Book Review: Magick for All Seasons by Marla Brooks

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With the holiday season well underway, it should come as no surprise that I wanted to pick up a book about holiday celebrations. While I no longer celebrate the Wheel of the Year, that doesn't stop me from appreciating or applying knowledge to the Nordic holidays I now celebrate. Magick for All Seasons: A Grimoire for the Wheel of the Year by Marla Brooks offers a wide array of spells, recipes, and rituals for each Wiccan sabbat, with insights and advice throughout.

Magick for All Seasons opens with a very brief introduction, in which Brooks describes the difference between a Grimoire and a Book of Shadows, something I found very refreshing. Many times, authors conflate these two, leading to continued confusion. Words have meaning, and while meanings can change, it's important to recognize that a Grimoire is not a Book of Shadows.

This brief introduction is followed by spells, rituals, and recipes you can do to honor the seasons and the sabbats, making it a true Grimoire. I greatly appreciated that Brooks took a step back and did not give us a history lesson on each sabbat. This information is readily available, and we don't need yet another book touting the same, sometimes incorrect, history. I greatly enjoyed reading through the ideas Brooks offered, especially when she included spells and rituals for holidays outside the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. Such holidays included Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving, Friday the 13th, Fourth of July, birthdays, and so much more. There were so many wonderful options that can be easily modified to suit your needs.

The section on Samhain was certainly the longest, with Yule and Ostara being significantly shorter. I was disappointed that Brooks didn't offer more craft ideas for Yule. It was filled mostly with old traditional European Christmas recipes, which is wonderful, but I often prefer crafts over recipes. Despite my disappointment with some of the chapters, Brooks's spells are short and sweet, getting straight to the point. They are easily accessible, clever, and easily adaptable. Such spells included a snowball spell to banish, an anger release using a balloon, and manifesting in the shower. 

Among these chapters, Brooks also included asides written by other experts, such as Tim Shaw and Sam Miller, who wrote about scrying and creating a traveling bag, respectively. I genuinely enjoyed the outside perspectives and the admission that when you aren't an expert, it's best to defer to others. I think this is a lesson some of us need.

While I overall enjoyed what Brooks had to offer, there were some elements I found problematic. First, there were spells for St. Patrick's Day, which I found surprising, as the "snakes" that were expelled were pagans and druids. Why would I wish to cast a spell during a holiday that is against my existence? There is also a recipe for buttered beer, which makes reference to Harry Potter (JK Rowling is a TERF), and, later, a pet protection spell that includes putting a bell on your pet's collar. While I understand this helps alert birds and other small animals that your cat is near, it also alerts predators and increases their chance of being hurt or killed. When in doubt, keep them inside.

Magick for All Seasons ends with a list of witches throughout history, including witches in the media. I am not entirely sure why this section was included, and I felt the space would have been better suited for sabbat correspondences, altar ideas, and other such information.

Overall, I enjoyed Magick for All Seasons: A Grimoire for the Wheel of the Year by Marla Brooks, but I don't see it as a book I will turn to often. If you are new to witchcraft, Wicca, and the Wheel of the Year, this will make an excellent reference guide to celebrating the sabbats. If you are not new, however, this will likely be a one-and-done book for you.

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