Amelia Wood - The Kickass Coven: How to Create a Witchy Sisterhood to Empower Yourself and Change the World

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Intrigued by the whole magical activism thing? Ready to team up with a few like-minded witches for magic and margaritas? This book is for you. You wont find any toil and trouble here (except for the good kind). You also wont find any judgment for just dipping your toes. Embracing your inner witch to get shit done where people and politics have failed is for everyonefrom old-school Wiccans to the crystal-curiousand it doesnt have to be a fucking chore.

You deserve to have a trusted circle of friends and a safe, supportive space to have fun, nurture your magic, and maybe do some good in this batshit crazy world. Lucky for you, finding a few badass witches like yourself to help you effect real change is easier and more rewarding than youve ever imagined. Whether youre a baby witch or a veteran loner, trust that youll find what you need in The Kickass Coven. You were called to pick it up, werent you?

You do. Most of us are Hermione, not Dumbledore. We need our people. With them come support, resources, knowledge, and growth. As part of a coven, you get to combine your unique experiences and strengths with those of others and perform powerful, world-changing collaborative magic. We may have all wanted that letter from Hogwarts, but the bonus of not getting one is having the opportunity to choose your people instead of being thrown in with the Malfoys of the magical world. You deserve sisters who bring out your best, and thats exactly what this fucked-up world of ours needs.

This book is for anyone whos even remotely interested in finding their people and changing the world through collaborative magic. Yes, it breaks things down for beginning witches. And yes, its peppered with pop culture, from Harry Potter to the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The only requirements are a sense of humor and a high tolerance for curse words. (Actual curses, not so much.)

If youre more advanced or more strict in your practice, you can still get a ton of helpful information out of this book. As with all magic, you have to go into it with an open mind. Dont get stuck on I already know that or Thats not how I do it. Set an intention to find the information that will serve you or move the fuck on.

MAGIC VERSUS MAGICK

Folks first started using magick to differentiate serious spellwork from the rabbit-in-hat variety of illusion magic. Its really a matter of personal preference, and youre going to see it written both ways throughout your adventures in witchcraft. In the spirit of being inclusive whenever possible, were going to go ahead and use magic.

Witchcraft can be so many things, from a strict religion to a laid-back practice, a solo journey of self-discovery to a kickass sisterhood that can change the world. Your magic, your choice! The same thing goes with covens. Traditionally, a coven is a group of at least three witches who work magic together. You may also come across the term study circle, which refers to a less experienced group of witches. But were not going to get hung up on numbers or labels. Traditional is for other people. Your coven and your practice can be whatever the hell you want them to be.

Dont worry about the seemingly females-only vibe of witchcraft, either. Magic is for everyone, inclusive of all gender identities. Witches pull their energy from the natural worlda.k.a. Mother Earth, a.k.a. the Divine Feminineso were all sisters here. But witchcraft embraces the dichotomy of masculine and feminine in all things and favors neither.

Harry Potter and his pals were obviously badass magical activists, but defeating Voldemort would have been a hell of a lot easier with a few Google searches. Were facing big, hairy, intersectional 21st-century problems, like pandemics, supercharged natural disasters, and unprecedented inequity. And we need to use all the tools available to us. Theres never been a more important time to lower our wards and let witchcraft be all the thingsserious, fun, simple, complex, and most of all, inclusive.

Sure, youre still going to find witches who still want to wear dark robes and chant spells that sound like Shakespearean monologues. And, to be honest, who among us has not wanted to dance naked under a full moon? But Magic knows whats up. Its ready to fight. And it doesnt give a damn whether youre using a cauldron or a hot-pink-enameled Dutch oven, whether your spells rhyme, or whether your white candle has smells like margaritas and regret written on the label. It only cares about intention. So lets get intentional.

Whether you know it or not, you tap into your magic all the damn time. Its not out at a bar somewhere, eating peanuts and waiting for your fucking text. It doesnt need engraved invitations or flowers and romance. Its in you. All the time. Infusing every thought, word, and action. So ditch the bullshit idea that its all dark and scary, relax, and focus on tuning into that intrinsic power of yours.

Just being around other women and feeding off each others kickass energy is magical. Whether you delve deeper into the craft than that is your choice. Practice in whatever way feels most powerful to you. And if that involves brunch and badassery, youve come to the right place!

No matter which kind you practice, witchcraft is all about inclusivity, female empowerment, subversion of the status quo, environmentalism, and the impact of positive energy. Fighting the patriarchy is in our damn DNA. Harnessing the power of the natural world to effect real, positive change is What. We. Do. And The Kickass Coven can help you do it. Not only will it help you find your witchy sisters, it will also give you the magical tools and skills you need to make the world a better place together. Are you ready?

WORD OF WARNING

Youll find most rituals in Part 3 of The Kickass Coven , but a handful are scattered throughout, where they might prove especially useful. If youre pretty new to this whole magic thing, take the time to read through the book and come back to these rituals. You might think, Looks easy enough. And it is when you know what the hell youre doing. Reading the book will be painlessdelightful, even. No one can guarantee the same if you fuck with magic without having a respectful understanding of it.