I've been holding off on reviewing this one because I so desperately wanted to love it. Phoenix LeFae genuinely cares about her readers and takes great time and care to point out variations and beliefs. She wants readers to know why something happens, or why someone would choose to work with a particularly difficult deity (or one with a terrible reputation). The challenge comes from the fact that her symbols of witchcraft are all real women from history, and many of them fought while they were alive to avoid being called witches. For example, Anne Boylen was labeled a witch by her detractors in order to have her removed, so she could stop spreading discussions about the Protestant Reformation and the desire to turn England from Catholicism for good. Mary Magdalene was dragged through the mud not just by Pope Gregory the 1st and labeled a prostitute (official Catholic policy cleared her in 1969, by the way), but also was silenced by her contemporaries, including other followers of Christ. While I'm here for the warrior women part, using traditionally Christian women who did not show actual signs of witchcraft just seems to show a lack of knowledge on LeFae's historical facts. She actually advises of that right up front, that she wasn't raised in the Christian tradition.

The writing is great. The thoughts and meditations are wonderful, but the choices in representation left me cold.

“My way of teaching and talking about magical can sometimes come across as cheeky. This is not to everyone’s taste, and I get that.”

2 stars

Suffice to say this book is not my taste.

At all. I was so looking forward to this book, waiting to dive into it for the weekend before Samhain. The cover is gorgeous, and with the title and summary I thought I would get this intellectual mix of history and feminism. It more reads like a middle grade “girl power” self help/ self congratulatory text filled with exclamation points. It insults the reader’s intelligence in a lot of places and uses words like “babe”, “honey”, and friends to reference the reader, and constantly ends sections with some sort of exclamation like, “Accept your personal badassery and rock your rebel heart out!”. It’s repetitive, borders on cultural appropriation in parts, and makes you feel like you’ve just sat through a four hour seminar with motivational Barbie as the guest speaker. There is a plethora of misdefined words, hilariously enough including “toxic positivity”. Even if you like the kind of pat your own back self help books, there are much better ones to read.

Thanks to the author,publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a refreshing and empowering read! As a woman I felt this book to be so timely in terms of finding your true self through the practices of witchcraft while also immersing yourself in the history behind some pretty powerful women. Loved this and would recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about witchcraft and the history surrounding it.

Full disclosure- I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The mix of magic spell work & history is a really refreshing addition to the book. Each chapter has meditations, spells, and a historical woman to go with.

I do wish the history parts were a little more fleshed out, but that’s cause I’m a huge history buff.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in magic & witchcraft.

I was fortunate and thankful to be given an arc of this book being published by Llewelyn. LeFae writes about the importance of being a rebel. If everyone follows the status quo, nothing will every change or evolve. It is also important to "know thyself". With this in mind, the author leads us on an exploration of nine women from the past that were considered warriors, rebels, witches, and heretics in societies where these things were not valued but feared and condemned. All nine women went against societal expectations of them and followed their own path; these include Joan of Arc, Mary Magdalene, and Anne Boleyn.
Each section is followed by a contemplation exercise and ritual so that we may connect with the power that each of these women represent. Whether you are interested in making these connections or engaging in these contemplation exercises or not, the tales of each of these warrior women are fascinating and worth a read.

This is hands down one of the best books I have read in awhile! I feel so much more empowered and have added some new things to my practice based on this book. I loved the stories of women throughout history as well. I highly recommend this book to every woman reading this review and in my own circle.

I loved all of the positive affirmations in this book. It really does a great job of empowering you and your ability. I loved the women that were described throughout history. It is great to use as a reference!

I really enjoyed this book. It's the perfect addition to your metaphysical section of your reference section. Truly an great ready and is wonderful if you'd like to increase your knowledge about witchcraft. It also includes new tips to help you perfect your craft! I enjoyed alot of the backstories. A lovely, weekend read.

Great read if you want to broaden your knowledge about witchcraft and to learn new tips to perfect your craft! I will be trying some of these out! Very quick easy read!