Growing up in a rural setting meant that a farmer’s almanac of some sort or another was always within reach. Prior to the internet, this was some of the only reading material in remote areas and the almanac was a treasure trove of information. I poured over the charts and data for hours, reveling in the articles, and loving the classic printer’s artwork.
I purchased my first magical/Pagan almanac in 1986. It was a joy to have a constant daily record for my very private spiritual path and it became like a friend I could secretly confide in while in the “broom closet”.
However, the times and dates in the various magical, Witchy, or herbal almanacs and calendars I tried over the next 10 years were not very accurate. Time zones for events were inconsistent (Sabbats in Eastern time, Moon phases in Universal time, or no time zone provided at all) and often inaccurate, and there was always a lot of extra meaningless data included to make the annuals look more mystical and complicated, but really made them less practical.
Although I loved the various almanacs and calendars I tried, the practical information I needed for my homestead, garden, spiritual practice, and magical herbalism were lacking. In addition, some of the annuals I tried contained articles- about half of which were spectacular, while the other half were poorly researched, badly written, and sometimes lightly plagiarized. Some of the herbal advice was often downright dangerous.
I began creating an extremely accurate almanac for myself and published it online for my students. To my surprise and delight, it became so popular over the next two decades that it now has its own following of avid readers from all walks of life and a diverse array of spiritual paths.
The input from these loyal readers continues to shape the almanac to become even more practical for everyone. The one-week-per-page format developed out of reader requests, as have the additional recipes, spells, and DIY projects.
Many readers still desire a full-size wall calendar. I wanted to provide this without making people pay for another calendar. At the same time, I didn’t want to raise the cover price or waste paper printing wall calendars that might not be used by everyone.
To solve this issue, we went back to the roots of the almanac which was originally online and eBook only. Integrating the printed (or eBook) versions seamlessly with the official online site was the solution, and it allowed us to add extra modern features and bonuses.
Anyone who purchases the printed book or eBook can download printable full-size PDF wall calendars on the official website. To bring everything into the 21st century the entire almanac data can be synced with your iCal ready or Google calendar.