Book Review-Becoming Baba Yaga: Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods by Kris Spisak
Book Review
Becoming Baba Yaga: Trickster, Feminist and Witch of the Woods
By Kris Spisak
Publisher: Hampton Roads
208 Page E-Book
Release Date: September 3rd, 2024
Becoming Baba Yaga: Trickster, Feminist and Witch of the Woods is a relatable, easy to understand (re)telling of Baba Yaga’s stories as they’re presented in Slavic mythology and folklore. Anyone wanting to learn more about the precarious Earth Mother should definitely give this book a read! Instead of focusing on magick & witchcraft workings with Baba Yaga, Spisak instead explores Baba Yaga through her various myths.
Baba Yaga is a mysterious, and sometimes scary, Goddess to come into contact with; she’s the oldest of crones and knows words only the forest can speak. She knows the qualities of plants and animals, and also is a well-known figure in fairytales designed to keep kids from going into the woods alone. But, why Baba Yaga? And why is she appearing so prominently now? My personal belief is that as a planet, we are at a critical point; we can either save the planet, and ourselves, or destroy it. Baba Yaga appears when transformation needs to happen, and boy does it need to happen in our world right now!
I applaud Spisak for creating a positive narrative around this divisive figure in Slavic mythologies, which is also echoed in Germanic mythologies in the form of the Witch in Hansel and Gretel and similar stories. Baba Yaga pushes us to be our best selves, and this requires work; she can be a task master at times, but it’s not without reason. Baba Yaga’s essence, to me, and which Spisak confirmed, is that while she can be everything we fear, it is only so we face those fears, alchemize them, and learn to embody ourselves fully. Baba Yaga is, in my opinion, one of the most potent mythological embodiments of this, especially for women. I have no critiques of this book, and found myself reading it at lightspeed, I was so hooked! 5/5 star rating, I would recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about Baba Yaga; doubly so if you wish to build magickal and devotional practices with her! Becoming Baba Yaga essentially is a crash course/get to know you book of sorts, for a much misunderstood and maligned Goddess.
Kris Spisak has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William and Mary and a Master’s degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Richmond. She is the author of The Baba Yaga Mask (fiction) and Get a Grip on Your Grammar.
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Author Bio:
The Modern Merlin has been a Polytheist and Animist Pagan, Witch, Sorcerer, Poison Witch, Wizard, Druid, Mystic, Ceremonial Magician, Occultist, Shaman, Seer and Soothsayer for over 15 years, venerating and casting magick with deities and spirits from many cultures, including those from Ancient Greece, Rome, Norse & Germanic, Celtic, Slavic, Egyptian, Sumerian, as well as many Faeries, Nymphs, Dryads, Ancestors and other nature and land spirits and spirits of place. He is a Priest of Hecate, Diana, Hades, Lilith and Persephone, among others. He has experience in the Left and Right Hand Paths, working with both hands as needed. He currently practices Necromancy and Deathwalking, as well as Traditional Witchcraft, Druidry, Hellenism and Ceremonial Magick, incorporating all of them into a cohesive practice, with some shamanic touches. He studies and practices Astrology as well as Tarot and other forms of divination such as Runes, Palmistry and Ogham. He has also been investigating the paranormal for over 10 years and has a keen interest in researching various mythologies, cosmologies and folklore from around the world. He is the Co-Editor of PaganPages.Org and he has a personal blog where he shares Astrological, Pagan, and other magickal wisdom for free! He gives readings and other spiritual services on his Facebook Page, The Modern Merlin, as well other free informational posts for everyone to see!

