Making Magic

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of Making Magic by Briana Saussy from netgalley.com for an honest review. However, the author is a friend of mine.

It all starts with a story. In this case, we're treated to Golden Locks and the bear people. You may think you know how this story goes, and ends, but you don't. That's the beauty of magic. This is the magic Briana Saussy teaches us to remember. Magic is everywhere. It's in the food we eat, the activities we do during the day, and the sacred times we spend with others. As adults, we forget about the magic surrounding us.

Making Magic teaches us to remember our own magic. The book blends the myth of Golden Locks in with daily activities and actions which help us to bring back our own power, our own magic. Each chapter takes a singular topic, relates it back to the myth, and then explores how the topic relates internally and externally (or through the everyday and the extraordinary). Bri includes two rituals for each chapter, one is a short internal dose of the topic, while the next blends the topic into a more concrete way. You are invited to interpret words and play with the material as you see fit. This is, after all, a book for you to rediscover, remember, your own personal magics.

What I liked: I love how Bri weaves the ordinary and extraordinary together. We are all magic and the path of a “magician” is a personal one. Making Magic doesn't include lists to memorize, or spells, or hard rituals to follow to the letter. She allows the reader to experience and explore the material she presents— to blend it into their own personality and style. Making Magic doesn't contain definitions... not even one on what magic is. “Magic is a wild animal” she writes, “it resides in the places we always are.” This book guides you into the a deep connection of what magic can be. How you personally define it, where it appears in your life, and helps bridge tight connections between yourself, story, and Nature.

Caveat: This book teaches you to discover your own personal magic. It requires a lot of imaginative play and experimentation. This is not a book for those who want to know the lineage of magic being taught. Bri does tell you her credentials; however, she knows that the most powerful magic comes from within the individual's own self, mind, and practices. If you aren't into “unverified personal gnosis” methods, then you might want to skip this book.

Bottom Line: Are you ready to remember your magic? Want to bring magic into every aspect of your life? Bri's book will help you develop a personal connection you the magic you forgot as a child.