Editrix Abby  

Sexy Witch

Pagan Pussy Power

Calling Sexy Witch "a combination workbook, spell book and informational guide," LaSara invites you into her world of witchcraft and sexual magic. And while the book will obviously appeal to those with leanings toward the Wiccan, Pagan or other alternative teachings, there are lessons and rituals that even the squarest can incorporate into their day to day lives. With introductions by two sexual legends, Annie Sprinkle and Nina Hartley, and book jacket blurbs by other sex positive heavyweights such as Carol Queen, Susie Bright and Charles Gatewood, you know you're in good company picking up this book.

But this isn't just a quick read to become immediately or easily enlightened. It is, truly, a workbook, with exercises and assignments designed to facilitate growth and self-awareness. Using this book is a process. There are chapters with corresponding rituals, designed for a group of sexy witches or for the solo practitioner. From building an altar to visualizations, from creating artwork to writing in a journal, the author leads you steadily down a path to greater self loving. She asks you to play with gender and delves deep into how the media affect our self image. She recommends a media fast and, having recently experienced such a self-imposed starvation, I can say that it did, indeed, have a powerful positive effect on my thought patterns.

Progressing from "Your Body Is A Temple" to "I Love Me, I Love Me Not, I Love Me!," LaSara teaches us to be comfortable in our own skins. The section on "Pussy Power!" is, as you'd expect, focused on your current level of comfort with your genitalia. I'm sure everyone can use more pussy love, but her suggestion to dress your pussy up, perhaps "dye its hair, if it has any" (mine has plenty!) was a bit alarming. I mean, yes, Manic Panic does come in wild colors, but oy vey, what a mess! I had an accidental dying situation once that only bathroom tile bleach could remedy. But I digress.

Further into the exploration and enjoyment of the pussy there's "Carnal Knowledge: Masturbation, Menstruation, Matrices." The historical horrors visited upon women masturbators might give you nightmares and I can say that female doctors don't do too much better a job at handling our "diseases" than male doctors do, even in today's supposedly enlightened age. Thus it's up to us to "cure" ourselves of all the associated negativity. Ms. FireFox recommends Binding and gives explicit instructions to put that bullshit behind you. In "Coming To Our Senses," she explores communication, hearing, smelling, seeing, tasting, really experiencing every sense to the fullest. In "Myth Making and Mentors: Witch Power Rising!" you will challenge your definition of doubt and connect with the people and powers in your life and in history that inspire you. And finally, in chapter seven, "The Seventh Initiation: The Mirror and the Path," you complete the basic teachings and implement them, moving forward into a more self-created future.

Probably the toughest -- or most time consuming -- of the exercises is the journaling, the real homework as well as the genuine opportunity to chronicle your progress. But with all the blogging that goes on, perhaps it won't be such a tough assignment after all. In support of your learning, LaSara provides endless reference books, web sites, sidebars with song lyrics, poetry, dictionary definitions and detailed footnotes. The book is jam packed with facts and statistics; she definitely did her homework! Of course, she holds you to your homework as well. As I mentioned before, this isn't a quick fix.

In the end, this is less a book about sex or sexuality than it is a book about extreme self awareness and spiritual growth. That alone sets it apart from all the other sexual empowerment books out there and makes it a far more powerful read. Not to mention the power that will no doubt be unleashed upon your completion of all the exercises and rituals. I did not have the time to follow every instruction. I did, however, find the words contained in the book themselves to be both powerful and empowering, as well as inspiring. Now, to get to work on my altar...

[Written Nov. 2006]

Buy Sexy Witch NOW at Amazon.com!