Books
Just in time for Halloween.
It should surprise no one that we're in a modern day renaissance of witchcraft. The witch, historically, has been the "monster" that represents all of society's fears about women: what if they grow too powerful? What if they don't care about getting married or being attractive to men? What if they use their brooms for flying instead of sweeping? What if they hang out with other women and have secrets and seek revenge and generally do all sorts of things that men don't want them to do?
So naturally, the witch has become a symbol of power for modern day women who would really like to hex a few high profile individuals (and maybe eschew modern society entirely and escape to the safety of the deep, dark woods). Here are a few excellent books to read with your witchy sisters.
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1
Basic Witches is a must-read book of spells and lifestyle tips for the aspiring millennial witch. Sure, a lot of the actual "magic" is silly, and much more tongue-in-cheek than some of the other spellbooks out there, but Basic Witches is full of humor, positive affirmations, historical asides, feminist rants, and adorable illustrations. It offers a magical boost to make it through the day, and a whole lot of support to bond with your fellow witch sisters (of any gender). — Charlotte Ahlin
2
Whether you're a professional artist or an aspiring artist or even a non-artist who just likes to get weird, The Creative Tarot is a colorful guide to living a more creative life. Jessa Crispin re-imagines the traditional tarot cards with beautiful illustrations, and offers some down-to-earth practical advice on creating more and doubting less. Perfect for a tarot-reading, art-making party with all your favorite witches. — Charlotte Ahlin
3
The final installment in Zoraida Córdova's Brooklyn Brujas series, Wayward Witch follows Rose Mortiz, a young bruja just coming into her own power, who discovers that her father may be lying to their entire family about his state of mind. She'll have plenty of time to ask him about the reason for his deception, however, because both Rose and her father are about to take a tumble into Adas: a fairyland with plenty of problems of its own. — K.W. Colyard
4
How do you measure a year? In witch holidays, of course. The Modern Witchcraft Guide to the Wheel of the Year is a fascinating tour through the witch calendar, from Yule, the celebration of the New Year, to Samhain, the end-of-the-harvest festival, and every occasion in between, with suggestions for crafts and rituals to celebrate. Use it as a historical resource, or get together with your coven and start planning a killer Lughnasad party.— Charlotte Ahlin
5
Alice Hoffman's second Practical Magic prequel, Magic Lessons, centers on Maria: the Owens family matriarch and the source of their generational curse. Why do Owens women have to fall in love with men, and why are those men fated to die? Find out in this stunning new novel about the powers of magic and love. — K.W. Colyard
6
Immanuelle has lived her whole life in Bethel — an insular community on the edge of the Darkwood, where a Prophet's teachings hold sway. Born out of wedlock from a forbidden interracial union, she has worked hard to convince her neighbors that she is just as faithful as they are. But a new purpose lies in the Darkwood, and Immanuelle is about to stumble upon it.— K.W. Colyard
7
Don't let its size fool you: The Little Book of Witchcraft manages to fit in quite a lot about the history of witchcraft and the practices of modern witchery, with lovely illustrations to boot. There are even suggestions for casting spells by way of modern technology, for the more tech-savvy occultists among us. — Charlotte Ahlin
8
If you and your various spell caster friends are looking for a practical, fashionable guide to astrology, tarot cards, and even sex magick, then Inner Witch is the book for you. It's a comprehensive handbook for the modern witch, with specific "spells" for practicing self-care and banishing toxic energy. — Charlotte Ahlin
9
What better for a coven to read than a book about beautiful, arcane friendship? Riley is an amateur witch and Mila, her best friend, likes to help her mess about with spells and so forth. But when Riley dies under strange circumstances, Mila is left to uncover the truth and quite possibly raise the dead, armed only with lip gloss and an ancient grimoire. — Charlotte Ahlin
10
For covens who prefer meeting outdoors, perhaps in a garden or a deep forest clearing, The Green Witch is a delightful guide to "nature magic." It's filled with practical recipes for herbal blends and potions, the properties of essential oils, and lots of ideas for healing and relaxation. — Charlotte Ahlin
11
Beatrice longs to become a Magus, but her dreams may soon be dashed by her family's circumstances. Only unmarried women may practice magic, and her family needs her to find a rich husband to pay off their debts. One grimoire holds the key to becoming a Magus, but in order to get it, she'll have to kiss Ianthe Lavan: a handsome and rich bachelor who knows about her magical studies. — K.W. Colyard
12
Cassandra Eason has a whole series of helpful books on learning witchcraft, from spells to crystals to dreams to Nordic rune divination... but let's be real: we all want to learn tarot so we can read each other's fortunes at sleepovers. A Little Bit of Tarot is a friendly guide to learning tarot cards, both for fun and for working through your daily problems with a little extra dose of magic. — Charlotte Ahlin
13
Toil & Trouble has it all: contemporary witches, historical witches, future witches, good witches, bad witches, sister witches, teen witches—every type of witch you could want. This collection brings together short, witchy stories from fifteen brilliant YA authors. There are hormonal girls who cause hurricanes and dystopian witches fleeing prosecution, orphans who make powerful predictions and witches who love other witches. It's a whole lot of magical fun, and a definite must-read for all the witches in your life. — Charlotte Ahlin
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