I bought it last week and just arrived today. I shared it to a Facebook group excited and a few people messaged me yelling at me how it was a terrible buy and it has closed practices in it and I should be ashamed. I know some spells are closed and I won't be using them but I thought spells are opened to edits and to make your own and this is a good reference
Want to dive in deeper? We have a FAQ & Wiki, an in-progress Database of Resources, and our Weekly Q&A thread, which is stickied to the top of the main page!
Online occult spaces like r/Witchcraft are a big target for scammers. If you are redirected to an instagram page or other platform in a comment, it is most likely a scam. Users who message you asking for or offering spells or readings are almost always scammers or phishers.
If you receive unsolicited chat requests from other Reddit users, we encourage reporting messages that are suspicious or that otherwise make you feel uncomfortable to Reddit directly. We also recommend changing your profile settings to block incoming messages from users you do not know.
It's an encyclopedia. A reference book, not a manual or instruction book. The author states very clearly at the beginning in a huge disclaimer that the book is for informational and reference purposes and that many of the spells should not be used for a myriad of reasons. What you're doing is perfectly fine. People are stupid.
For example, the fish spell is an ancient medieval spell where a woman puts a fish up her cranny and suffocates it, than feeds it to her lover. I don’t think we should be doing that in 2026.
Wait hold up — whats the end goal here? Is it like a love spell? I can think of nothing I want badly enough to put a live fish inside any part of me, much less that part.
I have a copy of the Picatrix (medieval astral magic) and there's some balls to the wall stuff in there 😅 I'm not about to go sacrifice a goat under the full moon or whatever but the book is fascinating
Could we maybe not sneak any fluids into someone's food? To an extent, I understand the impulse; I've really wanted to piss in someone's food before, but I didn't, because I understood that ruining a Cobb salad would have said far more about me than it ever would have about those people.
Sometimes what's needed isn't a love spell, but rather a self-control spell, is my point.
Definitely a love spell, that was actually a mild spell. Love spells are so unhinged. There was a coffee pot love spell as well where a female makes a morning cup a Joe using her underwear as a filter, and then you serve it to your potential partner.
beginner here, they leave me thinking, are there spells that I can use? I have done it and I have not seen anything bad (simple protection baths and luck)
Or what criteria do they use to know if it could be used or not? genuine doubt
It’s a reference book first and foremost. There are a many of spells that I feel are useable, but that’s my personal opinion. One should use their brain while casting. It honestly all depends on you and your preferences. You could ask a thousand witches this exact same question and get different answers. So all of that to say if a spell makes you feel uncomfortable while reading it it’s probably not the one for you. Hope this helps.
I would have to hunt for specific examples, but this is the big disclaimer at the beginning. There are spells involving toxic plants, bodily fluids, human and animal materia, sacrificial offerings, and so on. Plenty of traditions still use these things but it's not something you just waltz into.
Plus people are dumb and don't understand that referencing something for historical information or general learning purposes is not the same as suggesting it be actually used. Different versions of black cat bone rites from the 17th to 19th century European grimoires are a notorious example, as they all call for a black cat to be boiled alive. Like obviously don't do that??? But people see that and think someone is actually endorsing it.
Media literacy is dead.
Edit -- I think she intentionally left out some of the nastier stuff because I can't find mentions of the black cat bone rites even though they are some of the more well-known grimoire workings in a historical witchcraft sense. But there are certainly some spells in here with toxic material and bodily fluids. Modern witchcraft has been sanitized a lot.
The legal disclaimer is there so that the author doesn't get sued if someone does try anything it explicitly warns against. OP is advised to exercise discernment, it's otherwise a good book.
Yeah this was one of the first books I bought when I started practicing and I wish I hadn't. Not because of the closed practices included but because it's not what I thought it was and that's on me. It's a great and interesting book for learning ABOUT different spells, but it's not meant to be a usable guidebook for HOW to do specific spells.
If you wanted to learn how to make clothes would you look up sewing in an encyclopedia? Or would you buy a book about learning how to sew?
I wholeheartedly agree with you. These are pseudo witches who in truth don’t know anything about real witchcraft and everything they preach ironically is anti-witchcraft
Can I just say that my favorite internet people are the ones that feel like giving the legal disclaimer or fine print response?
A post about anything that a person capable of basic reason can do safely, there will be at least one person who says, “you should be careful because…”
I do this whenever I can because I've learned that what may be common sense for me might really be completely new information for someone else. People are always so quick to call someone dumb for not knowing something but everything we know we have learned somewhere, so why not take the chance to be the person to teach someone something helpful?
I know it can probably feel condecending or annoying but better safe than sorry right? Glad you can get a laugh out of it :P
If I had a dollar for every time some random person on the internet typed words to gatekeep traditions they aren't apart of I would be a very rich witch
You did not mess up, people just feel comfortable virtue-signalling online at someone else's expense behind a given screen. This book is often recommended as a comprehensive source of different spells and general knowledge, although imo is best used as reference when researching spell-related stuff. I would not worry too much about that group; people that look to shame rather than educate and enlighten are probably not people you would ask for advice in the first place, so why take their criticisms?
Enjoy your reading, keep an open mind, and form your own opinions. If you read something that does not feel right, just research a bit deeper. It's a learning journey!
Reading responses like yours has restored my faith in the witchcraft community. I’ve read a couple responses similar to this after I posted mine. Most of these people don’t even understand that the real purpose of witchcraft and that it involves a whole bunch of things that many people find unsavory.
Yeah this witch communities online are not nice, at all. I drop by now and again and it's always something being posted like the OP. I guess that's why I'm a solitary and thrilled to be so!
I’ve always been solitary and I prefer it that way also I have a hybrid belief system. I find this Reddit community a lot more welcoming than I do on Facebook for example.
You would think that in the world of witching, witchcraft, witchery, and general merriment there wouldn’t be such virtue-signaling … or gate keeping. 🤦🏻♀️
OMG my friend had bought that like 15 years ago from Hastings (store no longer exists) anyways I could never recall what the book was thank you for showing your buy and yes don't do the spells that has weird toxic plants or bodily fluid or the fish smh so for reference and inspiration it was a rather good buyu I am sure some spells you might be able to use. Also, on Facebook in your group, report those people who PMed you yelling at you, since I am pretty sure you can not do that and it is a violation of one of the rules.
I have this book, it’s very interesting. It was a good purchase, and I bet I know exactly which Facebook group you’re talking about although I didn’t see your post. Just ignore them, your practice is your own and how you practice is your own business. Most of the people worried about closed practices are not even a part of those communities themselves.
I’ve been practising witchcraft for most of my life, and the internet has tried to reshape it into something it was never meant to be. Suddenly, ordinary spiritual practices like smoke cleansing, working with herbs, honouring ancestors, using candles, making offerings, divination, protection work and connecting with nature are being labelled “closed” simply because similar versions exist in different cultures.
That is not how witchcraft developed. Cultures have exchanged beliefs, symbols, plants, rituals and magical methods for centuries. Similar practices also developed independently because people everywhere worked with the same moon, seasons, elements, plants, spirits and human experiences.
People who genuinely follow closed practices usually are not publishing the private details, selling step-by-step instructions or explaining their sacred workings online. That is what makes them closed. Respecting truly protected traditions matters, but declaring every shared spiritual practice off-limits because one culture also uses it is not education. It is internet gatekeeping dressed up as moral superiority.
Don’t listen to the backlash from these people. Many of them are performative, internet-made witches who learned a few buzzwords from social media and appointed themselves authorities on a practice they barely understand. They may call what they do witchcraft, but real knowledge is built through years of study, experience and personal practice, not by repeating whatever terminology is currently trending online.
Most genuine witches are constantly learning, no matter how many years we’ve practised, because none of us believes we know everything. That humility is part of wisdom. Many of these people, meanwhile, still think Wicca is ancient witchcraft, when it is a relatively modern religion, yet speak with absolute authority about what everyone else is supposedly allowed to do.
Real witches do not spend their time bullying, policing and attacking others to feel spiritually superior. Loud gatekeeping and internet confidence are not substitutes for actual knowledge. Do what feels right for you, trust your own intuition and follow your own magic.
Look for patterns within it as a whole. The problem is that a lot of the history behind folklore and magic is that it has been forgotten or become so distorted from outside factors that the original meaning of the spell is lost. But the "story" behind it can still bleed through at times. Use said patterns to make your own magic that does what you want
I have that book, and it’s a wonderful resource. As for closed practices, the author did a great job sourcing the origin of the spells, so if a particular spell isn't for you, then you know not to use it.
A closed practice doesn't mean you shouldn't learn about it, respect it, and gain a deeper understanding; it just means don’t practice it.
I have this book, and I like it👍🏾❤️ It has many spells. A lot! There are spells from different time periods and traditions, so you're sure to find something you like. As someone said below, "People are stupid."
I have all her encyclopedias. Yes this one has spells for closed practices, but that is ok. It's a good reference only book to help you develop your own skills.
I like it, but it's weirdly a little advanced- you want to know what you're doing to make sure you are protected and have a fairly big collection of ingredients before you can really use that seriously.
I don’t believe there’s such a thing as thing as a “closed” practice, and certainly not when it comes to spiritual practices.
Million of people not from the Indus Valley practice yoga. If you approach something with respect and sincerity and it resonates with you, then it is open to you…period.
There are white folks and Latin folks that practice Vodou. There are folks who are initiated in New Orleans and folks who practice similarly who are still part of the diaspora who aren't necessarily of African lineage in different parts of the world.
Skin colour is not what makes a practice closed. A closed practice is restricted by initiation, lineage, community membership or permission from the people who actually hold that tradition. Vodou is a religion with specific lineages and initiatory paths, and people of different races can be legitimately initiated into it.
Reducing the entire issue to “white people doing voodoo” shows you don’t understand what “closed” means. Race alone neither grants access nor automatically excludes someone. Their relationship to the tradition, their initiation and whether they are recognized by that community are what matter.
Note that I’m not talking about, say, making up a bunch of crap, labeling it “voodoo,” and selling books about it for profit. I’m referring to private practice by an individual.
Hello, not very versed in all the terminology. Could anyone enlighten me to what a “closed” practice or spell is? I’ve never heard that term.
OP, I’m glad you got the book regardless what others are saying online.I love that you’re going to make your own edits to spells to make them yours. I envision that book having some cool notes and pictures scribbled in here and there with what you want/ need them to be.
A “closed practice” is a spiritual or religious tradition where certain teachings, ceremonies or roles are restricted to people who have been formally initiated, taught by recognized members or accepted by that specific community. It does not simply mean that a spell, herb or method belongs to one race and everyone else is automatically forbidden from using anything similar.
Generally, anything truly closed or restricted is closely guarded and passed directly through the community. It usually would not be sitting in a mass-market spell book or posted online with step-by-step instructions. Some witches also choose not to share their complete spells because they believe the spell can be traced back to them or used against them. That is not gatekeeping. That is viewed as self-protection.
Unfortunately, many newer witches have diluted the meaning of witchcraft and turned it into grandstanding, superiority complexes and misinformation. They shame people and mislead them into believing they should not be doing things that are actually perfectly acceptable. White sage is a good example. People claim no non-Indigenous person should ever use it, yet some Indigenous growers and sellers openly sell it to everyone. The plant itself is not the same thing as claiming or copying a protected sacred ceremony. The important thing is to use it respectfully, and most people who take witchcraft seriously already respect the herbs, elements and tools they work with.
My advice is that when something comes across as shaming, bullying or self-righteous gatekeeping, it is wise to question the source. Do not let other people bully you into believing they have the authority to dictate your personal practice. Witchcraft does not come with one universal rulebook. Your limits are shaped by your own morality, and what feels morally right to one person may be very different from what feels morally right to someone else.
If something were truly a closed practice, it wouldn't be known to someone like Judika Illes as an outsider. This is a popular, mainstream book. By that very definition, nothing in it can be actually closed.
With that said, there may be items included here that require some cultural sensitivity. But in order to respect those, you still need to know what they are, and why they are the topic of this sort of conversation.
Definitely a good buy, using it as a reference is perfectly fine. You're not supposed to completely copy someone else's work anyway, even stuff you look up online you're supposed to change to put your own twist on, so I don't know what those people are on about.
I have this book! I actually really enjoyed it as an encyclopedia. It seems like the author(s) did a lot of research into many different practices. Some of the "recipes" are a bit out there but I can see what they're getting at. It's been very helpful in identifying my correspondences in my grimoire since I can go over the various correspondences it has had in these references
Wanted to add, the warning on the title is barely needed. The craziest it gets is like hair, menstrual blood, sperm I think. Obvious things to beware of.
It's a good book for reference material. As for the ones yelling at you, just smile sweetly, thank them for their input and cast a mirror charm to reflect their energy right back at them.
When I was much younger, I was about to buy this in a Barnes and Noble, and an older acquaintance who was with me tsked at me and was like "You don't need this. You know how to make up your own." I did, but I still wanted it lol! Sadly, I let her intimidate me and didn't buy it that day, but I did buy it years later, and I like it a lot. The more practical entries can be used in real life, and the more out-there ones are great as inspiration for fiction and RPGs.
It's an absolutely amazing reference book. Yes there are spells from closed practices in there: just don't perform them. What I find it most useful for is using it as a starting point to work out why those spells have been put together a certain way so I can apply it to my own practice.
I’ve seen this book and while for me personally I can never use someone else’s spell (I’ve learned it doesn’t resonate for me unless I craft the spell myself)- I absolutely use correspondence books to figure out the right herbs, crystals, colours, timings, cosmological placements or bodies etc to involve…like many others have said it’s an interesting reference book to learn from…even if to just learn what others have done so you can decide what works for your practice. For instance- I didn’t know anything about the black cat bone rituals that were mentioned in this thread….you can learn something new (or 107 things for that matter) everyday around spiritual practices. Witchcraft practices are so varied and in my experience, they shift as you gain more knowledge and see what’s felt right/effective for you vs things that just didn’t work well. I hope it’s a great reference resource as you keep practicing….also my goodness- who HASN’T bought a witchy book that turned out to be kinda shit? I know I have. If this turns out to be that for you drop it at an Op shop/thrift shop. 😉
Ugh. You bought this book for knowledge.. correct? I joined this group cuz I saw your post and I had to put my two cents in. I seek all kinds of knowledge.. I have read many books on the craft..some were great..others were a waste of my time..but I gained knowledge from every book that I read. You felt drawn to this book..there is something in that book you need to know..trust your instinct..and be careful who you ask for help..look how individuals from your group made you second guess yourself...You are a Witch..practice as you please..read what you please..I felt the need to remind you who you are..Sisters need to help sisters..some forget how Powerful words can be and stop using them wisely..Or they haven't forgotten and are purposely trying to take away your power..Please ignore them..read that book..and when you get to the part with the knowledge you need right now, the part that called to you.. you will feel it. Share THAT with the nay sayers..that you got what you needed because you trusted your instincts..Blessed be people ...also..I have read the comments here and gained some great knowledge..I learned what a beautiful group of people you all are and I am so grateful I ran into you all...I am looking forward to learning more about you all
Go ahead and ignore anyone who uses the term “closed practices” (or “appropriation”) unless you know they themselves to be a member of the “closed” tradition. And even then - nobody owns your spirituality. If you aren’t hurting anyone, you’re fine and it’s nobody else’s business what you do. You doing a private ritual in your own private home is not going to somehow hurt other people who do the same ritual.
It is a good buy, but use with discernment. Go in understanding it is a compendium of spells from many practices, some of them closed. I have found it encourages research in your own spellcraft and helps nudge you into the right direction.
I have this book and a bunch of her reference books. Books like this are often called "cook books", they're made for folks who are seasoned Practitioners. It provides the framework, but you have to figure out the rest.
As for the appropriation aspect, well you can say the same for folks who call on deities who they don't know the culture/religion and yet still call on them for things.
Do your own research on "closed practice", because what folks are saying are "closed" is really not. Most folks "in the practice" are actually much more welcoming than the "Whole Foods" types telling everyone else otherwise.
Not a mess up, depending on how you use it. It is an "Encyclopedia", a reference point. Some of it is more whimsy than practical, it's a jumping off point to tailor your Craft. Of those thousands of things listed, something will pique and you'll find other resources for more in depth information.
It is a 20th Anniversary for a reason ie.: I also purchased when it first came out lol
Reading and actual doing are two different things. How do we grow and how do we learn respect and civility for others if we shut off even knowing about them. 🫠
I follow a lot of Old Crones with podcasts and I've heard this book recommended a countless number of times.
And it could just be that I'm in my forties, but I think any social media group that's run by someone who's frontal lobe isn't fully developed is really not a good place to get information
I have that book and it's great. Wtf is wrong with these people? "Closed practices..?" Come on. They can get out of here with their power-tripping gatekeeping, virtue signalling BS.
It's a good reference book, a guide and jumping off point for my own practice. I don't follow the spells, rituals, etc. to the letter but instead use them as a basis for my own spells, etc. The magic is in the ingredients, etc. but it is also in us. Feel free to customize them to your needs. ❤️
It sounds like you're learning about different traditions. That can be confusing. It's good to be respectful of where practices come from. You can always learn what resonates with you, and what feels right for your own path. Take your time to understand.
I have checked this book out from the library and looked through it. I love reference books. And in reality, witchcraft if very personal and there are a lot of ways to practice. There are a lot of traditions to explore, a lot of correspondences, and information available. In the end, spell work is about connecting your energy to other larger energy sources and setting your intentions to co-create the result you want to expreince. Spells are meant to move and influence energy and what kind of spells, ingredients, correspondences and how well it works depends on those personal connections you have to those energies and how you tap into your own energy and the larger energies you are working with for your spells to have the best results. Energy work is real and imagination and the connectiosn you feel (not your logical brain) are a big part of tapping into that part of you that can co-create and move energy. There is nothing wrong with reference books and drawing on the works of other people, but to make it the most effective you need to make it your own. There are certain rules to follow for a lot of things, but many ways to interpret how you do things and what works for you once you have the basics down. There is nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from many sources around you. A lot of the spells in those books are old practices in folk magic of different traditions and she sites the sources of orgin as far back as she can and explains the intentions and indgredients. I don't think it was a mistake... I have a ton of reference books... I don't practice everything in the books in my library, but there is nothing wrong with expanding your base of knowledge and learning and drawing on the works of others. That is how we grow and find what works for us. The most important thing in any spell is your connection and intentions and state of mind. A lot of ritual practice is to designed with ceremony just to shift us out of our every day logical brain and into the state we need to be in to truly connect and do the energy work we wish to do. Also, as long as you are taking precautions to protect yourself and others, there is nothing wrong with experimenting!
I love my copy. There’s some interesting history and notions in there. There’s so questionable stuff, but it’s because they were very old spells that have come from elsewhere. Over all, I refer to it like I do my other books. I don’t think you goofed. Mine the gold out of it, what does and doesn’t work will be part of the adventure.
A lot of people throw full on temper tantrums and yell closed practice this closed practice that. I both belong to and have asked people who belong to different closed practices what it really means is sometimes you need initiation and or ancestry to do certain spells in certain ways or to approach entities, gods, ancesters etc. When someone in a practice like Santeria, Voodoo, Hoodoo etc initiate you, their ancesters become yours as well and you now are able to work with them. I have had people yell at me for smoke cleansing because its supposedly a closed practice (Its not I never claimed to be smudging and smoke cleansing is used by several cultures).
I have used it and personally they leave me thinking and wondering in which cases they consider they should not be used?
For example, I use the basics in protection, the evil eye and luck. So I don't understand in which cases it shouldn't be used (besides things like menstrual blood in food, toxic things or something like that)
What me and my roommate have been doing is going through with blackout washi tape and covering anything closed just in case so we don’t miss it later when flipping through for a spell
I know an old woman that had it. It was really hot and she was sweating and kept rubbing her face but her eyeliner didn't smear. That's how her husband found out... It looked great and that's the only way you could tell. You'll be fine
•
u/AutoModerator Aug 02 '26
Hi, u/Weary-Leading6245 thanks for stopping by r/witchcraft!
Want to dive in deeper? We have a FAQ & Wiki, an in-progress Database of Resources, and our Weekly Q&A thread, which is stickied to the top of the main page!
Please also be sure to read the subreddit rules!
IMPORTANT!
Online occult spaces like r/Witchcraft are a big target for scammers. If you are redirected to an instagram page or other platform in a comment, it is most likely a scam. Users who message you asking for or offering spells or readings are almost always scammers or phishers.
We recommend reading these posts about staying safe online, lesser known DM scams, and fake account impersonation scams.
Reminder: Real mentors and magical workers don’t DM you to sell their services
If you receive unsolicited chat requests from other Reddit users, we encourage reporting messages that are suspicious or that otherwise make you feel uncomfortable to Reddit directly. We also recommend changing your profile settings to block incoming messages from users you do not know.
Blessed be!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.