Mini-review: The Almanac 2025 by Lia Leendertz
Constellations, cultural tales, and cake
Tonight, if skies are clear, look out for the full moon, the last supermoon of the year! It is known as the Beaver Moon or Frost Moon, but the name that seems to be hitting hardest is the Darkest Depths Moon…
I may be based across the Atlantic from where the dominant news event of the last week or so took place, but waking up that morning to the news that ‘you-know-who’ was voted president again made me queasy. Coupled with the grey and uninspiring weather, I felt out of sorts. Not physically sick, just very gloomy. Now I am trying to appreciate November, it’s not most people’s favourite month, certainly not mine, but I wanted to appreciate it at least, using it as a vital month to rest before the whirlwind that is December, and to really enjoy that rest. And also, finish up the big advent calendar project I have planned. But this particular November really is hard to love isn’t it? So I thought I’d add something different to my substack, which is posts on books, podcasts and other media that is relevant to Stelliferous as a whole, including some reviews. I’m not sure how regular these will be, but it’s something else to bring to the mix along with the other starry themed articles.
Without further ado…
My first review is…well, not a full review. As an almanac for next year, I plan to really sink my teeth into it on 1 January, and read each chapter every first of the month, savouring them. I’m not going to spoil it by reading each chapter now-I’d rather wait for the right time for it. So this is really a flick-through, to give you a feel of it, rather than a proper deep dive.
But I know it’s going to be good. I love Lia’s almanacs. I am a little late to the game with her almanacs, only discovering them in 2021, in ebook format first. Then I ended up with a copy of the 2023 version through a nature book subscription, followed by the 2024 one. I love having the actual book on hand, leafing through each chapter on the first of the month, and reading the recipes, the songs, the tidbits on monthly lore, moon phases, stargazing and plants. All beautifully and lyrically written, and gorgeously illustrated, each edition with a different artist providing the pictures. You will fall in love with every season and month, even the less traditionally ‘loveable’ ones (like November).
Each almanac has a theme, 2023 was the zodiac, 2024 was gardening. But 2025’s theme is extremely relevant to Stelliferous which is why I am reviewing it here: Ancient Astronomy. How fantastic is that? The theme weaves through the months in the forms of articles about prehistoric astronomy, megalithic monuments in the UK and Ireland (which more often than not have alignments to the sun and moon) and star stories. And not the Greek myths! In the 2023 almanac we were introduced to the Greek myths behind each zodiac sign, but in 2025 we break away from the ecliptic and travel across the world and back in time to find stories about the stars and constellations across the sky, and also some eclipse stories. These include celestial tales from Wales, India, Polynesia, the First Nations people of North America and Australia, and more. It’s wonderful to see this because I find that outside of the more niche publications, and picture books for children, you only see Greek mythology of constellations in mainstream astronomy books, if you’re lucky a few exceptions such as a mention of Sirius in ancient Egypt, or a fleeting reference to the Babylonian origins of the zodiac. So it’s refreshing to see diverse star myths that deserve more recognition in this almanac.
Alongside this are the regular information on tides, moon phases, events in the night sky, gardening by the moon, recipes, crafts and folk songs. Every month also has a section on meadows and how they change across the seasons, and meditations for new and full moons. Also, the illustrations (courtesy of Sarah Abrehart aka Nemesista on IG) are fabulous, bold woodcut style pictures that bring the stories and monthly spreads to life.
If I had to make a small criticism, is that I wish there were ‘Ancient Astronomy’ sections for every month, not just for the first three months! It’s such a fascinating topic and I was hoping for more info on it-what is the book seems almost a tease-a very intriguing tease though. Though that’s just me- I’m just a massive nerd for that sort of information, others might find too much of it a little too ‘over their head’ or overly technical? But it’s a very minor comment-what is in the book is so interesting already, highlighting some lesser known astronomical concepts that normally are found in heavier academic texts, making them accessible to all.
But other than that, I think this might be an almanac that’s hard to top, this could be the best yet (I am biased though) because the astronomical theme is the mycelium threading through the pages, connecting all and popping up like mushrooms in unexpected places, like the folk songs. Oh, and there’s cake. Yes, cake. Should have mentioned it earlier, that’s the recipe theme for the year, Cake of the Month. Oh well, I never put faith in new year’s resolutions anyway, certainly not diet ones!
I am also a big fan of the podcast Lia does every month, called As the Season Turns, available wherever you listen to podcasts. It is a complement to the almanac, occasionally following similar themes to it, but usually adding something different including folk songs performed by a different band each year, a monthly overview of a specific nature related topic (we’ve had oak trees, beehives, ponds and moss so far), playful stories and folklore, and a separate immersive soundscape recording themed around the season. I am hoping the 2025 episodes of the podcast follow the starry theme of the almanac. And yes, the almanac is also available as an audiobook, narrated by Lia of course…
She also has an excellent substack, where you can take part in her ‘big beautiful poem of the month’ project by simply noting any seasonal changes, glimmers or anything you notice around you every week. It’s similar to the concept of microseasons, and the contributions by others are uplifting and nourishing to read.
Note that these Almanacs tend to focus mainly on the UK and Ireland regarding things like sunrise/set times, tides etc.
The Almanac 2025 by Lia Leendertz
Available where you buy books. Support your local independent bookshops, or get it from Bookshop.com!
Also available as an ebook and an audiobook