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#witchy book recommendations
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Book of the day! “Entangled Life” by Merlin Sheldrake. This is a personal favorite of mine. It’s an amazing exploration into the the world of mycology and they way fungi effect our everyday lives. Well worth the read! (Fun fact, his brother Cosmo makes great music and they made a song by recording the electrical impulses passing through oyster mushrooms.)
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delphiniumjoy · 19 days
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I should probably reread the Tiffany Aching books now that I’m doing witchcraft.
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Bought this book as a gift for a friend :D
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poppletonink · 6 months
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Hermione Granger: An Inspired Reading Recommendations List
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Matilda by Roald Dahl
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
The Tales Of Beedle The Bard by J.K. Rowling
A Short History Of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
The Book Thief by Markus Susak
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Anne Of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Recitatif by Toni Morrison
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
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apolline-lucy · 2 months
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what was your favourite January read?? mine was THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH 💜
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theblasianwitch · 1 year
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Got this book for my son. I love the message and fully approve
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samwisethewitch · 2 years
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green-earth-witch replied to your post:
I'm moving from Washington to Alabama in a couple months and I'm really hoping to learn about the Southern folk practices, and maybe incorporate some parts of it into my own. Do you have any recommendations on how to go about doing that? Or are a lot of practices kept within families?
Not South-specific, but I love Satan in America by W. Scott Poole for American devil lore. A lot of Southern folklore does involve the Devil, and this book addresses that.
I'm not gonna lie, a lot of this stuff is oral tradition, which means that only way to learn it is to be told about it by someone else. A lot of it is background knowledge that you just kind of absorb from growing up here, and I'm not sure how an outsider would go about getting that kind of immersion.
Southern Cunning by Aaron Oberon has some good stuff in it, but Oberon's system is more structured than a lot of other Southern folk magic and if I remember correctly is entirely based on one collection of folk tales? He's also from Florida, which is culturally very different from the rest of the Southeast. While it may not be super helpful for learning about Alabama traditions, it's a good example of how you can build a complete practice based on folklore.
A lot of people really love Backwoods Witchcraft by Jake Richards, and I actually own a copy, but I've never gotten around to finishing it so I can't give my complete thoughts. What I have read is similar to what I've heard from people around me, but that's probably because Richards and I both live in Southern Appalachia. That may or may not be relevant to you depending on which part of Alabama you're moving to -- even within one state, mountain people and valley people have very different traditions.
Sticks, Stones, Root & Bones by Stephanie Rose Bird is about hoodoo, which is African-American folk magic. However, Bird's practice is actually the closest to my own brand of folk magic of any book I've read, probably because there's a lot of overlap between hoodoo and Southern folk magic. Bird also incorporates elements of African Traditional Religions, but a lot of the theory and practice of magic is the same across both traditions.
The New World Witchery podcast is an excellent resource for American folk magic in general, and they have some episodes that are Southern-specific. One of the hosts recently published a book, also called New World Witchery, but I haven't read it and have no idea if it contains info on Southern folk magic.
Those are the only resources I personally feel comfortable recommending. I'm sure there are other good ones out there, but I've encountered A LOT of bad resources for American folk magic. Here's some red flags to avoid:
"Hoodoo" is specifically African-American folk magic. It is NOT an umbrella term for all American folk magic, which is a popular misconception for some reason. A book that says so is not a good resource.
The South is not a unified culture, and Southern folk magic is not a unified tradition. Folk magic in Alabama will be very different from Tennessee or Louisiana. Authors who have done their research will acknowledge this and will clarify which region they're talking about.
Southern folk magic (and American folk magic more generally) is very different from Wiccan-style magic. There's no circle casting, no calling quarters, and no God/Goddess or divine masculine/divine feminine. I've come across some resources that are essentially Wicca with some Southern folk elements sprinkled in for flavor, but are claiming to be authentic Southern magic. Don't read those.
Likewise, there's little to no overlap between folk magic and New Age beliefs. No Southern tradition I'm familiar with uses crystals, meditation, or chakras.
(There's nothing wrong with mixing traditions. I do that in my own practice. But authors should be honest about which traditions they're pulling from.)
Southern folk magic is very, very Christian. It is possible to practice without using Christian elements (I do), but doing so is not traditional. An honest attempt to teach these traditions as they were historically practiced will include Christian elements like Psalms, holy water, and sometimes saints. A resource that doesn't include those elements probably isn't reliable.
This is all good for general knowledge about folk magic in the Southern US, but if you really want to connect to folk magic in YOUR area, you'll need to do some legwork.
Learn about your local folklore and urban legends. What creepy ghost stories do people tell in your area? How can you incorporate that into a magical practice?
Get familiar with the plants in your backyard. Learn about their culinary, medicinal, and magical uses. See how that aligns with the local lore.
And most importantly, talk to people! Especially people who grew up there!
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threetalesofterror · 11 months
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What I'm currently reading ✨
Mug by @dai.sy.hell
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🦇 Witch Lit Reads for 2023 🦇
🌙 Want to add a little magic to your life? Pick a hat for a witch lit recommendation! Otherwise, check out these enchanting witch-lit reads and add a few to your TBR. Which spell will you fall under first?
✨ The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sengu Mandanna ✨ The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero Lacruz ✨ Witch King by Martha Wells ✨ Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs ✨ A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sara Hawley ✨ Hex and the City by Kate Johnson ✨ Not Your Ex's Hexes by April Asher ✨ Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot ✨ The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall
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Gremlin's Library
I'm still new to witchcraft and pagan religions, and know next to nothing about it outside my own personal views of magic and sacred. So my library right now is basically the result of me trying to learn about the different (and for now, more common) deities and paths I can take my craft and worship. I don't exactly know how good all those books are, but I'll read, learn and hopefully pave my own path on the way to explore the craft and my spirituality.
To Walk a Pagan Path: Practical Spirituality for Every Day - by Alaric Albertsson
The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes - Edited by Jackson Crawford
The Book of Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker - by Joanna Van Der Hoeven
From the Cauldron Born: Exploring the Magic of Welsh Legend & Lore - by Kristoffer Hughes
The Book of Celtic Magic: Transformative Teachings from the Cauldron of Awen - by Kristoffer Hughes
The Path of Druidry: Walking the Ancient Green Way - by Penny Billington
Greek Mythology: A Concise Guide to Ancient Gods, Heroes, Beliefs and Myths of Greek Mythology - by Hourly History
Celtic Mythology: A Concise Guide to the Gods, Sagas and Beliefs - by Hourly History
Egyptian Mythology: A Concise Guide to the Ancient Gods and Beliefs of Egyptian Mythology - by Hourly History
Norse Mythology: A Concise Guide to Gods, Heroes, Sagas and Beliefs of Norse Mythology - by Hourly History
A Handbook of Saxon Sorcery & Magic: Wyrdworking, Rune Craft, Divination, and Wortcunning - by Alaric Albertsson
Collecting Rocks, Gems and Minerals: Identification, Values and Lapidary Uses - by Patti Polk
Traditional Witchcraft and the Pagan Revival: A Magical Anthropology - by Suzanne Ruthven
The Pagan Book of the Dead: Ancestral Visions of the Afterlife and Other Worlds - by Claude Lecouteux
The Big Book of Pagan Prayer and Ritual - by Ceisiwr Serith
A Pagan Ritual Prayer Book - by Ceisiwr Serith
Circle of the Sun: Rites and Celebrations for Egyptian Pagans and Kemetics - by Sharon LaBorde
The Witchcraft Collection Volume One: Dictionary of Satanism, Dictionary of Witchcraft, and Dictionary of Pagan Religions
Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-centered Religions - by Joyce Higginbotham and River Higginbotham
The Way of Fire and Ice: The Living Tradition of Norse Paganism - by Ryan Smith
Drawing Down the Moon - by Margot Adler
The Isles of the Many Gods: An A-Z of the Pagan Gods & Goddesses Worshipped in Ancient Britain During the First Millennium CE Through to the Middle Ages - by David Rankine and Sorita D'Este
The Herbal Alchemist's Handbook: A Complete Guide to Magickal Herbs and How to Use Them - by Karen Harrison
The Magick of Food: Rituals, Offerings & Why We Eat Together - by Gwion Raven
The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft - by Kelden
The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the Entire Magical World - by Judika Illes
The Witch's Book of Self-Care: Magical Ways to Pamper, Soothe, and Care for Your Body and Spirit - by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses - by Judika Illes
Sigil Witchery: A Witch's Guide to Crafting Magick Symbols - by Laura Tempest Zakroff
The Witch's Altar: The Craft, Lore & Magick of Sacred Space - by Jason Mankey and Laura Tempest Zakroff
The House Witch: Your Complete Guide to Creating a Magical Space with Rituals and Spells for Hearth and Home - by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More - by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Moon Spells: How to Use the Phases of the Moon to Get What You Want - by Diane Ahlquist
Llewellyn's Complete Book of Astrology: The Easy Way to Learn Astrology - by Kris Brandt Riske
Practical Candleburning Rituals - by Raymond Buckland
Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities - by Charles Russell Coulter
Osiris - by Bojana Mojsov
Magical Alphabets: The Secrets and Significance of Ancient Scripts Including Runes, Greek, Ogham, Hebrew and Alchemical Alphabets - by Nigel Pennick
Paganism Explained, Part I: Thrymskvida - by Marie Cachet and Varg Vikernes
Paganism Explained, Part II: Little Red Riding Hood & Jack and the Beanstalk - by Marie Cachet and Varg Vikernes
Paganism Explained, Part III: The Cult of Mithra & Hymiskvida - by Marie Cachet and Varg Vikernes
Paganism Explained, Part IV: Valholl & Odinn in Yggdrasill - by Marie Cachet and Varg Vikernes
Norse Magic and Asatru: An Essential Guide to Norse Divination, Elder Futhark Runes, Paganism, and Heathenry for Beginners -by Mari Silva
The Crystal Bible - by Judy Hall
(September 17, 2022)
Water Witchcraft: Magic and Lore from the Celtic Tradition - by Annwyn Avalon
The Spirit of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses: Their History, Magical Power, and Healing Energies - by Carl McColman
Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk - by Morgan Daimler
The Celtic Golden Dawn: An Original & Complete Curriculum of Druidical Study - by John Michael Greer
Wild Magic: Celtic Folk Traditions for the Solitary Practitioner - by Danu Forest
Mythology: A Captivating Guide to Greek Mythology, Egyptian Mythology and Norse Mythology - by Matt Clayton
The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends - by Peter Berresford Ellis
The Morrigan: Celtic Goddess of Magick and Might - by Courtney Weber
Celtic Tales: Fairy Tales and Stories of Enchantment from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Wales - by Kate Forrester
Celtic Myths and Legends - by T. W. Rolleston
Anam Cara - by John O'Donohue
Celtic Tree Magic: Ogham Lore and Druid Mysteries - by Danu Forest
Celtic Tree Rituals: Ceremonies for the Thirteen Moon Months and a Day - by Sharlyn Hidalgo
A Celtic Miscellany - by Kenneth H. Jackson
Brigid: History, Mystery, and Magick of the Celtic Goddess - by Courtney Weber
Tending Brigid's Flame: Awaken to the Celtic Goddess of Hearth, Temple, and Forge - by Lunaea Weatherstone
Tarot 101: Mastering the Art of Reading the Cards - by Huggens Kim
365 Tarot Spreads: Revealing the Magic in Each Day - by Sasha Graham
Practical Sigil Magic: Creating Personal Symbols for Success - by Frater U. D.
I'm pretty sure Z Library has all those books for free in a variety of formats for easy access (to those like me, that prefer reading a book before buying them).
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sapphire-imeo · 5 months
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Catching up on some cozy reading 📖🐈‍⬛️🎃
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Book of the day! “Soil” by Camille T. Dungy. This is my current read! This book is about how when the author, a poet, moved to Fort Collins, there were restrictions on what you could grow in your yard. The book follows her journey to change the rules and her life through diversity. Amazing read 🌻
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the---hermit · 1 year
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Heart Magick by Harmony Nice
I am not a wiccan, but I have always had witchy interests and have been following Harmony's journey for years. I was really excited when I found out about her new book, since it mainly focuses on self care and self love. I have been working myself on these two things for a few months, as you might have seen in my daily posts. This book felt just right to pick up during this period of my life, and I must say I really enjoyed it. It gave me many ideas on things to do, as well as points to reflect on. I also felt it was a really calming book, I just sat down with a few candles lit and a cup of tea, and that was already self care for me. It will certainly be a book I pick up again to get inspiration on self care activities, there's a few journaling prompts and tarot spreads I am really excited to try out.
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booksandwitchery · 9 months
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On the Disenchantment of Society
Just wrapped up Sharon Blackie’s The Enchanted Life: Unlocking the Magic of Everyday last week and wanted to share some of her ideas about humanity’s lack of connection to the natural world (what she calls “disenchantment”).
This book seems targeted towards those who are witch-curious or curious about nature-based religions. It is something I would recommend to people who are skeptical of religion but also want to find meaning or a place of belonging in the world. It is either the most witchy non-witchcraft book ever, or a witch book entirely without the woo-woo, dubiously mystical stuff.
I. Society’s “Disenchantment”
The message of Blackie’s book ultimately responds to modern life becoming more “mechanized.” She believes that in a more mechanized society, we become starved for meaning and ways to “feel at home in the world,” which I think is pretty objectively true. It’s hard to deny that technology has really disconnected humans from their “roots” and from communion with the natural world.
II. Critique of Classical Philosophy
More interestingly, Blackie also argues that man’s estrangement from the world stems from classical philosophy (think Plato, Socrates, Aristotle). At one point she blames classical philosophy for promoting the idea that the natural world is a resource to be exploited. I’m no student of philosophy, so I don’t feel qualified to comment on this. BUT. It is an interesting argument that I’d like to explore further.
III. Religion’s Contribution to the World’s Disenchantment
One of the most important things (for me, at least) that Blackie says in this book is that “many religions, in their dogmatic adherence to one particular way of seeing the world, relieve us of possibility and so fetter our imaginations.” In other words, religion has really caused a lot of damage to the human psyche, and to the way humans relate to one another. She also points out that it is ironic for religions to promote “wonder and awe,” but only for one particular entity or set of entities. This is a really good framing of why I appreciate the pagan/witch community so much–it is non-dogmatic, tolerant, and promotes creativity. So many worldviews and praxes seem to discourage creativity these days, and it makes me sad.
IV. Society’s Misplaced Opposition to Change
The way that humans cling to their religions and traditional ways of thinking is, according to Blackie, reflective of the fear of change. Evolution has caused us to feel fear when we experience change–the problem arises when we accept the idea that fear always indicates danger. Sometimes fear is just a by-product of evolution that doesn’t serve us, and it’s important that we pay attention to the types of fear we experience. Blackie encourages the reader to accept that change is really scary sometimes–and change in spite of fear.
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poppletonink · 16 days
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Books for Melanie Martinez Fans
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Switched by Amanda Hocking
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
All Good Things by Amanda Prowse
Sailor Moon Vol. 1 by Noako Takeuchi
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling
Alice by Christina Henry
Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
The Spirit Bares It's Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
A Wonderlandiful World by Shannon Hale
Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
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apolline-lucy · 12 hours
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*book excerpt*
Yue’s gaze fell on Rosen’s chest. ‘Wait, is that blood? Are you alright?’
‘It’s okay, most of it is mine,’ Rosen said, smoothing out her blood-soaked clothes like it was nothing to fret about.
‘Am I supposed to feel reassured?’ Yue said, frowning. ‘What happened? Did the flowers do that?’
‘River stabbed me.’
‘It was an accident!’ River said.
‘It was,’ Rosen said, like it ever needed confirmation.
—The Silver Birds, by Apolline Lucy
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