The hiatus of my book reviews is over. My deep appreciation for those who have returned to my humble Word Alchemy blog. Maybe you’ll find a new book to read here.
Just Finished:
Take Back The Magic: Conversations With The Unseen World by Perdita Finn, 2023
This book follows one woman’s journey along her spiritual path—a genre that seems to be showing up more and more in my TBR pile. Finn blends memoir, historical context, earth-centered spirituality, and intimate letters to her deceased father, with whom she shared a complex and deeply human relationship. (Truly—who among us doesn’t have complicated parental ties?) These letters alone make the book worth revisiting; they are raw, honest, and written with a clarity of soul that lingers.
Finn is a natural medium, connected both to ancestral presences and the spirits of the Land, and that resonance came through powerfully. The narrative is personal, but the wisdom within offers readers guidance on cultivating their own relationships with the unseen world—whether with beloved dead, ancestral lineages, or the wider spiritual currents that move through the world. She uses the most vulnerable moments of her own life to illuminate a very real, tangible path toward ancestral reverence and the reclamation of the magic we forget is woven through our lives as souls returning again and again.
For readers already sensing the presence of the otherworld or seeking affirmation of their own intuitive relationship with the dead, this book may feel like a long-awaited validation. One of its strongest messages is that relationships may be healed—even after death. Finn shows how the perspective of the Dead expands beyond ego and limitation, making them ready and willing to assist us. We only need to open the door, rebuild the connection, and ask.
If you’re exploring how to cultivate a relationship with the Ancestors, understand soul bonds that return across lifetimes, or explore how spirit shows itself with or without the visitation of the Great Mother, this is the kind of book you may devour in a single sitting
Talking To The Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism by Barbara Weisberg, 2004
Part history and part biography, this book traces the rise of American Spiritualism through the lives of two of its most iconic early figures. Weisberg does not shy away from examining how the political, social, and cultural currents of the time shaped both the believers and the skeptics surrounding the famous “rapping sisters.” The narrative situates Spiritualism within the broader awakening of the mid-nineteenth century, illustrating its intersections with women’s suffrage, abolition, the Civil War, and the sweeping changes brought on by industrialization.
Notable figures—Horace Greeley, Mary Todd Lincoln, and others—appear throughout the narrative, grounding the story in historical reality while showcasing the depth of the author’s research. Many details feel newly unearthed, offering modern readers glimpses into a spiritual movement that was once both feared and revered.
Did the Fox sisters truly speak to the dead? Weisberg leaves room for interpretation, inviting readers to sit with the ambiguity rather than delivering a simple verdict. Contemporary spirit-workers may recognize a familiar pattern: the dominant culture’s need to dismiss or diminish anything belonging to the unseen realms. There are moments where the pacing slows under the weight of historical detail, but this density is also part of the book’s strength—it preserves a record of a time when the veil between worlds seemed thinner, and a nation was listening.
Up Next:
I am doing some research for a client right now, so much of my reading time is going towards that. However, in the To Be Read (TBR) pile I have:
Scorpio Witch by Ivo Dominguez, Jr. & Zoe Howe
Spiritual Cleansing by Draja Mickaharic
See you for the next post on What The Witch Is Reading. Thanks for reading and comment if you have any questions, anecdotes, or requests.
As you can see, I read a little of everything. I’m always curious about what others are reading. What book are you working through right now? Let’s talk about books! Comment below. If you have a book you think I should read, let me know that, too!