Hello, book friends! As you may know, one of my goals for 2022 is to read at least one self-care/spirituality book from my staggering collection each month.
I’m pleased to report that I finished my January book, The Witch’s Book of Self-Care, with weeks to spare!
Because self care and spirituality is very personal, I often don’t review these kinds of books when I read them. What I’m looking for in my spiritual life may, after all, be quite different from what you’re looking for.
But since I’m on this yearly quest, I thought I’d break down each book as I go and let you know what you can get from the book and what I personally thought of it. Because accountability, or something.
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What’s Inside
The Witch’s Book of Self-Care is organized into five chapters:
- Self-Care and Magic
- Mental and Emotional Self-Care
- Physical Self-Care
- Spiritual Self-Care
- Household Self-Care
Each chapter has some general information about that domain of self-care and why it matters, then several rituals, spells, and/or recipes to help support your self-care in that area.
What I Liked
First off, this book is gorgeous! The page numbers and section headers are printed in colorful ink, which is a nice touch to the reading experience.
I really appreciate that this book breaks down the various areas of self-care, reminding us that taking care of ourselves and our environment isn’t just about the things we can Instagram. The introduction also does a nice job of framing what self care is and how it interacts with magic, which I appreciated.
Even if using “witch” in the title might imply that the book will be pretty “out there” I found a lot of the recommendations to be grounded and practical (drink enough water, go to therapy, clean out the clutter in your home, etc). That’s not to say there aren’t also spells and manifestation suggestions, because there definitely are.
I also really liked the number of tangible crafts and recipes that are included for things such as vision boards, seasonal baubles, and bath bombs. A lot of books of spells and rituals result in creating a lot of things you’re then expected to burn or bury, so I like the idea of making things meant for use or display instead.
There are some nods to the fact that not everyone is a homeowner, an assumption that irritates me in witch books. I also don’t recall any gender exclusionary language, though I will admit I do sometimes miss these, being a cis woman myself. Many a witchy book has failed in these areas, so I like to notice the ones that don’t.
What I Didn’t Like
Like a lot of witchy books, there’s a tacit assumption that your reader can afford to buy about 500 different herbs and essential oil blends for the recipes and rituals within. I’d love some suggestions for simplifying recipes if you’re missing or can’t access certain ingredients.
Honestly, that’s my main complaint here! I mostly enjoyed this book and found it both interesting and useful as a source of self-care inspiration in the future.
In all, this book would be a great general guide for someone looking for activities and rituals to support their self-care, even if you don’t identify as a witch or someone who practices magic.
There’s a good variety of activities here, from vision boarding to anointing candles to having a dance party in your house. In spite of my prior complaint re: the entire hutch of oils required, many of the suggestions don’t ask for much in the way of supplies at all.
I’m calling my first self-care read of the year a roaring success! Now, let’s see if I actually do any of the activities listed in the book.
Thanks for reading! Want to know what other self-care books I’m reading this year? You can follow us here, on Medium, Instagram, and Twitter!
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