If you’re here for something to read, you might be glad to know that I don’t just recommend my own writing…
Books about Witchcraft and Wicca have been at the top of my recent reading list. Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft and Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner are still excellent books – but what about more modern releases that cover Witchcraft in today’s world?
Gone are the days where every sixth person claimed to be a direct descendant of Salem, today’s covens are embracing the LGBTQI+ communities, and modern Witches have access to whole different technologies like smartphones and an eBook of Shadows.
It’s a different world for modern Witches. Does your reading list match?
Here are 5 great modern books about Witchcraft and Wicca – and why they should make your reading list too.
Wicca, Witchcraft, or Paganism?
Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism are different spiritual paths – and you will often hear people note that not all Witches are Wiccan.
(If you’re looking for clarity, Wicca is “the largest of the modern Pagan, or Neo-Pagan religions,” whereas Witchcraft could refer to several different practices including brujeria, braucherei, stregheria, and kitchen witchery.)
A Reddit thread here further explains the differences between Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism.
The Witch’s Path: Advancing Your Craft at Every Level
Author: Thorn Mooney
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
“Get unstuck, find inspiration, and take the next step on your path with this practical guide to witchcraft for practitioners of all levels.The Witch’s Path is all about raising your Witchcraft practice.”
This review from Hana at Suburban Witchery rightfully points out: “This is not a book about learning witchcraft, instead this book is a way to refine your practice and help it morph into something sustainable that will fit into your modern life.”
As you’ll read about in the introduction and first chapters, The Witch’s Path is aimed at everyone except the total beginner. Basic definitions are skipped, and the book covers Witchcraft and rituals that – as the title points out – is for advancing your craft and not necessarily for beginning it.
The Witch’s Path is much like Scott Cunningham’s Book of Shadows if you were to compare it to Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Both books assume the reader is past their introductory phase and looking for more.
You’re going to find correspondences and rituals in this book, though they are for Witches who want to modernize their practices – and perhaps ones that started with older resources and feel that it’s time for a modern update.
Thorn Mooney is an academic and, of course, Witch. This month, they were the topic of a Reddit AskMeAnything (AMA) that you can read over here.
Author: Deborah Lipp
Publisher: Crossed Crow Books
“In Roadmap by Moonlight, longtime practitioner Deborah Lipp offers a complete, accessible introduction to Wicca, thoughtfully balancing spiritual theory with hands-on practice.”
Roadmap by Moonlight: A Guide to Wicca for Life is a modern guidebook for the Wiccan practitioner – or for that matter, anyone interested in learning more about the Craft, its history, and its modern practices.
Types of Wicca, Wiccan Things (Magical Tools), Wiccan Practices, and Deepening Practice are some of the chapter headings from the book to give you an idea of what to expect.
The book explores some of Wicca’s history, and how it made its way from Gerald Gardner to today; it’s written during a time when we know more about Wicca’s original sources (and yes, that some of them might have been exaggerated or embellished along the road).
Historically, this book has something to add to the discussion, and it’s an update that takes into account things the Craft has learned in recent decades.
Introduction to Witchcraft: Thirteen Lessons in the Practice of Magic
Author: Sara L. Mastros
Publisher: Crossed Crow Books
“Inside Introduction to Witchcraft, you’ll find practical exercises, simple but never condescending explanations of major ideas, and examples from Mastros’s experience in the field.”
Introduction to Witchcraft: Thirteen Lessons in the Practice of Magic is meant to be a complete introduction to Witchcraft practices.
If you identify as purely Wiccan, then you can find something useful here… If you identify as any other Witchcraft practitioner, that’s fine too: the correspondences and rituals given here are just as useful to you.
Simply put, Mastros doesn’t mess around: the book speaks frankly instead of esoterically. No BS here and you’re easily wrapped up in its lessons until the last pages.
Somewhere in here, the author refers to ‘wanking a candle’ – which is what many people might think when they’re anointing one for a ritual or spell but very few people have, er, said.
There’s a wealth of information here, and much of it (like Roadmap by Moonlight) are things fit for Witches in a modern world.
Planetary Spells & Rituals: Practicing Dark & Light Magick Aligned with the Cosmic Bodies
Author: Raven Digitalis
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
“A comprehensive guide to aligning spells and rituals with planetary energies for powerful, customized magic across various intentions and spiritual paths.”
Planetary Spells & Rituals is a fantastic read – though it’s another book recommended for more advanced practitioners who have made their way past their introduction phase.
Some people are naturally adept at planetary magick and its correspondences. Since I’ve never been one of those types of people, Planetary Spells & Rituals made its way to being one of the first books I reach for when I have any questions to do with the planets – or can’t remember which goes with what.
Each planet has its own chapter, and each chapter goes into terrific detail about its associations – and then how to work with the planet’s magickal energies.
Creating a Mars Bottle for protection, An Uncrossing Spell, and Undoing Social Conditioning are some of the spells contained in this book.
As the author notes, practitioners are welcome to change or adapt their spells.
There’s a positive focus on mental health, like many of Digitalis’ books; there are some things meant for magickal practitioners, and others meant for health practitioners instead.
If you’re interested in any type of planetary working, this is the first book I’d recommend.
Modern Witchcraft with the Greek Gods
Author: Astrea Taylor and Jason Mankey
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
“From Aphrodite to Zeus, this book reveals the origins of more than sixty deities and other mythological figures, including the Olympians, Titans, and Primordial Forces.”
Every Witch or Wiccan works with a different pantheon – some practitioners work with deities they’ve cultivated a personal relationship with, while some are tradition-bound.
Modern Witchcraft with the Greek Gods is your go-to text for working with Aphrodite, Zeus, and the rest of the Greek pantheon.
Even if you aren’t using them in your practices, this is an excellent title for – well, absorbing the different mythologies into your brain.
Alex J. Coyne 