The Poetry Witch Little Book of Spells

by Annie Finch

A tiny book of poetic spells connected to elemental forces A tiny book of poetic spells connected to elemental forces

East

Wings choose the wind; sing us aware;
Muse; spin; weave; spell; create in air

In this micro-book, acclaimed "Poetry-Witch" Annie Finch harvests her Spells, spun at the intersection of magic, word, and world. These ritual poems invite readers to experience words not just in the mind, but also in the body and spirit. Celebrated for her extraordinary love and knowledge of poetic craft and commitment to female, earth-centered spirituality, Finch has created a haunting innovative voice and radically traditional aesthetic. As she observes in the book's preface, "Like sticky seeds when you brush past, these spells latched onto me, ready to be carried to you―to your power, your contemplative life, your ability to make change. Say them aloud, if you can; say them thrice, if you will. Use them to help you to cast a circle, turn the year, coven, create, invoke."

Sample

East

Wings choose the wind; sing us aware;
Muse; spin; weave; spell; create in air

Genres: Poetry

64 pages, Paperback

Published August 6, 2019

About the author

Annie Finch is the author of six books of poetry, including Spells: New and Selected Poems, The Poetry Witch Little Book of Spells, Calendars and Eve (both finalists for the National Poetry Series), and the verse play Among the Goddesses: An Epic Libretto in Seven Dreams (Sarasvati Award, 2012). Her poems have appeared onstage at Carnegie Hall and in The Penguin Book of Twentieth-Century American Poetry. Her other works include poetry translation, poetics, poetry anthologies, and a poetry textbook. She is also the editor of Choice Words: Writers on Abortion (Haymarket Books, 2020). Annie Finch holds a Ph.D from Stanford, served for a decade as Director of the Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing, and has lectured on poetry at Berkeley, Toronto, Harvard, and Oxford. In 2010 she was awarded the Robert Fitzgerald Award for her lifetime contribution to the art and craft of Versification. Finch has collaborated on poetic ritual theater productions with artists in theater, dance, and music and has performed as Poetry Witch on three continents. She teaches poetry and magic at PoetryWitchCommunity.org. 

“My poems harness the magically diverse and deeply rooted craft of poetic rhythms and forms. Like spells, they enjoy being spoken aloud three times." —Annie Finch

Annie on Twitter @poetrywitch
Annie on Instagram @thepoetrywitch

Annie connects with readers and facilitates seasonal rituals and classes in poetry and meter in her online community,
PoetryWitchCommunity.org, open to all who identify as women or gender-nonconforming.

Want more info? Updates, videos, poems, spells, spellsletter signup, and more at anniefinch.net

Blessings to all my beautiful readers!

Reviews

[Haley Hedrick]

What a tiny magical book. The poems are rich and salient, like the spells they are. Read this if you want some life breathed into you or need a bit of earth-rooted courage for the new year.

[eb]

Honestly, what even is this? It’s excerpts drawn from other poems… and packaged as spells? Other spell books are much more useful, particularly the ones that guide a reader through writing their own.