Book Review – Yoga for Witches by Sarah Robinson
Book Review
Yoga for Witches
by Sarah Robinson
Publisher: Womancraft Publishing
230 Pages
Publication Date: February 14, 2020
“FIND YOUR MAGIC ON THE MAT”
As a fan of Womancraft Publishing, I will say that this is a lovely addition to their ever-growing list of books. Ms. Robinson starts us off with a brief history of both witchcraft and yoga, and how each of them connects us to our universe. She explains how and why we should combine them.
Each chapter, is separated into a section for witches, and one for yogis/yoginis. Specific Goddesses are listed at the end of each section, along with ritual, meditations, and closing thoughts.
As you delve into this book, you will be amazed at how well magic, witchcraft and yoga mesh; how perfectly the practice of one can and does intertwine with the other. I have done both for decades and very minimally do I combine them; I believe that after reading Ms. Robinson’s book that this will change for me personally, and hopefully with many other witches and yoginis out there. Some who practice one may find themselves yearning to delve into the other with the suggestions and ideas in this book.
One of things things she touches on that I very much like is how women can and must reclaim their own power. There is so much about us that is magic, so much that was taken away from us through the centuries. By combining the magics of both witchcraft and yoga, we can find our own path and what feels the most comfortable for each of us individually.
She includes a short appendix of the types of witches and branches of yoga, along with some witchy words and Sanskrit phrases. There is also a reading list for those who wish to explore this in more detail.
The chapter of Energy Magic discusses the chakras, those energy centers within our bodies. I was happy to see her list of correspondences for each chakra – asana (pose), oil, herb and crystal. It’s great to see all of that information in one chart. I loved the fact that she specifically mentioned Kundalini Yoga, which I have practiced and taught for over 20 years. Not many are aware of this branch of yoga, so it is always re-affirming for me to see mention of it.
Meditation magic is just that – the magic we find within ourselves when we get down on the mat, breathe and center. There is magic to heal and to grow. Yoga Nidra (sleep yoga) is mentioned here, as well. I do not know many people who practice yoga nidra and this is a great introduction to it and how it can help you.
Grounding and centering is important in both the practice of yoga and witchcraft and this section explains to you why it is necessary and how you should be going about it. It complements the chapter on meditation and chakras.
The magic on the mat is all about the wonders of yoga and the benefits of the asana (poses) and pranayam (breath), as well as the Eight Limbs of Yoga and how it all pulls together. I have always brought my meditation practice to my magic, but have not really brought my magic to my yoga mat, and so I was pleased to see Ms. Robinson broach this subject.
The author discusses magic words, in Sanskrit, the power in mantra, and in witchcraft, how we use magic words to set our intention, write our spells, do meditation journaling. There are also some prompts to get you started.
I know witches and yoginis that struggle with the concept of bringing the sacred into your daily life. Ms. Robinson explains how we can do exactly that, whether it is using a bit of magic in our kitchen, making potions, creating a daily routine. I know this has always been a struggle for me and I was grateful to see it discussed here.
There are chapters on Moon magic, Sun magic and Earth magic. Each of these give a few suggestions for potions, using the moon phases and daily sun cycle in our rituals and magic. There are sun salutations, moon salutations and even earth salutations, which I had been unaware off and will be happy to add to my own practice.
Ms. Robinson discusses how to use animals in our magic and on the mat; there are many asana based on animals, such as Cobra and Lion. She talks about the symbolism, folklore and mythology of quite a few different animals.
The chapter on Ritual and Celebration is most fun, with instructions on making an altar, casting circles, making witch bottles, the celebrations of the seasons and Wheel of the Year.
The listing of Goddesses in each section is extremely helpful in connecting with the energies of each chapter, whether for Witchcraft or Yoga. Many are familiar, but some are not and it’s always a pleasure to discover a Goddess you were unaware of.
We are reminded us that we all have magic in us and that we can reclaim our power, along with our intuition and innate female wisdom. One of the ways we can do this is to share our magic, share our knowledge, with other women. Come together in yoga circles, Goddess circles, Red Tents.
In closing, I thoroughly enjoyed this book about combining two of my own personal practices and plan on putting some of Ms. Robinson’s ideas into action. Definitely recommended.
Sarah Robinson is a yoga and meditation teacher based in Bath, UK. Her background is in science. She holds an MS in Psychology and Neuroscience and has studied at Bath, Exeter and Harvard Universities. Sarah has practiced yoga since the age of 7. Weaving in her love of all things myth, magic and goddess, Sarah is passionate about creating magic to inspire and transform. And through yoga, meditation and ritual aims to help everyone connect to their own special magic and inner power.
About the Author:
Susan Morgaine is a Priestess, Healer, Witch, Writer, and Teacher.
She is entering her 21st year teaching Kundalini Yoga and Meditation, being a Certified instructor through the Kundalini Research Institute.
She is a Certified Women’s Empowerment Coach/Facilitator through Imagine A Woman International, founded by Patricia Lynn Reilly. She has long been involved in Goddess Spirituality and Feminism, teaching classes and workshops, including Priestessing local Red Tents.
She is a monthly columnist with PaganPages.org Her writings can be found in The Girl God Anthologies, “Whatever Works: Feminists of Faith Speak” and “Jesus, Mohammed and the Goddess”, as well as Mago Publications “She Rises, Volume 2, and “Celebrating Seasons of the Goddess”. She is the author of “My Name is Isis, the Egyptian Goddess”, part of the “My Name is ” series of children’s book. She has also been published in Jareeda and SageWoman magazines.
She is a a Reiki Master and a proud member of the Sisterhood of Avalon. She can be found at MysticalShores.com
