Aurora Australis, New Zealand

A few recommended witchcraft books

The Basics

Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson

This book is super popular. It is ceremonial in nature - don’t worry about needing to make Huson’s many ‘required’ items - but it has some really good stuff, especially the introduction and the Witch’s Pyramid. 

Pure Magic by Judika Illes

This is the lady who wrote the Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells. Her book is good, leaning more towards New Age than Mr. Huson. I found the book to be generally well-rounded. It does cover a lot of basics, including plenty of rituals and spells.

The Sorcerer’s Secrets by Jason Miller

I have personally learned more from this book than any other. Instead of relying on spells, Mr. Miller teaches you the actual techniques of improving your magical skills. He also gives a reasonable explanation for how magic works and the ways you can practically apply skills to get what you want.

The Complete Guide to Psychic Development by Cassandra Eason

Mrs. Eason is the “if six candles are good, twelve is better!” type. I don’t agree with her that imagining a pink fluffy cloud (and I do not mock; this is literal) will remove all dangers. This book is perhaps best mixed with a more traditional one, such as Mastering Witchcraft. But if psychic stuff is for you, this book may be a great help.

Beyond the Basics

The Witch’s Familiar by Raven Grimassi

A surprisingly complete system of calling, working with, controlling, and dismissing familiars. If you have no idea where to start, and you prefer a slightly more ceremonial take on things, this is the book for you. It also holds value for those interested in spirit work.

Financial Sorcery by Jason Miller

You guys already know I have a thing for Mr. Miller, and I offer no apologies. He knows his stuff and he’s a good writer. Read this book if you want to make money with your magic in a way that actually works. 

Seven Spheres by Rufus Opus

Not witchcraft - Hermetics. But it is a fantastic book, good for those who are looking for ‘the next step’ and are ready for spirit work and conjuration. I really learned a lot by reading this book, even if his tone is somewhat bro-ish at times. 

Protection & Healing

Protection & Reversal Magick: Beyond 101 by Jason Miller

This was the first witchcraft book I ever bought! Gosh do I love it. Mr. Miller speaks in a straight-forward tone about certain dangers, and fills a book with different methods on how to fight, defend, and heal yourself after the battle. To those interested in Hekate, there are a couple original Hekatean rituals in this book. I highly recommend.

Psychic Self-Defense by Dion Fortune

An old, albeit still well-written handbook. Her accounts of psychic attack are fascinating and her solutions are practical and useful.

Spiritual Cleansing by Draja Mickaharic

This book is extremely practical and lays out several methods of cleansing for each problem addressed. Mr. Mickaharic loudly advocates against changing or substituting his spells, and basically says if you can’t do it the way he presents it in the book, don’t do it at all. So if you are the sort of practitioner who can’t get a hold of a pint of beer or seven walnuts to pop in the bathtub, this book is not for you. However, I was very pleased with the book and saw new content I had never seen before.

Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, and References

Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

Yes, it’s getting on in years now. If it were a human it would have bought it’s first home and have two kids at this point. But it’s survived this long because it’s a solid reference for plants. When you get your hands on a new plant and don’t know what in the dickens you can use it for, Mr. Cunningham will give you a good overview. When planning a spell and you need to know what plants follow your correspondences, his tables in the back will list plants in accordance with your intent.

Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham

What can I say. It’s like the plant book, but for crystams, gems, and metals.

The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall

This is the only book I’ll recommend that I haven’t *gasp* read personally. I’ve heard really good things about it. It is a big book of crystals. I just don’t care enough about crystals to get it, but if you care about crystals, then this is the book for you, I’ve heard.

(Elemental) Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes

Correct me if I’m wrong on this one, but the ‘elemental’ encyclopedia is the same as the regular, non-elemental edition. What I find to be of real value in this book is not the spells themselves, but the extensive forward which has a lot of magical knowledge. You can also pick up great tidbits by browsing the book. The formulary in the back has recipes for all kinds of oils, powders, and potions. It’s a good book, I highly recommend.

The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes

I’ll tell you what, Mrs. Illes sure does love her elemental encyclopedias. This is a solid book, covering a vast range of topics such as animals, holy days, and tools. I find the ‘animals’ section to be particularly useful.

Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols by Cassandra Eason

The book is full of what the title says. A good resource for mythical and regular animals. 

Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes

The most sellable property of this book is that it lists many spirits by name. If you come across a certain name and want to know if it is connected to anybody, Mrs. Illes has the book for you. I find general entries such as “Ghost” or “mermaid” to be frustratingly sparse, but if you want to know who ‘Atargatis’ is, forget about it.

A Dictionary of Angels by Gustav Davidson

Want to know about angels and fallen angels? This is the book for you. Detailed. Thorough. No complaints.

Encourage Positivity

You can do this when you are in need of calming yourself or relieving anxiety, or when you need to reduce negativity and/or promote positivity at any time in your life.

you will need:

matches

your favorite incense

a yellow, orange or white candle

citrine, sunstone, yellow aventurine, or clear quartz (crystals for positivity)

amethyst, black tourmaline, turquoise, etc (crystals for emotional protection)

In the morning, find a quiet place and meditate, if you desire. Sit outside or inside, that is up to you. Sit on the ground and make yourself comfortable. Breathe deeply and slowly, try to let go of any weariness or negativity you’re feeling. You can hold the crystals in your hands, or just place them on the ground close to you. Use as many as you like.

Now, light the candle and the incense, and focus on the soothing smell of the incense and the hypnotic flame of the candle. Do not look away from the candle until you’re fully relaxed (this can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, take as much time as you need). When you are ready say,

Pull out the energy within me which is sleeping Slow moving on a task is cause for weeping My energy and intellect is under a slow spell Remove the rock from under which it dwells

Visualize negative energy leaving you and positive energy coming up from within you and surrounding you. If you wish, you can visualize yourself surrounded by an energy shield, to protect you from negative energy and negative emotions from others. Blow out the candles when you are ready.

libra, taurus + pisces

libra, taurus and pisces are the signs that appreciate art and beauty the most. pisces makes the art, taurus admires the art and libra spreads it. since these signs love beauty and treasure it so much, it shines through their artistically painted interior. they live on earth like art: dancing like delicate paint brush strokes, talking like graceful hands forming a sculpture and thinking like music by a grand orchestra.

mama i need help! so i haven't cast a spell ever and i want to cast my first spell tomorrow during the full moon and I would very much appreciate spells that would be good to cast for tomorrow (full moon along with everything else that it is tomorrow). I would love some spells to help with school success or dealing with my gender dysphoria and/or depression. ANY help would be much appreciated. I have limited supplies so a simple spell will definitely do wonders for me. :) Thank you!

Hello my dear. I fully understand the gender Dysphoria thing as I am Transgender mtf myself.. The spells that are best during the full moon are ones for moving forward in some aspect, healing, protection, etc.Do a bit of a search. I am on my phone right now so I can’t really search real well. I hope all goes well

What do your signs stand for?

Sun sign: Basic you

Moon sign: Inner you

Rising sign: Public you

Venus sign: You in relationships

Mars sign: Your passion

Mercury: Your communication (and planning)

Saturn: Your limitations

Jupiter: Your luck

Neptune: Your spirit (deeper self)

Uranus: How you Change

Pluto: Your power