Inner Witch: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Craft

by Gabriela Herstik

The ultimate guide to witchcraft for every woman craving a connection to something bigger, using the tools of tarot, astrology, and crystals to discover her best self.

In these uncertain times, witchcraft, astrology, tarot, crystals, and similar practices are seeing a massive resurgence, especially among young women as part of their self-care and mindfulness routines. Gabriela empowers readers to take back their power while connecting to something larger than ourselves. She

  *  Witchcraft as a feminist call to action
  *  Fashion magick
  *  Spells for self-love
  *  Cleansing your space
  *  How to create a spellbook/grimoire
  *  Witchcraft as self-care

If a reader loves to cook, she'll enhance her kitchen magick, with cooking and eating as a form of ritual; likewise, someone who identifies as a green witch will learn about plants and herbs, gardening and growing. Witchcraft as self-care can mean finding peace through meditation, working with crystals, or performing a banishing spell to move past an unhealthy relationship.

Genres: Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Magick, Wicca, Witches, Magic

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2018

Reviews

[Emily]

This reminded me of some of the books I would furtively read as a preteen, fun and simple and easy to read. Beautiful pictures/aesthetic.

As an adult, it feels kind of shallow. I wish there was more sources or citations, I wish it felt more intentional, I wish she had gone into why there are associations between colors/plants/feelings/actions in any meaningful way or even articulated that she was drawing primarily from European traditions and why. The lack of specificity in naming the origins of the bulk of what she writes about as European, or even as coming from recent American new-age communities, makes it seem like this is just what witchcraft is in general and that makes me uncomfortable.

However, what made this book truly un-enjoyable for me is the casual way she appropriates in the name of eclecticism. On the same page she encourages you to essentially do your research, cite your sources and don't take from closed traditions she encourages you to smudge with white sage (without ever citing where that tradition comes from, or indicating that it is a practice specific to specific peoples for specific purposes! and that it's appropriation by settler witches/new age folks is threatening the ability of indigenous people to use it in their traditional ways). She goes on to recommend smudging with white sage or palo santo (another plant used by specific indigenous peoples in specific ways!) on practically every page and casually working with the Orisha (even though the Orisha are worked with in traditions that specifically require initiation). She also talks about Chakras a lot. A lot a lot. There is nothing eclectic about the shallow appropriation of eastern, Africa, and indigenous spiritual practices and beliefs into an otherwise broadly and unexamined European practice.

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

Por fin me he leído este librito que tanta cola ha traído (especialmente en el sector pagano). Es uno de esos textos afortunados (¿o quizás no?) con una intensa campaña de marketing detrás. Creo que si no hubiera sido médica, me habría dedicado al marketing. ¡Es fascinante! Yo no sé cómo lo hacen de verdad, pero este libro estaba en todas partes. Muchas personas me preguntaban mi opinión, sin embargo yo quería esperar a que pasara la fiebre.

A ver, ¿es el mejor libro de brujería del mundo? Pues no. ¿Es el peor? Tampoco. ¿Empodera? Bueno sí, si no has leído otros libros que dicen más de lo mismo y se quedan en lo superficial sin ahondar (véase Bruja de Lisa Lister). Una vez has leído un libro de ese estilo ya parecen todos iguales. Que ojo, a mí me FLIPA que se ensalce la idea de la Diosa y el poder femenino, pero hay formas y formas (véase el magnífico Women's Rites, Women's Mysteries de Ruth Barrett, La danza en espiral de Starhawk, Re-riting Woman: Dianic Wicca and the Feminine Divine de Kristy Coleman o si me apuras hasta alguno de Zsuzsanna Budapest aunque no sea mi favorita).

Elegir un libro para iniciarse en el camino de la brujería es difícil. Depende de la persona, de su sistema de valores, sus creencias, incluso de su país (que igual es más rico en ese tipo de conocimiento pero la persona no lo sabe o no lo valora). Supongo que no está mal para conocer algo por encima, pero no esperéis que ahonde en nada porque no lo hace. Tablas, dibujos bonitos y una maravillosa Gabriela Herstik. No esperéis más.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Q:
The broom is to the masculine what the chalice is to the feminine. It is a symbol full of power and intention. Ancient witches were said to put hallucinatory herbs on their brooms and then masturbate with them, which gave them the feeling of flying. (c) TMI?
Q:
Before performing magick, do one of the following grounding exercises:
GOLDEN CORD METHOD
Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes and take a few deep, intentional breaths. Be aware of your belly expanding as you breathe in and sense it contract as you exhale. Once you feel settled, imagine a golden cord extending from the base of your spine into the core of the Earth. Imagine the energy from the Earth finding its way up your spine, to your heart. Perhaps it will feel warm and radiant as it moves. Savor this connection. Know that you are supported. This is your lifeline, a support system that is always there.
TREE MEDITATION (INSPIRED BY STARHAWK)
Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes and take a few deep, intentional breaths. Feel your belly expand as you breathe in and contract as you exhale. Once you are settled, imagine the base of your spine as roots that dig deep into the Earth. Feel the energy traveling up your spine with each breath, like sap rising through a tree trunk. Savor this supported, grounded energy. Imagine this energy extending from the top of your head, sweeping back down to touch the Earth. Feel this circular energy moving through you. You have a few options on how to return your energy and ground your power too. Again, take time to feel the energy finding its way back into the Earth.

After performing magick, do one of the following grounding exercises:
INHALING METHOD
Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes and take a few deep, intentional breaths. Feel your belly expand as you breathe in and feel it contract as you exhale. Once you are settled, suck in your power as if you were sucking through a straw, feeling it flow through you back into the Earth.
SINKING INTO THE GROUND
Either lying down with your palms on the ground, or in the resting position known as the child’s pose in yoga (kneeling forward with your forehead on the ground), take a few deep breaths. Relax and melt into the Earth. Feel the power sinking back into the Earth, imagining this to be so even if you’re on the fifteenth floor! Let this energy flow deep into the Earth, starting from the top of your head and moving down your spine. Imagine this energy being cleansed and renewed in the core of the Earth. (c)
Q:
HEAVENLY ELEVEN
11:11 is an angelic number and doorway. The number 11 represents spiritual awakening and enlightenment, illumination and connection to our soul purpose. When we see the number 11:11 or 11 repeating, it’s an invitation and reminder from our angels to pay attention to our thoughts and ideas. It’s also a perfect time to make a wish or say a prayer. (c)

[Valerie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Instagram guide to modern witchery. It is sweet in its many affirmations that its reader is a Very Special Person - but in practice, problematic. I am bothered by its insistence on convenient capitalism, anachronistic cultural appropriation, and overall trivialization of Wicca.

First, I wish the author were aware of the environmental damage and slave labor resultant from the marketing push that every modern American needs a cache of mystical crystals. Anyone who has been trained to believe they must purchase exotic crystals should ask themselves: where did this thing I’ve been told to buy come from? Answer: probably slave labor in an exploited, distant country. Before you get too caught up in the romance of moon-charging your rose quartz in Himalayan salt, consider that someone (probably a child) in Madagascar is living in poverty, developing lung cancer, and scoring irreparable scars in Mother Earth through unregulated mining practices - just so that you can set it on your #altar. Rocks also come from the earth, and are free - why ignore their magick?

Second – palo alto and sage come from the earth. They are similarly a potentially exhaustible resource, linked to indigenous peoples and particular sacred practices. If you yourself are not an indigenous person practicing a sacred ritual, it is entirely possible for you to create your own ceremony of emotional and spiritual import without having to buy an extremely specific wad of herbs or container of oil-infused water. It’s suspiciously specific to insist on supplies that happen to look very nice in photos.

I hate to come down so hard on this book as I thought it was genuinely very sweet. And fine, I can forgive the fashion chapter because sure, clothing certainly impacts your mood, your confidence, and certainly how other perceive you – might as well consciously embrace this reality. Its message of personal empowerment comes from the heart. However this is emphatically NOT a guide to the spirituality behind Wiccan practice. The author should maybe re-orient herself towards the generic self-help genre rather than further exploiting and trivializing a spiritual practice which is already poorly understood, maligned, and mocked by so many.

[Amina · Rating 2 out of 5]

To keep it short: this particular brand of spirituality did not appeal to me at all. I think it’s because my relationship with gender-based approaches to paganism/spirituality is evolving, and texts that are so so heavy on women, and even femmes, just fall flat. This is another book that argues for the empowering nature of “witchcraft” while extolling the virtues of “smudging” and makeup magic, yet takes absolutely no time to address the complexities of those topics, all the while branding it for the masses. Feels irresponsible and hollow to me.

I’m tired of small-picture, micro-spirituality. Maybe big-picture spirituality isn’t the point of this text, and that’s fine. But then I wish books like this wouldn’t position themselves as responses and countermeasures to patriarchy and oppression, when their overarching vision is no such thing.

Not anywhere near as frustrating as Lister’s “Witch” but also not as engaging for me as Spalter’s “Enchantments.”

[C. M. Craig · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of this was honestly pretty shallow. I felt like the chapter on "fashion magic" made me dumber. Beyonce and Stevie Nicks are not goddesses (no matter how cool they are). They're just celebrities.

The book has that flavor of literature that tries to appeal to readers through femininity and fake empowerment, while offering little of substance. To be fair, the chapter about tarot was informative and the correspondence charts were great, but the information could easily be found through a quick Google search.

I also dislike that in many parts of the text Herstik makes blanket statements about what whole groups of people believe in. She says early on, "There isn't a book or law you have to believe in....but there are certain cosmic laws that we acknowledge." But a lot of the "cosmic laws" she later refers to are not natural and are the result of her own ideas/moralizing. For example, when she flippantly says, "I think it's impossible to enter a beautiful place of worship and not feel something. After all, in the end, we're all praying to the same thing, right?" Um, yes, it is possible. And no, we are not. The Abrahamic God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is highly different from Buddhist and Hindu concepts of divinity. And there are a thousand polytheistic religions and nature-based religions that have entirely different viewpoints as well. Also, why do I have to worship or pray to anything?

I guess I dislike being told what I have to believe.......... and yet I keep reading about different religions. Look, if you are interested in an overview of modern paganism, read this book. But don't look for nuance/historical background. Probably my problem with this book is MY PROBLEM with this book (i.e. wanting it to be something it's not).

[Tam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read it for a book club and, honestly, it was a waste of money. I kept thinking of it as buzzfeed witchcraft, and while I enjoy buzzfeed for meme mining, it isn’t something I want to read in a book form or take spiritual advice from. It was extremely disorganized and I felt like it touched on many things but was so brief on all of them that it was rather meaningless. It also really bothers me when author’s say, “Witches believe...” or “Witches do...’’ because most of the time I dont’ believe or do what they say. WItches come in every shape, colour, and form and equating the words with only one narrow set of believes is purposefully erasing a HUGE majority of the culture. I feel like so many authors equate witchcraft with Wicca, and no shame to that form of spirituality, but there are so many other types.

A friend, who is getting into witchcraft, asked to borrow it, but I didn’t want to lend it to her. It’s irresponsible in its cultural appropriation, it is shallow from every angle, and it is a waste of time. I didn’t mean to be so harsh, I just wish I had the money and time back.

[Angrbrenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be entirely honest, this book probably doesn't deserve as many as two stars. At best I'd describe it as generic, obviously written to cater to a very specific but very profitable group of people. The book is a poorly organised mess of appropriated beliefs, some pretty standard New Age practices and personal anecdotes that make me feel like the author just wanted to write a biography, but no one would have cared enough to read it. The explanations of more complex concepts, like astrological birth charts, feel incomplete and badly written, in a way that makes them inaccessible to a beginner and useless to a more advanced practitioner. I'd probably also hate it less if all of this wasn't packaged up with some pretty mainstream liberal feminist takes, telling young witches that the height of freedom is wearing make-up and empowerment - but honestly I'm not going to get into all the reasons why that brand of feminism is all but useless in a book review for a book I didn't like for any other reasons. I'm just going to gauge my eyes out if I have to read the phrase "women and femmes" one more time. The only reason I feel like I have to give it two stars is because there were a couple of things I did genuinely appreciate about her thinking, and a few things I might even adopt into my own practice. But generally speaking, I wouldn't even recommend this book to a beginner. It just isn't clear enough where it should be, and is full of rambling that isn't particularly relevant to teaching witchcraft, and though it is full of correspondence tables (which I would recommend as a good start for any beginner witch) you can get all that information without buying this book which has little value otherwise. Save your money, which is honestly the only thing Herstik wanted when she published this book.

[Erin (bespectacled.bibliophile)]

DNF at 49%

Nope, nope, nope.

I was enjoying this book at first, and then I just wasn't. I thought the introduction was strong enough, but once we get into the actual chapters it became clear that this was a very superficial book written for hipster instagram witches. There is no actual exploration of craft, explanations are very basic, and once we hit the chapter on Fashion Magick and I came across the bit about the "fashion chakra" I gave up and threw the book.

The whole book SCREAMS white woman. The author clearly "tries" to be inclusive of all gender identities, but doesn't seem to have a lick of knowledge about practices belonging to other cultures. For example, the made up chakra I've already referred to, but I also lost track of how many times she suggested cleansing with sage. And palo santo. Just, stop. There are other herbs and such that can be used that aren't sacred to other cultures.

Do not recommend.

[Rubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un manual para conectar contigo misma, con la naturaleza, tus antepasados y con el universo; sus consejos son prácticos, te empodera y le quita lo diabólico asociado al concepto.
Aquí las brujas son mujeres inteligentes, seguras de sí mismas, que disfrutan de su sexualidad y son auténticas.

It is a manual to connect with yourself, with nature, your ancestors and with the universe; Hers advice is practical, it empowers you and takes away the evil associated with the concept.
Here witches are intelligent, self-confident women, who enjoy their sexuality and are authentic.

[Laly Arce Chumpitassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro con conceptos bastante básicos que son una puerta abierta a más exploración.

Fue una lectura interesante

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to admit, I only managed to read 20 pages before I gave it up. How can a millennial with all sorts of info at their disposal, refer to only ‘he/she’, but then right a short ‘accept all people of any gender identification’ bit, and repeatedly recommend white sage and Palo santo, refer to it as smudging, and then go on in articles about Sephora’s ‘witch starter kits’ about how inappropriate it was that they included white sage? I found it both a privileged and problematic point of view of modern witchcraft.

[mir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent debut from Gabriela Herstik! The book covers a variety of topics in witchcraft and is a great field guide to crystals, tarot, fashion, herb, and energy magic. I learned so much from the book and absolutely loved the way she explained each topic and infused her own personal story. The book offers tips, spell examples, mantras, and rituals that even the beginner can implement in their everyday life. Highly recommend.

[julia ☆ [owls reads]]

DNF.

Tam's review sums up my feelings.

[Emilija · Rating 2 out of 5]

ngl i was drawn to this book because of the aesthetics (because clearly they rule my life) but the inside of the pages, whilst fun at first, felt lacklustre. this is all very superficial. if you're looking for something on any topic that this book skims over, just buy a book for that thing (e.g. crystals, chakras etc.) because whilst this books covers a lot it doesn't really talk about anything. don't waste your money, unless you're looking a cute coffee table book or something

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I'm more of a DIY witch so I bristled at the how-tos. Also, millenial witches tend to be a bit consumerist for my tastes (not to mention wallet). She's also a fashion blogger, so it wasn't unexpected, and cheers to women making money under capitalism. But not through telling other women to go buy more stuff. You don't have to buy crystals when there are rocks available for free. Also, were those crystals ethically sourced? Elissa Washuta would be PISSED.

[Gisstosa]

Es un libro entretenido, que de tanto hablarme sobre el poder femenino me dejó con el ego por las nubes, pero al querer abarcar tantos temas no profundiza en nada.

[Antía S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha parecido un libro entretenido para empezar el año, me lo guardaré por si algún día me apetece volver a aprender sobre magiak.

[Agnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐3.8

Es bueno si lo usas como una introducción, sin embargo siento que hay veces en las que toca ciertos temas como si fuese algo simple o como si fuese un juego ¿?

[Sasha Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first witchcraft guide I ever read and it was so informative, like a textbook but the whole thing was fun to read, not just one part. I'm a beginner and this taught me so many things I had questions about previously like what my rising sign has to do with astrology and how to charge a crystal. If I had a physical copy mine would be filled with notes, highlights, and post-its, just like a textbook. I am so glad I bought this, I adore Gabriela Herstik.

[soff · Rating 4 out of 5]

No es el primer libro que leo sobre estos temas y hasta ahora es mi favorito.
Las palabras de la autora se sienten más que como un libro como si le estuveriera hablando a cada uno de nosotros tan en profundidad que da gusto leerlo. Híper recomendado

[M Johana Areiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy entretenido

Gabriela sintetiza y permite acercarse a el regalo maravilloso de ser mujer y reconocerse como bruja de una forma amena y sencilla como la magia misma.

[caro esparza · Rating 3 out of 5]

una lectura bastante digerible y con temas nuevos para mí.
no considero seguir muchas prácticas mencionadas por aquí, puesto que siento que no necesito talismanes, objetos o ciertos hechizos/rituales para sentir que puedo dar un mejor rumbo a mi vida.
lo que absorbo y guardo para mí, son rituales de agradecimiento, el acercarme al conocimiento de las hierbas y plantas, y adentrarme al yo; sentir mi amor en su máxima expresión, y no olvidar ser.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Salva pero no pienso ser Wiccan xD

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little of this and a little of that…not for the serious witch practitioner (Um, I guess the term is witch? Ha) -which I am clearly not. But a bit of info abt tarot, and abt chakras, and abt crystals, etc. Neat little book. Really liked the quick tarot section - better than some tarot books I own!

[Nahia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Esta lectura ha sido un "meh" enorme.

Tenemos una "guía" que pretende cubrir todos los aspectos que te hacen ser una bruja, y ya se sabe que el que mucho abarca poco aprieta. Prácticamente todos los aspectos se tratan de una manera muy superficial. Me interesaban especialmente el tema del tarot y el de la astrología y al final termino la lectura con los mismos conocimientos con los que la había empezado porque no aporta nada nuevo para alguien que tenga unos conocimientos básicos. Además, el orden (o la falta de él) no tiene ningún sentido. La autora no deja de mencionar algo para a continuación decir que se explicará más adelante o para mandarte a capítulos anterior o, en resumen, marearte.

Si sientes curiosidad por el mundo de las brujas y tus conocimientos son más bien nulos, puede que sea un libro para ti. Si lo que esperas es aprender algo te recomiendo que te decantes por otra lectura.

[Emry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay after re-reading this I definitely think it deserves a lower rating. While I like many things about Gabriela in general; she's genuinely said some things outside of her book that I've connected with, a lot of her writings in here are very women centered, ass backwards and shallow.

She did put out a newer version with the smudging text taken out but it definitely doesn't absolve her from the fact she even wrote it in the first place. She never goes deep enough into the things she talks about at all and I feel she really should.

It kind of reads like those outdated 2010s feminist witch books for preteens. The glamour/pop culture section made me roll my eyes several times.

Also telling people to work with goddesses from various (some closed off) cultures is awful, like wtf.....no no no no

[elpercaldealba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro introductorio de mucho interés para todas esas personas (especialmente mujeres, público objetivo de esta libro) que quieran empezar a incorporar pequeños hábitos espirituales o de brujería en su día a día.

Personalmente, hubiera disfrutado más esta lectura si no contuviera explicaciones tan “paso a paso”, pero entiendo que el «cómo» que enuncia la obra ya adelanta que contendrá instrucciones, que es lo que a mí no me gusta tanto. He echado de menos alguna explicación histórica o etimológica de algunas prácticas y por eso lo que más he disfrutado ha sido el principio, que no tiene tanta forma de manual.

Lo recomiendo como lectura introductoria en la materia y para personas que necesiten guías pautadas para la práctica, pero no a quienes busquen información en sí de brujería o ya estén algo más iniciados en este campo.

[Angel McGregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing and educational read for anyone! I bought this for research purposes for my next novel and found myself drawn in on a personal level as well. Craft is well laid out in chapters that make it easy to understand and take in, but don't sound like they are patronising you in any way! I would recommend this to anyone looking interested in the knowledge, or that just needs a little female empowerment...

[Emiloid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine as a guide to the super beginner witch, and I liked the beginning bits on meditations, casting a circle, and rituals for each Sabbat. I didn't like the way the book tended to touch on different potentially interesting topics but not really get into them in any substantial way, like kitchen magic and contacting fae.