Becoming Dangerous: Witchy Femmes, Queer Conjurers, and Magical Rebels

In Becoming Dangerous, we hear the voices of witches, writers, musicians, dreamers. There are twenty one essays sharing how they have overcome oppression, self-doubt, patriarchy, shaming, racism etc using a variety of rituals, powers, and experiences to fight and resist.

The book gives a voice to the powerless, urges the reader to explore ways to resist outside forces that are trying to take away our rights, freedoms by utilizing rituals to take back our power. The essays are personal stories to connect those who seek to become dangerous to those willing to remove rights from others.

Each story is powerful. The experiences range from PTSD, to racism, to violence, rape, to self-harm. Before you start in on the chapters there is a content warning. It lists the themes you will find in each essay. This tool is a trigger warning so the reader can mentally prepare for the content in the event they have experienced the same. Sharing our experiences showcases our commonalities and that we are not alone. While reading the essays, you can find hope and strength in how the contributor was able to overcome their challenges and difficulties.

One of the things I really appreciated at the end of the book was the section about each contributor. They share their past and we learn more about each individual. The writers belong to various communities that still fight to be seen. With their words, we see them. I found this book gave me hope, healing, and a fiery passion to find my own voice. I too want to ‘Become Dangerous’ to those who want to oppress us.

~review by Amber Barnes

Author: Katie West and Jasmine Elliot
Weiser Books, April 1, 2019
pp. 320, $16.95