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The Witch's Book of Spirits
Discover the Ways of the Spirits And Master the Art of Command and Influence Profound spiritual insights and powers await beyond the material world. In The Witch's Book of Spirits , Devin Hunter invites you to perform rituals and magic with spirit guides, familiars, angels, the deceased, faeries, and demons. Develop and enhance your relationships to your allies in spirit through soul flight, mediumship, and conjuration. Explore the inner workings of the Witch's Tree as well as the planes and peoples who dwell in its many layers. Expand the scope of your magic with the 33 Spirits, a system transmitted to the author by a special priesthood of spirits, his familiar, Malach, and the goddess Hecate. Working with spirits is the cornerstone of the witch's art. This book shows you how to stay in control as you increase your witch power and deepen your connection to forces seen and unseen. "Devin covers in depth an elusive side of witchcraft that few have explored in great practical detail...Devin presents the material in a very grounded, no-nonsense approach paired with an inherent sense of responsibility. His understanding of mediumship, conjuring, flying, and working with the spirit world displays the truth that he not only talks the talk, but also walks the walk."―Laura Tempest Zakroff, author of Sigil Witchery " The Witch's Book of Spirits is the most complete book on working with the dead ever written for Witches, but it's more than a manual for communicating with souls of the departed. It's also a guide to the worlds which generally lay just outside of our grasp and a thorough look at the beings that live there. I'd also like to add that it's just a damn fine book about witchcraft, filled with advice and some much-needed common sense."―Jason Mankey, author of The Witch's Book of Shadows "Teaching an art requires a delicate brew of guidance, cautions, and encouragement; Devin Hunter's book hits the right recipe. The Witch's Book of Spirits is a book that captures the author's personal vision and process while providing systems and frameworks that can serve the reader in developing their own way with the spirits."―Ivo Dominguez, Jr., author of Practical Astrology for Witches and Pagans "In this book Devin gives not just the rituals necessary to conjure and communicate with spirits, but the tools for building life with them. He uses a method of teaching that alternates between supplying theory and principals that can be applied by almost anyone, with very specific rituals that he has received from the spirits himself. The result is a text that you will return to over and over again whether you are working his rites or developing your own."―Jason Miller, author of The Sorcerer's Secrets
336 pages, Paperback
Published July 8, 2017
About the author
Devin Hunter
28 books119 followersDevin Hunter is a professional Psychic Medium and modern witch and is the resident House Medium at The Mystic Dream in Walnut Creek, Ca. He holds third-degree initiations in both the Northern Star Tradition of Wicca as well as the Dianic Tradition of Witchcraft (the Cult of Diana) and is the founder of his own tradition, Sacred Fires. His AV Club favorited podcast, the Modern Witch, has helped thousands of people from all over the world discover and develop their magical abilities. He is a blogger for Witches & Pagans magazine and is the creator of Modern Witch Magazine. Devin is currently teaching with the Black Rose School of Witchcraft and is the reigning Master of Ceremonies at the New Orleans Witches’ Ball. His first book, The Witch’s Book of Power releases from Llewellyn World Wide in July of 2016!
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 17, 2017
This book contains so much information, it took me 2,000 words to review it on my website, http://www.amberunmasked.com/review-w...
I received the ARC from NetGalley which was unfortunately devoid of images. The book is in three parts.
Part 1: You’ll get a lot of meat out of this section of The Witch’s Book of Spirits. It provides a massive amount of information on proper terminology and processes. Flying, conjuring, keeping yourself safe, mediumship, and the planes of existence are all covered in detail. He identified three separate types of mediums: psychic medium, mental medium, and physical medium. Those are defined early on so readers understand what they may have personally experienced.
Part 2: Hunter names four most common types of spirits: angels, the dead, faeries, and demons. Again, there’s so much information in this that each of these parts of the book could stand on their own. Classifications and races of these four types of spirits are broken down.
Part 3: There is a faster pace to this final part of the book. Like holy scriptures, the author says he received this information after his familiar Malach told him to write it as part of their working contract. Hunter kicks off this section with humorous personal reflection about the message he received from Malach and then the messages that came through afterward from the 33 Spirits.
The Witch’s Book of Spirits is a must-have if you are interested in broadening your understanding of the spirit world beyond Theosophy or television psychics. There’s so much information presented, readers basically earn a Bachelor’s Degree in the Spirit Arts after digesting all of it. It took me a month to read, but it was worth it.
I received the ARC from NetGalley which was unfortunately devoid of images. The book is in three parts.
Part 1: You’ll get a lot of meat out of this section of The Witch’s Book of Spirits. It provides a massive amount of information on proper terminology and processes. Flying, conjuring, keeping yourself safe, mediumship, and the planes of existence are all covered in detail. He identified three separate types of mediums: psychic medium, mental medium, and physical medium. Those are defined early on so readers understand what they may have personally experienced.
Part 2: Hunter names four most common types of spirits: angels, the dead, faeries, and demons. Again, there’s so much information in this that each of these parts of the book could stand on their own. Classifications and races of these four types of spirits are broken down.
Part 3: There is a faster pace to this final part of the book. Like holy scriptures, the author says he received this information after his familiar Malach told him to write it as part of their working contract. Hunter kicks off this section with humorous personal reflection about the message he received from Malach and then the messages that came through afterward from the 33 Spirits.
The Witch’s Book of Spirits is a must-have if you are interested in broadening your understanding of the spirit world beyond Theosophy or television psychics. There’s so much information presented, readers basically earn a Bachelor’s Degree in the Spirit Arts after digesting all of it. It took me a month to read, but it was worth it.
July 20, 2019
I give this a 2.5 rating, but even at that, I found this book left me feeling uneasy about any sort of star rating.
While at first I was very intrigued by the material in the book, as it progressed, I started feeling more and more apprehensive.
This guy claims his familiar spirit is named Malack, or some similar spelling. That's not an uncommon name in the occult world. In fact, I spelled it on my phone for this review and the spelling I used and a couple alternative spellings were suggested. Something about that left me feeling very skeptical.
He also seems to have extensive knowledge of various spirits but usually doesn't cite any references as to how he came by that knowledge. He might claim his familiar told him, but something inside me said he made a lot of it up.
Maybe this fella is a superior medium. But my own intuition is saying he's not and that he's making a lot of this up and is actually more of a good story teller than a medium.
While at first I was very intrigued by the material in the book, as it progressed, I started feeling more and more apprehensive.
This guy claims his familiar spirit is named Malack, or some similar spelling. That's not an uncommon name in the occult world. In fact, I spelled it on my phone for this review and the spelling I used and a couple alternative spellings were suggested. Something about that left me feeling very skeptical.
He also seems to have extensive knowledge of various spirits but usually doesn't cite any references as to how he came by that knowledge. He might claim his familiar told him, but something inside me said he made a lot of it up.
Maybe this fella is a superior medium. But my own intuition is saying he's not and that he's making a lot of this up and is actually more of a good story teller than a medium.
May 29, 2021
This is a solid primer but a lot of it is UPG. Nothing wrong with that and I’m eager to compare my experiences to what Hunter encountered but I wish it was a bit clearer on how much was UPG.
August 9, 2017
Let me first say this book is packed with a lot of material, and would serve as a good reference book.
I read this more just out of curiosity. I do have a natural, and I think well-deserved, respect for contacting spirits. Hunter does a good job of explaining spirits, and their hierarchy. And Hunter makes a very good point saying that whatever religious predilection you have, all the spirits are connected, they just have different names. I thought that was important, and makes it a little easier for me to read. For some reason, maybe because I was raised in a cult-ish branch of Christianity, but I don't really connect with the terms of angles and demons. This has a weird vibe with me, and thinking of calling upon angles (or demons) to be my spiritual helpers doesn't sit well. Long rant, I know.
Each chapter is Hunter's book is well organized, but sometimes it is a little over my head. Hunter refers back to his previous work, so that may be a better place to start than picking this book up right away. There are plenty of journal prompts to get you thinking, if you are into that sort of thing. Sometimes I am, and sometimes I'm not. I didn't do the prompts for this book, but I read through them, and I thought they did have merit if you were going to do a full study of spirit conjuring.
Hunter also provides lots of exercises. How to meet your spirit guides, activating the etheric body, going to different planes, and much more. Lots of stuff on Sigils, tools of spiritual communication, rituals, Like I said, there is a lot of information in this book.
I recommend for the beginner and intermediate, as this has so much stuff in it, I'm sure just about anyone interested in this work would find this useful. Honestly, it would take a long while to delve deep into this book, so be prepared to put some work in.
I received a copy of this e-book from NetGalley for my honest review.
I read this more just out of curiosity. I do have a natural, and I think well-deserved, respect for contacting spirits. Hunter does a good job of explaining spirits, and their hierarchy. And Hunter makes a very good point saying that whatever religious predilection you have, all the spirits are connected, they just have different names. I thought that was important, and makes it a little easier for me to read. For some reason, maybe because I was raised in a cult-ish branch of Christianity, but I don't really connect with the terms of angles and demons. This has a weird vibe with me, and thinking of calling upon angles (or demons) to be my spiritual helpers doesn't sit well. Long rant, I know.
Each chapter is Hunter's book is well organized, but sometimes it is a little over my head. Hunter refers back to his previous work, so that may be a better place to start than picking this book up right away. There are plenty of journal prompts to get you thinking, if you are into that sort of thing. Sometimes I am, and sometimes I'm not. I didn't do the prompts for this book, but I read through them, and I thought they did have merit if you were going to do a full study of spirit conjuring.
Hunter also provides lots of exercises. How to meet your spirit guides, activating the etheric body, going to different planes, and much more. Lots of stuff on Sigils, tools of spiritual communication, rituals, Like I said, there is a lot of information in this book.
I recommend for the beginner and intermediate, as this has so much stuff in it, I'm sure just about anyone interested in this work would find this useful. Honestly, it would take a long while to delve deep into this book, so be prepared to put some work in.
I received a copy of this e-book from NetGalley for my honest review.
August 29, 2026
The Witch's Book of Spirits became much more interesting to me when I stopped reading it as a catalog of supernatural beings and started reading it as an attempt to map a world.
Spirit work can become confusing very quickly because the word “spirit” is expected to cover an almost absurd range of beings and experiences. Ancestors, ghosts, familiars, angels, faeries, demons, guides, gods, the dead, and various other intelligences can all end up placed beneath the same enormous umbrella, even though there is no particular reason to assume they behave alike, inhabit the same conditions, or require the same methods of interaction.
Devin Hunter spends a great deal of The Witch's Book of Spirits trying to give that complexity some structure. His Witch's Tree provides a cosmological framework through which different planes, beings, states of consciousness, and magical experiences can be understood in relationship to one another. Whether every reader accepts that cosmology literally is almost beside the point for me, because having a map immediately changes the kinds of questions one can ask.
Where is this encounter occurring? What kind of being am I dealing with? How did I reach it, and how did it reach me? Does this experience belong to mediumship, psychic perception, soul flight, conjuration, or some combination of them?
Those distinctions matter.
A surprising amount of confusion in spirit work comes from treating every anomalous experience as though it belongs to the same category. Seeing an apparition, receiving an impression from the deceased, traveling consciously into a spirit realm, invoking a presence into ritual space, and establishing a long-term relationship with a familiar may all involve spirits, but they describe very different processes.
Hunter gives the reader vocabulary for separating them.
I especially appreciated the way he distinguishes different forms of mediumship. Psychic, mental, and physical mediumship are treated as related but distinct phenomena, which helps prevent “mediumship” from becoming another vague term meaning anything involving invisible information. The classifications give the practitioner something to observe in their own experiences.
The same is true of flying.
Rather than reducing spirit flight to one visualization exercise, Hunter places it within a larger cosmological structure. Travel has destinations, and those destinations have qualities, inhabitants, and relationships to other regions of the spirit world.
That makes magical flight feel less like imaginative wandering and more like navigation.
Maps obviously have limitations. Every map simplifies territory, emphasizes particular landmarks, and reflects the worldview of the person who constructed it. Hunter's Witch's Tree is no exception, and I would never assume that one practitioner's cosmology has somehow solved the objective architecture of the unseen universe for everyone else.
What I value is that he actually gives us a model substantial enough to examine.
That is much more useful than vague language about “the spirit realm” as though everything invisible occupies one enormous metaphysical waiting room. Hunter's world has differentiation.
There are territories, thresholds, types of beings, methods of access, dangers, allies, and different ways consciousness can move through the whole structure.
Even disagreement becomes productive because there is something specific to disagree with.
A practitioner working within another cosmology can compare Hunter's model against their own. Perhaps two traditions divide similar experiences differently, place the dead in different regions, interpret familiar spirits through different metaphysical assumptions, or disagree completely about whether certain categories of beings are objectively distinct.
Those comparisons sharpen discernment.
I think this is also why Hunter's personal experiences are so important to the book. He is not pretending to deliver an anthropological survey of every culture's spirit cosmology, and some of the material is clearly rooted in his own encounters, revelations, and magical tradition.
That subjectivity should be recognized rather than hidden.
The thirty-three spirits are probably the clearest example. Hunter presents a received system connected with his own spiritual relationships, including Hecate, his familiar Malach, and a particular spirit priesthood. Some readers will find that material immediately useful, while others may never work with those spirits at all.
I still found the section fascinating because it shows what happens when spirit work develops beyond contacting beings already described in books.
At some point, a living magical practice may generate new material.
That raises difficult and important questions. How do you evaluate received information? How do you distinguish revelation from imagination? How much authority should personal spirit communication carry, and what happens when one practitioner's revelation contradicts someone else's?
Hunter cannot answer those questions universally, but the existence of the thirty-three spirits forces the reader to confront them.
I appreciated that more than I expected.
Occultism often treats older spirit catalogs as automatically more legitimate because someone wrote them down centuries ago. Yet every grimoire was contemporary once, and many magical systems ultimately preserve somebody's claimed encounters, revelations, experiments, adaptations, or syntheses.
A modern spirit system therefore presents an interesting challenge.
The reader has to evaluate it on its own terms rather than relying entirely on antiquity as proof of authenticity.
That does not mean accepting every claim uncritically. Quite the opposite, because personal revelation makes discernment more important.
Hunter repeatedly emphasizes maintaining control, protecting oneself, establishing boundaries, and understanding the nature of the beings with whom one works. Those concerns make sense within any cosmology because spiritual openness without discrimination can become a liability very quickly.
The protection material therefore feels integrated rather than tacked on.
If the unseen world contains multiple kinds of beings with different motives and capacities, then knowing how to open a door has to be accompanied by knowing how to close one.
That principle seems obvious, yet books on spirit communication sometimes become so enthusiastic about contact that they treat contact itself as success.
Hunter is interested in what happens after contact.
Can you communicate clearly? Can you determine what kind of presence you are dealing with? Can you establish boundaries? Can you end the interaction? Can you develop a stable relationship rather than chasing increasingly dramatic experiences?
Those are much more mature questions.
The book's breadth helps because Hunter moves from foundational concepts into increasingly complex territory. Mediumship leads toward communication, communication toward relationship, relationship toward conjuration and spirit alliances, and cosmology provides a structure capable of holding those experiences together.
It feels like a system rather than a collection of paranormal techniques.
That does mean the book asks the reader to engage seriously with Hunter's own metaphysical worldview. Anyone wanting a completely tradition-neutral survey of spirit work will probably encounter concepts they do not share.
I do not consider that a weakness.
Occult books become strangely bloodless when authors remove every specific belief in an attempt to make the material universally acceptable. I would rather encounter a developed cosmology, understand where its author is coming from, and decide for myself what survives comparison with my own experience.
The Witch's Tree is particularly useful in that respect.
Even if I eventually redraw parts of the map, Hunter has reminded me that I need a map at all.
Without some model of the unseen, spirit experiences can become an accumulation of unrelated events. A dream happens here, a mediumistic impression happens there, a ritual presence appears somewhere else, and nothing explains how those experiences might relate.
Cosmology supplies grammar.
It gives experiences positions relative to one another and creates hypotheses that can be tested through further practice.
That may be the greatest value I found in The Witch's Book of Spirits. Hunter encourages the reader to move beyond believing that spirits exist and toward developing an actual theory of the spirit world sophisticated enough to support sustained practice.
That theory can change.
It probably should change.
Experience may eventually contradict parts of the map, another tradition may illuminate something Hunter's system leaves unexplained, and years of practice may produce entirely different conclusions.
But navigation begins somewhere.
The Witch's Book of Spirits gives the reader one detailed map and then asks them to travel far enough that they eventually discover where its boundaries really are.
Spirit work can become confusing very quickly because the word “spirit” is expected to cover an almost absurd range of beings and experiences. Ancestors, ghosts, familiars, angels, faeries, demons, guides, gods, the dead, and various other intelligences can all end up placed beneath the same enormous umbrella, even though there is no particular reason to assume they behave alike, inhabit the same conditions, or require the same methods of interaction.
Devin Hunter spends a great deal of The Witch's Book of Spirits trying to give that complexity some structure. His Witch's Tree provides a cosmological framework through which different planes, beings, states of consciousness, and magical experiences can be understood in relationship to one another. Whether every reader accepts that cosmology literally is almost beside the point for me, because having a map immediately changes the kinds of questions one can ask.
Where is this encounter occurring? What kind of being am I dealing with? How did I reach it, and how did it reach me? Does this experience belong to mediumship, psychic perception, soul flight, conjuration, or some combination of them?
Those distinctions matter.
A surprising amount of confusion in spirit work comes from treating every anomalous experience as though it belongs to the same category. Seeing an apparition, receiving an impression from the deceased, traveling consciously into a spirit realm, invoking a presence into ritual space, and establishing a long-term relationship with a familiar may all involve spirits, but they describe very different processes.
Hunter gives the reader vocabulary for separating them.
I especially appreciated the way he distinguishes different forms of mediumship. Psychic, mental, and physical mediumship are treated as related but distinct phenomena, which helps prevent “mediumship” from becoming another vague term meaning anything involving invisible information. The classifications give the practitioner something to observe in their own experiences.
The same is true of flying.
Rather than reducing spirit flight to one visualization exercise, Hunter places it within a larger cosmological structure. Travel has destinations, and those destinations have qualities, inhabitants, and relationships to other regions of the spirit world.
That makes magical flight feel less like imaginative wandering and more like navigation.
Maps obviously have limitations. Every map simplifies territory, emphasizes particular landmarks, and reflects the worldview of the person who constructed it. Hunter's Witch's Tree is no exception, and I would never assume that one practitioner's cosmology has somehow solved the objective architecture of the unseen universe for everyone else.
What I value is that he actually gives us a model substantial enough to examine.
That is much more useful than vague language about “the spirit realm” as though everything invisible occupies one enormous metaphysical waiting room. Hunter's world has differentiation.
There are territories, thresholds, types of beings, methods of access, dangers, allies, and different ways consciousness can move through the whole structure.
Even disagreement becomes productive because there is something specific to disagree with.
A practitioner working within another cosmology can compare Hunter's model against their own. Perhaps two traditions divide similar experiences differently, place the dead in different regions, interpret familiar spirits through different metaphysical assumptions, or disagree completely about whether certain categories of beings are objectively distinct.
Those comparisons sharpen discernment.
I think this is also why Hunter's personal experiences are so important to the book. He is not pretending to deliver an anthropological survey of every culture's spirit cosmology, and some of the material is clearly rooted in his own encounters, revelations, and magical tradition.
That subjectivity should be recognized rather than hidden.
The thirty-three spirits are probably the clearest example. Hunter presents a received system connected with his own spiritual relationships, including Hecate, his familiar Malach, and a particular spirit priesthood. Some readers will find that material immediately useful, while others may never work with those spirits at all.
I still found the section fascinating because it shows what happens when spirit work develops beyond contacting beings already described in books.
At some point, a living magical practice may generate new material.
That raises difficult and important questions. How do you evaluate received information? How do you distinguish revelation from imagination? How much authority should personal spirit communication carry, and what happens when one practitioner's revelation contradicts someone else's?
Hunter cannot answer those questions universally, but the existence of the thirty-three spirits forces the reader to confront them.
I appreciated that more than I expected.
Occultism often treats older spirit catalogs as automatically more legitimate because someone wrote them down centuries ago. Yet every grimoire was contemporary once, and many magical systems ultimately preserve somebody's claimed encounters, revelations, experiments, adaptations, or syntheses.
A modern spirit system therefore presents an interesting challenge.
The reader has to evaluate it on its own terms rather than relying entirely on antiquity as proof of authenticity.
That does not mean accepting every claim uncritically. Quite the opposite, because personal revelation makes discernment more important.
Hunter repeatedly emphasizes maintaining control, protecting oneself, establishing boundaries, and understanding the nature of the beings with whom one works. Those concerns make sense within any cosmology because spiritual openness without discrimination can become a liability very quickly.
The protection material therefore feels integrated rather than tacked on.
If the unseen world contains multiple kinds of beings with different motives and capacities, then knowing how to open a door has to be accompanied by knowing how to close one.
That principle seems obvious, yet books on spirit communication sometimes become so enthusiastic about contact that they treat contact itself as success.
Hunter is interested in what happens after contact.
Can you communicate clearly? Can you determine what kind of presence you are dealing with? Can you establish boundaries? Can you end the interaction? Can you develop a stable relationship rather than chasing increasingly dramatic experiences?
Those are much more mature questions.
The book's breadth helps because Hunter moves from foundational concepts into increasingly complex territory. Mediumship leads toward communication, communication toward relationship, relationship toward conjuration and spirit alliances, and cosmology provides a structure capable of holding those experiences together.
It feels like a system rather than a collection of paranormal techniques.
That does mean the book asks the reader to engage seriously with Hunter's own metaphysical worldview. Anyone wanting a completely tradition-neutral survey of spirit work will probably encounter concepts they do not share.
I do not consider that a weakness.
Occult books become strangely bloodless when authors remove every specific belief in an attempt to make the material universally acceptable. I would rather encounter a developed cosmology, understand where its author is coming from, and decide for myself what survives comparison with my own experience.
The Witch's Tree is particularly useful in that respect.
Even if I eventually redraw parts of the map, Hunter has reminded me that I need a map at all.
Without some model of the unseen, spirit experiences can become an accumulation of unrelated events. A dream happens here, a mediumistic impression happens there, a ritual presence appears somewhere else, and nothing explains how those experiences might relate.
Cosmology supplies grammar.
It gives experiences positions relative to one another and creates hypotheses that can be tested through further practice.
That may be the greatest value I found in The Witch's Book of Spirits. Hunter encourages the reader to move beyond believing that spirits exist and toward developing an actual theory of the spirit world sophisticated enough to support sustained practice.
That theory can change.
It probably should change.
Experience may eventually contradict parts of the map, another tradition may illuminate something Hunter's system leaves unexplained, and years of practice may produce entirely different conclusions.
But navigation begins somewhere.
The Witch's Book of Spirits gives the reader one detailed map and then asks them to travel far enough that they eventually discover where its boundaries really are.
August 20, 2026
The Witch's Book of Spirits is one of the more ambitious contemporary books on spirit work I've encountered, and I think some of the criticism it receives comes from expecting it to be something it never claims to be: an objective encyclopedia telling us what spirits "really" are. Devin Hunter is doing something much more interesting than that. He gives us a functional system for approaching spirits, developing the faculties necessary to perceive them, establishing relationships with them, navigating different kinds of encounters, and eventually entering into the much stranger territory of received spirit work. I don't agree that the personal nature of that system diminishes it. In many ways, that's exactly what makes the book valuable.
The early material alone makes this worth reading. Hunter spends time on mediumship, conjuration, spirit flight, altered states, protection, discernment, terminology, and the practical mechanics of making contact. I especially appreciate that spirit communication isn't presented as simply asking a question and accepting whatever pops into your head as an unquestionable message from beyond. Spirit work requires developing perception, learning how communication manifests for you, establishing boundaries, and gaining enough experience to recognize when something doesn't feel right. Those are skills, and Hunter treats them accordingly.
I also appreciate that Hunter gives us an actual cosmology. I've seen criticism that his map of spiritual realms won't correspond exactly with everyone's experiences, but I'm not sure why it should. Maps are models of territory. Different occult traditions have been mapping invisible worlds differently for thousands of years. The Qabalistic Tree of Life, shamanic upper and lower worlds, Neoplatonic cosmologies, Spiritualist models, Theosophical planes, and countless traditional spirit geographies don't all agree either. That doesn't automatically make one fraudulent and another correct. What matters in practical occultism is whether a map helps you navigate experience coherently.
The same applies to Hunter's descriptions of different spirits. Angels, demons, faeries, the dead, familiars, and other beings come with enormous amounts of historical and cultural baggage, and obviously no single contemporary witch is going to provide the definitive taxonomy of the spirit world. I never read Hunter as claiming that he had. I read these sections as a working spirit practitioner's understanding of the beings he encounters. That distinction matters. An occultist describing what they have experienced is doing something different from a historian describing what people believed in fifteenth-century Europe, and I think there is room on my bookshelf for both.
I actually prefer that Hunter's own witchcraft remains visible throughout the book. His relationships with Hekate, his ceremonial influences, his witchcraft background, and his particular understanding of spirits aren't hidden behind some artificially neutral "all paths" language. Once you get beyond beginner material, neutrality becomes increasingly impossible anyway. If an author is going to teach me spirit work, eventually I want to know what they actually believe about spirits. What are they? Where do they exist? How do we reach them? What does communication feel like? How do relationships develop? What dangers do they perceive? What have they personally encountered? Those answers are inevitably going to reveal the author's worldview.
You don't have to adopt that worldview wholesale. I certainly don't think that's the point. A good occult book gives you a model substantial enough to experiment with, argue with, adapt, and eventually move beyond. Hunter gives the reader exactly that.
The most controversial part of the book is also the part I found the most fascinating: the VEXNA-KARI and the 33 spirits presented through Hunter's own spirit contact. I've seen people dismiss this material as UPG, as though labeling something "unverified personal gnosis" automatically settles the question of whether it has value. But where exactly do people think grimoires come from?
At some point, somebody had to be the first person to write down the name of a spirit.
Occultism would be an extraordinarily strange field if we decided that spirit revelations are legitimate only after the person who received them has been dead for several centuries. We readily open old grimoires filled with spirits, seals, conjurations, hierarchies, visions, and cosmological claims whose origins are frequently uncertain, complicated, pseudonymous, legendary, or impossible to verify. Yet when a living practitioner says, "This is what I encountered, this is what I was given, and here is how you can experiment with it yourself," suddenly the existence of personal gnosis becomes disqualifying. I find that standard difficult to defend.
That doesn't mean we should automatically believe every spirit catalogue someone publishes. Quite the opposite. Received material should be tested. Spirits should be approached with discernment. Experiences should be compared. Results should matter. Other practitioners should be able to engage the material and discover whether anything happens independently of the original author. The answer to UPG isn't blind acceptance, but it isn't automatic dismissal either. It's experimentation.
That is what makes the final portion feel genuinely occult to me. Hunter isn't merely explaining what people in the past believed about spirits. He's participating in the process through which occult traditions actually develop. Someone encounters something, records it, constructs methods of contact, shares those methods, and other practitioners determine whether the system produces meaningful experiences for them. Over time, personal gnosis either remains personal, develops into shared gnosis, changes through use, or disappears because nobody else finds it useful. That's a much more interesting process than pretending revelation was something that only happened to occultists in the past.
I also don't mind that the final section feels dramatically different from the beginning. To me, the structure makes sense. Hunter begins by teaching you about spirit work generally, moves into different categories and relationships, and then eventually says, in effect, "Now I'm going to show you what my own spirit practice produced." The book shifts from instruction into grimoire. I actually found that exciting because the author isn't merely teaching theory; he's showing us the results of applying his own methods.
The Hekate material didn't bother me either. Not every occult book needs to be religiously neutral. Hekate is important to Hunter's Craft, so naturally she appears in his spirit work. A reader doesn't have to develop the same devotional relationships in order to learn from how he constructs his practice. In fact, seeing someone's actual spiritual ecosystem is often far more instructive than reading another sanitized manual where every deity is reduced to an interchangeable name you can substitute according to preference.
I also think the density of the book is a strength. Spirit work is not a tiny subject. If anything, I'm suspicious of books that make communication with nonphysical beings sound effortless. There are questions of perception, altered consciousness, projection, boundaries, offerings, relationships, cosmology, protection, discernment, ritual technique, and interpretation before we've even reached the question of what kinds of spirits might exist. A substantial treatment should feel substantial.
Most importantly, The Witch's Book of Spirits encourages the reader to become a spirit worker rather than merely someone who knows facts about spirit work. There is a huge difference. You can memorize folklore about faeries, classifications of demons, angelic hierarchies, and lists of famous spirits without ever developing the ability to sit down, enter the appropriate state of consciousness, make contact, perceive something, communicate with it, establish boundaries, and build a relationship over time. Hunter is much more interested in the second thing.
That's ultimately why the criticism about personal experience doesn't bother me. Spirit work without personal experience would be an incredibly strange enterprise. If we genuinely believe these beings can be contacted, then eventually someone has to stop quoting what another magician experienced three hundred years ago and find out what happens when they make contact themselves.
I don't need Devin Hunter's spirit world to become mine. I want his work to challenge me to explore my own. The most useful thing an experienced spirit worker can give another practitioner isn't a demand that they believe everything he has seen. It's a set of tools, a map drawn from experience, and enough information to walk into the territory themselves and discover where their own map agrees, where it differs, and what might be waiting there that neither of them has encountered yet.
The early material alone makes this worth reading. Hunter spends time on mediumship, conjuration, spirit flight, altered states, protection, discernment, terminology, and the practical mechanics of making contact. I especially appreciate that spirit communication isn't presented as simply asking a question and accepting whatever pops into your head as an unquestionable message from beyond. Spirit work requires developing perception, learning how communication manifests for you, establishing boundaries, and gaining enough experience to recognize when something doesn't feel right. Those are skills, and Hunter treats them accordingly.
I also appreciate that Hunter gives us an actual cosmology. I've seen criticism that his map of spiritual realms won't correspond exactly with everyone's experiences, but I'm not sure why it should. Maps are models of territory. Different occult traditions have been mapping invisible worlds differently for thousands of years. The Qabalistic Tree of Life, shamanic upper and lower worlds, Neoplatonic cosmologies, Spiritualist models, Theosophical planes, and countless traditional spirit geographies don't all agree either. That doesn't automatically make one fraudulent and another correct. What matters in practical occultism is whether a map helps you navigate experience coherently.
The same applies to Hunter's descriptions of different spirits. Angels, demons, faeries, the dead, familiars, and other beings come with enormous amounts of historical and cultural baggage, and obviously no single contemporary witch is going to provide the definitive taxonomy of the spirit world. I never read Hunter as claiming that he had. I read these sections as a working spirit practitioner's understanding of the beings he encounters. That distinction matters. An occultist describing what they have experienced is doing something different from a historian describing what people believed in fifteenth-century Europe, and I think there is room on my bookshelf for both.
I actually prefer that Hunter's own witchcraft remains visible throughout the book. His relationships with Hekate, his ceremonial influences, his witchcraft background, and his particular understanding of spirits aren't hidden behind some artificially neutral "all paths" language. Once you get beyond beginner material, neutrality becomes increasingly impossible anyway. If an author is going to teach me spirit work, eventually I want to know what they actually believe about spirits. What are they? Where do they exist? How do we reach them? What does communication feel like? How do relationships develop? What dangers do they perceive? What have they personally encountered? Those answers are inevitably going to reveal the author's worldview.
You don't have to adopt that worldview wholesale. I certainly don't think that's the point. A good occult book gives you a model substantial enough to experiment with, argue with, adapt, and eventually move beyond. Hunter gives the reader exactly that.
The most controversial part of the book is also the part I found the most fascinating: the VEXNA-KARI and the 33 spirits presented through Hunter's own spirit contact. I've seen people dismiss this material as UPG, as though labeling something "unverified personal gnosis" automatically settles the question of whether it has value. But where exactly do people think grimoires come from?
At some point, somebody had to be the first person to write down the name of a spirit.
Occultism would be an extraordinarily strange field if we decided that spirit revelations are legitimate only after the person who received them has been dead for several centuries. We readily open old grimoires filled with spirits, seals, conjurations, hierarchies, visions, and cosmological claims whose origins are frequently uncertain, complicated, pseudonymous, legendary, or impossible to verify. Yet when a living practitioner says, "This is what I encountered, this is what I was given, and here is how you can experiment with it yourself," suddenly the existence of personal gnosis becomes disqualifying. I find that standard difficult to defend.
That doesn't mean we should automatically believe every spirit catalogue someone publishes. Quite the opposite. Received material should be tested. Spirits should be approached with discernment. Experiences should be compared. Results should matter. Other practitioners should be able to engage the material and discover whether anything happens independently of the original author. The answer to UPG isn't blind acceptance, but it isn't automatic dismissal either. It's experimentation.
That is what makes the final portion feel genuinely occult to me. Hunter isn't merely explaining what people in the past believed about spirits. He's participating in the process through which occult traditions actually develop. Someone encounters something, records it, constructs methods of contact, shares those methods, and other practitioners determine whether the system produces meaningful experiences for them. Over time, personal gnosis either remains personal, develops into shared gnosis, changes through use, or disappears because nobody else finds it useful. That's a much more interesting process than pretending revelation was something that only happened to occultists in the past.
I also don't mind that the final section feels dramatically different from the beginning. To me, the structure makes sense. Hunter begins by teaching you about spirit work generally, moves into different categories and relationships, and then eventually says, in effect, "Now I'm going to show you what my own spirit practice produced." The book shifts from instruction into grimoire. I actually found that exciting because the author isn't merely teaching theory; he's showing us the results of applying his own methods.
The Hekate material didn't bother me either. Not every occult book needs to be religiously neutral. Hekate is important to Hunter's Craft, so naturally she appears in his spirit work. A reader doesn't have to develop the same devotional relationships in order to learn from how he constructs his practice. In fact, seeing someone's actual spiritual ecosystem is often far more instructive than reading another sanitized manual where every deity is reduced to an interchangeable name you can substitute according to preference.
I also think the density of the book is a strength. Spirit work is not a tiny subject. If anything, I'm suspicious of books that make communication with nonphysical beings sound effortless. There are questions of perception, altered consciousness, projection, boundaries, offerings, relationships, cosmology, protection, discernment, ritual technique, and interpretation before we've even reached the question of what kinds of spirits might exist. A substantial treatment should feel substantial.
Most importantly, The Witch's Book of Spirits encourages the reader to become a spirit worker rather than merely someone who knows facts about spirit work. There is a huge difference. You can memorize folklore about faeries, classifications of demons, angelic hierarchies, and lists of famous spirits without ever developing the ability to sit down, enter the appropriate state of consciousness, make contact, perceive something, communicate with it, establish boundaries, and build a relationship over time. Hunter is much more interested in the second thing.
That's ultimately why the criticism about personal experience doesn't bother me. Spirit work without personal experience would be an incredibly strange enterprise. If we genuinely believe these beings can be contacted, then eventually someone has to stop quoting what another magician experienced three hundred years ago and find out what happens when they make contact themselves.
I don't need Devin Hunter's spirit world to become mine. I want his work to challenge me to explore my own. The most useful thing an experienced spirit worker can give another practitioner isn't a demand that they believe everything he has seen. It's a set of tools, a map drawn from experience, and enough information to walk into the territory themselves and discover where their own map agrees, where it differs, and what might be waiting there that neither of them has encountered yet.
July 8, 2022
The Witchs Book of Spirits by Devin Hunter
9780738751948
292 Pages
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications, Llewellyn Worldwide
Release Date:
Nonfiction (Adult), Religion, Spirituality, Spirit Communication
The book is divided into the following sections
Part 1: The Familiar Craft
Chapter 1: Witches, Spirits, and the Familiar Craft
Chapter 2: Staying on Top
Chapter 3: The Art of Mediumship
Chapter 4: Spirit Guides and Familiars
Chapter 5: Preparing for Takeoff
Chapter 6: The Art of Flying
Chapter 7: Conjuration at a Glance
Chapter 8: Conjuration in Three Parts
Chapter 9: The Keys of Hecate
Part 2: The Spirits of the Familiar Craft
Chapter Ten: Angels
Chapter 11: The Dead
Chapter 12: Faeries
Chapter 13: Demons
Part 3: The Grimoire of 33 Spirits or the Book of the VEXNA-KARI
Chapter 14: The VEXNA_KARI
Chapter 15: The Others
I was pleased to read the forward written by Judith Illes. The author describes Familiar Craft as magical and psychic working with spirits. He also states that this book is a work to Hecate. I love the author’s statement about no religion can stake claim to a spirit type.
There is a great list of prohibitions and boundaries to consider when working with spirits. I never considered divination as a part of mediumship. That was very interesting to read. The section on flying refers to astral travel, or journeying, which is something I am always interested in doing. The author also provides recipes for oils, ointments, and incense.
The chapter on Hecate’s keys is amazing. He goes into detail about each key, the description, what it does, and how to activate it. I really enjoyed the section on Faeries. I work them a lot, especially as a follower of the Faerie Faith, and the book gave me tips and hints while working with them. If you are interested in working with spirits, this is definitely a book worth considering.
9780738751948
292 Pages
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications, Llewellyn Worldwide
Release Date:
Nonfiction (Adult), Religion, Spirituality, Spirit Communication
The book is divided into the following sections
Part 1: The Familiar Craft
Chapter 1: Witches, Spirits, and the Familiar Craft
Chapter 2: Staying on Top
Chapter 3: The Art of Mediumship
Chapter 4: Spirit Guides and Familiars
Chapter 5: Preparing for Takeoff
Chapter 6: The Art of Flying
Chapter 7: Conjuration at a Glance
Chapter 8: Conjuration in Three Parts
Chapter 9: The Keys of Hecate
Part 2: The Spirits of the Familiar Craft
Chapter Ten: Angels
Chapter 11: The Dead
Chapter 12: Faeries
Chapter 13: Demons
Part 3: The Grimoire of 33 Spirits or the Book of the VEXNA-KARI
Chapter 14: The VEXNA_KARI
Chapter 15: The Others
I was pleased to read the forward written by Judith Illes. The author describes Familiar Craft as magical and psychic working with spirits. He also states that this book is a work to Hecate. I love the author’s statement about no religion can stake claim to a spirit type.
There is a great list of prohibitions and boundaries to consider when working with spirits. I never considered divination as a part of mediumship. That was very interesting to read. The section on flying refers to astral travel, or journeying, which is something I am always interested in doing. The author also provides recipes for oils, ointments, and incense.
The chapter on Hecate’s keys is amazing. He goes into detail about each key, the description, what it does, and how to activate it. I really enjoyed the section on Faeries. I work them a lot, especially as a follower of the Faerie Faith, and the book gave me tips and hints while working with them. If you are interested in working with spirits, this is definitely a book worth considering.
May 13, 2017
Talk about an interesting reading! Devin Hunter makes it all look so simple in the first pages that you cannot stop reading, but when things get more complicated is that you understand that there is more than meets the eye with this book.
This book acts as a guide for those who wish to start working and developind mediumship-related abilities and that don’t know where to start. With simple ideas, information that is easily understandable and many, many exercises that will help on that.
After a juicy introduction on the subject, Hunter provides enough teachings for the witch to start working with her/his mediumship side, developing them on an almost daily basis, although it should be expected to do a lot of work to achieve this.
Along with it, with guest texts from other authors, that act as a window for further references and research, speak on specific and interesting topics to feed the boom with more useful tips and guidance.
What I do have to say doesn’t look that good is that it looks like a dark fantasy novel intended for teenagers and some won’t take it seriously, being me one of those. Some parts are so high into the subject I’m not sure they could work, although provide a base, a “skeleton,” to do something more in accordance with the witch's principels and ideals.
I’d be really interested in reading more about this author and his experiences, including his previous book, “The Witch’s Book of Power,” who seems to be a kind of prequel to the content on this one.
This book acts as a guide for those who wish to start working and developind mediumship-related abilities and that don’t know where to start. With simple ideas, information that is easily understandable and many, many exercises that will help on that.
After a juicy introduction on the subject, Hunter provides enough teachings for the witch to start working with her/his mediumship side, developing them on an almost daily basis, although it should be expected to do a lot of work to achieve this.
Along with it, with guest texts from other authors, that act as a window for further references and research, speak on specific and interesting topics to feed the boom with more useful tips and guidance.
What I do have to say doesn’t look that good is that it looks like a dark fantasy novel intended for teenagers and some won’t take it seriously, being me one of those. Some parts are so high into the subject I’m not sure they could work, although provide a base, a “skeleton,” to do something more in accordance with the witch's principels and ideals.
I’d be really interested in reading more about this author and his experiences, including his previous book, “The Witch’s Book of Power,” who seems to be a kind of prequel to the content on this one.
February 20, 2022
Outstanding work
This book took me on a journey way beyond my expectations; it's well written and very informative. Thank you for writing this book.
This book took me on a journey way beyond my expectations; it's well written and very informative. Thank you for writing this book.
September 27, 2024
Working with spirits is one of the most powerful, yet often misunderstood, aspects of witchcraft. In The Witch’s Book of Spirits, Devin Hunter tackles this elusive subject with clarity, depth, and a sense of grounded practicality that is both refreshing and much needed. This is not just a guide to spirit work; it’s a comprehensive system that expands the scope of what witchcraft can be, offering readers a blend of traditional spirit conjuration techniques and modern witchcraft practices to engage with beings that dwell beyond the material plane.
The core strength of Hunter’s book is his ability to distill complex esoteric concepts into accessible, structured teachings. He doesn’t shy away from the darker, more challenging aspects of spirit work—working with the deceased, summoning familiars, and communicating with faeries, demons, and angels are all covered here—but he does so with a steady hand, guiding the reader through the necessary precautions and ethical considerations. His understanding of the risks and rewards involved lends a depth to the material, showing that he speaks from a place of real experience rather than theoretical knowledge.
One of the standout sections is Hunter’s system for working with the 33 Spirits, a unique framework he developed in collaboration with his familiar, Malach, and the goddess Hecate. These spirits, each with their own domains and specialties, form a spiritual hierarchy that Hunter presents in meticulous detail, offering a pathway for witches to deepen their magical power and form lasting relationships with these entities. The rituals and conjurations provided are robust enough to be used as written, but Hunter also encourages readers to adapt and build upon them—making this book as much a toolkit as it is a formal system.
Hunter’s exploration of the Witch’s Tree—a metaphorical construct that maps out the various realms and layers of spirit worlds—is another highlight. This concept serves as a guidepost for understanding how different spirits interact and how witches can navigate the intricate web of spiritual connections. It’s a sophisticated framework that bridges the gap between abstract spiritual theory and practical application, making it easier to locate and work with specific spirits based on their resonance and position within this cosmology.
The tone throughout is accessible without sacrificing depth. Hunter writes with an authority that is tempered by humility, encouraging readers to engage with the material thoughtfully and to develop their own relationships with the spirits they encounter. His approach is neither dogmatic nor overly prescriptive; instead, he provides the foundation and structure needed for readers to safely explore these realms and make the practice their own.
But perhaps the most compelling aspect of The Witch’s Book of Spirits is its sense of purpose. Hunter isn’t content to simply teach the mechanics of summoning and banishing—he challenges witches to build a true partnership with the spirits they work with, to move beyond basic communication and enter into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the unseen. This is a book for witches who want to go beyond surface-level spirit work and engage fully with the beings who influence our world, both for personal growth and for expanding their magical repertoire.
Ultimately, The Witch’s Book of Spirits is a landmark work in modern witchcraft, offering a clear, coherent system that blends theory, practice, and personal insight. Whether you are new to spirit work or a seasoned practitioner looking to refine your methods, Hunter’s book will serve as a trusted guide, filled with wisdom, practical tools, and a deep respect for the spirit world.
The core strength of Hunter’s book is his ability to distill complex esoteric concepts into accessible, structured teachings. He doesn’t shy away from the darker, more challenging aspects of spirit work—working with the deceased, summoning familiars, and communicating with faeries, demons, and angels are all covered here—but he does so with a steady hand, guiding the reader through the necessary precautions and ethical considerations. His understanding of the risks and rewards involved lends a depth to the material, showing that he speaks from a place of real experience rather than theoretical knowledge.
One of the standout sections is Hunter’s system for working with the 33 Spirits, a unique framework he developed in collaboration with his familiar, Malach, and the goddess Hecate. These spirits, each with their own domains and specialties, form a spiritual hierarchy that Hunter presents in meticulous detail, offering a pathway for witches to deepen their magical power and form lasting relationships with these entities. The rituals and conjurations provided are robust enough to be used as written, but Hunter also encourages readers to adapt and build upon them—making this book as much a toolkit as it is a formal system.
Hunter’s exploration of the Witch’s Tree—a metaphorical construct that maps out the various realms and layers of spirit worlds—is another highlight. This concept serves as a guidepost for understanding how different spirits interact and how witches can navigate the intricate web of spiritual connections. It’s a sophisticated framework that bridges the gap between abstract spiritual theory and practical application, making it easier to locate and work with specific spirits based on their resonance and position within this cosmology.
The tone throughout is accessible without sacrificing depth. Hunter writes with an authority that is tempered by humility, encouraging readers to engage with the material thoughtfully and to develop their own relationships with the spirits they encounter. His approach is neither dogmatic nor overly prescriptive; instead, he provides the foundation and structure needed for readers to safely explore these realms and make the practice their own.
But perhaps the most compelling aspect of The Witch’s Book of Spirits is its sense of purpose. Hunter isn’t content to simply teach the mechanics of summoning and banishing—he challenges witches to build a true partnership with the spirits they work with, to move beyond basic communication and enter into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the unseen. This is a book for witches who want to go beyond surface-level spirit work and engage fully with the beings who influence our world, both for personal growth and for expanding their magical repertoire.
Ultimately, The Witch’s Book of Spirits is a landmark work in modern witchcraft, offering a clear, coherent system that blends theory, practice, and personal insight. Whether you are new to spirit work or a seasoned practitioner looking to refine your methods, Hunter’s book will serve as a trusted guide, filled with wisdom, practical tools, and a deep respect for the spirit world.
August 28, 2026
You can believe in spirits your entire life without ever learning how to work with one.
That distinction is important.
Spirit work requires skills. How do you perceive a spirit? How do you distinguish communication from your own mental chatter? How do you leave your body and navigate spiritual environments? How do you call something to you? How do you establish a relationship with a familiar? How do you maintain authority during an encounter? What do you do when something shows up that you didn't invite?
The Witch's Book of Spirits actually attempts to answer those questions.
That's what makes this such a strong second installment in Devin Hunter's Witch's trilogy. Where The Witch's Book of Power is concerned with developing and accessing power, this book turns toward relationship with the unseen and provides techniques for actually getting there.
There is a tremendous amount packed into it. Mediumship, spirit guides, familiar spirits, soul flight, conjuration, Hecate, angels, the dead, faeries, demons, different planes of existence, and methods of protection and control all receive serious attention. It's one of those books where a single chapter could easily become months of practice if you actually stop and work with the exercises rather than racing ahead.
I especially appreciate Devin's treatment of familiar spirits because the term has become so diluted in popular Witchcraft. A familiar isn't simply your cat because your cat happens to be adorable and sits beside you while you read tarot. There is a much older and stranger idea underneath that word: an intimate spiritual ally involved in the witch's magical work. Devin takes that relationship seriously.
The material on mediumship and flying is equally important because it addresses something many books on spirits conveniently skip: before worrying about which spirit you want to contact, you need methods of perception and communication. Spirit work becomes considerably more useful when it moves beyond simply performing a ritual and hoping something heard you.
Then the book gets considerably weirder.
The final section presents the VEXNA-KARI, a grimoire of 33 spirits received through Devin's own spirit work. I actually appreciate that he includes this because it demonstrates where sustained spirit practice can eventually lead. The practitioner isn't necessarily confined forever to reproducing spirit catalogues inherited from previous magicians. Relationships develop. Spirits teach. Personal cosmologies emerge. New magical material can be received.
Of course, received material should be approached as received material. Someone else's spirit revelation doesn't automatically become objective cosmological fact simply because it appeared in print. But that's part of what makes this section interesting to me. It gives us a look at the results of Devin's own practice rather than pretending that every piece of spirit knowledge must originate in an old grimoire to have value.
And knowing Devin, I know how central spirit work is to his actual Witchcraft. That comes through here. This doesn't read like someone who researched spirits because he decided they would make a good subject for a book. It reads like someone attempting to teach skills he actually uses.
That matters enormously with this subject.
Ultimately, The Witch's Book of Spirits doesn't ask you merely to accept that an unseen world exists.
It gives you tools for going and finding out for yourself.
And to me, that's where Witchcraft gets interesting.
That distinction is important.
Spirit work requires skills. How do you perceive a spirit? How do you distinguish communication from your own mental chatter? How do you leave your body and navigate spiritual environments? How do you call something to you? How do you establish a relationship with a familiar? How do you maintain authority during an encounter? What do you do when something shows up that you didn't invite?
The Witch's Book of Spirits actually attempts to answer those questions.
That's what makes this such a strong second installment in Devin Hunter's Witch's trilogy. Where The Witch's Book of Power is concerned with developing and accessing power, this book turns toward relationship with the unseen and provides techniques for actually getting there.
There is a tremendous amount packed into it. Mediumship, spirit guides, familiar spirits, soul flight, conjuration, Hecate, angels, the dead, faeries, demons, different planes of existence, and methods of protection and control all receive serious attention. It's one of those books where a single chapter could easily become months of practice if you actually stop and work with the exercises rather than racing ahead.
I especially appreciate Devin's treatment of familiar spirits because the term has become so diluted in popular Witchcraft. A familiar isn't simply your cat because your cat happens to be adorable and sits beside you while you read tarot. There is a much older and stranger idea underneath that word: an intimate spiritual ally involved in the witch's magical work. Devin takes that relationship seriously.
The material on mediumship and flying is equally important because it addresses something many books on spirits conveniently skip: before worrying about which spirit you want to contact, you need methods of perception and communication. Spirit work becomes considerably more useful when it moves beyond simply performing a ritual and hoping something heard you.
Then the book gets considerably weirder.
The final section presents the VEXNA-KARI, a grimoire of 33 spirits received through Devin's own spirit work. I actually appreciate that he includes this because it demonstrates where sustained spirit practice can eventually lead. The practitioner isn't necessarily confined forever to reproducing spirit catalogues inherited from previous magicians. Relationships develop. Spirits teach. Personal cosmologies emerge. New magical material can be received.
Of course, received material should be approached as received material. Someone else's spirit revelation doesn't automatically become objective cosmological fact simply because it appeared in print. But that's part of what makes this section interesting to me. It gives us a look at the results of Devin's own practice rather than pretending that every piece of spirit knowledge must originate in an old grimoire to have value.
And knowing Devin, I know how central spirit work is to his actual Witchcraft. That comes through here. This doesn't read like someone who researched spirits because he decided they would make a good subject for a book. It reads like someone attempting to teach skills he actually uses.
That matters enormously with this subject.
Ultimately, The Witch's Book of Spirits doesn't ask you merely to accept that an unseen world exists.
It gives you tools for going and finding out for yourself.
And to me, that's where Witchcraft gets interesting.
February 22, 2025
👍🏻Good things: The Keys of Hecate and the Seals of the Realms is enough for you to have this book on your shelf. It will greatly improve your contact with new spirits and also give you more power to do evocations. It also have good advices and recipes for soul flight (astral travel) and has a good form of banishment and "Middle Pillar Ritual"
👎🏻Things I don't like: It seems I'm reading a Medieval Grimoire rant with all the "God Herself" preaching (why not just call it God? It really have to be "God Himself" or "God Herself"? Such a unlimited being confined by genre, really?).
Again it seems a very Grimoire rant, which is not a bad thing as long the spells and advices are useful, but it's kinda hypocrite for people that 'hate Christianity' because of Yahweh and patriarchy but do the same thing. It's kinda confusing because the author recognizes the Left Hand and Right Hand path, but still continues to use words like "Karma" that do not fit the Left Hand philosophy, and all the things about Angels VS Demons (I do believe that some Daemons from Goetia don't like some Archangel's, like Paimon who don't like Raphael, but they seem to not care about the Shem Angels much or even like the guidance of the Shem Angels)
The 33 Legions seem they're servitors created by the author (he even acknowledge that some of them are in fact servitors or "familiars" of past magicians), and it's not a bad thing I've seen some people saying that E.A Koetting also created servitors but I had good experiences with his Grimoires, but the difference is that some of the 33 Legions of Vexna-Kark really give me off vibes like King Shadow that requires more and more offerings which is a red flag 🚩 for imposter spirits.
I like the first three though, the Vexna-Kara, Vexna-Karo and Vexna-Karu give me cool vibes (maybe because I'm also ally of Hecate then they seem more inviting and better to contact).
==============================================
In general, the good things speak louder than the bad but they definitely hinder the reading. I advice to advanced magicians to pick only the things that resonates with you and your belief system.
👎🏻Things I don't like: It seems I'm reading a Medieval Grimoire rant with all the "God Herself" preaching (why not just call it God? It really have to be "God Himself" or "God Herself"? Such a unlimited being confined by genre, really?).
Again it seems a very Grimoire rant, which is not a bad thing as long the spells and advices are useful, but it's kinda hypocrite for people that 'hate Christianity' because of Yahweh and patriarchy but do the same thing. It's kinda confusing because the author recognizes the Left Hand and Right Hand path, but still continues to use words like "Karma" that do not fit the Left Hand philosophy, and all the things about Angels VS Demons (I do believe that some Daemons from Goetia don't like some Archangel's, like Paimon who don't like Raphael, but they seem to not care about the Shem Angels much or even like the guidance of the Shem Angels)
The 33 Legions seem they're servitors created by the author (he even acknowledge that some of them are in fact servitors or "familiars" of past magicians), and it's not a bad thing I've seen some people saying that E.A Koetting also created servitors but I had good experiences with his Grimoires, but the difference is that some of the 33 Legions of Vexna-Kark really give me off vibes like King Shadow that requires more and more offerings which is a red flag 🚩 for imposter spirits.
I like the first three though, the Vexna-Kara, Vexna-Karo and Vexna-Karu give me cool vibes (maybe because I'm also ally of Hecate then they seem more inviting and better to contact).
==============================================
In general, the good things speak louder than the bad but they definitely hinder the reading. I advice to advanced magicians to pick only the things that resonates with you and your belief system.
June 2, 2025
Unfortunately I was disappointed. This book functions more as a personal grimoire of Hunter's rather than an informative text. There is a large bias towards ceremonial witchcraft (Wicca/Golden Dawn) but with Hunter's own interpretation. A majority of the sigils provided related to Hecate which is impractical for those outside of the Hellenistic practice.
As a whole, there is an intense amount of theoretics for a single text. There's the provision of 33 spirits the author was informed to provide to witches because of their intense need to work with other practitioners. There's discussion of Nephilim, half-human half-angel hybrids which is a bold belief to bring into an neo-spiritual text. There is discussion on angel, fae, and demon ethics, personalities, and physicality that is extremely unique and almost out of a YA novel or Lord of the Rings. These concepts are not only based on Hunter's accounts alone but also impractical for many practitioners. There is an aura of grandiose ideas and it's an overload of theory for the reader.
Of course, there are historical concerns. Hunter regards the flood as a "near extinction event" but the flood myth is not a universal concept across spiritual cultures. There is no definite, historical consensus that the flood was a world wide event, which should be considered in an accepting and open practice like witchcraft (p. 224). Also, it's apparent that Hunter's practice is materialistic which is unhelpful for impoverished practitioners. From p. 226, "Ceremonial magic was difficult and expensive and labor intensive, and it had—and still has—an air of exclusivity about it. I don't think exclusivity is a bad thing, but in this case it shaped the way this magic would develop in later centuries." We know better in the modern era. Exclusivity has not saved us from extremist ideas and classism does the everyday practitioner little favors. This quote follows discussion on John Dee (p. 225), which is fascinating considering he died in poverty.
I found value in the methods proposed for astral projection practice which can be accessible alternatives compared to other, vague methods I've read. The most helpful concepts end at p. 130.
As a whole, there is an intense amount of theoretics for a single text. There's the provision of 33 spirits the author was informed to provide to witches because of their intense need to work with other practitioners. There's discussion of Nephilim, half-human half-angel hybrids which is a bold belief to bring into an neo-spiritual text. There is discussion on angel, fae, and demon ethics, personalities, and physicality that is extremely unique and almost out of a YA novel or Lord of the Rings. These concepts are not only based on Hunter's accounts alone but also impractical for many practitioners. There is an aura of grandiose ideas and it's an overload of theory for the reader.
Of course, there are historical concerns. Hunter regards the flood as a "near extinction event" but the flood myth is not a universal concept across spiritual cultures. There is no definite, historical consensus that the flood was a world wide event, which should be considered in an accepting and open practice like witchcraft (p. 224). Also, it's apparent that Hunter's practice is materialistic which is unhelpful for impoverished practitioners. From p. 226, "Ceremonial magic was difficult and expensive and labor intensive, and it had—and still has—an air of exclusivity about it. I don't think exclusivity is a bad thing, but in this case it shaped the way this magic would develop in later centuries." We know better in the modern era. Exclusivity has not saved us from extremist ideas and classism does the everyday practitioner little favors. This quote follows discussion on John Dee (p. 225), which is fascinating considering he died in poverty.
I found value in the methods proposed for astral projection practice which can be accessible alternatives compared to other, vague methods I've read. The most helpful concepts end at p. 130.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2024
Devin Hunter’s The Witch’s Book of Spirits is hands down one of the most comprehensive guides on spirit work I’ve ever read. Hunter covers everything from communicating with the deceased and familiars to navigating the various layers of the Witch’s Tree, which is a unique system that adds depth to spirit magic. What really stands out is the balance between practical how-to information and Hunter’s personal experiences and insights, making it feel like you’re learning directly from someone who walks this path daily. The 33 Spirits system, which he introduces here, feels fresh and unique. You can tell that these are real, lived techniques rather than just theory, which is a rare quality in books on spirit conjuring.
I’ve found myself going back to this book repeatedly, not just to reference Hunter’s methods but also to gain new perspectives on my own practice. His approach is structured and grounded, making even the more advanced techniques accessible, without losing that sense of wonder and respect for working with powerful entities. I appreciate how he doesn’t just lay out rituals and leave it at that—he explains the underlying principles and the precautions, making this a perfect guide whether you’re just beginning to work with spirits or looking to deepen your relationships with the unseen. It’s the kind of book that will grow with you as your practice evolves, and that’s what makes it such a valuable addition to any witch’s library.
I’ve found myself going back to this book repeatedly, not just to reference Hunter’s methods but also to gain new perspectives on my own practice. His approach is structured and grounded, making even the more advanced techniques accessible, without losing that sense of wonder and respect for working with powerful entities. I appreciate how he doesn’t just lay out rituals and leave it at that—he explains the underlying principles and the precautions, making this a perfect guide whether you’re just beginning to work with spirits or looking to deepen your relationships with the unseen. It’s the kind of book that will grow with you as your practice evolves, and that’s what makes it such a valuable addition to any witch’s library.
August 17, 2026
I’ve gone through a lot of witchcraft books over the years, and The Witch’s Book of Power by Devin Hunter is easily one of the few I know I’ll keep coming back to. What I really appreciate is how much actual substance is packed into it. It doesn’t feel like filler or fluff. There’s a ton of genuinely useful information, and it’s written in a way that makes it easy to revisit later as a reference. I’ve already found myself flipping back through certain sections more than once.
The part that surprised me most, in a good way, was the astrology content. It goes deeper than I expected, but still feels approachable and clearly explained. Even if you’re not super experienced with that side of things, it’s laid out in a way that makes sense and feels usable. Overall, the book is just really easy to read. The writing flows well, nothing feels overly complicated, and the instructions and ideas are explained in a clear, straightforward way. You can tell the author knows what he’s talking about and also knows how to actually teach it.
It’s also just an enjoyable read. It made me think more about my own practice and gave me a lot of ideas to work with, without feeling overwhelming. If you’re looking for something that’s both informative and practical, and something you’ll actually use instead of reading once and forgetting, this is definitely worth picking up.
The part that surprised me most, in a good way, was the astrology content. It goes deeper than I expected, but still feels approachable and clearly explained. Even if you’re not super experienced with that side of things, it’s laid out in a way that makes sense and feels usable. Overall, the book is just really easy to read. The writing flows well, nothing feels overly complicated, and the instructions and ideas are explained in a clear, straightforward way. You can tell the author knows what he’s talking about and also knows how to actually teach it.
It’s also just an enjoyable read. It made me think more about my own practice and gave me a lot of ideas to work with, without feeling overwhelming. If you’re looking for something that’s both informative and practical, and something you’ll actually use instead of reading once and forgetting, this is definitely worth picking up.
June 6, 2024
Mr. Hunter's writing waxes and wanes with his level of mastery over the topic being discussed. It is clear when he is putting on airs, and when he's comfortable with his subject matter. Just write what you know, the best way you would have it told to yourself when you started. Stop trying to fit into a silhouette that will never be you. Your readers can smell the inauthenticity, and it makes us wary of your work.
As for the work itself...Something smells off with some of these spirits. While Mr. Hunter vouches for the authenticity of these spirits that they have been heavily vetted, and encourages the reader to vet the spirits as well, I would have much preferred to read more on the relationship Mr. Hunter has with these spirits, how they manifest, and other recorded UPG other than "trust me, and Big Bad Bamma Mamma Hecate is the strongest ever, actually." I would have liked to see some more robust personal sources, and older sources for some of the mythological and historical claims. For dealing with gods like Hecate and Diana, I would have expected primary sources older than the united states, at least.
As for the work itself...Something smells off with some of these spirits. While Mr. Hunter vouches for the authenticity of these spirits that they have been heavily vetted, and encourages the reader to vet the spirits as well, I would have much preferred to read more on the relationship Mr. Hunter has with these spirits, how they manifest, and other recorded UPG other than "trust me, and Big Bad Bamma Mamma Hecate is the strongest ever, actually." I would have liked to see some more robust personal sources, and older sources for some of the mythological and historical claims. For dealing with gods like Hecate and Diana, I would have expected primary sources older than the united states, at least.
June 15, 2017
The Witch's Book of Spirits by Devin Hunter
I have always been fascinated with witchcraft and have studied it for years. I wish I had of had this book years ago. This is not a read it and pass it on type of book. As a matter of fact it is not a story at all. This is one of those books you will want to add to your reference library and pull it out quite often. This book will teach you many different aspects of witchcraft. It will teach you spells, rituals, and so much more. No it is not a book of spells. It is kind of like a text book of witchcraft and all that is involved. If you have ever wanted to learn the craft or just brush up this is a great book. It is not a cheesy made up fascination it is very indepth. You can learn so much from this book. It will also teach the right way to go about the craft so you do not suffer in the end with mistakes made in spells that can haunt you in the end run. You may even want to have a notebook handy as you read this book, I did.
I have always been fascinated with witchcraft and have studied it for years. I wish I had of had this book years ago. This is not a read it and pass it on type of book. As a matter of fact it is not a story at all. This is one of those books you will want to add to your reference library and pull it out quite often. This book will teach you many different aspects of witchcraft. It will teach you spells, rituals, and so much more. No it is not a book of spells. It is kind of like a text book of witchcraft and all that is involved. If you have ever wanted to learn the craft or just brush up this is a great book. It is not a cheesy made up fascination it is very indepth. You can learn so much from this book. It will also teach the right way to go about the craft so you do not suffer in the end with mistakes made in spells that can haunt you in the end run. You may even want to have a notebook handy as you read this book, I did.
June 15, 2018
This book is very informative and well written and is for people of all levels. I really love the exercises Devin includes in book such as meeting your spirit guides and activating your third eye. He also includes how to spiritually cleanse your home and recipes such as spiritual baths.
This book has great info on mediumship that I can really relate too!
I highly recommend this book to all witches of all levels!
This book has great info on mediumship that I can really relate too!
I highly recommend this book to all witches of all levels!
October 7, 2024
absolutely amazing. the witch’s book of spirits is hands down one of the best books on working with spirits i’ve ever read. devin hunter really knows his stuff and breaks down complex topics like conjuration and mediumship in a way that’s easy to understand but still powerful. loved how he introduces the 33 Spirits — a totally unique system that’s super practical and doesn’t feel like fluff. plus, his advice on staying in control and building real relationships with spirits is top-notch.
March 23, 2020
In brief...this was an interesting experience in that I liked his personal stories and found value in his recipes and praxis, and yet when he talks about theory I never, ever agree with him.
May 24, 2020
Advanced Books of Witchcraft, Full with brand new Awesome Magickal Technic to Bonding with Magic and Spirits, if this book a novel could be on thriller genre hehe
March 14, 2025
What a great book! So many uses for the keys I cannot wait to get started using them. The amount of annotations I made in this book… wow! So useful and will come back to it again and again!
January 30, 2020
I don't know how much this book is going to be as useful to me as The Witch's Book of Power. I think the material gave me a lot to think about, though I will probably have to do wider research into spirits (and what my own tradition has to say about the subject) on my own to see if this actually works for me. And as I don't really have interest in working with Hekate, I would need to figure out a way around that if I wanted to use the information in this book.
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