One of the unexpected joys of starting Hedge Witch Botanicals over a year ago has been the community that I have encountered. I love seeing herbalists recommending resources, witches discussing activism, and people sharing in knowledge and experiences. With sharing in mind, and a love of the written word, I’m happy to introduce a new (definitely recurring, likely not weekly) feature I’m calling Spellbook Saturday.
In this context, a spellbook doesn’t have to be a tome of magical incantations, but a book that has enchanted, impacted, or influenced me in some way, leaving me spellbound. And while I can’t promise they’ll all fall along these lines, I thought my first recommendation should be witchy…
Though Emily Post would have us believe that it’s rude to discuss sex, politics, and religion, anyone who spends time around me (or read my intro!) knows that it’s practically impossible for me to not bring those topics up in conversation. I believe, however, that I’m in good company– the archetype of the witch has long been associated with both social transgression and activism. A couple years ago I was gifted a copy of Kristen J. Sollee’s Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive, and I highly recommend it– whether you personally identify with none of those identifiers, or all three!
From Sollee’s website: “Witch, Slut, Feminist: these contested identities are informing millennial women as they counter a tortuous history of misogyny with empowerment. This innovative primer highlights sexual liberation as it traces the lineage of ‘witch feminism.’ Juxtaposing scholarly research on the demonization of women and female sexuality that has continued since the witch hunts of the early modern era with pop occulture analyses and interviews with activists, artists, scholars, and practitioners of witchcraft, this book enriches contemporary conversations about reproductive rights, sexual pleasure, queer identity, pornography, sex work, and more. “
I love Sollee’s writing, and as a self-proclaimed cat lady I’m definitely looking forward to her upcoming book Cat Call: Reclaiming the Feral Feminine— perhaps I’ll choose it for a future Spellbook Saturday!
