Red-Haired Ash Reads

“True learning is an uncomfortable process that requires you to break down your preconceived notions, your implicit biases, and move away from your comfort zone.”

I picked this book up because the title caught my attention. I was extremely interested in seeing what this book was about since it discusses dabbling and seeking an intentional path. Well this book may not have been what I was expecting but it was what I needed to read. What everyone on a magical path should read. 

This book may be geared for people starting their spiritual journey but I really think anyone who is on a magical path would benefit from this book. Fire Lyte takes you on a very informative journey through magic by discussing magic and witches in pop culture, harmful stereotypes created from those portrayals, the history of magic, gatekeeping and inclusivity in the magical community, science and spirituality, and good vs bad magic. While Lyte cover’s a lot of topics, I really appreciated how much time he spent on discussing harmful things in magic that as a beginner you might not realize.

A chapter that really spoke to me was the discussion of political witches and how witches have always been influencing political events. While I have known that recent events have spurred a lot of political magic books and protests, I never realized how often witches have appeared throughout history influencing events. I now want to know more about political witchcraft and the history behind it. 

The last part of this book focuses on spell canvases, which are rituals that can be adapted to use in multiple different ways. All of the rituals were simple, easy to follow, and involved relatively cheap items or stuff you should already have in your home. I personally really loved the idea of spell canvases because it teaches you how you can adapt spells to fit your needs. 

Overall, this was an extremely well rounded book that covers many topics that challenges your way of thinking and teaches you how to research, recognize warning signs, and curate knowledge into a sustainable and meaningful magical practice. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking a spiritual path, even if you have been doing it for years. 

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