What do you think?
Rate this book
The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft
The Crooked Path is a primer for readers new to the practice of Traditional Witchcraft that is rooted in British folklore and history. This book shares hands-on tips and techniques to get started on this powerful and dynamic spiritual path, including guidance on establishing a practice that is based on your own location and natural landscape. You will also discover how to work with the tools, rituals, and spells of Traditional Witchcraft, and explore the profound work of connecting to ancestors, familiar spirits, and deities.
This book is the perfect guide to safely navigating your own journey, helping you learn even advanced practices such as hedge-crossing as you transform your day-to-day experience into a life filled with magic and spirit.
This book is the perfect guide to safely navigating your own journey, helping you learn even advanced practices such as hedge-crossing as you transform your day-to-day experience into a life filled with magic and spirit.
214 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
486 people are currently reading
3951 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
March 7, 2021
I know the cover says Traditional Witchcraft, but this is a Wiccan book. I'm sorry, but it is. The author doesn't hide his Wiccan past, but it's clear he still follows a very Wiccan point of view of magic (from the eclectic nature of his craft, which is kinda problematic, but I can try to work around, as a Celtic Reconstructionist, I have no bussiness calling to Loki or Odin; to mention of a Father and Mother (God and Goddess anyone?); a set of tools... It all has some smell of Wicca). He also shows some bias when he speaks dearly about Wiccan historial figures, but only mentions one "charlatan" Traditional witch. He keeps mentioning attacks on Wicca but only casually talks about how Wiccans can be extreamly non respectful to other Religions and paths. I again understand the author still views fondly his Wiccan roots, which is completly understandable, but this books is too much framed as Wicca and Non-Wicca points of views. He says he doesn't want to compare practices, but he does exactly that. Most of his references also come from Wiccan texts... which are not very traditional.
He has good points tho: he insists a lot in nature conecting, which I can get behind, he spends a whole section about bioregionalism, which is GREAT; some of the exercises are interesting and I will try them on time.
For most part, I wouldn't recommend this to any begginer before they truly understand how much Wicca has affected how we view neo paganism and witchcraft today, so they can filter this kind of stuff. The book is not terrible, but it's also not what I was expecting, which is disappointing. Of course he keeps mentioning the "no wrong way to do witchcraft" which is true, but I feel that statement follows the "cherry picking the good, leaving the bad" of modern paganism and witchcraft that personally puts me off :(
A word of caution tho: as an Irish diaspora descendent, I must caution people when working with the Fae. Lately I've been seeing a lot of people merrily calling faes and similar creatures to work with, and most of the times, these creatures are deceitful and can do serious harm. For all that it's sacred, do MAYOR RESEARCH, before trying to invite them into your life.
He has good points tho: he insists a lot in nature conecting, which I can get behind, he spends a whole section about bioregionalism, which is GREAT; some of the exercises are interesting and I will try them on time.
For most part, I wouldn't recommend this to any begginer before they truly understand how much Wicca has affected how we view neo paganism and witchcraft today, so they can filter this kind of stuff. The book is not terrible, but it's also not what I was expecting, which is disappointing. Of course he keeps mentioning the "no wrong way to do witchcraft" which is true, but I feel that statement follows the "cherry picking the good, leaving the bad" of modern paganism and witchcraft that personally puts me off :(
A word of caution tho: as an Irish diaspora descendent, I must caution people when working with the Fae. Lately I've been seeing a lot of people merrily calling faes and similar creatures to work with, and most of the times, these creatures are deceitful and can do serious harm. For all that it's sacred, do MAYOR RESEARCH, before trying to invite them into your life.
April 30, 2020
problematic...while I like the emphasis on traditional witchcraft instead of Wicca, this book really highlights why it's important to have a teacher for something like this, and not assume that one can learn solely from books. I don't think a beginner could learn to sense or work with energy efficiently, or develop psi gifts properly from this book. It assumes that there is that talent already articulated. Because of this, the foundation for magical working provided is slim at best. It seemed like cliff notes to proper magical working, again assuming a lot that wasn't actually in the text. I would not mind giving this book to a student who was skilled and beyond the beginner stage and I very much like the emphasis on traditional witchcraft as opposed to Wicca (nothing wrong with either, but carefully parsing out that they are different traditions is a good thing on both ends of that. It allows for cleaner work), and the folklore that was included, though I did not like the underlying sense that Gods were there to be useful to us.
There are nice exercises at the end of each chapter but again in some cases (particularly building a stang) it seems like trying to rush a process that should be the organic development of several years. As a Heathen, I didn't like the inclusion of the Norse or Anglo-Saxon material relating to Woden, Holda, stangs, husel etc. (Deities, tools, practices significant in Heathenry) but this did turn up in folklore in the British Isles (where the Gods of Heathenry were also venerated) so while I might worry that it is religiously appropriative, the author is careful to draw a distinction between witchcraft and religion, which I appreciate. Basically, the author is drawing on the Anglo-Saxon, English, British, etc. elements of folklore, and also magical practices the latter of which an American in the South might refer to as conjure (Conjure is a loose system of magic common to the American south that draws on African, African American, Native American, German, British, Scottish, Jewish, even some Islamic influences -- what came here with African men and women brought as slaves, what was extant in Native communities, what was brought over by European immigrant communities. It's a true melting pot of magic).
Not a bad book. Better than some for traditional charms. But not a place where I'd send a beginner. Worth reading and interesting at points. I gave it a three because I liked some of the traditional material presented, even if I felt it was watered down. I would definitely suggest reading the sources noted in the biblio at the very least.
There are nice exercises at the end of each chapter but again in some cases (particularly building a stang) it seems like trying to rush a process that should be the organic development of several years. As a Heathen, I didn't like the inclusion of the Norse or Anglo-Saxon material relating to Woden, Holda, stangs, husel etc. (Deities, tools, practices significant in Heathenry) but this did turn up in folklore in the British Isles (where the Gods of Heathenry were also venerated) so while I might worry that it is religiously appropriative, the author is careful to draw a distinction between witchcraft and religion, which I appreciate. Basically, the author is drawing on the Anglo-Saxon, English, British, etc. elements of folklore, and also magical practices the latter of which an American in the South might refer to as conjure (Conjure is a loose system of magic common to the American south that draws on African, African American, Native American, German, British, Scottish, Jewish, even some Islamic influences -- what came here with African men and women brought as slaves, what was extant in Native communities, what was brought over by European immigrant communities. It's a true melting pot of magic).
Not a bad book. Better than some for traditional charms. But not a place where I'd send a beginner. Worth reading and interesting at points. I gave it a three because I liked some of the traditional material presented, even if I felt it was watered down. I would definitely suggest reading the sources noted in the biblio at the very least.
November 15, 2021
This is a book "Traditonal Witchcraft" by which I mean Robert Cochrane's alternate Wicca/1734 since he hated Wicca so much but still had Doreen Valiente put her stamp on it. So its Wicca that 1) still believes in the burning times, believes confessions of the poor people tortured was really how witches practice, as well as using the Malleus Maleficarum as a source for how witches practiced. 3) claims to be ancient (it's not) 4) has decided the god is Satan, and the goddess is some ambiguous mother goddess. Oh an all gods and goddess are really just these two. The rest is Wicca with different names. It is well structured and has interesting activities for a someone new to this path. For a book described as the least bigoted of Cochrane's followers, I guess it's okay....but if you're looking to add Satan in to Wicca with less rules...um I guess go for it. Just be aware the tradition goes back to the 50's is heavily rooted in Wicca.
June 25, 2023
Read it and couldn’t tell you want Kelden’s version of Traditional Witchcraft actually is. Part of the book talks a lot about Wicca, and whatever he does is basically Wicca. I got this specifically because it was supposed to be a book that didn’t have Wiccan practices and it’s just a different flavor of the same thing. He also spends like half the book referencing other paths and religions and stories from inside those, which is why I have no idea what he actually believes or practices. The book is written like an essay. He states what he is going to say next and when things are going to be discussed and summarizes what he just said. It’s awful. It’s also very obviously written by a man. He talks like he knows so much and he uses so many words and says absolutely nothing. This isn’t educational. It’s a waste of paper and time.
February 27, 2021
Absolutely LOVED this book!
Like the author, I have felt for the past few years that I have reached a plateau in my craft and magickal workings. It was to the point where every book I read on the subject just kept on repeating the same information and were becoming redundant. "Where do I go from here?" "How do I reach the next level?" and "Have I hit the limit of my power as a witch?" were some of the questions I asked myself often. Then I happened upon this book...
I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful art on the cover, and was excited to learn about a path that I had never explored before. "What is Traditional Witchcraft?" I wondered.
From the very first pages this book had me enamored. The author knew exactly where I was because he had been there himself. As I continued reading I learned not only new concepts but that a lot of the fundamental rites that I perform in my craft are indeed parts of this new-to-me path as well. You know, those little quirky personal things that you think only you do? I was fascinated!
By the end of the book I was empowered and as giddy as a schoolgirl knowing that I had not reached the end and that there is so much more out there to learn. Most of all, I fell in love with this crooked path of Traditional Witchcraft. I feel that it called to me in a very personal way.
On top of that, the book is well written and edited. It has lots of wonderful information on the subject and is super easy to follow. Although I would like to mention that this book reads well to the more seasoned crowd than it may to a beginner. It doesn't go over a lot of the foundational workings of the craft but rather seems to pick up where most craft books leave off.
This is a wonderful book that I will recommend a great deal to others ❤️
Like the author, I have felt for the past few years that I have reached a plateau in my craft and magickal workings. It was to the point where every book I read on the subject just kept on repeating the same information and were becoming redundant. "Where do I go from here?" "How do I reach the next level?" and "Have I hit the limit of my power as a witch?" were some of the questions I asked myself often. Then I happened upon this book...
I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful art on the cover, and was excited to learn about a path that I had never explored before. "What is Traditional Witchcraft?" I wondered.
From the very first pages this book had me enamored. The author knew exactly where I was because he had been there himself. As I continued reading I learned not only new concepts but that a lot of the fundamental rites that I perform in my craft are indeed parts of this new-to-me path as well. You know, those little quirky personal things that you think only you do? I was fascinated!
By the end of the book I was empowered and as giddy as a schoolgirl knowing that I had not reached the end and that there is so much more out there to learn. Most of all, I fell in love with this crooked path of Traditional Witchcraft. I feel that it called to me in a very personal way.
On top of that, the book is well written and edited. It has lots of wonderful information on the subject and is super easy to follow. Although I would like to mention that this book reads well to the more seasoned crowd than it may to a beginner. It doesn't go over a lot of the foundational workings of the craft but rather seems to pick up where most craft books leave off.
This is a wonderful book that I will recommend a great deal to others ❤️
January 29, 2021
I'm going to keep this brief, as I myself was using this as an educational tool and therefore cannot comment on the entirety of this books accuracy. What I will say is that if you're looking to this book as a beginning step to break away from more mainstream and modern (and appropriative) practices, it is a good starting point. However, this is a book not about folk magic but the neo-pagan path of traditional witchcraft. It never says otherwise, but for anyone who may be looking for a path out of new age witchcraft, this isn't it. That all being said, there are some good tools. A lot of the thought practices and methods for devising your own practice were helpful and applicable generally. I also thought the methods the author provided for looking to folklore for practice and how to do that with folklore specific to your heritage and region was insightful.
My docked two stars weren't about it not being neo-pagan, as I said it never claimed to be otherwise, I rather just mentioned because I myself was unaware of the path and got in with false expectations and didn't want anyone else to feel the same. The two stars I docked were rather for the religious aspect that seemed unavoidable to the book. By the author's own mention, witchcraft can be secular. However, all the practices and provided hypothetical rituals did not really provide a route around that, with the deities of traditional witchcraft being emphasized for most rituals. Nothing wrong with that, I just felt that even as a beginners book it did a disservice to the secular witch despite this book being one that opens and accepts that path.
Overall, it's a good tool, enjoyable. I sort of feel bad for the three stars as I did find it useful, but that just feels like the level of resource it is. It's a good for exploring a new path of witchcraft, not for an introduction into witchcraft at all, and had some good resources and some less so. If you haven't done research of your own before this, please do after. There are definitely places where I was aided by my own knowledge and comfort level to cast some advice aside. It's one of the better resources out there but, as you learn as you keep researching, no one resource on witchcraft is all good. Be critical and keep reading.
My docked two stars weren't about it not being neo-pagan, as I said it never claimed to be otherwise, I rather just mentioned because I myself was unaware of the path and got in with false expectations and didn't want anyone else to feel the same. The two stars I docked were rather for the religious aspect that seemed unavoidable to the book. By the author's own mention, witchcraft can be secular. However, all the practices and provided hypothetical rituals did not really provide a route around that, with the deities of traditional witchcraft being emphasized for most rituals. Nothing wrong with that, I just felt that even as a beginners book it did a disservice to the secular witch despite this book being one that opens and accepts that path.
Overall, it's a good tool, enjoyable. I sort of feel bad for the three stars as I did find it useful, but that just feels like the level of resource it is. It's a good for exploring a new path of witchcraft, not for an introduction into witchcraft at all, and had some good resources and some less so. If you haven't done research of your own before this, please do after. There are definitely places where I was aided by my own knowledge and comfort level to cast some advice aside. It's one of the better resources out there but, as you learn as you keep researching, no one resource on witchcraft is all good. Be critical and keep reading.
May 16, 2025
The Traditional Witch’s Workbook
I wasn’t sure if I would’ve given this book 4.5 or all stars because it is an upgrade than to Blood and bones. Kelden brings a very more informative and interactive experience with this book going in depth historically and his own practice to help someone to gain insight with traditional witchcraft. He doesn’t alienate Wiccan from Traditional witchcraft but rather how the two can be learned from each side not denouncing the other, what I really like he put an exercise to encourage your critical thinking skills to come to your own conclusion on the matter, he gives a bit historical context on how Wicca became to be and how it was very influenced by traditional witchcraft. He also goes into baneful practices which the book isn’t centered on baneful practices but how to use it and though he explains different baneful techniques simply was nice and giving another exercise to help think about ethical practice whether you want to use baneful magic. This is what I most like about Kelden’s book he wants the reader to interact with the book with many exercises and prompts to really get into a mindset of “How does this knowledge makes me feel”, “what does baneful magic mean and should I use it?” Of course there is spell recipes but not all and plus some small folklore stories that is relevant to the subject. That’s why I give the headline to this book, imagine in class and their teaching you traditional witchcraft this is what I imagine the workbook that a teacher hands out and he even puts reflective questions at the end like homework, it reminds me in middle or elementary school at the end of a book in English class those questions that are supposed to read aloud in class for kids to reflect to help with critical thinking.
I wasn’t sure if I would’ve given this book 4.5 or all stars because it is an upgrade than to Blood and bones. Kelden brings a very more informative and interactive experience with this book going in depth historically and his own practice to help someone to gain insight with traditional witchcraft. He doesn’t alienate Wiccan from Traditional witchcraft but rather how the two can be learned from each side not denouncing the other, what I really like he put an exercise to encourage your critical thinking skills to come to your own conclusion on the matter, he gives a bit historical context on how Wicca became to be and how it was very influenced by traditional witchcraft. He also goes into baneful practices which the book isn’t centered on baneful practices but how to use it and though he explains different baneful techniques simply was nice and giving another exercise to help think about ethical practice whether you want to use baneful magic. This is what I most like about Kelden’s book he wants the reader to interact with the book with many exercises and prompts to really get into a mindset of “How does this knowledge makes me feel”, “what does baneful magic mean and should I use it?” Of course there is spell recipes but not all and plus some small folklore stories that is relevant to the subject. That’s why I give the headline to this book, imagine in class and their teaching you traditional witchcraft this is what I imagine the workbook that a teacher hands out and he even puts reflective questions at the end like homework, it reminds me in middle or elementary school at the end of a book in English class those questions that are supposed to read aloud in class for kids to reflect to help with critical thinking.
January 29, 2023
There’s so much wrong with this book and so little right. Good lord. Where to start. The title seems a good place. I found the it more than problematic. I don’t see how a narrow approach aimed at one culture that ignores several aspects of pagan culture and replaces them with a Christian devil can be called Traditional Witchcraft, but sure. Why not? Besides the title, I was fascinated by the information presented and other times I was frustrated by the lack of cultural representation. That’s not to say there’s not some nuggets here. I did enjoy some of this book for sure. I just felt like I was going on a roller coaster.
For instance, pp 108 where women were being accused of witchcraft. These women may have confessed because they were being tortured, like so many others of the time. There’s no context here, or in any other part of the book. I would also like to add that many times the accusers who saw things such as “women flying on broomsticks” were often suffering from ergot poisoning from wet rye. He makes no mention of these things yet claims to know so much about baneful plants. It makes you wonder how much research he actually did. If he did do the research, he left out the violent context of these horrific crimes against women and children over and over again. He just keeps glossing over it while claiming to make a Traditional historical context of British Witchcraft. That’s just bananas!!!
Pp76 when he talks about low magic and high magic and the roles that class played in the types of magic of the times. I felt like this was a perfect opportunity to talk about injustice and how those with money would never have to worry about the consequences of practicing magic whereas those without… it didn’t matter if you did or didn’t practice, you could be accused just for being poor or being a midwife.
Now that I have said all this negative stuff I want to focus on some of the stuff I did like. I had never heard of planetary squares and I found that section interesting. I’m definitely going to look more into it. I also found some of the content on familiars interesting and quite different from anything I had ever read before.
I wanted to give it one star but I have it two because he did do some good research. I just wish it was more well rounded. If you’re going to claim such a feat, you had better deliver, and unfortunately this book did far from the task.
For instance, pp 108 where women were being accused of witchcraft. These women may have confessed because they were being tortured, like so many others of the time. There’s no context here, or in any other part of the book. I would also like to add that many times the accusers who saw things such as “women flying on broomsticks” were often suffering from ergot poisoning from wet rye. He makes no mention of these things yet claims to know so much about baneful plants. It makes you wonder how much research he actually did. If he did do the research, he left out the violent context of these horrific crimes against women and children over and over again. He just keeps glossing over it while claiming to make a Traditional historical context of British Witchcraft. That’s just bananas!!!
Pp76 when he talks about low magic and high magic and the roles that class played in the types of magic of the times. I felt like this was a perfect opportunity to talk about injustice and how those with money would never have to worry about the consequences of practicing magic whereas those without… it didn’t matter if you did or didn’t practice, you could be accused just for being poor or being a midwife.
Now that I have said all this negative stuff I want to focus on some of the stuff I did like. I had never heard of planetary squares and I found that section interesting. I’m definitely going to look more into it. I also found some of the content on familiars interesting and quite different from anything I had ever read before.
I wanted to give it one star but I have it two because he did do some good research. I just wish it was more well rounded. If you’re going to claim such a feat, you had better deliver, and unfortunately this book did far from the task.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2020
An excellent, accessible, well organized, and well written introduction to Traditional Witchcraft. The exercises gradually progress the reader through making tools, preparing for ritual, and practising folkloric magic. They are also indexed separately, something I wish all books on magic and spirituality would do. (I always put mine at the end of a chapter so people can find them again, but having a separate contents page for them is excellent.)
The foreword by Gemma Gary, and the introduction by Kelden, stress the similarities between Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca rather than the differences. As a polytheist Wiccan with a strong interest in folklore and a land-based spirituality, I was grateful for this.
The section on the Devil in traditional witchcraft is excellent and explains that the Devil of folklore is not the same archetype as the Christian Satan.
This is a book written by someone who really knows what they are talking about and has clearly practised this path for a good amount of time. Top notch!
The section on engaging with the Otherworld was very good indeed. But the bit that I really loved was the section on connecting with the land — your local land wights, genii locorum, local wildlife, local geology, and so on. It echoes a lot of what I’ve been saying for years.
The foreword by Gemma Gary, and the introduction by Kelden, stress the similarities between Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca rather than the differences. As a polytheist Wiccan with a strong interest in folklore and a land-based spirituality, I was grateful for this.
The section on the Devil in traditional witchcraft is excellent and explains that the Devil of folklore is not the same archetype as the Christian Satan.
This is a book written by someone who really knows what they are talking about and has clearly practised this path for a good amount of time. Top notch!
The section on engaging with the Otherworld was very good indeed. But the bit that I really loved was the section on connecting with the land — your local land wights, genii locorum, local wildlife, local geology, and so on. It echoes a lot of what I’ve been saying for years.
July 29, 2022
having enough of an understanding of wicca to be able to untangle its influence from the valid points in this book is Essential for those from other paths looking to use/adapt for themselves--thus, not exactly a beginner book for someone who isn't wiccan. also, anything dealing with fae work is something that brings my guard up, so...take that whole section with caution, i guess.
while definitely wicca-inspired (father and mother, anyone?), this ended up being more useful than i expected after the intro and first chapter. specifically, i appreciated the section on bioregionalism, something i'm a Huge fan of, and some of the exercises are great--very readable and easy to follow. i'll definitely be trying out some of the specific exercises focused on developing a relationship with the local land and spirits
overall--good book with a great writing style, just needs some filtering in certain sections
while definitely wicca-inspired (father and mother, anyone?), this ended up being more useful than i expected after the intro and first chapter. specifically, i appreciated the section on bioregionalism, something i'm a Huge fan of, and some of the exercises are great--very readable and easy to follow. i'll definitely be trying out some of the specific exercises focused on developing a relationship with the local land and spirits
overall--good book with a great writing style, just needs some filtering in certain sections
July 6, 2022
I appreciate Kelden's intriguing yet non-pretentious writing style a lot, but I wasn't a huge fan of this book. While I think it serves as an excellent guide for a beginner witch, due to it approaching many topics related to magick in an easy-to-follow manner, as well as several journal exercises and prompts that can be thought-provoking yet allow for flexibility, the issue is that it tries to preach Traditional Witchcraft rather than just witchcraft in general. It is a bit biased at points due to that focus, with too much crossover into Wicca that may be confusing to some. There was too much emphasis on the label, which is not as important as the practice itself. Still, I do agree with a lot of what he says, and I appreciate his inclusivity of witches who do not incorporate deities in their path. But for the most part, he doesn't really say anything new in this book, though it provides a comprehensive summary.
June 7, 2023
After only hearing rave reviews, i had such high hopes. But unfortunately for me this was just another wiccan centric book that accumulated a bunch of past and present stories about witches to create an extremely specific and modern practice that the author has called 'Traditional Witchcraft'. cultral contexts and aknowledgement of syncretism was completely lost from any descriptions of practices - and instead reerences seemed cherry picked to back up the 'accuracy' of the authors UPG. It seemed to me as though 'Traditional witchcraft' is more of a guide as to how modern witches can use traditional IDEAS about witchcraft from around the world in their practice, with an extreme leading towards wicca (ideas of a witch mother and father, casting a circle etc) rather than being a comprehensive book on actual historical and traditional practices
January 17, 2022
Took a while to read through properly with being a busy mum but I loved this book.. probably one of my tops for traditional witchcraft practices.
The step by step he takes you through stages of traditional and spirituality lore and practices really clearly. This book doesn’t feel wordy or heavy to understand and is clear in it’s knowledge it’s passing down to the reader. Your on a journey of knowledge and respect for witchcraft practices.
The step by step he takes you through stages of traditional and spirituality lore and practices really clearly. This book doesn’t feel wordy or heavy to understand and is clear in it’s knowledge it’s passing down to the reader. Your on a journey of knowledge and respect for witchcraft practices.
March 9, 2020
This is one of the best books I have read on the subject. It was truly informative and interesting. Also I appreciated that it was not at all dry and boring, but very readable and accessible. Kudos to the author! I will keep an eye out to see if he writes anything more.
September 6, 2025
This was the first witchcraft book that I thought was gonna provide some guidance outside of Wicca and nooooope. The first half of the book seemed good! Encompassing information that might be useful for a begginer! It does have interesting information, if you can get over the repetitive usage of sentence structure and words, and his general abuse of circumlocution.
And then I kept reading and learning outside of this book and I realized ohhhh the author is still heavily influenced by his Wicca roots. You don’t need to hate on Wicca or deny the impact on modern craft but witch father? witch mother? aka “female and male deities” that the author claims oh you don’t need to follow but let me include needing to thank them after the every spell and reason behind everything following the latter half of the book. Also claiming you don’t need to worship deities at the beginning but including it in practically every aspect also in the latter half of the book.
And trying to use the “confessions” of mostly female victims that were forced to do such confessions about being “witches”, ughh. As I understood it, he tried to make a point to say that although those confessions and experiences were probably false, they still shaped the public connotation of what is a witch and that that inherently influenced our own perspective and meaning behind being a witch.
I would’ve understood if he made it clear that these were called witches went through horrific and unjustified horror and the purpose was to explain associations and why they are part of the collective unconscious. But that was not clear enough, and using their suffering without a regard of the torture they went to form a type of direct “origin” for the “traditional craft” yikes, screams Wicca all over again. A white man, no wonder, trying to pick and choose from things he either doesn’t fully grasp or cares to empathize with, twisting it to fit a narrow narrative without regarding the history and importance behind it and the people who suffered to forge this path, ironically enough.
And then I kept reading and learning outside of this book and I realized ohhhh the author is still heavily influenced by his Wicca roots. You don’t need to hate on Wicca or deny the impact on modern craft but witch father? witch mother? aka “female and male deities” that the author claims oh you don’t need to follow but let me include needing to thank them after the every spell and reason behind everything following the latter half of the book. Also claiming you don’t need to worship deities at the beginning but including it in practically every aspect also in the latter half of the book.
And trying to use the “confessions” of mostly female victims that were forced to do such confessions about being “witches”, ughh. As I understood it, he tried to make a point to say that although those confessions and experiences were probably false, they still shaped the public connotation of what is a witch and that that inherently influenced our own perspective and meaning behind being a witch.
I would’ve understood if he made it clear that these were called witches went through horrific and unjustified horror and the purpose was to explain associations and why they are part of the collective unconscious. But that was not clear enough, and using their suffering without a regard of the torture they went to form a type of direct “origin” for the “traditional craft” yikes, screams Wicca all over again. A white man, no wonder, trying to pick and choose from things he either doesn’t fully grasp or cares to empathize with, twisting it to fit a narrow narrative without regarding the history and importance behind it and the people who suffered to forge this path, ironically enough.
February 20, 2024
It's an intro which means it's good for beginners but it is very basic, so not for those who have been exposed to Traditional Witchcraft before. The writing style is accessible and easy to get through. There are some useful exercises to get you practicing in simple and easy ways. Also a good few journal prompts to help you digest the info and does actually help with thinking about what you would like your practice to look like.
In terms of topic... I'm sorry but is this really what Traditional Witchcraft is because if so, despite the author trying quite hard to distinguish it from Wicca, let's be real - they're the same except the founders had a falling out and decided to call the tools and rituals etc by different names.
If, like me, you're hoping for something less Wicca-esque, this one might not be for you. I'll be selling on.
In terms of topic... I'm sorry but is this really what Traditional Witchcraft is because if so, despite the author trying quite hard to distinguish it from Wicca, let's be real - they're the same except the founders had a falling out and decided to call the tools and rituals etc by different names.
If, like me, you're hoping for something less Wicca-esque, this one might not be for you. I'll be selling on.
July 7, 2021
There are parts of this book that I really enjoyed. The introduction and focus on folk magic was really interesting and resonated with me. There was parts that I thought was a little problematic, the author seems to be of a Christian band of witchcraft where witch trials and rituals confessed in those trials are taken as the foundation for practices and spells. I myself could name older figures to fill in the role of the witch father since they've been associated with witchcraft and sorcery further back in history than the christian devil. But over all I walked away from this book liking a lot of the ideas that it brought. especially that of finding magic locally was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2022
Not for me. Nor was what I was thinking of regarding Traditional Witchcraft. “The crooked path”, to me, it seems, to be just one idea and school of witchcraft. (Though the author mostly expressed that the path is split in two, and is only Traditional Witchcraft as he has described it or Wicca. But there are MANY paths of witchcraft.)
Witch Father/Mother stuff and bringing in the Christian devil? Nah. Again, not for me.
The history was interesting, and I appreciated the citations throughout the book, as it’s truly nice to see the sources people work with. But this will likely be sent on to someone else who has better use for it.
Witch Father/Mother stuff and bringing in the Christian devil? Nah. Again, not for me.
The history was interesting, and I appreciated the citations throughout the book, as it’s truly nice to see the sources people work with. But this will likely be sent on to someone else who has better use for it.
October 2, 2025
Kelden positions The Crooked Path as a primer on Traditional Witchcraft, which he defines as non-Wiccan practice rooted in folklore. The book is well-organised, with exercises and journaling prompts, and the tone is gentle and encouraging.
My main issue is how Kelden frames the differences between Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca. He never clarifies whether he's comparing to initiatory Wiccan traditions with their formal three-degree systems, coven structures, and oathbound lineages, or to eclectic and solitary Wicca. This matters because there are potentially meaningful distinctions—in ritual approach (ecstatic and unscripted vs. structured and ceremonial), aesthetic emphasis (liminality and transgression vs. balance), and community structure (solitary or loose networks vs. formal covens). But Kelden obscures these by focusing on dubious historical claims and semantic distinctions. He argues that Traditional Witchcraft evolved from folklore, cunning craft, and secret lodges, but so did Wicca. Kelden provides minimal actual folklore content, and the rituals he describes trace to Robert Cochrane in the 1960s, contemporary with Wicca. The terminological differences—"laying a compass" vs. casting a circle, "Witch Father and Mother" vs. God and Goddess—are superficial; Kelden himself admits they resemble their Wiccan counterparts, but insists the differences must be experienced—a convenient rhetorical dodge for failing to articulate them. He emphasises operative magic as if Wicca lacks spellwork, spirit work, and divination, which is false.
The practical sections are clear and useful. As an introduction to one strand of modern witchcraft, the book succeeds. But it misses the opportunity to articulate what genuinely distinguishes Traditional Witchcraft beyond rebranding and aesthetic preference.
My main issue is how Kelden frames the differences between Traditional Witchcraft and Wicca. He never clarifies whether he's comparing to initiatory Wiccan traditions with their formal three-degree systems, coven structures, and oathbound lineages, or to eclectic and solitary Wicca. This matters because there are potentially meaningful distinctions—in ritual approach (ecstatic and unscripted vs. structured and ceremonial), aesthetic emphasis (liminality and transgression vs. balance), and community structure (solitary or loose networks vs. formal covens). But Kelden obscures these by focusing on dubious historical claims and semantic distinctions. He argues that Traditional Witchcraft evolved from folklore, cunning craft, and secret lodges, but so did Wicca. Kelden provides minimal actual folklore content, and the rituals he describes trace to Robert Cochrane in the 1960s, contemporary with Wicca. The terminological differences—"laying a compass" vs. casting a circle, "Witch Father and Mother" vs. God and Goddess—are superficial; Kelden himself admits they resemble their Wiccan counterparts, but insists the differences must be experienced—a convenient rhetorical dodge for failing to articulate them. He emphasises operative magic as if Wicca lacks spellwork, spirit work, and divination, which is false.
The practical sections are clear and useful. As an introduction to one strand of modern witchcraft, the book succeeds. But it misses the opportunity to articulate what genuinely distinguishes Traditional Witchcraft beyond rebranding and aesthetic preference.
July 24, 2023
I was expecting more, maybe too much from this book. I was excited to learn more about traditional witchcraft. I liked the author's initial discussion of the difference between Wicca and traditional witchcraft, but ultimately much of the scaffolding for the path he discusses feels like re-skinned Wicca. At first he notes that deities aren't necessary and witches can work in whatever tradition they want, but almost every exercise provided relies on a Witch Father and Witch Mother, which are almost exactly the same as the God and Goddess of Wicca. I don't mind eclecticism in practice, but it felt really jumbled in here and honestly not necessary. If you want to do the archetypal male/female split that's fine, there's no need to justify it by pulling in a bunch of folklore from various traditions and flattening them to make it look like deeper truth. The exercises still provide some good practice and information and for beginners there is good stuff here, I just don't think it's accurate to say Traditional Witchcraft is not the same as Wicca and then build the practice off of Cochrane, Gardner, and Valiente's stuff. It's maybe less ceremonial and infuses a bit more of the witchcraft trial documentation, but it doesn't seem like the author really left the Wiccan core behind; it's more like a change in aethestics and ceremonial types, but the core beliefs still seem fairly consistent.
February 1, 2020
I should begin by saying, I'm not a witch and I have no intention on becoming a witch. Rather, I have a friend who's a witch, and I was curious to discover more about his spirituality and practices. For that purpose, much of this book helped me - someone who knows nothing about the craft - come to understand its fundamentals. I had no problems understanding the vocabulary or visualizing the rituals. It was well written and well described. That being said, while not closely related to the practice of witchcraft, I would have loved to learn more about the history of how Witchcraft transformed to its modern day form (the book does delve into some topics regarding this, but further detail would have been awesome).
March 13, 2022
A decent beginner book. Can't say anything really bad about it, it is a form of trad craft largely based on Cochranes ideas, so if you are looking for something different, this book might not be up your alley. As an introductory book I think it tackles the basics well enough, but beyond that Kelden does list a good amount of resources to look through as a jumping off point.
January 26, 2023
For a book that sets out to distinguish Traditional Witchcraft from Wicca, the way modern Traditional Witchcraft is described is still very Wicca-esque. I get that this is an introduction, but a lot of the concepts brought up felt rushed and oversimplified. Still an interesting read in terms of folklore and the basics of certain practices.
January 11, 2020
Wonderful book.
Really enjoyed.
I recommend...
Really enjoyed.
I recommend...
April 6, 2020
Beautiful read
Absolutely amazing book full of so much useful information, I loveee traditional witchcraft and the author has framed it so well in this book!
Absolutely amazing book full of so much useful information, I loveee traditional witchcraft and the author has framed it so well in this book!
October 25, 2020
Too crooked for me.
November 10, 2025
Accessible language - mijn bijbel op het begin van het pad dus inhoudelijk erg vertrouwd. Brouwen, vliegen en toveren.
April 11, 2025
I will start off by saying that I am a very urban person, so I didn't buy this book expecting it to be "my" path in witchcraft. I did, however, expect it to be based in folk tradition and contain elements that I could incorporate into my own practice. The actual nature of the path described here disappointed me, but I'll explain why and how at the end of the review. However, I have to say that I did find about 35% of this book useful to me, so it wasn't a complete dud - and it absolutely fulfilled its purpose of informing me on what a "Traditional" witch does.
The author clearly loves his craft and he talks about it in a language that is easy to understand and sympathize with. In fact, the introductory parts where he speaks about his discovery and love of Traditional Witchcraft are the best part of the book. "The Crooked Path" goes through a lot of things that one must know and have in order to practice Traditional Witchcraft. Which, for a relatively small book (standing at about 200 pages or so), means that it's enough to inform a casual reader like myself about the "gist" of Traditional Witchcraft; but won't be enough for a new practitioner to start doing things on the spot. Further reading and even face-to-face lessons with a long-time practitioner will be needed if you've read this book and decided that Traditional Witchcraft is right for you.
I didn't give this book 3 stars because the branch of practice was not for me; nor because it quickly goes through the motions and leaves a potential practitioner needing more. The first point has nothing to do with the author or his book - it's just a lack of compatibility between myself and the material. And the second point is something you would expect if an entire branch of spirituality and craft needed to be condensed into 200 pages - which is what it often feels like with "The Crooked Path".
The first reason I gave it 3 stars is that Kelden seems to base a lot of his explanations about the practices and beliefs of Traditional Witchcraft on the testimonies and confessions of people tried and executed for witchcraft in the 1200s-1600s. His entire section on "familiars" reads like a list of what the victims of random witch trials had to say on the topic - but more examples are strewn about the entire book. While I understand the appeal and I guess that you can look at these confessions like they're a collection of folk beliefs of their time; still that doesn't change the fact that the witch trials of both Europe and America were a result of religious paranoia, mass hysteria, and a few political and religious players getting rid of their potential rivals and naysayers, as well as finding defeatable scapegoats for any and all problems present in their communities. It is a well-known fact that witchcraft confessions were given under conditions of duress: torture, threats, manipulation, gaslighting. As such, the "witches" were never witches to begin with, and most of these people executed for "witchcraft" had likely never cast a spell in their life - outside of praying to the Christian god, of course, and eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ, all of which are just a form of mass-accepted witchcraft (but I digress). And even if you ignore these confessions and stories being told under such conditions, you still have the issue of mental health and reliability to take into account. Nothing is known about the people sharing these tales. Not their day-to-day life, not their worldviews, not their actual practice (if there ever was one!), and not their mental acuity at the time of telling these stories. Basing your tradition and practice on stories that 13th century people told under torture might not be the most convincing thing. Or the most moral thing.
A second star was chipped off of this book's rating because I felt that the author was holding back and being intentionally vague when talking about certain practices and beliefs. By this I mean the whole "going into the Otherworld", "hedge crossing" thing. The rest of the book is written like a manual for the complete beginner - it details what a cauldron is, for example. But when it comes to notions that a complete beginner would find a lot more outlandish and unbelievable than, say, pricking your finger with a knife or having a God and a Goddes --- eeerrm, I mean Witch Father and Witch Mother; he says things like "the Otherworld can look completely different on different days and to different people" and "the Underworld is accessed by climbing down stairs". Neither of these are 100% direct quotes, as I don't have the book on hand while writing this review, but suffice it to say that Kelden makes some "absolute" claims of spiritual practices and experiences but he fails to instruct the "student" on what expectations he needs to bring to the table concerning these practices and experiences. What does any of this refer to? Should the beginner assume that you literally step into a physical place? Should they assume that this is a meditation exercise? An astral travel sort of thing? Lucid dreaming? I understand that trying to keep within your own specific branch means that you don't want to use certain vocabularies that maybe have not been accepted within your specific dogma; but if you're addressing the complete beginner who needs to be told about what a cauldron is and how it is used, you bet your bum that you'll need to tell that beginner what sensations he needs to expect and how these experiences actually manifest. And yes, using vocabulary from outside of your practice may come in handy at least as a first explanation - but you need to get over some double-think to do that. In fact, every time Kelden seems to mention a physical manifestation of his magick, his vocabulary switches to vagueness and this sense that maybe he's ashamed or scared to admit to a general public that he claims his practice to veer into the Hollywoodian. I lost my patience and got annoyed while reading these parts of the book, because the author seemed to be talking in a very matter-of-fact way about things that were, in fact, very not-matter-of-fact.
And now I have a very personal note about the entire practice, as far as I've learned about it from this book and what little else I've read in other pieces of literature on the topic. Again, this has not been taken into account when giving the book a rating because my personal feelings about the branch of witchcraft shouldn't affect the author or the book for those who ARE compatible with the philosophy and lifestyle. If this tradition seems to be for you, then "The Crooked Path" is definitely a very good starting point and none of the following really concerns you.
But going into a learning experience about "Traditional Witchcraft", I really did expect a more folk-based practice - in the real sense of the word. Instead, what I found was the personal dogma of yet another narcissistic "Gardnerian" character - Robert Cochrane. Kelden himself admits that a lot of the practices of this branch are just inventions of Cochrane's, loosely based on impressions of things that people might have done at some point - but not necessarily. Some things just obviously mirror Wicca, but they're not Wicca because they're "different" to Wicca. Purposely so. Sometimes it feels like Wiccan vocabulary was just changed so as to make Cochrane's branch "not Wicca". You occassionaly get the impression that Kelden is not able to express what he's trying to say because there is no Cochrane-approved word for it and he doesn't want to use the Wiccan or "Mainstream Witchcraft" word for it. A very good example for this is his inability or unwillingness to be more exact about the rituals/practices mentioned earlier. I'm sorry to say but there is a pettiness and a fake-ness to the whole branch that really irks me. Cochrane himself started his "spiritual movement" by claiming to come from an old 17th century family of witches, and that claim later turned out to be a lie. Make of that what you will.
While I am aware that it's impossible to find and practice a 100% correct and accurate form of folk witchcraft given the bloody history of the craft under the violent eyes of Christianity (and also given the regional and familial differences in practice!)... And while I accept that your own intuition and energetic processes are the main ingredients in the craft, generally speaking - and not some chosen "dogma" or another... I can't help but look at all of these 20th century attempts at "religionizing" witchcraft as yet another instance where power-hungry men with narcisisstic tendencies try to gather people around them and tell them what to do, what to believe in, and how to live their lives and practice their spirituality. I don't come from religious trauma but I do live in a very religious, Orthodox Christian country - and I can tell you that my reasons for seeking out witchcraft are partially based on my search for a personal relationship with the world (both physical and spiritual), OUTSIDE of imposed rules, dogma - and especially outside of a patriarchal control over other people. In short, I am disappointed that "Traditional Witchcraft" has turned out to be less about the old lady placing basil under her granddaughter's pillow so that she may dream of her future lover - and more about yet another male stroking his ego by making stuff up and seeing other people do the stuff according to him. It's as if these individuals cannot function if they are not a part of an organized community, with imposed (albeit random) rules, and a specific approved vocabulary. Unless you're doing Ceremonial Magick, witchcraft is not that. And I hate it when I see so many attempts at turning it into yet another one of "those" systems.
Needless to say, this branch of Witchcraft is not for me.
That being said, I am still glad to have read Kelden's book. If nothing else, it summarized the tradition for me and made me better understand what I vibe or don't vibe with, and why. I do recommend it for anyone curious about Traditional Witchcraft. It will tell you what you need to know so that you may continue your pursuit further or look into something else, depending on how well suited this branch of witchcraft is for you.
The author clearly loves his craft and he talks about it in a language that is easy to understand and sympathize with. In fact, the introductory parts where he speaks about his discovery and love of Traditional Witchcraft are the best part of the book. "The Crooked Path" goes through a lot of things that one must know and have in order to practice Traditional Witchcraft. Which, for a relatively small book (standing at about 200 pages or so), means that it's enough to inform a casual reader like myself about the "gist" of Traditional Witchcraft; but won't be enough for a new practitioner to start doing things on the spot. Further reading and even face-to-face lessons with a long-time practitioner will be needed if you've read this book and decided that Traditional Witchcraft is right for you.
I didn't give this book 3 stars because the branch of practice was not for me; nor because it quickly goes through the motions and leaves a potential practitioner needing more. The first point has nothing to do with the author or his book - it's just a lack of compatibility between myself and the material. And the second point is something you would expect if an entire branch of spirituality and craft needed to be condensed into 200 pages - which is what it often feels like with "The Crooked Path".
The first reason I gave it 3 stars is that Kelden seems to base a lot of his explanations about the practices and beliefs of Traditional Witchcraft on the testimonies and confessions of people tried and executed for witchcraft in the 1200s-1600s. His entire section on "familiars" reads like a list of what the victims of random witch trials had to say on the topic - but more examples are strewn about the entire book. While I understand the appeal and I guess that you can look at these confessions like they're a collection of folk beliefs of their time; still that doesn't change the fact that the witch trials of both Europe and America were a result of religious paranoia, mass hysteria, and a few political and religious players getting rid of their potential rivals and naysayers, as well as finding defeatable scapegoats for any and all problems present in their communities. It is a well-known fact that witchcraft confessions were given under conditions of duress: torture, threats, manipulation, gaslighting. As such, the "witches" were never witches to begin with, and most of these people executed for "witchcraft" had likely never cast a spell in their life - outside of praying to the Christian god, of course, and eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Christ, all of which are just a form of mass-accepted witchcraft (but I digress). And even if you ignore these confessions and stories being told under such conditions, you still have the issue of mental health and reliability to take into account. Nothing is known about the people sharing these tales. Not their day-to-day life, not their worldviews, not their actual practice (if there ever was one!), and not their mental acuity at the time of telling these stories. Basing your tradition and practice on stories that 13th century people told under torture might not be the most convincing thing. Or the most moral thing.
A second star was chipped off of this book's rating because I felt that the author was holding back and being intentionally vague when talking about certain practices and beliefs. By this I mean the whole "going into the Otherworld", "hedge crossing" thing. The rest of the book is written like a manual for the complete beginner - it details what a cauldron is, for example. But when it comes to notions that a complete beginner would find a lot more outlandish and unbelievable than, say, pricking your finger with a knife or having a God and a Goddes --- eeerrm, I mean Witch Father and Witch Mother; he says things like "the Otherworld can look completely different on different days and to different people" and "the Underworld is accessed by climbing down stairs". Neither of these are 100% direct quotes, as I don't have the book on hand while writing this review, but suffice it to say that Kelden makes some "absolute" claims of spiritual practices and experiences but he fails to instruct the "student" on what expectations he needs to bring to the table concerning these practices and experiences. What does any of this refer to? Should the beginner assume that you literally step into a physical place? Should they assume that this is a meditation exercise? An astral travel sort of thing? Lucid dreaming? I understand that trying to keep within your own specific branch means that you don't want to use certain vocabularies that maybe have not been accepted within your specific dogma; but if you're addressing the complete beginner who needs to be told about what a cauldron is and how it is used, you bet your bum that you'll need to tell that beginner what sensations he needs to expect and how these experiences actually manifest. And yes, using vocabulary from outside of your practice may come in handy at least as a first explanation - but you need to get over some double-think to do that. In fact, every time Kelden seems to mention a physical manifestation of his magick, his vocabulary switches to vagueness and this sense that maybe he's ashamed or scared to admit to a general public that he claims his practice to veer into the Hollywoodian. I lost my patience and got annoyed while reading these parts of the book, because the author seemed to be talking in a very matter-of-fact way about things that were, in fact, very not-matter-of-fact.
And now I have a very personal note about the entire practice, as far as I've learned about it from this book and what little else I've read in other pieces of literature on the topic. Again, this has not been taken into account when giving the book a rating because my personal feelings about the branch of witchcraft shouldn't affect the author or the book for those who ARE compatible with the philosophy and lifestyle. If this tradition seems to be for you, then "The Crooked Path" is definitely a very good starting point and none of the following really concerns you.
But going into a learning experience about "Traditional Witchcraft", I really did expect a more folk-based practice - in the real sense of the word. Instead, what I found was the personal dogma of yet another narcissistic "Gardnerian" character - Robert Cochrane. Kelden himself admits that a lot of the practices of this branch are just inventions of Cochrane's, loosely based on impressions of things that people might have done at some point - but not necessarily. Some things just obviously mirror Wicca, but they're not Wicca because they're "different" to Wicca. Purposely so. Sometimes it feels like Wiccan vocabulary was just changed so as to make Cochrane's branch "not Wicca". You occassionaly get the impression that Kelden is not able to express what he's trying to say because there is no Cochrane-approved word for it and he doesn't want to use the Wiccan or "Mainstream Witchcraft" word for it. A very good example for this is his inability or unwillingness to be more exact about the rituals/practices mentioned earlier. I'm sorry to say but there is a pettiness and a fake-ness to the whole branch that really irks me. Cochrane himself started his "spiritual movement" by claiming to come from an old 17th century family of witches, and that claim later turned out to be a lie. Make of that what you will.
While I am aware that it's impossible to find and practice a 100% correct and accurate form of folk witchcraft given the bloody history of the craft under the violent eyes of Christianity (and also given the regional and familial differences in practice!)... And while I accept that your own intuition and energetic processes are the main ingredients in the craft, generally speaking - and not some chosen "dogma" or another... I can't help but look at all of these 20th century attempts at "religionizing" witchcraft as yet another instance where power-hungry men with narcisisstic tendencies try to gather people around them and tell them what to do, what to believe in, and how to live their lives and practice their spirituality. I don't come from religious trauma but I do live in a very religious, Orthodox Christian country - and I can tell you that my reasons for seeking out witchcraft are partially based on my search for a personal relationship with the world (both physical and spiritual), OUTSIDE of imposed rules, dogma - and especially outside of a patriarchal control over other people. In short, I am disappointed that "Traditional Witchcraft" has turned out to be less about the old lady placing basil under her granddaughter's pillow so that she may dream of her future lover - and more about yet another male stroking his ego by making stuff up and seeing other people do the stuff according to him. It's as if these individuals cannot function if they are not a part of an organized community, with imposed (albeit random) rules, and a specific approved vocabulary. Unless you're doing Ceremonial Magick, witchcraft is not that. And I hate it when I see so many attempts at turning it into yet another one of "those" systems.
Needless to say, this branch of Witchcraft is not for me.
That being said, I am still glad to have read Kelden's book. If nothing else, it summarized the tradition for me and made me better understand what I vibe or don't vibe with, and why. I do recommend it for anyone curious about Traditional Witchcraft. It will tell you what you need to know so that you may continue your pursuit further or look into something else, depending on how well suited this branch of witchcraft is for you.
June 21, 2022
Gostei do livro e da maneira como está escrito. Adorei conhecer a história e as diferenças entre Wicca e Traditional Witchcraft.
Não realizei os exercícios todos, mas achei interessante a forma como o livro está construído.
Não tenho muita experiência mas achei que era interessante para quem está a iniciar.Gostei do livro e da maneira como está escrito. Gostei de conhecer a história e as diferenças entre Wicca e Traditional Witchcraft.
Não realizei os exercícios todos, mas achei interessante a forma como o livro está construído.
Não realizei os exercícios todos, mas achei interessante a forma como o livro está construído.
Não tenho muita experiência mas achei que era interessante para quem está a iniciar.Gostei do livro e da maneira como está escrito. Gostei de conhecer a história e as diferenças entre Wicca e Traditional Witchcraft.
Não realizei os exercícios todos, mas achei interessante a forma como o livro está construído.
September 28, 2025
I have mixed feelings on this book. I really dislike the term “Traditional Witchcraft”. Whatever you think it is, this book is probably not that. This is clearly a blend of Wicca & ceremonial magic. With selected folklore that this author likes. I feel it should be called “Kelden Witchcraft” or something the author would anted to call this type of practice. It’s invented and heavily influenced from Wicca and ceremonial paths.
That being said, I did get a lot out of the book. It opened my eyes to new things and made me think a lot. Lots about what I didn’t like, but also lots about what I did. I really like concepts of connecting to the land you live on with native plants, animals, stones, and weather/seasonal patterns. There’s some concepts in here that will definitely change how I do magic.
My book from Amazon as only 214 pages, and I wonder if I’m missing something? Are there different versions?
That being said, I did get a lot out of the book. It opened my eyes to new things and made me think a lot. Lots about what I didn’t like, but also lots about what I did. I really like concepts of connecting to the land you live on with native plants, animals, stones, and weather/seasonal patterns. There’s some concepts in here that will definitely change how I do magic.
My book from Amazon as only 214 pages, and I wonder if I’m missing something? Are there different versions?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews