Magic is a serious business. And it’s also a mess. Whoever tries to tell you otherwise has some questionable opinions about it.
When I was reading Modern Magic: Stories, Rituals, and Spells for Contemporary Witches, by Michelle Tea, I found an author who was brutally honest about Witchcraft. Finding its place between a memoir and a spellbook, Modern Magic is a jewel with unique charm I can’t recommend enough.
Cover to Modern Magic by Michelle Tea [HarperOne]
- Publisher: HarperOne
- Publication Date: October 1, 2024
- Print Length: 256 pages
- Tags: Spirituality, Witchcraft, nonfiction, memoir
In this enchanted sibling to the cult classic Modern Tarot, literary and tarot icon Michelle Tea returns to her magical roots, offering stories, little-known history, traditions, rituals, and spells for any witch seeking a deeper spiritual practice.
A self-described DIY Witch and professional tarot reader, literary and feminist icon Michelle Tea provides a fascinating magical history and spiritual traditions from around the world, giving us the tools, spells, and rituals to navigate our stressed-out, consumer-driven lives. Witty, down-to-earth, and wise, she bewitches us with tales of how she crafted her own magical practice and came into her own. She also shares enchanting stories from her earliest Witchy days as a goth teen in Massachusetts as well as insights from her adult practice. Modern Magic gives us the tools to tap into a stronger, distinctive magic that lies within us, one that incorporates queer, feminist, anti-racist, intersectional values. These include:
- Love Magic for the 21st century
- Hexes for when you really need them (and an exploration of magical ethics)
- Sleep Magic, from dream interpretation traditions to prophetic dreams
- Thoughts on why magic practice is spiritual practice
Michelle shares her truth and observations about the world around us as well as her vision for what it could be. For novice and seasoned witches alike, Modern Magic is the essential guide for defining and deepening a practice that aligns with our individual political and spiritual values.
This is an interesting, relaxed, and funny book that helped me re-evaluate a lot of things that I have seen in Paganism and Witchcraft – how to work with this or that, the structures we should follow, and our experiences as sources of wisdom and inspiration. They all have a place at the table with Michelle Tea, along with lots, lots of humor.
Something that I loved about this book was its mix between memoir material and teaching, practical material. We not only learn about Michelle’s life, but also how those experiences shaped her practice, how her practice evolved, and how she evolved as a person as well. However, there is none of that holier than thou attitude that some might expect. Quite the opposite, in fact.
The author keeps her feet on the ground at all times when explaining this or that, guiding the reader through different concepts as if it was a conversation in that tea reading room she went to with her late Grandmother. With a more friendly, easy going approach, I found it just as easy to enjoy.
Covering topics from potions to rituals, and even how to use Catholic iconography while still stripping it out of its religious context as if it was a spiritual revenge, I re-learned how to work with spells, the meaning of some symbols, different structures and forms of magic, and so on. It’s a master class that doesn’t ask for much, just creativity, openness, and passion. And lots of shadow work.
I would say that’s my favorite aspect of the book. Michelle doesn’t shy away from her own experiences and shares the raw reality of what Witchcraft can be sometimes. There is a more casual approach to all things magical, which is exactly where her voice thrives. She shows the good, the bad, the great, and the nasty equally, giving the reader a whole experience of what it was like to be a Witch before.
Useful for both newcomers and experienced witches, this is also a good addition to anyone’s library, a class on witchcraft that blends experience, meaning, healing, and adventure, into a single thing with a decadent charm. Although Modern Magic might feel somewhat disorganized at times, there is a teaching and a smile at the end of every chapter.
Thanks to HarperOne for providing a review copy.
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