#witch book recs

[decadence-divination]

another one, down the hatch. this was a really good book! Calvo talks about how science is beginning to support the idea that plants have inner consciousnesses, and also what sort of philosophical effects it might have down the road if proven true, and he even drops integrated information theory as evidence.

[stormbornwitch]

If you're looking for additional information on working with the weather as part of your practise, I recommend having a look at Debra L. Burris' 'Weather Magic: Witchery, Science, Lore'

You can read a bit of it for free on Google Books to see if you're interested but it covers how to work with:

Whistling Up a Wind

Ocean Currents

Weather Fronts

Clouds

Rain

Snow / Sleet / Hail

Thunderstorms

Lightning

Tornadoes

Hurricanes / Cyclones

And a whole bunch of exercises and activities to do to build your understanding and confidence in doing weather related witchcraft.

[oooocleo]

hi hess :) I hope you’re having a lovely day! do you have any dark fantasy/folk horror recommendations for books ? (bonus points if it’s sapphic)

hummm admittedly i havent read much that id consider folk horror but im always very flattered to be asked book recs so ! ones ive read and liked that come to mind are:

Carmilla (Sheridan Le Fanu) - id rec this over dracula any day of the week 🧛 it has some gorgeous sensuous writing and was much more forward on the ummmm female affections than i expected from a novel published in 1872

The Salt Grows Heavy (Cassandra Khaw) - i LOVED this it was so up my alley.. although i was grateful for the dictionary on my ereader since its packed full of (veeery carefully chosen!) unusual/archaic/specialized words; its kind of the epitome of queer monster horror imo and creates such a rich dark fairytale atmosphere

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth (Andrew Joseph White) - currently reading this/nearly finished! although prose-wise this is not on the same lvl to me as the above two, the pov character is multilayered in a way you dont often see - his transness and autism are treated with a lot of love, understanding and nuance by the author; the medical horror doesnt do That much for me but tbh that always lies more in the meta/writing for me than the literal subject matter

[anamelessfool]

My top fave books on magick (I'm mostly a sigil/ritual/energy occultist)

Jan Fries "Visual Magick"

Aidan Wachter "Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magick"

Damien Echols "High Magick" (I like the audiobook he has a great voice) FYI he uses a type of Magick that is influenced by Golden Dawn practices, which have lots of Biblical/Kabbalah lore and entities.

All of these have Meditation and Imaginative free associating as the basis for the practice.

Fell out of a consistent magic practice last year, but I want to get back into it. 90% of it was mind-based things like meditation, automatic writing/drawing, and energy work.

Meditation is one of those life-changing things for me and I'm disappointed I didn't try it sooner. I was introduced to it originally in the most stupid and corporate way too, unfortunately. It was only recently I reclaimed it for occult and healing purposes.

If you're interested in all that, I like chatting about it via asks and PMs.

[dunbarx]

I know my girlfriend is a witch

guys i need a fanfic about stiles stilinski x witch!reader PLEASEEEE 😭😭🤞🏻

[tathrin]

Okay folks this book was delightful. I finished it all in one evening, and enjoyed every moment. The emotional connections and arcs all felt so genuinely earned, the characters all so wonderfully themselves yet shifted believably to account for the changes in their world.

I will admit to being very skeptical of the premise, and tbh if there had been any name attached to this book other than Seanan's I doubt I would have picked it up at all, but oh I am so glad I did. She concocted this ridiculous premise so beautifully and believably and, most importantly of all, satisfyingly.

I absolutely loved the trip through Wands and Peter's shared life here, and as expected with a Seanan McGuire book, there were emotional gut-punches galore. I also laughed many times, of course, once so hard and so long that it left my ribs sore (the end of chapter fourteen, for those of you keeping notes). My only complaint is that I wish it was twice as long, because I could have spent so much more time in this world and been happy about it!

If you like either character, or the Marvel Universe in general, get yourself a copy it was great.

[ladzwriting]

sapphic secondary worlds

[apolline-lucy]

i am beyond thrilled to share the cover of my fantasy novel, THE HOLLOWS 🗡️💀🖤 coming out November 29, 2024!

Hollowing or rotting, such is the fate of Misttown’s witches.

With its eerie, unfading fog, enchanting shops selling cures in the forms of pastries and flowers, and its crystal market, Misttown is the perfect witchy haven. But when the fog vanishes, replaced by a strange green smoke, and ghosts begin to roam the streets, everything changes.

For Brume, a witch whose modest talents include being haunted by ghost cats, baking heartbreak-soothing treats, and uprooting moss and weeds, her uneventful life takes a dramatic turn. Not only is she the only one able to see the ghosts, but when she loses someone to the smoke, she has no choice but to investigate.

Accompanied by a half-demon, a bone witch, a seer, a necromancer, and a herd of ghosts, Brume embarks on a journey that might do more than solve the curse; she might find herself and the magic she has always been too afraid to embrace.

preorder for THE HOLLOWS is now live on Kindle Unlimited!

*only for ebooks; if you’d like to order a physical copy (paperback or hardcover) please wait until the release✨

Amazing art design by Makomeri

[samwisethewitch]

Book Review: Freya: Meeting the Norse Goddess of Magic by Morgan Daimler

I just finished a reread of this book and realized I've never talked about it on this blog, even though it ties into a lot of my content.

I've talked about my relationship with Freyja here before. She is the deity I have worked with most consistently in my personal practice, and she's been a strong presence in my life since I was a child. Even before I was interested in witchcraft or paganism, I was drawn to stories and images of Freyja.

Unfortunately, quality books about Freyja are hard to find in English. A lot of the wonderful work being done by Scandinavian scholars and heathens is only available in their native languages. A lot of English-language resources are either very academic and prohibitively expensive, or they are books about goddess worship more generally that only mention Freyja on a few pages. Freyja, Lady, Vanadis: An Introduction to the Goddess by Patricia M. Lafayllve is a pretty good beginner's resource, but it's only available in paperback, which can be a barrier for some readers.

All of this is to say, I was very excited when Morgan Daimler put out this book. I've talked about how much I love Daimler's work before on this blog -- I think they do really great research AND do a really good job of making all that information accessible for a beginner. I have several of Daimler's books on Norse and Irish deities, and all of them are resources I reference often in my practice.

This book follows a similar formula to Daimler's other books on deities, like Odin or the Morrigan. Daimler presents Freyja's mythology, folklore, associations, and relationships. There is also an entire chapter dedicated to Freyja's connection to seiðr, which explains what seiðr is and why it is important in a very straightforward way. There is also an entire chapter dedicated to connecting with Freyja as a modern worshiper.

I like that Daimler includes a section at the end of each chapter about their own experiences with Freyja. I also like that they talk about the importance of actually experiencing the gods and trusting our experiences. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that anything that doesn't match up with primary sources is wrong, and I like that Daimler takes time to shoot down that idea.

I also really like that Daimler does not tell you how to interpret the lore. Daimler presents a story, explains the different ways it could be interpreted, and leaves readers to make their own conclusions. This is a style of teaching I try to use in my own work, and I love seeing it done well here.

If you know next to nothing about Freyja, I think this book is an excellent place to start. Everything you need to make that initial connection is here.

Even as someone who has worked with Freyja for years and done lots of my own research, I found a few things I didn't know here. This book also gave me a new perspective on certain aspects of Freyja's lore. This is why it's always great to compare notes with other people.

If you're interested in connecting with Freyja or just learning more about her, I highly, highly recommend this book!

[breelandwalker]

Witchcraft Book Recommendation Lists

(From an answer to an inquiry in the witchcraft tags. Decided to repost for anyone else who might need it.)

Here’s the post I made with recommendations for green witchcraft and plant magic. The list includes magical resources and accompanying practical texts on botany, herbology, and medicinal plants.

Here’s the post I made with recommendations for general witchcraft study, including practical sources on the history of modern witchcraft. (In particular, I recommend Margot Adler’s “Drawing Down The Moon” and Ronald Hutton’s “The Triumph of the Moon” for information about the modern movement.)

Here’s a recent photo of my personal library, if you’re looking for a general list of titles to check out.

Here’s the post I made with a list of JSTOR articles I’ve found that relate to witchcraft, witch trials, folk magic, occult beliefs, superstition, and the history surrounding all of them. It’s not exhaustive, but it’s pretty comprehensive.

And here are a couple of masterlists of podcast episodes that deal with witchcraft, witch trials, the history of witchcraft-related beliefs, and resources for fact-checking and debunking misconceptions and misinformation commonly found in witchcraft spaces.

(Also I have published a few books on practical secular witchcraft, if you’re interested….)

You can also find additional recommendations in the "book recs" and "witchy books" tags on my blog.

Hope this helps!

[wondereads]

Sapphic Book Recs for Pride 2024

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Adult, high fantasy, 4.28 star average (my rating: 5 stars)

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Adult, sci-fantasy, 4.29 star average (my rating: 5 stars)

The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett

Young Adult, high fantasy, 3.55 star average (my rating: 5 stars)

Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide

Young Adult, thriller, 4.27 star average (my rating: 5 stars)

Crier's War by Nina Varela

Young Adult, high fantasy, 4.11 star average (my rating: 4.5 stars)

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

New Adult, low fantasy, 4.18 star average (my rating: 4.5 stars)

Seven Devils by L. R. Lam and Elizabeth May

Adult, space opera, 4.03 star average (my rating: 4.5 stars)

Malice by Heather Walter

Adult, fantasy romance, 3.97 star average (my rating: 4.5 stars)

Beguiled by Cyla Panin

Young Adult, high fantasy, 3.48 star average (my rating: 4 stars)

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

Adult, high fantasy, 4.21 star average (my rating: 3.5 stars)

Ash by Malinda Lo

Young Adult, fantasy romance, 3.57 star average (my rating: 3.5 stars)

We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson

New Adult, horror fantasy, 3.04 star average (my rating: 3 stars)

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

Adult, historical fantasy, 3.66 star average

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Adult, historical fantasy, 4.13 star average

Flip the Script by Lyla Lee

Young Adult, contemporary romance, 3.64 star average

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

Adult, high fantasy, 4.07 star average

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Adult, historical fantasy, 4 star average

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

Young Adult, contemporary fantasy, 4.17 star average

Tink and Wendy by Kelly Ann Jacobson

Young Adult, low fantasy, 3.4 star average

The Tiger's Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera

Adult, high fantasy, 3.84 star average

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

Adult, horror sci-fi, 4.04 star average

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Young Adult, high fantasy, 3.65 star average

The Goddess of Nothing at All by Cat Rector

Adult, high fantasy, 4.23 star average

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Young Adult, historical romance, 4.28 star average

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Young Adult, dystopian sci-fi, 3.92 star average

The City of Dusk by Tara Sim

Adult, high fantasy, 3.72 star average

Foolish Hearts by Emma Mills

Young Adult, contemporary fiction, 4.25 star average

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

Adult, gothic fantasy, 3.83 star average

A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson

Adult, gothic fantasy, 4.12 star average

Seven Faceless Saints by M. K. Lobb

Young Adult, high fantasy, 3.5 star average

Darker by Four by June CL Tan

Young Adult, contemporary fantasy, 4.11 star average

The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling

Young Adult, paranormal romance, 3.64 star average

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Lin

Adult, mystery thriller, 3.63 star average

Once & Future by Cory McCarthy and A. R. Capetta

Young Adult, sci-fantasy, 3.57 star average

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

Adult, high fantasy, 4.1 star average

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

Young Adult, sci-fi horror, 3.48 star average

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfled

Young Adult, contemporary fiction/low fantasy, 3.69 star average

[theafictionado]

The Best Books I Read in 2024

It’s the most magical time of the year—when I look back at my favourite works of fiction! I got a lot of reading in in 2024, in part due to a cunning scheme in which I made sure to always have an ebook on my phone, slowly yet successfully training myself to dip into a novel instead of tripping down into a Twitter hole (not that I’m on Twitter anymore; and not that it’s even called Twitter…) every time I had the urge to Scroll and look at Content. As always, I’ve enjoyed an eclectic mix of vibes and genres: on this list we’ve got a range from whimsical to harrowing, we’ve got high fantasy, contemporary rom-coms, modern gothic, and some fun hybrids including horror-romance and fantasy-mystery. More adult/general fiction than YA, you’ll notice, as I continue to explore the world outside my thesis niche—but I’ve always got room for a couple. 

Without further ado and without making this post any longer than it already is, let’s begin! Let me know if you also read any of these, and what you thought, and of course feel free to tell me all about your own favourite reads of 2024!

Keep reading...

[murasaki-cha]

I-

I mean-

*deep exhale* *stares into space*

I feel like my ovaries just did a backflip...... I don't know how else to describe the reaction I just had.

It rewired something in my brain because I have never been an advocate for the nickname baby but this just now was...... YEAH.

I think I need a cold shower....

[book-of-forbidden-knowledge]

The current state of my occult library. (This isn’t even everything, this is just what fits on this shelf.)

I got that lovely new Agrippa edition for my birthday!

[badassindistress]

@void-flesh asked: do you have other recs while we're on the subject

Yes, yes I do! Here's the books I read and reread the past year:

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

I liked this book for its court intrige and enduring kindness and really unprecedent depth of storytelling

Witch King by Marta Wells

I liked this book for being a cool concept, easy to read while having deep subject matter and absolutely no romance while really being about the connection between people

Swordcrossed by Freya Marske

I liked the textile industry intrige but mostly it's about the gay swordfighting thirst

The Murderbot Chronicles by Martha Wells

I love these for being so funny, so easy to read and so contemplative about the nature of personhood and self determination

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Romance that is all about personal boundaries, court intrige and Prince Kiem, one of the best people person characters I ever read.

Maurice by E.M. Forster

A classic gay novel for classic gay feelings. Gave me unexpected aro feelings as well. A happy ending despite it being a 1914 novel.

Astielle by Kitty Unpretty

I will happily accept the fact that this is a monsterfucker webnovel for the prequel chapters which are a heartbreaking account of empire building featuring Vaelon, a man so charming the moonlight grew legs to follow him around. I adore him. Also this one is free to read, but not finished yet

The Grand Princess by 墨书白

This one is a cnovel that's only partially translated, but the show is on Netflix so I'm watching that now. Don't know how it ends yet, but I love the slow romance of two political power houses who killed each other in a past life. This is the fan translation I've read

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

I'm rereading this one because I was told I should be falling asleep thinking about adding value to my company and it sounded so much like this person needed Mr Nutt in his life

[qbdatabase]

do you love the color of trans visibility?

(click on the link below each picture to view a list of titles, authors, and brief summaries for each book!)