BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Satyrs Kiss: Queer Men, Sex Magic & Modern Witchcraft’ by Storm Faerywolf

The Satyrs kiss

QUEER MEN, SEX MAGIC & MODERN WITCHCRAFT

Storm Faerywolf

The Satyrs kiss is a book tailored to queer men practicing modern witchcraft,  a gay grimoire which offers a thorough remoulding of traditions in an empowering, queer centric, sex positive way. Reflecting the practice of the author and of many men who seek an empowering spiritual space which fully sees then, and celebrates their sexuality and channels its power.

Traditionally there have been forms of witchcraft which have placed a great emphasis on fertility and the balance of male and female. The books intention is to address this heterocentric perspective and suggest an updated way for Queer men to support their pagan practice.

This is not an entry level or  beginners’ book on the subject of modern witchcraft, but a book for men who are already some way along their spiritual journeys. If you have read The Spiral Dance by Starhawk or anything from the Reclaiming or the Anderson Feri Tradition then you will have a good grounding and be able to fill in the gaps.  Storm Faerywolf is a Warlock and a well-known and respected practitioner with a few solid books on this subject behind him and a diverse online presence.

This practical guide empowers everyone who identifies as male to take his rightful place at the centre of his own universe, honouring the unique qualities that set him apart from the mainstream. Emphasizing the importance of sexuality in Witchcraft, this book features a variety of methods for celebrating sex in a magical way. The exercises are straightforward and easy to perform and deftly include working with many familiar symbols regularly used by Queer communities (the rainbow and the triangle for example)

In depth and from a pagan perspective he explores gay archetypes such as bears and drag queens, and also examines queer gods and ancestors. Faerywolf brings an understanding of historical pagan tradition to this book, parsing and explaining the development of ideas and rituals, exploring ways of making them fully inclusive and removing sometimes centuries of bias and deliberate erasure of queer lives.

The traditional wheel of the year is enriched with extra dates dedicated to people and events which are important in LGBTQ history. The book would have benefited from examples  of seasonal ceremonies, especially for Beltane which has often been celebrated in quite a heterocentric way and are often Queer men’s first contact with pagan rituals.

There is a refreshingly frank and uninhibited exploration of using sexuality in magic and as part of a spiritual practice, emphasizing the importance of sexuality in Witchcraft, and  featuring a variety of methods for celebrating Queer sex in a magical way.

There is a wide, fun and well written section of the book providing unique spells. The prose is engaging, many written in fun poetic form and the spells address many issues and dilemmas faced by gay men.

The book is aimed at Queer men, but as the author themselves explains cis gay men will probably be the ones who find it the most accessible. Other men on the queer spectrum may need to adjust the material from time to time, but with a flexible deconstructive approach to the many rituals in this book, this would be an easy undertaking for a confident Queer pagan and the book supports this empowering person-centred approach.

With a comprehensive foreword from Christopher Penczak, a leading light in the American metaphysical communities, this book offers insight and practical suggestions for a Queer man who seek a spiritual avenue to explore, anchored in empowering ritual, which reflects their own lived experience. Faerywolf serves up a really useful book with a lot that can be used to queer up any pagan tradition and satisfy the passion in your soul with a queer-centred exploration of magical philosophy, history, rites of passage, and sex magic.

Out May 2022 £22 large paperback, e-Formats.

For more info or to order the book see the publisher’s website here: