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BACK IN STOCK!

Just got some restocks back in the shop today!

The Zombie Tarot Cards: An Oracle of the Undead with Deck and Instructions

The Language of Birds: Some Notes on Chance and Divination by Dale Pendell

Magical Writing Grimoire: Use the Word as Your Wand for Magic, Manifestation & Ritual by Lisa Marie Basile

Becoming Dangerous: Witchy Femmes, Queer Conjurers, and Magical Rebels compilation

Postcolonial Astrology: Reading the Planets Through Capital, Power, and Labor by Alice Sparkly Kat

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

American Brujeria: Modern Mexican American Folk Magic by J Allen Cross

Queering Your Craft: Witchcraft from the Margins by Cassanda Snow

A Practical Guide for Witches: Spells, Rituals, and Magic for an Enchanted Life by Ylvadroma Marzanna Radziszewski

Besom, Stang & Sword: A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft, the Six-Fold Path & the Hidden Landscape by Christopher Orapello & Tara-Love Maquire

Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia by Jake Richards

Liber Null & Psychonaut: An Introduction to Chaos Magic by Peter Carroll

And while our free shipping sale is over we are still offering 9% for our 9th birthday until the end of the month with coupon code: BIRTHDAY9

Uses of "powders"

What exactly is the "dust" made of? the powder is usually made from natural herbs and minerals. and is usually used in hoodoo and voodoo such as : *Salt, Sugar, Black pepper powder, Red pepper powder. *herbs, flowers and plants. *animal skin or bones such as: snake. *insects and insect nest . *Powdered Sulfur, Magnetic Sand, Saltpeter, graveyard dirt also "powders" can be "mixed" with "dirt" known "powders" : Polvo de Goofer. hot foot powder. Black cat sachet podwers. fast luck sachet podwers. among others. ways of use: in magic bags and mojo bags,spreading or blowing it in a certain or specific place, blowing it to a specific person. it is also important to take into account that is not just "spray" it and that's it,no, It would be a good idea to give it the command or intention for which it will be used. there are also certain ways to "spray" them for example: if you plan to do it to a specific person at the door of your home. the good thing would be if I did it from left to right or from right or left this is to make sure you don't fall for yourself. in case it is a "dust" with "negative" or malefic. if they are powder with "positive" intentions or for a beneficial use, there is no problem in using it on yourself or someone else who wants to help. if it is a powder for someone to move away as for example: hot foot powder. Ideally, you should "spray" it on the person you want to drive away. for example: at the door of your home. and not yourself.

USES OF "DIRT"

in the hooodoo the "dirt" is collected and used and it also refers to "dust" since "dust" is a type of "dirt", from a certain specific place for a specific purpose since the "dust" from that certain place has the "energy" or "quality" of that particular place from which it was obtained. and although it could be said that it is a "form" of "sympathetic magic" it is not, since in "sympathetic magic" what you do is "represent". On the other hand, in this practice what you do is take part of the "force" or "quality" of a certain place through "dirt" for a specific purpose, that is, it "works" directly with that "energy". "and not through any other means. Another important piece of information to take into account is not only to pick it up, no, it also depends on where and how you pick it up. a little dirt list of its "functions" and uses: *hospital dirt: to heal the sick. *Bank dirt: for money "jobs" and financial affairs. *House dirt: for protection, family or even "destruction". *Dirt of the Police Corps and judicial center: for justice and legal matters. *Cemetery dirt: I want to clarify that by "dirt" of the cemetery I do not mean only the "dust". I also mean the graveyard land. To deal damage to an enemy, connect with the ancestors. The dirt of the cemetery: I want to clarify that by "dirt" of the cemetery I do not mean only the "dust". I also mean the graveyard land. It should be collected with respect and first asking permission from the "guardian" of the cemetery. It would be best to know more about the death of the person in the grave. that is, if he died: of natural causes and in a calm way, or if he died by some disease, accident or violently. Having said this, go to the grave and say what you need it for, I mean dirt and or earth. after this as payment to the deceased you can put some coins or any other offering that is to your liking.

another important thing

be sure to disinfect the "needle" before use. Another fact is that you could use a "needle" for diabetics (Insulin Syringes) to make it as painless as possible.

Is blood magic inherently dark magic?

Nope, that’s just a common social bias. 

The main thing about blood magic is to be safe about it, like don’t open main veins or arteries, bandaging the wound properly, keeping your situation as sterile as possible to avoid infection, and disinfect the wound after. That kind of thing.

There’s something about blood magic that makes things a lot more personal though, since you’re using the liquid life source that courses through your veins through magic. It definitely amps up the power for the spell as a result of the personal sacrifice, but it also makes your magic have a more specific signature to you as a person and a witch.  That magic you perform with blood magic is then tied to you and can be traced back to you if you’re using it for spirit work, summoning, or if you’re casting a spell on another witch (if theyre a very skilled witch). Just be wary of that detail.

I study tarot like I got final on it or something ..

🌙✨

Hexing

This spell is similar to the one given above and will cause your enemy to have extreme bad luck in all his/her endeavours. Again you will need to obtain a piece of clothing from your enemy, if you cannot acquire a piece of clothing, then try to get anything which belongs to him. On this piece of clothing write hisiher name in block capitals. Take a bowl and put in it some heavily salted water, to this add some pepper and tobacco from a used cigarette. Mix this substance well and over it say: "Demons and spirits of hell, Charge this with your venomous spit. Fill it with the negativity of your realm, Make him suffer slowly, no, not too quick. Take my hatred from whence it spawned, Bad luck is his from dusk to dawn. SO MOTE IT BE.'' Go to the garden and dig a hole, place the piece of clothing in the hole and over it pour the liquid substance. Say: "From this day and hour (name of enemy)'s life will change. Heishe will have no peace till he/she changes ways. Negativity engulfs you and it is what you deserve." Cover the hole. The spell is finished. Book: PRACTICAL MAGICKALEVOCATION M. McGrath

Books you should consider

Often on all these book recommendation lists I see going around, they are all books about Witchcraft or Wicca or Paganism, which is awesome because that’s what we are doing, but I rarely see books that can be used by Witches (using a generic term here) that aren’t Magical. 

So here is a list of books that I think need to go on every witches shelf alongside the texts from Witchy publishers

A Rocks and Minerals Guide- These are the sciencey side of the stones. How to identify them in the real world, their levels of hardness, what they are made of. This thing is great for the rockhounds in all of us.

An Herbal book that contains medicinal information NOT written by a witchy source. This one is my covens go to guide for drug interactions and warnings on dosages. (try out this one too if you don’t mind dropping $$)

How about an herbal and plant guide on how to find what you need in Nature? Find the one for your area and region and get out into the wilderness!

How about a good old Farmer’s Almanac? These things can help you so much year to year with your spell work and weather witching.

How about an Earth Science brochure for your 3-Ring BOS? Or one on Astronomy? Rocks and Stones? Botany? Meteorology?

All of these aren’t meant for purely Witchy people, they are educational, and offer a balance to our studies. To allow us to see many sides of what we do!

do you have any witchy book recommendations?

I would trust anything by @breelandwalker honestly. (I cannot wait until I have the money to pick up Grovedaughter Witchery, honestly.)

I do have a resource tag though full of book recs!

[Revised 2/17] Books for Witches, Diviners and Spellcasters

Hi, everyone. A while back (a long time ago, actually), I started an annotated bibliography on books about witchcraft and magick, and I’ve updated it once (last November). 

Since then, I’d been keeping a list of things I need to add to it, but didn’t get around to actually reworking and updating the list a second time until today. Largely because I can’t really go outside much today because of the smog. But anyways, here it is. I’ve also included divination-related books in this version, whereas previously they were separate.

I hope you find something on here that suits your fancy! Happy reading! Also, yes, I do want to do more book reviews on this blog, so if you’d like a longer review of one of the books listed below, let me know and I can write one.

For Absolute Beginners

Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, by Judika Illes. Even better than the Weiser Field Guide to Witches - this book is huge and chock-full of information. It’ll explain in easy-to-understand language how the concept has developed throughout time, why witches do what they do, and different types of witches.

The Weiser Field Guide to Witches, by Judika Illes. This gives an excellent look at the historical lore concerning witches, from the perspective of a witch herself. It’s kind of tongue-in-cheek, but it does have some information that won’t be found elsewhere.

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft, by Skye Alexander. Great book for those who’re really absolute beginners and are wondering what witchcraft is all about. Skye takes a very postmodern, utilitarian, and unfailingly honest approach, and it’s geared towards those of almost any belief system.

Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard, by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart. Attractively packaged and readible for almost all ages, this is a great (mostly) non-denominational look at the foundations of magical practice. It’s extremely detailed. Some of it only applies to Zell’s own tradition, but it’s quite useful, anyways.

Basic Techniques

Protection and Reversal Magick, by Jason Miller. This gets a little woo-woo at times, but he gives good advice on how to avoid serious problems that can come up as you begin to practice. Take with a grain of salt, though - some of this has the potential to make you feel paranoid.

City Magick, by Christopher Penczak. If you’re at all interested in tech witchery, or just want to practice magick within an urban setting, do check this out. It is by far the best look at the subject I’ve seen, and his discussion of urban tutelary spirits is worth the price alone.

Power Spellcraft for Life, by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. Nicely done, quite secular book providing basic beginner information regarding writing original spells and workings. It does fall prey to the trap of just listing correspondences with little information at times, but also contains a great deal of detail about ritual timing, raising power, and other topics essential for the beginner.

Sorcerer’s Secrets, by Jason Miller. This is a decent volume that describes a lot of techniques you don’t usually see in books, such as gesture and gaze-based magick. Be warned that Miller writes extensively about manipulative techniques, but it’s useful theory regardless of how you put it into practice.

Witch’s Bag of Tricks, by Melanie Marquis. This is not recommended for beginners, because the whole point of this book is to help existing practitioners refine and improve their already-established techniques. It’s got some novel ideas in it, and I like the author’s approach to symbolism in spellcasting.

Direct Magick (Energy Work)

The Un-Spell Book, by Mya Om. This non-denominational guide to working with magical forces is filled with useful exercises that go beyond the author’s previous work. I recommend reading this after reading Energy Essentials.

Instant Magick, by Christopher Penczak. Excellent beginner’s guide for those who don’t have access to a lot of fancy tools or prefer to work without them. This book won’t instantly teach you magick, but it will help even a seasoned practitioner find quicker, less-complicated ways of achieving results.

Energy Essentials for Witches and Spellcasters, by Mya Om. Though I balk at the use of the term “energy” to describe magical forces, this book is worth a look. It’s a bit like a workbook, with various exercises. Expect a lot of pseudoscience, though, and there are many religious references, but the techniques are solid.

Hedgewitchery and Astral Travel

Ecstatic Witchcraft, by Gede Parma. This is actually probably my favorite book on this subject, even though hedgeriding is only a part of what the book discusses. The only bad thing I can really say about this book is that it’s really not recommended for beginners, and it’s helpful to have the basics of visualization already mastered (for example) before doing the exercises Parma recommends.

By Land, Sky and Sea, by Gede Parma. This book goes into even greater details regarding different ways of conceptualizing the cosmology of hedgeriding, and I find it a very refreshing book that appreciatively draws from a number of different perspectives while grounding itself, so to speak, with the overarching metaphor of land, sky, and sea as the three worlds.

The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft, by Christopher Penczak. Penczak is usually a pretty mixed bag, and this book is no exception. It gives a lot of good practical information and a very in-depth exploration of the three worlds (a useful concept), but it’s primarily framed by Wicca, so it might not resonate with those of other faiths and particularly those who aren’t pagan at all.

Ascension Magick, by Christopher Penczak. There’s a chapter or two in this that address alternate ways of conceptualizing the architecture of reality, and it’s pretty helpful for a hedgerider. Beyond that, this book is mostly about ceremonial magick, but it’s a (mostly) good book. Certain parts (such as the bit about UFOs) are a little off, in my opinion.

The Shamanic Witch, by Gail Wood. This book is really best suited for someone who practices Wicca and, besides the background info and cosmological descriptions, is really only useful in the context of that tradition. If you’re Wiccan or willing to pick around a lot of Wiccan-talk, though, this is a good foundation.

Witches, Werewolves and Fairies, by Claude Lecouteux. It can be hard to find scholarly works on these phenomena that are affordable, but here’s one I personally enjoyed. It details many accounts of journeying experienced by both pagans and Christians in earlier times, and gives a good description of the concept of the astral double, the architecture of the soul, and other topics throughout history.

Betwixt and Between, by Storm Faerywolf. This book is mostly a guide to the Feri tradition of witchcraft, but while I myself don’t practice that, those who do seem to know a lot about hedgeriding! The book has several chapters on the subject and is highly recommended for this reason.

The Psychic Energy Codex, by Michelle Belanger. A lot of people have strong opinions about this author, but this is book actually provides a lot of good information about so-called “energy work” which can be a step in the right direction for those wanting to ride the hedge.

Psychic Dreamwalking, by Michelle Belanger. In this book, Belanger discusses, essentially, how to use your non-waking life as a vehicle to for journeying, and while I myself don’t usually dreamwalk, much of what she says applies to hedgeriding in other states, too.

Hedge Riding and Hedge Witchcraft, by Harmonia Saille. I only mention these two in order to say that they’re best avoided. Saille tries to give a comprehensive look at the phenomenon, but it’s poorly-written and overly New Age. The negative reviews of them on Amazon really cover the problems with these book in more detail than I ever could.

Magical Writing, Words, and Symbols

Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells, by Claude Lecouteux. Mostly a historical text, this book isn’t exactly practical or terribly useful. It is, nevertheless, incredibly interesting. It’s a bit difficult to navigate, but worth a glance.

Composing Magick, by Elizabeth Barrette. A very general, but well-done, look at writing in a magical context. Some of the ritual templates are slightly specific to religious witchcraft traditions, but most information is widely applicable.

Crafting Magick with Pen and Ink, by Susan Pesnecker. Focuses both on the physical act of writing as a magical act, and the mental state associated with it. Highly recommended

The Modern Witchcraft Grimoire, by Skye Alexander. This book is for those who want to create their own grimoire. It gives fairly good advice for doing so, as well as providing hints and tricks for spellcasting and useful correspondences.

General Concepts

Planetary Magick, by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips. If you want to work with the planets at all, particularly in a highly ritualized context, I recommend this book. It’s large, comprehensive and gives a good foundation beyond what you find in general astrology books.

Practical Planetary Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Shorter than I would have liked, but a useful reference to have on your shelf, with excellent tables and appendices in the back. The meditations are also quite useful.

Practical Elemental Magick, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine. Should be read alongside the other book by this pair. Comprehensive guide to working with the elements in a ritualized fashion. Not as accessible to newbies as Lipp’s book, but good for seasoned practitioners.

The Way of Four, by Deborah Lipp. Though mostly geared towards Wiccans, I found this author’s in-depth treatment of the four elements highly fascinating. I will note that it’s probably best to get the print version of this book, as it contains exercises and quizzes.

Ingredients and Correspondences

The Herbal Alchemist’s Handbook, by Karen Harrison. I cannot praise this book enough for its concise and well-formulated approach to astrology, herbs, and magick as a whole.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Herbal Magick, by Judith Hawkins-Tillirson. This is excellent for anyone who’s interested in any kind of magick. Yes, the focus is generally herbs, but there’s a lot to be learned here about Kabbalah and other correspondence systems, as well.

Mixing Essential Oils for Magic, by Sandra Kynes. Fills a very difficult gap in published knowledge regarding the use of essential oils by discussing, in great detail, how scents interact with each other and how to create a formula that’s not only palatable, but evocative.

Dunwich’s Guide to Gemstone Sorcery, by Gerina Dunwich. Given the New Age fascination with all things shiny, it was quite a chore to sort through the myriad crystal books to find something with good information. While far from perfect and not exactly devoid of fluff, this book does give a level of detail about the lore surrounding gemstones not seen in many other texts.

Real Alchemy, by Robert Allen Bartlett. Excellent book, lots of history and detail. There’s a strong focus on tradition within the text, yet the author is quite accommodating of his audience and describes alternate methods that work better in a modern context.

Spagyrics, by Manfred M. Junius. With a highly-developed academic tone and attention to detail, this book is a meaty look at traditional alchemy. I recommend this more for intermediate practitioners due to the sheer density of information.

Spellbooks

The Goodly Spellbook, by Dixie Deerman and Steve Rasmussen. The title sounds horribly fluffy, but this is a hidden gem. It explains obscure concepts like alternative alphabets and potential uses of musical notes, as well as plant lore and other bits and pieces. Definitely worth checking out. It’s way more than just “a book of spells.”

Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells, by Judika Illes. The title sounds trite to some, but it delivers. This book has spells from almost every culture and spiritual philosophy, as well as a very detailed formulary. I read it when I’m bored sometimes, too, just because I always learn some tidbit from it.

Book of Spells, by Nicola Pulford. In most editions, this book is absolutely gorgeous and describes spellcasting traditions from a variety of perspectives and traditions. Recommended for those who already understand the basics, as this book jumps straight into spellcasting and gives only a small amount of information about how things work.

Ceremonial Magick

Modern Magick, by Donald Michael Kraig. I received this as a gift several years ago. It is essentially a workbook meant to be completed slowly, step by step, and while the format will not appeal to everyone, it’s a good easy-to-read introduction to ceremonial magick.

Familiar Spirits, by Donald Tyson. Though geared towards ceremonialists, any practitioner can likely learn a thing or two from Tyson’s interesting stroll through the whys and wherefores of spirit work and thoughtform creation. This is by far the best book I’ve seen on the topic of familiar spirits.

Secrets of High Magick, by Francis Melville. The most recent edition of this (the one I own) is lavishly-illustrated and full of rudimentary, yet useful information. He stresses the basics of ceremonial practice, and his writing style is very accessible. Highly recommended for absolute beginners.

My Life With The Spirits, by Lon Milo DuQuette. This is a memoir of a ceremonial magician, but it gives a good look at the magickal mindset in a highly developed form from someone who’s experienced quite a lot. I have major issues with DuQuette’s approach to Qabalah, but his memoirs are worth a read.

Chaos Magick

Liber Null and Psychonaut, by Peter Carroll. Classic book of chaos magick. I consider it required reading for almost anyone interested in the occult. Even if you have no love for chaos magick, do give it a read, just to understand how influential Carroll is, and why.

Hands-On Chaos Magic, by Andrieh Vitimus. Knowing some of the people involved in the creation of this book, I’m a bit biased towards it. That said, even if I didn’t know them, I would still recommend it. It’s especially interesting to read alongside Liber Null and Psychonautin order to see how the chaos “current” has developed over the years.

Pop Culture Magic 2.0 by Taylor Ellwood. There aren’t a lot of books on using pop culture symbolism in magick, but this one is nearly perfect. The author writes in a highly erudite, literate fashion, while still being accessible to newbies. Many useful resources cited, as well, so prepare to branch off a bit while reading it.

History-Related

Triumph of the Moon, by Ronald Hutton. An inside no-holds-barred look at the history of Wicca and Modern paganism. Highly recommended. This is sort of the book that fluffbunnies don’t want you to read.

Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult, by Richard Metzger. Lots of facts and history of magick in the context of Postmodernity. This is different from the Crowley text of the same name, which I wouldn’t recommend unless you want to focus on his tradition.

The Place of Enchantment, by Alex Owen. This is a purely historical text that documents the occult revival within the context of Modernity. I remember it being very good, but please realize I haven’t really picked it up much since graduating, and it might just have served my mindset at the time.

Tarot

The Book of Thoth, by Aleister Crowley. Make sure you actually own (or have access to pictures of) the Thoth deck before you dive into this. By far one of the best books on Tarot ever published. The prose is often dense and purple, but in this one book, Crowley teaches so much about Tarot and it’s connection to the Western Mystery Tradition. I can’t really say much more - it must be experienced.

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, by Arthur Edward Waite. I recommend this book because it is a classic and was introductory for many older readers. It will teach you to read and gives insight into the methodology behind the Waite-Smith deck specifically, particularly his use of what are essentially parables and why he does this. Do not expect too much esoteric information, but read it anyways.

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, by Rachel Pollack. This is the epitome of a good modern Tarot book and is really one of the first ones I’d recommend for someone looking for an accessible book on Tarot in a modern context. Very dense in information and history, yet altogether worth it. You’ll want highlighters nearby for this one!

Tarot for a New Generation, by Janina Renée. This is essentially a book for children and teenagers, but I do recommend it for them, specifically, because it is well-written, easy to understand, and helpful to absolute beginners.

Secrets of the Waite-Smith Tarot, by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin. This book focuses just on the history, symbolism, and creative process of the Waite-Smith deck. It gives you an inside line on just what Pixie Smith was thinking when painting specific scenes, and is a great look at her life’s work, as well.

The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, by Robert M. Place. This book will not teach you to read Tarot, but does give an actual, accurate portrait of the history of the phenomena, which is incredibly important and useful. Know your history.

Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, by Lon Milo DuQuette. I hesitate to recommend DuQuette due to issues I have with his approach to Qabalah, but many people ask me for a beginner book for the Thoth Tarot specifically, and this is the closest I’ve come to finding one. I recommend reading this alongside, and not instead of, Crowley’s Book of Thoth.

The Back in Time Tarot, by Janet Boyer. This is more for the intermediate reader, and the entire book details a single, extremely useful technique for familiarizing yourself with the cards, namely by framing past events in terms of how they might appear in a spread.

Lenormand

The Essential Lenormand, by Rana George. This was not the first Lenormand book I picked up, but it was the most influential and intense. Ms. George writes in a personable, touching fashion and brings the concepts of the system home by relating them to life experiences in a way rarely seen. She is one of those authors I literally go all “fangirl” over.

Learning Lenormand, by Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin. This is one of the better beginner books on Lenormand. I’m not going to lie - it isn’t as good as Rana George’s, but it definitely is worth reading if you’re completely new to the system. It’s very accessible, where some of the books I’ll be listing later in this can seem intimidating, or so I’ve been told.

Lenormand: Thirty-Six Cards, by Andy Boroveshengra. This book is intense, but in a different way than Ms. George’s. Expect to be inundated with information and techniques. Another one of those where you really need to take notes or highlight while reading, and read it multiple times.

Secrets of the Lenormand Oracle, by Sylvie Steinbach. This book is organized in a novel and useful fashion by topic, and gives specific techniques for readings on love, money, spirituality, and other topics. Highly recommended, and I tend to use it as a reference book nowadays, looking things up as needed.

The Complete Lenormand Oracle Handbook, by Caitlyn Matthews. Not for the beginner, nor the faint at heart, this one details a lot of what, to me, seem to be more advanced approaches and techniques. I use this book a lot, and I think anyone else will enjoy it, too. Good information on the connection between Lenormand and traditional playing cards, too.

Cartomancy with Lenormand and the Tarot, by Patrick Dunn. This is more of a special topic book, and best read after you’ve got some familiarity with both Tarot and Lenormand. It’s all about using them in tandem and the synergy between them.

Astrology

The Luminaries, by Liz Greene. I could really recommend anything by this author, but she’s written so much, and this book is a particularly important one. It focuses entirely on the Sun and Moon in astrology, and gives a good look at why the luminaries need to have a special place in your understanding.

The Weiser Concise Guide to Practical Astrology, by Priscilla Costello. This is focused, as you might expect, on actual interpretation of charts and less on theory, but it gives a good background on that, too. Was quite helpful in my attempts to interpret @xepsurah‘s unusual natal chart.

The Complete Book of Astrology, by Kris Brandt Riske. Very beginner, and very light on intellect, heavy on intuition. A great introduction, but I would not suggest it as the only book you read if you’re really interested in the subject.

Tasseography

Tea Leaf Reading for Beginners, by Caroline Dow. There are only a few books within Llewellyn’s immensely popular “For Beginners” series that I would recommend, and this is one of them. The symbol glossary (which makes up the bulk of the book) is the most useful part.

Tea Cup Reading, by Sasha Fenton. This book goes into some detail (quite a bit, actually) about the history of tea and coffee, and, better yet, how to prepare them in the traditional fashion! A lot of traditional lore is described, as well.

Scrying, etc.

Scrying for Beginners, by Donald Tyson. This is really a surprise find, as I don’t usually expect much from this series, by Tyson knows his history and goes far beyond simple exercises for scrying. He is a bit biased towards mirror and crystal-gazing techniques, but does discuss other methods.

Psychic Development for Beginners, by William Hewitt. Readable, and offers some very practical developmental exercises for those wishing to hone extrasensory abilities. Be prepared to sort through a lot of woo, though.

Metro Magick by Lorne Cross (2016) - Review

This is a short book, with just 88 pages, so I’ll try to keep this review relatively short as well. Not only is it pretty slim, it’s also smallish enough to easily fit into your bag or backpack or whatever without taking up much space. I personally love to take books with me when I’m out and about, but sometimes these magick tomes can be rather big and heavy. Anyway, I also think this paperback looks stealthy and undercover enough to be read out in public (if that is a concern of yours), on a train, a bus, subway, or cafe without causing suspicion by non-practitioners. 

First of all I’ll say that I really enjoyed Metro Magick. I used to live in the city and have done my fair share of city magick in my time there. And while I am currently living in a small town (village actually) in the country side, that is only a temporary relocation and hopefully I will get back to the big city life sooner or later. I’ve been feeling particularly stuck lately, so I discovered this weird little book just at the perfect period of my life, and it has made me dream of the concrete jungle once again.

The book itself has no writing on the spine, which could prove to be annoying if you have an extensive esoteric library, making it difficult to locate. I’m sure I’m not the only one having problems with disappearing books. Sometimes they seem to have a life of their own, hiding away but also showing up just at the right moment. Yeah, books can be strange. 

I think this might be some sort of print on demand release, or perhaps some other self small print run release, but the actual quality of the book itself is very good. In addition, there is some weird sentence structures here and there, and a lack of proof reading and editing, so it appears a little clunky in some places, but it’s not too bad. Information is still excellent and the points comes across.

It does mention his other book Occult Magick, so perhaps some of this material would benefit from reading that one first, especially if you’re new to these kinds of things it would prove to be helpful, as this is not a beginners manual.  

There is about 9+ spells and/or variations of spells in here, if memory serves me right that is… Thankfully they are given in such a way that it makes it easy to adapt and modify them for your own use, which is always a nice thing. There’s also some cool ideas for magical tools in here too, like using your drivers licence as a wand for instance!

All in all, I highly recommend this for my fellow urban witchcraft and magick practitioners. It’s a quick and fun read, with heaps of inspiration and ideas for you to play with and/or customise for your own modern magical practice.

Here’s a handful of bonus books that you might want to check out if this is your cup of tea magick:

City Magick by Christopher Penczak (2001) Post-Modern Magick by Seth (2004) Postmodern Magic: The Art of Magick in the Information Age by Patrick Dunn (2005)

Hello, I've was raised without religion but always felt a very strong spiritual connection to the Earth. I've been trying to figure out if witchcraft is for me but I don't know a good place to start. Do you know of any books that outline spells, crystals, herbs, and/or rituals and deities. Basically, where did you start?

@lil-honey-bun

The biggest source of information that is freely available to you is the internet! I know that’s a cliché and seemingly unhelpful answer, but that’s where pretty much everyone starts!

The biggest ticket is to read as much as you can and find the middle ground. There are a lot of wildly varied beliefs, and also some that aren’t so great, like culturally appropriating practices or downright racist/sexist/bigoted beliefs about what type of person should do what (pro tip - ignore anyone who implies that only white women can be witches!!!)

Beyond that, if you are wanting to do some hardback research, I always highly recommend Skye Alexander. Also, the encyclopedia collection by Judika Illes, and Scott Cunningham. Also, I know the new print pretty books are very attractive, but a lot of books I find helpful are not quite so pretty, like my old copy of Earth Magic and The Pagan Book of Days.

I would also suggest, since you’re on Tumblr where the witchcraft community is so strong and thriving, to use those of us willing to share our experiences as a resource! We’ve all been there, and we’ve all experienced the confusion and curiosity that comes with being a fledgling witch!

If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Green )O(

Fun little thing about medieval medicine.

So there’s this old German remedy for getting rid of boils. A mix of eggshells, egg whites, and sulfur rubbed into the boil while reciting the incantation and saying five Paternosters. And according to my prof’s friend (a doctor), it’s all very sensible. The eggshells abrade the skin so the sulfur can sink in and fry the boil. The egg white forms a flexible protective barrier. The incantation and prayers are important because you need to rub it in for a certain amount of time.

It’s easy to take the magic words as superstition, but they’re important.

The Seattle Metaphysical Library would like you to know that they are open for browsing, b/c their landlord won’t allow them to put up a sign.

The library is in the basement of the historic Kress Building via an unmarked glass door next to a Pie shop. Although the landlord will not allow a sign to be hung outside, visitors can locate the entrance and determine whether the library is open by looking for the sandwich board placed on the sidewalk.

The door is sometimes locked by the building’s other tenants in which case it is suggested to simply call the library’s friendly staff to be let in.

With over 13,000 books, DVDs, newspaper clippings, and CDs on uncommon subjects such as shamanism, Martians and UFOs, magic & cult studies, and parapsychology, the Library is free for all to browse and indulge in whatever intrigues their interest.

Enter the void.

http://www.seattlemetaphysicallibrary.org/ & atlasobscura.com

Witchy/Pagan Book List 2020

These are personal collection books and will be updated as necessary

* Please note I’m not finished reading all of these, but intend on doing reviews in the future. Not all listed are pictured

Left -> Right

Norse Paganism / Polytheism

Rites of Odin - Ed Fitch

The Study Havamal - Carrie Overton

The Nordic Baking Book (devotional purposes) - Magnus Nilsson

General Mythology | Anthology

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology - Arthur Cotterell and Rachel Storm

The Kalevala (Finnish epic derived from oral tradition)

Traditional Witchcraft

Folk Witchcraft - Roger J Horne

The Devil’s Dozen - Gemma Gary

Silent as the Trees - Gemma Gary

The Black Toad - Gemma Gary

Traditional Witchcraft and Cornish Book of Ways - Gemma Gary

Besom, Stang and Sword - Christopher Orapello and

Tara-Love Maguire

The Grand Grimoire | The Red Dragon (1750)

Green Witchcraft | Herbs | Nature | Spells

The Wildwood Way - Cliff Seruntine

Grovedaughter Witchery - @breelandwalker

Pastel Spells - @orriculum

The Witching Herbs - Harold Roth

Pocket Guide to Familiar North American Species (Mushrooms) - Kavanaugh and Leung

Wicca | Sabbats

Wicca for Beginners - Thea Sabin

Seasons of the Witch - Gail Duff

Death | Death Witchcraft

Making Friends with Death - Laura Pritchett

Tarot | Divination

Modern Tarot - Michelle Tea (very good companion to any deck!)

LGBTQA+ Magic

Queer Ultraviolence - (collection of essays)

Becoming Dangerous - (collection of essays)

Journals, articles, books & texts, on folklore, mythology, occult, and related -to- general anthropology, history, archaeology. 

Some good and/or interesting (or hokey) ‘examples’ included for most resources. tryin to organize & share stuff that was floating around onenote.

Journals (open access) – Folklore, Occult, etc

Culutural Analysis - folklore, popular culture, anthropology – The Mythical Ghoul in Arabic Culture

Folklore - folklore, anthropology, archaeology – The Making of a Bewitchment Narrative, Grecian Riddle Jokes

Incantatio - journal on charms, charmers, and charming – Verbal Charms from a 17th Century Manuscript

Oral Tradition – Jewish Folk Literature, Noises of Battle in Old English Poetry

Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics – Nani Fairtyales about the Cruel Bride, Energy as the Mediator between Natural and Supernatural Realms

International Journal of Intangible Heritage 

Studia Mythologica Slavica (many articles not English) – Dragon and Hero, Fertility Rites in the Raining Cave, The Grateful Wolf and Venetic Horses in Strabo’s Geography

Folklorica - Slavic & Eastern European folklore association – Ritual: The Role of Plant Characteristics in Slavic Folk Medicine, Animal Magic

Esoterica - The Journal of Esoteric Studies – The Curious Case of Hermetic Graffiti in Valladolid Cathedral 

The Esoteric Quarterly

Mythological Studies Journal

Luvah - Journal of the Creative Imagination – A More Poetical Character Than Satan

Transpersonal Studies – Shamanic Cosmology as an Evolutionary Neurocognitive Epistemology, Dreamscapes

Beyond Borderlands  – tumblr

Paranthropology

GOLEM - Journal of Religion and Monsters – The Religious Functions of Pokemon, Anti-Semitism and Vampires in British Popular Culture 1875-1914

Correspondences - Online Journal for the Academic Study of Western Esotericism – Kriegsmann’s Philological Quest for Ancient Wisdom 

– History, Archaeology

Adoranten - pre-historic rock art

Chitrolekha - India art & design history – Gomira Dance Mask

Silk Road – Centaurs on the Silk Road: Hellenistic Textiles in Western China

Sino-Platonic - East Asian languages and civilizations – Discursive Weaving Women in Chinese and Greek Traditions

MELA Notes - Middle East Librarians Association

Didaskalia - Journal for Ancient Performance

Ancient Narrative - Greek, Roman, Jewish novelistic traditions – The Construction of the Real and the Ideal in the Ancient Novel

Akroterion - Greek, Roman – The Deer Hunter: A Portrait of Aeneas

Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies  – Erotic and Separation Spells, The Ancients’ One-Horned Ass

Roman Legal Tradition - medieval civil law – Between Slavery and Freedom 

Phronimon - South African society for Greek Philosophy and the Humanities – Special Issue vol. 13 #2, Greek philosophy in dialogue with African+ philosophy

The Heroic Age - Early medieval Northwestern Europe – Icelandic Sword in the Stone

Peregrinations - Medieval Art and Architecture – Special Issue vol. 4 #1, Mappings 

Tiresas - Medieval and Classical – Sexuality in the Natural and Demonic Magic of the Middle Ages

Essays in Medieval Studies  – The Female Spell-caster in Middle English Romances, The Sweet Song of Satan

Hortulus - Medieval studies – Courtliness & the Deployment of Sodomy in 12th-Century Histories of Britain, Monsters & Monstrosities issue, Magic & Witchcraft issue

Annual of Medieval Studies at CEU

Medieval Archaeology – Divided and Galleried Hall-Houses, The Hall of the Knights Templar at Temple Balsall

Medieval Feminist Forum  – multiculturalism issue; Gender, Skin Color and the Power of Place … Romance of Moriaen, Writing Novels About Medieval Women for Modern Readers, Amazons & Guerilleres

Quidditas - medieval and renaissance 

Medieval Warfare

The Viking Society - ridiculous amount of articles from 1895-2011

Journals (limited free/sub/institution access)

Al-Masaq - Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean – Piracy as Statecraft: The Policies of Taifa of Denia, free issue

Mythical Creatures of Europe - article + map

Folklore - limited free access – Volume 122 #3, On the Ambiguity of Elves

Digital Philology -  a journal of medieval cultures – Saracens & Race in Roman de la Rose Iconography

Pomegranate - International Journal for Pagan Studies

Transcultural Psychiatry

European Journal of English Studies  – Myths East of Venice issue, Esotericism issue

Books, Texts, Images etc. – Folklore, Occult etc.

Magical Gem Database - Greek/Egyptian gems & talismans [x] [x]

Biblioteca Aracana - (mostly) Greek pagan history, rituals, poetry etc. – Greater Tool Consecration, The Yew-Demon

Curse Tablets from Roman Britain - [x]

The Gnostic Society Library – The Corpus Hermeticum, Hymn of the Robe of Glory

Grimoar - vast occult text library – Grimoires, Greek & Roman Necromancy, Queer Theology, Ancient Christian Magic

Internet Sacred Text Archive - religion, occult, folklore, etc. ancient texts

Verse and Transmutation - A Corpus of Middle English Alchemical Poetry

– History

The Internet Classics Archive - mainly Greco-Roman, some Persian & Chinese translated texts

Bodleian Oriental Manuscript Collection - [x] [x] [x]

Virtual Magic Bowl Archive - Jewish-Aramaic incantation bowl text and images [x] [x] 

Vindolanda Tablets - images and translations of tablets from 1st & 2nd c. [x]

Corsair - online catalog of the Piedmont Morgan library (manuscripts) [x] [x]

Beinecke rare book & manuscripts  – Wagstaff miscellany, al-Qur'ān–1813

LUNA - tonnes from Byzantine manuscripts to Arabic cartography

Maps on the web - Oxford Library [x] [x] [x]

Bodleian Library manuscripts - photographs of 11th-17th c. manuscripts – Treatises on Heraldry, The Worcester Fragments (polyphonic music), 12 c. misc medical and herbal texts

Early Manuscripts at Oxford U - very high quality photographs – (view through bottom left) Military texts by Athenaeus Mechanicus 16th c. [x] [x], MS Douce 195 Roman de la Rose [x] [x]

Trinity College digital manuscript library  – Mathematica Medica, 15th c.

eTOME - primary sources about Celtic peoples

Websites, Blogs – Folklore, Occult etc.

Demonthings - Ancient Egyptian Demonology Project 

Invocatio - (mostly) western esotericism

Heterodoxology - history, esotericism, science – Religion in the Age of Cyborgs

The Recipes Project - food, magic, science, medicine – The Medieval Invisible Man (invisibility recipes)

Morbid Anatomy - museum/library in Brooklyn

– History 

Islamic Philosophy Online - tonnes of texts, articles, links, utilities, this belongs in every section; mostly English

Medicina Antiqua - Graeco-Roman medicine

History of the Ancient World - news and resources – The So-called Galatae, Gauls, Celts in Early Hellenistic Balkans; Maidens, Matrons Magicians: Women & Personal Ritual Power in Late Antique Egypt

Διοτίμα - Women & Gender in Antiquity

Bodleian Library Exhibitions Online – Khusraw & Shirin, Hebrew Manuscripts as a Meeting-Place of Cultures

Medievalists – folk studies, witchcraft, mythology, science tags

Atlas Obscura – Bats and Vampiric Lore of Pére Lachaise Cemetery 

Witch Tip

the-eye.eu is a huge public database that has countless free PDFs of all sorts of occultist books and grimoires. Go forth and read.

Moonlight Academy’s Witchcraft Book PDF Links

Note: I have not been able to read through all of these yet, I am slowly making my way down the list. If there is a book that is offensive or incorrect please send me a message and I will review it and remove it from the list if necessary. 

Modern Magick Second Edition; Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts by Donald Michael Kraig 

The Witch’s Magical Handbook by Gavin Frost and Yvonne Frost

The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft, and Wicca by Rosemary Ellen Guiley 

Nocturnal Witchcraft; Witchcraft After Dark By Konstantinos 

Call of the Horned Piper by Nigel Aldcroft Jackson 

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

Encyclopedia of Spells by Michael Johnstone 

The Mystical World of Ancient Witchcraft; An easy Insider Guide To the life changing Power of your Magick Energy by Rose Ariadne 

Old World Witchcraft; Ancient Ways for Modern Days by Raven Grimassi  

The Study of Witchcraft; A Guidebook to Advanced Wicca by Deborah Lipp

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland 

The Witch’s Master Grimoire; An Encyclopedia of Charms, Spells, Formulas, and Magical Rites by Lady Sabrina

Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England; A regional and comparative study guide by Alan Macfarlane 

The Pagan Federation; Witchcraft Information Package

Herbal Magick; A Witch’s Guide to Herbal Enchantments, Folklore, and Divination by Gerina Dunwich

The basics of Magick by K.Amber

The Book of Night Magick by Phillip D. Williams

The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore By Patricia Monaghan 

Celtic Mythology A-Z By Gienna Matson & Jeremy Roberts

Storytelling; An Encyclopedia of Mythology and Folklore 

Norse Mythology; Legends of Gods and Heroes by Peter Andreas Munch

Constellation Legends By Norm McCarter

Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology By Luke Roman and Monica Roman

Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena; Mythical Creatures By Linda S. Godfrey

A Guide to Astrology By Fredrick White

How to Use Astrology; How and Why it Works By Michael Erlewine 

A Manual of Astrology

Astrology for Dummies by Rae Orion

The Astrology Book; The Encyclopedia of Heavenly Influences By James R. Lewis

Astrology Course

The Cyber Spellbook; Magick in the Virtual World By Sirona Knight and Patricia Telesco 

Herbs in Magick and Alchemy; Techniques from  Ancient Herbal Lore By C.L. Zalewski

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs By Scott Cunningham 

The Magical Household; Spells & Rituals for the Home By Scott Cunningham & David Harrington 

Herbs Magickal and Otherwise 

The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, & Brews By Scott Cunningham 

Plant Powers, Poisons, and Herb Craft By Dale Pendell **

**This book contains information on Poisons and is for informational purposes only, read at your own risk. 

The Magical and Ritual Use of Herbs By Richard Alan Miller

Cunnigham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic By Scott Cunningham

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs; Their Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Spiritual Alchemy; The Inner Path

Practical Handbook of Plant Alchemy By Manfred M.Junius 

Real Alchemy; A Primer of Practical Alchemy By Robert Allen Bartlett

An Illustrated History of Alchemy and Early Chemistry 

Alchemy Unveiled By Johannes Helmond 

Medicinal Plants in Folk Tradition; An Ethnobotany of Britain & Ireland By David E. Allen & Gabrielle Hatfield

Slavic Pagan World

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen By Scott Cunningham

Cunningham’s Book of Shadows By Scott Cunningham

Learning Tarot

The Pictorial Key to the Tarot By A.E Waite

Tarot Symbolism & Divination 

Tarot; Mirror of the Soul By Gerd Ziegler 

Tarot Keys By Andrea Green 

The Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky

Healing Crystals; The A-Z Guide to 430 gemstones By Michael Geinger 

Dooney’s Crystal Database

An Introduction Guide to Crystals and Healing Stones By Ron & Sue Windred

The Healing Crystal First Aid Manuel By Michael Geinger

Practical Crystal Healing By Nicole Lanning 

Divination Systems by Nicole Yalsovac

How Divination Systems Work

The Path of the witch

The Weiser Field Guide to Witches

Practicing the Witch’s Craft By Douglas Ezzy

Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart

Hope you enjoy! Please feel free to add to the list!

Moonlight Academy