The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care

A witch’s approach to healing yourself

Photo by Mallory Johndrow on Unsplash

Marie Bruce is a psychotherapist and a witch. You should not think that these are separate things.

This isn’t the start of a joke — a psychotherapist and a witch didn’t walk into a bar — but it’s a good enough place to start.

‘The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care: A Witch’s Approach to Healing Yourself’ is an interesting read. It’s written by a qualified psychotherapist and practicing Wiccan.

The book gives readers the tools to improve their mental health using Wicca. It presents various Wiccan practices in a clear and practical way. It suggests simple ways to enhance your mental and physical well-being. It’s an eclectic mix of self-care techniques and psychological insights.

Sometimes it feels more like a mental healthcare professional wrote it than a witch but it is what it is.

The book walks a tightrope between the clinical and the mystical. It doesn’t falter, though sometimes it wobbles, and it doesn’t look down.

Wicca and psychotherapy have an interesting dynamic throughout the book. They make for strange bedfellows at first blush. The relationship is problematic but they’ve more in common than you might think.

Wicca can help you to meet life’s challenges by reframing them.

Wicca is a positive and nurturing framework by which to navigate. You’re encouraged to connect with the divine and live in harmony with the natural world. You’re also encouraged to adopt a positive approach to all aspects of your life.

It’s a way to meet life on its own terms while furthering your personal and spiritual growth.

The book shows you how to use Wiccan principles in your everyday life. It provides simple rituals and practices to improve your mental and physical health. This includes meditation, spell work, dream incubation, and working with the elements.

The rituals and practices will support you regardless of what life throws at you or puts in your path.

The book is a handy guide to help you feel better in any situation. You can improve your sleep, diet, exercise, work, productivity, outlook, and mental health. It’s a thought-provoking read if nothing else. Even if it does lean more towards the therapeutic than the witchy.

Then again, I’ve always been more interested in the magical than the mundane.

I enjoyed the combination of Wiccan practices and psychological insights. It’s a refreshing spin on the usual self-care advice you find in the self-help section. It’s a gentle introduction to self-care. Though it might not contain anything new or unfamiliar to seasoned witches.

The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care is more clinical in tone than you might expect from a witch.

I wanted the book to take a Wiccan approach to psychotherapy rather than the reverse. A Wiccan take on psychotherapy, say, rather than a therapeutic take on Wicca. Instead, it takes a clinical approach and focuses on that. It doesn’t dive into Wicca’s roots, history, or significance. It doesn’t even do a great job of explaining what Wicca is.

I’d hoped for a deeper exploration of Magick and Witchcraft.

Wicca is a modern form of Paganism. Witchcraft is a practice. You can’t use these terms interchangeably as though they mean the exact same thing. Nothing about Wicca or Witchcraft is wishy-washy, woo-woo, or new age. Magick is a powerful vehicle for self-empowerment and personal development.

The book takes a bright and breezy approach to self-care.

It’s all a bit too fluffy for my tastes — though friends often tell me that they suspect I’m secretly fluffy. To me, self-care isn’t about bubble baths, face masks, and aromatherapy. It isn’t a catch-all term for doing pleasant things and being nice to yourself. It’s about doing the work.

So, what’s your poison?

If you want a gentle blend of Wiccan wisdom and mental health care, this book is for you. It will help you to feel better and treat yourself with kindness. And that’s no bad thing. But if you want something stronger then go to the source. Read some foundational texts about Wicca and Witchcraft.

You can still have a bubble bath afterward if you want.

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‘The Wiccan Guide to Self-Care: A Witch’s Approach to Healing Yourself’ is by Marie Bruce.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It’s well worth a read but get the audiobook if you can.

The links to the book are affiliate links but this isn’t a sponsored post. If you use them I may receive compensation at no additional cost to you. All views remain my own.

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