Cover Image: Maia Toll's Wild Wisdom Companion

Maia Toll's Wild Wisdom Companion

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Maia Toll always provides such wonderful books packed full of information and beautiful pictures/illustrations. They are always easy to understand and use. As you read and use each page you can not resist turning the next one and the next one...
There is plenty of information included with each season as well as related elements, symbols, crystals (my favourite), animals and much more. You will also find easy activities for each corresponding season to help you and encourage you along your journey.
This is a perfect companion to your daily schedule to help you connect to and grow your nature-based mindfulness and spirituality. You do not have to start at the beginning of the calendar year when using this almanac. You jump into wherever you are in the year when you receive the book. I was initially concerned that it was a book that could only be used for one year but I was pleased to see that it can be used over and over through the years. It is on my "to be purchased" list after publication so that I can continue using this great resource.

Thank you so much to Storey Publishing and NetGalley for showing me this wonderful book and giving me the opportunity to "test drive" and then review it!

Was this review helpful?

Everything about this beautiful witchy reference book is amazing. The illustrations, easy to understand writing, beautiful layout...I could go on and on because this really is just a wonderful book about how to connect with nature-based spirituality a huge must do for so many of us in todays world climate.

Was this review helpful?

This is another one of her books to love, The information and visuals are great as usual. Get some great information.

Was this review helpful?

Maia Toll's work is always such a joy to experience. And it truly IS an experience. She writes beautifully, with such a depth of knowledge, and the illustrations are absolutely breath-taking.

Was this review helpful?

Beautifully written, you can tell a lot of thought went into the presentation of the book and it's information within. There is stunning imagery and illustrations throughout and this really enhanced the feel of the book for me. This book takes us on a journey through the wheel of the year. It is inclusive to readers in both the northern and southern hemisphere, and there are tidbits and reminders throughout the book about how someone in the opposing hemisphere/season could make it work. Another excellent point is that the author asks that you don't read the book from start to finish, but that you use the book as a companion throughout the wheel of the year, starting at what point you are in.

At the time of reading, we in the northern hemisphere were approaching the summer solstice, so I began by reading through the Late Spring chapters, and made my way through the book from that point. I found this such a unique way of reading a book and I very much enjoyed it. The book includes information on each season (split up into early and late) it's associated elements, symbols, animals, crystals, and energy centres (known as Chakras to some). There are also corresponding seasonal practices throughout the book that provide you with small activities that will enhance your practice. I found these really useful and easy to take part in, as they encourage without pressure, so you don't need to worry if they don't work for you.

The almanac isn't just useful for one year, it has can be used year upon year and I absolutely love that as it will be so useful to help me get into the seasonal mood and plan out my practice for the coming season. I can't wait for it to be published so I can buy a hard copy for my altar.

Thank-you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC, I really enjoyed it!

Was this review helpful?

Maia Toll's Wild Wisdom Companion will keep you riveted with all the facts and information you can enjoy at leisure.

Was this review helpful?

This was an excellent book. Educational. Fun. I have enjoyed all her books to date and highly suggest them all along with this one.

Was this review helpful?

This is beautiful! The illustrations are gorgeous. The text guides the reader through symbols associated with each season, with practical activities and journalling prompts. I've already pre-ordered a real-life copy so that I can come back to it throughout the year.

Was this review helpful?

Maia Toll does it again.

The artwork is exquisite, the material is easy to grasp, and the author clearly knows her stuff.

I became obsessed with her Herbiary and now this might be my new favourite witchy reference book. I like it so much, I'm going to actually go buy a copy when it's out, rather than just using the NetGalley one!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this awesome ARC!

Was this review helpful?

This is a gorgeous, practical and captivating book. It really does feel like a companion, something to guide you, accompany you and cheer you on as you navigate the year, the outer seasons and also the inner seasons. I think this is a book that can be read in one sitting, and then revisited at relevant points throughout the year. But it’s also one you can read in small chunks as you journey through the seasons. I think for those already living in a very cyclical and seasonal manner, elements of this book might feel over familiar or ‘over done’ - but there are also snippets of really good information and ideas.

Was this review helpful?

Maia Toll’s Wild Wisdom Companion is the most recent addition to the Wild Wisdom series. Drawing from a personal journey into animism and Gaia theory, Toll’s Companion is the perfect guidebook to reconnecting to nature-based spirituality, without being inherently “witchy” like so many spiritual books can be. This book is full of seasonal symbolism, reflections and journaling prompts for anyone to reconnect with the natural world outside the bustling, technological society we have become. Full of breathtaking illustrations to match, this book is magnificent.

I absolutely devoured this book in a few short hours. Her earlier books in the series - The Illustrated Herbiary, The Illustrated Bestiary and The Illustrated Cystallary – have become daily additions to my personal spiritual journey/reconnecting with the world around me and are go-to gifts for all the spiritually inclined friends around me. I have no doubt this book will join the others upon its physical release this Fall. I’m almost itching to get my hands on the card deck!

Was this review helpful?

It was a real pleasure to find this book. The steps for the journey are all mapped out. Ms Toll starts with a little history on her self and why she wrote this companion . In the first chapters are the reasons and methods to doing this happy journey that anyone can take, Even looking out of a window if thats all there is for you, I was happy that the book is structured so that you can start anywhere on the wheel. Once you read the intro and know the path the journey starts. What a fun journey I am on! I notice the nature around me, Its symbols and what they mean are in my journal that is recommended to have once you start . My journal is just a spiral bound notebook and it works fine, If you are interested in the natural world and what it means to really understand it then this book is for you,

Was this review helpful?

Maia Toll has once again hit it out of the ballpark with this capstone to the Wild Wisdom series, "Maia Toll's Wild Wisdom Companion, A Guided Journey to Connect with the Mystical Rhythms of the Natural World, Season by Season". Her newest offering is sure to be finding a home on my bookshelf this fall. I found each chapter to include information from all her previous works combined into one beautiful reference book. These include elements, herbs, crystals, plants and symbols. It could not have been written any more user friendly!

I am looking forward to diving head first into the current season of late Spring by working on some of the suggested activities that help us flow from air into fire. I found it serendipitous that several of the mystical energies discussed in this season have been actively appearing in my life recently such as agate (I'm currently working on a necklace with a chunky agate focal), woodpecker (at my feeders daily since putting jelly out) and mandala's (creating a crystal grid). Talk about divine timing!

Scattered throughout this book, the reader will find the magnificent illustrations by Kate O’Hara that take the eyes on a visual journey. Could there be a more perfect partnership of Maia and Kate for the Wild Wisdom Series? I think not.

Although I was given an advanced copy for review, I will be looking forward to purchasing Maia Toll's Wild Wisdom Companion in October as a hard copy complete with the included oracle cards. Many thanks to Netgalley and Storey Publishing for this ARC. All opinions provided are authentically my own.

Was this review helpful?