Hello sisters,
I hope as you read this that it’s cold, windy and raining. Perhaps even the sound of a thunderstorm rolling overhead, as crackles of lightning flash across the sky. I’ve always been drawn to the elements, the changes in the seasons…The gift of each season as it transforms the world in front of us.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I love nothing more than watching the rain and the sound it makes against the window panes. Have you ever taken a moment to just stand outside in the rain, your head back and arms raised and enjoyed the feeling of it? There’s something quite liberating about it, that always makes me feel like I am connected to something bigger. That there’s something powerful within me that’s older than I am.
It may not surprise you that I study Witchcraft. From a young age I’ve always been drawn to crystals and have had a few encounters with spirits and, honest to Eve, a possession, through which I recalled names, places and memories from my Aunt’s past and dates of things that would occur in the future. Despite only having met her twice and her living in Japan until her untimely passing…So naturally, I am drawn to stories about witches.
I read alot of books to help me study my craft and gain a deeper understanding of my spiritual journey but I also like reading about witches in a fictional setting too. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E.Harrow is one I stumbled across and it didn’t disappoint.
Set in 1893 it follows the story of three sisters (the Eastwood sisters) who despite being estranged for many years, all find themselves in New Salem when a mysterious tower appears during a Suffrage rally. It reminds the sisters of their Grandma “Mags” and the stories she used to tell them. But were they just stories? Or carefully weaved yarns of truth and power?
Pretty soon, each of the sisters set out to restoring true power to women everywhere, by trying to salvage what is left of “the words” after the witch hunt that spread across Europe and America, burned most of it away. After all, all a witch truly needs is the words, the will and the way. The three sisters soon believe they could be descendants of the final three witches (The Maiden, The Mother and The Crone) and go on a journey of self discovery.
The book looks at issues of women’s rights, poverty, motherhood, same sex relationships and race. It’s almost uncomfortably jarring to read about issues women faced almost 130 years ago and know that women still struggle with some of the same issues today. Alix blends historical fiction, with recognisable fairy tales and adds in a layer of determination and fierceness that made me feel empowered. I devoured the book in days, I didn’t want it to end and loved the reference to actual tools and recipes used in witchcraft, dotted throughout the book.
It’s definitely worth a read and also a reminder that ALL women still have their lives ruled by men. And disgustingly and more increasingly, we are still seeing men making decisions about women bodies. We’re living in unpredictable, scary and often harrowing times and I think it’s important to remind women that feminism can’t exist unless it’s inter-sectional. We are all Sisters and when we work together, amazing things can happen. Change can happen.
So wear a carnelian stone for courage and don’t be afraid to use your voice and the power that you know you have within you.
Stay spooky!
👻LWG👻
☽ SpookyGee ☾ 