- Depth: With beginner books, I usually recommend a healthy mix of depth across all relevant topics to witchcraft with little fluff. A little fluff is alright, but that usually applies to situations where context is needed to better understand the craft.
- Interest: Is it interesting or dry as a textbook? With beginner witchcraft books, I place interest on a higher scale as having an enjoyable experience propels the reader to learn more about the topic.
- Purpose: Not all witchcraft books are made for learning. Some are feel-good reads, interesting? Yes. But often times such reads lack substance.
- Accuracy: Historical accuracies based on presentation of facts rather than personal recounts. (UPG=Unverified Personal Gnosis)
- Practicality: Are the spells achievable for new practitioners? Can the practice be integrated smoothly into your life? This isn't as important as you evolve your practice, but at the start it would sure help to have a step-by-step instructions on performing your first ritual.
5 Witchcraft Beginner Books To Avoid
Yes, this is the first book I've put on the chopping block. This was one of the first magickal herbalism books I've read and despite receiving its companionship throughout the years, better source materials can be found within the genre.
Although this book covers a large amount of herbs, unfortunately some of the information are inconsistent along with its illustrations, with some plants having no illustrations at all. While this is great as a reference book, there isn't enough substance to stand on its on. You will also not find any plants catalogued with their baneful properties either.
There are a few folk practices on how to work with the herb, however not much are spoken of the plant spirits themselves. I find this to be a great lacking factor especially when it is a book on magickal herbalism. The book also contains misinformation such as conflating Wicca practices with witchcraft.
☽𖤐☾
There are more spells than there are magickal theory in this book, which can be overwhelming for a new practitioner who is trying to learn the how witchcraft works. In the already scarce theory section which can be found at the beginning of the book, the information is packed with fluff and many of the statements can be rounded up into one to two statements.
Like the book above, this book also conflates Wicca with witchcraft practices. Bits of crucial information like psychic senses are missing when she talks about psychometry and clairvoyance.The author also conflates the concept of Karma with the Law of Threefold Return, presuming that all witches who are reading this book believe in the specific cause and effect system. For this reason, I will give this book a miss.
☽𖤐☾
The Complete Grimoire: Magickal Practices and Spells for Awakening Your Inner Witch by Lidia Pradas
The author keeps the information succint in the book and goes straight into the topic which can be helpful, but it is also one of the reasons why I do not recommend this book. For example, she describes the practice of cleansing as "basically using energy to clean something." and moves on to how to cleanse. It is much more than that.
There are also zero spells listed in the grimoire despite it being marketed as so. Despite how beautiful the book is, I will have this give this one a pass.
☽𖤐☾
The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: Your Complete Guide to Witches, Covens, and Spells by Skye Alexander
This is particularly well-loved among the contemporary witchcraft audience, however she conflates Wicca practices with witchcraft and makes several factually wrong and racist statements throughout the book.
Examples include her comparison of how witches have been persecuted more than "Blacks, Jews, or other folks", and while talking about how modern witchcraft is about living in harmony with the universe and harming none, she speaks of Voudon as "the stuff of horror movies, including control over others, ritual murders, and cannibalism."
This very white and black differentiation between the two traditions are awfully telling of the author's stance on witchcraft, and even within witchcraft itself there are similar forms of "darker" magick.
☽𖤐☾
This book focuses on the feel-good aspect of reading rather than actual witchcraft material, which in hindsight may not be too surprising considering it is a book focused on witchy self-care methods.
With that said, this book reads more as a psychological book rather than one stemmed from actual witchcraft practices.There are also tons of fluff content like an entire section dedicated to food recipes in the physical self-care portion of the book.
5 Witchcraft Beginner Books I Recommend
Occult Botany: Sedir's Concise Guide to Magical Plants by Paul Sedir
Occult Botany is an underrated book on magickal herbalism written in 1902. It contains essential information on not only the typical herbal correspondences, but how to work with the plants and plant spirits.
This is one of the books that can be a life long companion throughout your witch journey as it dispenses knowledge of plants found in no other herbal texts.
☽𖤐☾
Of Blood and Bones: Working with Shadow Magick & the Dark Moon by Kate Freuler
This book covers an important component of working with taglocks in a beginner friendly manner, fleshing out more challenging topics in a straightforward manner.
While some witches may consider Of Blood and Bones to be an “intermediate read”, I consider this an essential reading as witchcraft covers not only the pretty parts such as crystals and herbs, but the raw, gritty parts of magick.
☽𖤐☾
A concise look into traditional witchcraft practices while keeping its readers in mind. I really like this book as no matter where you are from, this book is catered universally rather than focusing on a specific tradition of witchcraft.
Overall I find this to be a great book, although not perfect. They included several potentially culturally appropriative recipes from Hoodoo which may be problematic. (The use of Hoodoo practices as a closed or open practice is still heavily debated till this day)
☽𖤐☾
Old World Witchcraft: Ancient Ways for Modern Days by Raven Grimassi
Another book that peers into traditional witchcraft practices by focusing on the folklore surrounding this traditions, the author also systemically provides easy to follow spells and rituals to get you started into trad witchcraft.
My only qualm with this book is that the author takes in all recounts of folklore without looking into the background context. With some sounding more like a tall tale rather than based in historical accuracy.
☽𖤐☾
A Witches' Bible: The Complete Witches' Handbook by Stewart Farrar and Janet Farrar
A Witch’s Bible have been deeply embroiled in controversy due to its title (the inclusion of the word bible) as well as its reputation being mistaken as another infamous book *The* Witch’s Bible which advocated for ritual sexual abuse of minors.
This book however is an excellent manual into traditional British witchcraft aka traditional Wicca, albeit it can be a little dry as it reads like a detailed textbook. I highly recommend this book even if you are not interested in Wicca as it provides invaluable knowledge into the traditions of witchcraft.