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artemis_moonfire's review
informative
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.75
A good book for those just starting into the Craft.
emily_gaynier's review
5.0
Very good basics and I really feel like I could use this to create the foundation for my practice
prettyprincess_333's review
informative
medium-paced
5.0
It's a good book for beginners as it explains witchcraft from the perspective of an advanced witch which is a win - win tbh. No complaints and just read it... You'll see.
thewrittenadventure's review
3.0
As a follower of Chaotic Witch Aunt on Tiktok, I knew I had to get this copy to support Frankie.
This is definitely a book for beginners, and Frankie notes that in the beginning of their book. The voice is a bit young, and has an academic school-like feel, that the author has definitely developed over their schooling. The voice feels a tad bit like a Frankie is having a conversation with the reader, it's very conversational.
There is a lot of fluff in here that could have been edited out. Frankie talks about how we receive and view love and uses multiple pages to talk about how their pets show love to each other - a simple metaphor that took too long to convey. There are quite a few places where this happens, which could have been cut down significantly.
We see the author mention certain things (i.e on page 113, they mention looking at wax from a candle to see how a spell does, but then doesn't actually teach the reader how to do that.) There's some useful stuff in here for beginners, but anything beyond that, you'd need another book.
The author does give an extensive list of books to for further reading, which is great for beginners. This is a solid start for newer witches.
This is definitely a book for beginners, and Frankie notes that in the beginning of their book. The voice is a bit young, and has an academic school-like feel, that the author has definitely developed over their schooling. The voice feels a tad bit like a Frankie is having a conversation with the reader, it's very conversational.
There is a lot of fluff in here that could have been edited out. Frankie talks about how we receive and view love and uses multiple pages to talk about how their pets show love to each other - a simple metaphor that took too long to convey. There are quite a few places where this happens, which could have been cut down significantly.
We see the author mention certain things (i.e on page 113, they mention looking at wax from a candle to see how a spell does, but then doesn't actually teach the reader how to do that.) There's some useful stuff in here for beginners, but anything beyond that, you'd need another book.
The author does give an extensive list of books to for further reading, which is great for beginners. This is a solid start for newer witches.
rusereviews's review against another edition
5.0
(4.5 rounded up to 5)
Spells for Change: A Guide for Modern Witches is a debut guidebook on spirituality by "Chaotic Witch Aunt" Frankie Castanea, a practicing eclectic/folk witch. Castanea originally found fame through TikTok and uses they/them pronouns. The book was originally published in the U.K. in 2021, but this is a new U.S. edition. The PDF version is a little over 200 pages and the artwork in the book (and on the cover!) is fantastic.
The book is divided into four parts:
- What does it mean to be a modern witch?
- The tools and foundations for making change
- Manifesting change through witchcraft
- Understanding ourselves and our shadow in a global sense
Their goal for this book was to provide a broad overview of traditions so the reader can create a customized version of witchcraft for themselves. They focus on "manifesting change through spell work, intent, and mindfulness with a decolonized point of view." This book isn't just for folks new to the craft, it can also help to add nuance to a current practice and to further explore its history and theory.
Castanea delves into tools, materials, and foundations for nearly half of the book, which I appreciated. Some of the materials explained in this book include crystals, rocks, herbs, flowers, trees, and stuff you probably have already in your kitchen. There are several rituals, spells, and suggested exercises in the book as well. The last part of the book really digs into topics about colonization, cultural appropriation, and closed practices. I was really pleased to find a wonderful bibliography/suggested reading list in the back of the book.
Special thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing an PDF of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own. Spells for Change: A Guide for Modern Witches releases in the U.S. on Tuesday, April 26th.
Spells for Change: A Guide for Modern Witches is a debut guidebook on spirituality by "Chaotic Witch Aunt" Frankie Castanea, a practicing eclectic/folk witch. Castanea originally found fame through TikTok and uses they/them pronouns. The book was originally published in the U.K. in 2021, but this is a new U.S. edition. The PDF version is a little over 200 pages and the artwork in the book (and on the cover!) is fantastic.
The book is divided into four parts:
- What does it mean to be a modern witch?
- The tools and foundations for making change
- Manifesting change through witchcraft
- Understanding ourselves and our shadow in a global sense
Their goal for this book was to provide a broad overview of traditions so the reader can create a customized version of witchcraft for themselves. They focus on "manifesting change through spell work, intent, and mindfulness with a decolonized point of view." This book isn't just for folks new to the craft, it can also help to add nuance to a current practice and to further explore its history and theory.
Castanea delves into tools, materials, and foundations for nearly half of the book, which I appreciated. Some of the materials explained in this book include crystals, rocks, herbs, flowers, trees, and stuff you probably have already in your kitchen. There are several rituals, spells, and suggested exercises in the book as well. The last part of the book really digs into topics about colonization, cultural appropriation, and closed practices. I was really pleased to find a wonderful bibliography/suggested reading list in the back of the book.
Special thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing an PDF of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own. Spells for Change: A Guide for Modern Witches releases in the U.S. on Tuesday, April 26th.