Micro-meditations and celebratory reflections on actively living as a wild woman. Everyday Enchantments is a love letter to the magic of everyday life, the sweet moments and the profound that we often overlook in our hurry to get from one place to the next. This collection of essays reminds us to escape into the ordinary, find beauty in a simple cup of tea or rereading a beloved novel, and … and joyfully let our world turn upside down when synchronicity strikes in the form of wrong turns down forgotten lanes and unexpected midnight conversations with the moon. Everyday Enchantments is a study in what it means to live deliciously, joyfully, and magically. And it’s an invitation to conjure your own bliss, because, let’s face it, we could all use a little more magic in our lives. ‘An insightful collection of short writings that make you look at the everyday in a whole new light.’ Erin Elliot, The Sword of Lumina
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When I first began reading this, I wasn’t sure what to expect as I have never really read anything quite like it, but I soon fell in love with its balm-like effect on my mood.
“Because when you are looking for everyday enchantment it finds you”
Just one of the many beautiful lines that feel like meditation, every sentence is drenched with gold and is poetry to read. Not to steal the title but this book was a little enchantment all its own, weaving its own little magic spell as if the writer were sending a steady stream of power through the words and straight into my heart. I think this book would fit very nicely on the shelf of anyone that believes in and chooses to practice as a witch, Wiccan, spiritual healer etc, but also for anyone looking for a book that breaks down little moments in every day and paints them in a whole new and beautiful light. The mundane is viewed through the calm of now, no rush of tomorrow or heaviness of yesterday, just golden little thoughts to focus your mind and calm your thoughts.
Being an avid crocheter I especially loved the Crocheting infinite Blankets “Each stitch is a piece of woven intention”, how flipping lovely is that? That essay in particular weaved its way into my heart and made me think about all the intricate patterns we make in our lives and how we get tangled up in one another, sharing warmth and love. This small book is full of the thoughts and musings of someone else but somehow feel like your own. Also ‘A trip to the bookstore’ was awesome, felt like she’d climbed into my brain and was writing my thoughts.
I would highly recommend giving this little gem a go if only to dip in and out of when you are feeling the weight of the world. It is perfect as something to mull over with the first coffee in the morning, setting you up for the day and fortifying you against the stresses that always rear their ugly heads. DeBlassie has captured a small piece of wonderful in her work and it will enchant you just as it enchanted me.
Everyday Enchantments is exhilarating. A creatively personal self expression that is a self help book at the same time. There are few who will not have The Hair Day essay resonate to their very core (Mrs. N sure did).
The author takes the daily mundane and crafts them into prose. This book simply screams to find JOY in your life. The simple things are profound. . . one just has to have the inner ability to understand that and appreciate them for more than what they seem to be.
Those who feel a connection to the Universe and feel in communication with it, will love this book. A cozy read on a fall day, a comfortable read on a spring day.
A book that awakens the soul. This is a book for all seasons.
My Rating: 5 stars
Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings by Maria DeBlassie, is not a book you want to just zip through. Each little chapter is a story all its own. I love the way this book is about living in the moment. Not just living in the moment but every aspect of the moment and loving it. But what I love most about this book is the author’s turn of phrase. I love the way she uses language to paint pictures that you not only can see but you can smell and hear and feel. Such an appeal to the senses.
This was a wonderful collection of meditative stories. I loved how the author related everyday things into an enlightening and encouraging little story. You can read one a day, or consume it all at once as I did.
I’ve always wanted to use this saying now at last I have the opportunity to use it…… Maria DeBlassie definitely has a way with words.
From the cover, to the title, to every single essay, I was absolutely captivated by this book.
Maria takes everyday moments blows life into it and infuses it with a touch of magic.
Her talent with words makes you take a step back and reflect on small moments in your life that are truly special, magical and dare I say ENCHANTING.
Everyday Enchantments by Maria DeBlassie is a truly magical read! This is my first book from this author, and I was just absolutely at a loss for words when i finished this. I haven’t read a book like this before, it’s different, but in a very good way! Maria is exceptionally talented, her writing is well paced, and very thought provoking! I can’t wait to see more from this author, for now though, i recommend reading this book!!
This is a book I could connect to a lot personally. I run a blog and my own FB page is filled with quotes which urge the readers to enjoy the little things in life. This book, unlike mine, is a lot more personal. The author deliberates on the little things that matter to her in her own life, the observations we can all connect to at some point of another.
I did feel that the style of writing is a little inconsistent, perhaps because it is a compilation of blog published together in a book. But this book gave me a whole set of new ideas and perspectives , right as an individual and a blogger.
This is my first book by Maria DeBlassie. Unfortunately for me the narrative I did not like when reading upon finishing I see why the book has been done this way. It is an extremely descriptive book. Its a book where you can curl up with a cup of tea. Learning about the world through nature.
Book Review: Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic and Daily Conjurings
Author: Maria DeBlassie
FOUR STARS
A very different read for me. I am more of a story type person and this book was more of a self help type book. It is full of short quick reads to help you slow down and not overlook the small things in life. Maria DeBlassie is a new to me author and I did enjoy this as it is so totally different from my usual.
There are so many different things to take away from this book. You can pick it up and just skip around to whatever suits your needs at the time or you can read it cover to cover. You don’t have to worry about missing anything as each short section is different.
KLH
A unique book full of the wonderful, magical things we see but really don’t see in everyday life. Ms. DeBlassie brings awareness to the small things that make up the beautiful world we live in. It’s such a magical book that you might wonder why you can’t put it down. But as you read it, you find the joy in the things and beings around you.
Everyday Enchantments by Maria DeBlassie is such a different type of book for me. I was intrigued and drawn in by the description and I don’t regret trying out a different style writing and a genre that is new to me.
Everyday Enchantments is an active encouragement to find the magic in everyday life, it can be found everywhere and in everything, you just need a different perspective. The magic doesn’t come from conjuring up spells and potions, but from changing your mindset and actions. And, from believing.
I love the way this book made me feel. It was very easy to read and afterwards I felt like I could add a touch of magic to my own life.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for some positivity and something a bit different to read.
5/5 Stars
Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings by Maria DeBlassie
This is the first book I’ve read by the author and as a non-fiction it won’t be my last. Usually I don’t do non-fiction, but when I saw this book I picked it up.
DeBlassie has a way with words and throughout the entire book you learn different things. Each chapter will teach you something new.
The quote I chose for the book is: Goodbye Old Man Gloom, today and every day. With my light, I banish you. With my light, I banish stagnate energies. With my light, I banish old selves that no longer serve me. With my light, I banish the woe others cast my way. I let the flames of my soul burn them alive until they are nothing but ash and charred bits of history, good for nothing but fuel for my cosmic compost.
Highly recommended for non-fiction lovers.
****4 stars****
Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings by Maria DeBlassie
I’m not sure how to best describe this book. It’s not a genre I read, but it was nice. It’s so descriptive and calming, like a calm break in your day where you are able to completely insert yourself in the little moments. Meditations that are super descriptive and paint a picture like poetry and guided imagery. As a mental health professional I can see even having clients read this book while encouraging mindfulness. The tone of the writing and daily affirmations is almost seductive. I imagine hearing these passages in a hushed calming tone. It’s not my usual thing at all, but there’s something about it. Plays on all the senses. I give it 4 stars
This book is a beautiful piece of nonfiction which gives you an idea about how to bring a little more joy and enchantment into the everyday. As the book goes from topic to topic, it is a study of the little things and how much they can cause enjoyment, disruption and rest. It is a work from the heart and it shows how a change of perspective can make the difference between doing something because you always do it and really investing in what you are doing.
There are examples in each chapter of the type of things that bring joy to the author, it goes into such detail about the beauty within these things and the way in which she describes the actions and feelings behind them, which make the book even more immersive.
In the first chapter the author talks about what enchantment is and the definition of the word, this is done in such a way that you can almost see the word in front of your eyes and all of the magic that it can contain within it. This view of enchantment really sets the tone for the rest of the book and the format which the author will use to talk about how she sees her everyday enchantments.
The next chapter talks about double egg yolks and how she sees them as a joyful surprise when they burst out of the egg when cracked open, this leads her to talk about how this can uplift you when you see the bright colours and how it can also bring a feeling a fullness and opportunity to start the day the right way.
As you read through this wonderful book you find yourself thinking about the things in your own life which bring you joy, it draws out the feelings behind these things and helps you to reconnect to them in a meaningful way. It shows an example of a new ebay of thinking and finding the joy in the enchantment anyone can find in their everyday living situation from first thing in the morning through to last thing at night.
So embark on a journey of discovering the magic, conjuring and enchantment which can be found everyday if you go looking for it.
Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings by Maria DeBlassie
5 of 5 Stars
Both inspirational and empowering ‘Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings’ by Maria DeBlassie is an original and unique non fiction book. It had me intrigued from the front cover and by it’s title and by the time I had read through the chapter headings I was hooked. The novel consists of a collection of varied essays written by the author, each essay is designed to inspire the reader to look at life and the everyday things in a different light. The essays remind us to escape into the ordinary, and to find beauty in a simple cup of coffee or in the rereading of a favourite novel. The book is a “study in what it means to live deliciously, joyfully, magically”, and “it’s an invitation to conjure your own bliss”. I don’t think there could be a better time to be reading this book as the population as a whole is dealing with and living with the dreaded Coronavirus and are all in various stages of ‘lockdown’. Myself and my family due to ill health have been in ‘Shielding’ here in the UK since March so, if ever there was a time or a need to have, a “little more magic in our lives”, I think it’s now.
Even though I had never heard the term ‘natural mysticism’ before, I read this book with an open mind and I think any reader who does the same will benefit in some way from reading this book. I think every reader will find a particular chapter more or less appealing to them and will find more meaning in one essay than another, making reading this book a personal experience. I particularly liked the chapter, ‘The Bookshelf’ and the chapter titled, ‘Letting Go Of Past Lives’ I found particularly poignant personally.
This is a book that you can pick up and put down, you can either read it a chapter at a time or swallow it whole, I have also found myself returning to it and flicking to a particular chapter to read it again. It’s definitely made me think and it’s also made me smile, before I read this book I would have said that I didn’t really believe in magic but now I think, as DeBlassie, says, “we all need a little magic in our lives”.
This book is something everyone needs in their life. What makes this nice, is you do not have to read it front to back, you can choose to read the chapters randomly as you need. Although I highly recommend reading it in its entirety. This book talks about how to enjoy and savor the everyday things that happen – to make the most of them. Doing just that in today’s world is difficult with all that is going on, but this book helps find the balance and really makes you think – about everything. The simplest, everyday chore that you do, this book can help you find it more enjoyable and thankful for the little things.
I found this book very inspiring and relatable. As I read each page, I was easily relaxed. I loved how each chapter through each essay you learned something meaningful about what and how love can be. This is an easily readable book that is fun to get through. Excellent read!
I decided to read this book on a whim and I am so happy I took the plunge! This book was more on the poetic side than I’m accustomed to, but it was so charming. It’s always such a breath of fresh air to get a peek into the thoughts of others and this is what Maria DeBlassie gave us. This book made me want to sit and reflect, which is the purpose, but I was impressed by the success behind the words. While I do think you need to be in a certain mindset for reading this, it would be a wonderful book to keep around the house a pick up in the mornings with a cup of coffee and just be at one with yourself.
From the first page of Everyday Enchantments, Maria DeBlassie snatches your attention as a reader with her fantastic descriptive language and holds you captive throughout all the chapters until the end of the book.
This is such a good book in which all the chapters cover something that you may need help on so you can read it as a whole – which I definitely recommend doing first – to dipping in to the different chapters to what will help you on that particular subject or moment. DeBlassie has created such a unique laidback way of writing that it is so easy to just turn each page without thinking. She, as an author, shows you how each and every little thing that you do in a day actually has a little magic to it and as a reader that just brings more and more enjoyment to this book as you can really see it in day to day living.
Having not read anything of DeBlassie before I would now really recommend her book and others to people to read if they need a bit of magic coming into their lives. It bursts with positivity and really opens up the readers mind to new, positive ways to look at everyday life.
Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings
By Maria DeBlassie
Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic & Daily Conjurings is my first book by Maria DeBlassie. To be honest I was not sure what to expect and I am also not sure this book was for me.
On saying that this review will be on the writing style of the author. What we have here is reflections on the magic that can be found in life. This book has been written in such a way that in most cases you feel part of the story. I did find that in some parts of the book it did have me thinking that we need to take time for ourselves. While I was not totally into this book there will be those of you out there that will absolutely love this book.