Book Review: Mythology for a Magical Life

Title: Mythology for a Magical Life - Stories, Rituals and Reflections to Inspire Your Craft

Author: Ember Grant

Publisher: Llewellyn Publications

Copyright: 2021

Rating: 5/5

Mythology for a Magical Life is an amazing book I recently purchased by author Ember Grant. Grant is an English professor whose knowledge of literature shines through her writing. She weaves stories from different parts of the world into a cohesive and fascinating book. I appreciated that many of the myths were new to me and were from different cultures than mainstream America tends to focus on.

I don't ascribe to any religion or believe in any deities, but I enjoy learning about different archetypes and how the cultures shaped them. The author explains each tale and introduces themes and how they correlate with the reader's daily life. There is a lot of practical advice, such as cleaning your craft space or journaling prompts. Then there are great spells to charge magical ink or connect with the earth.

For every chapter, there was something unique to that season, which is yet another thing I love about this book. While I read the book in a short time (I just couldn't put it down), Ember Grant advises the reader to read one chapter per month. With 12 chapters, the author arranged Mythology for a Magical Life to be read according to the seasons and the topics to be useful in that moment. I enjoyed this book so much that I plan on starting the book again in January and following along next year every month to get the full experience.

Most books on the craft are written for the beginner witch demographic, with much of the information being basic or easily accessed via a quick Google search. This is one of only two books that I feel I walked away from with more knowledge than I started out with. Mythology for a Magical Life is unique because the journal prompts and activities are written to help a witch get out of a slump or further their magical knowledge. I rarely suggest a book to an intermediate or advanced practitioner, but Mythology for a Magical Life will be a frequently gifted book to my friends. I am so surprised by it that I daresay it may be my Book of 2023.