The Witching Year

A Memoir of Earnest Fumbling Through Modern Witchcraft

De: Diana Helmuth

Narrado por: Diana Helmuth

A skeptic spends a year trying to find spiritual fulfillment by practicing modern Witchcraft in this fascinating memoir that’s perfect for fans of A.J. Jacobs and Mary Roach.

Diana Helmuth, thirty-three, is skeptical of organized religion. She is also skeptical of disorganized religion. But, more than anything, she is tired of God being dead. So, she decides to try on the fastest-growing, self-directed faith in America: Witchcraft.

The result is 366 days of observation, trial, error, wit, and back spasms. Witches today are often presented as confident and finished, proud and powerful. Diana is eager to join them. She wants to follow all the rules, memorize all the incantations, and read all the liturgy. But there’s one glaring problem: no Witch can agree on what the right rules, liturgy, and incantations are.

As with life, Diana must define the craft for herself, looking past the fashionable and figuring out how to define the real. Along the way, she travels to Salem and Edinburgh (two very Crafty hubs) and attends a week-long (clothing optional) Witch camp in Northern California. Whether she’s trying to perform a full moon ritual on a cardboard box, summon an ancient demon with scotch tape and a kitchen trivet, or just trying to become a calmer, happier person, her biggest question remains: Will any of this really work?

The Witching Year is a “compelling memoir” (Frances Denny, author of Major Arcana) that follows in the footsteps of celebrated memoirs by journalists like A.J. Jacobs, Mary Roach, and Caitlin Doughty, who knit humor and reportage together in search of something worth believing.

©2023 Diana Helmuth (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio

Freaking fantastic.

I’m so glad I chose to listen to this story. The author did a wonderful job reading her work. Her story is so relevant to those of us searching for the spiritual path that fits. Thank you for sharing your story.

Beautifully written memoir

Beautifully written memoir that happens to be set inside a year of researching and experiencing witchcraft, Wiccan beliefs and spellcasting. This is not a how to book. It's about what if. What if you wanted to learn something immersively, speak to friends, family and practitioners along the way. And what if by the time you invested a year learning the thing, your biggest discovery was about yourself? Maybe that's the real magic of it all.

Refreshing!

I just loved this book! The author’s perspective and journey along with her writing style felt so genuine. I felt like I was going through her experiences with her. It also felt like a green light to try more things and it’s okay if I don’t connect with everything I try. Thank you for writing this book!

Every witch should read this book

A truly breathtakingly experiment into a year discovering witchcraft that articulates all the questions, fears, uncertainties, and joys of the craft. Thank you so much for writing it, Diana. I can’t tell you enough how much I loved listening to this. Fantastic narration.

Refreshing Candor, Gentle Humor

So much to relate to in this wonderfully clear-eyed, thoughtful memoir. If I had a coven, I’d for sure want Diana Helmuth to be in it!

Moonlit shenanigans

Absolutely wonderful. Diana tells her story in such an engaging and fun way… I related so much to her and truly enjoyed sharing in her journey. Great performance on the audiobook, as well! Such a kind voice!

Relatable to a point of almost being scary

Stop telling me how if feel after I felt it! Omg this was beautiful and amazing and I want to be Diana’s friend 😭 I promise I won’t fan girl if I ever run into her but my internal monologue may be telling me “It’s fine to freak out but don’t do it because then she’ll know!”

Like Listening to a Good Friend

I had the good fortune of unexpectedly attending an event with the author, Diana. I was initially a bit skeptical about a book on witchcraft, but after listening to Diana speak candidly, honestly, and genuinely about her experience writing the book, I was intrigued! An attendee mentioned that Diana had recorded the audiobook. Her humble depiction of the recording process piqued my interest and I decided to consume the material through that means. I am so thankful that i did! I felt as thought I were sitting with Diana, having a conversation about her life. As I am a lay-person when it comes to witchcraft, I felt as though I were experiencing and experimenting with it vicariously through Diana. While I do now have an interest in learning more about witchcraft and maybe experimenting with it myself, what really captivated me about the book was the comfort it provided to be able to identify with another individual searching for answers, learning about herself, exploring self-doubts, and allowing herself to vulnerably share this with the world! As I write this, I can't express enough just what a gift it was. Thank you, Diana!

Good for the witch- curious

I have been into manifestation for a while and that is basically neo paganism and so when I heard about this book on NPR, I through this is perfect. I am liberal but I thought the author felt way too much white guilt over everything. It was almost manic and making me anxious about everything in life. Do things with curiosity and caution, and you shouldn’t need to feel so scared about trying different practices. It’s was almost performative white guilt. Overall I enjoyed listening to what she learned but i don’t think she was very open to magic and that made it a little sad to me.

Freaking Fantastic!!!

We all just need to relate to something sometimes. This has been my experience with this book. If you’ve ever tried to do the year and a day, this is for you. If not, read it anyway and you’ll want to.