Book Review: The Simple Magick of Wild Things
The Simple Magick of Wild Things by Dave Gaddy came to my attention over the past couple of months. Witches and practitioners, especially my friends throughout the Southeast, had mentioned the title enough that my curiosity was piqued. The subtitle The Journey of a Southern Male Wytch told me something interesting was probably inside. Raised in the Deep South, it has been far more acceptable for women to dabble and delve into the magick and mystery of various crafts and occults. Men, on the other hand, often face more pressure to conform, and with there being a lot of Bible in the belt, so to speak, male wytches in the South are a rare breed.
Dave Gaddy’s book starts with a lot of Southern charm. We learn quickly from where his roots begin in the North Carolina Appalachian mountain folk and spread out from there down dirt roads and family tales. I found as I made my way through the pages, that the early chapters were heavy-handed in the striving to assert just how Southern Gaddy’s life and living were. Perhaps that is due to my own upbringing in rural Louisiana, relating immediately and almost to the point of wanting to tell the author to ‘get on with it’ but I quickly understood one key factor to Dave Gaddy’s voice. He is a storyteller. A gentleman with a penchant for Sunday afternoon, dining room table family chats where you hear tales about great grandparents and the ones who passed on. Once I understood this intention and the tone, it was a much more leisurely read.
Each chapter in The Simple Magick of Wild Things begins with a story but ends in two sections: journal questions followed by ritual. This makes the book a very powerful workbook and tool for those who rise to the challenge of it. The questions are designed to step you through a process of contemplation, Gaddy guiding you through toward areas of new or old considerations. The rituals perfectly augment the chapter, walking you to the door of your own journey through each topic for your own self-discovery. The back of the book, additionally, holds many recipes for incense and physical workings, perfect for anyone looking to be hands-on and craft potent elements to use in the book’s rituals.
I found that Dave Gaddy hit his stride about midway through The Simple Magick of Wild Things. With chapters covering ancestor work and healing generational traumas, he reveals what I believe is his strength as a practitioner- connecting with nature and that includes us. The book winds through our roots, connects to our family, and connects to the ground itself. Topics of nature and wild places conclude the text and feel as though it completes a journey starting with the memories of our past, through ourselves, out into the natural places, and back down into the roots of us all.
To Learn More:
Feel free to watch my TikTok review here.
Find more about Dave Gaddy here.
Purchase the book The Simple Magick of Wild Things here.