This section of my blog is dedicated to spreading the love of reading and books and the people who make them happen. I would not be the Witch I am today without books. I owe an obscene amount of gratitude to all the makers of books out there. This is my way of giving back. I hope that something I pick up and review will guide you to acquire the next tome on your To Be Read stack.
Reading in the winter is one of the things I most enjoy. Snuggling up in my reading chair with my puppers, next to the fire and sipping tea whilst I work my way through a book is heavenly. As I mentioned in my last post, most of my reading has been dedicated to recent research I’m doing for an ongoing project while still doing my Witch Work and running a permaculture Covenstead. Those books won’t appear here as to not give the project away before it’s ready for its public. But I’m always reading. Since my last post, I have finished two books (I’m reading a total of 4 right now – what? I like variety!)
Scorpio Witch by Ivo Dominguez, Jr. and Zoë Howe
I would not call myself an astrologer. I only started deepening my astrology knowledge back in 2017, with a big increase in my application of it in my daily life and magical practice beginning during the pandemic. But even knowing enough to be dangerous allowed me to enjoy this book and learn more and solidify some of the knowledge that I have about the impact of a Scorpio Sun, which yours truly is.
I saw myself in so much of the content for connecting more deeply with the Scorpionic aspects of holding this sun sign. I know what the stereotypes are – and Dominguez and Howe go beyond and provide great tips to lean into that power. This is done through clean, no-nonsense writing and the play off of Dominguez’s more professorial tone and Howe’s more rock-n-roll takes on things plays a nice yin and yang in the text. The reader is left more grounded yet invited to shake their Witch’s rattle.
Howe details early that Scorpios are those lone wolf witches who are perfectly content with being a solitary practitioner, “…unless a very special group presents itself.” She continues the expose on Scorpio suns with, “… magical work is sacred and we, the Zodiac’s least trusting sign, have to feel certain before we allow ourselves to be vulnerable in the presence of others.” ON POINT, readers!
The book also explores the different moon signs that a Scorpio sun might have and how you can use the sway of the lunar energy to balance the light and shadow within that Scorpio sun.
Dominguez also explores the rising signs, so going into reading this, knowing your big three is a plus, but early in the book there are directions on how to find your sun, moon, and rising. The anointing oil instructions he provided in the book is dead-on Scorpio scent love. I’ve already created it and use it in my daily meditations when preparing my sacred space.
The part of the book that I will return to often – this is a reference book to be sure, but not dry and stale, but something that will teach you over and over again – is the exercises, spells, and rituals included – many by other writers who hold that Scorpio Sun in their chart.
I would, however, like to purchase a copy where they didn’t use the script font in the section titled “Postcard from a Scorpio Witch” by Lisa Jade. Utterly difficult to read and feels inaccessible depending on the reader’s mood, lighting, and eyesight. But the way it presents definitely feels like someone writing you a postcard – or letter even as it’s a few pages long. So the design choice made sense. But, maybe a clearer script font would be more appropriate?
However, I’m already awaiting the arrival of two more in this astro-witch series. When they get to the top of the TBR pile, you’ll hear from me on those books, too.
Mountain Magic: Explore the Secrets of Old Time Witchcraft by Rebecca Beyer
In 2025, along with reclaiming spirit work, I also had the goal of learning more about the cultural and societal influences on my ancestors. These goals continue through 2026, and if you’ve not explored your ancestors’ lives as we recall them, I highly encourage it.
My path to explore these ancestral influences led me to Mountain Magic. It was on a stand right by the cash register, so maybe a spontaneous purchase, but also someone nudging me on my elbow, saying, “read this.” A good few branches of my family tree begin and branch from Appalachia USA. Beyer’s knowledge of that is fairly well rounded. As I mentioned last month, Wild Witchcraft, also by Beyer, sits on my shelf and I referenced it in Magic In Your Cup. Beyer loves research, as I do, and so getting a second book by her didn’t take much thinking.
Like so many Craft books, this one hosts all kinds of working recipes. The ones in this book were inspired or done by generations of Appalachian folk magic. There’s some things in the mix of what is presented in this book that may make even the most devoted of Witches raise an eyebrow. But again, this is an education in how our beloved dead perhaps saw and ‘worked’ the world. It was nice to see validation of the materia magica that continues in my own practice naturally, but new ones to try, especially as I try to work with Beloved Dead in my spirit work.
One interesting thing happened whilst I was reading this book. I had just finished the section on using Witchballs for Protection. Now in my lineage, witchballs were decorative, often hollow, glass spheres hung in windows to do the same things the Appalachia Witchballs did – trap evil, spells, and ill fortune, protecting the household. In other cultures they can be called spirit balls or friendship balls. Again, I had just finished that section when my partner and I were off on errands. Part of that was dropping off a donation to a thrift charity shop. When we drop, we often pause to shop, too. Treasure hunting is one of our favorite pastimes. What did I find? But a huge, six-inch diameter Witchball featuring all my favorite colors, with a motive of waves through the center. I’m heavy in the water element in my Natal chart, and it was like my ancestors said, “Here, you need more wards. We found this for you and now you know more about how to employ it.”
Another thing is that I found the same Abracadabra energy in Mountain Witch that also appears in Scorpio Witch. Given that Abracadabra has been part of magic for millenia is encouraging to see it worked from different Practitioners perspectives. Absolutely they use similar tools, but employed slightly different – something that is not unusual within different paths of the Craft. Beyer folk magic; Dominguez with a more Witch/Wicca/Pagan viewpoint. Both powerful magic speaks to different paths and sympathies. And that synchronicity was electric to discover in this month’s readings.
Up Next:
I am reading more research I can’t reveal yet; but, you know I’m not just reading one book at a time. I picked up two books at my local library – both a little more secular subjects, but I followed my intuition again for book selection. The books are:
Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present by Ruth Ben-Ghiat, and
The Pursuits of Philosophy: An Introduction to the Life and Thought of David Hume by Annette C. Baier.
I’m in the midst of writing a fiction short story, so heady non-fiction is the way to read for me now. However, sudden urges to hit the used book store may bring a different work to the next Bookish Witch post.
See you for the next post on What The Witch Is Reading. Thanks for reading and comment if you have any questions, anecdotes, or requests.
As you can see, I read a little of everything. I’m always curious about what others are reading. What book are you working through right now? Let me know that, too!