Water Witchcraft: Magic and Lore from the Celtic Tradition

by Annwyn Avalon, Skye Alexander (Foreword)

An accessible in-depth guide to Celtic water lore, including spells, rituals, water spirits, and merfolk Let Annwyn Avalon, a practicing water witch herself, take you into the world of water magic. The water magic and lore in this book focuses on the Celtic tradition, but draws on other water magic traditions as well, and features rainwater, as well as lakes, rivers, oceans, canals, swamps, and other watery locations, together with the folk and magical customs that have been and are still practiced at these places. The book teaches the reader how to set up a water altar at home, how to connect with water spirits, and how to gather or create water witch tools. Readers are encouraged to visit local water sites but will also find an abundance of material to perform at home. Included are practical examples, visualizations, and exercises so any reader can start to take up spell work and establish their spiritual connection to water.

Genres: Witchcraft, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Magick, Paganism, Magic, Metaphysics

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2019

About the author

Annwyn Avalon is a Water Witch, Water Priestess, and the founder of Triskele Rose Witchcraft, an Avalonian witchcraft tradition. She has devoted her life to the study of art, witchcraft, and magic. She is an initiated Witch and Priestess, Reiki Master Teacher, award-winning Dancer, published author and has a BFA in sculpture, BA in Anthropology with emphasis on plant and human interactions, and has received an apprentice certificate in Herbalism. She writes for the Magical Times Magazine in the UK and has contributed to other published works such as The New Aradia a Witches handbook for resistance.

Reviews

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me Water Witchcraft falls into a category of witchcraft book that is somehow both packed full of information and lacking in historical rigor at the same time. I’d say this is kind of the norm for witchcraft books. Although Avalon clearly did a lot of research judging by her general knowledgableness and the hefty bibliography at the end of the book, I find myself skeptical of the level of scholarly evaluation of her sources. She barely talks about her sources at all in the actual text, which makes it easy to gloss over the contexts of those sources and also makes it easy for her to just cite other witchcraft books making the same sorts of claims.

Perhaps it’s unfair for me to single out Avalon in this way, because again most witchcraft books from a practitioner standpoint are like this. I just wish that they weren’t. Within this context, I’d say Avalon’s claims are mostly inoffensive (give or take a few weird moments, like treating Masaru Emoto’s claims that emotions affect water molecules as actual scientific research. And referring to the guy as “Dr. Emoto” when he got his “doctorate” in “Alternative Medicine” from a not-exactly reputable institution and was primarily a businessman rather than a scientist. These are the sort of situations I’m talking about where context matters and leaving it out also matters.) It’s also a well written book, with a lot of emphasis on folklore and getting creative with your own personal spellcraft, both of which are things I love. However, I will always find my enthusiasm for these books just a little tempered by the witchcraft community’s tendency for fudging the lines between historical or scientific information vs. popularly accepted new age magic lore.

I suppose if you’re picking up this book you probably already know this and aren’t here for a history book anyway. You’re here for a practitioner’s advice for applying to your own practice. And in that sense, books like this still have their place. The spell suggestions in this book are quite delightful and meaty actually! But my advice would be to take these books with a grain of salt as well (perhaps sea salt in this case – ha). Take what is useful to you, but ask healthy questions about the rest. It’s always good practice to think for yourself.

[Jess MacMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have any interest in Celtic Witchcraft, or Water Witchcraft then this is the book for you! The author covers everything from water legends, snippets of history, and how to connect with the true nature of water.

I am a Cancer through, and through. My go-to element is water. As I have been steeped in a Celtic tradition for the past couple of years, some of the things in the book I found I had my own way of doing, or was doing already intuitively. I did appreciate the legends, and the incantations will be really useful in my practice.

Now more than ever we, as humans, need to pay attention to our mother planet and the water that surrounds us. This is a very timely book, and I hope it becomes a staple for many witchlings/pagans.

[AquaMoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! And there's so much to love!

So. I'm very excited to talk about this book. And I'm even more excited that something weird and specific I've always felt deep down is actually A Thing...and that there's not just ONE book but a FEW. But I just just finished it. And right now my thoughts are like turbulent waters, all swirling and chaotic and unorganized. So I want to give everything I read time to settle in, to absorb, before I write an official review.

p.s. I've ordered the sequel and am excited to dive into it as soon as it's in my hands.

[Kaitlin Trojko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally finished this book. There was so much information about the different types of water witches and the folklore about eat type. There was information on River, Lake, Sea, Marsh, and Sacred Well witches. As says in the title, this book did focus on Celtic traditions but did mention some Greek mythology. Some chapters did tend to repeat themselves which I felt was unnecessary and probably didn't need to be repeated. The chapters did have a lot of information which was quite overwhelming so for me and I really took my time with reading the book. Having said that, it had valuable information to help anyone interested in following water based witchcraft or including the element of water into their practice. For example the book provided many recipes to potions, ways in connecting with spirits (especially if you are land-locked), the tools used, and setting up an altar. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone.

[Tori Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the exercises and examples for water spells and potions in this book!! The history, legends, and folklore was also really interesting.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dove into “Water Witchcraft: Magic and Lore from the Celtic Tradition” by Annwyn Avalon this week. I was drawn to this book for two reasons: I am drawn to water spiritually and I’ve also been studying the lore of the Celtic religions. Avalon does a comprehensive overview of how water magic relates to the Celtic lore as well as how it is relevant in today’s culture.
The first chapter gives you a basis for water magic in modern culture and how science has interacted with water. One of the more fascinating studies was how different energies (such as positive and negative) can interact with the water. The next chapters covered the many different types of water witches, such as river witches, sea witches, marsh witches, etc. Finally, the last section covers the different types of water spirits and creatures (including mermaids) and some spells that can be performed using water and honoring the spirits of the water.
This was a great comprehensive book on water magic throughout the ages. Avalon gives a great historical lesson while also telling you where some of these historical sites are today. I have not performed any of the craft that she details in the final chapter, but I was pleased that it was very culture appropriate. She did not incorporate any practices that were stolen from native cultures into the spells She also made sure to incorporate ways to practice if you were not able to reach the physical locations she suggested. I enjoyed going through this book and am looking forward to researching deeper with the suggestions she gives.

[Pseudonym Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good. There were good bits of folklore in here. Excellent spell, meditation, and ritual suggestions. A lengthy bibliography in the back. There were some concerning things, like the mention of a man named Masaru Emoto. This book makes it seem like he's a well-respected scientist with a doctorate in the academic/scientific community, when really he's just a businessman, author, and pseudo-scientist. That's misleading and puts a much bigger emphasis on his "water study" than what it actually entails. This is what is called bias, when you take one study, source, or article and say "Yep, this proves my belief!"

Critical thinking still applies in witchcraft/magical beliefs and I wish people would apply it more. It's okay to take the good parts from books and hold other parts in a light of skepticism.

[Silas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lot more folklore than I expected, though I am not sure why I didn't expect as much as I got. It didn't really restrict itself to magic about water, and instead focused on magic and folklore surrounding various bodies of water, like the ocean, lakes, wetlands, and such, but focuses on some related features like wind magic for sailors, and a lot of information about various fairies. It does focus a lot on Celtic sources, but not exclusively. They are the primary focus, but other things come up. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and had a few different ideas for water-related magic, but as an experienced witch, it didn't really give me a ton of information that I didn't already know. Still, if you are less experienced, or just want a group of ideas themed around bodies of water, generally, this could be worth your time.

[Barry Huddleston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a link to my booktube review of Water Witchcraft ( https://youtu.be/fsTHgDfDDEo ) I enjoyed it and I think that it is a book to consider adding to your esoteric home library.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Weiser Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Robi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro per certi aspetti interessante e affascinante con tanto folklore e storie e luoghi magici.
Un po’ troppo carico di informazioni, così tante che a volte ti senti sopraffare e (ameno a me è capitato) devi tirarti un attimo indietro e riprendere fiato.
Mi è piaciuto che venga data molta importanza al rispetto per l’ambiente e per la fauna, concetto ribadito più volte e che fa da fulcro ad ogni parte del libro. Sembra scontato ma non lo è e spesso è solo un accenno di passaggio.

[Daniel Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as a 101-102 level intro for water magic. There was a blend of solid ethical magical advice (give more than you take, don't harm the environment ), guidance for adjusting practice if disabled or unable to physically interact with natural water, spells and lore. A good chunk of the book is taken up by correspondences, but if you're new in this area of practice, that's not a bad thing. I actually plan on putting this in my "to buy" list.

[Halie Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read if you want a little insight to Celtic mythology and learning uses for various things you can find near bodies of water in your craft. I wish it had more spells and rituals but I enjoyed it and will keep it on my shelf. She’s coming out with another one I plan to buy as well and her website is very educational. I love the little stories about myths and legends

[Dodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The book covers a variety of topics. Rivers, scared wells, lake, marshes, mermaids which was interesting. The chapters I liked the most was local water spirits and water witchery. Though I have to stress that the author really focus on her experiences and how you can incorporate into your practice with different suggestions and exercises.

[BaileyKatMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely helpful and informative! The examples or exercises throughout the chapters give beginners like myself a great starting point. I didn’t find the information too overwhelming which tends to happen with a lot of books on this topic so I was very pleasantly surprised.

[John Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for Celtic Reconstructionist with a focus on water. It pairs very well with her recently published Water Priestess Book. These books are essential for those who are interested in various forms of water witchcraft.

[Megan Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and informative.

Loved diving into (aha-see what I did there??) European and Celtic folklore and traditions around watery places and creatures. This was an enjoyable read from cover to cover, and I feel as though I learned quite a lot.

[Beth & Luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't bad, but it leaned more towards folktales and less practical witchcraft than I would have liked.

[Bode Cauthon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repetitive in parts but aside from that quite interesting and a lovely addition to the craft.

[NormaCenva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one!

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always felt drawn to water myself and this book is an interesting collection of witch practices.

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Folk tales from the British Isles!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good information. I really enjoyed this book.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. Informative and also gave me more things to look up

[Béla Gyarmati · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with interesting folklore, information, and history; Water Witchcraft is a great book for intermediate and advanced practitioners.

[Kristy Marquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative and interesting book on water witchcraft. I enjoyed how clear and easy it was to read and how if flowed naturally.

[Andi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great audiobook, well read, well pronounced, lots of info for all levels - contemplating buying the hard copy to keep

[Heidi’s Zee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic, but does its thing: talks about how magic is imposing your will on water, types of (bodies of) waters and their lore, spirits and crafts.

[Mor+g an | DNA]

Japanese entrepreneur, photographer, and author Dr. Masaru Emoto (1943–2014) wrote several books on the structure of water molecules and how they are changed and affected by location, the human mind, and negative and positive energy. ... he began experimenting with language, using words like “love,” “hate,” “thank you,” and “you fool” and photographing the results. He found significant differences in the water crystals produced. This led him to form the hypothesis that molecules of water are affected by our thoughts, words, and feelings. He also studied the effects of prayer, ritual, and blessings, and found that they too changed the character of the water.

...we can actually see the energetic and vibrational changes that we call “magic” in the changing of the water crystals.

Lovely little book on water magick and Celtic folklore's place in such. I enjoyed the way Avalon talked about some energetic distinctions between different bodies of water (e.g. rivers, dew, lakes, springs, sea, marshlands, etc.).

[Joanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sort of impulsively bought this book when I was having a “treat yo self” moment on my birthday.

It was a pretty quick and easy read and filled with lots of lore, legends, folk superstitions, & descriptions of famous bodies of water. Also included are great ideas on how to work with various types of water and explanations of some of the differences in energies between wells, lakes, marshes, & seas, etc. I mostly enjoyed the exercise ideas for building a relationship with natural bodies of water.