We reside in some turbulent times especially in the US with our current political climate. It’s easy to feel lost, to feel like your opinion doesn’t matter, that you don’t count. However, You do count and your voice does matter. Your greatest magical power is voting. The right to vote and exercising that right is the strongest weapon you have at your disposal. Be heard. Stand up. Vote.
Okay you voted, now what? If you are wondering what else you can do for the resistance outside of the mundane world, then the book Magic for the Resistance is for you. Those that follow a magic path know the importance of setting intentions to the universe to manifest desires. No matter what path you are on, this book is designed to help guide you for setting intentions of change.
The book starts out with a quick FAQ section covering everything from what magic resistance is, definition of magic, whether someone needs to be a with or pagan to do spells, safety, experience level concerns and why this book and why now. Next the author dives into some history on witchcraft, the occult and practices. This may be old information to some, but great for those who are beginning or just not familiar with some of the historical roots.
In case you haven’t already heard, the author Michael M Hughes was the one behind the viral international Mass Spell to bind President Trump and all those who abet him. Chapter three goes into the details about how the idea came up, what they did, and how the social movement of #MagicResistance spread. Included in this chapter a spell for binding Trump in case you missed it, but you can also adapt it for anyone else in power that is causing harm. There is a great section that explains the basic tools for spell work for anyone who is not familiar or a beginner. Of course there are countless books in the market now to explain tools and how to use them but this is a great brief section for review.
The next section covers offensive and defensive magic. This covers the discussion on whether spells are only for healing and positive ends. The author disagrees and explains magic has always been used for self-defense and in defense of others. A hex spell or a binding spell may be considered more negative magic, but the intention behind it is stop them from hurting others. We have seen more issues recently with racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, women’s right, refugee support etc. The book is focused on spells for social change of these issues and sometimes binding or a hex is what is suggested.
Other areas the author explores is not just setting intentions in your own private home at your altar, but consider charging items that can be left in places to be effective like courtrooms, corporate offices, places of violence. He also mentions the power of looking for others and group work. If you feel comfortable, seeking others of a like-minded magical path for resistance work can be stronger together than alone. I also love the fact that he mentions the importance of self-care as well. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in the negativity of it all and forget to take a breath. We need to take our moments to cleanse and ground especially when working with things that are high stress.
The backend of the book goes over basics and how to best prepare for your ritual and magical work. For some this section can be skipped, for others it’s a great refresher or to help newcomers prepare. The last section is the magical activists spell book and everything you want to do for the various areas for social change.
If you feel called to set intentions and work some magic for social change in combination with the mundane activities, this book is for you. As magic workers, we regularly incorporate spells into our daily lives for setting intentions. In Magic for the Resistance, we have a an abundance of ideas and spells for making a change for the better for others.
~review by Amber Barnes
Author: Michael M. Hughes
Llewellyn Publications, 2018
pp. 264, $15.99
