Spells for Living Well: A Witch's Guide for Manifesting Change, Well-being and Wonder

Spells for Living Well: A Witch's Guide for Manifesting Change, Well-being, and Wonder
Phyllis Curott
ISBN-13: 978-1401971168
Hay House
$14.99

When composing a book, an author will typically take a bit before wading into the deeper end on the topic being tackled. In Spells for Living Well: A Witch's Guide for Manifesting Change, Well-being, and Wonder, Phyllis Curott took us into the deep end right away, treating readers as adults and without any sense of patronization. This book is attacked in three sections—"Casting Spells,” “The Spells,” and “Correspondences and Helpful Information.” Not all sections in the world of publishing are created equal and this is true of Spells for Living Well. That being said, the first two part are heavy lifters.

The first section, “Casting Spells,” is a power packed 47 pages. This section of the book could in many ways stand alone as a publication. Spells for Living Well immediately addresses the imperatives of the magic worker and Witch. Rather than waxing poetic or sentimental, Curott uses authority and simplicity all at once. Through positive statements, Curott sets outs to explore the nature of magic and spell work. She begins immediately by defining what a Witch, Wicce and Wise One are. As is the trademark of this book, she does so in a simple chapter, one that seems unremarkable until you realize its profundity. She doesn’t linger for long before launching into discussing the whys and wherefores, beginning in the next chapter in the section “Your Power to Cast Spells”—examining a topic not explored by many.

After tackling the abstract aspects of spell work, Curott takes the reader through the very practical functions that are a part of most spell work. In usual fashion for Spells for Living Well: A Witch's Guide for Manifesting Change, Well-being, and Wonder, she has a clear approach to circle casting. Avoiding the overly simple or unnecessary complications, Curott provides the beginner with a basic, nonsectarian format.

It is In the second section, “The Spells,” that she gets into the nitty gritty of spell work. Spells for Living Well is unique in that it organizes the rituals not simply by categories such as “healing” or “prosperity,” but by treating spell work as a year endeavor to create change in the practitioner's life. Curott has grouped some spells into “Seasonal Spells,” as well as "A Month of Moon Spells” and a set of spells for the station of the day, such as a morning spell. Of course no book on spells would be worth a read if it did not tackle the very real issues of life. Phyllis does so, but not with a simple recipe—rather each is approached as a discussion of the issue.

Spells for Living Well: A Witch's Guide for Manifesting Change, Well-being, and Wonder by Phyllis Curott is a conversation that we all wish we could’ve had with an elder but didn’t.