Grovedaughter Witchery: Practical Spellcraft

by Bree NicGarran

For the witch whose town is devoid of occult shops and covens, learning the craft can be a daunting task indeed. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for a budding practitioner to make a start. Stroll down the forest path with Bree NicGarran, co-author of "The Sisters Grimmoire" and "The Witches' Cupboard," and discover the surprising ways you can practice your craft with commonplace items from the supermarket and the craft store. Build a travel kit for on-the-go magic. Create your own spells from scratch with a step-by-step guide. Learn how to make your own witch webs and magical powders. Uncover the secrets of walnut charms and witchballs and much, much more. Every page carries tricks of the trade and homegrown charms from the files of the Grovedaughter herself.From besoms to banishings to a bit of good advice, Grovedaughter Witchery is the ideal book for any witch with an inclination toward a practical, no-frills approach to witchcraft.

Genres: Witchcraft, Spirituality, Magic, Occult, Nonfiction, Paganism, Religion

224 pages, Paperback

Published January 24, 2017

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for Cottage and Non-Religious Witchcraft

So refreshing to have such a great and straightforward book. Even rarer that it has nothing to do with Wicca. Can apply her techniques to your own spirituality or keep it completely separate. Love it and will be buying a hard copy to keep in my library. Cannot possibly recommend this more.

[Fi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars, five stars!! If I could recommend a single book to beginners in witchcraft, it would be this one! This book was absolutely amazing. Though it’s short, it somehow managed to cover more topics and information than most other witchcraft books I’ve read. And I know that I am actually going to be able to find the ingredients and use this information! It’s so satisfying to find a new book that you know you’re going to refer to all the time, and this is definitely one of those for me!

[Leah Hester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love! Understandable, well researched, and a full on joy to read. Highly recommend.

[Anie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really nice practically-focused book. It's great for beginners, especially for those with a little bit of experience, but also has plenty of great recipes for those who are a bit more advanced, too. It's also pleasantly down-to-earth, without a bunch of the ridiculous New Age shenanigans and TERF-iness of many other books. What a pleasant thing!

[Briar 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I met you on Tumblr and I got to see (through the internet) you publish this! I finally found my copy again and read it today. 🌿♥️

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grovedaughter Witchery is a good guide to practical spellcraft, written by Bree NicGarran (who is also on Tumblr by the same name).

I have the Kindle edition, though I wish I'd bought it as a paperback instead. It's a great reference, but the Kindle edition has no table of content with links, so if I want to find something I have to scroll through the entire book to find it. I've found myself copying multiple things into my own notebook, just for quick reference.

Bree starts the book out with words of advice, wisdom, and warning to new and not-so-new witches. Practical things like fire safety, not neglecting mundane things like medicine and mental health services in favor of magical remedies, etc. But she also includes things like "hey, don't steal or appropriate from other people's closed cultures and practices, k?" I love it.

Then she jumps into the practical side of things. She'll lay out how to do something - make a powder, write a spell, etc. - then she'll give plenty of examples from her own practice and spellbook.

At the end of the book she has correspondence lists: candle colors, herb correspondences, etc.

I really liked this book as both a reference and as a "magical recipe" guide. I'll be buying it in paperback the next time I make an Amazon physical purchase.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was different than what I thought (I think I was expecting a 101 type of book) but it was really great. I'm glad Bree touched on several different warnings, that usually get ignored in most 101 books. 4 stars only because the pictures were grainy and there were a few editing issues (example: birthday candles were mentioned in a parentheses and the author said "mentioned earlier" when they don't show up till later in the book and a few instances of a misspelled or incorrect word) Nonetheless I still highly, highly recommend!

[CottageShadowWitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been ages since I was recommended @breelandwalker​‘s book Grovedaughter Witchery by @towalkmyownpath​ but I finally managed to gather my thoughts about it.

I’m at a point on my path where I long for witchcraft books that teach, in a way, but aren’t just a collection of spells, potions, rituals etc. etc.

At first glance this book might appear that way. But I got sucked into the writing and I ended up highlighting so many of Bree’s creations that my ebook is nearly highlighted all the way. I love the no-nonsense approach about cultural appropriation, the safety tips, but most of all how many notes I took about Bree’s creations that inspired me and my practice.

Of course you can do a spell exactly the way someone else has written it, but I love taking my own approach on it and making it fit my magic. And somehow Groverdaughter Witchery made me find my lost inspiration and help me reconnect to that curious witch that I am on the inside.

This was a really enjoyable read and I’m sure I’m going to pick up Grovedaughter Witchery in years to come. And buy the others. Because how could I not?

[Tina Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I don’t really practice anything. Just working on reading a lot currently.

I love the glossaries, lists by correspondence, and all of that. Also the effort to not appropriate , and what is ok to do/not to do. Appreciate that it’s not a certain religion centric, or coven centric, etc.

And it reads very simply.

I do wish there was more of a why/how, especially on her own blends. But. Hence the reading kick.😂

I feel like it’s a good resource, both for someone’s practice, and to find other resources as well.

[Kali Estrathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of PRACTICAL knowledge and tips regarding witchcraft. Strictly for the magical practice without ties to a particular pantheon or religion. It is an incredible book for beginners and as someone who's practiced for a while it was still a great read to re-evaluate how I do some things, and was able to draw inspiration for my own spellwork by how the spells are described in the book.

[_tinymonstrocity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still in my initial seeking/learning phase of witchcraft, and I am so glad I had the sense to have this as one of the first books in my collection. Every time I try a new working, I hardly ever have to grab another book. This thing has just a stupid amount of information in it, it's incredible, and the way it is organized makes my little virgo heart soar with happiness.

[M. Lovy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It really resonated with what witchcraft means to me, I liked it a lot but it doesn't get five stars for the sole reason of not being longer. I would have loved for some concepts to go more in depth, to what it means exactly to use certain ingredients in certain spells, but overall I enjoyed it thoroughly and it's a great book for beginners.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for beginners

This book speaks on many aspects of witchery. The most important things are being inclusive and avoiding cultural appropriation! Oh and don't forget fire safety! Incredible amount of explanations as well!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best I've read. Clear, concise, practical. I've loved and followed Bree for a long time on Tumblr and lostened to her podcast. This book is a must-have for any practicioner's bookcase!

[Navi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for witches new and experienced. Practical, humorous, and down-to-earth.

[Naava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't decide between four and five stars so I clicked, with my eyes closed, somewhere between the stars. Well, five it is!

Very practical, very useful, very much not intimidating.

[william day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy practice

I loved the book as new to the craft I find all the information very helpful and interesting so it keeps me interested

[Mitchell Stern · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very useful reference book for developing/performing spells and identifying useful materials.

[Ali Arief · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what I’ve been searching for in terms of a decent book on Witchcraft. I’d highly recommend this to anybody.

[Amanda Wojahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good very resourceful and very practical

[Amely Amory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big fan. Got nothing to complain about. Particularly great for beginners. Good job Bree !

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this as a reference book. My biggest qualm is that there are many typos and grammatical errors throughout the text, which drove me a little nuts.

[Jena Hornberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, I cannot recommend enough. It is perfect for beginner witches and experienced witches alike. It's full of good information and a lot of insight.

[Jo Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bree is amazing and her work is so incredibly helpful.

[Fern Goynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely reference book for any level of experience!

[Laura Petchey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic resource, no specific emphasis on Wicca (absolutely nothing wrong with Wicca at all, but personally moved from Wicca to more of non-religious pagany witch) but I would also recommend this for Wiccans as it also has lots of practical ideas and information that can be incorporated.

Well researched with a reminder that there is no ‘absolute’ truth and how to critically assess sources (which is important in all aspects of life!)

Great reminders about safety – alternatives for smoke cleansing, as well as powders, spells and a good understanding of budget & practical application limitations. Acknowledges science and witchiness, well written and non-condescending to the reader, highly recommend.

[Ellen Camerlynck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction into witchcraft. Discusses the practical aspects of witchcraft as well, which are often overlooked in other books. The book has a light and inviting feel about it, and is very accessible to both beginners and more advanced people.

[Heidi’s Zee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Direct, secular and crafty. So written by a witch, I can see this being a good start. I’ll try charming a coconut and use blends!