break.
 |
| Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson Photo Location - The Cliffs of the Neuse State Park |
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