The Magickal Family: Pagan Living in Harmony with Nature by Monica Crosson

The Magickal Family: Pagan Living in Harmony with Nature Reviews

• 
  Karen

  One of the best parts of being a blogger and reader is the ability to find and read books that call to me. I am very pleased to be involved with Netgalley as a professional reader. One of the perks of being a member of Netgalley is that I can chose the books that call to me in hopes that I will be approved to read them. The Magickal Family by Monica Crosson, was a book that called to me. I loved the cover but I also love the family approach to learning and living a Pagan life. I did a happy dance when I got the email that I was approved to read it and on Sunday I sat down "familiar" Squirrel the cat and settled in for a wonderful afternoon read. The Magickal Family had me hooked from page one. I laughed, almost cried and tried to soak in every detail and practical suggestion in this book that really is a guide to incorporating simple things into your family's daily life to enhance it. There were special recommendations as and advice on everything from walking in nature, to setting up a fairy garden, recipes and the who, how and why of Pagan living. I was about three pages in when I knew this was a book I was going to have to own and hold in my hands. A book I could count on as a reference, and a guide that would remind of the simple things in life and the important things too. Not to mention some great tea recipes and gardening ideas! This was most definitely a Magickal book! This one is out October 8th and I can not wait to have it in my hands and on my shelf.
• 
  Liselotte

  This was a REALLY interesting book! I do not align with the authors spiritual beliefs (I'm more of a folk practitioner) and I'm European to boot, so a lot of the information wasn't even for me, yet I it gave me lots of fun ideas to do with my (future) kids!
  
  I felt a bit iffy about the use of Native American things, but that's not for me to decide whether it's okay or not, that's for actual Native people to decide.
  
  I do feel like the title is misleading, as it isn't Pagan living, but more their own personal believes which are more Wiccan and not really broadly Pagan. Other than that, I did really enjoy it and I'm glad to have added it to my collection.
• 
  Katie

  First let me say thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn for allowing me to read this book in advance. This book was an excellent blend of personal anecdotes from the author and ideas and ways to share the pagan religion with little ones. The book is broken down into two main parts, Family Magick and Family Sabbat Celebrations. There is a chapter for each sabbat and ideas to get children involved with the celebrations. There are crafts, rituals, recipes, and more throughout this book, each aimed for child or family use with background information as additional explanations.
• 
  NormaCenva

  This looks great - would be lovely to read it!
• 
  Ella Rose Brunton

  Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book to review!
  
  I enjoyed this book a lot. It was great. I don't have any kids of my own, but loved all the ideas it did give me for when that time comes.
  
  The style of the book was half anecdotes and half information. Crosson told stories of her own family life which was just delightful and the information was also interesting. This isn't a book written for the beginner practitioner but for the young family wondering how to share their beliefs with each other.
  
  The only thing I had to skim over was perhaps the gardening section. I found it took away from the book slightly, and while it was great to mention gardening, I thought the detail should be left to another reference style book.
  
  Crosson is a wonderful author who can write poetry. She is full of amazing ideas and I recommend this book completely. I learnt a lot of valuable information.
  
  Even if you don't have kids, this book is still worthwhile. It shows little things of how you can acknowledge wicca or paganism every day.
• 
  Maureen LePage Sanchez

  I’ll start by saying this book has a lot of great info in it for someone dipping their toes in the craft.
  BUT I would not say this is a “pagan” book as it is heavily Wiccan influenced. Not to say Wicca isn’t pagan, just that it’s very specific. Also there’s some cultural appropriation going on that rubbed me the wrong way.
  
  I think what bothers me the most about this book, and a lot of pagan books I read lately, is the disconnect from the urban witch new to the craft to a very privileged upbringing. The author lives in one of the best places for a witch, very green, vibrant and a rich community, and grew up with parents already living a green life as gleaners. The author had an advantage to living the green path and sometimes it’s hard to connect to a place you’ve never been. It’s almost as if she doesn’t understand how these things are infeasible to a lot of people and it comes across as condescending at times. I may be taking it wrong or making unfair assumptions but this is the feel I got from the author.
  
  As someone who grew up with no religion and in the middle of the desert of Las Vegas, I found a lot of the suggestions pretty unattainable for the average American. There were parts on thrifting and conserving but overall a lot of the suggestions are geared towards those who own their own home, live in an active community and/or a part of the world where you can sustain living from the land.
  When I was a child and went to the park there were maybe a handful of trees and they were surrounded by rock landscaping. I lived in apartments with no balcony and more rock landscaping and usually the trees were palm trees.
  
  To me, a lot of the rituals were just basic rituals you learn when you first head down the path, just with more crafts for kids. It didn’t really give me anything I haven’t read before. I guess was hoping for more detailed rituals that included the whole family. Most of the big rituals seem to only include the women in her coven. It’s almost like there’s this whole other side of her spiritual path that she keeps from the males in her family. It just felt off to me. There’s so much more to the umbrella term of “pagan” that this left much to be desired.
  
  It’s basically a cute anecdote into how a self identified pagan lives her life with her magickal family. I would label this more a biography or memoir than a guide to magickal family living.
• 
  Benjamin Bookman

  I really loved sections of this book and wanted to love the whole thing. The memoir-y segments were brilliant, and if the whole book was stories of the author and her family, I would have given 5 stars, as the writing itself is excellent.
  
  But, since the focus of the book is as a guide, I have to admit I struggled. It seemed like a definite pre-existing knowledge of terms and rituals was necessary, yet at times some things were explained in a way that implied much less knowledge was expected. So I was confused. Obviously, as a non-Pagan, there will be elements that I don’t understand, and I am not judging on that part, but when a term is explained on its 5th use rather than the 1st or 2nd, the randomness is just a little weird.
  
  I wanted either more or less, I think. I liked it. I learned a lot. I would read a memoir by this author in a heartbeat. But I just struggled with the in- and out-, deep and shallow, practical and more spiritual jumpiness of the guide aspect.
• 
  Caitlyn

  I admit to only skimming this in parts (giving it as a gift, so I was in a bit of a rush), but despite a sense of wandering it's a good resource. The personal stories gave me a feeling for comfort and optimism, and the focus on family projects gave everything a feeling of practicality. As a fellow Washingtonian I know jus the kind of nature and seasonal cycles she describes, which is always extra charming to me.
  
  This book assumes some knowledge of pagan practices and vocabulary, which might be a little bit challenging for some readers, but a quick search on the internet is easy and it leaves more room for substance in this volume.
• 
  The Canadian Book Worm

  More a memoir than a "how to", it was an interesting read.. but for a family who has been unschooling, home birthing, gentle parenting and generally choosing to march to the beat of our own drum since our first child was about 3 months old? 🤷 We're already used to people being judgemental towards us, and we have boundaries in place.
  
  I was hoping for more information about including kids in my practice, vs a personal story about the author and how they raised their kids/dealt with school bullies/extended family etc.
  
  Would be a great read for someone with very young children, or a family looking into changing their family dynamics to a more holistic and connected approach.
• 
  Phenex Alarius

  Being a bit on the pagan side, I really enjoyed this. It makes wish I had a family of my own to experience this with. So until that happens, I'll definitely keep this around to thumb back through.
  
  I found the crafts to be pretty fun and learned a few things about the pagan holidays I either didn't previously know or have forgotten. This is a great book to help someone with their pagan path, and great advice on how to hold a family together by experiencing this wonderful planet with each other.
• 
  Maeve

  Crosson guides parents (already familiar with Wiccan/Pagan background) on ways to introduce children to nature and their religion. The first part focuses on the core of incorporating religion and nature into the family life; while the second part focuses on the celebrations of the Wheel of the Year. Crosson includes activities, crafts, meditations, and rituals.
  
  Again, best for people already familiar with Wiccan/Pagan background, as some of the concepts were not explained thoroughly. However, Crosson is a very captivating writer, and I enjoyed reading the memoir sections of this book.
• 
  Britta

  The personal anecdotes of the author’s family were pure gold and I loved those so much, I wish there were more.
  The information it includes is useful but brief. If you want more in depth you’ll need to do some more reading/research. Overall really good for introducing and demystifying the pagan family lifestyle.
• 
  Talissia Bates

  This was a really cute book. I enjoyed the authors adventures and experiences quite a bit and would read it again.
• 
  Whitney Pittsenbarger

  I have read this book so many times. And I appreciate more each time!
• 
  Erin Sharp

  4.5-5 really enjoyed!
• 
  Jess

  I absolutely adored this book. I wish Monica was my mum ❤️
• 
  Katherine Frances

  2nd read through after about 6 years, still enjoyed!
• 
  Robin

  Finding good guides and advice on raising a Pagan family is hard. Oh, there's a lot out there, of course, but that's just it--there's now too much and you never know what to believe. What Monica has done here is provide a guide to help families find a path that works for their spiritual goals. Filled with ideas, rituals, and memoir styles pieces from her own family, I found this to be a great book applicable to multiple forms of Paganism and earth-based spiritual practices. Definitely a must have in my spiritual reference library.
• 
  Amy

  This was a really interesting book. The author is open about her faith which one would expect and also about her experiences (successful and not) in a touching and humorous manner. Many of the tips that are provided could be used by those of any faith. Clearly, you wouldn't use them exactly as they are in the book if you don't share the same faith but you can use the premise.
  
  Some anecdotes were hilarious and hey, kids will be kids. It doesn't matter if you're worshiping in nature or a church, we've all had the same experiences with thinking allowing our children who may be a bit too young but are showing sincere interest to be a part of a solemn occasion.
  
  I learned a lot, not only about Crosson's faith and family but about new ways to try to bounce back when you face situations that can be a bit overwhelming. There were also a lot of helpful tips in relation to gardening, diy projects, and recipes. Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to people of all faiths.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley, Llewellyn, and Monica Crosson for allowing me the chance to read this book and share my honest opinions with others.