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Crone's Book of Charms & Spells
This work offers practical directions for carrying out numerous spells, charms, recipes and rituals. It teaches how to concoct herb brews for mental vigour and to strengthen passion as well as how to inscribe talismans and amulets to gain wealth, happiness or relief from pain.
192 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2002
11 people are currently reading
753 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Worth
23 books14 followers(October 29, 1933 - July 31, 1994)
Acclaimed poet Valerie Worth Bahlke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in nearby Swarthmore, where her father taught biology at Swarthmore College. The family then moved to Tampa, Florida, and Bangalore, India, where they lived for one year. Valerie returned to Swarthmore to attend college, graduating with an English degree and High Honors. Shortly thereafter she married George Bahlke, a fellow Swarthmore graduate. After settling in Clinton, NY, Valerie met Natalie Babbitt at Kirkland College, and Natalie began to illustrate Valerie's work, starting with Small Poems in 1972. Three more volumes followed: More Small Poems (1976); Still More Small Poems (1978); and Small Poems Again (1986). All four volumes were issued in a single paperback, All the Small Poems (1987), and seven years later, All the Small Poems and Fourteen More was released and was then followed by a paperback edition in 1996. In 2002, FSG posthumously published Peacock and Other Poems by Valerie Worth, with pictures by Natalie Babbitt, a collection of 27 poems which Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, said "heralds the joy of words." School Library Journal, in a starred review, declared that "[Valerie Worth's] work gives children something to admire and aim for."
Valerie Worth was honored by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 1991 with its Poetry Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, which acknowledges a body of work.
Acclaimed poet Valerie Worth Bahlke was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in nearby Swarthmore, where her father taught biology at Swarthmore College. The family then moved to Tampa, Florida, and Bangalore, India, where they lived for one year. Valerie returned to Swarthmore to attend college, graduating with an English degree and High Honors. Shortly thereafter she married George Bahlke, a fellow Swarthmore graduate. After settling in Clinton, NY, Valerie met Natalie Babbitt at Kirkland College, and Natalie began to illustrate Valerie's work, starting with Small Poems in 1972. Three more volumes followed: More Small Poems (1976); Still More Small Poems (1978); and Small Poems Again (1986). All four volumes were issued in a single paperback, All the Small Poems (1987), and seven years later, All the Small Poems and Fourteen More was released and was then followed by a paperback edition in 1996. In 2002, FSG posthumously published Peacock and Other Poems by Valerie Worth, with pictures by Natalie Babbitt, a collection of 27 poems which Publishers Weekly, in a starred review, said "heralds the joy of words." School Library Journal, in a starred review, declared that "[Valerie Worth's] work gives children something to admire and aim for."
Valerie Worth was honored by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in 1991 with its Poetry Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children, which acknowledges a body of work.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 2, 2013
Not a book for general reading, of course. I selected this book as a research source; to discover certain aspects of magic for a fantasy I’m currently writing. I try to approach such things with a mind as open as possible, in case prejudice should blind me to things I might otherwise miss.
I think what struck me most about the book, apart from the arcane style of the prose, was the combination of detailed instruction with a type of carelessness that I found endearing. If devotees are unable to duplicate exactly the requirements for a given spell or charm, the author allows them some leeway. But, at the same time, there’s an insistence on using the exact ingredients, the appropriate time of day, the right season, even the correct manner of dress, that was amusing.
Of course, the very idea that a mix of herbs, or inanimate objects inscribed with runes, epithets or Latin sayings, can possess any magical powers is anathema to the logical and rational mind. To indulge in the practices described in the book, with any personal hope of success, requires the reader to suspend disbelief and adopt an emotional response based in superstition and folklore. There’s much here that echoes the rites and rituals of many religions, of course. And this is the reason that witchcraft was so brutally suppressed by the early Christian church in particular. In some senses it was seen as a mockery of the rituals of the bread and wine, even though these symbols were, in fact, actually borrowed from witchcraft, of course. The same can be said of the various religious holiday celebrations: Paganism usurped by the newer prejudices and ignorance of the church.
But I digress. Was the book of any use in my research? Certainly. In fact, I’ll have it close by whilst I write, so that I can consult the text and bend the ideas to fit with my own imagined world. There’s no doubt that human beings have a deep need of ceremony, rite and ritual. We have an almost instinctive need to mark certain phases in life, certain events. The failure of modern religious practice to convince populations of the validity of their creeds has opened a vacuum in society. The once accepted celebrations surrounding birth, marriage and death have ceased to have the deep meaning they used to contain; ignorance and faith have been replaced by knowledge, questions, and doubt, so that we now have relatively meaningless social ceremonies in place of sacred rites that spoke to the emotions of the celebrants.
Again, I digress, but it’s a pointer to the content and style of the book that it drives me along these particular routes. I was ‘charmed’ by the language and the attention to detail. The underlying suggestive tone that the author actually might believe in the efficacy of the preparations, concoctions, ceremonies and rites she describes amused me without causing me concern. The whole approach is, in general, harmless enough. And, in those cases where a spell or charm is designed to do harm, the author either advises against its use or, at least, cautions the potential user to give the matter serious consideration of the possible outcome. Rather like warning the hired assassin that his activities may result in the death of the intended victim, I thought. Except, of course, that there’s little doubt about the outcome of the killer’s bullet, whereas serious doubt exists about the result of the spell or charm.
So, if you’re seeking an informed source of magical incantation to use in your fiction, relating to witchcraft and it’s more material concerns, this may well be the book for you. If you’re already an adherent of the ways of witchcraft, I’ve no doubt either caused you distress (not intentionally: I’m simply applying a rational analysis) or risked the prospect of a painful curse. But, since I’ve spent my life deliberately walking under ladders and courting the disapproval of the superstitious, I shan’t lose any sleep over that possibility. This is a book you can either skim for its esoteric erudition or grasp to your breast with conviction, depending on your own particular predilections. For me, it’s admirably served its purpose of educating me in the ways in which those who espouse magic, as if it were reality, look at the world, and that insight will inform my writing of the current fantasy. So it has been a success. I leave it to you to decide whether or not it will be of use to you.
I think what struck me most about the book, apart from the arcane style of the prose, was the combination of detailed instruction with a type of carelessness that I found endearing. If devotees are unable to duplicate exactly the requirements for a given spell or charm, the author allows them some leeway. But, at the same time, there’s an insistence on using the exact ingredients, the appropriate time of day, the right season, even the correct manner of dress, that was amusing.
Of course, the very idea that a mix of herbs, or inanimate objects inscribed with runes, epithets or Latin sayings, can possess any magical powers is anathema to the logical and rational mind. To indulge in the practices described in the book, with any personal hope of success, requires the reader to suspend disbelief and adopt an emotional response based in superstition and folklore. There’s much here that echoes the rites and rituals of many religions, of course. And this is the reason that witchcraft was so brutally suppressed by the early Christian church in particular. In some senses it was seen as a mockery of the rituals of the bread and wine, even though these symbols were, in fact, actually borrowed from witchcraft, of course. The same can be said of the various religious holiday celebrations: Paganism usurped by the newer prejudices and ignorance of the church.
But I digress. Was the book of any use in my research? Certainly. In fact, I’ll have it close by whilst I write, so that I can consult the text and bend the ideas to fit with my own imagined world. There’s no doubt that human beings have a deep need of ceremony, rite and ritual. We have an almost instinctive need to mark certain phases in life, certain events. The failure of modern religious practice to convince populations of the validity of their creeds has opened a vacuum in society. The once accepted celebrations surrounding birth, marriage and death have ceased to have the deep meaning they used to contain; ignorance and faith have been replaced by knowledge, questions, and doubt, so that we now have relatively meaningless social ceremonies in place of sacred rites that spoke to the emotions of the celebrants.
Again, I digress, but it’s a pointer to the content and style of the book that it drives me along these particular routes. I was ‘charmed’ by the language and the attention to detail. The underlying suggestive tone that the author actually might believe in the efficacy of the preparations, concoctions, ceremonies and rites she describes amused me without causing me concern. The whole approach is, in general, harmless enough. And, in those cases where a spell or charm is designed to do harm, the author either advises against its use or, at least, cautions the potential user to give the matter serious consideration of the possible outcome. Rather like warning the hired assassin that his activities may result in the death of the intended victim, I thought. Except, of course, that there’s little doubt about the outcome of the killer’s bullet, whereas serious doubt exists about the result of the spell or charm.
So, if you’re seeking an informed source of magical incantation to use in your fiction, relating to witchcraft and it’s more material concerns, this may well be the book for you. If you’re already an adherent of the ways of witchcraft, I’ve no doubt either caused you distress (not intentionally: I’m simply applying a rational analysis) or risked the prospect of a painful curse. But, since I’ve spent my life deliberately walking under ladders and courting the disapproval of the superstitious, I shan’t lose any sleep over that possibility. This is a book you can either skim for its esoteric erudition or grasp to your breast with conviction, depending on your own particular predilections. For me, it’s admirably served its purpose of educating me in the ways in which those who espouse magic, as if it were reality, look at the world, and that insight will inform my writing of the current fantasy. So it has been a success. I leave it to you to decide whether or not it will be of use to you.
October 8, 2014
I greatly enjoyed this book and got through it quickly. It has tons of references for many aspects of the craft dealing directly with spell craft and ritual. This book does not really differentiate between good and evil, so be watchful if you want to make sure your spells do not have any negative consequences you may have not considered. There are some curses in here as well. This is a very much grey book and I appreciate that because I understand how to craft my art to work in the grey without hurting innocent bystanders. I would recommend this book.
May 28, 2012
This is one of my most favorite Occult/Witchy Books and I recommend it often to people, though it's authenticity as a workable spell-book is up in the air, i have had success using the charms.Just one of my most favorite witchy books ever!
April 10, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's not only filled with great charms and spell incantations, but it also includes illustrations of magical images or "inscriptions" that had different meanings and power. It helped me contribute my own magickal grimoire that I put together.
November 1, 2007
Not much useful information but an entertaining read.
Contains some very obscure herb folklore.
Contains some very obscure herb folklore.
October 22, 2021
The Crone’s Book of Charms & Spells by Valerie Worth is one of only two books Mrs. Worth is known to have written on Craft practices. Although she has penned them as if she was a well seasoned practitioner herself, it has never been confirmed to the best of my knowledge that she was one.
The entire style and tone of this quiet little book is in the Victorian manner. The rituals themselves especially reflect it, both in their tone, required accouterments, and procedures. There are twelve of them; an entire year of season oriented ceremonies, each acknowledging the major and/or subtle changes that occur for each month or season that passes.
Each ritual on its own can stand alone for the great depth and meaning they contain. But when taken on the whole, the rituals tell a year-long story, each one succinctly marking the cosmological journal of our planet around its Star.
In the past thirty-five years, the New Age market has become constipated with an over-abundance of Craft books. Most of these books are repeating over and over the same things, as if their authors are sharing something new and not yet discovered, which they are not. Yet, these rituals are unlike any I have come across before. They can be simple or as complex as you wish to enact them. They can be performed in a group or solitary and adapt accordingly. The rituals are unique, extremely well worded, meant to evoke a Neoclassical mythos that had become popular during the 19th and early 20th century.
As for my personal experience with them, I performed one of these rituals many years ago. I did so at a time of my life when there occurred a great loss. And although it was the only ritual I had ever performed from within this book, its power, its words, and its symbolism renewed my spirit in a way I couldn't have imagined.
It was just before the holidays of a waning year when the shockwaves of an unfortunate situation hit. That holiday season was one best forgotten, as the only gift promised was a long, dreary, winter season yet to come. I felt as if I had been dropped into that liminal place between nothing and nowhere, where there was nothing I could do but exist. The past had quickly been rendered a lie and the future a meaningless gray mass of clouds, impenetrable to see through.
This book and its rituals turned up in my life during that period. Winter had settled into its deep grind. It gnawed away at each day, chewing and spitting them out, along with any promise of the Sun’s return.
And the Vernal Equinox, seemingly so far away, was the next ceremony meant to be performed.
Now, I do believe that sometimes things drift into our lives at a time best suited for their purpose. And like a message in a bottle, this little book with its quiet demeanor, and poignant rituals found me floundering in my tiny lifeboat without a soul around to turn to.
I have since come to understand that much like the gestation period of an embryo, the dark stillness offers us much needed time for healing, rest, and wisdom if we accept it. Our suffering is like the dark time of a year. We are the grass lying compressed and frozen, dead beneath the snow. And like those dead blades of the previous year, so too, must we pass through darkness and solitude before the first signs of new life can emerge.
No matter how hard life wears away at us, there is and always will be that kernel of unrealized renewal deep within.
It was that ritual of the Vernal Equinox that gave me new strength, courage, and much needed perspective. With the lighting of each of those ceremonial candles came a reminder — a promise. One flame followed by another was as the Sun growing brighter, stronger, rising higher into the sky day by day, week by week.
That was fifteen years ago.
I have sometimes regretted not performing more of those rituals. But perhaps at the time it wasn’t necessary. Maybe, as a non-dedicate, I needed just the one ceremony to act a healing salve to my bruised Spirit. The timing most certainly was perfect and right as far as my needs went. But, having stumbled across this book yet again after all this time, maybe now this is its way of telling me it's time to give back.
It is obvious that these rituals are meant to serve a much greater purpose than for what I needed them for at the time. And now I am seriously considering the commitment of performing those rituals as they should be performed. Should I decide to perform these ceremonies now, it will be to offer my efforts in tandem with the many practitioners who have dedicated their lives to keeping that Great Wheel turning. Day by day, month by month, season by season.
I am certain there are still those in the world who do so. And just as in days of old, they have committed themselves to turning that Wheel — month by month, year after year.
It may be time more of us join them.
The entire style and tone of this quiet little book is in the Victorian manner. The rituals themselves especially reflect it, both in their tone, required accouterments, and procedures. There are twelve of them; an entire year of season oriented ceremonies, each acknowledging the major and/or subtle changes that occur for each month or season that passes.
Each ritual on its own can stand alone for the great depth and meaning they contain. But when taken on the whole, the rituals tell a year-long story, each one succinctly marking the cosmological journal of our planet around its Star.
In the past thirty-five years, the New Age market has become constipated with an over-abundance of Craft books. Most of these books are repeating over and over the same things, as if their authors are sharing something new and not yet discovered, which they are not. Yet, these rituals are unlike any I have come across before. They can be simple or as complex as you wish to enact them. They can be performed in a group or solitary and adapt accordingly. The rituals are unique, extremely well worded, meant to evoke a Neoclassical mythos that had become popular during the 19th and early 20th century.
As for my personal experience with them, I performed one of these rituals many years ago. I did so at a time of my life when there occurred a great loss. And although it was the only ritual I had ever performed from within this book, its power, its words, and its symbolism renewed my spirit in a way I couldn't have imagined.
It was just before the holidays of a waning year when the shockwaves of an unfortunate situation hit. That holiday season was one best forgotten, as the only gift promised was a long, dreary, winter season yet to come. I felt as if I had been dropped into that liminal place between nothing and nowhere, where there was nothing I could do but exist. The past had quickly been rendered a lie and the future a meaningless gray mass of clouds, impenetrable to see through.
This book and its rituals turned up in my life during that period. Winter had settled into its deep grind. It gnawed away at each day, chewing and spitting them out, along with any promise of the Sun’s return.
And the Vernal Equinox, seemingly so far away, was the next ceremony meant to be performed.
Now, I do believe that sometimes things drift into our lives at a time best suited for their purpose. And like a message in a bottle, this little book with its quiet demeanor, and poignant rituals found me floundering in my tiny lifeboat without a soul around to turn to.
I have since come to understand that much like the gestation period of an embryo, the dark stillness offers us much needed time for healing, rest, and wisdom if we accept it. Our suffering is like the dark time of a year. We are the grass lying compressed and frozen, dead beneath the snow. And like those dead blades of the previous year, so too, must we pass through darkness and solitude before the first signs of new life can emerge.
No matter how hard life wears away at us, there is and always will be that kernel of unrealized renewal deep within.
It was that ritual of the Vernal Equinox that gave me new strength, courage, and much needed perspective. With the lighting of each of those ceremonial candles came a reminder — a promise. One flame followed by another was as the Sun growing brighter, stronger, rising higher into the sky day by day, week by week.
That was fifteen years ago.
I have sometimes regretted not performing more of those rituals. But perhaps at the time it wasn’t necessary. Maybe, as a non-dedicate, I needed just the one ceremony to act a healing salve to my bruised Spirit. The timing most certainly was perfect and right as far as my needs went. But, having stumbled across this book yet again after all this time, maybe now this is its way of telling me it's time to give back.
It is obvious that these rituals are meant to serve a much greater purpose than for what I needed them for at the time. And now I am seriously considering the commitment of performing those rituals as they should be performed. Should I decide to perform these ceremonies now, it will be to offer my efforts in tandem with the many practitioners who have dedicated their lives to keeping that Great Wheel turning. Day by day, month by month, season by season.
I am certain there are still those in the world who do so. And just as in days of old, they have committed themselves to turning that Wheel — month by month, year after year.
It may be time more of us join them.
January 12, 2020
I find most of these spells unfeasible to perform as I don't own a golden sickle nor can I can spend work nights staying up til midnight to gather herbs. Nor am I.committed enough to.draw blood or do some B&E.
That said, if you're committed enough to do these things I would love to hear how it goes.
That said, if you're committed enough to do these things I would love to hear how it goes.
August 9, 2019
A poet, inspired by the magic of days gone by, has written spells and rituals to inspire us as witches. You can, of course, carry these out as written but I believe the author’s intent is to make us think and feel and create our own ways.
November 20, 2022
Really? Talk about half-assed. This is not the book you are looking for. It has nothing to do with being a crone. It is ethically shaky, and relies on old fashioned, traditional, contradictory, big-religion stereotypes of the crone.
November 4, 2020
this is by valerie worth and it is a good book i wish she was alive right now so she can make more books😀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2023
The most useful spellbook I've ever owned
December 3, 2025
Crone’s Book of Charms and Spells has a lot of interesting material, especially if you’re curious about old-world folklore and traditional spellcraft. The historical notes and charm explanations were fun to browse, and some of the practices feel genuinely grounding and nostalgic.
That said, the book felt more like a collection of references than a cohesive guide. A few sections were repetitive or a bit too surface-level for what I was hoping to dive into. I enjoyed the concepts, but I didn’t always feel fully connected to the instructions or the overall flow.
It’s a decent read for inspiration or quick magical tidbits, but not a comprehensive spellbook. Good for dipping into occasionally, just not one I’ll be returning to often.
That said, the book felt more like a collection of references than a cohesive guide. A few sections were repetitive or a bit too surface-level for what I was hoping to dive into. I enjoyed the concepts, but I didn’t always feel fully connected to the instructions or the overall flow.
It’s a decent read for inspiration or quick magical tidbits, but not a comprehensive spellbook. Good for dipping into occasionally, just not one I’ll be returning to often.
November 1, 2012
I liked it; full of poetry and a sense of the mythic or magical.
A good book if you're interested in magic, spells and stuff. Mysticism and the poetic. Valerie Worth reads like fiction, like a made-up manual. It's based I gather, on old lore, etc.
She details how to make perfumes (very useful if you're into DIY), charms, talismans, robes and other magic regalia. Then she has spells for all manner of effects detailed in tutorial fashion. She has spells for all seasons - not relevant to the tropics where we have no summer/winter polarities. Also spells for invoking the sun, moon, stars, etc.
It's a how-to magic book. Do the spells in there work? How would I know, if I need to do magic, I tend to fashion my own. It does carry a sense of gravitas, of potency, though. This one's great for Wiccans and pagans who want to practice Old Tradition magic, you know "magick".
A good book if you're interested in magic, spells and stuff. Mysticism and the poetic. Valerie Worth reads like fiction, like a made-up manual. It's based I gather, on old lore, etc.
She details how to make perfumes (very useful if you're into DIY), charms, talismans, robes and other magic regalia. Then she has spells for all manner of effects detailed in tutorial fashion. She has spells for all seasons - not relevant to the tropics where we have no summer/winter polarities. Also spells for invoking the sun, moon, stars, etc.
It's a how-to magic book. Do the spells in there work? How would I know, if I need to do magic, I tend to fashion my own. It does carry a sense of gravitas, of potency, though. This one's great for Wiccans and pagans who want to practice Old Tradition magic, you know "magick".
May 29, 2015
I ordered this book by mistake thinking it was Valorie Worth's other occult book "Crone's Book of Magical Words".
Considering my disappointment at my own mistake, this book was still a lovely read with quite a few excellent tidbits. Valorie Worth walks a fine line between semi-fictional grimoire and practical spellbook. I rather liked that.
But this is DEFINITELY not your typical Llewellyn spellbook. The charms to attract a new love or draw strength from the moon are right in there with ones to bind an enemy or gain control over another.
Am reserving judgement till I read the other "Crone's" book that I first intended. But am very happy to go ahead and order it rather than wait for a copy via swap.
Considering my disappointment at my own mistake, this book was still a lovely read with quite a few excellent tidbits. Valorie Worth walks a fine line between semi-fictional grimoire and practical spellbook. I rather liked that.
But this is DEFINITELY not your typical Llewellyn spellbook. The charms to attract a new love or draw strength from the moon are right in there with ones to bind an enemy or gain control over another.
Am reserving judgement till I read the other "Crone's" book that I first intended. But am very happy to go ahead and order it rather than wait for a copy via swap.
March 17, 2016
This is an excellent little book of charms, poetry and ritual ideas. It has never failed to inspire me when I am stuck in the middle of composing a ritual or quatrain. Valerie Worth was an extremely talented poet who has left us a wonderful legacy in this book and "Crone's Book of Words."
Do I take all the charms, spells and formulas 100% seriously? No. Absolutely not! However, the language is archaic and mystical. Both of those attributes work wonders for achieving the right state of mind during rituals, and this is why I adore this book.
Do I take all the charms, spells and formulas 100% seriously? No. Absolutely not! However, the language is archaic and mystical. Both of those attributes work wonders for achieving the right state of mind during rituals, and this is why I adore this book.
July 30, 2012
This is a lovely little book to have on any shelf,i read it years ago as a kid (yes around 12 i was) and loved it. No its not a "occult spell book" in most ways as the things contained within it are more old wise tales and superstition ; than actual practical spells or incantations. But its a all together entertaining read. And if your creative...maybe you can craft some of your own mojo inspired by what you read. Happy reading .
January 25, 2022
i really liked the style this book was written in. She gave great ideas on ceremonies to do though out the year and the saying that go with them are beautifully done. she also gives charms and inscription details that are tastefully done and in wide range. i do wish her herb chapter could have been bigger but it was tastefully done. she also added some oils balms and tinctures recipes for various things. i have to say ive ordered another book for her i cant wait to read.
November 27, 2008
Valerie's writing style is delightful, her words are so poetic. Valerie can turn the simplest mundane thing into something great. If I could meet any author Valerie would be in my top five as she has truly intrigued me with her work.
April 1, 2010
Another beautifully written and descriptive book well researched with some obscure pieces of ancient lore. The text flows well with its own poetry and rhythm, reminiscent of the more traditional practice of witchcraft.
January 30, 2015
What a strange little book. This was neither all fiction, nor all a guide to practical magic, but some random collection of 'spells', charms, enchantments, etc. that had little background. It was some kind of pan-naturalistic paganism, but beyond that things were murky.
October 10, 2011
though i have not finish yet reading this books... i find it so very interesting.... and i'm hoping that the spell that i'm trying to test will work.... but i think it will work... :)
November 17, 2012
a delightful little book and one that is useful to refer back to.
February 10, 2016
Nice for reference
August 7, 2025
A pleasant little read.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews