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The Craft - A Witch's Book of Shadows
Celebrate the changing of the seasons and the beauty and power of the Moon, the Stars, and the Sun. Written by a Witch who has spent many years teaching the Craft of Wicca to newcomers, this introductory guide presents everything you need to know for successful witchery, Walk the path of the Witch-live in harmony and balance, and discover the sacred within the natural world with The Craft.
240 pages, Paperback
First published June 8, 2001
91 people are currently reading
3098 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Morrison
65 books158 followersWhile some of you may know me as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books, you probably don't know much else about me. And a good number of you probably have no earthly idea who I am at all. So, why not read a little further and let me introduce myself!
A native Texan, I now live in Virginia with my husband, Mark. I'm a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Since I'm the eternal student, though - who isn't?! - I'm currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoy membership in the Coven of the Raven.
But that's just the stuff pertinent to the Craft. Outside of my religious practices and spiritual beliefs, I'm a pretty well-rounded person as well. I've worked as an accounts payable clerk, a legal secretary, an administrative assistant, an office manager, a commissioned sales person, a personnel consultant, and in the City of Houston's Civil Service and Housing Code & Dangerous Buildings departments. I've also held positions as a hospital ward clerk, an animal shelter administrator and am a licensed nail tech. So, the truth of the matter is that I really am a jack of all trades - although whether I'm a master of any is still up for debate. Chuckle! [Photograph courtesy of K.A. Varner Photography, Norfolk, VA]baby
Of course, all of those experiences - some absolutely delightful and others, just downright awful - helped to shape the person I am today. But they didn't do it alone. They had help. And while I won't bore you with all the details, I thought you might enjoy a brief journey through my life. So...grab a cup of coffee, relax, and let me tell you a story...
It all begin centuries ago with my ancestors. I'm a direct descendant of William the Conqueror (King of England), Robert the Bruce of Scotland, and various doctors, lawyers, ministers, and patriots, as well as the fourth Governor of Kentucky, the first Poet Laureate of Texas, and a charter member of the Texas Rangers - all of whom were spunky, opinionated, and tenacious. So when I'm accused of being sassy - an accusation that seems to be spouted on a regular basis - I can't help but grin. I do, after all, come by it honestly.
I was born on May 6, 1955 in a small Texas town to a deputy sheriff - who later became Chief of Police - and his wife. My mother wanted to name me Penelope, but my father nixed the idea. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the name. Not at all. It was just that his criteria for naming anything - cats, dogs, horses, or children - was that he had to be able to remember it when he was mad. And sadly, Penelope just didn't fit the bill. That being the case, he opted for something he could remember and named me after his little sister.
Much to my father's delight, I was quite the tomboy; in fact, he put me on a horse before I could walk. [This guaranteed my first real photo op with Western Horseman magazine when I was only two years old. It seems that I was the youngest rider in the Texas Trail Ride Association who could truly handle her own horse - even though that horse was sixteen hands high.] But good equestrian skills were just the beginning of his lessons. He instilled in me a love for all animals - both domestic and wild - and in doing so, taught me about the balance of Nature and animal conservation. He taught me to fish - looking back, I'm sure all those "driveway casting lessons" really tested his patience, but he stuck with it anyway - and it's something I still love to do today. He even taught me how to swing a hammer. But, perhaps, the most important thing he ever taught me was how to spin a good tale - a lesson I've been putting into practice for most of my life.
Mama, however, had her own set of lessons to teach. A master gardener, she taught me the joys of digging in the dirt an
A native Texan, I now live in Virginia with my husband, Mark. I'm a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Since I'm the eternal student, though - who isn't?! - I'm currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoy membership in the Coven of the Raven.
But that's just the stuff pertinent to the Craft. Outside of my religious practices and spiritual beliefs, I'm a pretty well-rounded person as well. I've worked as an accounts payable clerk, a legal secretary, an administrative assistant, an office manager, a commissioned sales person, a personnel consultant, and in the City of Houston's Civil Service and Housing Code & Dangerous Buildings departments. I've also held positions as a hospital ward clerk, an animal shelter administrator and am a licensed nail tech. So, the truth of the matter is that I really am a jack of all trades - although whether I'm a master of any is still up for debate. Chuckle! [Photograph courtesy of K.A. Varner Photography, Norfolk, VA]baby
Of course, all of those experiences - some absolutely delightful and others, just downright awful - helped to shape the person I am today. But they didn't do it alone. They had help. And while I won't bore you with all the details, I thought you might enjoy a brief journey through my life. So...grab a cup of coffee, relax, and let me tell you a story...
It all begin centuries ago with my ancestors. I'm a direct descendant of William the Conqueror (King of England), Robert the Bruce of Scotland, and various doctors, lawyers, ministers, and patriots, as well as the fourth Governor of Kentucky, the first Poet Laureate of Texas, and a charter member of the Texas Rangers - all of whom were spunky, opinionated, and tenacious. So when I'm accused of being sassy - an accusation that seems to be spouted on a regular basis - I can't help but grin. I do, after all, come by it honestly.
I was born on May 6, 1955 in a small Texas town to a deputy sheriff - who later became Chief of Police - and his wife. My mother wanted to name me Penelope, but my father nixed the idea. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with the name. Not at all. It was just that his criteria for naming anything - cats, dogs, horses, or children - was that he had to be able to remember it when he was mad. And sadly, Penelope just didn't fit the bill. That being the case, he opted for something he could remember and named me after his little sister.
Much to my father's delight, I was quite the tomboy; in fact, he put me on a horse before I could walk. [This guaranteed my first real photo op with Western Horseman magazine when I was only two years old. It seems that I was the youngest rider in the Texas Trail Ride Association who could truly handle her own horse - even though that horse was sixteen hands high.] But good equestrian skills were just the beginning of his lessons. He instilled in me a love for all animals - both domestic and wild - and in doing so, taught me about the balance of Nature and animal conservation. He taught me to fish - looking back, I'm sure all those "driveway casting lessons" really tested his patience, but he stuck with it anyway - and it's something I still love to do today. He even taught me how to swing a hammer. But, perhaps, the most important thing he ever taught me was how to spin a good tale - a lesson I've been putting into practice for most of my life.
Mama, however, had her own set of lessons to teach. A master gardener, she taught me the joys of digging in the dirt an
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 38 reviews
January 25, 2015
This book is more than worth its weight in gold! I cannot tell you how worn my copy is! I use it for reference purposes all the time! Of all the books I've read on witchcraft and wicca, Dorothy Morrison is the most genuine. I feel her practice is simple, yet effective. I'm not one for pomp and circumstance when it comes to my craft. Dorothy makes the craft something that can be done everyday with everyday items and preformed at anytime.
My biggest piece of advice is: Don't just read this book. PRACTICE this book! The information is fantastic and it WORKS. Preform the exercises, recite the chants. It's powerful, simple and effective.
My biggest piece of advice is: Don't just read this book. PRACTICE this book! The information is fantastic and it WORKS. Preform the exercises, recite the chants. It's powerful, simple and effective.
September 12, 2008
This book was packed with great information. One of the things I really liked about the book was that she spoke in a very clear, and entertaining way. The information was given in a readable yet informative way.
I found much that I could use from this book, especially much of the verse used for spells and invocations. The poetry was beautifully written.
The main downside of the book is that it is obvious from a specific traditions point of view. This is fine, but for a beginner it might be worrying to have to memorize the Rede, or to always use a wand instead of an athame. Morrison writes with authority, but leaves little room for those who do not follow her particular tradition's rules and methods.
While a beginner would find much useful in this book, for a true beginner I would recommend Cunningham, Starhawk, or Ravenwolf first. For someone with a lot of experience, this book will build on what is already known and is great at supplemental material.
I love the way Morrison writes about Wicca, but this book was geared more for the novice.
I found much that I could use from this book, especially much of the verse used for spells and invocations. The poetry was beautifully written.
The main downside of the book is that it is obvious from a specific traditions point of view. This is fine, but for a beginner it might be worrying to have to memorize the Rede, or to always use a wand instead of an athame. Morrison writes with authority, but leaves little room for those who do not follow her particular tradition's rules and methods.
While a beginner would find much useful in this book, for a true beginner I would recommend Cunningham, Starhawk, or Ravenwolf first. For someone with a lot of experience, this book will build on what is already known and is great at supplemental material.
I love the way Morrison writes about Wicca, but this book was geared more for the novice.
June 13, 2017
"The Craft" is my second book about Wicca, so I can't give a thorough review. However, compared with Thea Sabin's "Wicca for Beginners", Morrison's introductory book about witchcraft appeared to me as shallow, naive and in one point kinda dangerous. "The Craft" is shallow, because each topic is dealt with rather quickly without much elaboration. That would make it a perfect reference book, however, her arguments why one should do the things as explained in the book, is more often than not "because her experience proved it to be so". Well, in many cases Thea Sabin has different ideas and backs her point with rather thorough explanations. It gets rather strange (dangerous) when Morrison wants the athame consecrated with drops of one's blood. As I said before, "The Craft" is just my second book on Wicca, but so far, I never had the impression that one should use blood of anyone in a ritual. While I can see her point in connecting the athame and the witch, I think the witch's blood shouldn't be on that blade! Especially, when, according to Sabin, some traditions even want an athame destroyed when it comes into contact with the witch's blood even by accident. I think, there's a reason for that rule...
While I read (or rather devoured) Thea Sabin's book in a few days, the happy but rather naive writing style in "The Craft" made it very hard to keep reading and it took me actually months to get through. Actually, I just skimmed through the last chapters...
"The Craft" gets two stars because of some interesting informations and ideas I didn't find in Sabin's "Wicca for Beginners".
While I read (or rather devoured) Thea Sabin's book in a few days, the happy but rather naive writing style in "The Craft" made it very hard to keep reading and it took me actually months to get through. Actually, I just skimmed through the last chapters...
"The Craft" gets two stars because of some interesting informations and ideas I didn't find in Sabin's "Wicca for Beginners".
April 11, 2022
Un libro che ho apprezzato molto.
Mi piace com’è strutturato, è di facile lettura, adatto a tutti, con esercizi pratici e di facile comprensione.
Avendo letto sia questo che quelli di Cunningham, per trovarne similitudini e differenze, posso dire che questo è ben fatto esattamente come il suo concorrente. Anche questo volume, infatti, è molto incentrato secondo me sulla Wicca, quindi è adatto soprattutto a chi vuole intraprendere questo percorso.
Mi piace com’è strutturato, è di facile lettura, adatto a tutti, con esercizi pratici e di facile comprensione.
Avendo letto sia questo che quelli di Cunningham, per trovarne similitudini e differenze, posso dire che questo è ben fatto esattamente come il suo concorrente. Anche questo volume, infatti, è molto incentrato secondo me sulla Wicca, quindi è adatto soprattutto a chi vuole intraprendere questo percorso.
October 28, 2016
Review from AntonySimpson.com:
The Craft – A Witch’s Book Of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison is a brilliant book about The Craft.
I’ve been pagan for a long time, but it’s always good to go back over the basics. This book covers: working with power sources, magical boosters, tools (including Wand, Cup, Athame, Pentacle & other tools), casting a circle and pagan festivals.
Morrison has a warm, engaging and humorous writing style. Reading The Craft is like having an intimate and meaningful conversation with Morrison herself. She writes in a way that informs, ultimately inspires and without a single word wasted.
The Craft is bursting with little gems of knowledge and wisdom such as:
I learned some new things and gained an even deeper understanding of somethings by reading The Craft. No matter who you are or what experiences in The Craft you have, undertake all activities and exercises in the book. I undertook all activities and exercises and they all benefited me. Each of the activities are designed to encourage personal growth and learning.
The only thing The Craft missed out is any reference or explanation of what a Book of Shadows is.
The Craft – A Witch’s Book Of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison is a must have for any Witch. It is an excellent reference book for moon phases, sun phases, days of the week, times of day, pagan festivals, plants, herbs, trees, magical tools, dream symbols, stones, deities and the Book of Law.
The Craft – A Witch’s Book Of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison has made it on to my top shelf where my all-time favourite books are kept. It is one that I will read again and reference regularly.
The Craft – A Witch’s Book Of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison is a brilliant book about The Craft.
I’ve been pagan for a long time, but it’s always good to go back over the basics. This book covers: working with power sources, magical boosters, tools (including Wand, Cup, Athame, Pentacle & other tools), casting a circle and pagan festivals.
Morrison has a warm, engaging and humorous writing style. Reading The Craft is like having an intimate and meaningful conversation with Morrison herself. She writes in a way that informs, ultimately inspires and without a single word wasted.
The Craft is bursting with little gems of knowledge and wisdom such as:
I learned some new things and gained an even deeper understanding of somethings by reading The Craft. No matter who you are or what experiences in The Craft you have, undertake all activities and exercises in the book. I undertook all activities and exercises and they all benefited me. Each of the activities are designed to encourage personal growth and learning.
The only thing The Craft missed out is any reference or explanation of what a Book of Shadows is.
The Craft – A Witch’s Book Of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison is a must have for any Witch. It is an excellent reference book for moon phases, sun phases, days of the week, times of day, pagan festivals, plants, herbs, trees, magical tools, dream symbols, stones, deities and the Book of Law.
The Craft – A Witch’s Book Of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison has made it on to my top shelf where my all-time favourite books are kept. It is one that I will read again and reference regularly.
July 29, 2020
While I admit that I am fairly new to the practice of witch craft, one of the earliest and most important things I learned about it is to respect how anyone else chooses to practice his or her craft. I grew up immersed in religious zealotry that sought to control and suppress the individual, and the beauty of witch craft is that in practicing it, you are free to do so as you please. Of course, the main idea is to do no harm. But otherwise, there is no "rule book".
This author started losing me before the introduction was even finished, as she seemed to be saying that one could not dislike Christianity and call oneself a witch. I couldn't disagree with her more. I have a great many reasons to dislike Christianity, most of which are based in the abuse I was put through as a child and in early adulthood all in the name of that religion. Further, because I am pro choice, I am attacked daily by "Christians" online. No, I do not have to like a religion in order to happily and successfully have my own private and productive positive practice of witch craft.
The author lost me completely around page 5, when she compared witch craft to Christianity and asserted that witch craft is in itself a religion that worships specific deities. My practice is nothing like Christianity, unless you compare a religion's prayers to the craft's positive intentions, but my belief system does not involve any deities. I respect nature but that does not mean I am under any kind of requirement to believe in, worship, or adhere to the rules of a deity.
The subtitle of this is "A Witch's Book of Shadows" -- a book of shadows is a personal thing, the drawings, notes and observations of an individual witch. Sure, it can serve as a guide to others, but is more like a journal than an instruction manual. If this book was just this author's observations, put out there to express what SHE believes, I would have nothing but respect for it, even if it didn't quite fit my beliefs or practice of my craft. However, since it speaks with authority as if this author's beliefs are the only way to practice the craft at all, I do not feel it is a healthy guide book for those finding their way.
It's going in the garbage can. I know who I am and what I believe, and this is not it. Nor does it have to be. How absurd.
This author started losing me before the introduction was even finished, as she seemed to be saying that one could not dislike Christianity and call oneself a witch. I couldn't disagree with her more. I have a great many reasons to dislike Christianity, most of which are based in the abuse I was put through as a child and in early adulthood all in the name of that religion. Further, because I am pro choice, I am attacked daily by "Christians" online. No, I do not have to like a religion in order to happily and successfully have my own private and productive positive practice of witch craft.
The author lost me completely around page 5, when she compared witch craft to Christianity and asserted that witch craft is in itself a religion that worships specific deities. My practice is nothing like Christianity, unless you compare a religion's prayers to the craft's positive intentions, but my belief system does not involve any deities. I respect nature but that does not mean I am under any kind of requirement to believe in, worship, or adhere to the rules of a deity.
The subtitle of this is "A Witch's Book of Shadows" -- a book of shadows is a personal thing, the drawings, notes and observations of an individual witch. Sure, it can serve as a guide to others, but is more like a journal than an instruction manual. If this book was just this author's observations, put out there to express what SHE believes, I would have nothing but respect for it, even if it didn't quite fit my beliefs or practice of my craft. However, since it speaks with authority as if this author's beliefs are the only way to practice the craft at all, I do not feel it is a healthy guide book for those finding their way.
It's going in the garbage can. I know who I am and what I believe, and this is not it. Nor does it have to be. How absurd.
November 16, 2014
Wow!!! Dorothy Morrison knows her Craft. She is the best Wiccan author ever,her books give clear examples of what it is you looking for, gives you answers to anything within the Craft and much!!! much!!! more!!! I recommend it for anyone interested in Wicca and/or Paganism ( BEST BOOK EVER TO HIT THE SHELVES ON WICCA ).
July 19, 2012
This book gets 5 stars for the wonderful Esbat/Sabbat section alone! I didn't agree 100% with everything Morrison said, but I love her writing style (always have), and this is an invaluable resource for any Pagan, new or experienced!
March 1, 2020
I really enjoyed what I learnt in this and the different exercises and meditations are fun
August 15, 2024
For a skeptic and nonbeliever, this is a very beautiful religion. My daughter brought me this because it peaked her interest. And I can dig that.
December 21, 2024
The Craft: A Witch's Book of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison reflects a time when Witchcraft and Wicca were often seen as the same. While this book serves as a lively and practical guide to Witchcraft, it does so through the lens of Traditional Wicca.
Morrison’s signature down-to-earth style makes this an engaging and accessible read, blending beliefs, tools, techniques, and rituals in a personal and poetic way—much like a real Book of Shadows. Despite its compact size (around 200 pages), it’s packed with valuable information, offering a well-organised foundation for those exploring Wicca.
Though some aspects may feel a little dated, The Craft remains a solid and inspiring resource, especially for those drawn to the Wiccan path.
Morrison’s signature down-to-earth style makes this an engaging and accessible read, blending beliefs, tools, techniques, and rituals in a personal and poetic way—much like a real Book of Shadows. Despite its compact size (around 200 pages), it’s packed with valuable information, offering a well-organised foundation for those exploring Wicca.
Though some aspects may feel a little dated, The Craft remains a solid and inspiring resource, especially for those drawn to the Wiccan path.
May 26, 2025
Great reverence book.
Dorothy Morrison has well researched this book. An excellent book to refer to for desired needs, time of year or Sabbats. An excellent explanation of what the craft is and isnt. This book does not teach you how to be, but let's you decide. Well done.
Dorothy Morrison has well researched this book. An excellent book to refer to for desired needs, time of year or Sabbats. An excellent explanation of what the craft is and isnt. This book does not teach you how to be, but let's you decide. Well done.
May 21, 2021
She is a delight to read and parts of this book very much felt like coming home. Lots of great information. I will be referring to this book in the future.
July 24, 2022
Libro basico per aspiranti streghe, nom ho apprezzato troppo i continui richiami alla wicca in quanto trovo che non tutti seguano questa corrente
November 20, 2022
I love this book
May 13, 2023
This is such a great book for beginners! It covers the basics and explains a lot that others don’t. My only fault for it is that it’s too short!
November 18, 2024
Un buon manuale per iniziare a comprendere la stregoneria e per fare i primi passi nel mondo del paganesimo, se lo si vuole 💛
June 30, 2019
I liked this book :) It provides a simple and easy reference to the ways of witchcraft, the importance of tools, the sabbats and expats, and lots of good ideas. I liked her style of writing and her introduction to the basics while still providing her own style. There are a lot of exercises in the book that are useful but personally, I don't think all of them are mandatory, but I like a lot of her invocations/spells, they work very well.
March 4, 2016
absolutely loved this book. and i still have yet to finish using it. Great little reference book for the basics!
Been continuing to refer back to my first book. This was the one that felt right. The one that jumped out to both me and my teacher as one we knew I'd easily be able to go back to in my work. I love this book!
Been continuing to refer back to my first book. This was the one that felt right. The one that jumped out to both me and my teacher as one we knew I'd easily be able to go back to in my work. I love this book!
August 25, 2012
I loved this book. It had information that was easy to understand and easy to put into practice. It had rituals that only require everyday items. This is a big relief because many rituals require expensive items that you can only get at a pagan supply store. Pagan supply stores are hard to find. The goddess is the centre of modern witchcraft. To learn more about the goddess go on www.yoni.com
April 16, 2013
I really like this book. It was an easy and interesting read and it will make a great reference book. There were a few odd errors towards the end, i.e. the author stating that the Summer Solstice was at the end of Summer while all the while referring to it as Midsummer. Editor not on the ball?
May 3, 2009
Morrison is one of the most prolific Pagan authors writing today. Her works encompasss everything from solitary to covencraft and her BOS is no different.
September 20, 2011
Great book for beginners!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 38 reviews