The Last Wild Witch

I feel that at my core i am a green, magical, medicine woman, a wild witch infact and i like the thought of 'dancing' and being completely free out in the forest, outside in all weathers. It is here out in nature that i have always felt most at home and connected, hence my love of surrounding myself with all things green, of camping in the woods, treking throught the hills and of wild swimming in the lakes and in the sea. So what could be better than to live on the edge of a huge forest here in Oslo with wonderful clean fresh water lakes whilst also being close to the sea, it feels like i finally have a little more wildness in my life than i have had since my childhood.

So perhaps that is why i love this wonderful children's book about 'The Last Wild Witch' because it reminds us to connect to the wildness before we no longer have it. This book was recently reviewed by the Green Parent magazine:

"In the very heart of the magic forest lived the last wild witch. This is a story of how the children from the perfect town let a little wildness grow inside them, found their joy and courage and saved the last wild witch and the magic forest from disappearing. It is the first children's book written by earth activist Starhawk and is beautifully illustrated by Lindy Kehoe. An eco fable from three and upwards."

From the authors own website she describes the story further:

"The tale, written in simple language with a rhythm that steadily grows as the story progresses, deals with many issues and questions of deep concern to both children and adults. It touches on the creation of rules, the necessity of some and the arbitrary nature of others, and the eternal difference in world views and perceptions between innocence (kids) and experience (adults). It shows how this affects the ways we choose to live: conformity vs. individualism, engineered town vs. the wilds of nature. How do we let the wildness in—into our lives, to our vision of what community means? How do we recover our sense of being part of the natural world? Can we let nature's own patterns inform the way we meet our human needs, so that we can heal and regenerate the world around us?

By letting our children lead the way, through their imaginations and affinity with pristine nature, there is hope that we have not sat down to tea with our last wild Witch. These thoughts are brought to life through the shamanistic beat of Starhawk's words, and the vibrant, swirling art of Lindy Kehoe's paintings. Readers will see the auras and feel the pulse of their neighborhoods, and discover the beauty of the wildness that waits not too far from their own doorsteps. You might want to read this one aloud, even if you're by yourself."

Here is a fun promotion on You Tube for The Last Wild Witch, just incase you need any more convincing to read this book. We all need reminding about the wildness in our nature both inside and out.

Take a look at Starhawks blog here