| Title | : | Becoming Dangerous: Witchy Femmes, Queer Conjurers and Magical Rebels on Summoning the Power to Resist |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780995716438 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 294 |
| Publication | : | First published March 20, 2018 |
From ritualistic skincare routines to gardening; from becoming your own higher power to searching for a legendary Scottish warrior woman; from the fashion magick of brujas to cripple-witch city-magic; from shoreline rituals to psychotherapy—this book is for people who know that now is the time, now is the hour, ours is the magic, ours is the power.
Becoming Dangerous: Witchy Femmes, Queer Conjurers and Magical Rebels on Summoning the Power to Resist Reviews
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this collection comes at a moment of peak trendiness for witchiness & femmeness, at least in my own lived experience so far. i was really excited about it, and also, the further i got through the collection, the more my excitement splatted onto the ground.
don't get me wrong; i appreciated every piece in this collection & there are a lot of great stories & a lot of great writing. it feels important at this moment to have a more substantial documentation of individual femme practices of magic than the sort of ephemeral social media waves that rise and fall.
overall, however, this collection fell flat for me in its overemphasis on individual empowerment as collective liberation, and on makeup & clothing as the epitomizing identifiers of femme. i am not here for a revolution defined as a bunch of individual femmes wearing their preferred shade of lipstick. i am here for a revolution where the links between individual adornment, pleasure, giving, and receiving are woven powerfully. i am here for a revolution where skills of listening, adaptation, accommodation, collaboration, and emotional intelligence are centred. this is the story i was hoping for from this book, and i was really disappointed. i think this collection really wanted to do this work, and many of the pieces in this collection did some of this work, but my sense after reading the whole thing was repeatedly being like "lipstick. againnnn. y." just once i would like to read a femme-centred anthology where femme care, relational, and community-building skills are the focus, and makeup only mentioned as an underscore with explicit links to these practices.
it's a tough balance because adornment is a huge part of femme practice for many, many femmes, and critique coming from the direction mine does can easily slide into reproducing the misogyny that leads many femmes to reclaiming adornment in the first place. but there are so many of us for whom makeup is not really part of our femme practice, whether by choice or because it actually cannot be, and i'm so, so tired of Femme Discourse starting and ending with what's on our skin. -
I really, REALLY wanted to love this book. If I could I would’ve given it 2.5 stars.
I understand what they were trying to do with this book, but I don’t think they achieved it.
Some essays were gems! I felt lost throughout the others. HOWEVER, I appreciated each essay for what it was: a personal essay. I greatly enjoyed the human-ness about it. I drew power from that.
I’d still recommend this book because it’s important to read stories of those who don’t go viral who don’t fit the very careful “I’m different and edgy” box. And stories of people who don’t look like us.
I somehow was expecting some super hardcore witchcraft but it’s all good in the hood.
The cover is amazing tho! My eyes constantly orgasm each time I picked it up. #sowitchy haha
Fav quotes:
“I don’t want a world in which all women feel beautiful. I want a world in which physical beauty is irrelevant to women’s self esteem and self worth.” - Laura Mandanas
“The realization that my art and magic do not require angst or trauma to be powerful was one of the greatest gifts I could give myself” - Katelan Foisy -
I think the rating for this, if I'm going to be picky, would be closer to a 3.5 stars. The essays I liked, I really, REALLY fucking liked. But some of them were just not jiving with me. I think the point I may have missed before purchasing is that the book IS described as "deeply personal" essays. They really are. To the point where some of them really were just love letters to oneself. And that is fine! But I was hoping for more community liberation, less "self empowerment" mantra stuff. One essay was basically just K beauty recommendations (I think written by a white woman) that includes "Cosrx Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence". Uhm, I may be wrong, but is that a skin whitener? I hope not. :(
The personal is political and all, but...something something neoliberalism. There needs to be more to empowerment and liberation than just applying lipstick and feeling fierce and beautiful. I don't really know how to articulate this without sitting down for a few hours.
Critiques of capitalism, neoliberalism and white supremacy were NOT absent from this book, but it felt like these huge, looming elephants were not considered as much as they ought to be.
A few examples: I get the whole "make your eyeliner so sharp men are scared you'll cut them!!'", but these kinds of "dangerous" aspirations are mostly by and for white women, and completely fails to address how this "dangerousness" is automatically applied to black and brown bodies without our consent. And how this "dangerousness" results in violence against us - propped up by white fragility. J.A. Micheline's "Ritualising My Humanity" was really the only one that called this out.
Or how beauty culture/the makeup industry/capitalism will ALWAYS favor white, cis, able-bodied, and skinny as the ideal for "othered" bodies to aspire to.
Ok, it's great you think every femme is beautiful, but maybe our liberation shouldn't be so tied to assuring EVERYONE KNOWS THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL. My friends, it is G R E A T if you find personal empowerment in applying lipstick (I myself am not immune to a good fantasy themed eyeshadow palette), but please, maybe just don't stop there.
ALL THIS SAID, these essays were my fav and totally worth buying the book for imho:
Maranda Elzabeth - "Trash-Magic: Signs and Rituals for the Unwanted"
Laura Mandanas - "Uncensoring My Ugliness"
Marguerite Bennett - "Garden"
Meredith Yayanos - "The Harpy"
Kim Boekbinder - "Ritual in Darkness"
Sara David - "Gayuma"
J.A. Micheline - "Ritualising My Humanity" -
Are you into witchy things, even a little, even if your definition differs from others? Are you into intersectional feminism? What about resisting?
Read. This. Book.
There's a truly impressive variety of voices amplified in this book, aka it's not just white women appropriating shit that doesn't belong to them. It's women of color (black and non-black), it's trans women, it's...wonderful. So many spiritual, religious, and non-spiritual belief structures are covered (yes, including at least one atheist). There are many different ways of approaching our current world, personal trauma...just real fucking life. Lows and highs.
It's a book I'm going to treasure forever. I thank each and every person who had anything to do with the creation and support of this book. -
DNF, did not even start. It is a laughable joke that this book is about "resisting" and does not feature a single black person as a contributor. The one black editor, Jasmine Elliott, does not even get a piece to herself as she has to share it with the white Katie West. Then they have the nerve to conjure up Soujourner Truth's name and call her a witch. Big ol' ripe F-U-C-K you to this, thanks!
EDIT: Okay, so there's actually ONE black contributor, J.A. Micheline. This somehow doesn't make me feel better. Hmmm, wonder why that might be. I've also been informed that Truth being called a witch was originally done so by Nell Irven Painter. A white woman lifting something like this out of its context and then not OVERTLY crediting the original person is still extremely colonizer brain to me. -
Such a wonderful collection of essays. I enjoyed most of them, which is rare for a collection like this. I would recommend this to anyone with even a hint of witchiness or feminism in them.
A summary of each essay is below. ❤️
Unfuckable - A tale about Scotland and about stories that are so strong they manifest in the real world.
Trash-Magic - This one was soooo good. The writing spins you into her world and if you’ve never lived a scavenger life, it’s pretty eye-opening. It’s beautiful how she finds and adopts things of value everywhere that other people have discarded. She draws comparisons to how society devalues the disabled and marginalized.
Uncensoring My Ugliness - In the aftermath of a violent attack, a woman recovers and rebels against standards of beauty.
Femme as in “Fuck You” - An examination of what it means to be femme, including and aside from aesthetics, and how it can be a form of resistance.
Before I Was a Woman, I Was a Witch - About the identities a trans woman adopted and learned from before she called herself trans, how each was necessary and remained with her.
Undressing My Heart - The author champions owning your sexuality and taking power from that.
Garden - This one killed me. It’s probably going to be my favorite, followed closely by Trash Magic. It was both beautiful and brutal as the author talked about accepting loss and willfully resurrecting yourself from it.
Reddit, Retin-A, and Resistance - This was the first story I actively disliked. It was 18 pages about skin care. I skimmed hard in the last half.
The Future is Coming for You - Another powerful essay from an athlete that advocates women building physical strength as a way to tip the scales in a male-dominated world, with interesting perspectives on controlled violence and building communities.
My Witch’s Sabbath of Short Skirts, Long Kisses, and BDSM - About loving and elevating yourself, including the “ugly” parts, so that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of you.
Buzzcut Season - How something as simple as a haircut can change the way you feel about yourself. About the power of owning who you are and how you present that. This one didn’t especially impact me but I appreciate what she’s saying.
The Harpy - This one was incredibly powerful. She talks about abusive relationships, the value of just being heard that therapy provides, and the furious part of herself she calls the Harpy.
Fingertips - An examination of feminine beauty practices and how they are often a performance for ourselves rather than for anyone else. Also talks about the online communities that women create for themselves.
Red Glitter - About how magic is ritual, hard work, and continuous effort, and it’s power comes from your intentions.
Touching Pennies, Painting Nails - A daughter comes to understand her mother’s rituals and quiet rebellions as she grows older. Such a beautiful example of the traditions passed down within family.
Ritual in Darkness - How to combat racism and authoritarianism by putting good energy back into the world, caring for those around you, and practicing protective magic.
Guyama - A story of ancestors that both haunt and help the author and how she honors them.
Pushing Beauty Up Through the Cracks - Creating art out of difficult stories and rooting it in the history and mythology of the land. The author also looks at how history repeats itself.
Ritualizing my Humanity - The author talks about black people being demonized and how she takes back her power. A worthy topic. She also takes issue with white women practicing magic though because, as she sees it, they’re attempting to be monstrous while she is deemed monstrous simply by being herself. She also suggests magic is a performance FOR men, to prove...something. Both arguments seem presumptuous and not what practicing magic is about at all.
Simulating Control - About managing PTSD in unique ways, including through gameplay.
I Am Myself, a Body of Water - This was a poetic, beautiful note to end on as the author explores how the ocean can ease her hurts. -
This book is powerful, funny, and at times very sad. Though it’s not a practical guide on witchcraft, or even on danger, it shows you how those who are often the most marginalized in our society use ritual to harness their own personal power. It’s about 21 people from all over embracing who they are, and stepping into their identities in magical ways. Every essay in the book might not appeal to you, but I can guarantee that some of the stories will be relatable and inspirational.
Right away, the book features a foreward by Kristen J. Sollee – the Author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists which is my absolute fave – that lays out Becoming Dangerous’s modus operandi – RESISTANCE. Honestly the foreward to this book got me so pumped and so ready to dive into the stories. Then I saw what came next and I was so impressed – a full list of content warnings for every story in the book and explanation about content warnings. This is unusual in the best way and I really appreciated getting some heads-up, mostly because I didn’t end up skipping a single story.
I didn’t find a single essay I outright disliked, and even liked some where the actual subject matter isn’t my thing but their writing or their feelings about it were so captivating. Red Glitter by Sophie Saint Thomas ( CW Discussions of sex, non-blood bodily fluids) gets special mention for beginning with the line “I chose the Frankencock.” which is still making me giggle. Even though the book isn’t a practical how-to, I found it creeping into my practice in how I decorated an altar, or a subject I decided to study more in depth, or ingredients I used. It was dark, beautiful and funny – not to mention inspirational!
After all, in these challenging times, don’t we all need to become a little more dangerous?
**This review originally appeared on The Fat Feminist Witch** -
At its core, a book suggesting that life will always contain an element of ritual, so why not take ownership and make that work for you? Even more than most anthologies, the brief has necessarily stirred very different responses in different contributors, and for any reader there will be some that resonate more than others, maybe even some one bounces off entirely. The diversity of pieces is all the wider thanks to the diversity of contributors, which sometimes extends to an understandable prodding at the very concept of 'becoming dangerous'. After all, the notion of fighting patriarchy by presenting oneself as a form of monster has a much less complicated appeal for women who aren't already being coded as somehow monstrous on account of being disabled, black or transgender. And I love that, the awareness that being into magic isn't the same thing as falling unquestioningly for any old bollocks, should indeed be a process of questioning, part of forging one's own way of living in and with the world. But it's just as much a book about childhood attempts at witchcraft inspired by devoted watching of The Little Mermaid, or the occult uses of nail art. A magical book in all senses, not least in the awareness that anyone who sees a firm distinction between spelling it with and without the K has probably missed the point of the enterprise.
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This the most empowering book I have read in a long time. It's not just another collection of essays bemoaning the injustice of our patriarchal world. It's also not your usual new age book about pagans, wiccan, and white girls who just really really like crystals. This is a collection of essays about womxn asserting power. Reading this reminded me of my powers and rituals I never bothered to assign any weight to. Becoming Dangerous reminded me that dedication, intention, and radical selfcare are forces of resistance in the face of all that is bad and oppressive. Taking ugly selfies, masturbating in the bath, letting ocean waves heal you, having a fucking killer wardrobe, overcoming mommy issues to reclaim family traditions, and just being really ritualistic with doing your own nails. To name just a few bullet points of modern witchcraft and female power! I'm going forward with the will to call my rituals by their proper name.
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Okay, so, first of all: I didn't read every single essay in this book. Which is a good thing. The amazing editors thought to make a content warning page, which is a truly fantastic idea. These essays are very candid in their discussions of topics like trauma, institutional oppression, and death, and therefore might be upsetting. If you're interested in the different ways people cope with life (or trying to find inspiration for your own rituals), then I can't recommend this book enough. The content warnings make this book accessible and I hope this becomes routine for all collections going forward.
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There were So Many good essays in this anthology. And it's a long anthology, with more than 20 contributors, all of them describing their personal acts of power and ritual.
Many of them glorify making themselves into monsters to take on the patriarchy and help to pull it down. Others don't engage with it at all, choosing not to give it more energy or power. Still more embraced their own sexuality to throw back against the patriarchy who would try to take that power from them.
In the first essay of the set, very little was even written about the patriarchy that ended up being a theme throughout many of the later essays, but that first one stayed with me all the same. It was a completely mundane and everyday description of an incredibly effective banishing ritual, banishing and letting go of anything that person does not wish to accept into their life.
The one that followed was an essay about a self professed cripple who utilises trash magic in their everyday work. I immediately went out and followed this person on Patreon, they were so insightful in their views and evocative in their words.
Later on, there was a chapter that introduced the six steps of Femme Wisdom, which inspired me so much that I made a journal spread of these steps to help inspire and empower my own works in future. It was enlightening to see how many of these I already reach for without thinking.
One of my favourites was an ode to the life and death cycle as seen through one's garden and the individual who tends to it every day. As a newer gardener myself, I loved the descriptions in this essay.
Another chapter had a whole lot to do with the intersection between candle magic, polyamory and a lot of very happy orgasms. Look, I liked that one because it was also relevant to my interests.
The two that will likely stick with me for a good long while were of an Indian American woman and an African American one. For the Indian American, she pondered how she had pushed away her own mother's magic and heritage, seeing her own personal empowerment as more valuable... until she realised her own wrong views. Later, the essay by an African American woman almost brought me to tears at the way she viewed white women turning themselves into monsters, vs. the way a black person has being a monster put upon them externally, an image they can't themselves shake without somehow engaging with it.
All of these essays had value. With so many essays and varied viewpoints in here, there will almost certainly be something here for everyone. -
False Flag Feminism at its Finest.
I absolutely love this cover, I like stuff about witches and feminism so I thought this would be a slam dunk, it wasn’t. It’s a collection of 21 “essays” (varied ramblings about self worth and witchcraft) from different people advocating for "change". Katie West (writer/editor/instigator) apparently lives in Edinburgh and used a Kickstarter to get it published, odd that she doesn’t live in America despite the book saying the jumping part for its publication was because of Trump. I also think that’s a pretty big red flag that if no one wanted your book so you had a crowd fund money from a bunch of schmucks.
From the get go, feminism and witchcraft are hot topics of interested right now (its currently 2021 but this was published in 2019). I don't think these topics should coincide unless your discussing freedom of expression, separation form a religious state (paganism), or being your own person free from the confines of society. This book isn't that. This book says a witchy ritual is to board a train, that feminism is getting your eye brows waxed, and is written with only their close friend group in mind. There is no historical context, socio-political discussion, NOTHING.
“What makes these arbitrary actions into rituals is the intention behind them.” You outright calling the books mean methods of "helping women" as "arbitrary" is concerning. This book is about “using rituals to resist.” So you mean instead of going out and voting, peacefully protesting, spreading good-natured intentions through the work force and political system, you have a chapter about “how a garden is like an altar”. Ughhhh. This isn't a self help book either its just ramblings by people who were told they are important.
Witchy Femmes - way to isolate your audience
Queer Conjurers - No science allowed, stay back
Magical Rebels - There's nothing rebellious about complaing
“In 2017, an anonymous group of anti-fascist which is join together to hex the white supremacist capitalist hetero-patriarchy. Under the Yerbamala Collective moniker, this amorphous cadre of activists released free, downloadable zines and spell books decrying racism-” I don’t know about you but back in my day someone who just published angry magazine rants wasn’t really an activist. It wouldn’t have killed this book to touch a little bit on some history like bra burnings, Riot Grrls, chaining yourself to a tree, the Suffrage Movement, accomplishments of women in politics, but apparently in the contributor section there is no such contributor with a history of any of those things!
Unfortunately the list of contributors aren’t anything impressive, they aren’t anyone I would trust with this subject matter. These words are used as credentials: video game designer, writer, recovering alcoholic, lesbian, comedian, comic book writer, nominated artist, bisexual, anti-violence advocate, feminist agitator, book seller, neon spell witch, editor, critic, and narrative designer.
You may have gathered that none of these people have a PhD in the subject matter, and if they were familiar with the movement of feminism, the book should have told us about their education and background. I take that back, actually some of them did disclose that they didn’t graduate high school. There’s no professors, athletes, event organizers, politicians, nothing. Just a collection of women’s opinions who want to be heard. I wonder if they even bothered to ask any professionals, or did those shy away once they heard about how these women wanted to make a book with witchcraft as an underlying metaphor for activism.
I understand that the book’s intention was to set out to help others, I mean there was clearly a lot of effort and time that went into making this. Could that effort, time, and money be better be spent elsewhere? Yes. This book is so mad about the political system but they don’t offer any ways on how women can be heard more. If they are so concerned why aren’t they pushing for women to get into the political sphere or to encourage a higher voting turnout for the next election. This is just a hollow feminism call to action.
Becoming Dangerous sounds like how to become a laughing stock. Imagine going to a family dinner saying you’re in a published book about how you can use witchcraft to fight the system man!, as a way to make up for the fact that you never graduated high school and that you probably haven’t spent a moment of your life at a battered women’s shelter or a soup kitchen, but hey after the dinner you’re going to go back to your dead end job as a bookseller. I mean I’m not in a published book about false feminism so who am I to give such harsh critique.
—
Some cringe:
“Maybe my ability to create fear is something I should treasure… I can always for sake my human form and reveal a black-as-fuck monster.” Why did you use that description specifically? There’s a way to stand up for yourself that doesn’t involve this weird vernacular or to be "feared". Read a self help book on how to say "No" maybe?
“My rituals very much reflect my decision to become the ultimate danger: a white man, or rather what the white man purports himself to be.” Okay. Just. Okay. You and the woman above might get along.
“I started sparring by accident, in the end of January 2017-" What does this have to do with the subject matter? I can't care about your day to day life.
“This is a temple sojourn. This is a sacred space in which to bear witness to myself. My therapist is a graceful woman of intermediate age with a quiet radiance about her.” Yeah this seems like the type of book were these people would have therapists.
“I traveled to the Philippines-" she then describes how she met family, locals, connected with her history, and got a deeper understanding of herself. This goes to the wayside when she talks about how she then goes home and washes her gold in a bowl for witchcraft. And how she always chooses to wear an "excess of gold". Cool. Very feminist, I’m sure the country you visited didn’t need any donations or anything. I’m sure you won’t get robbed or anything. Must be hard being you.
“A ritual to be performed every two weeks: take the train up to Broadway, walk up the street 10 minutes to Helen Nails.” Okay I’ll do that sure. This will help the feminist cause right? The nail salon didn’t get a crisp check for appearing in his book did they? Pathetic. -
This book wasn't what I was expecting but I nevertheless found myself unable to put it down! Rather than underlining and adding sticky tabs to certain sections (as is my usual practice) I found that every essay left me with many things to think about. This book is valuable in sharing individual experiences which may be familiar, or utterly different from your own.
'Ritualising my Humanity' by J. A. Micheline was especially poignant for me. As a white woman entranced by the power transferred through the ritualised embodiment of the Gorgon Medusa (and other women-monsters) - reading Micheline's perspective on this as a black woman was extremely thought-provoking and I something I will not forget.
As with any anthology, readers are unlikely to enjoy every single contribution. But my sense is that the impact of even just one or two essays will make this book a valuable read; and even if you dont personally identify with any stories, considering differing perspectives and experiences ought to be an essential component of your feminism and/or witchcraft.
There are many books out there teaching how to perform certain rituals and spells. This is a book that reminds us that magic transcends this. It is in our lived experiences. It helps us to function, to heal, to live, and to retaliate, whether equipped with ceremonial tools, creating art, or adorning our bodies. -
Tenía muchas ganas de leer esta antología y el tema del "empoderamiento a través de rituales" me parecía muy interesante. (Entendiendo por ritual cualquier actividad que se haga en un orden, con un propósito o en un momento concreto, de forma repetida.)
Aunque los relatos están bien escritos y hay algunos bastante interesantes; la antología, en global, me ha dejado un regusto un poco agridulce.
Entre otras cosas, reconozco que me ha costado conectar con toda la parafernalia brujil de velas, cristales y tarot.
Por otra parte, me ha parecido muy llamativo cómo una gran cantidad de rituales se centran en el aspecto: maquillaje, manicura, peluquería, moda. Entiendo que el control sobre tu imagen puede hacerte sentir en control sobre otras situaciones, pero aún así, no he podido evitar quedarme con una sensación como de trivialidad.
Quizá esperaba algo más comunitario y menos individualista, no sé. -
I have mixed feelings about this book. First, my husband was part of the Kickstarter and he's a big fan of West's work, and he gifted me with his copy received from his donation, which is pretty cool. I like the idea of the book, the approach and the energy it seems to want to convey. But I keep hitting up against what I fear may be a generational thing - a way of looking at the world that seems to me to take certain things as given that I'm not sure are givens.
Now. To be totally honest, that doesn't apply to all of the essays. Several of them moved me deeply, engaged me deeply, made me with I could share a cup of tea with the writer. A few were hard for me to parse, hard to connect with, in spite of my strong desire to do so.
Overall, I encourage reading this book. If I ever teach Writing I again I may pull one or two of these pieces to use. -
A good mixture of essays about individuals using their own brands of magic to resist and grow in the modern world.
What I liked
Serious and graphic content that, although uncomfortable, is important for perspective.
A list of trigger warnings for each of the individual essays so readers can be prepared.
A diverse list of thought inspiring authors and essays.
Very well edited and put together.
What I disliked
A minority of the essays' writing wasn't up to my standards but were still very good.
Takeaway
I'd encourage reading Becoming Dangerous as it is a much needed compilation of the marginalized's voices in our society. It's by no means an 'easy' read due to the nature of the content, but that's exactly why I encourage its reading. -
A luminous and unique collection of essays that frequently forced me to pause and reflect. I suppose the subject matter could be considered rather niche (Queer folks, magic users, minorities resisting the world by finding and harnessing their personal power...) but it’s lovely to have their voices all together in one place, rather than them being the sole voice of the token “other”. I always enjoy reading how others interpret their personal histories and tell their stories, but the frequent use of magic and ritual in this was a lovely bonus. Very personal, often gritty and not at all the typical material that’s written about practicing magic, which I very much appreciated.
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I liked about half the stories; most of the rest were good but not what I was looking for. A couple I skipped almost entirely, because they had nothing really to say about either meaningful resistance or magic, the two things the book should be about. I did mark my favorite stories (Trash Magic, Garden, and I Am Myself a Body of Water) so I could find them later, because I do very much intend to read them again.
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This book is merciless—and that’s exactly how I wanted it. From essays critiquing the privilege in desiring to be dangerous, to boxing and straight up witchcraft, this book legitimately fulfilled every one of my needs. I think I ended this book better, faster, and stronger. But also I ended it wanting another one and also to be friends with every one of the authors. Read it, ya heathens.
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I wanted just a little bit more from this collection. While I applaud their intentional curation of authors spanning the entirety of witch culture...many of these essays felt repetitive.
Still - a beautifully curated assortment of witchy experiences, practices and rituals.
If you liked this you’ll love We Were Witches by Ariel Gore. -
Deeply personal and invigorating, Becoming Dangerous offers connections and shared experiences for femmes everywhere and presents insight to how modern witchcraft sinks into our daily lives. These essays are heartfelt, vivid, and moving, and the collection of writers makes a noteworthy attempt at intersectionality.
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Very good, and occasionally VERY brutal. It took me weeks to complete it because I could really only read one story at a time. But it was beautiful and lovely and so so meaningful.
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4.5⭐️
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Each and every essay (or what I could force myself to read of each) was beautifully written, but too many were overly dramatic. I, too, am upset by the political nightmare in the US, but I can't let it affect my every moment.
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Such a great collection. It reminds me why I love essays. Powerful, connecting, and says with you after it’s done.
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Mad I waited so long to buy and read this book but it definitely seemed to also come to me at the right time. ♥️ Highly recommend.
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I expected something...actionable out of this book.
Maybe that was my mistake.
But in a book titled "Becoming Dangerous," with "Magical Rebels" in the tagline, with a description that specifically states that the prompt was "rituals," you'd think you'd get...I don't know...something to do, or at least to try to do, about the state of the world or the state of you yourself within the world.
And, it turns out...not so much.
What you get is a book of personal essays that really could have been published under the title "Personal Paths to Feminine Empowerment," without a single word of the content changed. And even then...Well, as some have pointed out, unless you ascribe to a specific brand of feminism and femininity (i.e., the one where your chosen method of rebellion is wearing lipstick/sexy clothing to f*ck the patriarchy), you're probably only going to connect to maybe 3 essays.
I actively found myself questioning whether I was more non-binary than I had previously thought while reading this, because SO MANY of the essays were just not at all my brand of femininity. I couldn't connect to the majority of them in almost any way, though each one did feel beautifully true to the person who wrote it. It just felt that the editors maybe....have a type. And while they tried to branch out from that type now and again, to let others play devil's advocate (if you will), they still managed to overwhelm this anthology with that type, and if you aren't that type, you end up feeling alienated by a book that supposedly is meant to bring all femme, queer, witchy-type people together so much that several people and sites have even recommended it as baseline reading for getting onto any sort of path in that genre. It was...a bit of a tough time, the few weeks it took me to get through this.
So I highly suggest not getting sucked into the marketing or hype on this one. It is very much not an intro into wicca or paganism, and very much not a primer on all types of feminine rebellion. It is a collection of very personal essays on very personal, individual empowerment in a very specific way.
And that's not bad! I would recommend this to, say, a sociology major studying forms of feminist expression and rebellion, as ONE of their sources. I would recommend it to anyone who considers themself femme, and who wants to see how SOME other people are doing it. I am sure there are many people who can connect to most of the essays in this, and therefore would get quite a sense of community out of it.
But for me, this was...disappointing, to say the least. And I certainly wouldn't say it's something everyone should read, especially not without the proper context. -
Ok, so this is the first time I have reviewed a book I did not finish, but since it's a collection and considering what my problem was with this book, I think I'm being fair.
What the actual fuck was up with the skin care chapter? Up to that point all of what I read was pretty body positive and anti-abelist, so I was so upset by this.
This book for an entire chapter tells you how you NEED to do a certain skin routine and buy specific products and brands, and spend literally hours on your face routine. Not only that but it consistently shames anyone who isn't able to do it.
I try not to take generalisations too personally but at the fourth time this chapter told me how putting on sunscreen is absolutely needed and if I don't I don't care about my skin, I wondered if I should send pictures of the terrible rashes sunscreen gives me, because they clearly didn't think once that their demands won't work for everyone.
If you think I'm exaggerating how bad it got, after 4 times saying that I NEED to put sunscreen on every day it also said, "there is no excuse" not to.
But hey, that's just the one that affected me personally, I'm sure out of all the people who pick up this book, only I will have something in its extremely long list of products that isn't possible. I'm sure no one else will feel bad when you describe the horrible nature of some skin types.
But hey, if saying your skin is a problem that needs fixing isn't enough "body positivity" for you, gear up for how much your going to be grateful in the future when this makes your aging process not as horrifyingly ugly. Because the worst possible thing we can do is not spend hours of our lives every day guarding against a natural human cycle.
I wouldn't be as upset by this if it was in a different book, if this wasn't marketed as a body positive, anti ableist, anti capitalism, magic fest.
It's not body positive to discuss different skin types as if they are gross and demand hours of work from people to fit your beauty standards (don't pretend it is about health, if it was you wouldnt have discussed how bad looking your skin was before you started this)
It's not anti-ableist to ignore that different bodies need different things, and that many people will NEVER have the spoons for this kind of rigorous routine.
It's not anti capitalism if you are saying people need to buy things and spend hours that they could be resting on using products that are expensive as hell.
This ruined every piece of good faith this book had earned from me, and has instead earned my first one star review of the year.
