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Title details for The Witching Year by Diana Helmuth - Available

The Witching Year

A Memoir of Earnest Fumbling Through Modern Witchcraft

by Diana Helmuth
Diana Helmuth
Audiobook
2 of 3 copies available
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2 of 3 copies available
A skeptic spends a year trying to find spiritual fulfillment by practicing modern Witchcraft in this fascinating memoir that's perfect for fans of A.J. Jacobs and Mary Roach.
Diana Helmuth, thirty-three, is skeptical of organized religion. She is also skeptical of disorganized religion. But, more than anything, she is tired of God being dead. So, she decides to try on the fastest-growing, self-directed faith in America: Witchcraft.

The result is 366 days of observation, trial, error, wit, and back spasms. Witches today are often presented as confident and finished, proud and powerful. Diana is eager to join them. She wants to follow all the rules, memorize all the incantations, and read all the liturgy. But there's one glaring problem: no Witch can agree on what the right rules, liturgy, and incantations are.

As with life, Diana must define the craft for herself, looking past the fashionable and figuring out how to define the real. Along the way, she travels to Salem and Edinburgh (two very Crafty hubs) and attends a week-long (clothing optional) Witch camp in Northern California. Whether she's trying to perform a full moon ritual on a cardboard box, summon an ancient demon with scotch tape and a kitchen trivet, or just trying to become a calmer, happier person, her biggest question remains: Will any of this really work?

The Witching Year is a "compelling memoir" (Frances Denny, author of Major Arcana) that follows in the footsteps of celebrated memoirs by journalists like A.J. Jacobs, Mary Roach, and Caitlin Doughty, who knit humor and reportage together in search of something worth believing.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 3, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797163413
      • File size: 318298 KB
      • Duration: 11:03:07

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 5, 2023
      In this animated offering, Helmuth (How to Suffer Outside) chronicles her yearlong exploration of contemporary witchcraft. Drawn to the practice for its promise of “agency in a world that... buzzes with a thousand things I have no control over,” Helmuth struggled through spellbooks with highly specific ritual instructions and requirements (one altar ritual calls for a cauldron, a pentacle, a candle snuffer, two kinds of ceremonial daggers, and “an unconscionable number of candles”); attended group practices that ranged from a well-crafted Gardnerian Wicca ceremony to 15 minutes spent eating marshmallows with strangers in a parking lot; and interviewed witches and scholars of paganism. She recalls frustrating instances when spellwork failed to aid such real-life issues as her chronic back pain, as well as moments of true revelation, like when she felt “plugged into the flow of the world” after communing with divine spirits. Though Helmut sometimes sidetracks her interviews with pagan luminaries by soliciting their encouragement, her wry tone will charm readers, and those who have taken on similar spiritual quests will relate to the author’s desire to know if she’s “doing it right.” Aspiring witches and readers itching to learn more about the occult will find inspiration and amusement.

    • Library Journal

      January 1, 2024

      Helmuth (How To Suffer Outside) chronicles a year spent researching, practicing, and philosophizing as she endeavors to become a Wiccan, despite her self-proclaimed skepticism. The author communicates her love and reverence for nature and her openness to magical thinking, ceremony, and poetic language. Self-effacing honesty, humor, and more than a little whimsy make this account approachable and enjoyable. While this book is more entertaining than instructive, it offers insight into influential Wiccan figures and schools of thought. Additionally, it features conversations with current and past practitioners whom Helmuth sought out in her quest to learn more about contemporary witchcraft. The author candidly describes the uncertainty and foibles that tempered her year of learning. With the onset of COVID, she contends with practicing Wicca in relative isolation, struggling to make decisions about this new faith and real-life issues. As the audiobook's narrator, Helmuth offers a convivial tone, creating a friendly, conversational atmosphere. Excellent comedic timing and well-placed pauses and emphases invite listeners into her exploration and reflection. VERDICT A sincere and unaffected memoir that should appeal to listeners interested in Wiccan beliefs and personal growth stories.--Lisa Youngblood

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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