Book Review: Divergent Witchcraft by Jenny C. Bell

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not going to lie, this is going to be an incredibly short review. When I was first approached about reviewing Divergent Witchcraft: An Inclusive Approach to Making Magic by Jenny C. Bell, I was very excited. A large portion of modern witches are neurodivergent or need some sort of "accommodation" during spells and rituals due to differing ablebodiness. I was hoping this was going to be the book that offered real insight and suggestions on practicing as a divergent witch, but what I got was just a new way to sell repackaged New Age healing and Wicca.

While the book is chunked nicely and occasionally offers a note here or there for neurodivergent people, there is very little actual inclusivity. In fact, there is a ton of cultural appropriation, which is wild because at one point the author calls out the appropriation of smudging. It's almost like Bell was picking and choosing what appropriation is and what isn't. It's 2026, witches. Stop appropriating!

There is a lot of New Age, the light is the best rhetoric in Divergent Witchcraft, which is also very disappointing. This is most prominent when Bell insists on not using the term Book of Shadows (which she says is the same thing as a Grimoire...ahem, no.) and instead calling it a Book of Light. This is not a new idea, but one that many "light workers" have been trying to push for some time now. I couldn't help but shake my head at the absurdity.

The one time I felt Bell did divergent witches right is her discussion of meditation and all the different ways one can meditate. This section is what I thought the book would be. Instead, I got a rehashing of New Age Wicca that, despite Bell claiming other books never cover it, has in fact been covered by just about every single book on the market ad nauseam. Is she just not reading books on witchcraft? Is she sticking to the love and light self-help books she mentions in the introduction? It certainly seems so.

Despite not enjoying Divergent Witchcraft: An Inclusive Approach to Making Magic by Jenny C. Bell one bit, and not recommending it to my readers, one good thing did come out of this. I am not dead set on creating a comprehensive resource for divergent witches with real, workable accommodations and suggestions. I already try to include modifications in my spells and rituals, but I think a true guide is in order. Please know I have added this idea to my ever-growing list of blog ideas, but I circled it and put stars around it, so that should get me to write about it sooner rather than later.

I am sorry I could not bring you a more favorable review today, but alas, they can't all be winners!

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