I believe that nobody ever stops being a student when it comes to witchcraft, as there's always more to learn. That being said, I'm primarily a green witch that has some hedge witch inclinations, but I'll dip my toes into any area, really, if I think it will fit my practice. My main focuses are spellwork, divination, and plant knowledge, though I am always working to expand my knowledge into other areas.
Here is a list of all my guides, tips, and other posts that I’ve compiled into one place. It will continue to be updated as I post more, as I have a lot I want to share here, and will be the most up-to-date version as I always update it after making a post. Enjoy!
My Personal Thoughts: Being entirely honest, while the book works decently as a primer to Wicca and the Wiccan approach to witchcraft... I did not enjoy this book. There was misinformation within it (for example, the name of a historical time period was used instead of the name of a pagan faith), some cultural appropriation of Indian and indigenous practices (despite the acknowledgement at the end of the importance of not appropriating from cultures and doing good research), and some places where information was referenced that had not been given. The information is presented in a way that is easy to understand, but shallowly as it attempts to cover all aspects of multiple topics in a book less than 150 pages. I was glad that she included a (small) section on some aspects of Wicca's history that has been problematic in the past.
Technical: There are no citations in the book for information sources, nor is there a bibliography in the back - making it impossible for curious readers to delve deeper and making it difficult for someone to verify any of the information being presented. Despite that, the information is presented rather neutrally, though obviously leaning towards the Wiccan tradition. The book is divided into sections that make logical sense, moving from beliefs and different traditions to supplies and correspondences, etc. I did not know this book was self-published when I picked it up, however there were some signs through errors within the text that made it evident as I continued reading. One thing I found missing in the text though, was actual spells. Given the name of the book, I was expecting a few beginner-friendly spells to be included, of which there were none.
Author: John Michael Greer, Clare Vaughn, Earl King Jr.
Genre/Type: Hermetic, Beginner
My Personal Thoughts: This book is formatted similarly to a workbook for beginners to learn fundamental skills to practice ritual magic. The book follows the initial teachings of the order Companions of the Rose, an established magical group. There are a lot of exercises that practitioners of any witchcraft tradition can use, as well as the basic theory for Hermetic magic. I will say, there is less of the theory of both Hermetic tradition and ritual magic than I expected, given the title. Most of the theory work was offloaded onto other books which are mentioned in the earliest chapters, and I wish for a book on fundamentals that it would have included more. I do appreciate though, that the book creates a framework for the practitioner to develop a daily practice of their own moving forward, even beyond the book.
Technical: The information is presented in a way that is easy to understand, and progresses through the lessons in a way that builds on the ones before them. There is a heavy Hermetic influence on the work, understandably, which is not immediately made clear unless reading the blurb on the back carefully. The authors are trained in teh Companions of the Rose tradition, and several are well-known authors in the witchcraft spheres in their own right. There is a bibliography in the back for further reading, as well as a list of Hermetic theory books early on in the process. There are diagrams scattered throughout the book to help with understanding the content, and the book chapters are organized by lesson. Each chapter is further divided by the type of lesson being taught in several categories, including theory, divination, meditation, and more.
Raising energy is such a key factor in witchcraft that is, surprisingly, not talked about all that often - especially in books for beginners, where it is most important to learn how to do. Energy is what makes the magic work, so if a new witch is attempting a spell without knowing how to work with energy, it likely won't work as intended, if at all. This is why a fair number of new witches eventually give up practicing the craft; if their spells don't work when they follow all the steps, why would they keep trying?
Raising energy is such a key part of witchcraft that I'd consider it fully foundational. It can be taught using a variety of methods, or done instinctively, or some combination of the two. The method I'm going to share here is how I instinctively started doing it when first learning witchcraft. I've since added methods to my practice when choosing to focus on different things, but this is a method that I still come back to even years later because it feels so natural and easy to me. It is not the only way of doing this, and if you choose to try it and one part of it works for you but not others, feel free to leave what doesn't work and take what does.
Steps
Find a place of privacy, where you won't be disturbed. If it is somewhere that can be dimly lit while you are still practicing this skill, that is best, but it can be done anywhere.
Get into a comfortable position that you can stay in for as long as you need to. I found it easiest to sit cross-legged on a cushion with a pillow at my back against something solid, but find what works for you. I also liked to have a candle in front of me, with the color matching my intention for this practice as a focus, but that is not required.
Close your eyes and take several deep breaths. Make sure your diaphragm (that space between your stomach and chest, between your ribs) is expanding with each inhale. This helps by partially or fully grounding and centering your body and mind, and can be a signal that you are starting energy work.
When you feel ready, as you exhale next, imagine a root travelling down from your spine until it reaches the earth. It does not matter how close you are to the ground, as this root can travel through anything it needs to. When you next inhale, imagine that energy is travelling up that root into you. Imagine that it cycles up from your spine, through your torso, down your arms and legs, back to your torso, and out through the root on your next exhale. Try to visualize this if you can, as it can help guide the energy, but it is still possible if you can't.
Repeat this cycle several times, and try to determine what you can feel from it. When I first realized I was feeling energy, it felt a little warm and made my skin slightly tingle wherever it was passing through. I could feel it best in my chest and hands most of all. The feeling and location will likely not be the same for everyone, so try to figure out what it feels like to you, and where it focuses - it might give you a hint about what kinds of magic come most naturally to you. This step might take a while, so don't be discouraged if it takes several attempts to succeed at it. You are training a new skill, and it is natural to not always succeed right away.
Once you get good at feeling and holding the energy in your body, try to direct it. I found it easiest when first starting out to direct it at the parts of my body that already were sensitive to the energy: my hands and chest. Try to redirect the energy, or 'push' it lightly where you want it to go. Don't try to force it, as in my experience that is tiresome and ineffective. Instead, try to guide it where you want it to go.
Once you've gotten the hang of directing the energy, you have two choices. You can choose to let it go, allowing it to filter through your body, then back down the root into the earth, ending the practice session. Or, you can choose to do something with the energy: a spell. Using this method is how I raised the energy to cast my very first ward ever, which served me well until I learned how to make better ones.
After choosing whichever option you want to go with, and letting the energy either dissipate or be used, let the root connecting you to the earth dissolve. Take several deep breaths to ground yourself back in your body fully and let go of any excess energy you don't need still lingering in you. You can now open your eyes and begin moving around, as the exercise is finished.
The process is fairly straightforward and simple, but it served me well as a starting method of manipulating energy, and made trying more complicated stuff down the line easier than it otherwise would have been. Again, this is not the only way of doing this by any means, but because this method helped me so much early on, I wanted to share it here in case it could help someone else. I hope it is useful, and best wishes!
My Personal Thoughts: This book is good for beginners interested in incorporating the planets and astrology into their practice. It goes over each of the classical planets, as well as the three modern planets and common planetary bodies. It also provides details and suggestions for incorporating the planets into your personal practice. I really loved the artwork throughout the book, and the ties to music that it provided when describing the workings of the skies - something unique to the book that I have not seen elsewhere. I do, however, wish that more attention had been given to the astrological signs and Houses as well to help tie everything together even further, though I do recognize this book focuses primarily on the planets.
Technical: The information is presented in a way that is easy to understand, and there is a bibliography in the back for further reading on many of the concepts discussed. The book ties together information from multiple traditions, without a heavy focus on any, but that may deter some readers uninterested in that aspect of it. The author herself is a long-time professional astrologer, and her experience in the field shows. The book is organized into sections - first by classical planets, modern planets, planetary bodies, and natal charts as a whole, then by which planet/body is being discussed.
Below I have included a list of correspondences, the history of the color, the biology and psychology of the color, and the magical uses it has. Enjoy!
Planet: Mercury, Jupiter, and sometimes Saturn. For the outer planets, often Neptune as well.
Direction: West
Season: Fall and Winter
Day: Wednesday or Thursday
In Tarot: Cups
Due to the color blue’s associations, astrologically it is most closely aligned with Mercury and Jupiter, and occasionally Saturn, as those planets are also representative of/aligned with those same meanings. When including the outer planets as well, that expands to include Neptune, primarily due to the color of the planet, as well as its association with the god Neptune who rules the seas. The western direction is also a correspondence of blue, because in traditional witchcraft, west is the direction of the element of water. The season Fall is associated with blue due to the energetic shift that the season brings that aligns with the color, and that is carried through energetically with Winter, which is also associated to blue due to the prevalence of water and snow during the colder season in many places. Wednesday and Thursday are both the primary days associated with the color due to them being the days of Mercury and Jupiter - the two planets most associated with blue. In tarot, the suit that corresponds best to blue is the suit of Cups, because Cups is the suit of water and emotion.
History
Blue has been one of the last colors in multiple languages around the world to get a word of its own, and in many it is still referred to by the word for ‘green’. The earliest recorded use of blue as a pigment was made from imported lapis lazuli in the Middle East. Around the same time, the stone was used for decoration, jewelry, and makeup for the upper classes around the world. The pigment was rare, as it is not a common color to find in nature, giving it some of its more mystical associations in history. Another shade called Egyptian blue was created synthetically in Egypt 4500 years ago where it held a lot of religious significance as a color of the divine. It was a cheaper alternative to lapis lazuli blue, and it spread throughout the rest of the Mediterranean.
Cobalt blue, made from cobalt itself, became popular in China, and was primarily used to color porcelain clay for artwork in a style that is still well-known to this day. Ultramarine became popular in the Italian Renaissance period, also made of carefully prepared lapis lazuli, and is still one of the most important colors in the art world today. Christians of the time period also considered the color suitable for the divine, to where a shade of blue became known as Marian blue, because Mary was depicted wearing it so often.
In Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, indigo became a very popular color and trading material - becoming part of a three-continent trade war and driving the slave trade up over the pigment and its supply, the plant imported from varying parts of Asia. It became so well-known that it became a part of the accepted spectrum (ROYGBIV), determined by Newton in 1672.
Prussian blue arrived in Germany in the eighteenth century, when a Swiss painter created it as a cheaper and easier alternative to ultramarine. The color became very popular with Japanese artists in particular, and it featured heavily in Picasso’s famous blue period in his depictions of sadness and despair. International Klein blue was created in the mid-1900s by another artist from France, wanting to capture the sky and its expansiveness. In the modern day, the color has been connected to harmony, which is why it has been used for things like the color of the UN flag.
Psychology/Biology
Due to its associations with water, consciously or subconsciously the color has a calming effect on the mind and body. The color has been shown to increase the amount of serotonin the brain releases. It lowers stress, blood pressure, and appetite when observed - but the color is known to increase thirst in observers. The shade also plays a role in its effect on people: darker shades are shown to help with problem-solving and decision-making, while lighter shades encourage focus and creativity. It is also heavily associated with the emotion of sorrow.
Personality-wise, studies show that people who prefer blues come across as more confident, loyal, and calm. They also tend to be perceived as more honest, introverted, good listeners, and harmonious. On the potentially negative side though, they can also be perceived as more sensitive, stubborn, anxious, or predictable.
As blue is a common color for uniforms, it can carry a sense of authority when worn. Blue is used frequently in social media and marketing, due to its psychological associations with power, trust, reliability, and loyalty.
Magical Uses
The color blue can be used in spells related to focus and creativity - such as writing, art, studying, and more. It can also be used in glamor magic related to confidence, power, reliability, and trustworthiness. It could be used in spells related to wealth, due to only the upper and ruling class having access to the pigment for years, though it is less common than green. It could also be used in magic related to easing anxiety and relaxation, and possibly even sleep, though that is also a less common use for it. As with most color magic, there is not a real limit to the ways that color magic can be added to other magic, so when using green as a component in a spell, there is no strict limit to what can be done with it.
Name: Bay laurel, Laurel, Bay (Lauris nobilis, several regional species)
Description: An evergreen shrub with large, smooth leaves. It has pale, yellow-green flowers that are about 1cm/0.5 in in diameter. The flowers come in pairs and are often near one of the leaves. The leaves are a deep green, and the edges are wavy. The leaves have a prominent vein that is yellowish in color, and v-shaped veins coming off the main one. When the tree fruits, they bear small, shiny, black fruits with a single seed in the middle. When crushed, the leaves have an herbal, spicy, and slightly floral scent reminiscent of oregano and thyme.
Cultivation: Growing bay by seed takes a very long time, so most suggest growing it from a sapling or young tree. They need at least six hours of full sun a day, and need warmer climates with no snow to grow outdoors. Plant it in the spring or fall in soil with good drainage, with plenty of room to grow. Aside from climate needs, bay laurel is very easy to care for. It requires water only when the soil it’s in is dry 1-2 inches down, and needs little to no additional nutrients to be added to the soil over time. It does not require regular pruning, but for convenience it can be done during the tree’s dormancy in winter. Keep an eye out for insect infestations like beetles or scales, and canker wounds.
Harvest: Once the plant is a couple of years old, it can be harvested any time between the growing season and midsummer, though its peak is closer to midsummer. It can be picked by hand or snipped, and the leaves should be dried for 48 to 72 hours. For bone-dry leaves and long-term storage, dry them for two weeks out of sunlight. Store them in an airtight container out of sunlight in slightly cool temperatures. Avoid cutting off more than a third of the leaves at once.
Folklore: Laurel was associated with the resurrection of Christ in Christianity. To the ancient Greeks, it was heavily associated with Apollo, as one of his loves, Daphne, was transformed into a laurel tree. In accordance with Apollo's domains, consuming the leaf was believed to lead to prophetic visions, and the leaves were worn by victors of athletic events. Apollo’s son Asclepius was the god of medicine, and the Greeks would also leave offerings of bay leaves to him for good health as well. Some Greeks would also put wreaths of bay above their doors to avert lightning. The Romans thought that laurel would protect them from evil spirits, and would send important messages wrapped in bay leaves. Later European herbalists believed it would speed up birthing, and that it was resistant to witchcraft. Across general European tradition, bay leaves were believed to help young men become poets and good scholars while at university. In the Middle Ages, bay was used to induce abortion, treat snakebites, insect stings, and ear pains. Standing beneath a bay laurel was believed to keep wizards away from you, and burning the leaves was believed to bring back straying husbands, too. In later years, a withered bay laurel was believed to be a bad omen, after a copse of the trees withered during a plague that claimed many lives in Italy. In England, a mix of bay and rose water was used by girls to see the face of their future husbands in dreams.
Magical Properties: Traditionally, it has been used for protection and purification purposes. It has also been known to help boost psychic abilities and healing spells. Additionally, it has also been used in workings associated with strength. It can be used in charms to ward off lightning and break curses, and can prevent entities from causing mischief in a household or bad luck. Used in love spells, it can be made into a charm to keep a couple together. Used for manifestation, it can be a part of wish spells to make the wishes come true.
Medicinal Properties: Bay is known to sometimes lower blood sugar and cholesterol. It can be useful for mitigating the effects of diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, and the common cold - however it has not been tested extensively in clinical trials for these things. Bay can potentially slow down the central nervous system as a sedative, possibly helping with sleep issues - however mind the warnings related to this listed below.
Recommended Amount: Currently there is no recommended dosage for bay laurel, so using common sense and not using too much is best.
Warnings: Bay can sometimes have interactions with medications for diabetes as it lowers blood sugar, pain as it affects metabolism, and sedatives as it can slow down the central nervous system. Talk to a healthcare professional before using increased doses of this if you take those. There is not enough information on the way increased amounts of bay affect pregnancy or breastfeeding, so consult with a doctor before increasing dosages. If planning on having a surgery, stop taking increased amounts of bay leaf at least two weeks beforehand as it can interfere with anesthesia. If taking it for sleep, be aware that taking too much can lead to breathing problems or extended drowsiness.
*This is a page from my grimoire. I am not a health professional, nor do I claim to be. This is just a compilation of information I’ve gathered from various sources I trust, and any medical decisions should be made by individuals with the help of a trained professional.
My Personal Thoughts: The book is a good introduction to energy work and psychic abilities, and even a good resource for more advanced practitioners to strengthen and expand their skillsets. It contains nearly one hundred practical exercises to help readers improve, and goes a bit into the background theories of each as well as the traditions they draw from. I don't personally align with all of the theory discussed for my own practice, but even still the information was both interesting and valuable to learn. The book includes several visuals throughout that help demonstrate what the author is discussing.
Technical: The exercises in the book build from simplest to most difficult, with the last ten or so showing how the skills in the book can be used practically in spellwork. There are multiple traditions discussed in the book, as the author has been trained in multiple types, but I did not feel like he was advocating for the reader to follow any particular kind of witchcraft, which I appreciated. There is a bibliography in the back of the book for further reading, and the author frequently mentions the teachings of other prominent witches he has learned from as sources for the information he presents.
My Personal Thoughts: The book is a good introduction to the five types of divination mentioned in the subtitle. It goes briefly into the history of each, and talks about how to begin practicing them as well. The one note I have is that I do wish the section on palmistry was a little more organized, because there is a lot of information presented in a way that would make it difficult to memorize for anyone attempting to learn it by heart. However, I do appreciate that the book had many visuals to help demonstrate exactly what was being described.
Technical: The information is presented in a way that is easy to understand, with no particular leaning towards any one tradition, though the author's own experience as a long-time professional is referenced often in addition to the more historic sources. The book is organized into five sections that each start with the history of the technique before moving into the details of it, though some sections are longer than others. There is a bibliography in the back for further research, for anyone wanting to dive deeper into any of the methods discussed.
I get the thing of wanting to be as harmless and uncontroversial as possible in your craft. I understand white witches trying their best not to encroach on closed practices or cultural appropriation. I understand wanting to cancel problematic occultists and generally push the witchy community away from its history with white supremacy and racism. I get it, I really do.
and I say this with love and try to come across as gently as possible.
Some of you, though your intentions may be pure, don’t seem to recognize the difference between genuine caution and concern and blatant white saviourtism. I promise you that people of color don’t need white witches to speak for them. I promise you that it is not your responsibility to be the saviour that enforces what is and isn’t problematic, especially when you yourself are so clueless about the issue at hand.
People who don’t know even the first thing about Judaism shouldn’t be trying to herd all of their white friends away from Lilith or dictate why you shouldn’t use magick with a k. It’s frustrating because the original message gets completely lost every single time.
Jew witches will say “hey guys maybe don’t work with Lilith if you don’t understand her origins because she’s not just a girl boss mother of demons but also has a lot of history in our culture as an extremely violent and chaotic energy that actively victimizes women and children”
But all that tumblr heard was “Lilith is associated with Judaism and that means she’s a religious figure and can’t be worked with by non-jews” without having even the slightest clue what her role in Judaism was and why people advise caution. Saying that Lilith is a religious figure to Judaism tells me that you’ve never even met a Jewish person in real life.
People will say “hey Crowley was actually a piece of shit and shouldn’t be idolized as a wise practitioner when he was literally just an extremely racist heroine addict who tricked a lot of women into having sex with him for rituals”
But all that tumblr hears is “Crowley bad. Anything associated with Crowley also bad. If you do anything that was associated with Crowley you are also bad.”
Indigenous witches will say “Hey white sage is an extremely sacred herb that is being heinously over harvested by corporations selling the witchcraft equivalent of fast fashion and it’s causing severe harm to indigenous businesses and communities, please stop supporting them”
but all that tumblr heard was “White sage shouldn’t be harvested. If you get white sage from anywhere, even indigenous people themselves, you are racist.”
and in retaliation to that super hard stance you have witches who have decided they don’t care about respecting closed practices in general and purposely buy from non indigenous sources out of spite
“I don’t know enough about this topic to have an intelligent stance on it” is ALSO a perfectly acceptable position. You don’t have to be opinionated about things you don’t understand. You’re more than welcome to just avoid the things you know would make you uncomfortable to participate in without pushing blatant misinformation.
Most occult spaces have some sort of historical tie to icky stuff like racism, misogyny, ablism, etc. You’re not a bad person for recognizing that and wanting to stay away from them. I’m happy you care.
But you are not an authority on things you’re uneducated about. When you pretend to be you only muddy the words of the people you’re supposed to be helping.
Saying shit like “using magick with a k is just as antisemitic as using a swastika” completely waters down what real antisemitism is, and makes the matter less serious than it actually is.
Saying “working with Lilith is just as antisemitic as working with the Tetragrammaton” is just a complete slap in the face to practicing jews, and you don’t know why because you don’t understand Judaism or the people who created it. You can’t understand it because you’re so busy talking over them that you never took the opportunity to listen.
Before you make the decision to run these mass cancelation events, take a second to consider if you’re doing this because it’s actually important and something you truly understand, or if you’re just doing so to feel morally pure and accepted by your fellow politically correct white peers.
Athames are a specific style of ritual knife that are primarily used in Wicca, but have also spread to wider witchcraft. However, if a witch does not have access to a dedicated athame, a regular knife can also be used for a similar purpose. The use of a blade in the craft is primarily for directing energy and magical workings: by casting a circle, calling elements, binding or severing magical attachments, and more. It is traditionally associated with the element of fire, and the magical energies of creation, destruction, and transformation.
Materials
A dagger with a black handle and an iron blade (traditional)
A knife (general or modern)
Ink or a tool for carving (optional)
Process
The only universal process of using a blade in a ritual is consecrating it in whatever tradition you follow, to elevate it above the mundane for the duration of the ritual. Beyond that, you can also choose to ink/carve runes or symbols onto the handle of the blade if you want to use it for a specific purpose and enhance those qualities of it. Again, the runes and symbols can belong to whichever tradition you follow, as there are traditional ones to certain paths and self-created ones in others.
Why it Works/History
Blades have been used ritually since ancient times - often for important cultural ceremonies or religious events. There is also a strong overlap between some parts of early religion and what many would consider now to be modern witchcraft, making it difficult to tell when one separated from the context of the other. However, the athame in particular dates back to the Key of Solomon grimoire from the 14th-15th centuries (the official date is contested). There is some translation disagreement about what kind of blade it specifies, however it has become a common tool of the modern witch and Wiccan nonetheless.
A protection spell that dates back to Roman times is the Sator Square. Its oldest occurrence dates back to the ruins of Pompeii, and it has since been added to multiple old grimoires. It is a square that when arranged correctly spells out five words: Sator, Arepo, Tenet, Opera, Rotas. Four of them are clear Latin, while the last word Arepo has debated origins.
The Sator Square is good for use as a protective seal drawn on paper - to protect texts or to be carried as an amulet by whoever is wanting to use it for protection. In its proper form as a square, it looks like this:
The letters can also be rearranged into a palindrome to form the Paternoster cross, using all the letters to form the new protective amulet. This one is of more Christian origin, invoking the power of either their god or angels for protection instead. In its proper form, it looks like either of these:
My Personal Thoughts: This book is a great book for people who already have a foundation in magic to deepen their knowledge of protection magics and learn the process behind protective rituals. The book is written based on multiple traditions that the author has been trained and initiated in, but holds prominent traces of his own eclectic practice. I do think it is important to already have the skill and knowledge to understand nuance throughout the book, as well as to determine which parts of the book are open for the reader to practice - as there are spells and rituals from multiple traditions, some of which are closed to the uninitiated. They are included to show how to protect against different kinds of magic, and the book provides a lot of new information and perspectives that I had not encountered prior to reading it. I don't personally align with everything in the book for my own practice, however the information is still valuable and teaches the components of the magic involved regardless.
Technical: The information in the book is presented from the lens of personal experience by the author, providing examples throughout of situations where the knowledge has been used and came in handy for him. The book is well organized, progressing from pre-emptive protection, to identification, to more active workings, to repair work. I also highly appreciated that the author makes a point to include mental health and professionals in the field as a topic throughout the book, as spiritual delusion and paranoia can be a problem in some cases. It contains many diagrams as visual examples, and contains a bibliography for anyone wanting to dig further into different aspects of the book. I would recommend getting the newest version of the book that is annotated though - the original was published in the early 2000s, and the annotated version contains notes about what the author has learned since on the topic.
Title: The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft
Author: Kelden
Genre/Type: Traditional Magic, Spellbook
My Personal Thoughts: This is a great book for people interested in traditional witchcraft. The book is well-researched and contains a good mixture of information, exercises, folklore, and spells. It progresses through the information in a way that is easy to understand but does not veer too far into conjecture, as it acknowledges that the results of each of the exercises will be unique to each person. It also dips briefly into some more intermediate information, both to complete the introductory information given and to give the reader ideas about where to expand their knowledge moving forward.
Technical: The information is presented pretty neutrally, though of course from a traditional magic perspective. The book is well organized, with each chapter introducing a new idea, one or more exercises to work on, often bits of history and folklore, and sometimes spells or other magical information. That was a unique feature that I appreciated, and another one included the section on planetary magic/timing and a brief explanation on planetary squares - something I haven't found in many other books with similar themes. It contains a decently-sized bibliography in the back as references and for future research, as well as a glossary going over the various terms used throughout the book for quick reference. The activities in the book build from easiest to hardest as the book progresses, making it a valuable guide for skill building as a witch.
My Personal Thoughts: This book is a good introduction to druidry as a solitary practitioner - both in describing what it is (ethics, beliefs, etc) and in describing how to practice it in the modern day. The information covers the foundations, however there was less practical information on hedge magic than I had anticipated given the title of the book, and a lot more theoretical. There are practical sections, though, to get someone started. The book is as it advertises: an introduction to druidry and its interaction with hedge magic.
Technical: The information is presented in a way that of course caters to the druidic tradition, as that is the primary focus of the book. The book is well organized, moving from the principles and components of druidry to more practical exercises to grow someone's practice and skills. A unique feature that I appreciated is a section on learning the Ogham system of writing that also included a bit of the history and deeper meaning of the written language. There is a decent bibliography in the back of the book for further reading, and sections of text are scattered throughout the book in various ways. There is also a glossary in the back of vocabulary and their pronunciations, as multiple concepts within the book are referred to using words in the original language.
Localizing your practice is something that can make a big difference in your experience with witchcraft. From matching the yearly holidays and rituals to the seasons where you live, to connecting with and using local plants, to following local traditions - all of it can help personalize your practice and deepen your connection with your own witchcraft.
Local Traditions
Superstitions/'Wives' Tales' - Some sources of local magic can be found through superstitions and wives' tales. It may not be called 'magic' specifically, but if you look close enough you may find an overlap between them and more traditional magical practices.
Local History - A lot of places have witchcraft - official or not - in their local history. You can learn a lot about local witchcraft and witchcraft history by visiting small local museums, reading books about the area, and talking to official or hobbyist historians in the area. Like with superstitions and wives' tales, learning from history means reading between the lines, frequently.
Reminder: Be careful not to take from any closed practices when learning about the traditions and history where you live! Our job as witches is to always consider the ethics of our practice.
Localizing Practices
Seasons - Depending on where you live, summer may come during the other half of the year for you. Spring may start a few weeks later than the official calendar, or winter may start a month earlier. Adjusting the dates you do rituals or celebrate holidays accordingly can help you feel more connected to your practice and make your craft stronger.
Local Plants - Learning about the plants found where you live can help you not only feel more connected to the seasons, but also can deepen your connection to any green witchcraft you choose to practice. Taking a local botany class, visiting your area's nature center, or getting a field guide can help you learn about the plants near you. You can keep a map of where you live in your grimoire marked with locations of plants or interesting places to revisit.
Reminder: Never ingest a plant if you aren't one hundred percent sure what it is, or what its effects on the body might be! Also, remember that if you harvest any plants to do so ethically. Make sure they don't have any cultural importance, aren't endangered, and that you don't overharvest anything.
