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Element Encyclopedia
The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft
This is the definitive celebration and exploration of all facets of witchcraft, serving as a complete reference book but also as a source of entertainment and general interest. Contents: * Judika Illes explores the history, folklore, spirituality, and mythology of witchcraft. Wicca will be discussed, but the focus will not to limited to Wicca. As with Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, this book's focus will be cross-cultural and will span the centuries right up to the present day and popular culture. * Meet mythic witches, modern witches, sacred goddess witches, even demon witches, male and female witches, witches from all over the globe. * Includes a miscellany of facts including magic spells, rituals, potions, recipes, celebrations, traditions, and much more. * This is a reference book that appeals to both insiders and outsiders; that is of appeal to those who adhere to the tenets of some form of witchcraft, as well as those general interest readers interested in folklore, mythology and history.
887 pages, Paperback
First published June 28, 2005
About the author
Judika Illes
53 books377 followers Born in New York City, my metaphysical career began early: My first encounter with tarot cards at age six was also my first experience of love at first sight! That passion still burns true. Although I do practice other forms of divination, tarot remains the foundation of my practice.
A lifelong pursuit of metaphysical wisdom followed and continues: astrology, mythology, Kabbalah, the Egyptian mysteries as well as spiritual, magical and healing traditions from all over Earth but particularly Africa and Asia.
I've also been a blues and free-form rock and roll disc jockey, a corporate travel consultant specializing in the Caribbean, a skin-care and cosmetics consultant, and a teacher of mythology and multicultural studies. I wrote and edited the Ancient Beauty Secrets section for the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism's monthly online magazine, which integrated modern aromatherapy with ancient methods of body care and decoration.
True love's arrows pierced my heart yet again when I first encountered a vial of essential oil. (Essential oil of frankincense, to be exact, still a favorite.) Essential oils are not true oils but potent plant extracts. Modern aromatherapy, with its roots stretching back to ancient China, Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, is the manipulation of essential oils for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. Essential oils are perhaps the purest, most potent expression of a plant's power and play a profound role in rituals, potions and spells. Many are powerful aphrodisiacs and may be used to enhance health, beauty and peace of mind.
Following over a decade of independent study, I earned a certificate in therapeutic aromatherapy. I served on the faculty of the Australasian College of Herbal Studies as an aromatherapy tutor, teaching the certification program.
My special passion for almost fifteen years has been magical and traditional approaches to fertility. Originally stimulated by own reproductive challenges, I was frustrated by the medical options offered to me. I went searching for other avenues, gentle Earth and female-friendly solutions and found them: a vast repository of women's wisdom. Two children and many years later, I still search and research, impressed and empowered by thousands of years of women's inventiveness, endurance, defiance and humor.
A lifelong pursuit of metaphysical wisdom followed and continues: astrology, mythology, Kabbalah, the Egyptian mysteries as well as spiritual, magical and healing traditions from all over Earth but particularly Africa and Asia.
I've also been a blues and free-form rock and roll disc jockey, a corporate travel consultant specializing in the Caribbean, a skin-care and cosmetics consultant, and a teacher of mythology and multicultural studies. I wrote and edited the Ancient Beauty Secrets section for the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism's monthly online magazine, which integrated modern aromatherapy with ancient methods of body care and decoration.
True love's arrows pierced my heart yet again when I first encountered a vial of essential oil. (Essential oil of frankincense, to be exact, still a favorite.) Essential oils are not true oils but potent plant extracts. Modern aromatherapy, with its roots stretching back to ancient China, Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Middle East, is the manipulation of essential oils for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. Essential oils are perhaps the purest, most potent expression of a plant's power and play a profound role in rituals, potions and spells. Many are powerful aphrodisiacs and may be used to enhance health, beauty and peace of mind.
Following over a decade of independent study, I earned a certificate in therapeutic aromatherapy. I served on the faculty of the Australasian College of Herbal Studies as an aromatherapy tutor, teaching the certification program.
My special passion for almost fifteen years has been magical and traditional approaches to fertility. Originally stimulated by own reproductive challenges, I was frustrated by the medical options offered to me. I went searching for other avenues, gentle Earth and female-friendly solutions and found them: a vast repository of women's wisdom. Two children and many years later, I still search and research, impressed and empowered by thousands of years of women's inventiveness, endurance, defiance and humor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
November 24, 2014
This "review"'s going to deviate from my standard reviews a bit. Back to your regularly scheduled reviewing next time.
A commenter on my other blog and I were having a little conversation about book buying in the comments of one of my posts there. I don’t know about you, but right now I need more books like I need a double lobotomy. Like I told him in my comment, when I went to pre-order Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, I just had to pick up Why We Suck by Dr. Denis Leary. The man is my god, after all. Might as well have the bible. But that’s just my little compulsive twitch for book buying at work.
But I did go into Barnes and Noble that day. No, not to buy anything, at least initially. I wanted to collect information for a post I'm planning on doing over there that my lazy butt hasn't gotten around to doing yet. But what did I see on the bargain racks before I even walked into the store? A slew of Element Encyclopedias, soft cover versions.
Now, I already owned one, the Encyclopedia of Witch Craft. I’ve owned it for years. My mom got it on discount from One Spirit book club and it’s helped me immensely with building a character for one of my books. So, needless to say, I screamed a little on the inside when I saw all these Element books just sitting there for $9.98 and begging to be bought. They're $30 books! Each! So I picked up Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols and Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Hauntings.
OMG I’m in heaven. When I buy when I really shouldn't, I get that tinge of guilt afterwards. You know what I'm talking about. But these . . . these will not go to waste at all and I would have kicked myself in the ass repeatedly had I not picked these up. The Element Encyclopedias are some of the best references for the mystical and magical and if you’re even considering writing anything like that, you’ll want these books amongst your reference guides. I’ll be able to use these with everything that I’m writing and plan to write.
Squee! I smile every time I look at them!
A commenter on my other blog and I were having a little conversation about book buying in the comments of one of my posts there. I don’t know about you, but right now I need more books like I need a double lobotomy. Like I told him in my comment, when I went to pre-order Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, I just had to pick up Why We Suck by Dr. Denis Leary. The man is my god, after all. Might as well have the bible. But that’s just my little compulsive twitch for book buying at work.
But I did go into Barnes and Noble that day. No, not to buy anything, at least initially. I wanted to collect information for a post I'm planning on doing over there that my lazy butt hasn't gotten around to doing yet. But what did I see on the bargain racks before I even walked into the store? A slew of Element Encyclopedias, soft cover versions.
Now, I already owned one, the Encyclopedia of Witch Craft. I’ve owned it for years. My mom got it on discount from One Spirit book club and it’s helped me immensely with building a character for one of my books. So, needless to say, I screamed a little on the inside when I saw all these Element books just sitting there for $9.98 and begging to be bought. They're $30 books! Each! So I picked up Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols and Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Hauntings.
OMG I’m in heaven. When I buy when I really shouldn't, I get that tinge of guilt afterwards. You know what I'm talking about. But these . . . these will not go to waste at all and I would have kicked myself in the ass repeatedly had I not picked these up. The Element Encyclopedias are some of the best references for the mystical and magical and if you’re even considering writing anything like that, you’ll want these books amongst your reference guides. I’ll be able to use these with everything that I’m writing and plan to write.
Squee! I smile every time I look at them!
July 4, 2017
An excellent, 850-page information book on everything relating to witchcraft - and how much of history, mythology, language, storytelling (fairy tales, literature and television), and so many other universal cultural aspects were influenced by paganism, ancient deities, nature, and women from the beginnings of human civilization. Correspondences, Sabbat and Esbat info, animal info, colour info, birth signs, real witches list, and spell casting included. The author, Judika Illes, is incredibly well learned, and has a good sense of humour as well.
It is very dense and some parts are easy to skim through, just like any encyclopedia, but overall 'The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft' is fascinating, interesting and educational. Especially about the "Burning Times" and "Witchcraze". Horrific, terrifying, an eyeopener: It makes you understand how prejudice still works today, and why.
Final Score: 4/5
It is very dense and some parts are easy to skim through, just like any encyclopedia, but overall 'The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft' is fascinating, interesting and educational. Especially about the "Burning Times" and "Witchcraze". Horrific, terrifying, an eyeopener: It makes you understand how prejudice still works today, and why.
Final Score: 4/5
January 9, 2024
This encyclopedia is so good and informative! It's also easy to read and understand! Great reference book.
March 17, 2021
An accessible and incredibly detailed work.
February 18, 2026
A great resource on many aspects of witchcraft-from the animals associated with magical workings, mythological witch goddesses, plants and fairy lore to the witch in modern times, media and history
January 28, 2023
This was one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read. I learned so much history from this reference book. Not that I’ll ever put any of this new knowledge into practice (although I do think of myself and my best friend as Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg). This took me longer to read than any other book I’ve ever read (more than a year) because I read it in small doses. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Anything anyone would ever want to know about witches and witchcraft is in this book.
June 29, 2012
Not a complete waste of time. Interesting historical notations lead to further study.
January 3, 2014
Full of information, a comprehensive volume.
May 22, 2026
I am actually quite disappointed; I was very excited to dig into this encyclopedia. But under the entry for one of Hinduism’s major deities - Kali Mata - I was extremely disappointed to see blatant misinformation. I’m Hindu and my family is from the region of the world where this goddess originates.
I wish I could attach a picture of the page, but in the absence of that, I will just quote it here:
“One famous image shows Kali squatting over Shiva’s prone body devouring his entrails while simultaneously offering him her breast… She also manifests as a jackal-headed woman.”
WTF? WHERE IS THIS “FAMOUS” IMAGE? WHEN HAS KALI MATA EVER APPEARED WITH THE HEAD OF A JACKAL?
My family is Indian, Hinduism is what I was raised with, and I have been in multiple Hindu temples throughout my life. My parents have had a small shrine in their home for decades, and I own a small idol of Mahakali (Kali Mata) in my home. This goddess is venerated across India, and even featured in a recent Bollywood movie titled “Maa,” which was centered around a mother invoking her power to save her child from a demon.
I have seen many images of Kali Mata throughout my life, and NEVER have I seen her with the head of a jackal (is the author thinking of the male deity Anubis from the ancient Egyptian pantheon? Because that is a VERY different part of the world).
Nor have I ever seen—or even HEARD of—this so called “famous” image of her devouring Lord Shiva’s entrails while offering him her breast.
Hell, I was questioning my own sanity and decided to research it to see if there were any lesser-known sects of Hinduism which represented Kali Mata in such a way—and I came up with nothing, other than a random Facebook post by someone claiming that there were statues of Kali devouring entrails. Which I have NEVER seen evidence of, either in person or when searching the internet.
So much for this “famous” image! (And I don’t think an obscure Facebook post quoting a random unverifiable claim should be a source used for an encyclopedia.)
For people who want to know what Kali Mata represents to Hindus generally — she is considered a protective, maternal, yet ferocious deity who represents death & destruction. The kind you would beseech for help if you were praying for protection from evil.
Kali Mata is also said to be the ferocious incarnation of Goddess Parvati, who is the wife of Lord Shiva and mother of Lord Ganesh. Two of Parvati’s most famous incarnations are Kali Mata and Durga Mata. Kali Mata is a demon-slayer, and a famous story of her is her killing the demon Rakhtabij. One story goes that after she slew a demon, she became so destructive that Lord Shiva had to intervene and lay down under her to stop her.
The most iconic image of Kali Mata — which one can find VERY easily, both online or in a Hindu temple or Indian store — is a 4-6 armed goddess standing atop Lord Shiva’s supine body, wielding a bloody sword and the severed head of a demon. Her mouth is bloody and open in what can either be interpreted as rage or — some say — embarrassment / shame at having stepped on her husband. No intestine-eating or jackal heads involved.
I’m not going to lie, I was furious. If you are going to publish an encyclopedia, you need to double and triple check your facts, and have footnotes and citations, especially if you’re going to make wild claims about other people’s faiths.
I am not a guru-ji or Ph.D scholar of Hindu theology, but I know enough to call BS on this because of my cultural upbringing. But how on earth will I be able to tell what is true in the rest of the encyclopedia, when it comes to cultures and religions I have no connections with?
Encyclopedias are supposed to be factually sound—one cannot expect their readers to have to fact-check every single entry, and making even one questionable claim can undermine your credibility with your other entries.
If someone would like to see a movie that actually highlights what Kali Mata means to Hindus and within the larger culture of India, I recommend the Bollywood movie “Maa,” currently on Netflix. And the song “Kali Shakti” within that movie represents the battle-ready, protective, maternal spirit of Kali Mata—instead of the bizarre, fetishist, culturally-appropriating garbage this author has published.
I wish I could attach a picture of the page, but in the absence of that, I will just quote it here:
“One famous image shows Kali squatting over Shiva’s prone body devouring his entrails while simultaneously offering him her breast… She also manifests as a jackal-headed woman.”
WTF? WHERE IS THIS “FAMOUS” IMAGE? WHEN HAS KALI MATA EVER APPEARED WITH THE HEAD OF A JACKAL?
My family is Indian, Hinduism is what I was raised with, and I have been in multiple Hindu temples throughout my life. My parents have had a small shrine in their home for decades, and I own a small idol of Mahakali (Kali Mata) in my home. This goddess is venerated across India, and even featured in a recent Bollywood movie titled “Maa,” which was centered around a mother invoking her power to save her child from a demon.
I have seen many images of Kali Mata throughout my life, and NEVER have I seen her with the head of a jackal (is the author thinking of the male deity Anubis from the ancient Egyptian pantheon? Because that is a VERY different part of the world).
Nor have I ever seen—or even HEARD of—this so called “famous” image of her devouring Lord Shiva’s entrails while offering him her breast.
Hell, I was questioning my own sanity and decided to research it to see if there were any lesser-known sects of Hinduism which represented Kali Mata in such a way—and I came up with nothing, other than a random Facebook post by someone claiming that there were statues of Kali devouring entrails. Which I have NEVER seen evidence of, either in person or when searching the internet.
So much for this “famous” image! (And I don’t think an obscure Facebook post quoting a random unverifiable claim should be a source used for an encyclopedia.)
For people who want to know what Kali Mata represents to Hindus generally — she is considered a protective, maternal, yet ferocious deity who represents death & destruction. The kind you would beseech for help if you were praying for protection from evil.
Kali Mata is also said to be the ferocious incarnation of Goddess Parvati, who is the wife of Lord Shiva and mother of Lord Ganesh. Two of Parvati’s most famous incarnations are Kali Mata and Durga Mata. Kali Mata is a demon-slayer, and a famous story of her is her killing the demon Rakhtabij. One story goes that after she slew a demon, she became so destructive that Lord Shiva had to intervene and lay down under her to stop her.
The most iconic image of Kali Mata — which one can find VERY easily, both online or in a Hindu temple or Indian store — is a 4-6 armed goddess standing atop Lord Shiva’s supine body, wielding a bloody sword and the severed head of a demon. Her mouth is bloody and open in what can either be interpreted as rage or — some say — embarrassment / shame at having stepped on her husband. No intestine-eating or jackal heads involved.
I’m not going to lie, I was furious. If you are going to publish an encyclopedia, you need to double and triple check your facts, and have footnotes and citations, especially if you’re going to make wild claims about other people’s faiths.
I am not a guru-ji or Ph.D scholar of Hindu theology, but I know enough to call BS on this because of my cultural upbringing. But how on earth will I be able to tell what is true in the rest of the encyclopedia, when it comes to cultures and religions I have no connections with?
Encyclopedias are supposed to be factually sound—one cannot expect their readers to have to fact-check every single entry, and making even one questionable claim can undermine your credibility with your other entries.
If someone would like to see a movie that actually highlights what Kali Mata means to Hindus and within the larger culture of India, I recommend the Bollywood movie “Maa,” currently on Netflix. And the song “Kali Shakti” within that movie represents the battle-ready, protective, maternal spirit of Kali Mata—instead of the bizarre, fetishist, culturally-appropriating garbage this author has published.
January 26, 2018
This is an excellent reference and companion to The Element Encyclopedia of 5,000 spells. It is fairly comprehensive--I don't remember many instances where I went looking for something about witches and didn't find it here in some form or another. Unfortunately, I don't find myself needing the information in this book very often.
January 10, 2023
I had high expectations of this book and my goodness, it did not disappoint. So richly detailed and engrossing I've found myself reading for hours when I only intended to dip in for a few minutes. I thought I was well-versed in witchcraft lore before picking this up, but I've learned so much more. And it's made me re-examine the past and my own perceptions in ways I never would have imagined.
February 8, 2017
Wowzers! What a huge, comprehensive read! Plenty of information here to get you started on your magickal quest for further exploration. Take what you can from this book, there's plenty of information there to wet your whistle.
August 18, 2019
I just finished it for the same week and i really enjoyed it. I loved how at first the storylines didn't seem to have anything to do with each other but slowly details were revealed to show how they are all connected.
February 19, 2020
Wonderful, thorough, and fascinating information about witchcraft and magical traditions and folklore around the world. This is a must-read for anybody interested in knowing more about witchcraft and magic traditions, history, and lore.
September 29, 2018
Very well written, this is a great reference book and I reckon this is an essential part of any occult or magickal library.
January 22, 2019
It’s a long book, I mean look for the page count, and I took my time with it. I skimmed here and there, but it was interesting and written in easy going style, and I learned a little bit.
March 16, 2020
A very interesting book with a large amount of information about the Craft. I enjoyed it but I am a bibliomaniac!
August 11, 2020
An excellent manual for the how’s and why’s of different types of witchcraft with a bit of folklore. Another great book for the library of an author writing about witches.
December 29, 2020
A comprehensive guide of all things Witchy.
Need to be in the right frame of mind to read it.
I basically skimmed thru it, a lot of things I found to be of no interest
Need to be in the right frame of mind to read it.
I basically skimmed thru it, a lot of things I found to be of no interest
June 21, 2021
My favorite book for the craft. It gives a great history, is very in depth about myths across traditions, and is a great general knowledge book.
April 26, 2022
I think this is the dictionary definition of a Tome!
May 20, 2023
A great source to cover all the basic stuff in witchcraft. Definitely informative
April 4, 2024
The book is perfectly personal but not too much, well explained, with simple English. It just lacks graphic representation
November 17, 2024
Fantastic and huge book full of references to magics and folklore in every direction! Really gets into detailed explanations, it's clear that a lot of care went into this book.
April 6, 2025
She has such a plethora of knowledge of our ancestors history. A very interesting read. Even though the book is a mammoth, I enjoyed reading every bit of it!
September 10, 2025
I love love loveee this book. I'd forgotten to add it to my read shelf, but I use this constantly for my own grimoire.
March 16, 2026
I could see how maybe this would be a good resource for someone really into the history of witches. It just was really overwhelming with information and difficult to get through for me.
March 11, 2016
this series is a good starter pack. it contains brief information on a lot of different things, and is a good place to do beginner reference and expand further from there. i'm also a sucker for the format and style of the books - they just look good, and i can't help but think of how good they'd look together on my bookshelf. as a bibliophile, i really like this series.
obviously, don't consult these for in-depth research. but, again, they're a good place to start broad, wide-ranging consultation. not to be crass but they'd be good bathroom/coffee table reading, too. it's kind of like wikipedia - great place to dip your feet in, but it's just the surface, and should be taken with a grain of salt. very useful if used properly.
obviously, don't consult these for in-depth research. but, again, they're a good place to start broad, wide-ranging consultation. not to be crass but they'd be good bathroom/coffee table reading, too. it's kind of like wikipedia - great place to dip your feet in, but it's just the surface, and should be taken with a grain of salt. very useful if used properly.
September 16, 2016
That's one doorstopper of a book - and I especially love those! Judika Illes gives a quick introduction/ overview to nearly every topic/thing/whatever you could think of in relation to witchcraft, most pleasingly out of a broader, non-wiccan perspective. It's of course no scholarly work, but at least the bibliography in the back is quite impressive. Seriously, I was surprised by the relative lucidity oif hear introduction on the difficulties defining the term "witchcraft". Historically, not everything in here might by absolutely solid, waterproofed and/ or still accepted standard. But especially in such a book, which is not geared towards a special theology or the like, it is more relevant to get starting points for the inevitable own research. And Judika provides plenty of them.
December 30, 2015
A 886 page book that covers everything related to witchcraft including animals, botany, fairies, the Horned One and how he relates (or doesn't) to the Christian Devil, magickal places and things, Women's Mysteries and even the "Witchcraft Hall of Fame". It also discusses how different countries dealt with witches during the Burning Times.
A must-read for anyone interested in witchcraft.
A must-read for anyone interested in witchcraft.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews