Every Day Magic (Book Review)

Every Day Magic

- A Pagan Book of Days

365 Magical Ways to Observe the Cycle of the Year

I was really excited to start reading this book, and I wasn't disappointed! There is something really captivating about books of days. I am endlessly fascinated by holy days and sacred time from all cultures. I find that even when it is a celebration I am unfamiliar with or for deities I have never worked with, I learn so much by reading about how different people honor and celebrate the sacred.

One of the things I love best about books of days is that they give a framework for developing your personal practice. By having entries for every day (the best ones do, and this one is one of those), no matter what day it is, you can turn to your book of days and find inspiration for your spiritual life.

Not only does Every Day Magic have daily entries, each month starts with a brief description of the moon that falls in the month and the astrological signs that rule the month. This gives a great overview of the energies that will be experienced throughout the month. I appreciate their addition into this book, as I feel it helps tie together the theme of each month.

One of the advantages of having many different contributors is that you get to see how different cultures celebrate the same (or similar) holidays. New year is a great example, as the start of the year is marked at different points in time depending on where you are from. This book includes not only information about the New Year in January, but also in March (for the Aztec calendar and Elvish) and also in October (with the Celtic New Year).

I personally like the inclusion of Elvish celebrations (based on Tolkien's writings), though this may be unappealing to some. I think that the mythology created by fiction writers can be fully formed and deeply moving. Sometimes, it has the advantage of being more complete (as the author can fill out all the details, where a historical account may have things that have been lost to time).

Some days have more general, seasonal ideas. These ideas may be sparked by something in nature that is happening at this time (like a plant blooming) or it may have cultural roots (like a modern holiday). But not only do these entries tell you what might be going on in the world, they also include a simple activity to bring that energy into your own life.

I really love all the little activities. It may be something super simple, like wearing a particular color, or it may be a little ritual or spell you can do to bring blessings to your life. I find this makes this book really approachable. Unlike some books of days, where they tell you a brief tidbit about something that is tied to the day, but don't give examples of practical things you can do, in your own life, to honor that day.

Sprinkled throughout the book are also quite a few recipes, both for food and for magical blends (like incense or baths). I found it really interesting that many of the recipes were written as vegan recipes, so could be used by a wide range of people. I got a little bit of a chuckle, as a non-vegan, I would probably adjust the recipe using ingredients I typically have on hand...a bit of a role reversal!

There are also days that feature a poem as the day's offering. Sometimes the poems include a thought prompt as part of the poem itself, but even those that don't could easily be used as a jumping point for a journal entry or as part of a ritual. The poems ranged from lovely and elegant to tongue-in-cheek, which I loved.

And of course there is information on a handful of deities, either tied to a feast day in their honor or just an entry devoted to them. This is a great way to get to know deities you might not have worked with before, or spend more time with ones you already know. I love having special days, throughout the year, where different deities are honored, and having those included in the book of days is a lovely addition.

All in all, this is probably one of my favorite book of days that I've read, for it's variety and ease of use. I think the entries are well written, to spark your interest in so many different areas. If you are busy, it won't take long to read the entry for that day, but if you have more time, you could easily use the entry as a starting point and do more research or expand upon the suggested activity and use it as inspiration for your own workings.