The further I read, the more I felt I was looking at the author's perspectives rather than my own and experiencing her thoughts from looking over her shoulder. What is striking about these short thought-spills is the consistent positivity expressed and how one might find joy or strength from ordinary things.

While I didn't always feel the perspectives applied to me, the second person format worked to draw me into the author's mind and see her life from an optimist's view. The idea here is to turn around and apply these positive thoughts to your own life details.

I could see this being of benefit to those who tend to get down about things generally. I'm rather an optimist myself so although I couldn't identify with the details, I could appreciate the author's attitude.

This book is a little gem which I think of most days when I'm making a cup of tea or see a flower. It reminds you to appreciate little things and find magic in the everyday. As lockdown continues it is ideal read for 2020.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to first off say how much I love the cover of this book. The moon is so cool on the cover. The book made me closer looks at things in my life on a daily basis and that is something that I something that needed to do and this helped me focused my way of thinking. IT is a useful book that I will go back to again.

This was a very lovely and easy to read book. This would be ideal as part of a morning ritual or practice. I would’ve enjoyed it more if the book had more depth to it in some parts, however overall it was very pleasing.

Enchanting read:
Everyday Enchantments is a book that reminds the reader to cherish the little moments in life. I like that the book is originating form Marie DeBlassie"s online blog. The a blog-style with its small chapters lends itself to either reading the book from beginning to end or choosing only to read a single passage anywhere in the book. I found myself doing both. First, I read the whole book and then I went back to reread the chapters that struck my interest in that moment. In her little chapters, the author weaves a tapestry of observations and contemplation about the little things in life that matter to her. It is both, very personal and also universal. This is a book that I will surely come back to often.

Maria’s book is described as a collection of ‘micro-meditations and celebratory reflections on living life as a wild woman’. How could I not be intrigued? Though far from a true wild woman myself thanks to my urban-slash-suburban setting, I’m always drawn to the idea of being freer, away from the hubbub and city grind. This book holds chapter after chapter of golden, glowing moments from just such a life, and is as compelling as it is calming.

Each chapter is short and sweet in the best possible meaning of that phrase. One chapter focuses on the magic of chamomile, from the point of view of taking the tiny, dried buds and bringing them to life in a soothing cup of tea. Another reflects on the divine powers of the onion. This is true ‘everyday’ magic. Rituals we may go through every day without perhaps realising the power inherent within our actions. Maria encourages us to pause, drink in what we are doing and absorb every moment’s magical potential.

I love the meditative nature of the chapters. Most are written in the second person, a style I normally find a bit jarring. In this book it works really well. This is because it is written in the same way a guided meditation is spoken to you. As you read you can almost hear a gentle voice whispering the words directly into your brain and allowing you to completely visualise and lose yourself in each moment.

I have found this book immensely useful for reminding me to stop and take stock. It helps me enjoy each moment more fully, not by trying to recapture the moments in the book but by following the example of living fully in each minute and being grateful for the enchantment that flows through every second. A thoroughly wonderful book. Recommended for all.

http://paganpages.org/content/2018/12/book-review-everyday-enchantments-by-maria-deblassie/

About a month ago, I requested the eARC of Everyday Enchantments from NetGalley (Thanks!). A few days afterwards, I was given permission and started to read it. Just by the title and the press, I was thinking that maybe it would be something directly related to magic or paganism but quickly I learned that this was not the case. Instead, Everyday Enchantments is a collection of meditations from everyday life and activities. As I read more and more I quickly fell in love with both the subjects of each passage and the writing style of the author.

In my personal life, taking moments out of my day to appreciate what I have and understand the value of life is crucial. Some of the most mundane daily tasks and chores are turned into moments of meditation and contemplation for me. While I wash dishes or sweep the entry way everyday, I allow myself free time to think about what my mind wants to. As I finish my task, those thoughts are given away to the universe and I am cleared. Like my mind, even though I clean the spaces up everyday, there is always something to sweet away the next day. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but these things are how I get through a lot of my days.

What I found so intriguing and emotive about Everyday Enchantments was how easily I could identify with most of the small passages. The topics she picks to discuss are right on target with myself. Some things she discusses are books, tea and tea making, yoga, fresh fruit, rainy days, reading, snow days, the moon, New Mexico, the body, flowers, Coyote, and the seasons. There are so many points in this book where I can picture myself in my own home doing what the text is discussing whether it be reading in a comfy spot, watching rain fall on the windows, or making massive pots of soup to freeze for the winter. The ability to transpose myself in the passages she discusses made it a very personal book for me.

I was taken aback with how beautiful the writing is even when it covers such seemingly mundane ideas. While this book is set up as prose, it reads like poetry. At times, passages seem to only be poetry as the word choice and descriptions are just too beautiful. This feels like a very feminine book; one that should be read by women of the world as to allow time and space for reflections. Reading this book and then using the author’s techniques for reflection on the everyday was the biggest takeaway for me. While I already do reflect on the mundane, this book has taught me that there is so much more ritual in my life and I do not see as ritual or special. In a way, it opens a door to appreciation of myself and where I am in the world today. Knowing that these two things will changes as days, months, and years go by, it is probably imperative to reflect as I go so I don’t loose sight. I enjoy reading books that make me stop and think about myself and what I’m doing versus whisking me off to another world or universe entirely. It’s like a refreshing break from real life while still being present in the moment.

While the writing is well-done and the subjects are interesting, the only critique I have deals with the organization of the book as a whole. The subjects of each short piece really jump all over the place and cover so much, I feel like some sort of organization would be beneficial. Personally, division of the book by season would have been really beneficial. The author discusses all the seasons, but passages are so mixed up that it can be difficult to find a passage you might want to go back to. Luckily, each title is pretty descriptive. I feel like it would be easier to revisit seasonal pieces with the seasons, if there was some division or index accordingly. Maybe even organization based on subject would work. The only other critique deals exclusively with the eBook. At times, the headers where messed up or the spacing just wasn’t right. I could have been because I had an advance copy that wasn’t fully edited. It didn’t take away from the writing of the book, but was a bit confusing the first few times I encountered this problem.

I would, without a doubt, recommend this book to others. While I think this book is probably directed towards women (I haven’t researching this), it could easily read by anyone with the interest. Everyday Enchantments can be a quick read or a drawn out one if you like; I read it over the period of a month so that I could enjoy it and savor the passages. On Goodreads, I gave this book four stars for its accessibly and poignant imagery. I was really able to get into the short pieces and take some good points away, so for me that is a winner!

This book is so charming. I adore it ! I am soon to buy copies for Xmas presents and a hard copy for myself. This is a book to savor, to read daily, to highlight and make notes in the margins. This book should be part of all. of our daily routine. It is divine and exactly what we all need in today's crazy world.
Everyday Enchantments is a lovely book created to make your world more beautiful, filled with joy and soul enriching. The author has penned a wonderful book of enchantments to our home and life that fill our lives with joy, complete our homes and fill our soul.
I quote:
“To live with Enchantment is to see beyond the bricks and mortar that make up your home and into the magic infused within its frame. It is made up of stories and dried bay leaves and dreams whispered into the heads of dandelions. Of bare feet on carpeted floors and the smell of burning sage. Crystals – amethyst, citrine, amazonite, smoky quartz – winding in and around your books; all the better to magnify their magic. It is to peel back the layers of your day-to-day and search for that elusive energy that winds its way up your spine and outward into your life. Let the snake at your base wriggle free of its coil to climb up to your shoulder blades and across your open back. There is no room for tightly stacked discs here, just the taste of joy when the sun licks your skin.
You might find it at the bottom of an empty teacup. Your future written in soggy leaves or in the whisper of trees, their leaves rustling and murmuring secrets only they can understand. Sometimes they are kind enough to translate for you – if you listen long enough. If you shower their roots with distilled love songs and feed them the black earth from your compost. It’s there, too, when you run your tongue along the grooves and ridges of a well-loved sentence. It’s everywhere. Even in the spaces you think have lost hope, like the junk drawer where you keep your faded dreams, stray screws, and half-forgotten heartbreaks along with wine corks and a few rubber bands. They’re not lost, just resting like seeds in the earth before they are ready to break open.”

Everyday Enchantments is full of joy for life and very inspirational. The author teaches you to find the beauty in the simple small things in our life for these are the important things. She teaches thankfulness, reflection and simplifying to make your home more beautiful. Through the simple ways she suggest once can improve their viewpoint and outlook of their home and work consciously toward making your home more a expression of your heart and soul. . She advises that we create our :magic" in our lives and therefore begin to live a fuller more realistic life. She teaches the reader to live more consciously through our care of our selves and our homes. It is a step by step guide that will improve your life. I highly recommend this lovely book !

Everyday Enchantments reminds us to find the magic in everyday life. I enjoyed the picturesque stroll through the author's life. Looking at the magic of life through someone else's eyes and life was an enchanting idea. I enjoyed the scenery, the meditations, and the prose as it all took me away from my own day. The author has a way of tapping into the beauty of the small moments that make life such a blessing to live and sharing them in a way that makes you feel as if you are part of that moment.
I will reread this book for the joy of reading it and to revisit the author's world. It is much like taking a mini vacation where magic and spirituality are an accepted part of every moment.

This is a book of snippets of thoughts about some of the things many of us contemplate, but don't think to write down. Things like the wonders of synchronicity and observations of everyday life. Many of these are related from the author's point of view but written in second person so that the book tells me there are roadrunners where I live and that I like chamomile tea (not!)

The further I read, the more I felt I was looking at the author's perspectives rather than my own and experiencing her thoughts from looking over her shoulder. What is striking about these short thought-spills is the consistent positivity expressed and how one might find joy or strength from ordinary things.

While I didn't always feel the perspectives applied to me, the second person format worked to draw me into the author's mind and see her life from an optimist's view. The idea here is to turn around and apply these positive thoughts to your own life details.

I could see this being of benefit to those who tend to get down about things generally. I'm rather an optimist myself so although I couldn't identify with the details, I could appreciate the author's attitude.

Great book. It really made me feel good about myself after reading it. Her descriptions were awesome. They say it's written you can see what she is talking about.

Upon finishing this book, I find myself to be seriously lacking in the whole "words" department, but I'm going to try to do this book justice nonetheless. Honestly, I feel like this author is a long lost friend of mine because so many of the musings and wanderings found here seemed like they came from my own mind. There's something so beautiful about having one's own thoughts and perceptions spoken or written by another. I guess the beauty lies in feeling found and known.

I will admit, it took me a while to become accustomed to this second person narrative. However, now that I've finished, I really can't imagine this any other way.

If you consider yourself an introspective person, often lost in your own thoughts, then this book is for you. If you can find magic and joy in the small, ordinary moments of life, then this book is for you. If you are simply looking to relish the beauty of this world around you, then this book is for you.

I could go on, but I will leave it at this--I truly wish I had a physical copy of this book because it was so poetic and soul-soothing that I'd love to be able to pick up this book and peruse it when needed from time to time. All the love for this one, folks--go read it!

Maria DeBlassie and I have never met, but after reading her new book Everyday Enchantments, I think it might have been written just for me.



From the very first page, Maira DeBleassie’s words drew me in. I was not familiar with her before. I found this book as an advanced reader offering and selected simply because of the title. By page 4, I was already typing her name in Google. Who is this woman? Why have I not seen her words until now?



I clicked around her blog for a few minutes, then returned even more enamored to Everyday Enchantments. This collection of essays makes mundane experiences seem filled with magic and wonder. I am all in for that.



In this book of very short essays -- musings, really -- DeBlassie talks about tea, used bookstores, yoga, herb shops, rainy days, and pretty much everything I like. If you like these things, too, go get this book.



Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a book that shows you many things. It is a collection of writings by an author who finds the happiness in the small things. She makes the everyday seem like magic. There are snippets in here of just about everything. From morning to evening, there is so much that we could be reflecting on, so much to be thankful for. The author shows you how to see things differently.

Very nice little book. A great read to start or end your day more mindfully. Thank you for the advanced copy.

I wasn’t able to get into the meditative place that this book requires because it’s an unfamiliar place. I don’t relate to any of the experiences that are supposed to be my ‘everyday enchantments’. This is a book for a very small subset of people. It’s far too specific to include anyone outside of that subset, which defeats the purpose of a book like this. Also, throwing around Coyote in a non-Indigenous context is very problematic.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

I really just fell asleep reading this. I never got pulled in by any of it. I didn't find anything to relate to or make my days more enjoyable. This just felt like somebody rambling themselves.

Title: Everyday Enchantments
Author: Maria F. DeBlassie
My Rating: 2 Stars

What it's about:

Everyday Enchantments is basically a grouping of guided meditations based on the usual mundane tasks of everyday life. Read them when you want to relax, or when you want to remember the small miracles in life.

What I liked:

I liked the sections on using herbs and the sections about reading books. Those were really the only ones that I could identify with. The sections on plants were very good too. The writing is beautiful, it’s relaxing and steadily paced.

What I disliked:

This book essentially guides you through the life of the author, therefore making it very personal. I didn’t identify with a lot of the happenings in this books, and I don’t think a lot of people will. It’s set in New Mexico, and while we have everyday tasks, that everyone can relate to, being gone through, we also have a lot of cultural stuff too. The cooking is very personal, the hobbies the author works on, reading and writing, it’s all so personal.

Overview:

If you go into this book knowing that you probably won’t “get” every aspect of it, you’ll probably enjoy it. For what it is, it’s really good. It reminds us to see the beauty in everyday life. It reminds us to slow down and be mindful of everything we do. It does read very much like a guided meditation, so maybe grab a cup of tea and read some of this before falling asleep at night.

The content of the book invites the readers to relax so I can see why so many people are loving it in the reviews. I personally found it a little too sweet sometimes and although I think it is a nice read, I don’t think I can read it in one sitting and perhaps that is the point of the book. Readers must take their time. I received a free copy via NetGalley.

I couldn't relate to much of this book, but I am betting it's audience in the southwest U.S. will enjoy it! I thought it might be similar to Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach, you know feel good book but updated to 21st century. And it is- to a degree. I mean yoga and tea figure a great deal in this book as do good for you foods. Maybe folks who enjoy those things will enjoy this book, too. But so much adobe and dessert in northeastern Ohio, really doesn't make much sense. I liked Simple Abundance better, but maybe my age is showing! It sounds so magical- Everyday Enchantments- but I couldn't find any between it's page. Sorry.