Earth Witch: Finding Magic in the Land

It's not even a little surprising that the state of the world in the physical sense is driving thoughtful people in "developed" countries towards a better way of existing within nature. From community activity a la recycling programs to political initiatives this desire to do better is growing. In tandem with these developments, bringing your spiritual life into alignment can only be to the good, and it is in that vein that we encounter Britton Boyd's Earth Witch: Finding Magic in the Land. Boyd, an animist, witch, and herbalist (per her bio) is the right person to be writing a book like this. Her lived experiences have given her knowledge the depth of practical experience to enhance the material she presents.

Earth Witch is divided into eight chapters, but to my mind (and this is my suggestion, not the author's) the book will live on in your library as a reference book rather than a particular line of argument presented linearly. That said, it definitely is worth a sequential read first, and Boyd does make a compelling case. Not that she is out to proselytize for her animist perspective; in fact, I appreciate greatly that she often takes a step back to help translate her point of view into more general concepts for those of us with different perspectives to work with. That said, you can only generalize concepts like rewilding but so far, and as Boyd explains you can't really half-ass bringing nature into the center of your spiritual life. You can *try*, of course, but it's kind of like "Christmas and Easter Christians"; you're either doing this work or you aren't. To that end, she provides dozens of guides for practical work, from quick written exercises to ritual behavior for you to go and do for yourself. I find that her suggestions are very good ones, and I came out of Chapter 6, "Ancestors and Descendants" with an entirely new outlook on the subject.

It is always a pleasure for me to come across a book like Britton Boyd's Earth Witch: Finding Magic in the Land. Different strokes for different folks of course, but I like an author who is able to delve deep into an esoteric subject and still keep their work (ahem) grounded. Boyd does not shy away from her deep animist experience, but she keeps everything so relatable that it's unlikely you'll feel turned off by any sense of alienation from her practice. And that's good, because if you have interest at all in the notion of getting closer to nature in the spiritual sense, this is a book you want to read.

~ review by Wanderer

Author: Britton Boyd
Hierophant Publishing, 2022
pp. 192, $18.99