Will reach for it again and again
So. Good. If you're thinking about reading this enough to read the reviews, stop reading the reviews and go read the book. Molly's writing style is like her podcasting: somehow both soothingly laid back and also brightly fun, information-packed, and action-inspiring.
It's mostly a reference book, but I read the entire book from cover to cover so I could give it the review it deserves. Molly covers every aspect of home/pet/self care, from trimming a pet's nails to returning library books to washing the shower curtain, and walks readers through a variety of ways to integrate a spiritual practice that literally turns chores into magic. It's perfect for anyone who's a little bit witchy and a little bit ADHD (read, a LOT of both), but it's also perfect for the skeptic who's having trouble with home care tasks. Molly writes about magical rituals, meditations, and spells, but also the fascinating science behind why it works. Bonus: she also recorded some of the meditations, so you can listen to them while you do the thing!
She also doesn't gate-keep the best information. She puts her three maxims right in the beginning where they're easy to find: "Two minutes a day is more effective than 60 once a month. How you do anything is how you do everything. You are the Magic." All the meditations have purple borders so the edges of their pages are purple, which makes them easy to find even when the book is closed (even the formatting is perfection!). I really appreciated that Molly doesn't pretend to be the best expert with the most perfect methods. She encourages readers to use what works for them and leave what doesn't, so when I found something that would fail HARD for me (shifting stuff to the threshold while decluttering = a pile of stuff to deal with "later"), I could just skip that bit without worrying about not "doing it right." The thing is, this kind of does make her the best expert with the most perfect methods. :)
With zero exaggeration, Molly and her podcasting partner Madison's podcast Demystifying Magic changed my life, and this book contains a lot of the things that I found so life changing. For example:
- The ease I introduced into my magical practice has translated to more ease and patience in my parenting.
- I stopped worrying about others' perception/judgement of my spirituality, and it changed some of my relationships for the better: I booked a chart reading with my cousin, I talked about magic with my best friend and pulled some tarot cards for her, I read this book IN PUBLIC and it sparked a couple of interesting interactions with coworkers.
- I've been more present in general, and have found myself reaching for my phone less and less. You can't do magic while scrolling; you have to be present and intentional.
- I've done magic without talking myself out of believing in it (hello, little spider plant I just manifested!).
At the beginning of the book, Molly writes "Mundane Magic emphasizes rest, wonder, and--most importantly--doing what works for you," and this could not have been more true. Somehow, adding low-maintenance magic into my everyday has created more time and space for rest. I know I'll be reaching for this book over and over again.
