Everyday Enchantments by Maria DeBlassie is a collection of essays that invites the reader to slow down and appreciate the magic of everyday life. Whether it is finding joy in a simple cup of tea, reconnecting with nature, or discovering the power of synchronicity, DeBlassie shows how we can actively live as wild women in a modern world. She writes with a poetic and passionate voice, blending personal anecdotes, philosophical reflections, and practical advice. She encourages us to embrace our intuition, creativity, and spirituality, and to celebrate the small moments that make life enchanting. Everyday Enchantments is a delightful and inspiring book that will make you look at the ordinary in a new light.

This book is simply beautiful. The writing is poetic and flowing ; each short story brings a new way of looking at an aspect of life. Buy a copy for yourself and another one for your best friend.

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/

I agree with another reviewer that this book is best dipped into in small chunks - unfortunately, before I could read more than three essays something went wrong with my copy and I have not been able to access it.

I enjoyed what I read, so will assume the rest is good and still rate it four stars.

This is a book that I am finding it better to dip in and out of than reading it all at once. Having said that, I should explain. I am choosing this way to read it because I am enjoying absorbing it in "chunks". It is certainly worth a read and I am happy I was offered the chance to do so.

Everyday Enchantments by Maria F. DeBlassie
Book Review by Dawn Thomas

200 Pages
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing Ltd / Moon Books
Release Date: October 26, 2018


Religion, Spirituality, Meditation, Self-Help, Personal Transformation

This is a lovely book of almost a hundred short stories. Each one has its own theme but the message is still the same. She reminds us to be mindful and find joy in anything you do. I love how readers are immersed into the stories as if we are experiencing it ourselves.

In one story, the author describes eating cherry tomatoes so vividly you feel the same sensations. The same is true in the sunbathing story. You can feel the sun moving along your body as you read her words. In the bookshelf story, I had to laugh at how many times she organized her books. I have done the same things to mine as many times.

The author’s writing style flows so easily and is very descriptive. She write with such passion it is easy to fall into a story and lose yourself. If you enjoy reading books by Clarrisa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D, then you would appreciate the stories in this book.

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!

Thank you John Hunt Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC in return for my honest opinion.

This is a beautifully written book, one I wanted to pick up in quiet moments and savour,

These short essays, or perhaps mini meditations remind the reader to reflect on the little things in everyday life, to enjoy the beautiful everyday enchantments that every one of us has, if we choose to slow down and be open.

A beautiful book, the perfect gift.

Review of EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENTS

Maria de Blassie is a tradition of her own; yet her mystical approach reminded me of two disparate female authors: Sarah ban Breatnach of SIMPLE ABUNDANCE, and Clarissa Pinkola Estes, psychotherapist and author of WOMEN WHO RUNS WITH THE WOLVES. All three auhors take different approaches, yet all three inspire readers to cast aside logic and rationale in order to seek out, find, and then apply the Truth.
EVERYDAY ENCHANTMENTS need not be read front to end in one sitting. The reader who sips at one “chapter” at a time, waiting to absorb it and to put into practice any and all recommendations, is the reader who will benefit most greatly and truly absorb the teachings herein.

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 musings, wonder and appreciation for life as a wonderful non-fiction ‘self-help’ book. It is 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 !

This is a light and breezy book about the small joys of life, from gardens to books to sweaters to tea time. Even if one doesn’t share the same passions, DeBlassie writes with such verve that dear reader feels the warm fuzzies. If all is not going well, a chapter from this lovely book could help reframe the day. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy from the publisher through NetGalley of this book that reminds us that the small things matter, and that we choose how we view our world.

This review is scheduled to post on November 26 at 1pm, at which time the link will be accessible. I will also share on social media and retailers.

I was lucky enough to receive a free copy by of this book via netgalley! Very informative and useful!

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.

A lovely book, full of interesting stories and full for thought.
I think it should be read slowly, one story at a time and it would a wonderful source for meditations.
It's well written and really engaging.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to John Hunt Publishing Ltd and Netgalley for this ARC

I thoroughly enjoyed Everyday Enchantments. Each mini essay was a lovely meditation on the magic of ordinary moments. Whether it is the joy in a stolen moment for yourself or the meditative quality to be found in daily tasks, Everyday Enchantments is a gentle reminder to be mindful of the joy and magic that daily life is bursting with.
I can easily picture myself returning again and again to this book to read an essay or two at random, whenever I need a little boost.

this wasn't entirely what I expected - a lot of the 'essays' seemed more like stories, and not being a fan of second person tense I didn't really enjoy some of them. I wasn't sure what the point of it was, overall, and I expected more "enchantments" though I suppose on going in with more of an understanding of what I'd experience I'd have enjoyed it more.

I got to tell you I enjoyed this book just because I love thought of feeling enchanted every day. And just conjuring magic in your everyday life. So this book appealed to me on my levels. and I felt the stirring in my being with the way the words just flowed from the author. A very good read for those who want to live enchanted on a daily basis. I voluntarily read this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.