A jammed packed little book full of new perspectives, ideas, and compelling writing styles. I learned so much in an approachable way that kept me interested. I also think the blurbs from other practitioners was cool, there has been so much to springboard off of. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I just hope those authors are just as fun to read.

DNF p. 20

Got to "International, Apolitical, Non-profit" and just couldn't help myself to a fit of laugher. There is no suspension of disbelief for things that bonkers, it's literally an oxymoron. I'll stick to Becky's books where the worldbuilding is vast enough that I can find my own personal corner of retcons that make the plots make sense.

A funny little relic of history. Has a lot of good stuff for the bare-bones of Wicca and Witchcraft while also being wildly outdated in some aspects. All to be expected.
I enjoyed reading it and now have a solid foundation to continue studying on.

[Unfinished Placeholder Review]

god this book is such a kick in the teeth after the first two.

Unlikeable and miserable characters (only good characters were disgruntled teen w unconvincing conclusion and the B-plot dad of the most annoying Karen-type), complete lack of understanding WHY people live communally & characters with ideologies to match, parents who issue a severe amount of punitive measures for what we're supposed to attribute to Exodan beliefs, the cringiest not-sex-scene I've ever read, and just so much liberal self-impaling on circular logics and no actual political frameworks in a book about very political things. It was infuriating to read but I am a huge sucker for Chambers' scene work I sometimes ignore the massive heaps of idealistic garbage.

I don't think I'll be picking it up again but I did appreciate knowing I'd grown since the last time I read this.

I thought this book cracked into a lot of the really heavy issues keeping people from a magical practice. This was my first Pagan/Wiccan book after years of not pursuing my path because of some similar reasons the author describes. I felt very seen and was able to contextualize the toxic 80s-90s new age I was born into that had me assuming most Pagans were fakes or abusers. I've been able to use this book as my first stepping stone into spirituality after decades of avoiding due to past abuse. In that, it has been a joy and a treasure.

I do, however, think the author undid a ton of work with the last 2-3 chapters. What started with a lot of nuance and calling out abuse ended with incredibly watered down politic that made me wonder if I had picked up a whole other book somehow. I can see where she get to her conclusions but boy howdy does it hurt to see a compelling, witty, and compassionate theorist impale themselves on their own internalized liberalism. It was a heartbreaking end to what locked me in for several chapters in the beginning.

I don't think I'd stop myself from recommending it, but will either scan my book and hand out leaflets of my faves or just tell them to skip the ending entirely.

... Oh. And I wish this author had taken her really cool point of always holding historical contexts in your mind when studying spirituality and applied it to Paul of the bible. Maybe going into why he had to write as misogynisticly and critically as he does? What conditions he show more was writing under and what deceptions he had to pull in order for his work to reach the people who understood the code? I don't think it really takes away from the point of the book to not disclose the extra context for Paul specifically, just my personal pet peeve.

(I think the author has changed pronouns since the publication of the book so I'm reflecting that in my review) show less

Wasn't super thrilled with some of the pathological framing of care so I took a break from the book and did some research on the author. I noticed he just accepted a huge grant to bring AI into the health field, (first webpage when you search his name + "MD") so I'm not feeling compelled to finish this book. DNF.

If we don't hold people accountable for their abuse (AKA "blaming your parents") nothing will change. Blame them, hold them accountable.

We need to hold people acountable for their actions. AKA "blaming it on your parents". If we don't do that nothing will change.