“Hexing the Patriarchy: 26 Potions, Spells, & Magical Elixirs to Embolden the Resistance” (Seal Press) is a collection of projects you can undertake to both strengthen your will, and potentially soften that of those who oppose you. It’s an anthology of sorts, as these projects come from varied contributors who add their unique perspective and skills to the cauldron. It’s also a warm, chatty discussion of many aspects of witchcraft that manages to be inclusive, intersectional, and highly ethical. Author Ariel Gore, who has written 20 books, publishes Hip Mama magazine, and teaches writing, brings readers into a world of her making, offers useful information buttressed with great storytelling, and leaves us smarter for having invested our time. That makes “Hexing” a lot of fun to read, but it’s entirely serious about its subject matter.
The book is arranged into an alphabet, with each letter representing a concept. F is for Fight Songs, for example, and suggests creating a playlist to pump yourself up before going into battle, whether that means asking for a raise or walking where you know catcalls are likely. Each letter is discussed in terms of its origin within the alphabet; Gore mentions that in her early studies of witchcraft one of the assignments she was given was developing her own alphabet, a project she invites readers to try for themselves.
Each of the 26 projects is introduced by Gore, but most are written by contributors. Some are freewheeling and funny, like a kickboxing hex “to vanquish bro culture and explode the gender binary” offered by Four Elements Fitness, an Oakland martial arts gym and art gallery owned by women of color; if the burpees don’t knock you out, the assigned readings might. Other actions hew more to what many of us associate with the word “witchcraft”: Making a wallet charm to carry for protection, or performing a binding ritual to contain our collective history and concentrate power in the here and now. There are even simple instructions for initiating yourself as a solo practitioner if you are currently without a coven or circle.
Witchcraft can seem scary, and if you have questions, you’re not alone. Does it work? What does it mean to hex someone? You’ll find that many of these projects amount to focusing energy and intention while incorporating a commitment to justice for marginalized people. It’s a creative extra credit assignment to add to your White Fragility homework, because there are numerous opportunities to use yourself as a channel for good while not depriving others of oxygen. Since there’s no obligation to work through the book’s alphabet in order, it can be fun to try something that allows you to build skills with no attachment to outcome. For instance, and this is my own spin on an idea presented in the book, picture money being removed from the bank account of a wealthy white man (choose one at random from the rogue’s gallery that is the GOP, or go after that one uncle who won’t shut up on your Facebook wall) and move it into the account of your favorite social justice organization. Dig deep into the visualization; it’s not a simple wire transfer, actually see the money making the journey. Doing this kind of work with a light touch is important, since defeating our demons is a long fight; poems, prayers, and “poppets” have therapeutic value.
If the thought of visualizing Mitch McConnell being air-dropped into a volcano has your mouth watering, remember that what you put out into the universe can come back to bite you in the ass. Gore offers this “easy rule” for new practitioners: “Don’t do anything unnecessarily dickish.” And that’s the point. Instead of giving our precious energy to our enemies, it’s time to divest, and reinvest in our true values. “We cast spells in part to keep the wind at our backs,” she writes. “Hexing the Patriarchy” is a wide-ranging guide to using your energy for our collective good, and an educational good time in the bargain.
AN IMPORTANT POSTSCRIPT: As I write, one of my favorite of Gore’s books is working its way back into print with one of my favorite publishers. Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of Happiness” was a feisty takedown takedown of the positive psychology movement and the capitalist gymnastics it forces women through in order to be “happy.” She gets real with women about how they really find their bliss, and blows up a lot of assumptions along the way. It was a damn shame to see this funny, intelligent analysis slip out of print, but the good folks at Microcosm Publishing are bringing it back, with the new title “Fuck Happiness.’ Amen to that. Be on the lookout for your own copy.
Heather Seggel is a writer living in Northern California. Email heatherlseggel@gmail.com.
From The Progressive Populist, March 1, 2020
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