Author Sara Lyons brings ‘Revolutionary Witchcraft’ to Asheville

TOOLS OF THE RESISTANCE: Activists can use magic to engage with any struggle, says author Sarah Lyons. Historically, witchcraft “has been tied to environmental issues and to issues of gender and sexuality that it makes strong bedfellows with those issues.” Author photo courtesy of Lyons

Despite the hopes pinned upon it, this year got off to a bumpy start. U.S. tensions with Iran, raging wildfires in Australia and earthquakes in Puerto Rico dominated the news. In times like these, “I have to believe we’re going to win because we have no other option but to win and radically change everything that’s going on right now,” says Sarah Lyons, author of Revolutionary Witchcraft: A Guide to Magical Activism. “If being backed up against the wall makes you fight harder, then that’s my mood going into 2020.”

The author will present her book and give a lecture at Asheville Raven & Crone on Friday, Feb. 7.

While Lyons points out that witchcraft is, indeed, having a moment (#altarsofinstagram is a thing; witch-related T-shirts are all over Etsy and Cafe Press and any number of similar sites). But instead of penning a book on the history of the practice or its spells and rituals, Lyons decided to focus on political action. “I think there are a lot of people right now who want to get involved politically and don’t really know how, and there are also a lot of people who want to be more involved in witchcraft and magic and don’t really know how, either,” she says. Books about witchcraft and feminism “tend to stop at a surface, pop-culture level. … I don’t think that encompasses the entirety of the power of the witch or the power of magic.”

So Lyons set out to write a guidebook that would allow readers to examine how politics and magic are more closely aligned than many realize “because both are about how we reckon with and imagine power in our world,” she says.

The book, a slim and personable volume, includes sections on contemporary revolutionary history (including the 2016-17 Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock and the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle) and magic in action (connecting with ancestors, making sigils), as well some introductory spellwork and practices, such as meditation and using the wheel of the year.

There are also practical techniques, such as power mapping, which Lyons learned as an organizer in New York City. “The second I heard of it, I thought it was a deeply magical thing because politics manifests itself in the physical but it, itself, is not physical,” she says. The technique helps activists “figure out the ways [a] problem is manifesting, who has the power to fix it, and what power we have to use to accomplish our goals,” Lyons explains in her book.

The writer developed a skill for explaining this and other complex ideas because “until recently it was still a very weird thing to tell people you were a witch or believed in magic,” she says. “For most of my life I had to have a catalog of reasonable explanations for why I believe what I believe — a history lesson and a physics lesson waiting to go.”

Lyons was called to magic and witchcraft as a young person but didn’t realize until she was a teen that it could be a practice. As for championing causes, her mother was a politician, and Lyons was active in high school and college. The 2016 election followed soon after she graduated “and was a wake-up call for a lot of people that we were entering a different paradigm,” she says. “There was a crazy confluence of events where I was fired from a job I hated and an hour later got a call to go to Standing Rock to help out.” She’s also been an organizer with the Democratic Socialists of America in New York for the past several years.

In Revolutionary Witchcraft, Lyons encourages the confluence of magic and political activism on many levels but also takes a decidedly nonconsumerist stand, reminding readers that “capitalism gets its power from alienation while witchcraft gets its power from relationships.” She tells Xpress, “It’s important to remember that witchcraft is a DIY practice.”

At the same time, the writer does note that, unlike many other spiritual or civic groups, witches don’t have community centers and tend to gather around stores selling magical products and hosting witch- and pagan-related events — such as Asheville Raven & Crone. Lyons says she discovered the local shop on a previous trip to Asheville. “I really loved it and I wanted to come back,” she says. “When I was putting together this book tour, I wanted to go to places that felt like home-away-from-home, and Asheville felt like the perfect place.”

WHO: Sarah Lyons presents Revolutionary Witchcraft
WHERE: Asheville Raven & Crone, 555 Merrimon Ave., ashevilleravenandcrone.com
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

4 thoughts on “Author Sara Lyons brings ‘Revolutionary Witchcraft’ to Asheville

  1. Gregory Leng

    The bible clearly states that Witchcraft is of the devil. We do not need more liberal evil teachings or practices in beautiful Asheville. There is no power in relationships from witchcraft. Perhaps among those that are witches. Lyons is just another mislead and lost soul that is corrupting others into false beliefs. I doubt seriously that she will make enough off of this book to recover her costs of producing it. Place the Holy Bible on your reading chair and learn the greatest power & truths you can carry through this life. It just may open up a eternity in heaven for you as well. Read wise and live wiser!

      • Gregory Leng

        You have a biblical name and you insult me stating I never have read my bible. I am not a scholar but I have read and clearly understand the bible through the Holy Spirit. I am a evangelist and I understand that God is all you need. Witchcraft is not godly no matter how it is presented. I suggest you read what Almighty God has said about it. It happens to be in my bibles, you state I do not read. I have a extensive biblical library of many different versions of the bible God wrote and gave to us to live the good life by.

        • Jason W

          How about quoting some verses where witchcraft is discussed? And which version of the Bible they are from?

Leave a Reply to Gregory Leng ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.