Spirited: A review ten years on
‘Spirited – Taking Paganism Beyond the Circle’
I recently heard through the grapevine that Gede Parma’s ‘Spirited’ had reached the end of its reprint line. Published originally in 2009, it is also currently its ten-year anniversary and I felt it was the perfect time to pick up this nostalgic work and dive back in to the world of teenage witchcraft and paganism. I mentioned this to Gede and he said he’d love to hear my thoughts on his very first book. I jumped at the chance to share my review, especially since this work is something very near and dear to my heart.
Gede (known as Fio to his beloved ones) is someone that I am quite familiar with, and we both entered the world of witchcraft at roughly the same age and with similar experiences shaped by the early 2000’s in Queensland, Australia. Gede is also the co-founder of the Wildwood Tradition; a witchcraft tradition that has adherents in various countries throughout the world and continues to flourish especially well here in Australia today. Naturally, Spirited has various references to the tradition and the experiences that Gede was confronted with during the formative years of his coven, and that is where I think this book really shines.
Spirited is packed with both personal experience and solid advice. The experience of growing up as a teenager blossoming into their own as they pursue the path of spiritual development is not something that can be easily captured. Gede would have been in his very early twenties when this book was released, and it’s evident that he knew firsthand just how difficult it was to tackle this topic. Lived experience is always the best, and boy did Gede live this experience! The book begins with a thorough examination of how we ‘come into our own’ and realise that we are indeed destined for the path of witchery. There is practical advice on handling the ‘coming out’ phase to family and friends and spells to calm tension and hostility that could (and often does) arise in these situations. No book on teenage witchcraft would be complete without stories of handling schoolyard bullying and handling the confrontations with peers, teachers and those in authority as well. Spirited has plenty of advice on that.
Romance features quite heavily in Spirited. How a young witch confronts their sexuality, deals with heartache and attracts their desires is deeply dived into. There is no shying away here from any of these more difficult topics. Anyone that has actually been a teenage witch will be more than able to understand why the book covers this to such an extent. Teenage witches coming into their Craft are still dealing with all the difficulties that come with being an adolescent, and love is still at the forefront of their minds for many. Gede tactfully approaches these topics and gives valuable advice on navigating these new experiences and how magic can be used to open us up to limitless possibilities when it comes to love.
Spirited then rounds itself off with information on how to perform successful solo and group rituals (something Gede is more than qualified to speak on) and how to approach community and the relationships that will be forged there. Impressive exercises are presented to the prospective teenage witch, covering topics like inner journeying, magical techniques for self-development and rituals for communicating with deities. Once again, this all comes in the form of anecdotal advice – something a teenage witch is sure to find valuable from someone that had just lived all of that themselves prior to publishing this work.
At this point, you might be wondering just what makes this book different from others of its kind on the market aimed at a young demographic. Actually, in my opinion, this book is somewhat of an anomaly in the witch world. Teenage witches are often approached in a way that can be completely unrelatable for them, or by those considerably older and now facing generational differences that no longer apply to the newer youths seeking the occult. Gede’s book is now a decade old, but it has aged incredibly well. Spirited presents topics that are still extremely valuable to everyone in the witchcraft community currently. I cannot recall a book from the early 2000’s that so openly and frankly discussed love, alternative sexualities and sex in a way that this book did. There is a thread of anarchy within this work, and of fierce love and activism that has wound its way into witchcraft covens so powerfully in recent years.
Spirited is also written from the perspective of a young Australian witch. I would argue that our experiences have a few key differences to those of other young witches growing up in other countries throughout the world. Gede was, and still very much is, one of the more notable public figures to arise in contemporary times in the witch world here. Wildwood Coven held open events for many, many years and was a refuge and safe haven for teenage witches all over Brisbane and greater Queensland. Spirited clearly expresses much of the same sentiments, showing a vibrant world of acceptance and limitless possibility that can only be seen in such a way by a teenage witch. There is no boring rehashing of old techniques and general advice here, and perhaps this is why some adults have found the book challenging in the past. This book is a special window into a very specific time in a person’s life. It isn’t something that someone can pick up in adulthood and immediately resonate with. We are much older, weakened by the realities of life and more confident in our belief that we know ourselves and how things ‘are’. I encourage people to seek out this book and suspend these beliefs just for a little while. Read through the book and invite your wild, rebellious teenage self to revel in the stories and exercises within the book. It will more than certainly leave you with a better understanding and appreciation of the youths that shaped (and continue to shape) the communities we are involved in today.
Luke
