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Lavender Witchcraft
Combining thorough research, hands-on practical exercises, and thought-provoking discussions to help queer witches and allies build a magical practice that is authentic to them.
Step into the magic of your own identity and embark on an affirming spiritual practice.
For thousands of years, various cultures around the world have drawn connections between magic, spiritual power, and LGBTQ+ identity. This guidebook retraces these ancient connections and weaves them into a secular witchcraft practice deeply rooted in modern queer history and culture. Hands-on practical exercises and thought-provoking discussions serve as guideposts to help queer witches and allies create a spiritual path that is authentic to them, no matter how they identify. Topics covered include elemental magic beyond binary gender, queer planetary magic, spiritual allies for all identities, sample holiday rituals, and more. Through this work, we cast a magic circle inclusive of all bodies and identities.
Step into the magic of your own identity and embark on an affirming spiritual practice.
For thousands of years, various cultures around the world have drawn connections between magic, spiritual power, and LGBTQ+ identity. This guidebook retraces these ancient connections and weaves them into a secular witchcraft practice deeply rooted in modern queer history and culture. Hands-on practical exercises and thought-provoking discussions serve as guideposts to help queer witches and allies create a spiritual path that is authentic to them, no matter how they identify. Topics covered include elemental magic beyond binary gender, queer planetary magic, spiritual allies for all identities, sample holiday rituals, and more. Through this work, we cast a magic circle inclusive of all bodies and identities.
- GenresNonfiction
200 pages, Paperback
Published August 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you netgally for this book!! unfortunately I had to DNF it after 3 chapters as I was getting too irritable to continue with it. Each chapter was rife with misinformation starting from the very beginning with how the author approaches the term "witch". The history provided by the author is ahistorical
The author asserts there is no right or wrong way to be a witch and while i agree there's many ways to be a witch there ARE wrong ways to be a witch- especially through taking from practices that do not belong to you. closed practices are closed for a reason
The author then asserts themselves as an authority able to attach modern concepts of gender or sexuality to ancient deities- including dieites from *closed practice*. Modern concepts of gender and sexuality do not apply to ancient deities and ancient cultures and we have no right to define any ancient person's sexuality or gender presentation
This author says that Artemis is "associated with Lesbian love" no. she is not. For one, this is applying a modern sexuality to an ancient goddess. For two, her hunters contained more than just women. For three, what about ORION. for four, the concept of sexuality in ancient greece is so vastly different to modern day sexuality we just cant ethically retroactively attach her to a modern sexuality as we see it today
The author then goes on to say that seiðr was considered a "deviant" practice and historically we know incredibly little about the practice of seiðr besides that it was traditionally a feminine practice and that there were multiple forms of practice in the ancient Norse religion. The authors source for their information: another witch- and not academic or primary sources. The only time we see seiðr be viewed as any kind of negative is during the Lokesenna, which is an ancient Roast where Loki is mocking everyone. It was just viewed as "unmanly" in the Lokesenna where Loki mocks Odin for practicing it and calls him "ergi"
This author then asserts there is no religion attached to the planets and im sorry but Hellenistic astrology is in fact tied to religion. you can absolutely work with the planets without being a part of the religion but what we know as Hellenistic astrology or Western astrology derives from ancient religions- not to mention many different astrologies around the world are also rooted in religious practices
Where I gave up is when the author tried queer-ify the elements. Like.... no elements do not have to have a gender. The elements are either passive or active or whatever, but the author then tries to take gender and shove it into the elemebts of fire representing the masculine and the father, earth as feminine and the mother, air as nonbinary and intellectual?? and water as.... gender fluid. And... thats where I am taking my cue to leave. This feels like it is trying to shove binary labels onto elements, INCLUDING! nonbinary and gender fluid. And thats where they completely lost me
Im sorry. The lack of research and citations and misinformation paired with everything else had me stressing too much reading this. I cannot recommend this
The author asserts there is no right or wrong way to be a witch and while i agree there's many ways to be a witch there ARE wrong ways to be a witch- especially through taking from practices that do not belong to you. closed practices are closed for a reason
The author then asserts themselves as an authority able to attach modern concepts of gender or sexuality to ancient deities- including dieites from *closed practice*. Modern concepts of gender and sexuality do not apply to ancient deities and ancient cultures and we have no right to define any ancient person's sexuality or gender presentation
This author says that Artemis is "associated with Lesbian love" no. she is not. For one, this is applying a modern sexuality to an ancient goddess. For two, her hunters contained more than just women. For three, what about ORION. for four, the concept of sexuality in ancient greece is so vastly different to modern day sexuality we just cant ethically retroactively attach her to a modern sexuality as we see it today
The author then goes on to say that seiðr was considered a "deviant" practice and historically we know incredibly little about the practice of seiðr besides that it was traditionally a feminine practice and that there were multiple forms of practice in the ancient Norse religion. The authors source for their information: another witch- and not academic or primary sources. The only time we see seiðr be viewed as any kind of negative is during the Lokesenna, which is an ancient Roast where Loki is mocking everyone. It was just viewed as "unmanly" in the Lokesenna where Loki mocks Odin for practicing it and calls him "ergi"
This author then asserts there is no religion attached to the planets and im sorry but Hellenistic astrology is in fact tied to religion. you can absolutely work with the planets without being a part of the religion but what we know as Hellenistic astrology or Western astrology derives from ancient religions- not to mention many different astrologies around the world are also rooted in religious practices
Where I gave up is when the author tried queer-ify the elements. Like.... no elements do not have to have a gender. The elements are either passive or active or whatever, but the author then tries to take gender and shove it into the elemebts of fire representing the masculine and the father, earth as feminine and the mother, air as nonbinary and intellectual?? and water as.... gender fluid. And... thats where I am taking my cue to leave. This feels like it is trying to shove binary labels onto elements, INCLUDING! nonbinary and gender fluid. And thats where they completely lost me
Im sorry. The lack of research and citations and misinformation paired with everything else had me stressing too much reading this. I cannot recommend this
October 25, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Moon Books for a ARC of this book in exchange for review.
Lavender Witchcraft is a resource book for queer witches learning how to incorporate queer affirming practices into the craft. I feel this book would be best suited to younger witches who are perhaps approaching witchcraft for the first time, particularly if they have already become knowledgeable on the basics such as the sabbats, creating an altar, the Wheel of the Year, and casting a circle, as this book does not go into particular detail on those topics and assumes that witches are already aware of them. It focuses instead on creating queer-friendly practice into already existing traditions such as Wicca and Norse polytheism.
I did enjoy the history aspect of this book; it was interesting to read legends I was already familiar with through a queer lens, though I found the lack of in-text citations an issue (which is purely a me thing; this is not a history book, it does not particularly need them, I just prefer them when reading about history.) What I did not enjoy was the US-centric approach to history. Although there was mention of the Southern Hemisphere and that witchcraft is practiced differently down here, when referring to queer history, the examples were always American in nature, and when using examples from myth, they were largely only Norse or Egyptian. I think references or mentions to queer history that were not just solely those three already heavily documented histories would have made for a more rounded reading experience, and been more informative.
I did find some suggestions from this book worth incorporating into my practice, but as I have been Wiccan for many years and am already pretty well established in how I treat the intersection of gender, sexuality, and magic, this wasn't the most useful book for me - but as I said, I think it could greatly benefit young queer witches establishing their own traditions for the first time. The author writes with a conversational, approachable tone, making the text easy to digest - it feels more like a chat with a friend than a dense historical publication.
This wasn't the book for me, but I think its audience is out there.
Lavender Witchcraft is a resource book for queer witches learning how to incorporate queer affirming practices into the craft. I feel this book would be best suited to younger witches who are perhaps approaching witchcraft for the first time, particularly if they have already become knowledgeable on the basics such as the sabbats, creating an altar, the Wheel of the Year, and casting a circle, as this book does not go into particular detail on those topics and assumes that witches are already aware of them. It focuses instead on creating queer-friendly practice into already existing traditions such as Wicca and Norse polytheism.
I did enjoy the history aspect of this book; it was interesting to read legends I was already familiar with through a queer lens, though I found the lack of in-text citations an issue (which is purely a me thing; this is not a history book, it does not particularly need them, I just prefer them when reading about history.) What I did not enjoy was the US-centric approach to history. Although there was mention of the Southern Hemisphere and that witchcraft is practiced differently down here, when referring to queer history, the examples were always American in nature, and when using examples from myth, they were largely only Norse or Egyptian. I think references or mentions to queer history that were not just solely those three already heavily documented histories would have made for a more rounded reading experience, and been more informative.
I did find some suggestions from this book worth incorporating into my practice, but as I have been Wiccan for many years and am already pretty well established in how I treat the intersection of gender, sexuality, and magic, this wasn't the most useful book for me - but as I said, I think it could greatly benefit young queer witches establishing their own traditions for the first time. The author writes with a conversational, approachable tone, making the text easy to digest - it feels more like a chat with a friend than a dense historical publication.
This wasn't the book for me, but I think its audience is out there.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2/5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Moon Books for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lavender Witchcraft by Sam Wise is a book that offers general ideas on how readers can incorporate queerness into their witchcraft practices. It touches on a wide variety of topics from general history, the elements, planets, ancestors, deities, and the Wheel of the Year.
Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. Aside from the chapters on the elements and the planets, I found that this book glossed over most of its subject matter rather than digging in and giving each topic the depth it deserved. This book did not make good use of outside sources. There are a lot of interesting ideas and topics that are left without citations. At the same time, the author uses a lot of direct quotes from other material that often feels dropped in rather than fully explored. It leaves the book feeling like it’s either a collection of blog posts that should be filled with hyperlinks or a draft of a book. I think this could have been a much better book if it cut out everything about deities and holidays instead focused just on queer magic.
If there is one saving grace of this book, it is how Sam Wise incorporates accessibility throughout the book. The author almost always gives an alternative practice that takes into consideration mobility, financial constraints, space limitations, sobriety, and more. It’s something that is severely lacking in witchcraft books across the board. If I had to recommend this book to anyone, I think it is probably best suited for readers incredibly new to their witchcraft practice and new to the idea of “queering” practices. However, I think most readers interested in queering witchcraft are better off reading books that take the time to do deeper dives on more specific topics.
Thank you to NetGalley and Moon Books for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lavender Witchcraft by Sam Wise is a book that offers general ideas on how readers can incorporate queerness into their witchcraft practices. It touches on a wide variety of topics from general history, the elements, planets, ancestors, deities, and the Wheel of the Year.
Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. Aside from the chapters on the elements and the planets, I found that this book glossed over most of its subject matter rather than digging in and giving each topic the depth it deserved. This book did not make good use of outside sources. There are a lot of interesting ideas and topics that are left without citations. At the same time, the author uses a lot of direct quotes from other material that often feels dropped in rather than fully explored. It leaves the book feeling like it’s either a collection of blog posts that should be filled with hyperlinks or a draft of a book. I think this could have been a much better book if it cut out everything about deities and holidays instead focused just on queer magic.
If there is one saving grace of this book, it is how Sam Wise incorporates accessibility throughout the book. The author almost always gives an alternative practice that takes into consideration mobility, financial constraints, space limitations, sobriety, and more. It’s something that is severely lacking in witchcraft books across the board. If I had to recommend this book to anyone, I think it is probably best suited for readers incredibly new to their witchcraft practice and new to the idea of “queering” practices. However, I think most readers interested in queering witchcraft are better off reading books that take the time to do deeper dives on more specific topics.
October 23, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Lavender Witchcraft is a book for witches who have just come into the craft, and it should only be viewed as a guide. There are some good points in this book, but there is also information in this book I heavily disagree with as a practicing queer Wiccan myself. I see where the author is coming from, but you do not need to queer-ify everything and make everything about gender and sexuality. Parts of this book honestly made me feel uncomfortable to read.
I would also like to point out that not every country celebrates the Stonewall Riots. As an Australian, I do not. We celebrate the first Mardi Gras here, when a number of queer activists walked down Oxford Street in protest and were violently attacked by police at the end. For a book wanting to be for everyone, the author has fallen back to mostly everything American, after stating so, which is just lazy writing.
One thing I did appreciate about this book was the accessibility options and that it did include a way for everyone to participate.
This book is not something I would get for myself, but I feel it would be useful to young, queer people who are interested in witchcraft.
Lavender Witchcraft is a book for witches who have just come into the craft, and it should only be viewed as a guide. There are some good points in this book, but there is also information in this book I heavily disagree with as a practicing queer Wiccan myself. I see where the author is coming from, but you do not need to queer-ify everything and make everything about gender and sexuality. Parts of this book honestly made me feel uncomfortable to read.
I would also like to point out that not every country celebrates the Stonewall Riots. As an Australian, I do not. We celebrate the first Mardi Gras here, when a number of queer activists walked down Oxford Street in protest and were violently attacked by police at the end. For a book wanting to be for everyone, the author has fallen back to mostly everything American, after stating so, which is just lazy writing.
One thing I did appreciate about this book was the accessibility options and that it did include a way for everyone to participate.
This book is not something I would get for myself, but I feel it would be useful to young, queer people who are interested in witchcraft.
September 9, 2026
I’m a queer witch, and when I saw this book, I knew I had to grab it. While I do recommend reading the introduction so you can get a little more insight into Wise and the purpose behind the book, it isn’t a requirement to make the most out of the book itself. I really enjoyed reading about the history of queer witchcraft before diving deeper, and I think it’ll be especially interesting to anyone who is a bit of a history nerd. My favorite chapters, however, are probably the queer wheel of the year and queer secular holidays ones. (The other chapters that dive more into practice and deities were also quite interesting, but it’s also nice to see holidays looked at through a queer lens, which seems to be quite rare, especially with the state of the world in some areas right now). Overall, if you’re part of the community, or just trying to expand your horizons, then I absolutely recommend grabbing this!
September 13, 2026
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
In this reference book, Wise highlights a variety of things related to witchcraft, from elements to sabbats, and highlights their ties to queerness. I found this book informative and interesting to read.
I appreciate the inclusion of a reference list of sources for the book. I also appreciate, as the spouse of a disabled practitioner, the inclusion of accessible alternatives to suggested practices.
I would note that, though Wise begins the book stating the focus would be on secular practices, she does dive into various religions, to include Kemetic, Hellenic, and more. I did also think it was interesting that, in referencing Odin's ties to Seidr, Wise mentioned the stigma of a male practitioner, she does not mention that Freya is the other primary deity tied to Seidr, which may be where the stigma comes from.
In this reference book, Wise highlights a variety of things related to witchcraft, from elements to sabbats, and highlights their ties to queerness. I found this book informative and interesting to read.
I appreciate the inclusion of a reference list of sources for the book. I also appreciate, as the spouse of a disabled practitioner, the inclusion of accessible alternatives to suggested practices.
I would note that, though Wise begins the book stating the focus would be on secular practices, she does dive into various religions, to include Kemetic, Hellenic, and more. I did also think it was interesting that, in referencing Odin's ties to Seidr, Wise mentioned the stigma of a male practitioner, she does not mention that Freya is the other primary deity tied to Seidr, which may be where the stigma comes from.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is a good introduction to Queer Witchcraft. It offers interesting alternatives to some basic practices and views. It encourages diversity and experimentation in your Craft.
I especially appreciated the accesibility modifications that were offered and the acknowdlegement that everyone is different.
As a baby witch this book was very interesting to me but I can imagine that a seasoned witch might find this too simple or basic.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews