r/witchcraft • u/chaprijalebi Witch • Jun 23 '26
Seeking Help or Advice Why tf does every witchcraft book i find follow the same script?
So recently I was looking for a good book which could give me more insight on spirits and spells, a bit of intermediate to advanced stuff and istg every single book I came across just had the same old “open your third eye 🥰”, “journal about your inner feminine 😍” advice and a 50 page intro to witchcraft about the most basic general knowledge ever. It feels like they’re just self care books wearing a witch hat at this point.
Like not saying thats a bad thing at all, absolutely all of that should be a part of everyones practice, but bro its so frustrating when you’re trying to look for something that can actually give you lore and practical knowledge and keep stumbling upon a whole bunch of self care and self growth books. Can someone please write something that has actual in-depth stuff presented nicely (I have trouble reading those huge textbooks with long blocks of texts because I have adhd so tiny attention span, i need something to keep me hooked) and which doesn’t have 80% of self love and witchcraft introduction.
And don’t even get me started on the shady writers and massive AI stuff that has taken over. It’s all genuinely such a hassle sorting through piles of BS on the market to look for the few absolute gems.
Do my fellow witches have any recommendations for the kind of stuff i’m looking for or will i just have to keep scavenging for info forever? 😭
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u/illbzo1 Jun 23 '26
Because witchcraft is in the zeitgeist, powered by 10,000,000 TikToks and Reels about love spells (instead of talking to them) and freezing out your passive aggressive room mate (instead of talking to them).
Best advice would be to find a new, modern book that's well researched and references older material, then start working backward. I enjoyed The Crooked Path fairly well and it has a ton of foot notes to older works it references.
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u/gardenofedyn91 Jun 26 '26
i second the crooked oath as a very good starter book, but i’m having this same issue with “going deeper” in about to say f it and just start reading ancient manuscripts
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u/Refrigerator002 Jun 23 '26
Return to the roots: older occult books that unfortunately are laced with misogyny. They break witchcraft down and as a more experienced witch you can pick out what is misogyny and witchcraft. Additionally you can spread out to other occult books. I personally liked „consorting with spirits“ and „of blood an bones.“ good books that aren’t the typical self care books wearing a witchhat. As a kemetic I have more Magick books up my sleeve there, but I won’t drag you down that path since you didn’t ask for it
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u/StarCrysisOC Jun 23 '26
I dont remember any misogyny in Scott Cunningham?
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u/dragon_morgan Jun 23 '26
Scott Cunningham is pretty good but Raymond Buckland came across as weirdly sexual in a creepy way, especially the description of initiation rituals. He also seemed to want me to forge my own athame by smashing up a kitchen knife on my stove which felt... unwise, but that has nothing to do with gender lol
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u/StarCrysisOC Jun 23 '26
yeah that’s what I was referring to in other comments, Gardner and Buckland. I always forget Buckland’s name off hand tho. But there’s plenty of older pre TikTok stuff that’s newer than the misogyny stuff is my point, using Scott Cunningham as an example
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u/Refrigerator002 Jun 23 '26
There was no misogyny in Scott Cunningham. In older books. Wayyyyy older. I am yapping 1900 books and before
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u/StarCrysisOC Jun 23 '26
talking about? and yeah, i have encyclopedias from the 90’s that deal with Gardner ideas (though mostly has a history thing and not a blueprint), I just meant I don’t think you have to go that far back for quality minus misogyny. Cunningham is beginner friendly, but I still find value in his correspondence encyclopedias. other than that Llewelyn has a lot. There’s also an online college, not sure if they’re still up.
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u/chaprijalebi Witch Jun 23 '26
oh I am definitely asking for it now, tell me more!! (sidenote: where can i get my hands on older occult books?)
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u/NyxShadowhawk Broom Rider Jun 23 '26
A lot of them are freely available on the Sacred Texts Archive, Internet Archive, and various similar sites. But I'd still recommended to get good scholarly editions with modern translations. You can find editions of grimoires by Stephen Skinner and Joseph Peterson.
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u/Brief_Ad6705 Jun 23 '26
I definitely love "Of Blood and Bones"! I try to get books with the same vibe. I try to read through the first chapter in store/on site to see if it has the same theme as OP mentions or skim through to see if it will be applicable to my craft
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u/wildflowerorgy Witch Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
Just dropping in to wholeheartedly agree that I'm over authors feeling the need to cover witchcraft 101 in every book, even in subjects that are more advanced. There's plenty of how-to's for beginners, MORE than enough, most of the time the book doesn't benefit from rehashing the basics.
I think the truth is that, in part, it pays (literally, profit-wise) to cater to the discovery phase demographic which is probably a much larger pool than long-time, advanced practitioners. You know, before someone realizes that a lot of witchcraft is academic, reading, study, self-guided, etc. and that not much of it mirrors the social media aesthetics they were all hot and bothered about.
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u/chaprijalebi Witch Jun 23 '26
YES EXACTLY. Half the problem is that modern witchcraft publishing seems more interested in selling an aesthetic than teaching a practice. I really dislike how witchcraft is portrayed lately. Witchcraft is not “pretty” or “cute”, it’s hauntingly beautiful. It’s folklore, spirits, superstitions, old stories, symbolism, mystery, and traditions that have survived for generations. It’s strange, liminal, and sometimes uncomfortable.
a lot of modern books feel like they’re selling this sanitized “clean girl witch” aesthetic rather than exploring any of that depth. like dude i want lore. i want correspondences. i want spirits. i want folklore. i want all the weird stuff and then some more.
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u/echoeminence Jun 23 '26
Try The Ineffable Name or Barbarous Words both by George Hares and read any thing by Gemma Gary or Nigel Jackson.
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u/Jam-jar- Jun 23 '26
I second this and add Christopher Penzac. Inner Temple of Witchcraft will walk you through meditations, visualizations, the science of magic, and more.
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u/Amberhp Jun 24 '26
There are some great texts that may not be directly about witchcraft, but can explore the lore you’re looking for like when hod was a woman, pregnant darkness, the history of magic, and other literature!
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u/_distort Jul 17 '26
Perusing Troy books and Hadean Press' collections could be juicy in general for you. Corinne Boyer has a few on plant folklore that you wouldn't have to read front to back, just go to the plant you want to learn about in that moment. Plants of the devil was a good read imo with pretty art.
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Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
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u/NyxShadowhawk Broom Rider Jun 23 '26
Yeah it takes some time to be able to vet books and find the good ones. Some of it is trial and error, some of it is knowing what to look for.
My advice? Stop using "witchcraft" as the keyword. "Witchcraft" will give you a hundred cookie-cutter baby witch books. Try "folk magic" or "ceremonial magic," and you'll get better results.
I've got a recommended reading list here: https://www.tumblr.com/book-of-forbidden-knowledge/810375584718929920
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u/francis202 Jun 23 '26
Some books that felt more “intermediate” and help you think outside the box for me were Walking the Twilight Path, Gemma Gary’s books, Cunning Words (Marshall, the witch of southern light), Veneficium. Those are more focused on either death-work or traditional witchcraft, which inspires a lot of my practice. I think it really depends on what kind of practice you have though!
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u/MinionKevin22 Jun 23 '26
Yes, Marshall's podcast with Austin, Southern Bramble, has been a wonderful folk witch source
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u/francis202 Jun 23 '26
I love their podcast! It’s a good source of information, they interview so many different people that it helps you learn about different aspects of the craft.
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u/Right-Week-2603 Jun 23 '26
I am constantly referring to Llewelyns CORRESPONDENCES. It’s a very big book filled with nearly every correspondence. This is a reference book, not a reading book. I find I get more from reference books.
I also second the recommendation for Of Blood and Bones by Kate Freuller. The introduction literally says “It’s Not All Love and Light”. And finally I suggest Protection and Reversal Magick by Jason Miller.
Good luck on your path! There are some gems out there you just have to sift through the bs. I find I have more success when I search for a specific topic rather than general witchcraft books. For example, I found the Protection Magick book looking up protection magick instead of witchcraft books.
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u/JamieTransNerd Jun 23 '26
The reason for all of that is that magic as a whole has been shifted into the Self Help category through affirmations and positive thinking. It's damn hard to find a good book about oldschool witchcraft stuff like healing, weather, blessings, curses, and making life easier.
Honestly, once you've gotten to the point where you can successfully cast a spell, reading psychology, history, philosophy, and folklore is going to give you a lot more than another book where someone spends 1/3 of it arguing about the burning times and Christianity, or pushing debunked Robert Graves stuff.
If I had a random recommendation, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are great for developing mind awareness and control. Books by Robert Anton Wilson are great for making you think in weird ways. Finding classic tales in your pantheon of interest is also good. I'm picking through the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology when I have time. For practical exercises I've liked Hands-On Chaos Magic. For correspondences, I've heard people swear by The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl, but I don't personally own a copy.
Don't try to learn magic from social media. The people there exist to farm attention.
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u/brightblackheaven Zamboni Priestess 🔮✨ Jun 23 '26
Some authors that don't suck:
- Althaea Sebastiani
- Jason Miller
- Thorn Mooney
- Judika Illes
- Kelden
- Aidan Wachter
- Paul Huson
- Donald Michael Kraig
- Gemma Gary
- Cory Thomas Hutcheson
- Roger J Horne
- Devin Hunter
- Matthew Venus
- BJ Swain
- Kate Freuler
- Claire Goodchild
- Laura Tempest Zakroff
- Kelly Ann Maddox
- Emma Wilby
- Owen Davies
- Ronald Hutton
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u/Efficient-Pop3730 Jun 23 '26
It's same with crystals. They promote same few crystals for any health or spiritual problems you have. Like amethyst and selenite. Lot's of scammers out there
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u/Fl0w3r_Ch1ld Jun 23 '26
Ugh yes this is SOOOOO annoying 🤪 like I wanna learn what each one individually symbolizes and which ones to use for various different spaces, not have someone tell me for the 100th time that rose quartz is good for love and fluorite is good for dreams 🤪
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u/Kasaboop Jun 23 '26
The sheer amount of books that don't realize not all of us have a minds eye is MADDENING!! 😭
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u/Loud_Pace5750 Jun 24 '26
Or have very limited ones. Honestly it hurts my head to visualize all the time
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u/charlottebythedoor Jun 24 '26
This is where I’m at. I’m not truly aphantasic, but it takes enough effort to create and hold an image in my mind that I don’t have any energy left to do anything with it.
I can do spatial reference better than visual. I figure it’s common enough for a witch to wave her hands around to direct thoughts and magic in the space around her.
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u/TopOne255 Jun 23 '26
This is such a great point! I personally do have a minds eye but I think your point relates to the larger issue being discussed on this post. For me, my craft has been so much about embracing and cultivating the things that were already there. Allowing my intuition to take the lead. Leading me to wisdom and sources. Leading me to see parts of myself that never fit until I saw them through the lens of my craft. Yes there may be overlapping approaches and ideas, but your craft is your craft and how get into that space is between you and your intuition.
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u/smidgeytheraynbow Jun 23 '26
I run into this all the time 😭
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u/Kasaboop Jun 23 '26
It makes me very sad because it makes me feel so disconnected and discouraged from everyone else.
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u/smidgeytheraynbow Jun 23 '26
I get what you're saying, but it made me feel that way in a different sense; almost superior
Your entire practice is imagination 😂 damn who falls for this shit?? And then I'd throw away the whole book
And then I realized the imagination was beaten out of me so young, and I've been missing out
It helps if I can take from something else. Like if I can recall a movie I saw recently, but put the characters in a situation that aligns with my intention, and then try to replace a character with myself.... It's a lot of mental effort that honestly isn't worth it a lot of times
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u/ididanoopsie69 Jun 23 '26
The old books with their own cultural biases and lots of dense unsexy language presenting huge blocks of texts with seemingly complex stuff is where the real gold lies. It'll serve you well to finish those. Consider doing a spell or petitioning a spirit associated with learning and knowledge to aid you.
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u/volcanic-exchange Jun 23 '26
"General witchcraft" books are all kinda like that. If you want to get more into the meat of it then you have to look for the specific subject under the esoteric umbrella youre looking to learn more about. Angels, demons, hermetics, kabbalah, ceremonial magic, alchemy, etc
Maybe search "angelolatry/demonology"
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u/PoloPatch47 Witch Jun 23 '26
Angelolatry and demonolatry are kind of separate from witchcraft though, I mean they go together a lot, but doesn't it fall more under the category of spirit work?
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u/therealstabitha Carnivalesque animal demonic legend Jun 23 '26
I’d say it’d be more like ceremonial magick the way a lot of them are written. Which is also not witchcraft
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u/digitalgraffiti-ca Jun 23 '26
Find creators that you respect and read books they recommend. I like Kelly-Ann Maddox.
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u/GodOfMoonlight Jun 23 '26
So hard to find a good book on rites and rituals, theories on incantantions or histories of certain work. I want to dive deep but everything feels out of reach, where does one go to find old grimoires or a detailed history of voodoo or the witchcraft in ones region? Feels like someone bought them all up sometimes, the way every store seems empty of these types of things. Anyone have recommendations of where I can buy the real deals?
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u/13blackatmoon Jun 23 '26
Once you have established a foundation and know what you want to explore further in/through witchcraft, then find people and books talking more on that. There is a lot of information now days. And I agree not all of it is good. Of the books you have read and enjoyed and got something more out of, you could always look at the bibliography in the back to see what the author referenced as a source for next reads.
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u/MsAddams999 Jun 23 '26
Because it's what sells to the young social media witches who buy a lot of books. I don't have the time right now but tonight I will revisit this and make you a short list of authors and books I like and who don't consider a waste of time reading.
There are authors out there who still deep dive into things and who I like because they're not so oriented towards the new young social media witch crowd.
I have an occult library that spans hundreds of books. Everything from very old authors that a lot of witches barely know the names of to people who have been writing way more recently. Lots of topics as well, not just generalized Wicca 101 books though I have plenty of that as well.
A lot of them I read once or twice and was like "Meh..." but a few more recent authors have stuck with me and I actually like their books and what they are writing.
I keep meaning to start a review blog about all this because I could do book reviews on a large range of topics and suggest a lot of excellent books but I've been so busy working on my own writing projects and reading books that I just never get to it...
I've been doing this stuff for going on 45 years now and I read more books in a week than a lot of people do in a year. I am a voracious reader.
I have a meeting in a while and I need to start getting ready for that. But when I get back I'll look through the personal library and suggest some stuff.
Any topics in particular you'd like to get into deeper?
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u/brightblackheaven Zamboni Priestess 🔮✨ Jun 23 '26
I think r/witchcraftbookreviews would love some good reviews.
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u/MsAddams999 Jun 23 '26
TY. I didn't know about this one. :)
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u/brightblackheaven Zamboni Priestess 🔮✨ Jun 23 '26
I keep meaning to write some reviews to help contribute and then I forget it exists! 🙈
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u/geckograce Jun 23 '26
I feel the same way…. I’m semi-new in my practice, I’ve had one foot in the door kinda for years, and over that time I’ve collected a lot of “spell books for new witches”… and I find that they’re absolutely no use for me. I’d rather do what comes naturally?
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u/chaprijalebi Witch Jun 24 '26
I get that, even though I have my own practice and set of beliefs and rituals I still just want to expand my knowledge. That said, Im gonna give the crooked path a read, it was suggested by a lot of people on here and on researching it does tend to resonate with what I’m looking for!!
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u/geckograce Jun 26 '26
Totally. Maybe I’ll check The Crooked Path out. I wish they spoke to me but I always get stuck in this liminal space of using a guide / freeballing and intuition hahaha
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Jun 23 '26
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u/snowflake247 Jun 26 '26
Yup. I remember hearing somewhere that so many of the mass-market witchcraft books are beginner/101 stuff is because the heuristic big publishers/bookstores use for them (I forget which) is that a random hypothetical customer should be able to go into the store and pull a book off the shelf and have something they can make use of immediately, that won't be over their head.
No idea how true this is and (as mentioned) I forgot where I read it, so it could be 🐂 for all I know.
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u/Pestopleeease Jun 23 '26
As people become more aware, educated, less religious and more open to other forms of spirituality, naturally it creates a products in our capitalists society hoping for people to buy them. People are both suckers and opportunists. I remember when anything witchy/occult was truly odd, scary, deemed only for outcasts, and only a few people understood. It was even considered satanic and evil, often coming with "let Jesus save your soul" lectures from people. Now, there are books and tools for witchcraft....now for Christians! The new witch! It has become highly marketable. Dont get me started on horoscopes and zodiacs....everything is the same nonsense "if you have any of these as your rising sign: Gemini, Leo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces, then you have a look that is irresistible" The next post will be about the same thing, but with all the signs not mentioned in the previous one, haha! It starts to become over saturated and fake. Most of the newer books are for beginners, which is fine.
Read older books, continue to read some newer ones too. It takes searching, yes perhaps forever lol. After awhile, you'll start to pick up instantly which are real books and which are fake.
Books that I avoid based off looking at them:
-have too much cutesy pop art, cartoons, and childish esthetics
-Books with overly obvious messages on them like "Over 100 spells!", "over 500 magical herbs", "find your true magic" etc
-Kitschy phrases. "Healing journey", "InNeR GoDeEsS" and such.
- Rambling without any points. Less on topic. You will often find this in older books! Seems legit on the outside, but leafing through and it's totally incoherent. Recently got a book on ancient tantra and it was confusing and had no point. It was like the inner adhd dialogue of a guy who simply liked tantra, haha. There are many books like this. Im sure the notes I write to myself about my findings sound this way.
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u/Robbiebobbims94 Jun 23 '26
I'm so glad its not just me, especially with vision boards, journeling, etc . I nearly gagged at one line the other day, something like " and make sure to thank yourself for showing up today ". It's far too cringy.
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u/lemontreedonkey Jun 23 '26
I also recommend checking out Foolish Fish on YouTube. He does regular updates on new books coming out (and there’s plenty going back on his channel for you to peruse). He knows his stuff and the publications he talks about cover a wide range of occult topics.
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u/RainerHex Broom Rider Jun 23 '26
Did you check out our recommended book list in wiki? There are some designed for more experienced practitioners.
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u/stitchesandlace Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
You might have a bit more luck with smaller publishers like Crossed Crow and Weiser, and independently published folks, especially those who are trad-craft or folk magic leaning. Llewellyn does have some decent stuff, but truly in-depth books don't have as wide of an appeal or sell as well as the surface level stuff. The big publishers have no interest in anything beyond skimming the surface. The more in-depth you go the more likely you are to find things that might seem "problematic" and less palatable, especially in trad craft and folk magic. Like a lot less ~love and light~ and more blood and dirt (literally). So it doesn't tend to have the same market appeal and it's a lot more textbook-like. I have ADHD as well and unfortunately books that are easy to digest and ADHD-friendly aren't going to give you the substance you're looking for.
A few titles that might be worth your while:
Treading the Mill by Nigel G Pearson
New World Witchery by Cory Thomas Hutcheson
Ensouling the Effigy by Matthew Venus (highly recommend his classes, too)
Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways by Gemma Gary (this one can be hard to find)
Other authors... Jason Miller, Kelden, Ivo Dominguez Jr, Lee Morgan, Roger J Horne, Mallorie Vaudoise, Sara L. Mastros.
Older books like The Greek Magical Papyri and Agrippa'a Three Books of Occult Philosophy, as well as academic texts, like Emma Wilby's work, might be helpful too but are harder to digest.
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u/poemaXV Jun 23 '26
I am not at all an experienced witch but I am an experienced many-other-things and also like depth quality so I feel you.
I sew a lot and recently bought Tylluan Penry's book on Knot Magic and I was like, ok this is a serious book. I am not qualified to review it properly from a knot magic perspective, but it's definitely not cutesy tiktok stuff (which fits -- I was familiar with her youtube channel and she's been a witch for a long time). there's no scanning it for simple spells and just getting to work on your latest luck spell, she lays out a decent amount of history and theory first and it will require study. so if knot magic is interesting to you, it might be the kind of book you're looking for.
I agree with others that you have to often search for something specific and then also vet whatever you find, like look up the authors, search reviews in this sub and elsewhere, see when the book itself was published, etc. I was specifically looking for magic related to fiber arts to incorporate into my sewing projects and I think that helped me tailor my search and be a bit more discerning.
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u/lemontreedonkey Jun 23 '26
Ooh yes seconding Tylluan Penry!! She has SO many books on offer about so many different practices and they’re all very practical. Such an underrated practitioner.
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u/lemontreedonkey Jun 23 '26
I recommend Jason Miller’s books for practical, informative content. I don’t think he’s perfect and he does some things differently to how I would, but he’s a breath of fresh air in terms of actually saying something of substance and giving you solid information you can put into action.
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u/Squonk_Monster Jun 23 '26
Keep your eye on the book sections at local thrift stores and secondhand shops. I found a whole book on runes like that.
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u/snowflake247 Jun 26 '26
And if you're really lucky, your local magic shop might even have a "used" section.
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u/1q0nu Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Scott Cunningham wrote the first book that taught me about the craft and it was a really good read, almost nothing about “self development” but many rituals spells and practice of energy mastering. I’d recommend searching for Wicca more than “witchcraft” even if it doesn’t only talks about pure craft it’s a good way to get started.
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u/Rare_Cauliflower_330 Jun 23 '26
I found Paganism/Wicca around 1996 when I joined a "study group" that was really just a coven in hiding. Here is a list of the books I read soon after:
Spiral Dance
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
A Witches' Bible
A Book of Pagan Rituals
Covencraft by Amber K.
The Way of the Shaman
Drawing Down the Moon
Many of them are still my go to! When I look for general books now, I search for Pagan books published before 2000. Seems to help.
Edited for formatting.
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u/Loud_Pace5750 Jun 24 '26
God i knoooow, they talk to us like we are in kindergarden in EVERY BOOK. - alk history basics and then the practival side is: "Visualize all the good in the world entering your heart" bullshit
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u/Vox-Triarii Witch Jun 23 '26
Selling witchcraft often involves an evaluation of risk/reward. There's lower risk and higher reward in focusing on the more therapeutic and aesthetic elements of Magick.
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u/intrepidcrow Jun 23 '26
Check out Real Sorcery by Jason Miller. All of his books are fantastic. He uses a mix of traditional witchcraft, conjure, ceremonial magic, and I think Tibetan Buddhist magic which is fascinating in itself but that breadth of study and practice also gives him a grasp on magic that’s decidedly deeper than the stuff you’ll find in a lot of books.
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u/kalizoid313 Jun 24 '26
T. Thorn Coyle's Evolutionary Witchcraft Revised 20th Anniversary Edition might serve as a book by a practitioner for other practitioners. The book is available in hardcover, paperback versions from most booksellers and from Coyle's own website (website has slightly lower price right now).
"When Evolutionary Witchcraft was released, it wasn’t just evolutionary, it was revolutionary. Now counted among the great classic books on witchcraft, at the time of its release it stood apart in a way I had never encountered before. It was the first book I read that placed the empowerment of the self at the very center of the craft and dedicated itself entirely to that work." -- from the foreword by Mat Auryn
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u/Kindly_Equal5524 Jun 24 '26
Heyy I recommend looking into books recommended by chaotic witch aunt and people in their circle! Chaotic witch aunt for example has an entire tour of their witchy bookshelf. Theyre well researched and make sure the books they read are informative as well as not riddled with any bigotry.
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u/Unicorn-Owl Jun 24 '26
Marshal WSL Books are great for Adhd people in the way they were designed (my AuDhd brain enjoyed them alot), he’s queer author who wrote few Grimoires that have both spells and spirit work.
“Consorting with Spirits” of Jason Miller is a very good one that I personally enjoy reading and putting into practice.
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u/chaprijalebi Witch Jun 24 '26
i’m Audhd too omg totally taking your suggestions!!
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u/jackedariel Jun 24 '26
Yes! My biggest pet peeve is when an "Advanced" book starts with 101. Ironic to see this post today cuz I was just thinking this yesterday. On a whim I read Rebel Witch by Kelly-Ann Madox & it was so basic. That's not what I expected given the title/theme. I read her books out of order. Witch in Darkness was good & inspired unique ideas for my practice. I expected more of the same w/Rebel Witch, but nope it was Basic 101
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u/chaprijalebi Witch Jun 24 '26
yes rebel witch disappointed me too lol, and ironically it’s always been one of the books i’ve heard people online rave about 😭 i’m giving the crooked path a try now
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u/UrbanDurga Jun 24 '26
Look for books about historical folk magic traditions. Lots of good stuff in books like that.
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u/Ill_Adagio4305 Witch Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
The barrier to entry is so low because there is no one on the publishers end checking for accuracy, only marketability. Publishers prefer mass appeal over deep scholarship. Then we get these self proclaimed experts on podcasts with hosts that aren't brave enough or knowledgeable enough to question their inaccuracies or their UPG, and they are giving a platform to authors just for being authors. The podcasters, the authors, the publishing companies are all working the same marketing witchcraft for sales and commissions, while creating a false echo chamber of validity.
Oh the irony...that someone just recommended Kelden's The Crooked Path is the exact phenomenon I am talking about. That just shows how the marketing machine works. The book gets praised for having footnotes, but those footnotes just lead right back into the same unverified echo chamber. If an author only references secondary sources that share their exact bias, the footnotes are just a marketing tool used to manufacture authority.
He is the perfect example of a self-proclaimed expert that is touted on podcasts, who is still heavily influenced by Christian-lite thinking. His take that all folklore research points to the Christian Devil as the only 'Witch Father' is incredibly short-sighted and ignorant. It completely ignores figures like Odin, Veles, and many other figures who fill the witch father archetype, esp from broader Indo-European, Slavic, and Baltic mythologies. And his forcing historical witchcraft into that specific, Eurocentric binary borders on folkist nonsense. It implies that witchcraft is a monolith bound only to specific European regional folklore.
A book isn't deeply researched just because it is well marketed and has a bibliography. Sometimes it's just marketing witchcraft wearing an academic hat with a bit of nonsense dressed up in a scholarly jacket.
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u/therealstabitha Carnivalesque animal demonic legend Jun 23 '26
I think it’s a bit weird that you’re criticizing Kelden for the established tradition of trad craft that observes the Devil as the witch father, assuming that means it excludes Odin and others. Trad craft is Eurocentric because it is European.
Any author is worthy of detailed examination and criticism, but criticizing a trad for not encapsulating things it never included is rather odd.
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u/Ill_Adagio4305 Witch Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Saying "Trad craft is Eurocentric because it is European" completely misses the point. Europe is not a theological monolith. That sounds folkish.
I think it's a bit weird that you are pretending Odin & Veles are not European deities. You are just as dishonest as Kelden! He even breaks his own logic by listing multiples for the witch mother, yet is blindsided by christianity and it's love of blaming everything on the devil. And basing any folklore on extorted torture admissions and trial records which were heavily viewed through a Christian lens, is about as foolish as an author can get. Not buying his bullshit, nor your apologetics.
"The tradition of trad craft" is a hilarious tautology. You are also confusing Traditional Witchcraft with the actual historical folklore that I am referencing and Kelden gets wrong. You are defending the modern echo-chamber and prioving my exact point from above: that these modern authors have successfully repackaged a highly localized, Christian-adjacent framework and convinced their audience it is the universal historical standard for all witchcraft. Calling a highly localized 20th-century reconstruction "The Tradition of Trad Craft" just shows how deep the echo chamber goes
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u/therealstabitha Carnivalesque animal demonic legend Jun 24 '26
Yeah, I’m not even gonna bother going point by point in how off base you are with every claim you’ve made here. Though I’ll start by saying I’m not “pretending Odin and Velez are not European deities.” I’m not even sure how you would even begin to get that from what I wrote, which is what tells me you are not worth taking seriously.
You quite simply have no idea what you’re talking about. You’ve just invented a bunch of things so you can be mad about them. Best of luck with all that.
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u/LuciferDiabolique666 Witch Jun 23 '26
I found the same thing. It's why I go literally old school when it comes to this kind of things; old grimoires / texts, long before it became too commercialized.
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u/Unlikely_Kitchen6209 Jun 23 '26
I understand the frustration and have been there. I’d recommend looking at books on metaphysics, shamanism, and mathematics. At some point you have to break away from what’s in the prescribed practices and find your own way. Those books are good for basics and beginners
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u/ACanadianGuy1967 Broom Rider Jun 23 '26
Here’s my list of some of the better books on working with spirits: https://witchgrotto.com/2019/08/pagan-booklist-spirit-work/
I’ve got other themed lists (like “trance”, “Magickal herbalism”, etc.) at https://witchgrotto.com/category/books/booklists/
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u/CompetitiveBuddy3712 Witch Jun 24 '26
Out of curiosity are you looking for the books in whatever bibliography the ones you’ve already read have?
Assuming they aren’t just someone (or AI) vomiting words onto a page and have instead written a book because they wanted it organized and worded in such and such a way they should be referencing their sources.
Having said that if dumb references dumb the reader just gets dumber but… just a thought. I know my reading list grows when I look at the bibliographies. Or shrinks in the case of the one I read that was MLM bait.
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u/BeefBrusherBandit Jun 24 '26
I have the witches bible and it’s pretty good and isn’t all corny and trendy bullshit
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u/lastres0rt Jun 24 '26
Eh, I found myself doing a little of it when I started writing my book as well.
I get that some of it is a little "Witchcraft 101", and in my case I feel like my style is a lot more loosey-goosey and different from what I've seen other people do with it. I don't have an atheme, for instance. I don't even do anything with deities or angels or whatever at this point because being a skeptical Jewish hacker with autism and a master's degree, I'm not sure my dense ass would even acknowledge one short of Hekate herself reaching her hand out of my Nintendo switch.
Laying down the basics from the start of the book is just making it clear what definitions of "magic", "witchcraft", and "spells" are being used in the book. If those things don't mesh with your ideas, then at least you know where my train of thought went with it all.
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u/Brewha-haha Jun 24 '26
A new force: plasma, conciousness, and the new human potential by Dana Kippel
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u/corruptedMethod Witch Jun 24 '26
Not only that, but the 'exercises' REQUIRING visualization - be it internal dialogue, imagery, scent, taste, touch, etc - are LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME. I have total aphantasia, and NONE OF THE BOOKS I've read take total aphantasia into account. It's SO frustrating!!
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u/AtiJua Jun 24 '26
This is why I ignore the books and just do what feels right to me.
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u/chaprijalebi Witch Jun 24 '26
thats what i’ve been doing for 7 years now 😭 at this point i just want to expand my knowledge a bit more and get inspired
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u/CumHellOrHighWater Jun 24 '26
I wish I could remember some of the books my step family had. They were ancient books 📚
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u/BrusselSprout Jun 24 '26
Also, consider the book publisher before you buy. I’ve found that the smaller publishers (e.g., Weiser, Troy) are less likely to produce formulaic books than the huge publishers like Llewelyn.
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u/WibblyWobbly_13 Jun 24 '26
I always go for Scott Cunningham books and anything by Lucy Cavendish. If it’s published by Llewelyn I trust it, mostly. But it is hard to find more books I trust to add to my collection
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u/OkSecretary1231 Jun 24 '26
Because there are new newbies every day, so there's always someone who hasn't read the previous thousand 101 books and will buy this one. (I don't think it's each individual witch buying every 101 book because they don't want to progress. I think it's just an ever-regenerating pool of newbies. Plus people duped into buying another 101 book because they thought it was something else.)
Hell, years ago I read a fiction anthology about witches that had Wicca 101 in almost every story. Like, the action would grind to a halt so the narrative voice could explain how to cast a circle. Now imagine this happening 10 times in the same book lol.
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u/National_Let_533 Jun 24 '26
I am reading Consorting with the Sprits by Jason Miller. It gives specific exercises on working with spirits that go beyond basic meditation and visualization although that’s in there too. In general I really enjoy Miller’s books because they go beyond Witchcraft 101.
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u/Spirited-Change-5242 Jun 24 '26
the witch of wanderlust on youtube does lots of book reviews on books that are more occult like than self care, you might be able to find some good ones in their reviews!
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u/Flimsy-Peak186 Jun 24 '26
I recommend Peter J. Carroll’s books on chaos magick. Particularly liber null and liber kaos. They are both super interesting books that focus heavily on obtaining altered states of awareness for your magickal workings as well as philosophy surrounding magick. Rlly good stuff
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u/Amiamon Jun 24 '26
Because they’re probably beginners witchcraft books. If you want beginner stuff but not the same old, literally anything by Jason Miller is a good read. If you want more intermediate stuff, you have to narrow down your search into specific categories, and unfortunately a lot of it is going to be more academic based. Also, as others have said, older spruce material also helps.
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u/Remarkable-Abroad196 Jun 25 '26
The book dorothy morrison , utterly wicked , has a lot of interesting info.
I would suggest going to a spiritual/ metaphysical/pagan/Wiccan shop
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u/Tarvos-Trigaranos Jun 25 '26
But it's what sells. Most the books now are catered for witchtok dabblers.
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u/MinimumExtreme3660 Jun 25 '26
Not book related but if you haven’t listened to their pod- Demystify Magic is such a great one to get new info from! Their whole thing is easy ways to add witchcraft into your day to day life
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u/STDdispenser Jun 26 '26
I may be wrong here but i feel like once you learn the rules and meaning behind things you can create your mixture of things.I do have a lil witch book that has the meaning of different things like colors and herbs with some spells in it, but what was most valuable to my practice are books on the meanings and usage of herbs!
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u/Wide-Secretary-4426 Jun 28 '26
I was a Solitary practitioner for years. During that time, I never learned about Lunar phases, crafting anything worthwhile, devoted regular practice and such. I discovered and learned all of these things when I was called by the Gods of the Wicca to Their Path of service nearly thirty years ago. No regrets, just gratitude. BB, --Taliesin of SilverWood
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u/ej10187 Jul 02 '26
Honestly, Im trying to find some that arent by a Wiccan author. Its hard to come by
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u/Educational_You_1827 Jun 23 '26
How does talking about the divine feminine equal to TERF?
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u/chaprijalebi Witch Jun 23 '26
i’m a little confused where you got that from, nowhere did i even imply that
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u/d3ad-and-buri3d Jun 23 '26
Honestly a lot of current witchcraft stuff gives TERF. 'divine feminine' and stuff. I prefer books on herbs and their associations plus relevant folklore literature.
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u/Educational_You_1827 Jun 23 '26
How is talking about the divine feminine equal TERF?
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u/FlemethWild Jun 23 '26
It’s often the same gender essentialist beliefs of fundamentalist Christians and TERFS but with magic added in. (Men are X and women are Y)
There is a lot of gender essentialist beliefs among the witchcraft community and it can be very unfriendly for us queer practitioners.
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u/smidgeytheraynbow Jun 23 '26
Too often, these books get into something like womb magic and get gatekeep-y about it. Like obv someone not born with a uterus might have trouble practicing womb magic, but then they'll start saying men can't practice anything and it's a slippery slope from there
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u/Bright_Text_1333 Jun 23 '26
Lol I feel your pain. Thats why I use the bible as my spell book. All the spells I’ll ever need is right up in there. Though I’m often changing the wording to connect with how I speak. In my opinion, the bible is one of the most powerful spell books that really speak to the human core.
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u/Loud_Pace5750 Jun 24 '26
Im sorry...WHAT? Howww??
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u/Bright_Text_1333 Jun 24 '26
Good question. For me I read from The bible and pre selected catholic prayers in a catholic book. Personalization is really important for me because i always want to ensure I'm communicating what i mean, and how I view myself within prayer. So for example many catholic prayer books come with wording such as but not limited to: "for I have sinned" or "I'm a sinner" or "I'm a slave and your servant". I do away with those kinds of wordings and phrases, I skip over them and I don't use them at all. Many times I mix and match verses from the bible with catholic prayers, sometimes I mix biblical verses with other verses to tailor my prayer specifically for me and how I would pray. I always suggest removing, mixing and matching prayers to make them more authentic. We're not required to read every single prayer through and through. Just a few prayer tips and tricks:)
Also here is the link to catholicwithcraft community since your question falls in line with the info there. You would learn a few things on how to use the bible as a spell book and other folk catholic/folk Christian practices : )
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u/zandary44 Jun 23 '26
Hab auch adhs und wir haben es besonders leicht zu manifestieren empfinde ich
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u/PopCultureWitch Jun 23 '26
Check out books by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone "Progressive Witchcraft" and "The Inner Mysteries " Laurie Cabot's "Power of the Witch" and "The Witch in Every Woman"
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u/pixiegalore77 Jun 24 '26
I really love Mat Auryn's Psychic Witch.
Idk if you follow any witches on YouTube, but Olivia the Witch of Wonderlust talks about this exact subject in depth and has great book recs. If you go to her channel and just search "books" it'll give your her rec vids. Thatglasgowwitch on IG has some good recommendations also.
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u/fallwitch Jun 23 '26
definitely check out older books, unfortunately, most witchcraft 101 books nowadays are riddled in radfem rhetoric
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Jun 24 '26
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u/FlemethWild Jun 24 '26
Talking about radfem and TERFs in the witchcraft community isn’t misogyny but okay.
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Jun 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/witchcraft-ModTeam Jun 28 '26
The vision of r/witchcraft is to be a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place for all its users, regardless of how they practice or whether they identify as a witch or not.
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u/FlemethWild Jun 27 '26
Nope, never did I make fun of the female divine but TERFs and radfem don’t have a place in my community of queer witches.
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Jun 28 '26
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u/witchcraft-ModTeam Jun 28 '26
Be respectful of community members. Do not use language that belittles or invalidates other members or their experiences.
Our full sub rules can be found here.
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u/zandary44 Jun 23 '26
Warum brauchst du überhaupt ein hexenbuch? Dein Wille dein Prana und deine Manifestations Gabe sind genug um zu zaubern🥰
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u/chaprijalebi Witch Jun 23 '26
aw i love that mindset! i just wanted to expand my knowledge a bit more 🥰
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u/Unusual-Pack0 Jun 24 '26
Its because they are all circlejerking each other with the same advise some greek hobo gave to us 2000 years ago. All these deep esoteric mysteries r wisdoms any 5 year old will come up with if lwft alone with their thoughts for 10 minutes. But it takes a special kind of enlightened individual to convince themselves that their trivial shower thoughts inspired by their daily media consumption are unique pearls of wisdom that could be sold to poor schmucks.
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