Synopsis:
In October 2019, Jess Settergren received some life-altering news: she had breast cancer. Despite living in a world where Breast Cancer Awareness is highly visible and offers a myriad of support, she found herself uniquely alone as none of the options for patients and survivors featured a Pagan perspective. With Defying Shadows, Settergren sets out to fill the gap for Pagan-and-Witch-friendly cancer support. Within its pages, you will find gentle, easy ways to perform spells, meditations for wellness, and low-energy rituals for every sabbat. Find your peace and embrace the now with Defying Shadows.
My Edition:
ARC provided by the author
My Thoughts:
I will preface this review by saying I am fortunate enough to know Jessica in real life. I have known her for almost 15 years, which seems completely impossible, and yet – there it is. This will not impact my review. I promise.
Luckily, I think the entire premise of Defying Shadows is an incredibly valuable addition to the existing canon of ‘dealing with cancer’ or ‘dealing with chronic illness’ books out there. If you’ve ever had basically anything happen to you in your entire life and thought, “I should find a book about that to maybe help me cope,” you’ve probably come to the same conclusion that I have. Basically, every single one of them absolutely drips big “Live, Laugh, Let God” energy. And here’s the thing Christians don’t want you to know: not all of us believe in their God (or in my case, any god. I’m big on the whole “no gods, no managers” thing, to paraphrase Choking Victim). So Defying Shadows is still not really for me, as a non-religious/non-spiritual exister. However, if I were in the terrifying shoes of having to deal with a cancer diagnosis or a new-to-me chronic illness, I would still turn toward one aimed at pagans 900 times out of ten rather than a Chicken Soup for the Chronically Ill Soul or whatever.
According to the (definitely very trustworthy so take this with a grain of salt) Wikipedia, there are something like 1 million self-identified Pagans or Wiccans in the United States alone, so books like Defying Shadows definitely have a market to cater to domestically. Nearly half of America suffers from at least one chronic illness, and approximately 2 million people are diagnosed with some form of cancer in this country ever year. What I’m saying is that I believe this book is offering a very valuable, and very under-served viewpoint on dealing with chronic illness or cancer.
Jessica will give you helpful tips on things like recipes, rituals, meditations, and the like which can be done or modified in order to be done by someone dealing with the often brutal after-effects of cancer treatments. She provides the reader with ideas for very low-energy forms of worship or religious engagement when you just don’t have the energy for much of anything beyond just making it through the day. She provides plenty of personal anecdotes that keep it from feeling like a how-to guide, though. I think a reader in a vulnerable position will likely appreciate that. Defying Shadows is less a collection of instructions, and more like a conversation with a trusted friend about how to keep your spiritual practice alive during an unfathomably trying time.
Rating:
I genuinely hope that nobody reading this review ever has need for a book like this. But if you do, I’m so glad that something like Defying Shadows exists for you. As a Pagan person, you have just as much right to dignity, grace, and spiritual support as anyone else. And you deserve to have religious or spiritually-based guides to surviving life’s Tom-fuckery just like the monotheists do. It’s 5:30 am, I’m very tired, and I just want you to feel loved and supported in your time of need, okay? I’m sorry this isn’t more eloquent.
Defying Shadows: For Witches and Pagans Battling Cancer and Chronic Illness
By: Jessica Settergren
Forward by: Morgan Daimler
Crossed Crow Books
Expected Publication: February 21, 2025
ISBN: 9781959883944
Paperback
200 Pages
Jessica's Website with Pre-order Links
