“In her much-needed and brilliant Year of the Witch, Temperance Alden guides readers to observe their own land, celestial cycles, seasonal cycles, and even their own biological cycles to inform their magickal year.”-- Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick, and Manifestation When we think of the wheel of the year, the Wiccan wheel with its celebrations of the Yule, Beltane, Mabon, and Samhain come to mind. But what about a wheel of the year for the rest of us pagans and witches? As a witch living in sunny South Florida, longtime hereditary witch Temperance Alden has often felt at odds gearing up to celebrate Yule, for example, when it is 76 degrees and sunny outside.
Year of the Witch will help readers create their own intuitive practices in harmony with the climate, culture, and local spirits where they live. It’s of interest to witches coming off the Wiccan path and looking for a more personal approach to celebrating the rhythms of nature. Year of the Witch covers all aspects of this new, seasonal practice:
- The origins of the neo-pagan wheel of the year and why it is still so relevant today
- Culture, historical facts, and traditions associated with the major ceremonies
- Basic principles of land-based magick
- How to intuitively connect to the nature below your feet and the local gods
- Being a custodian to the land and its impact on our spiritual practice
Temperance Alden is a hereditary folk witch with over eighteen years of practice devoted to witchcraft and paganism. She is the founder of Wild Woman Witchcraft.
“The key to the heart of witchery lies in authentic connection. But many witches feel disconnected from the traditional wheel of the year due to either its religious tones or because the seasonal celebrations are based upon the European climates of the wheel’s origins. Temperance Alden remedies this in her much-needed and brilliant Year of the Witch, where she guides the readers to observe their own land, celestial cycles, seasonal cycles, and even their own biological cycles to inform their magickal year. Drawing on folklore, mythology, and religious customs surrounding the wheel of the year, Alden provides a well-researched overview of the themes of the Sabbats, while urging the reader to intuitively tap into themselves to learn how to authentically connect with the high holy holidays of the witch to extract power and wisdom from them, regardless of their path or religious leanings.” —Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch
“Not only is Year of the Witch an engaging, thoughtful, and truly fun read, but it is also packed with wisdom and insight that comes only from the living the path. Temperance’s words are so generous and supportive, and her perspective offers so much depth for new and practiced witches alike. Whether you’re a city witch or swamp witch, whether you’ve been celebrating the wheel of the year for a decade or are new to it, this book has something to offer through the many practices, advice, prompts, and invitations that help readers reconnect with the cycles of the earth and those within themselves. This book is so encouraging of the fact that there’s no one way to be a witch, without watering down the potency or power of the craft; a true act of magick.” —Gabriela Herstik, author of Inner Witch
“Year of The Witch surpasses all other wheel-of-the-year books on my shelves as a perfect mix of traditional practices and modern application. . . . An absolute ‘must-have’ if you’re looking to incorporate the wheel into your life without the pressure of ideas about what you ‘should do’ and only build instead upon what is authentic to you.” —Olivia Graves, “The Witch of Wonderlust”
“Temperance Alden is at the fore of a new generation of witches, and they are smart, fearless, and ready to overthrow paradigms that many of us have taken for granted. Year of the Witch invites readers to challenge the assumption that the wheel of the year needs to uphold Arcadian agricultural ideals that just don’t apply to how we actually live and practice our Crafts. Temperance is here to remind us that we don’t know as much as we think we do, and thank goodness for that.” —Thorn Mooney, author of Traditional Wicca
“Temperance Alden has written a book about the wheel of the year that can finally serve all witches and magickal practitioners living anywhere in the world in any climate. The authenticity in Alden’s prose enables her to effectively teach how to develop intuition and work with elements leading to a more profound understanding of the power of life’s cycles. Delightful recipes and engaging rituals and spells help readers to create a wheel of the year unique to their own experiences. Year of the Witch is a direct conduit to Mother Earth and all Her power, and Alden has unveiled secrets even experienced witches will want to know.” —Lawren Leo, author of Horse Magick
