Ask a Witch: A blog that answers back…

I get flooded with questions on a regular basis because of working at a metaphysical store. Ranging anywhere from “what is that?” to “I have an attachment, how do I get rid of it?” and my favorite, “do you have any dead animals for sale?” I thought I would take the time to answer some common questions on a larger platform rather than individually. I feel sometimes sharing knowledge helps those who don’t know to ask or they have so many questions, they don’t know where to begin. Each week, I am going to tackle a couple questions and allow people to get the answers they seek without feeling pressured. If you have any questions, you can send me an e-mail or shoot me a message on social media and I will answer your question in a blog anonymously.

This week, I want to answer a rather simple yet complex question I get asked a lot:

“What is a good book to read to get started in magic?”

Now this can get answered many ways. The first is simple: I have read many books in my studies and there are a plethora of amazing books on the subject of magic. If you are looking for a book about spells, which is the common root of what most people are searching for when they say “magic books”, then here is a list of books I’ve read and use often:

The first is The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes. This book is massive and full of different spells from all over the place and most every subject under the sun and moon. I like this book for its heft because I can thumb through it and find inspiration to try a spell or two. I find it fairly accessible for most because it’s organized and the spells are simple and don’t require too much stuff; usually just a piece of paper and a pen with a solid intention and maybe a small candle. Now, this book isn’t really for beginners because it is structured for someone who is familiar with magic to some degree.

Another really great book is by the beloved Scott Cunningham called Cunningham’s Magical Sampler. This one is great because it really is a sampler; it has several different types of spells using different magical techniques. Just a few in each category it gives you a chance to try them before committing to one style. I like Scott Cunningham’s style of writing because it doesn’t read like an instruction manual. Its engaging and not very dry. He is very knowledgeable yet doesn’t strut around and make you feel inferior or that you are privileged to have seen this magic. He allows for the magic to speak for itself and doesn’t make it something it isn’t.

The final one on the list which honestly could be several pages long is a series of books that I found when I started working. I’m referring to the For Beginners series put out by the large occult publisher Llewellyn. A few of this collection specific to magic are candle magic, ritual, and practical magic. Each of them is written by a different author who is well versed in the subject. I like these books because they are simple and quick to get into. It is done from a unbiased place and doesn’t assume the person reading it is knowledgeable in the subject however, it doesn’t condescend. I have tried many of the spells in these books and they are effective for beginners. They also offer many other books on various occult subjects that are worth reading if you wish to get into them, but these are specific to magic.

Now as I mentioned before, there is both a simple and complex way of answering the question. The complex answer is actually questions for the querent to answer. There are many books that touch on the subject of magic and some are specific to a tradition. Most people aren’t really looking for the why and how it works, but occasionally we get the seeker who does. For that, the answer of what is the underlying source of magic becomes deeper. I always ask the person, what tradition do you wish to work with? Are you interested in learning more about herbal magic? Crystal magic? Working with Angels and Gods? Folk practices maybe? From there I can provide you with more books specific to what you are after. My goal is never to box someone into my beliefs and practices; I always tell them that this is what I work with and it’s not the only way. You have to find what speaks to you and go with that. So many people and places try to place magic into a box all neatly wrapped with a pretty bow. That’s not the case, magic is an active force. It’s not meant to be contained because it grows just as we do. Sometimes we don’t provide a solid answer because we can see the seeker is searching and we want the experience to be true and organic. Also, we are a community of many different paths and if we start to discourage one path or practice over another then that stunts everyone’s growth. Our library is full of everything from demons and angels to Crystals, Wicca, traditional European Shamanism, Central American and African traditions the list goes on. Give the shelf a look over and see if the words don’t weave a tapestry of magic for you.

*Please note each Blog is the unique expression of the Blogger and does not speak for The Green Man as an entity, but rather is one of the many diverse colours that make up our Green Man Tribe.