Alive with Spirits
The Path and Practice of Animistic Witchcraft
Imprint:
Weiser BooksAvailability:
In stock9781633413245
“A talented, accessible teacher and experienced witch, Althaea Sebastiani offers insight into what’s missing from modern witchcraft, which has become so commercialized. Tying together the animist worldview with practices geared toward being in right relationship with spirits and the land, she addresses the philosophical, sociopolitical, and practical currents of witchcraft in a deeply satisfying way. . . Alive With Spirits is clarifying, grounding, and a breath of fresh air for magic practitioners at every level.”
—Lane Smith, author of Seventy-Eight Acts of Liberation
“The book’s clear explanations of the differences between modern witchcraft and older practices rooted in ethnic or cultural folkways remove barriers for all who feel called to witchcraft, but who do not share those roots. Indeed, the book is centered on learning through direct experience. It suggests exercises for sensing and moving energy; it includes a guide to plants and their uses. Practices for developing and nurturing relationships with local spirits are also outlined alongside insightful prompts for journaling and reflection and exercises for unifying the body and spirit to foster wholeness in relationships with the self, with others, and with the land. The spiritual guidebook Alive with Spirits points to a world more expansive, sensitive, and beautiful than what can be seen on the surface, declaring that belonging and healing reside therein.”
—Kristine Morris, Foreword Reviews
“Althaea Sebastiani has written a robust but incredibly accessible guide to becoming a relational witch, informed by decades of direct experience with the Land as teacher. The guidance in Alive with Spirits will awaken your awareness of the web of relationships around you, breathe life into your magickal works, and help you build a life and practice oriented around community—with human and more-than-human spirits alike.”
—Sarah Corbett, founder and lead herbalist of Rowan + Sage
“Truly a gift to witches everywhere, Althaea Sebastiani’s Alive with Spirits is grounded firmly in lived experience. A wonderful and moving introduction to animism, as well as a fantastic introduction to witchcraft, even the seasoned practitioner will gain so much from reading Sebastiani’s offering. Moving us away from a witchcraft rooted in materialism, individualism, and objectification, Alive with Spirits provides the tools and knowledge to pave a path which is instead rooted in true community with The Land. The many exercises and knowledge provided within these pages ask us to move away from ideas of ascension or moving beyond our bodies to instead relishing in the magic that can only be found in being entirely human and at one with our physicality. A book I will truly recommend to many for years to come! I am deeply thankful that this book exists.”
—Mhara Starling, author of Welsh Witchcraft
“Whether you’re just starting your journey or you’ve been on the path of the witch for many years, this book will change you. By taking us through the five traits of witchcraft and the seven skills that create a foundation for practicing witchcraft effectively, Althaea Sebastiani gives to us first a broad overview of what a witch can learn that will enhance their practice, before delving into lessons and exercises that lead to a stronger sense of self in who we are as witches. While I was reading, I realized I will be spending quite a bit of time on some of the lessons, due to the journal work and the exercises, which I can foresee becoming part of my practice. This is most definitely not a book to rush through. I know that it will change my worldview, a process which is never comfortable, but with a calm and gentle hand, Althaea takes us, step by step, through the lessons, which makes it easy to open our trust to her.”
—Christine Cunningham Ashworth, author of Scott Cunningham—The Path Taken
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“A wonderful and moving introduction to animism, as well as a fantastic introduction to witchcraft; even the seasoned practitioner will gain so much from reading Sebastiani’s offering.”
—Mhara Starling, author of Welsh Witchcraft: A Guide to the Spirits, Lore, and Magic of Wales
At the root of most spiritual traditions is the aspiration to realize one’s birthright: an intimate connection with the Land and the spiritual energies that inhabit it. This connection with the Land and its spirits is perhaps nowhere more powerfully felt than in the various traditions of Paganism and witchcraft. But the conditions of modern society strain that relationship, leaving us feeling separated from our craft and unable to feel that deep and vital connection.
Discover a path to fully embrace a world filled with spirits, communion with the Land, and a greater sense of belonging in the world—a worldview known as animism. Explore animism in a hands-on way that teaches through firsthand direct experiences. Through embodied exercises based in wholeness, you’ll learn to see the world more fully for what it is and to better understand your place in it.
- Learn the three general types of local spirits
- Explore the importance of relationships and what it means to be in community
- Uncover the way that the wholeness of the world is reflected in the wholeness of the self
- Begin to nurture right relationships with your local spirits
Alive with Spirits provides you with a firm foundation from which to transform your witchcraft practice, rooting it into the Land and in strong, respectful relationships with the spirits around you.
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“A talented, accessible teacher and experienced witch, Althaea Sebastiani offers insight into what’s missing from modern witchcraft, which has become so commercialized. Tying together the animist worldview with practices geared toward being in right relationship with spirits and the land, she addresses the philosophical, sociopolitical, and practical currents of witchcraft in a deeply satisfying way. . . Alive With Spirits is clarifying, grounding, and a breath of fresh air for magic practitioners at every level.”
—Lane Smith, author of Seventy-Eight Acts of Liberation
“The book’s clear explanations of the differences between modern witchcraft and older practices rooted in ethnic or cultural folkways remove barriers for all who feel called to witchcraft, but who do not share those roots. Indeed, the book is centered on learning through direct experience. It suggests exercises for sensing and moving energy; it includes a guide to plants and their uses. Practices for developing and nurturing relationships with local spirits are also outlined alongside insightful prompts for journaling and reflection and exercises for unifying the body and spirit to foster wholeness in relationships with the self, with others, and with the land. The spiritual guidebook Alive with Spirits points to a world more expansive, sensitive, and beautiful than what can be seen on the surface, declaring that belonging and healing reside therein.”
—Kristine Morris, Foreword Reviews
“Althaea Sebastiani has written a robust but incredibly accessible guide to becoming a relational witch, informed by decades of direct experience with the Land as teacher. The guidance in Alive with Spirits will awaken your awareness of the web of relationships around you, breathe life into your magickal works, and help you build a life and practice oriented around community—with human and more-than-human spirits alike.”
—Sarah Corbett, founder and lead herbalist of Rowan + Sage
“Truly a gift to witches everywhere, Althaea Sebastiani’s Alive with Spirits is grounded firmly in lived experience. A wonderful and moving introduction to animism, as well as a fantastic introduction to witchcraft, even the seasoned practitioner will gain so much from reading Sebastiani’s offering. Moving us away from a witchcraft rooted in materialism, individualism, and objectification, Alive with Spirits provides the tools and knowledge to pave a path which is instead rooted in true community with The Land. The many exercises and knowledge provided within these pages ask us to move away from ideas of ascension or moving beyond our bodies to instead relishing in the magic that can only be found in being entirely human and at one with our physicality. A book I will truly recommend to many for years to come! I am deeply thankful that this book exists.”
—Mhara Starling, author of Welsh Witchcraft
“Whether you’re just starting your journey or you’ve been on the path of the witch for many years, this book will change you. By taking us through the five traits of witchcraft and the seven skills that create a foundation for practicing witchcraft effectively, Althaea Sebastiani gives to us first a broad overview of what a witch can learn that will enhance their practice, before delving into lessons and exercises that lead to a stronger sense of self in who we are as witches. While I was reading, I realized I will be spending quite a bit of time on some of the lessons, due to the journal work and the exercises, which I can foresee becoming part of my practice. This is most definitely not a book to rush through. I know that it will change my worldview, a process which is never comfortable, but with a calm and gentle hand, Althaea takes us, step by step, through the lessons, which makes it easy to open our trust to her.”
—Christine Cunningham Ashworth, author of Scott Cunningham—The Path Taken
