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Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the Entire Magical World
The author of the popular Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells and Encyclopedia of Spirits now explores the exciting magic and power of the mystical world of witches in Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, a comprehensive reference book that covers everything you ever wanted to know about this fascinating topic.
Folklore expert Judika Illes introduces readers to mythic witches, modern witches, sacred goddess witches, even demon witches, male and female witches, witches from all over the globe. She takes readers on an enchanting tour through witchcraft’s history, mythology, and folklore, where they will discover a miscellany of facts including magic spells, rituals, potions, recipes, celebrations, traditions, and much more.
Folklore expert Judika Illes introduces readers to mythic witches, modern witches, sacred goddess witches, even demon witches, male and female witches, witches from all over the globe. She takes readers on an enchanting tour through witchcraft’s history, mythology, and folklore, where they will discover a miscellany of facts including magic spells, rituals, potions, recipes, celebrations, traditions, and much more.
1877 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 9, 2014
About the author
Judika Illes
53 books380 followers Born in New York City, my metaphysical career began early: My first encounter with tarot cards at age six was also my first experience of love at first sight! That passion still burns true. Although I do practice other forms of divination, tarot remains the foundation of my practice.
A lifelong pursuit of metaphysical wisdom followed and continues: astrology, mythology, Kabbalah, the Egyptian mysteries as well as spiritual, magical and healing traditions from all over Earth but particularly Africa and Asia.
I've also been a blues and free-form rock and roll disc jockey, a corporate travel consultant specializing in the Caribbean, a skin-care and cosmetics consultant, and a teacher of mythology and multicultural studies. I wrote and edited the Ancient Beauty Secrets section for the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism's monthly online magazine, which integrated modern aromatherapy with ancient methods of body care and decoration.
True love's arrows pierced my heart yet again when I first encountered a vial of essential oil. (Essential oil of frankincense, to be exact, still a favorite.) Essential oils are not true oils but potent plant extracts. Modern aromatherapy, with its roots stretching back to ancient China, Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, is the manipulation of essential oils for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. Essential oils are perhaps the purest, most potent expression of a plant's power and play a profound role in rituals, potions and spells. Many are powerful aphrodisiacs and may be used to enhance health, beauty and peace of mind.
Following over a decade of independent study, I earned a certificate in therapeutic aromatherapy. I served on the faculty of the Australasian College of Herbal Studies as an aromatherapy tutor, teaching the certification program.
My special passion for almost fifteen years has been magical and traditional approaches to fertility. Originally stimulated by own reproductive challenges, I was frustrated by the medical options offered to me. I went searching for other avenues, gentle Earth and female-friendly solutions and found them: a vast repository of women's wisdom. Two children and many years later, I still search and research, impressed and empowered by thousands of years of women's inventiveness, endurance, defiance and humor.
A lifelong pursuit of metaphysical wisdom followed and continues: astrology, mythology, Kabbalah, the Egyptian mysteries as well as spiritual, magical and healing traditions from all over Earth but particularly Africa and Asia.
I've also been a blues and free-form rock and roll disc jockey, a corporate travel consultant specializing in the Caribbean, a skin-care and cosmetics consultant, and a teacher of mythology and multicultural studies. I wrote and edited the Ancient Beauty Secrets section for the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism's monthly online magazine, which integrated modern aromatherapy with ancient methods of body care and decoration.
True love's arrows pierced my heart yet again when I first encountered a vial of essential oil. (Essential oil of frankincense, to be exact, still a favorite.) Essential oils are not true oils but potent plant extracts. Modern aromatherapy, with its roots stretching back to ancient China, Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, is the manipulation of essential oils for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. Essential oils are perhaps the purest, most potent expression of a plant's power and play a profound role in rituals, potions and spells. Many are powerful aphrodisiacs and may be used to enhance health, beauty and peace of mind.
Following over a decade of independent study, I earned a certificate in therapeutic aromatherapy. I served on the faculty of the Australasian College of Herbal Studies as an aromatherapy tutor, teaching the certification program.
My special passion for almost fifteen years has been magical and traditional approaches to fertility. Originally stimulated by own reproductive challenges, I was frustrated by the medical options offered to me. I went searching for other avenues, gentle Earth and female-friendly solutions and found them: a vast repository of women's wisdom. Two children and many years later, I still search and research, impressed and empowered by thousands of years of women's inventiveness, endurance, defiance and humor.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 4, 2019
I haven't finished this book yet, because I tend to read non-fiction in snippets, especially this kind of book where the "articles" lend themselves to that reading style. The information in it is very good, told in a comfortable, down-to-earth style that I enjoy. I'm really liking it so far and would recommend it as an excellent research volume for anyone interested in this topic.
February 26, 2019
It IS an encyclopedia....long, detailed. Better to review bits that interest one vs reading all the way through. History portions of witches very interesting for me. I think a print book qould be better than kindle version that i have
March 26, 2022
The only negative would be: it should explore more about different cultures' concepts of spirituality (especially native).
However, it was such a rich reading that I feel obligated to buy the physical book when possible and adopt it as a reference book.
However, it was such a rich reading that I feel obligated to buy the physical book when possible and adopt it as a reference book.
November 24, 2019
Very extensive, and diverse. Well formatted and an excellent resource on witchcraft.
Did Not Finish
August 8, 2022DNF 50 pages
While there is a lot of information in this book, it's dense and not exactly a fun read. I have been struggling to stay interested and have barely put a dent into this book. I don’t think Judika’s writing is for me so I am DNF.
Content warnings: Harry Potter referenced
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
While there is a lot of information in this book, it's dense and not exactly a fun read. I have been struggling to stay interested and have barely put a dent into this book. I don’t think Judika’s writing is for me so I am DNF.
Content warnings: Harry Potter referenced
You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
July 6, 2020
Includes some interesting folklore
September 9, 2023
This is my favorite book that I own. Perioddddd. 😍
August 17, 2026
Some books about witchcraft are meant to be read once from beginning to end. Encyclopedia of Witchcraft is the kind you keep within reach for years because you never know what rabbit hole Judika Illes is going to send you down next.
The sheer scope of this book is remarkable. Illes moves through historical witches, legendary witches, folkloric witches, contemporary practitioners, goddesses, spirits, magical traditions, spells, rituals, celebrations, plants, potions, and beliefs from cultures around the world. You can open it looking for one obscure reference and emerge twenty pages later wondering how you ended up reading about an entirely different magical tradition.
That's exactly what I want from an occult encyclopedia.
What makes Judika Illes so good at this format is that she understands witchcraft as something much larger and stranger than one modern religious movement. Witchcraft exists simultaneously as magical practice, religious identity, accusation, folklore, archetype, historical phenomenon, literary figure, and cultural fear. The witch of a folktale isn't necessarily the same thing as the village magical practitioner, the person prosecuted for witchcraft, the modern Pagan Witch, or the supernatural witch of mythology. Illes makes room for all of them.
I particularly appreciate the international scope. It's incredibly easy for books with titles like “Encyclopedia of Witchcraft” to become encyclopedias of modern English-speaking witchcraft with a handful of European historical references thrown in. Illes casts a much wider net. The result gives you a sense of just how many cultures have developed ideas about magical practitioners, dangerous sorcerers, wise women, cunning people, spirit workers, magical specialists, and supernatural beings that eventually get translated into English using the same deceptively simple word: witch.
That breadth also makes this a fantastic starting point for research. An encyclopedia obviously can't give every subject book-length treatment, but that's not its purpose. It introduces you to names, traditions, concepts, stories, and historical threads that you can then investigate more deeply elsewhere. I've discovered subjects through Judika Illes that I wouldn't have even known to search for otherwise.
And unlike a dry academic reference work, this is genuinely fun to browse. Illes has a gift for presenting huge amounts of information without making the experience feel like homework. Her enthusiasm for folklore, magic, spirits, and strange historical details is infectious.
I also love that spells, recipes, rituals, and practical material sit alongside history and folklore. It creates the feeling of an old-fashioned magical compendium where scholarship and practice haven't been artificially separated. You might look something up for historical context and find yourself inspired to experiment magically, or begin by researching a magical technique and end up learning the folklore surrounding it.
Like Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells and Encyclopedia of Spirits, this is one of those enormous Judika Illes books that earns its physical space. In an age when almost anything can supposedly be searched online, a well-constructed reference book still offers something a search engine doesn't: serendipity. You encounter information you weren't looking for.
And with witchcraft, those unexpected discoveries are often the best part.
Encyclopedia of Witchcraft isn't a book I consider “finished” after reading it. It's a book I expect to keep opening for the rest of my magical life.
The sheer scope of this book is remarkable. Illes moves through historical witches, legendary witches, folkloric witches, contemporary practitioners, goddesses, spirits, magical traditions, spells, rituals, celebrations, plants, potions, and beliefs from cultures around the world. You can open it looking for one obscure reference and emerge twenty pages later wondering how you ended up reading about an entirely different magical tradition.
That's exactly what I want from an occult encyclopedia.
What makes Judika Illes so good at this format is that she understands witchcraft as something much larger and stranger than one modern religious movement. Witchcraft exists simultaneously as magical practice, religious identity, accusation, folklore, archetype, historical phenomenon, literary figure, and cultural fear. The witch of a folktale isn't necessarily the same thing as the village magical practitioner, the person prosecuted for witchcraft, the modern Pagan Witch, or the supernatural witch of mythology. Illes makes room for all of them.
I particularly appreciate the international scope. It's incredibly easy for books with titles like “Encyclopedia of Witchcraft” to become encyclopedias of modern English-speaking witchcraft with a handful of European historical references thrown in. Illes casts a much wider net. The result gives you a sense of just how many cultures have developed ideas about magical practitioners, dangerous sorcerers, wise women, cunning people, spirit workers, magical specialists, and supernatural beings that eventually get translated into English using the same deceptively simple word: witch.
That breadth also makes this a fantastic starting point for research. An encyclopedia obviously can't give every subject book-length treatment, but that's not its purpose. It introduces you to names, traditions, concepts, stories, and historical threads that you can then investigate more deeply elsewhere. I've discovered subjects through Judika Illes that I wouldn't have even known to search for otherwise.
And unlike a dry academic reference work, this is genuinely fun to browse. Illes has a gift for presenting huge amounts of information without making the experience feel like homework. Her enthusiasm for folklore, magic, spirits, and strange historical details is infectious.
I also love that spells, recipes, rituals, and practical material sit alongside history and folklore. It creates the feeling of an old-fashioned magical compendium where scholarship and practice haven't been artificially separated. You might look something up for historical context and find yourself inspired to experiment magically, or begin by researching a magical technique and end up learning the folklore surrounding it.
Like Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells and Encyclopedia of Spirits, this is one of those enormous Judika Illes books that earns its physical space. In an age when almost anything can supposedly be searched online, a well-constructed reference book still offers something a search engine doesn't: serendipity. You encounter information you weren't looking for.
And with witchcraft, those unexpected discoveries are often the best part.
Encyclopedia of Witchcraft isn't a book I consider “finished” after reading it. It's a book I expect to keep opening for the rest of my magical life.
August 31, 2025
More Than Expected!
This book by by Nicola Illes is far more than an Encyclopedia. The in-depth study and research put into this work is very evident. The information going back to the time of Jesus to date is amazing. Exposing both sides of all sides of topics is amazing and wonderful, letting the reader decide. This book is worth the purchase, worth purchasing as a gift to share. I'm amazed by the history, ready and detail. This book is awesome to keep handy as a reference book of just refresh your journey. This book is a must get, Must read, Must have.
This book by by Nicola Illes is far more than an Encyclopedia. The in-depth study and research put into this work is very evident. The information going back to the time of Jesus to date is amazing. Exposing both sides of all sides of topics is amazing and wonderful, letting the reader decide. This book is worth the purchase, worth purchasing as a gift to share. I'm amazed by the history, ready and detail. This book is awesome to keep handy as a reference book of just refresh your journey. This book is a must get, Must read, Must have.
December 19, 2024
excellent work
I have read many Witchcraft books over the years. This has been on of the most encompassing books I’ve read. The over view of each deity and the brief overview is a great starting place to understanding the world fascinating history with witchcraft.
I have read many Witchcraft books over the years. This has been on of the most encompassing books I’ve read. The over view of each deity and the brief overview is a great starting place to understanding the world fascinating history with witchcraft.
January 7, 2021
Love this encyclopedia! Very thorough!
January 7, 2021
Very pleased with the level of detail, resources, facts and history! Relevant today. The media section is very fun.
March 24, 2026
This was way more focused on the way witches have appeared throughout all time than it was on actual witchcraft and it’s sooo much information and a lot of it can be skimmed.
November 11, 2021
Hard to write a review of this book. Encyclopedias can be a mixed bag. I have read some good ones and not so good. This one was neither good nor bad. Two and a half stars.
January 19, 2019
These books are fun to own and leaf through. That’s all I can say. Its pleasant and easy to enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews