🔮🔮🔮🔮🔮/5!
Modelled after the Old Farmers’ Almanac, it includes information related to the annual moon calendar (weather forecasts and horoscopes), as well as legends, rituals, herbal secrets, mystic incantations, interviews, and many a curious tale of good and evil. Although it is an annual publication, its subject matter is timeless—only about 15 percent of the content is specific to the date range of each issue.
The theme of Issue 37 (Spring 2018–Spring 2019) is the magic of plants. Also included are the following articles: “Sigil Witchery,” “The Witch of Hadley,” “SeerStones,” “Astrological Plant Remedies,” “Pomba Gira,” “Coffin Ring,” and “Coefficient of Weirdness, Part 2.” – Weiser Books
This is my first time eve checking out Weiser’s Witches’ Almanac, and am I ever impressed! They’re not joking when they say the information in it is timeless. I received this book late last year and have already used a few of the articles for reference. It’s easy to carry around with you, has a great moon calendar, and features everything from sheet music, to artwork, to poems, to Doreen Valiente’s birth chart. Of course, this one is THE MAGIC OF PLANTS so it also talks about individual herbs like Mullein and St John’s Wort, tools used in herbal magic, and spotlights a few famous herbalists and magicians whose practice and legend involve healing.
Possibly my favourite thing about this almanac is that, unlike regular calendars, it’s not split up by the Gregorian months, but by astrological phase. To find today’s date I turn to the Pieces season (February 19 – March 20) calendar and find information about pieces as a sign, the moon phases for this season, and the sign the moon is in, as well as great bits of magickal advice! March 3rd’s was “Renounce bigotry” and today’s is “Call an old friend”. There’s also a blurb about Rhodonite, which is a great crystal for this time of year. So great! Each season has something different, too. Different artwork, or poetry, or plant quotes, or recipes. It’s so well thought out and very very witchy.
The rest of the book is filled with personal horoscopes, book reviews, and fantastic articles on a wide range of subjects – not just plants! One of these little guides was on gardening by the moon, which I copied right into my garden journal. I’m getting real garden space this year and am planning a witchy garden, and this book has been incredibly helpful in devising a planting schedule and even picking some of the things I want to grow.
One thing I noticed was how well spread out all of the subject matter was – this is so not just for Wiccan witches. There is info about voodoo and hoodoo, kitchen witches, witches who don’t even have a green thumb, witches who work in both rural and urban environments. chinese new year and astrology, Santa Muerte and mexican spirituality, Zen Buddhism, Celtic and Norse magick – you name it.
A lot of the artwork in it is very old – which I loved. Especially when talking about herb magick I like it to have a certain feel to it and this book is old school witchy. Renaissance art, old woodcut prints and herbal drawings, and even a print from an old copy of Alice in Wonderland. The whole thing feels really magickal, and even though the calendar just started a month ago, I’ve been using it since last fall and I no doubt will use it many more times after this year is over.
The Witches’ Almanac is definitely a staple in my daily practice now, and I look forward to getting a new issue every year!
You can buy The Witches’ Almanac Issue 37 (and any other!) from Wesier books, on Amazon.com, or directly from thewitchesalmanac.com and if your local witchy shop sells alamanacs and calendars you should request it!
I’ve been using mine alongside Amy Cesari’s Planner for a Magical 2018 and they work together very well! Check out my review of the planner here.
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