Category: What The Witch Is Reading

What The Witch Is Reading – February 2026

Posted on by runa

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!

What The Witch Is Reading: Signs & Opting Out – January 2026

Posted on by runa
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. 

Most of my reading has been dedicated in the last six months to 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. This last month I finished two books even whilst dealing with all the HOLIDAZE shenanigans. Tell me if these are in your TBR pile or if after reading my review you want to add them to that nice Sunday stack.

Adventures in Opting Out: A Field Guide to Leading An Intentional Life by Cait Flanders.

As someone who has made it a mainstay of my life to live intentionally, and also spent a few years being a constant traveler, I was excited to get my hands on this tome. The author, Cait Flanders, wrote this one on the heels of her book, The Year of Less, which was its own adventure in living minimally. Opt Out doubles down on the lessons of The Year of Less and dives deeper into Flanders’ goal to build a more meaningful life focused on nature, connection, and personal values, which for her includes a heavy travel schedule.

The part of the text that really appealed to me is that when she first began to create the life she lives now, there were naysayers, lack of support, and huge hurdles mostly put in place by societal expectations. I felt that hard. Not having a permanent address is a big problem in the outer world. People not understanding why you’re doing something leads to lack of support. And people who think your choices somehow affect or make their life ‘less than’ will always stand in front and block your way.

“People will always make comments when you decide to live a counter-culture lifestyle. They will have even more to say if you struggle with it,” she wrote, after her first attempts at living the life she wanted did not go smoothly. Regardless, Flanders is successful in the end and navigates all of the pushback throughout the book. She uses a hiking as a metaphor for the journey of living intentionally that even if you’ve never even considered such a way to live, you can picture it in your mind as you read — the reader starts at the trailhead, and she takes them through the whole ‘hike’ of opting out that leads them to the great viewpoint at the end. The amount of uniqueness that came into Flanders’ life is then spilled on the page in practical guidance of how to apply the lessons she’s learned that readers can take and make deliberate choices in their own.

“The only thing I can guarantee is that … progress is never linear,” Flanders writes. “Your map won’t be a straight line — and you will be better for that.” The amount of evidence within this quick read to help you create your own map to an intentional life. If you live a life more esoterically as I do, this worldview of intentionality isn’t new; but, seeing how someone else walks this path was inspirational and provides a gentle, encouraging tone like when you meet a fellow hiker coming from the other direction on the trail and they let you know some good intel about the journey ahead. “hey, there’s a wash out after the last bend,” or other lessons so you are more prepared and supported to make such a leap to a more intentional life. No woo-woo in this book, but it’s not necessary at all. This quote has stuck with me since reading:

“A lot of us are hurting in our friendships and relationships because people cross our boundaries or don’t meet our needs in some way. But most of the time, we don’t tell people what we need. We just expect them to know or understand we are on a journey. Not only is is unfair to place an unspoken expectation on someone; it’s also unfair to assume that people will always understand what we are doing and why. People can see only as far for you as they see for themselves. So we have to remember that if people aren’t doing the same thing as us, they won’t automatically understand.”

Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe by Laura Lynne Jackson.

In 2025 I set about to reclaim some of the Spirit Work talents that I was born with but was suppressed as a child because they were summarily dismissed by the world around me. So when this book appeared before me, I took it as — you guessed it — a sign. Laura Lynne Jackson is a psychic medium and author of the book, The Light Between Us, a NYT best seller.

She very much details the energy of people, places and things. “Because we comprise energy, we also give off energy,” she writes. And that energy can be channeled to pay closer attention to the whispering patterns, repeated moments, and subtle disturbances that often pass us by in our hectic daily lives. Jackson bids the reader to treat the signs as a living dialogue between inner awareness and the outer world, asking what it means to recognize meaning in them without forcing it, as opposed to treating signs like an abstract superstition or fixed answer.

Like many Practitioners in the Craft, Jackson encourages discernment over certainty, curiosity over dogma, and a more intimate relationship with how insight actually arrives. The author also includes a central theme of the presence of our Beloved Dead and Those Who Came Before. Throughout the book this presence of the “Other Side,” as she terms it, is not distant or theatrical, but adjacent to our ordinary experiences, helping to bring symbols, timing, and resonance. If you’re a Witch, this is not new to you, but the approach by Jackson that this is a fact of life is refreshing.

The book is full of stories of people who asked for and received signs, and who received near divine intervention from their Spirit team — Jackson calls them your Team of Light. Many of them made me catch my breath and examine the signs that I likely missed from the Universe, my Beloved Dead, or just the collective energy that often can make things happen miraculously. If you have ancestral work in your Practice, some of the ‘asks’ that Jackson details Some of the language left me wanting for a deeper dive, but Jackson falls clearly in the ‘love and light’ crowd — not that it’s bad, but it’s a different foundation than this writer’s. But for people exploring spirit work, Jackson’s prose is conversational and story-focused.

The best part of the book was how such a universal language of signs can be interpreted differently and also the comfort in grief and confusion they can belay to the reader. It’s clear that Jackson wants to offer the reader a way to a sense of wonder in the midst of loss, turning grief into a path for deeper connection. It empowers the reader to go on their own journey to empower them to work with their own spiritual realm team. Love never ends is the author’s message, and it continues to impact our lives greatly. We just have to notice the signs.

Up Next:

I am still working through Scorpio Witch by Ivo Dominguez, Jr. & Zoe Howe, because I have to keep stopping and pondering the information inside of it. Anything with astrology in it sends me down a deeper rabbit hole, so I’m relishing this one a little longer.

I also picked up Mountain Witch by Rebecca Byer as part of a Yule haul recently. Her book Wild Witchcraft already sits on my shelf.

However, sudden urges to go book shopping may bring a different tome 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!

What The Witch Is Reading – Taking Back the Magic – November 2025

Posted on by runa
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. 

The hiatus of my book reviews is over. My deep appreciation for those who have returned to my humble Word Alchemy blog. Maybe you’ll find a new book to read here.

Just Finished:

Take Back The Magic: Conversations With The Unseen World by Perdita Finn, 2023

This book follows one woman’s journey along her spiritual path—a genre that seems to be showing up more and more in my TBR pile. Finn blends memoir, historical context, earth-centered spirituality, and intimate letters to her deceased father, with whom she shared a complex and deeply human relationship. (Truly—who among us doesn’t have complicated parental ties?) These letters alone make the book worth revisiting; they are raw, honest, and written with a clarity of soul that lingers.

Finn is a natural medium, connected both to ancestral presences and the spirits of the Land, and that resonance came through powerfully. The narrative is personal, but the wisdom within offers readers guidance on cultivating their own relationships with the unseen world—whether with beloved dead, ancestral lineages, or the wider spiritual currents that move through the world. She uses the most vulnerable moments of her own life to illuminate a very real, tangible path toward ancestral reverence and the reclamation of the magic we forget is woven through our lives as souls returning again and again.

For readers already sensing the presence of the otherworld or seeking affirmation of their own intuitive relationship with the dead, this book may feel like a long-awaited validation. One of its strongest messages is that relationships may be healed—even after death. Finn shows how the perspective of the Dead expands beyond ego and limitation, making them ready and willing to assist us. We only need to open the door, rebuild the connection, and ask.

If you’re exploring how to cultivate a relationship with the Ancestors, understand soul bonds that return across lifetimes, or explore how spirit shows itself with or without the visitation of the Great Mother, this is the kind of book you may devour in a single sitting

Talking To The Dead: Kate and Maggie Fox and the Rise of Spiritualism by Barbara Weisberg, 2004

Part history and part biography, this book traces the rise of American Spiritualism through the lives of two of its most iconic early figures. Weisberg does not shy away from examining how the political, social, and cultural currents of the time shaped both the believers and the skeptics surrounding the famous “rapping sisters.” The narrative situates Spiritualism within the broader awakening of the mid-nineteenth century, illustrating its intersections with women’s suffrage, abolition, the Civil War, and the sweeping changes brought on by industrialization.

Notable figures—Horace Greeley, Mary Todd Lincoln, and others—appear throughout the narrative, grounding the story in historical reality while showcasing the depth of the author’s research. Many details feel newly unearthed, offering modern readers glimpses into a spiritual movement that was once both feared and revered.

Did the Fox sisters truly speak to the dead? Weisberg leaves room for interpretation, inviting readers to sit with the ambiguity rather than delivering a simple verdict. Contemporary spirit-workers may recognize a familiar pattern: the dominant culture’s need to dismiss or diminish anything belonging to the unseen realms. There are moments where the pacing slows under the weight of historical detail, but this density is also part of the book’s strength—it preserves a record of a time when the veil between worlds seemed thinner, and a nation was listening.

Up Next:

I am doing some research for a client right now, so much of my reading time is going towards that. However, in the To Be Read (TBR) pile I have: 

Scorpio Witch by Ivo Dominguez, Jr. & Zoe Howe

Spiritual Cleansing by Draja Mickaharic

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’s talk about books! Comment below. If you have a book you think I should read, let me know that, too!

What The Witch Is Reading – A Writing Break -April/May 2025

Posted on by runa
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. 

I have currently been doing a lot of reading. A lot. But it’s not the on-brand for a Witch reading I was doing over the last year where I reviewed the fun, interesting, and often esoteric books. Nope, this reading has been all for research for my current manuscript in progress. I should clarify that I still find this interesting and engaging – a lot of it in a field I’m sure is going to change so many people’s lives. But the subject matter is hush-hush until public announcements can be made. I will say it’s going to merge science, everyday life, and Witchcraft. 

Despite having read a near Witch’s dozen of books since the last What The Witch Is Reading post, It hasn’t left a lot of fodder for ‘reviewable’ content. Posting a WTWIR on all these books would potentially give away the secret too soon. But it did make me want to write a bit about how reading helps our writing skills. Reading is a great writing teacher. 

“Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window,” as famously reported by John Ochwat as a William Faulkner quote. 

I have read widely and intentionally as one of the more effective ways for me to become a better writer. Although my studio’s bookshelf is full of mainly esoteric books, the other shelves within my home feature everything from how to turn dirt into soil, writing books, novels in every genre, text books, biographies, poetry volumes – all of it. 

Here’s what my daily reading habit (specifically book reading without the screen) has done for me over the years: 

  1. Word Nerd Love. Reading builds vocabulary and language skills. As you read you’re exposed to different words and phrases. You unconsciously absorb grammar, syntax, and rhythm. You begin to see ways of improving your own sentence clarity and word choice. 
  2. Story Set Up. Reading teaches structure and form. As you read you’re digesting narrative structures, pacing, story arcs, tension through observation, the conventions that each genre uses, and just the sheer vastness of formats from essays, to novels, to one of my favorites: flash fiction. 
  3. Cheap Inspiration. It’s rare I’ll be reading a book that doesn’t rev-up  my inner good-idea fairy. Books spark new ideas, themes, perspectives, and melded with your worldview, creates layers of possibilities. Have a writing block? Go to a museum or read new poetry. It unblocks things often in my experience.
  4. All The Feels. Reading enhances empathy, character development, and where rules are broken successfully. There are innumerable ways to see how different writers grow their characters, pace their stories, and get you – the reader – to relate to the text. You read how other writers make you feel something with their writing. That teaches us how we might accomplish the same within our own writing. Making the reader feel something is the whole point of being a writer. Reading allows us to contrast and compare, too, It shows us where the rules we’ve learned – both via reading or training – can be broken successfully, which often clicks open a new pathway via point #3 above. 
  5. Think Better. Reading encourages critical thinking and reflection. You might notice when a writer isn’t as successful, but noticing when they are on point teaches us as well. You can see how others use voice, tone, and reflective phrases to make the reader pause and think. The more we do this the more we become better self-editors and begin to read like a writer – like noticing when a writer leans too heavily on adverbs or passive verbs, and then you’re scouring your manuscript to make sure you haven’t fallen for the same foible. 
  6. Community. Reading motivates and sustains writers. Being able to talk about books ala clubs or within friendly circles is another way that reading helps us become better writers. Studying the discipline and craft of published writers propels our own craft forward. Reading about the community of writers can illuminate all kinds of tips and tactics. Love a particular writer? There’s a good chance their career is inspiring your own and pushing you to finish that project you’ve been working on for five years. 

Reading is not just an enjoyable hobby, it can be a life-long teacher in writing. If you build a regular reading habit, and integrate it as part of your writing goals, things like new vocabulary, alternative structures, character development, and even critiquing others’ works energizes and brings new vigor to the writing process. 

What are you reading? How did it change your writing? 

Creator’s Note: I hope to return to regular What The Witch Is Reading selections very soon. This current Work In Progress is very demanding. 😉

What The Witch Is Reading – Feb/March 2025

Posted on by runa

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. 

February flew by with a flurry of whiplash from our current political climate. I continue reading books as a way to resist the shift to fascism within my country of origin – although apparently that’s up for review, too. So here it is the beginning of March and I missed a February post – actually I didn’t miss it, I just became distracted with :: gestures about wildly :: and FORGOT TO POST IT! The political rages is real. However many more words were written over on my Patreon about how to provide pest control for the species of Nazis America is dealing with now. 

Recently Finished:

Blackthorn’s Protection Magic: A Witch’s Guide to Mental & Physical Self Defense by Amy Blackthorn.

Blackthorn really wants the reader to understand where they stand in the world of magic before proceeding and that kind of expectation is something I deeply support. Like many Craft books, it might be wise to bring a notebook and pen to your reading sessions. There are many questions to answer as you make your way through Protection Magic. Big fan of chapter 5 – gardening for protection and if you ever get a chance to visit Villa Westwyk, you’ll see all the protection plants here. Blackthorn’s physical security background made this a triple threat book because it covers mental, physical, and magical protection. Bad ass, in my book. This is a book I’m likely to refer to repeatedly when crafting Protection spellcraft, wards, and the like. 

The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

From the author of Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss comes another title that seems destined for more in my own life, as getting more serviceberries here at Villa Westwyk is a goal. Kimmerer is known as a great teacher and her approach to storytelling and distilling science into magic made learning all about natural wealth distributions and the idea that all flourishing is mutual. In a world where the rich cannot be satisfied, I can see this book helping folx realign ‘enough’ in their lives. Given my permaculture background, Kimmerer speaks to my soul when she writes, “the Maples who gave their leaves to the soil, the countless invertebrates and microbes who exchanged nutrients and energy to build the humus in which a Serviceberry seed could take root, the Cedar Waxwing who dropped the seed, the sun, the rain, the early spring flies who pollinated the flowers, the farmer who wielded the shovel to tenderly settle the seedlings.” Kimmerer is a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and her indigenous understanding of people as partners and equal beings demonstrates the network of relationships that the Earth’s survival –and all its inhabitants – depends on. But each time I give a bucket of berries to my neighbor, I’m going to give a nod to this book and its mission to shift the never-satisfied environment of capitalism and shift into a gift economy. Such a changed economy will value things like reciprocity, community, and sustainability. This book is tiny but powerful. 

Relishing Longer:

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder

Many folx have been reaching for this book again after the November 2024 Presidential election in the United States. I read this back in 2017 when it first came out and democracy was being attacked then. It’s still being attacked and it felt like an act of resistance to re-read this and having the first Trump presidency in the rearview (and the Pandemic) as a new ruler to measure the lessons Snyder presents in this book. Snyder lays out how fragile democracy is and how we can (and dare I say, must) defend our freedoms. Each lesson is a directive for that defense, such as “Establish a Private Life” or “Be as courageous as you can,” as well as the well-known “Do Not Comply In Advance.” We can change the structure of the situation we are living in right now and the instruction manual exists in this little, yet powerful book. 

Up Next:

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’s talk about books! Comment below. If you have a book you think I should read, let me know that, too!

What The Witch Is Reading: 2024 Year In Review

Posted on by runa

I’m working through a tall stack of books on my nightstand this month, and will post a hearty monthly What The Witch Is Reading entry on those books soon. Today you get an overview of all the books I read last year and what I thought of them, and share my top favorites for the year. 

Laying my posts out all at once made me recognize that I was still very much in book-writing/editing/launching mode for Magic In Your Cup, and my consistency of reading was slowed and composing my posts even slower. My goal for this year is to consistently post each month and finish at least one whole book, since I’m starting the writing process all over again for my ::crosses fingers:: book two. I hope you’ll join me in this venture. If you don’t want to miss the Bookish Witch news, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. 

My Top Reads of 2024

The Book That Stayed With Me The Most: Early in the year I read a book that has led me down some new pathways in my spirituality and connected me to ancestors I hadn’t realized. That book was Longing For Darkness: Tara and the Black Madonna by China Galland. As I noted in my post in February, the Black Madonna appeared to me in a dream a few years back. The book is making me think now, post 2024 election here in the USA, about the nonviolence in specifically Galland’s story, the Solidarity movement in Poland that she stumbled upon within her search for the Divine Mother and her own spiritual journey. Thanks to this book, I’m learning more about the little folk practices my Polish and other Slavic ancestors did that were adopted by the descendants that focused on assimilating as opposed to continuing their spiritual and/or magical practices. Longing For Darkness is the kind of book that continues to leave bits of its stories inside you as you walk your own journey in life. If you haven’t read this particular book, perhaps consider putting it on your list for 2025. 

The Book That Let Me Lean In: In the middle of the summer I was ripping through the book Alive With Spirits: The Path and Practice of Animistic Witchcraft by Althaea Sebastiani. This book’s guide to helping you deepen your own relationship with the Land, Departed Dead, and all manner of spiritual and physical relationships a Witch may have. Even if you’re a long-time Practitioner like myself, this book has such a great map to help you reinforce your own Practice, or even teach you a new thing or two. I loved all the reinforcement of what I knew to be a healthy practice and viewpoint on the Craft, that as a solitary practitioner isn’t always available. For that, I’m very grateful to the author and their book. If you do the work presented in the book, you’re absolutely going to rise up more powerfully in how you do your Practice. Don’t take my word for it, go read the book and do the work. 

The Book That Charged Up My Spellcraft: Of Blood and Bones: Working With Shadow Magick of the Dark Moon by Kate Freuler was a book I had listened to when it was first released and then again during my research for Magic In Your Cup. But I picked up the hard copy and read it through again, pausing to do some of the workings inside of it as I reviewed. As I mentioned in my post on this one (October 24), as a Witch that picks up snake skin, wasp nests, acorns, and animal bones to use in my spellcraft, this book felt like a sister grimoire that will remain on my shelf for many years to come. 

The Book That Showed Me A Different World: As a dreamworker myself, I am always gobbling up any books on dreams – magical or otherwise. But Elhoim Leafar’s book Dream Witchery: Folk Magic, Recipes & Spells From South America For Witches & Brujas showed me many new magical practices and beliefs around dreams that still intrigues me every time I see his name or pass the book on my shelf. The worldview here is so unique and ever fascinating. Even though my dream practice looks different, it was definitely refined after reading this one. Case in point, Leafar’s reiterating protection magic while doing so many of the workings in the book is a great reminder even for us Crones that any practice’s foundations need to be fortified regularly. I’m ever grateful for that message within the book. 

Below is a link to each one with a short vignette on what books/authors are covered in each post if you’re new around here and missed them the first time around. 

What The Witch Is Reading: February 2024

What The Witch Is Reading: May 2024

What The Witch Is Reading: July 2024

What The Witch Is Reading: September 2024

What The Witch Is Reading: October 2024

What The Witch Is Reading: November 2024

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’s talk about books! Comment below. If you have a book you think I should read, let me know that, too!

What The Witch Is Reading – November 24

Posted on by runa
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. 

As I pen this there is a scant 20 days until the world gets Magic In Your Cup. Reading time has been at a premium as I rally the energy within the deepest dark of winter – truly it may not be as cold as February, but until the Winter Solstice, we get less and less of the sun that fuels many a person’s fire, your Crone included. The last of Autumn’s outdoor chores are as done as done can be. Plus with the Land’s gift of a banger pumpkin harvest, I’m roasting pumpkins everyday. This is all to say that reading has been slow, if not steady. 

Recently Finished:  

Of Blood and Bones: Working With Shadow Magick and the Dark Moon by Kate Freuler: As I expressed last month, finding another in the Craft who picks up snake skin, wasp nests, acorns, and bones to do magic, this was a natural keep to remain on my regularly referenced witchy bookshelf. The entire volume speaks to my soul. I appreciate Freuler’s very careful relaying of this type of magic and the offering to those who are not inclined to work with bones and blood still can do this dark moon-focused magic. Just reading it may expose more shadow magic that you realized you needed to do or even some that perhaps you’ll want to avoid. I was particularly fond of Part IV: Looking death and rebirth in the face. Even if you’re not a Scorpio sun, this section will speak to many intermediate and veteran Witches.

 Sacred Tears: A Witch’s Guide to Grief by Courtney Weber – The opening pages of this book made me realize I need to take this one slow. And Weber says that. Her stories of loss will likely bring up a lot for any reader. Like Christopher Penzack says in the foreword, the author’s writing is raw and honest.  I deeply appreciated how Weber handled some of what many may consider the more challenging of grief: ambiguous loss. This is grief borne from things like being estranged from your family of origin, the losses that come with familial addiction, and how eventually you will find the gifts in that grief, too. Yes, I typed that correctly – the GIFTS of grief. Not the cliche silver lining, which Weber counsels readers away from, but how you transform through all the non-linear stages potentially experienced after any crisis that produces bereavement. The book is heavy with so many practical and spiritual methods of coping with the feelings that come with loss and tragedy in our lives that Weber’s work also feels like a manual a Witch might refer back to time and again. 

Breathe, Write, Breathe. 18 Energizing Practices to Spark your Writing and Free your Voice by Lilsa Tener – If you’re not shy about using QR codes, this book packs even more of a writing exercise punch. There is no use crying writer’s block if this book is on your shelf. There’s even a section on breath and dreaming that deeply spoke to this Witch. Again, this is not a book I’d recommend to read in a straight go, but one you ‘exercise’ with regularly. Will appeal to every writing Witch and woo-adjacent creative. 

Relishing Longer:

Modern Magic: Stories, Rituals, and Spells For Contemporary Witches by Michelle Tea.  I’m about halfway in this one and glad to see that Tea isn’t on the bandwagon of dislike of the moniker ‘kitchen witchery.’ And I’ll happily dive into this new ‘mystical snacktivism’ she’s on about. More to report in the next entry. This book is described as the sibling to Tea’s Modern Tarot with a focus on creating stronger magic incorporating queer, feminist, anti-racist, and intersectional values. Tea’s known for her literary accomplishments, so I’m looking forward to this. Okay, who am I joking, I look forward to opening every book. But this does check a lot of boxes for me. 

Up Next:

An Apostate’s Guide to Witchcraft: Finding Freedom Through Magic by Moss Matthey

I participated in a talk recently by Mr. Matthey which lit up my Germanic ancestor line standing behind me. His knowledge about all their magic created an excited hum in the studio as I listened to him. His history of both Welsh and German traditions is aligned in the paths my ancestral culture walked. His history also includes some Xtian religious trauma. That, too, mirrors parts of my own life, so his perspective may prove to be invaluable. The foreword by Mhara Starling provides validation in my understanding of the Moss’s knowledge and demeanor as “considerate, sensitive, and nurturing.” This makes me even more excited to dive in just as the nights get longer and longer. 

The Way of Fire and Ice: The Living Tradition of Norse Paganism by Ryan Smith

The Heathen gods are part of my ancestry. Finding a book on the modern interpretations that isn’t based in racism is hard to come by; but the author of this tome is one of the founders of Heathen United Against Racism. So I’m excited to carve out time to read this one. Have you read it? What are your thoughts? 

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’s talk about books! Comment below. If you have a book you think I should read, let me know that, too!

What the Witch Is Reading: October 2024

Posted on by runa
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. 

More Time For Books…

We’re in the Big Dark here in Western Washington. This means there’s not a lot of light, lots of rain, and the sun only makes brief appearances. The good part of that is extra reading and writing time. And I did finish a few extra books this go-round. I suspect that November, when it’s colder and darker, will also induce some extra reading sessions. It’s the best part about winter in my book. 😉

Recently Finished:  

Glamstrology by Michael Herkes

I tore through this one. It arrived just a little over a week ago and I was up late reading through all the beautiful pages. Herkes’ writing is like having your best pal show you all the great things about yourself you didn’t know you possessed. Express yourself using a little magic and a lot of tips from The Glam Witch – the moniker that Herkes is known for. The book is full of color and illustrations and color coding, because you know we Witches love a good ‘reference’ book.  Diving into this book you may just find a new magical style, or you’ll be reassured – as I was – that your style default is exactly aligned. You’ll never look at your rising, Venus, or Neptune placements the same way again. Not a big astrology nerd? No worries, Glamstrology includes easy references on everything zodiac from the signs, planets, houses, the elements, and so much more. There’s a ton of not only fashion sense and beauty routine advice, but a new path of magic to explore. Glamstrology will have you looking at your own path to glamor magic in a whole new way. 

Self Source-ery  by Lisa Lister

The subtitle of this book is: Come to Your Senses, Trust Your Instincts, Remember Your Magic. And Lisa Lister, bestselling author of Witch, takes you through another wild ride of path forging that Lister is known for. You’ll delve into all our bodies, our intuition, and energy. She has her own vocabulary that will be very familiar to those who read her other books  But even if you haven’t read those, you’ll easily embrace her storytelling skill and deep vulnerability.  Lister draws her practice from not only lived experience, but also her studies of art, somatic practices, ceremonialism, and a medicine keeper.  She’s a fellow Scorpio and will talk about all the taboo stuff. This book was another that I devoured quickly and is giving me lots more inspiration in my mission to live more in tune with the rhythms of nature. 

Inspiring Creativity Through Magick by Astrea Taylor

This was a Relish Longer entry from last month.  However, I am not sure you can ever be ‘finished’ with this one. In fact, I think this might be a book I reach for on the regular to fall back in love with my creativity. The subtitle for this one: How To Ritualize Your Art & Attract The Creative Spirit. Regardless of what your art is – and Taylor nudges the reader repeatedly to not diminish what those can be – you will find inspiration on each page. This book is so chock full of goodness about how to create a practice for your creative pursuits. The Magick of Revision section right now is coming in clutch, as is the Performance/Release blessing ritual. If you create, this will be a very useful book. It ends up on my desk more than the shelf. 

Relishing Longer:

Sacred Tears: A Witch’s Guide to Grief by Courtney Weber – The opening pages of this book made me realize I need to take this one slow. And Weber says that. Her stories of loss will likely bring up a lot for any reader. Like Christopher Penzack says in the foreword, the author’s writing is raw and honest. 

Breathe, Write, Breathe. 18 Energizing Practices to Spark your Writing and Free your Voice by Lilsa Tener – Real talk. I’ve not had a whole lot of time to get into this, so… There’s lots of exercises which with my book tour coming up, I haven’t had the time to focus on. I’m hoping that the deep winter slow-down is going to give me time to play with this more. 

Up Next:

Of Blood and Bones: Working With Shadow Magick and the Dark Moon by Kate Freuler: As a witch that picks up snake skin, wasp nests, acorns, and bones to do her magic, Freuler speaks to my soul. Yes, I’ve already tip-toed into this one a bit, but had to put it down because I was working through exercises and workings from Taylor’s book above. But, I can’t wait to get back to it. Freuler’s no-nonsense yet inclusive writing is refreshing. Also, I’m chuffed to find a book of another’s practice in working with the dark moon regularly. 

Modern Magic: Stories, Rituals, and Spells For Contemporary Witches by Michelle Tea. This book is described as the sibling to Tea’s Modern Tarot with a focus on creating stronger magic incorporating queer, feminist, anti-racist, and intersectional values. Tea’s known for her literary accomplishments, so I’m looking forward to this. Okay, who am I joking, I look forward to opening every book. But this does check a lot of boxes for me. 

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’s talk about books! Comment below. If you have a book you think I should read, let me know that, too!

What The Witch Is Reading: September 2024

Posted on by runa
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. 

Back from Summer Vacation…

Time is zooming by! Here at Villa Westwyk, September arrived loud and proud, leaning hard into those pumpkin-spice vibes. She’s showing her burnt umber, golds, oranges, and deep soil browns already. Her cat walk here at Villa Westwyk is certainly bringing a twist on a classic autumnal debut. The daylight hours are so short now. Yet, I’m ready for not having to be out at the barn at 0530 hrs. But it does mean that I’m getting less time to get things done on either side of the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. timeframe. Outdoors is the loser, because this Witch is not giving up her reading time. 

The books keeping me in the library a bit longer these darker days have some insanely lucious bibliographies (more books, yo!) and if you’re all about going further into the rabbit holes these books open up for you, you’re going to be filled with glee with this round of What the Witch Is Reading.

Recently Finished:

Thoughts That Cloud The Mind by Kelsi Henn Horner

At least once a season, I pick up a poetry book and dive in. Poetry is an important art form for humanity and I am lacking in reasons why not to support it. How many people have learned about their own feelings through poetry? Poetry teaches us empathy, it comforts, it makes people think about how they understand the world, and whether or not they even understand themselves. Tarot helps with that, too. So give me a book that is 300 Haikus dedicated to a daily Tarot card and I’m holding a tome of import. In Thoughts That Cloud The Mind, each entry is suddenly shaking you awake to your own purpose in this rock hurtling through space and time. This book of poems was clearly built on surging emotions – the best kind of poetry. The fact that I’m also trying to decode which poem is to which Tarot card, well that’s just a bonus. 

Ancestral Whispers: A Guide to Building Ancestral Veneration Practices by Ben Stimpson

Stimpson spoke to the history geek in me as well as the storyteller in this book. He employs both easily to take the reader through the highs and lows of an ancestral veneration practice, as well as the whys and why nots. The author has his own Venn diagram of intersecting influences on such a practice and it provides a very wide view within the text, as well as drilling down into the finer details of creating your own practice. Stimpson’s prose in the book has this feel of the encouraging and knowledgeable, mindful uncle who is just the smartest and you are in awe of how cool his life is. My own practice is still in its first decade so this exploration with Stimpson was encouraging and created a deep need for further reflection on at least two areas of my practice that I may want to level up. Hopefully more folx read this book and become powerful waiting ancestors. 

Heal The Witch Wound: Reclaim Your Magic & Step Into Your Power by Celeste Larsen

When you’re bibliophile last left you we had just finished reading Part I of this book. Part II and III apply the realizations of Part I into your present life and then towards your future. Once again, the author, Celeste Larsen, defines and illuminates symptoms of the witch wound and how it shows up in modern life and then what to do about it. Larsen brings in her own stories which seemingly highlight so many ways in which this wound may have manifested in the readers’ life. The details in the rituals in part III provide a deep well of healing for the reader exploring this Witch wound. This book took longer for me to read, as many in the esoteric genre do, because it’s very thought-provoking. You have to stop and make notes and jot down things you remember and want to ‘treat.’ This is a book I’ll likely return to at some point dive in even deeper. A future ‘Relishing Longer’ tome, perhaps? 

Relishing Longer:

Inspiring Creativity Through Magick: How to Ritualize Your Art & Attract the Creative Spirit by Astrea Taylor

I first read this book when it came out in the Summer of 2023; but, I was in the throes of editing a freelance job and revising Magic In Your Cup, so I finished it with the intention of coming back to it. And I’m so glad I did. I’m especially digging the tips and tactics on handling criticism. Every Witch I know is creative. Unlocking that creativity and nurturing it is the focus of this book and the tips on creating a process that invites in the spiritual aspects of Witchcraft– the Elements, Spirit, and the power within. I’m re-working through the practical exercises to more deeply feed and consistently recharge my creative pursuits, as well as my Craft.

Up Next:

Sacred Tears: A Witch’s Guide to Grief by Courtney Weber

There have been moments throughout my years as a Witch, where grief has interrupted my magical practice. Our society doesn’t deal with grief very well at all. And everyone has a different expression of that feeling, state, being. Looking forward to reading this one, especially since Christopher Penczak wrote the foreword and praises the book as raw, honest, and deep. 

Breathe. Write. Breathe. 18 Energizing Practices to Spark your Writing and Free Your Voice by Lisa Tener

This book was gifted to me and I love getting books on the writing craft. I have a lot of writing projects coming up, so any energizing spark is greatly appreciated. Tener served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School’s CME publishing course for more than 12 years, among other writing-centered achievements. Let’s see if we can’t do some throat-centered work with this book. 

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’s talk books! Comment below. If you have a book you think I should read, let me know that, too!

What The Witch Is Reading: July 2024

Posted on by runa
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. 

How is it almost August? I hope you’ve been busy with your nose in a book for at least part of this summer. June flew by and I was reading, reading, but having trouble keeping up to post this in June. So, this entry is a bit more than usual. But there were some very good books included, all of them pretty mind opening.. 

Recently Finished:

Dream Witchery: Folk Magic, Recipes & Spells From South America For Witches & Brujas by Elhoim Leafar. 

As a dreamworker myself I was excited to get my hands on this book. Leafar’s experience as an urban spiritual worker and the influence of his Craft from Venezuelan Brujos had me intrigued from the beginning of the text. The fact that he brought in other practitioners to lend more stories and perspectives to the book speaks to Leafar’s multiple esoteric backgrounds. Because of his upbringing and now living in the United States, he has a unique perspective on how mutable and cultural dreams and dreamwork can be. I found his voice refreshing. The way he weaves narrative into the dreamwork is inviting for the reader and leads you down a dream world path with ease. His stories about the symbolism in a dream for an American versus someone of Caribbean culture highlight why the remainder of the book’s pages show you how to create your dream practice and learn from the varied and powerful one that Leafar has. Included in the book are dozens upon dozens of spellcraft, rituals, recipes, and more all about dreams, the dreamer, and the dream world. Dream Witchery is a great reference book for aspiring dreamworkers, but at its foundation, there are years and generations full of dreamworkers held in its pages.

Alive with Spirits: The Path and Practice of Animistic Witchcraft by Althaea Sebastiani

Remember how I missed June’s edition of What The Witch Is Reading? That’s because not only was I busting butt healing the land, but I was reading this book, twice – back to back. And now I’m listening to it while pulling weeds in the garden, which I think the author might appreciate. For many becoming a Witch means stumbling through and learning bit by bit to create our Craft practice. However you’ve come to the Craft or even Animism, Sebastiani takes your hand in Alive With Spirits and shows you a customizable plan to walk deeper into a world filled with spirits and a deeper relationship with the Land. She details throughout the book that right relationships with the Land and Spirits help us be in right relationship with ourselves and other living people. Sebastani’s experience living this way comes through clearly in the book and grounds the reader – whether they be novice or elder – in five traits and seven skills of Witchcraft. As I mentioned, I have read it twice already and am listening to it a third time. This will be a book I recommend to any practitioner, especially because it’s clear that Sebastiani wants you to do the work and gives the reader exercises in each chapter to hone and expand their Craft and Practice, especially where relationships with Spirits are concerned. 

Relishing Longer:

Wild Soul Runes: Reawakening the Ancestral Feminine by Lara Veleda Vesta

Alive With Spirits likely would have been here last month under ‘relishing longer’ if I’d gotten to June’s edition since I re-read this. I’m not re-reading Wild Soul Runes, but rather ‘doing.’ The book features a week-by-week plan to deepen your relationship with the Runes. With 24 Runes, it will take me a bit to do this, but the Runes and I go way back, so I think this will be like a second honeymoon. 😉 As I mentioned in my May post, the inclusivity of this book is refreshing given that sometimes some close-minded individuals can attach themselves to these sacred divining tools. I especially enjoyed the feminine point of view and lens throughout the book. I’m going to work through all the exercises bit by bit and dive even deeper into my relationship with the Runes. 

Up Next:

Heal the Witch Wound: Reclaim Your magic and Step Into your Power by Celeste Larsen

I am about ⅔ way through this read and I just started a few days ago. Larsen however is uncovering things for me that I experienced but was unsure of its source. Be prepared to want to go down rabbit holes with your Witch Wound with this one. The history section can be rage-making if you haven’t heard some of the stories before – if you have heard them, you’ll be reminded there’s a lot of generational trauma we’re all healing – a Witch Wound just might be it for you, too. I’ll begin Part II next and that’s where Larsen contends the healing begins. Excited to read further. 

Ancestral Whispers: A Guide to Building Ancestral Veneration Practices by Ben Stimpson. 

This book has been patiently waiting in my TBR pile for me to crack it open. I adore its title because I often hear my ancestors whispering. This book came highly recommended to me by several people, so I’m curious to see how Stimpson approaches all there is with this wide subject matter. 

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’s talk books! Comment below. If you have a book you think I should read, let me know that, too!