3 Witchcraft and Spirituality Books that Changed My Life
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Today I want to share with you three books that changed my life. They influenced how I view the world, myself, and my practice. They taught me how to access my magic and my power.
3. HedgeWitch: Spells, Crafts & Rituals For Natural Magick by Silver Ravenwolf
Before I go any further I want to say that I am not recommending this book. I do not believe Silver Ravenwolf is a good role model for modern witches. After reading this book I had to unlearn more than what I gained.
There are several essays floating around the interwebs about Silver Ravenwolf, so I don’t really want to get into that in this post.
The reason this book is on my list of witchy books that changed my life is because this was the first witchcraft book that I ever read.
I picked this book up when I moved to Portland, OR. When I first moved, I had no job, no family or friends, no internet, no TV, nothing to do. At 22 years old and freshly out of college, I spent a lot of time wandering my new neighborhood and feeling excited about the things I was going to do with my life.
I lived near a Powell’s satellite store on Hawthorn Blvd. During one of my neighborhood explorations, I went into this store and bought myself a pile of books, HedgeWitch among them.
As I said, this book gave me more to unlearn than learn. What this book did give me was a mindset shift. It helped me see that anything is possible if I just learn how to frame my thoughts and perspective. In this way, it’s sort of The Secret with a witchy twist.
I went on to learn more after reading this book. Of course I did. When learning about any new topic, it’s best to read more than one author’s perspective. It’s crucial to explore deeper, and it’s also important to be willing to unlearn a lot.
Some books serve as stepping stones, entry points, green lights, or permission slips. That’s what this book was for me. It put me on the witchy path and that was truly life changing.
I had a lot of unlearning to do after reading HedgeWitch. I think I probably still have a lot more unlearning to do.
2. Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
I read Women Who Run With the Wolves before I was a witch. I actually still identified as Christian when I read it. I’ve said before that the Christianity I grew up with may not be the same as the one you are familiar with. It is the one that is based in love, spirituality, inclusivity, pursuing knowledge, and questioning everything that is presented to you.
Part of that questioning was an exploration into feminism and the female archetype. The folklore, mythology, and psychology that fill the pages of this book combined to make a perfect recipe for where I was in my life at the time.
The author is a Jungian therapist, so this was my introduction into shadow work, the collective unconscious, and archetypes. All of these have been instrumental in the development of my current understanding of the universe and how I practice witchcraft.
She is also a Cantadora, which is a Latinx storyteller, and the book is a collection of stories from various cultures that are retold in a way that celebrates the feminine energy that is often rejected in our society.
And even now, when I am far more critical of books that seem to rely on gender essentialism, this book holds up as many books from this era do not. I think it’s because it speaks of the feminine energy rather than the female gender.
All things (humans, animals, plants, rocks, etc.) possess both the feminine (receptive) and the masculine (projective) energy in some form. Where the female gender is a societal construct.
Therefore, this book is not just for those who identify as women. It is for anyone who seeks to balance these dual energies.
1. Practical Magic for Beginners: by Maggie Haseman
As you can imagine, writing my own book is life changing. I started this blog in 2016 when I was selling gemstone jewelry. At the time, I was writing about crystals with the occasional post about witchcraft. I was taught in my Etsy success courses that blogging is the best way to keep you relevant on Google.
That’s where this journey started: writing to appease the Google algorithm. 😂
Over time, I noticed that the most popular posts were those about witchcraft. People (you) seemed to really enjoy the way I write / explain / teach magic. I began experimenting with how I shared my practice and my knowledge. I started a Facebook group to interact more regularly with my readers. I taught live on camera in that group (and still do today sometimes).
I saw my value in teaching and helping witches to empower themselves and gained a ton of confidence in myself. I started a membership program and a YouTube channel and a podcast.
I was able to reach witches wherever they hang out, and I was overjoyed to see the way I was helping so many people. More and more of you reached out to me to tell you how much you’ve learned and the amazing things you’ve done since starting to practice witchcraft.
Because of this series of events, a publisher reached out to me. They told me that after seeing my blog and my ability to write and tell stories in a way that makes sense to people who want to learn, they wanted to work with me.
I wrote this book in 3 months at the beginning of 2020. It sounds intense and it was definitely a challenge for me to fulfill this deadline for many reasons.
My grandparents on my mom’s side both passed away in the midst of writing this book. My grandfather, Poppie, right before I agreed to write it, and my grandmother, Aana, shortly before I completed it. The depression that emerged from this was at times unbearable. But they continued to guide me even when they were no longer on the physical plane.
Then, the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people found more time due to the change of circumstances. I’ve always worked at home so the new normal did not have much of an effect on my time. In reality, this amped up my ADHD, which had been dormant or unnoticed up to this point.
Without the ability to access my regular coping mechanisms (exercise, outdoor activity, coffee/tea shops, restaurants, friends and family, travel, etc.), I became aware of this disorder that I had never seen in myself before. This made focusing on writing a book suddenly hard, almost impossible, when I had not found writing challenging before.
But with the help of my husband Dana, who picked up a lot of slack (so much slack), and was my biggest cheerleader, I accomplished something I have always had floating around in the back of my mind.
I also had the support of my extensive family and friends who reminded me to celebrate, rest, learn, and go with the flow.
This month (September), it is available for preorder for you. And come September 29th (release date), anyone in the world who is interested in learning about witchcraft and mysticism will be able to hold my book in their hands and read my words.
It’s truly a dream come true. 😆
So here’s some information about what you’ll find inside this book from the Amazon page…
Embrace your inner witch with this beginner’s guide to practical magic and spellcasting.
If you have ever wondered about the mystical qualities that exist within you, this is the perfect beginner’s guide to everyday rituals and spellcasting. Practical Magic for Beginners is a simple, yet extensive reference that teaches you about conscious conjuring using a wide range of tools, techniques, disciplines, and elements.
Whether you’re interested in chakras, astrology, talismans, dreams, or anything in between, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Discover entry-level remedies, recipes, and spells, and learn about plant magic, herbal cures for common ailments, spiritual cleansing, and more.
Practical Magic for Beginners includes:
Magic 101―Explore the uses of beginner-friendly magical elements like auras, crystals, divination, and more.
Your own pace―This practical magic book is indexed into four parts so you can open to any page and easily find the exact spell you’re looking for.
Amazing application―Learn about these magical tools and how to apply them to various arenas of your everyday life.
Discover how to make magical, positive changes in your life with Practical Magic for Beginners.
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WAIT, DON’T GO YET!
Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you’ve enjoyed this post of Talk Witchcraft, I invite you to check out mumblesacademy.com.
Mumbles Academy is the place to be for intuitive souls at any stage on their WitchPath. Whether you are a Wildling at the very beginning of your witchcraft journey and looking for a safe learning environment, a Creator who is already committed to their practice and wants to develop their witchcraft skills even more, or a Sage who is full of wisdom already and is ready to share that with others, Mumbles Academy was designed for you.
With monthly masterclasses and live Q&As, an extensive archive of courses and training, and a supportive community to help you along the way with encouragement and advice, Mumbles Academy is the perfect place for you to be as you as you continue on your WitchPath.
Now it’s your turn!
Tell me about the books that have changed your life. Even if they aren’t witchy or spiritual. Let me know in a comment below.
