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Wicca: A Modern Guide to Witchcraft and Magick
Witchcraft and Wicca for a modern world, from YouTube vlogger and Instagram sensation Harmony Nice
Welcome to Generation "Hex"--an era where young Americans know that witchcraft isn't about devil worship and spooky curses, and instead are openly embracing meaningful Wiccan rituals that can enrich our lives in real-world ways. In Wicca, 21-year-old Harmony Nice--a YouTube and Instagram star with 700,000 followers--offers modern readers a guide to overcoming obstacles and maximizing happiness. She offers practical guidance on:
using crystals, wands, tarot cards, and magical tools
setting up an altar
introductory spells for health and protection
finding your own witchy path--solitary or with a coven
With beautiful illustrations throughout, Wicca offers readers spiritual authenticity, a hint of glamour, and a perfect guide to infusing their lives with spiritual purpose, confidence, and resilience.
Welcome to Generation "Hex"--an era where young Americans know that witchcraft isn't about devil worship and spooky curses, and instead are openly embracing meaningful Wiccan rituals that can enrich our lives in real-world ways. In Wicca, 21-year-old Harmony Nice--a YouTube and Instagram star with 700,000 followers--offers modern readers a guide to overcoming obstacles and maximizing happiness. She offers practical guidance on:
using crystals, wands, tarot cards, and magical tools
setting up an altar
introductory spells for health and protection
finding your own witchy path--solitary or with a coven
With beautiful illustrations throughout, Wicca offers readers spiritual authenticity, a hint of glamour, and a perfect guide to infusing their lives with spiritual purpose, confidence, and resilience.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2019
349 people are currently reading
4069 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 313 reviews
August 17, 2020
Well... I'm giving it 1 star out of pity (and because Goodreads doesn't allow anything lower than that..).
This book is terrible. And I'm going to explain why I think that, in a very detailed way.
Pros:
- It looks pretty on your bookshelf if someone doesn't know what this book is about.
- She has some good ideas lost in between the pages like about urban practices and all but honestly, it's not even worth the effort to mention them. They're not that big things and they're in tons of other books about the topics.
Cons:
- Harmony Nice talks about Wicca like it's a product she has to sell. She constantly talks about it like she's presenting a product that's super good and super healthy for you. She has a full chapter on "Why Explore Wicca" that literally looks like an ad for something. Her reasons for exploring Wicca is that it's good for you, meditation is nice, it's good for self-care and other terrible reasons that have NOTHING to do with Wicca.
- The chapter organization is terrible. First, she gives an introduction on what's Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism (a very short one, if I might add) and then she jumps to Divination and Nature?! Where's the rest of the info about Wicca? Why jump to Divination which isn't even a part of Wicca but a tool that can be used?
- She talks about The Wicca Rede and the Three-Fold Law and OMG what is this chapter?! She says that "not all Wiccans" need to follow the Wiccan Rede or the Three-Fold Law. And, I quote, "Wicca path is typically a super free one". WHAT IS THIS?! Also, she says that the author of the Wiccan Rede remains unknown. Lady, all you gotta do is pick up a book that isn't by Scott Cunningham. With all due respect to Cunningham, because he's one of my fav authors for folk magic, but Wicca is more than Cunningham. Pick up a book about Traditional Wicca or about the History of Wicca and you'll probably get your answer in the first few pages.
- In the Magic chapter, she talks about "Rules of Magic" but provides no source to where these so-called "Rules" came from. Where do they come from? Or were they made up by her?
- Doesn't know what Gardnerian Wicca is. Says that no one knows a lot about Gardnerian Wicca even though there are multiple books, authors and info about it online and on the communities. All you gotta do is look outside of TikTok and Instagram, I'm not even kidding. For this I highly recommend checking out Thorn Mooney, she's a Gardnerian Priestess and even has a book published about Traditional Wicca.
- The entire Part 2 of this book is ridiculous: Like I said in the beginning, she talks about Wicca like it's a product for self-care and self-help. Wicca is a RELIGION. Not a self-help product. Yes, of course, it will benefit you, all religions will. That is not a reason to choose it though, especially a religion that will ask so much of you like Wicca.
- On Part 3 she finally starts about practical aspects of Wicca, however, again we got tons of confusing info. She talks a paragraph about each Sabbats but lots of contradictory info like saying that the Goddess is pregnant on Imbolc and then talks about the Oak King/Holly King without any context, just a sentence lots in the middle of text. To newbies whose first book is this one, they won't understand a thing.
- This last part is mostly a resources area, with lots of info about Crystals (I'm glad she at least mentioned that not all crystals can be placed in water, though she did recommend passing crystals through fire flames and I can't tell you how dangerous that can be).
- Her Resources pages in the end. I need to rant about this. This author gives you FOUR BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS! Three of them from the same author! Nothing else. She gives you more Instagrammers and Youtubers than she gives you authors!! HOW?!? Not to say that Youtubers or even IGers don't provide information but it's not enough. I'm sorry, but online content is not enough. I own a blog about Paganism and Witchcraft for over 5 years now. I've been in the Pagan Communities for over 10 years, especially online. Online content is NOT enough. Especially content which is aimed at aesthetic which seems to be the goal of Harmony Nice. In fact, I took the time to check one or two of her videos and she herself has said that she built herself an aesthetic. I'm sorry, but Paganism and Witchcraft are NOT aesthetics. And should not be seen or used as such.
This book was TERRIBLE. I don't recommend it, at all. I'm so mad I lost my time reading this book, I can't even. This review will be published on my blog later in the month of September, hopefully, a bit less salty.
This book is terrible. And I'm going to explain why I think that, in a very detailed way.
Pros:
- It looks pretty on your bookshelf if someone doesn't know what this book is about.
- She has some good ideas lost in between the pages like about urban practices and all but honestly, it's not even worth the effort to mention them. They're not that big things and they're in tons of other books about the topics.
Cons:
- Harmony Nice talks about Wicca like it's a product she has to sell. She constantly talks about it like she's presenting a product that's super good and super healthy for you. She has a full chapter on "Why Explore Wicca" that literally looks like an ad for something. Her reasons for exploring Wicca is that it's good for you, meditation is nice, it's good for self-care and other terrible reasons that have NOTHING to do with Wicca.
- The chapter organization is terrible. First, she gives an introduction on what's Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism (a very short one, if I might add) and then she jumps to Divination and Nature?! Where's the rest of the info about Wicca? Why jump to Divination which isn't even a part of Wicca but a tool that can be used?
- She talks about The Wicca Rede and the Three-Fold Law and OMG what is this chapter?! She says that "not all Wiccans" need to follow the Wiccan Rede or the Three-Fold Law. And, I quote, "Wicca path is typically a super free one". WHAT IS THIS?! Also, she says that the author of the Wiccan Rede remains unknown. Lady, all you gotta do is pick up a book that isn't by Scott Cunningham. With all due respect to Cunningham, because he's one of my fav authors for folk magic, but Wicca is more than Cunningham. Pick up a book about Traditional Wicca or about the History of Wicca and you'll probably get your answer in the first few pages.
- In the Magic chapter, she talks about "Rules of Magic" but provides no source to where these so-called "Rules" came from. Where do they come from? Or were they made up by her?
- Doesn't know what Gardnerian Wicca is. Says that no one knows a lot about Gardnerian Wicca even though there are multiple books, authors and info about it online and on the communities. All you gotta do is look outside of TikTok and Instagram, I'm not even kidding. For this I highly recommend checking out Thorn Mooney, she's a Gardnerian Priestess and even has a book published about Traditional Wicca.
- The entire Part 2 of this book is ridiculous: Like I said in the beginning, she talks about Wicca like it's a product for self-care and self-help. Wicca is a RELIGION. Not a self-help product. Yes, of course, it will benefit you, all religions will. That is not a reason to choose it though, especially a religion that will ask so much of you like Wicca.
- On Part 3 she finally starts about practical aspects of Wicca, however, again we got tons of confusing info. She talks a paragraph about each Sabbats but lots of contradictory info like saying that the Goddess is pregnant on Imbolc and then talks about the Oak King/Holly King without any context, just a sentence lots in the middle of text. To newbies whose first book is this one, they won't understand a thing.
- This last part is mostly a resources area, with lots of info about Crystals (I'm glad she at least mentioned that not all crystals can be placed in water, though she did recommend passing crystals through fire flames and I can't tell you how dangerous that can be).
- Her Resources pages in the end. I need to rant about this. This author gives you FOUR BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS! Three of them from the same author! Nothing else. She gives you more Instagrammers and Youtubers than she gives you authors!! HOW?!? Not to say that Youtubers or even IGers don't provide information but it's not enough. I'm sorry, but online content is not enough. I own a blog about Paganism and Witchcraft for over 5 years now. I've been in the Pagan Communities for over 10 years, especially online. Online content is NOT enough. Especially content which is aimed at aesthetic which seems to be the goal of Harmony Nice. In fact, I took the time to check one or two of her videos and she herself has said that she built herself an aesthetic. I'm sorry, but Paganism and Witchcraft are NOT aesthetics. And should not be seen or used as such.
This book was TERRIBLE. I don't recommend it, at all. I'm so mad I lost my time reading this book, I can't even. This review will be published on my blog later in the month of September, hopefully, a bit less salty.
January 30, 2019
This is Wicca diluted to the point of uselessness. Although I can't imagine you can be harmed by anything written in this book, there is nothing in it you can't find online with an easy search.
If you want to work with a coven, go find one to learn from. If you don't, stick with Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner.
If you want to work with a coven, go find one to learn from. If you don't, stick with Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner.
February 19, 2019
This book is beautifully packaged, with an illustrated hardcover (no dustjacket) in muted colours and rose-gold foil. It's a beautiful book to hold and have on your shelf!
Sadly, I found the contents didn't quite live up to my expectations. The book does explain a lot about Wicca and the varying strains there are inside the philosophy, along with practices, methods, traditions and other practical information, like the yearly calendar. However, I found that the information was presented in a way that made it seem a little vague and hotch-potch. During the first half of the book there are chapters about spellwork, altars and so on, but the book doesn't explain (to a beginner) how to do these things until the second half and there are no page references made as to where you'll find the instructions. It's a fairly simple thing (and probably more editorial than due to the author), but it can leave the book feeling slightly confusing or mish-mashy to a reader.
That being said, there were some pieces of information in this book that I found interesting - and again, the cover design is really lovely. I'm just sad to say the content wasn't quite as satisfying for me personally as I had hoped.
Sadly, I found the contents didn't quite live up to my expectations. The book does explain a lot about Wicca and the varying strains there are inside the philosophy, along with practices, methods, traditions and other practical information, like the yearly calendar. However, I found that the information was presented in a way that made it seem a little vague and hotch-potch. During the first half of the book there are chapters about spellwork, altars and so on, but the book doesn't explain (to a beginner) how to do these things until the second half and there are no page references made as to where you'll find the instructions. It's a fairly simple thing (and probably more editorial than due to the author), but it can leave the book feeling slightly confusing or mish-mashy to a reader.
That being said, there were some pieces of information in this book that I found interesting - and again, the cover design is really lovely. I'm just sad to say the content wasn't quite as satisfying for me personally as I had hoped.
October 27, 2018
First, the cover is stunning!!
The writing is very clear and easy to understand. I have read a few books on wicca (I‘m a very beginner), but this is definitely the easiest to understand. In previous ones there where sometimes things that I didn’t really get because of the formulation. Because of this it‘s also great for younger people.
It’s a very basic beginner book. It gives a great overview over everything, but doesn’t go more into depth within each of the topics, which is understandable because otherwise the book could be 10000 pages long and more. As she says there’s always more to learn in wicca. Pick out the topics that interest you the most and learn more about these specifically :)
I especially loved her tips on how to get started practicing wicca, practicing it in the city (even if I‘m living on the countryside too), when others don’t accept it or when you don’t have much space.
The writing is very clear and easy to understand. I have read a few books on wicca (I‘m a very beginner), but this is definitely the easiest to understand. In previous ones there where sometimes things that I didn’t really get because of the formulation. Because of this it‘s also great for younger people.
It’s a very basic beginner book. It gives a great overview over everything, but doesn’t go more into depth within each of the topics, which is understandable because otherwise the book could be 10000 pages long and more. As she says there’s always more to learn in wicca. Pick out the topics that interest you the most and learn more about these specifically :)
I especially loved her tips on how to get started practicing wicca, practicing it in the city (even if I‘m living on the countryside too), when others don’t accept it or when you don’t have much space.
May 15, 2025
I’ve had this book for a while and have been trying to get through it for a while. Sadly, I feel disappointed after reading it through to completion. I’ll explain why below.
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This book, written by Youtube content creator Harmony Nice, explores Wicca and describes the facets of the practice in an attempt to dispel a lot of the misconceptions that seem to come with Wicca.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
I feel this book wasn’t detailed enough for my personal tastes. I was hoping for more detail about the facets that go into this “religion” if that’s how you want to describe Wicca.
I want more of a deep dive into what goes into the facets but we didn’t get it with this book. I feel like the book is meant more for a broad overview of the religion and nothing more.
I’ve never heard of Harmony before this point but if she writes another book, I’d be hesitant to read it, if I’m honest with myself here. I hate to put it that bluntly but here we are.
I got bored with the Kindle version of the book so I turned to the audiobook version to see if that would help get me through the book. It seemed to help quite a bit.
I admit that I’m a visual learner when it comes to wanting to learn something by reading about it. I love having photos of what I’m reading and I didn’t get as much of this as I was hoping for.
I’m disappointed that I had a hard time focusing on both the Kindle version of this book and the audiobook version. I had a hard time figuring out learning anything and keeping the info.
I normally don’t have as much of an issue focusing on the audio version of a book but this was an exception, unfortunately. I don’t know if it was because I was tired or what. idk
If you want the broad overview of what Wicca entails, I would recommend this book to you. It’s a bit of a short book so there’s that running for it as well.
If you want more of a detailed explanation of what goes into the Wicca practice, I would stay away from this book if I’m truly being honest here. I’m sorry, Harmony, but it is what it is.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
This book, written by Youtube content creator Harmony Nice, explores Wicca and describes the facets of the practice in an attempt to dispel a lot of the misconceptions that seem to come with Wicca.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
I feel this book wasn’t detailed enough for my personal tastes. I was hoping for more detail about the facets that go into this “religion” if that’s how you want to describe Wicca.
I want more of a deep dive into what goes into the facets but we didn’t get it with this book. I feel like the book is meant more for a broad overview of the religion and nothing more.
I’ve never heard of Harmony before this point but if she writes another book, I’d be hesitant to read it, if I’m honest with myself here. I hate to put it that bluntly but here we are.
I got bored with the Kindle version of the book so I turned to the audiobook version to see if that would help get me through the book. It seemed to help quite a bit.
I admit that I’m a visual learner when it comes to wanting to learn something by reading about it. I love having photos of what I’m reading and I didn’t get as much of this as I was hoping for.
I’m disappointed that I had a hard time focusing on both the Kindle version of this book and the audiobook version. I had a hard time figuring out learning anything and keeping the info.
I normally don’t have as much of an issue focusing on the audio version of a book but this was an exception, unfortunately. I don’t know if it was because I was tired or what. idk
If you want the broad overview of what Wicca entails, I would recommend this book to you. It’s a bit of a short book so there’s that running for it as well.
If you want more of a detailed explanation of what goes into the Wicca practice, I would stay away from this book if I’m truly being honest here. I’m sorry, Harmony, but it is what it is.
June 18, 2019
I cannot praise this book enough. As someone who wants to learn more about the Wiccan faith, it’s hard to find information that doesn’t seem like you’re being talked down to. This book felt like the author was sitting down with me and having a chat. Everything was easy to understand as well. Again, can’t recommend it enough.
June 20, 2019
Most of the information could have been more succinctly explained in a Google search or have already more interestingly explained by better books. Obviously the book is aimed at beginners, but despite over explaining painfully simple concepts it expects people to know what she's talking about when mentioning other things such as the origin/reason for the Sabbats. How is a beginner supposed to know what you mean when you say that it is the time of the "oak king who rules this half of the year"? That's not even language that most experienced wiccans or pagans I know use but a newbie is supposed to understand it? I think she chooses to talk like this purely so make wicca sound more interesting and high brow. It gets annoying fast.
The main and unforgivable problems seem to be in poor and incredibly limited editing. I feel so bad for Harmony Nice as she was obviously so passionate about this book and education, and while she is obviously not a very talented writer, if her editor had done a better job this book might have been 2 or 3 stars for me.
Two things I really do want to make a note of- "coming out of the broom closet" isn't a funny joke for everyone who reads it. Sure, it can be hard or embarrassing and if you have strict or religious family they may reject you. However Wiccans as a small group do not face nearly the same persecution problems as LGBT have that makes coming out such a big deal. I believe Harmony is LGBT (I might be remembering that wrong, fact check it if you care but I no longer do) and should understand that even if she finds that joke funny and uses language like that, seeing that as a joke could badly hurt an LGBT person who for whatever reason cannot come out. I know that I would use language like that in my personal life but I also know to avoid it in conversation with people who could be affected by it or if I don't know them well enough to understand their boundaries. Please be more respectful to others who havent has an easy of an experience as you.
Secondly the mental health portion brought up a very valid question of if you can practice wicca with mental health problems... which of course Harmony takes to mean "can you practice wicca if you are depressed." I've heard that question a lot before, especially as a wiccan with mental health problems. It is usually directed at people with a tenuous grip on reality (i.e. me) because they may have hallucinations or dissociation or delusions of grandeur etc. I don't think anyone actually worries about depressed people practicing witchcraft. Engaging in a faith which encourages feeling things you cannot see or "tapping into power" is controversial for people who suffer that kind of illness, because it may cause symptoms to worsen or hallucinations and delusions might end up validated by the faith. Its an important question for all religions and I really did not like Harmony waving it off as "yep. It'll help your mental health!" It's flippant, ignorant and somewhat disrespectful.
On the plus side, I picked up a little new info and I'll probably keep the book on hand too. The encyclopedia-esque lists that plauge it might actually be useful for when I'm crafting a ritual and I dont want to risk looking up something on my phone in case it gets dirty. I dont mind roughing this book up a bit for some reason...
The main and unforgivable problems seem to be in poor and incredibly limited editing. I feel so bad for Harmony Nice as she was obviously so passionate about this book and education, and while she is obviously not a very talented writer, if her editor had done a better job this book might have been 2 or 3 stars for me.
Two things I really do want to make a note of- "coming out of the broom closet" isn't a funny joke for everyone who reads it. Sure, it can be hard or embarrassing and if you have strict or religious family they may reject you. However Wiccans as a small group do not face nearly the same persecution problems as LGBT have that makes coming out such a big deal. I believe Harmony is LGBT (I might be remembering that wrong, fact check it if you care but I no longer do) and should understand that even if she finds that joke funny and uses language like that, seeing that as a joke could badly hurt an LGBT person who for whatever reason cannot come out. I know that I would use language like that in my personal life but I also know to avoid it in conversation with people who could be affected by it or if I don't know them well enough to understand their boundaries. Please be more respectful to others who havent has an easy of an experience as you.
Secondly the mental health portion brought up a very valid question of if you can practice wicca with mental health problems... which of course Harmony takes to mean "can you practice wicca if you are depressed." I've heard that question a lot before, especially as a wiccan with mental health problems. It is usually directed at people with a tenuous grip on reality (i.e. me) because they may have hallucinations or dissociation or delusions of grandeur etc. I don't think anyone actually worries about depressed people practicing witchcraft. Engaging in a faith which encourages feeling things you cannot see or "tapping into power" is controversial for people who suffer that kind of illness, because it may cause symptoms to worsen or hallucinations and delusions might end up validated by the faith. Its an important question for all religions and I really did not like Harmony waving it off as "yep. It'll help your mental health!" It's flippant, ignorant and somewhat disrespectful.
On the plus side, I picked up a little new info and I'll probably keep the book on hand too. The encyclopedia-esque lists that plauge it might actually be useful for when I'm crafting a ritual and I dont want to risk looking up something on my phone in case it gets dirty. I dont mind roughing this book up a bit for some reason...
January 16, 2020
I appreciate all the work and details that went into this book. But I learned nothing new. All Wicca books are all the same.
August 20, 2019
I only read half of this. A comprehensive book on Wicca written by a 24 year old? Only in 2019. And only because she had a popular YouTube channel. The book is good for beginners. I already knew everything in it. I had hoped it might go into more depth. Her take on Wicca is very very liberal, perfect for millennials who want to conveniently call themselves a #witch on Instagram because they burn incense and wear crystal necklaces. Sorry to sound jaded. Blessed be.
May 26, 2019
This book is presented very well. The cover is lovely and the illustrations in it are cute. But there should be more to a book about Wicca or witchcraft than a pretty cover and some cute drawings.
I love Harmony Nice. I watch her YouTube channel and I HAVE learned a decent amount about Wicca and witchcraft because of that, but I think she should have maybe taken a little extra time with her book than she did. It's so watered down that, unless you already know something about Wicca and how it's practiced, this would be of no benefit to you at all. Therefore, I absolutely do not suggest this to a freah-out-of-the-box beginner. If you are a brand new Wiccan, don't read this first. By all means, if you want it in your collection, especially since it's a pretty book, then go ahead and get it, but please, please read other beginner-based materials before you read this!
There are a few spells and rituals mentioned in this book, but there isn't enough information on things like preparation. To me, it came off sort of like saying that all you have to do is light a candle and make a wish and that's that. It isn't. There is a little more work on the caster's part than the very simplistic terms that are laid out in this book. She does make mention that there is a time and energy effort needed for a spell to be properly cast, but doesn't give much information on good ways to accomplish that. I just thought that it was all too "wishy washy".
I also came away with a feeling that Harmony is coming to us from a place of comfort, which many of us don't have the privilege of. Her parents lived in a rural area where she could connect with nature more easily and also had a neutral opinion of her practicing witchcraft. This shines through in a lot of the opinions she puts forth in her book, unfortunately, and I felt that I could not relate to it in many places as a result.
There is just not enough description, either. It feels as if many of the topics are simply glanced at, rather than having had any time devoted to explaining them well. I don't know if Harmony had any plans as to the length of her book and whether such a thing may have had an impact on how much she devoted to writing about certain subjects, or whether it was inexperience as a writer or a person as a whole. She is 20-something, after all, and while I don't want to sound like the broody old crone that shakes her cane at the youngsters and calls them lay-abouts or some such, I do understand that you approach certain things, like writing, in a much different way when you're 40-something as opposed to when you're 20-something, for example. Without the life experience behind it, you won't have as much to use for your writing. I think that this might be the case here. After all, for another example, authors like Scott Cunningham had been practicing Wicca for at least a full decade to my understanding and were older individuals than Harmony is when they wrote their books. She's been practicing about 8 years (as of the writing of this review), and so she does not have the kind of personal well of experience to draw from as Scott and other authors of Wiccan books have had in the past. I appreciate her ambition, and I'm glad she was able to get her book published, but I do feel like a little more time, effort, and experience behind her would have helped the outcome of her book immensely.
On a positive note, she does a decent job of explaining things like the Sabbats and Esbats and how they're celebrated and which herbs have what sort of properties associated with them and the like. Such things don't need much more explanation than the name of the herb, crystal, the a magickal tool and a short description of what it could be used for, and so those sections were useful and I will likely check back on them later for some reference notes.
Unfortunately, that information is also covered in other more extensive books about Wicca that are easily obtained, so you do not need THIS book in order to get that particular information. As is the case, because the book is so sparce with its description and information, there is nothing within it that you can't get from other books that have been out for many years or from a simple Google search.
In closing, I want to say something nice. Harmony does not come off as other Wiccan authors have in one certain way that makes me happy. She doesn't tell you that you MUST do something in a very specific and dogmatic way or it WILL NOT work. She does not make the snobbish remark that only Wiccans can be witches and anyone else who practices witchcraft are not witches but are "just doing magic" or are "just dabblers". I liked that she wasn't so close minded as that.
Still, though a cute little book, this is not for beginners and shouldn't be obtained for anything more than a collectible. I love you, Harmony. I apologize if you're reading this and you think ill of me. I don't want you to think me angry or anything, but I did want to tell the truth as I saw it.
Blessed Be.
I love Harmony Nice. I watch her YouTube channel and I HAVE learned a decent amount about Wicca and witchcraft because of that, but I think she should have maybe taken a little extra time with her book than she did. It's so watered down that, unless you already know something about Wicca and how it's practiced, this would be of no benefit to you at all. Therefore, I absolutely do not suggest this to a freah-out-of-the-box beginner. If you are a brand new Wiccan, don't read this first. By all means, if you want it in your collection, especially since it's a pretty book, then go ahead and get it, but please, please read other beginner-based materials before you read this!
There are a few spells and rituals mentioned in this book, but there isn't enough information on things like preparation. To me, it came off sort of like saying that all you have to do is light a candle and make a wish and that's that. It isn't. There is a little more work on the caster's part than the very simplistic terms that are laid out in this book. She does make mention that there is a time and energy effort needed for a spell to be properly cast, but doesn't give much information on good ways to accomplish that. I just thought that it was all too "wishy washy".
I also came away with a feeling that Harmony is coming to us from a place of comfort, which many of us don't have the privilege of. Her parents lived in a rural area where she could connect with nature more easily and also had a neutral opinion of her practicing witchcraft. This shines through in a lot of the opinions she puts forth in her book, unfortunately, and I felt that I could not relate to it in many places as a result.
There is just not enough description, either. It feels as if many of the topics are simply glanced at, rather than having had any time devoted to explaining them well. I don't know if Harmony had any plans as to the length of her book and whether such a thing may have had an impact on how much she devoted to writing about certain subjects, or whether it was inexperience as a writer or a person as a whole. She is 20-something, after all, and while I don't want to sound like the broody old crone that shakes her cane at the youngsters and calls them lay-abouts or some such, I do understand that you approach certain things, like writing, in a much different way when you're 40-something as opposed to when you're 20-something, for example. Without the life experience behind it, you won't have as much to use for your writing. I think that this might be the case here. After all, for another example, authors like Scott Cunningham had been practicing Wicca for at least a full decade to my understanding and were older individuals than Harmony is when they wrote their books. She's been practicing about 8 years (as of the writing of this review), and so she does not have the kind of personal well of experience to draw from as Scott and other authors of Wiccan books have had in the past. I appreciate her ambition, and I'm glad she was able to get her book published, but I do feel like a little more time, effort, and experience behind her would have helped the outcome of her book immensely.
On a positive note, she does a decent job of explaining things like the Sabbats and Esbats and how they're celebrated and which herbs have what sort of properties associated with them and the like. Such things don't need much more explanation than the name of the herb, crystal, the a magickal tool and a short description of what it could be used for, and so those sections were useful and I will likely check back on them later for some reference notes.
Unfortunately, that information is also covered in other more extensive books about Wicca that are easily obtained, so you do not need THIS book in order to get that particular information. As is the case, because the book is so sparce with its description and information, there is nothing within it that you can't get from other books that have been out for many years or from a simple Google search.
In closing, I want to say something nice. Harmony does not come off as other Wiccan authors have in one certain way that makes me happy. She doesn't tell you that you MUST do something in a very specific and dogmatic way or it WILL NOT work. She does not make the snobbish remark that only Wiccans can be witches and anyone else who practices witchcraft are not witches but are "just doing magic" or are "just dabblers". I liked that she wasn't so close minded as that.
Still, though a cute little book, this is not for beginners and shouldn't be obtained for anything more than a collectible. I love you, Harmony. I apologize if you're reading this and you think ill of me. I don't want you to think me angry or anything, but I did want to tell the truth as I saw it.
Blessed Be.
June 14, 2023
Knyga skirta labiau pradedantiesiems Wiccan‘ams. Joje pateikta visa informacija glaustai, bet konkrečiai. Skaityti buvo lengva, nes parašyta lengvu stiliumi. Kadangi esu Wiccan‘as nuo 13 metų tai visi šitie dalykai knygoje man puikiai žinomi, tačiau atnaujinti žinias visada reikia. Labi gerai, kad buvo aprašyti Esbats, nes apie juos neturėjau daug informacijos, o dabar sužinojau naujų dalykų. Puikiai aprašytas altoriaus įrengimas, galėsiu patobulinti savąjį. Taip pat labai pravers kaip pašvęsti įrankius darbui, nes tokio dalyko dar niekur neteko rasti.
Knygoje galima rasti keletą paprastų burtų, patarimų kaip išsiversti gyvenant mieste ar neturint vietos, taip pat kaip elgtis kai artimieji nepriima tavo tikėjimo ir t.t.
Kadangi knygutė plona, tai joje nebuvo per daug informacijos, bet tai ką reikia žinoti – yra. Pradžiai to pakanka. Rekomenduoju visiems pradedantiesiems Wiccan‘ams. Na, o aš senas vilkas irgi radau sau naudingos informacijos.
Knygoje galima rasti keletą paprastų burtų, patarimų kaip išsiversti gyvenant mieste ar neturint vietos, taip pat kaip elgtis kai artimieji nepriima tavo tikėjimo ir t.t.
Kadangi knygutė plona, tai joje nebuvo per daug informacijos, bet tai ką reikia žinoti – yra. Pradžiai to pakanka. Rekomenduoju visiems pradedantiesiems Wiccan‘ams. Na, o aš senas vilkas irgi radau sau naudingos informacijos.
December 19, 2018
This was a sad read. One. This book took me forever to read, over two month. I'm just not a fan. I was really excited to learn more about witchcraft, and even though I don't believe 100% the same as this book, I wanted to learn more. This book has a lot of good stuff for beginners for witchcraft and for beginners in learning about witchcraft. But this book is about how to do everything not a historical kind of book. I really did not like all the personal bits she added in, they were not necessar to learning how to cast spells, and everything else; so I really didn't like those bits she added about herself.
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August 7, 2020
Some chapters do feel rather unnecessary and lots of things aren't sourced but, overall, Wicca has some good and practical info presented in an accessible language. I also liked the resources chapter right at the end, since it gives readers a direction on how to move forward and find more information :D
September 5, 2020
I hate to say this but this book is super boring, doesn’t have a good narrative at all, she repeats herself SO MANY TIMES that is almost unbearable to read.
It has a really poor editing and the most important thing is that she doesn’t share any experiences/personal opinions or spells whatsoever. Maybe she shared 3 spells at the most.
I literally stopped counting how many times she said “this is up to you/you do whatever you think is best for you” and at the end she didn’t even share what her own experience was with anything in particular. It’s like she is trying to please everybody by not saying much about what she really thinks.
However the real problem starts to show when you keep reading the book. You can tell she is never going in depth about anything she mentions.
What a big disappointment it was to read the following sentence “As you may know, Easter is named after the female hormone oestrogen, necessary for fertility, which is one of the main aspects of the celebration of Ostara.”
According to the author Easter was named after the hormone estrogen... I was shocked to read such a statement, you cannot get more far from the truth than this.
The scientists started to use the term “estrogen” in 1906, and it was not until 1929 that estrogen as a hormone was isolated. So you are telling me that after 1906 people started calling it Easter as a result of the discovery of the hormone? To a pagan celebration that goes way back?. This cannot be more inaccurate. If the author/editor would have done a better job to phrase this or to correct this mistake it would have been a complete different story but, this is a HUGE mistake. If you happen to read the etymology of the word, you will know that her statement is completely false and incorrect.
I would not recommend this book to anybody that actually wants to understand what Wicca is because is pretty shallow and lacking of in-depth knowledge it was more like a copy paste of Wikipedia, with pages full of list of crystals and what they are good for and nothing else, no spells, no shared experiences, just the same all phrases and things repeated over and over again, till it ends.
It has a really poor editing and the most important thing is that she doesn’t share any experiences/personal opinions or spells whatsoever. Maybe she shared 3 spells at the most.
I literally stopped counting how many times she said “this is up to you/you do whatever you think is best for you” and at the end she didn’t even share what her own experience was with anything in particular. It’s like she is trying to please everybody by not saying much about what she really thinks.
However the real problem starts to show when you keep reading the book. You can tell she is never going in depth about anything she mentions.
What a big disappointment it was to read the following sentence “As you may know, Easter is named after the female hormone oestrogen, necessary for fertility, which is one of the main aspects of the celebration of Ostara.”
According to the author Easter was named after the hormone estrogen... I was shocked to read such a statement, you cannot get more far from the truth than this.
The scientists started to use the term “estrogen” in 1906, and it was not until 1929 that estrogen as a hormone was isolated. So you are telling me that after 1906 people started calling it Easter as a result of the discovery of the hormone? To a pagan celebration that goes way back?. This cannot be more inaccurate. If the author/editor would have done a better job to phrase this or to correct this mistake it would have been a complete different story but, this is a HUGE mistake. If you happen to read the etymology of the word, you will know that her statement is completely false and incorrect.
I would not recommend this book to anybody that actually wants to understand what Wicca is because is pretty shallow and lacking of in-depth knowledge it was more like a copy paste of Wikipedia, with pages full of list of crystals and what they are good for and nothing else, no spells, no shared experiences, just the same all phrases and things repeated over and over again, till it ends.
November 14, 2020
Even though it’s taken be two months to read this book, I’ve got to say I’ve really enjoyed it! I’ve found it insightful and helpful. I will definitely be carrying on and doing more research into the Wicca faith! Anyone thinking about becoming a Wicca or learning more about the faith I’d really recommend this book as a good place to start!
Highly recommend 5/5
Highly recommend 5/5
November 17, 2019
Unfortunately I didn’t found this book as educating or informative on the subject as I was hoping for. I would not recommend it as a beginners book. As I view it, Harmony has written this book from her own perspective only. What I was missing was a deeper and a wider view on the faith. She could have explained a lot more about the gods, the elements and about wiccan values. I also found the information vague and not completely accurate. I also think that the chapters could have been in a different order, as it is now the most informative part is the last one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2024
Harmony Nice was one of the biggest influences on my witchcraft path and her YouTube channel was my comfort videos. She has such inviting energy and is so inspiring and I miss seeing her dearly. This is a good summary of things she has talked about in book form. The audiobook is read by her and it was nice to hear her voice again! She left her enchanted endeavors series that she references in this book up on YouTube and now that I've finished this book I think I'll give them another watch!
February 20, 2019
Very easy to read but with a few misconceptions and irritating grammar issues. Harmony is a lovely young lady who cares a great deal and wants to educate but not all of her information is 100% correct. Nevertheless a good starting point for anyone interested in dipping their toes into witchcraft and/or Wicca.
November 15, 2018
Verdict: Story (depth of topic and execution) - 4/5
Writing - 4/5
Memorability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Overall - 4/5
I know nothing about Wicca, so found this book fascinating and a great introduction to Wicca and magick. I suspect if you're fairly well read on the subject, this may be nothing new to you. Harmony is incredibly articulate and writes in an engaging, accessible manner. I've bought the physical copy of the book as it is full of spells, recipes, lists of crystals etc. which never translate particularly well on audio.
Writing - 4/5
Memorability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Overall - 4/5
I know nothing about Wicca, so found this book fascinating and a great introduction to Wicca and magick. I suspect if you're fairly well read on the subject, this may be nothing new to you. Harmony is incredibly articulate and writes in an engaging, accessible manner. I've bought the physical copy of the book as it is full of spells, recipes, lists of crystals etc. which never translate particularly well on audio.
December 26, 2019
This was a good beginner's guide. Tackled a lot of topics. I wished she dived more in depth. Also, the way that the topics were set up was terrible. Why was the coven section separated into 2 sections, separated by 200 pages?
February 26, 2021
I've been watching Harmony's YouTube videos for a while and I really like her.
I was really interested in her book.
I'm not a Wiccan, but a witch and so not everything applied to my personal path, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.
Harmony's writing style is really easy to read and understand. I feel like this book is especially educational for younger people, or beginners.
I really liked how she incorporated her personal path with stories about mental health and self-care.
I was really interested in her book.
I'm not a Wiccan, but a witch and so not everything applied to my personal path, but it was an interesting read nonetheless.
Harmony's writing style is really easy to read and understand. I feel like this book is especially educational for younger people, or beginners.
I really liked how she incorporated her personal path with stories about mental health and self-care.
January 7, 2022
Overall, very easy to follow along and understand! Definitely a great book to start off with if you’re interested in Wicca!
December 29, 2019
Really happy with this book even tho it contains basic knowledge of Wicca and witchcraft, it was really helpful to me. It's a very simple book, it's beautifully written and easy to understand.
It's very beginners friendly, and if you don't know anything about Wicca or witchcraft this is definitely a book for you. However, if you already know more about it all this probably won't be the best book for you since it's just basics.
I, personally, am not Wiccan, just a witch but this book was extremely helpful to me nonetheless. I've learned some new things about witchcraft itself but also about a whole other religion, which is Wicca. I didn't know anything about it, so this book was really educational on that part for me.
What I also love about this book is that Harmony talked about her own journey as a Wiccan and her own believes in the book. However, I would love it more of she put more facts and history of Wicca too.
Since this book is just basics, I wouldn't be taking it as some kind of serious literature regarding witchcraft. Harmony herself stated several times in the book that she advises the reader to do some more research before starting any kinds of spells, potions, etc. So yeah, I can't really say that after reading this you'll be ready to do some extremely powerful magick or something like that, I definitely advise you to read more detailed book on this topic.
However, this was a really nice introduction into Wicca and witchcraft and I recommend it to all baby witches and witchlings out there. It's also an absolute 5/5 stars for me because the whole time I was reading it, I just wanted to do more research and go do magick, it really inspired me and made me wanna learn more.
It's very beginners friendly, and if you don't know anything about Wicca or witchcraft this is definitely a book for you. However, if you already know more about it all this probably won't be the best book for you since it's just basics.
I, personally, am not Wiccan, just a witch but this book was extremely helpful to me nonetheless. I've learned some new things about witchcraft itself but also about a whole other religion, which is Wicca. I didn't know anything about it, so this book was really educational on that part for me.
What I also love about this book is that Harmony talked about her own journey as a Wiccan and her own believes in the book. However, I would love it more of she put more facts and history of Wicca too.
Since this book is just basics, I wouldn't be taking it as some kind of serious literature regarding witchcraft. Harmony herself stated several times in the book that she advises the reader to do some more research before starting any kinds of spells, potions, etc. So yeah, I can't really say that after reading this you'll be ready to do some extremely powerful magick or something like that, I definitely advise you to read more detailed book on this topic.
However, this was a really nice introduction into Wicca and witchcraft and I recommend it to all baby witches and witchlings out there. It's also an absolute 5/5 stars for me because the whole time I was reading it, I just wanted to do more research and go do magick, it really inspired me and made me wanna learn more.
September 17, 2019
More surface-level then I would have expected. I also think much of the information was oversimplified and without context. However, I do think this book would be good for young teens who are curious about Wicca. I initially was going to give this 2 stars but I think there was some unique and interesting content towards the end of the book (regarding how to practice with some of the challenges of the modern world) that bumped it up to a 3 for me.
April 23, 2020
Couldn’t finish it, seems like a good book for someone brand new to Wicca but even after reading a single book by Cunningham or another one of the big name authors this book won’t be worth your time.
It felt rushed and very shallow, mostly vague information you could get out of a quick google search.
It felt rushed and very shallow, mostly vague information you could get out of a quick google search.
March 4, 2022
Informative and interesting but really needs some proofreading and reworking of awkward sentences.
April 10, 2020
I'm sorry but it's been a looooong reading. Even if it's not a lot of pages. I feel a waste my time. Sorry to the author.
June 29, 2019
A nice new Wicca book for the next generation, by young British Wiccan Harmony Nice, following her YouTube and Instagram fame. I think that even people who aren't interested and don't believe in witchcraft and magick (as she *ahem* spells it), wouldn't be able to resist that beautiful cover. So charming and natural.
Er, right. So 'Wicca: A Modern Guide to Witchcraft and Magick' is basic, and a bit disorganised (I'm not sure about the order in which the subjects are introduced), but it's personal, friendly, self-aware, and informative. Miss Nice writes about the importance of kindness, meditation and keeping calm, and exuding positive energy as a healthy way to live life. It can help with problems from the everyday to the serious, with stress, and depression; Wicca has helped Miss Nice with her own mental health issues since her teen years. One of the reasons that Wicca is freeing. It's an inspiration.
A more contemporary inclusion is listing the positive and negative aspects of practicing Wicca both in the countryside and in the city. Creativity in your practices and expressions is highlighted. It depends on the individual; it is about what works for you and what makes you comfortable.
I also think that Harmony Nice doesn't like 'Harry Potter' that much.
'Wicca: A Modern Guide to Witchcraft and Magick' - A free-for-all Wicca guidebook for millennials that's still deeply respectful and serious, and very well-written, minus the slight muddle of subject order. Contains cute ink illustrations as well. I am happy for Harmony, and wish her and all nature-loving, open-minded and kind Wiccans the best for the future.
Magic/magick is in everything and everyone. It is a form of energy. A way for one so small and insignificant to be at one with the unending, fathomless universe, full of limitless possibilities. Limitless stars to look up to.
Final Score: 4/5
Er, right. So 'Wicca: A Modern Guide to Witchcraft and Magick' is basic, and a bit disorganised (I'm not sure about the order in which the subjects are introduced), but it's personal, friendly, self-aware, and informative. Miss Nice writes about the importance of kindness, meditation and keeping calm, and exuding positive energy as a healthy way to live life. It can help with problems from the everyday to the serious, with stress, and depression; Wicca has helped Miss Nice with her own mental health issues since her teen years. One of the reasons that Wicca is freeing. It's an inspiration.
A more contemporary inclusion is listing the positive and negative aspects of practicing Wicca both in the countryside and in the city. Creativity in your practices and expressions is highlighted. It depends on the individual; it is about what works for you and what makes you comfortable.
I also think that Harmony Nice doesn't like 'Harry Potter' that much.
'Wicca: A Modern Guide to Witchcraft and Magick' - A free-for-all Wicca guidebook for millennials that's still deeply respectful and serious, and very well-written, minus the slight muddle of subject order. Contains cute ink illustrations as well. I am happy for Harmony, and wish her and all nature-loving, open-minded and kind Wiccans the best for the future.
Magic/magick is in everything and everyone. It is a form of energy. A way for one so small and insignificant to be at one with the unending, fathomless universe, full of limitless possibilities. Limitless stars to look up to.
Final Score: 4/5
May 15, 2020
3.5
I recently found Harmony Nice on YouTube while looking up Wicca book recommendations. Her book is a great introduction to Wicca and witchcraft as it covers the basics without diving in too deep. This allows people to search further into the specific things that have caught their attention. On the flip side, there are certain sections that were so sparse that I didn’t learn anything at all. There was also a lot of repetition in the book and, in some places, it’s hard to avoid. The third section of the book, which talks about how to get started, was probably the worst for this. There’s a lot to learn and a lot of lists etc, which are probably best looking at when needed for reference, rather than reading in a big chunk. I appreciated that Harmony pushed the notion that you can practice Wicca and/or witchcraft in any way that feels right to you. There are a few “rules,” but overall it’s not a strict faith, though others might make it out to be. This is a book for beginners only in my opinion and there are things I read that will stick with me forever in a positive way.
I recently found Harmony Nice on YouTube while looking up Wicca book recommendations. Her book is a great introduction to Wicca and witchcraft as it covers the basics without diving in too deep. This allows people to search further into the specific things that have caught their attention. On the flip side, there are certain sections that were so sparse that I didn’t learn anything at all. There was also a lot of repetition in the book and, in some places, it’s hard to avoid. The third section of the book, which talks about how to get started, was probably the worst for this. There’s a lot to learn and a lot of lists etc, which are probably best looking at when needed for reference, rather than reading in a big chunk. I appreciated that Harmony pushed the notion that you can practice Wicca and/or witchcraft in any way that feels right to you. There are a few “rules,” but overall it’s not a strict faith, though others might make it out to be. This is a book for beginners only in my opinion and there are things I read that will stick with me forever in a positive way.
June 24, 2021
The Halloween reads started early this hot and firey summer. My love for autumn, cold weather and dark romance is endless and fall season encompass everything I live for.
Harmony Nice is my favorite youtuber out there, well to be fair, I have a handful of ladies that govern my youtube channel but her vibe is a necessity for my well being.
I do want to study more about witches and witchcraft so what better way than starting to learn about nature from an actual wiccan?
Harmony wrote this book with her soul and I’m here for it whole.
This book doesn’t come like a manual but like a manifestation of power and it is insightful. The fact that she covers her struggles and mental health journey within shows me how powerful she truly is. The book does teach you everything you need and want to know about paganism, wicca, magick and gives you a personal account of them all. A fact that makes this book an awesome and wholesome read.
Harmony Nice is my favorite youtuber out there, well to be fair, I have a handful of ladies that govern my youtube channel but her vibe is a necessity for my well being.
I do want to study more about witches and witchcraft so what better way than starting to learn about nature from an actual wiccan?
Harmony wrote this book with her soul and I’m here for it whole.
This book doesn’t come like a manual but like a manifestation of power and it is insightful. The fact that she covers her struggles and mental health journey within shows me how powerful she truly is. The book does teach you everything you need and want to know about paganism, wicca, magick and gives you a personal account of them all. A fact that makes this book an awesome and wholesome read.
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