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The Book of Practical Witchcraft: A Compendium of Spells, Rituals and Occult Knowledge
Become a competent, confident spell-worker with this practical guide to witchcraft, now in an accessible eBook format.
Containing an extensive collection of traditional spells and techniques, this guide will help readers attract positive friendships, love and luck as well as promote healing, careers and protection. The Practical Book of Witchcraft is an essential reference for anyone wishing to master the incredible art of wicca and spell-making.
• A section on tools used as well as information on how to consecrate them
• Correspondences for different spells
• Rituals for manifesting your wishes
This spell-binding book provides a wonderful introduction into witchcraft and makes a perfect gift.
Containing an extensive collection of traditional spells and techniques, this guide will help readers attract positive friendships, love and luck as well as promote healing, careers and protection. The Practical Book of Witchcraft is an essential reference for anyone wishing to master the incredible art of wicca and spell-making.
• A section on tools used as well as information on how to consecrate them
• Correspondences for different spells
• Rituals for manifesting your wishes
This spell-binding book provides a wonderful introduction into witchcraft and makes a perfect gift.
471 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2021
245 people are currently reading
659 people want to read
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November 15, 2021
Book Review: 'The Book of Practical Witchcraft - A Compendium of Spells, Rituals and Occult Knowledge' by Pamela Ball.
Genre: Witchcraft / Religion and Spirituality
Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
Release Date: January, 2022
Book was gifted in exchange for a review
About the Author
The author, Pamela Ball is a name you might have come across before in the Occult or Spirituality section of the book store. She has written a lot of books! Some titles include; 'Natural Magic, 10,000 Dreams Interpreted, The Book of Spells' and an array of other books about dreams.
About the Book
The book is part of a series called the 'Mystic Archives.' Another book that’s part of it is, 'The Book of Divination' by Michael Johnstone. I was also sent an advanced copy and I was going to do a joint review, but as they are too different books I decided to split it into two. Keep an eye out for that review if you are interested.
'The Book of Practical Witchcraft' is split into two sections, as well as including a little bit of an introduction. Part one is about the tools of Witchcraft. It goes through working with candles, crystals, herbs, incense, oils, deities and archangels.
Part two deals with spells and is organised into various categories. The main thing to know about the book is that it is focused on ‘practical Witchcraft’ (as the title suggests) so it deals with spells and doing the work.
My Thoughts
The book is beautiful! It’s hardback with silver embossing and silver gilded edges that are glossy and shiny. I love all of the symbolism on the cover and the silver on black monochrome style.
Inside the book, the introduction offers a good set-up for the book and the idea of magick in general. Though brief it looks at how Kabbalah, alchemy, folk magic and secret societies have all played a part in influencing the Witchcraft practiced today. It also shows that Witchcraft is an amalgamation of multi-cultural aspects.
When touching on Witchcraft history, it follows a similar pattern to other books. It looks at: Paganism, the Witch-trials, Salem then moves to the 20th Century with Gardner and Wicca. Most of the history discussed is done in a brief, matter of fact way, however the information about Wicca is a lot more detailed. It has the Wiccan rede in full and the Wiccan Principles, which are actually a mostly American thing. Although it focuses a lot on Wicca in the history section, the rest of the book is not Wicca heavy. It is suitable for any Witch no matter your path.
In part one, as well as covering the tools that most Witches use in their Craft, it also briefly looks as deities. It gives information on a range of deities from different traditions and pantheons. It’s a good introduction for further study and might help you if you are unsure of whether you want to include deities in your Craft or not.
Personally, I appreciated the inclusion of Deities in the book. Even though they are a devotional part of the Craft for some, they can also play a part in spell work for others. What I didn’t understand was the inclusion of ‘Archangels.’ This is not something I have ever come across before in a Witchcraft book. For me, on a personal level, I don’t really want to include anything predominantly Catholic or Christian in my Craft. I know some Witches out there that are religious and it’s definitely possible to incorporate a religion into your Witchcraft practice, but it just felt a little out of place in this book and I did skip the section.
Another section that I found to be a little too prescriptive was about 'Altars’. It recommends having two candles to represent the God and Goddess, an athame, things to represent the elements etc. These are all things that Witches may have in their Craft and on their altar, but for me I don’t believe the altar has to be this prescriptive, and you don’t have to include any of these things in your Craft at all if you don’t want to.
My favourite section was about making your own incense. There are a LOT of recipes to use for different purposes. There are recipes for banishing, protection, negative energy, malign energy, psychic protection, love and relationships, money, prosperity, success, health, divination and prophetic dreams. There are also ideas for incense attuned to the days of the week, the seasons, the elements, the planets and more. As someone who usually just uses a ready made incense stick or cone, it opened my eyes to the untapped magick that comes with making your own incense blend. I especially liked this section because it was something new to me.
Another aspect that helped to advance my personal practice was some new information about candle magick. It had the usual in-depth information that most beginner books have when introducing candle magick such as: choosing a candle colour that suits your intentions, dressing and charging your candles, and the correspondences. The part that I added to my grimoire was something I had never come across before in any of my other books or studies. That was interpreting the way a candle burns and what it means. Again, it was exciting to learn something new and add something to my own grimoire.
The second part of the book is dedicated to the actual spells. It starts by explaining types of spells; love, bidding, blessings, healing, invocations and incantations. Then the types of magick that can be used to cast those spells; colour, herbal, candle, crystal, knot, representational, symbolic, talismans, amulets, charms. It’s interesting that it makes this distinction between spells and magick, I don’t know many practitioners that do that and it’s very comprehensive in the explanations of each aspect.
The spells themselves are organised into sections:
- Friendship, love and relationships
- Health, healing and well-being
- Money, luck and career
- Home and personal protection
- The evil eye
Each section is full of spells for all sorts of different situations. For example, with friendship, it covers all aspects, from making new friends to severing toxic friendships and everything in between. You are bound to find a spell to suit your needs. If not there will be one you can adapt for your purpose. There are so many that there is actually an index of spells in the back so it makes it easy to find what you are looking for. There’s not much else to say about this section. It’s really comprehensive and well organised. It gives an intro to the spell, the ingredients and equipment you will need, the method for casting and for some there is a rhyme or verbal spell to go with it.
I think it's important at this point to mention a few things I found in terms of problems or issues with the book. As I always say, I like to present a balanced review and there were a few ‘flaws’.
Firstly it refers to ‘white’ magic and ‘black’ magic which is quite an outdated view of magic. It does attribute black magic to African cultures which was more than disappointing to see. The information about 'African Witchcraft’ or magickal practices seemed to be provided more to shock. Everything was prefaced with, “are said to” and “it is believed”. It was sensationalised rather than grounded in fact about magick and beliefs within African cultures. If you are interested in learning more about African Witchcraft or other Magickal practices then I would recommend a book that has been thoroughly researched on that topic or a book authored by someone who practices the traditions. Africa is a huge continent with varied traditions, cultures and beliefs and that just doesn’t come across well in the book.
The next is a bit of a warning. There is a section about crystals, and it mentions some cleansing methods for your crystals such as using water; sea water or salt water. However it doesn’t mention that with some crystals or stones this is not a good idea as it can damage them. It’s always a good idea to research which crystals are ok to submerge in water.
Similarly, the book features a healing spell that involves leaving a crystal in water for twenty-four hours and then drinking the water. However, again, it does not mention that some crystals contain harmful compounds that can contaminate the water and therefore would be harmful to drink. It may have been better to include a list of water safe crystals. An alternative is to put your crystals in something before you place them in the water, this way they don’t actually come in to contact with the water. Don’t worry it will still have the same energetic effect that the spell requires.
Something else I did find strange was the repetition of a section. The information about the elements is repeated. It appears in part one and part two of the book. I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not. I know some people tend to flip around to different sections of books, rather than reading it from cover to cover like I did, and the information is relevant to both of the sections it is in. I just found it strange that it was repeated word for word.
Final Thoughts
Overall I think the book makes a good study book. It’s includes the theory behind the practical side of Witchcraft. But hopefully you will feel inspired to try the spells within it as part of your Craft. Like I said at the beginning, the book focuses on the practical side of Witchcraft, rather than the more devotional side such as: honouring the wheel of the year, appreciating nature and the world we live in, working with the lunar phases or journaling.
The book is good for beginners because it deals with a lot of the basics to get started with spell work, but as a more seasoned Witch I still find it really useful. There are a lot of spells in the book and I will definitely refer to it for various purposes that arise. Even if I don’t use the exact spell featured I know that it can provide a good starting point for me to work from and adapt for my needs.
I did mention a few flaws or things that I feel could be improved in the book. The outdated perspectives and missing warnings when working with crystals. Saying that, I did learn some new bits and pieces which is always nice. It introduced some ideas that I’d not previously come across in my reading before such as, the interpretation of candle flames and making incense.
It’s also worth noting that there is a little bit more to casting spells than having the ingredients and performing the spell as it’s written. Most Witches will have a pre-ritual; making sure they have cleansed their space, they may cast a protective circle and centre and ground themselves to make sure they are in the right frame of mind before starting. However, these practices are not something that is covered in the book. It’s great for the spells themselves but if you are new to Witchcraft then you may want to carry out further research into cleansing, grounding, meditating as starting points before just jumping in to spell casting. Carrying out these pre-spell steps makes sure you have a clear, positive mindset and in my experience it means your spells are more likely to be successful.
I think this is one of those books that a lot of Witches would love to have on their bookshelves, just because it is so beautiful on an aesthetic level, yet it does also deliver with the spell work and I know I’m going to keep dipping in to it.
Let me know what you think. Would you love to have this book on your witchy bookshelf? It’s not out just yet, but it is available to pre-order from the book seller of your choice.
Genre: Witchcraft / Religion and Spirituality
Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
Release Date: January, 2022
Book was gifted in exchange for a review
About the Author
The author, Pamela Ball is a name you might have come across before in the Occult or Spirituality section of the book store. She has written a lot of books! Some titles include; 'Natural Magic, 10,000 Dreams Interpreted, The Book of Spells' and an array of other books about dreams.
About the Book
The book is part of a series called the 'Mystic Archives.' Another book that’s part of it is, 'The Book of Divination' by Michael Johnstone. I was also sent an advanced copy and I was going to do a joint review, but as they are too different books I decided to split it into two. Keep an eye out for that review if you are interested.
'The Book of Practical Witchcraft' is split into two sections, as well as including a little bit of an introduction. Part one is about the tools of Witchcraft. It goes through working with candles, crystals, herbs, incense, oils, deities and archangels.
Part two deals with spells and is organised into various categories. The main thing to know about the book is that it is focused on ‘practical Witchcraft’ (as the title suggests) so it deals with spells and doing the work.
My Thoughts
The book is beautiful! It’s hardback with silver embossing and silver gilded edges that are glossy and shiny. I love all of the symbolism on the cover and the silver on black monochrome style.
Inside the book, the introduction offers a good set-up for the book and the idea of magick in general. Though brief it looks at how Kabbalah, alchemy, folk magic and secret societies have all played a part in influencing the Witchcraft practiced today. It also shows that Witchcraft is an amalgamation of multi-cultural aspects.
When touching on Witchcraft history, it follows a similar pattern to other books. It looks at: Paganism, the Witch-trials, Salem then moves to the 20th Century with Gardner and Wicca. Most of the history discussed is done in a brief, matter of fact way, however the information about Wicca is a lot more detailed. It has the Wiccan rede in full and the Wiccan Principles, which are actually a mostly American thing. Although it focuses a lot on Wicca in the history section, the rest of the book is not Wicca heavy. It is suitable for any Witch no matter your path.
In part one, as well as covering the tools that most Witches use in their Craft, it also briefly looks as deities. It gives information on a range of deities from different traditions and pantheons. It’s a good introduction for further study and might help you if you are unsure of whether you want to include deities in your Craft or not.
Personally, I appreciated the inclusion of Deities in the book. Even though they are a devotional part of the Craft for some, they can also play a part in spell work for others. What I didn’t understand was the inclusion of ‘Archangels.’ This is not something I have ever come across before in a Witchcraft book. For me, on a personal level, I don’t really want to include anything predominantly Catholic or Christian in my Craft. I know some Witches out there that are religious and it’s definitely possible to incorporate a religion into your Witchcraft practice, but it just felt a little out of place in this book and I did skip the section.
Another section that I found to be a little too prescriptive was about 'Altars’. It recommends having two candles to represent the God and Goddess, an athame, things to represent the elements etc. These are all things that Witches may have in their Craft and on their altar, but for me I don’t believe the altar has to be this prescriptive, and you don’t have to include any of these things in your Craft at all if you don’t want to.
My favourite section was about making your own incense. There are a LOT of recipes to use for different purposes. There are recipes for banishing, protection, negative energy, malign energy, psychic protection, love and relationships, money, prosperity, success, health, divination and prophetic dreams. There are also ideas for incense attuned to the days of the week, the seasons, the elements, the planets and more. As someone who usually just uses a ready made incense stick or cone, it opened my eyes to the untapped magick that comes with making your own incense blend. I especially liked this section because it was something new to me.
Another aspect that helped to advance my personal practice was some new information about candle magick. It had the usual in-depth information that most beginner books have when introducing candle magick such as: choosing a candle colour that suits your intentions, dressing and charging your candles, and the correspondences. The part that I added to my grimoire was something I had never come across before in any of my other books or studies. That was interpreting the way a candle burns and what it means. Again, it was exciting to learn something new and add something to my own grimoire.
The second part of the book is dedicated to the actual spells. It starts by explaining types of spells; love, bidding, blessings, healing, invocations and incantations. Then the types of magick that can be used to cast those spells; colour, herbal, candle, crystal, knot, representational, symbolic, talismans, amulets, charms. It’s interesting that it makes this distinction between spells and magick, I don’t know many practitioners that do that and it’s very comprehensive in the explanations of each aspect.
The spells themselves are organised into sections:
- Friendship, love and relationships
- Health, healing and well-being
- Money, luck and career
- Home and personal protection
- The evil eye
Each section is full of spells for all sorts of different situations. For example, with friendship, it covers all aspects, from making new friends to severing toxic friendships and everything in between. You are bound to find a spell to suit your needs. If not there will be one you can adapt for your purpose. There are so many that there is actually an index of spells in the back so it makes it easy to find what you are looking for. There’s not much else to say about this section. It’s really comprehensive and well organised. It gives an intro to the spell, the ingredients and equipment you will need, the method for casting and for some there is a rhyme or verbal spell to go with it.
I think it's important at this point to mention a few things I found in terms of problems or issues with the book. As I always say, I like to present a balanced review and there were a few ‘flaws’.
Firstly it refers to ‘white’ magic and ‘black’ magic which is quite an outdated view of magic. It does attribute black magic to African cultures which was more than disappointing to see. The information about 'African Witchcraft’ or magickal practices seemed to be provided more to shock. Everything was prefaced with, “are said to” and “it is believed”. It was sensationalised rather than grounded in fact about magick and beliefs within African cultures. If you are interested in learning more about African Witchcraft or other Magickal practices then I would recommend a book that has been thoroughly researched on that topic or a book authored by someone who practices the traditions. Africa is a huge continent with varied traditions, cultures and beliefs and that just doesn’t come across well in the book.
The next is a bit of a warning. There is a section about crystals, and it mentions some cleansing methods for your crystals such as using water; sea water or salt water. However it doesn’t mention that with some crystals or stones this is not a good idea as it can damage them. It’s always a good idea to research which crystals are ok to submerge in water.
Similarly, the book features a healing spell that involves leaving a crystal in water for twenty-four hours and then drinking the water. However, again, it does not mention that some crystals contain harmful compounds that can contaminate the water and therefore would be harmful to drink. It may have been better to include a list of water safe crystals. An alternative is to put your crystals in something before you place them in the water, this way they don’t actually come in to contact with the water. Don’t worry it will still have the same energetic effect that the spell requires.
Something else I did find strange was the repetition of a section. The information about the elements is repeated. It appears in part one and part two of the book. I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not. I know some people tend to flip around to different sections of books, rather than reading it from cover to cover like I did, and the information is relevant to both of the sections it is in. I just found it strange that it was repeated word for word.
Final Thoughts
Overall I think the book makes a good study book. It’s includes the theory behind the practical side of Witchcraft. But hopefully you will feel inspired to try the spells within it as part of your Craft. Like I said at the beginning, the book focuses on the practical side of Witchcraft, rather than the more devotional side such as: honouring the wheel of the year, appreciating nature and the world we live in, working with the lunar phases or journaling.
The book is good for beginners because it deals with a lot of the basics to get started with spell work, but as a more seasoned Witch I still find it really useful. There are a lot of spells in the book and I will definitely refer to it for various purposes that arise. Even if I don’t use the exact spell featured I know that it can provide a good starting point for me to work from and adapt for my needs.
I did mention a few flaws or things that I feel could be improved in the book. The outdated perspectives and missing warnings when working with crystals. Saying that, I did learn some new bits and pieces which is always nice. It introduced some ideas that I’d not previously come across in my reading before such as, the interpretation of candle flames and making incense.
It’s also worth noting that there is a little bit more to casting spells than having the ingredients and performing the spell as it’s written. Most Witches will have a pre-ritual; making sure they have cleansed their space, they may cast a protective circle and centre and ground themselves to make sure they are in the right frame of mind before starting. However, these practices are not something that is covered in the book. It’s great for the spells themselves but if you are new to Witchcraft then you may want to carry out further research into cleansing, grounding, meditating as starting points before just jumping in to spell casting. Carrying out these pre-spell steps makes sure you have a clear, positive mindset and in my experience it means your spells are more likely to be successful.
I think this is one of those books that a lot of Witches would love to have on their bookshelves, just because it is so beautiful on an aesthetic level, yet it does also deliver with the spell work and I know I’m going to keep dipping in to it.
Let me know what you think. Would you love to have this book on your witchy bookshelf? It’s not out just yet, but it is available to pre-order from the book seller of your choice.
February 8, 2024
While this is a beautiful book, both with it's cover and with the pages throughout, it does lack some things. It has an extensive amount of chapters that are useful for looking up correspondences and spells, but falls into the trap of claiming that you need highly specific and at times expensive tools and materials.
Despite in a few places explaining how Wicca is different from Witchcraft, this book will often use the two terms interchangeably, which can be very confusing for any beginners that might read this book. The religion Wicca's key rules are featured heavily throughout, without indication of these being Wicca. This results in beginners not knowing that they are being taught religion specific rules rather than witchcraft. The author's occasional reference to Wicca and stating you can use another religion, only goes to further the confusion, as it is only stated sometimes and not every time Wicca is being used.
The book also suggests to put crystals in water intended to be drunk, without a disclaimer about some crystals being water soluble and potentially dangerous to ingest. The author makes little to no suggestion about which crystals to use here, therefore leaving readers open to potential harm.
In conclusion this book should have been named "The Book of Practical Wicca" and should have warned it's readers about which crystals can go in water and still have the water be safe to drink afterwards.
Despite in a few places explaining how Wicca is different from Witchcraft, this book will often use the two terms interchangeably, which can be very confusing for any beginners that might read this book. The religion Wicca's key rules are featured heavily throughout, without indication of these being Wicca. This results in beginners not knowing that they are being taught religion specific rules rather than witchcraft. The author's occasional reference to Wicca and stating you can use another religion, only goes to further the confusion, as it is only stated sometimes and not every time Wicca is being used.
The book also suggests to put crystals in water intended to be drunk, without a disclaimer about some crystals being water soluble and potentially dangerous to ingest. The author makes little to no suggestion about which crystals to use here, therefore leaving readers open to potential harm.
In conclusion this book should have been named "The Book of Practical Wicca" and should have warned it's readers about which crystals can go in water and still have the water be safe to drink afterwards.
July 28, 2022
This is a stepping stone. Take the information that resonates with you. This is just a reference guide for me.
November 13, 2024
This gave a comprehensive history of witchcraft and it’s origins. It also lists out all tools, herbs, deities, etc that can be used in the practice. It’s definitely a reference book and if you’re someone who is looking to explore paganism as a practice, I think it’s a must to have in your collection.
June 1, 2023
This book is a solid collection of spells that meet core needs and are straightforward. However, the one big drawback is that some information is misguided or lacking important caveats (for instance crystal water is usually a bad idea!). Still worth consulting for inspiration.
November 26, 2025
This compendium is a wealth of knowledge and excellent baseline; would’ve been 5 stars were it not for the absence of the sabbats and Oxford commas.
August 9, 2025
The book is heavily influenced by Wiccan idea of witchcraft, which is fine. I dont like that the author was not upfront about it.
April 24, 2023
The book is well organized and presents its material in a clear, concise manner. I didn't find anything new here, probably because I've read several similar books. I suppose if I'd read this one first, I'd be saying that about one of those others instead.
The information in part one is for newbies, as it deals with basics like tools, types of spells, deities and archangels, and sacred space. Part two is a collection of spells in categories such as love, health, money, and protection. There is also a useful index of the spells.
The information in part one is for newbies, as it deals with basics like tools, types of spells, deities and archangels, and sacred space. Part two is a collection of spells in categories such as love, health, money, and protection. There is also a useful index of the spells.
December 20, 2024
This book covered a lot of areas pretty well which is a saving grace for this book due to other problems in the book. The issue for me was that a lot of the herbal ingredients and oils are not easy to obtain and therefore not 'practical'. The book also had numerous editing/formatting errors which is really bad when there are dot points. For example, the heading for blend would be the last dot point in the list above. It also lists musk as an ingredient multiple times which is not only almost impossible to source but is often unethically sourced from animals.
January 24, 2024
This book has a basic knowledge of everything you need to know about witchcraft. I'm in several online groups and communities for witches and so many of the daily questions I see people posting can be answered in this book. I collect grimoires and spell books and this is the most comprehensive one I've found so far
July 30, 2022
Easy to read and understand. However, creates a few questions. I found several useful things in here. Good to have on hand. If you don't want to buy, workings are simple to jot down in your journal.
November 17, 2025
Good compendium for research
I love how this book is so articulate and structured. I highly recommend this to new and seasoned practitioners alike. I dont have anything negative to say.
I love how this book is so articulate and structured. I highly recommend this to new and seasoned practitioners alike. I dont have anything negative to say.
April 17, 2022
*mwah just loved it
March 29, 2023
Not excellent but I will definitely use it to build my own journal of charms, spells,recipes, associations etc etc
May 26, 2023
Loved it!
July 7, 2023
Fantastic reference book for witchcraft! A must have for my shelf.
July 8, 2024
🧙🏽♀️🕯️🥀🖤🕸️🌿🌝🌚✨🔥💧💨🌏
April 27, 2025
Another great book for budding witches to keep on hand for reference- has a little bit of history, magical guidance and magical references.
December 1, 2024
It's not smudging if you're not Native / Indigenous. Otherwise very interesting.
November 23, 2023
Did I need another beginner witchcraft book? No. The plan was to read this and pass it on to a friend. HOWEVER, plans changed.
First, one thing I liked about this book was that the author encouraged the reader to craft their own supplies such as candles and incense, but also stated that it wasn't necessary. Basic instructions were included which was nice to see.
YET, my biggest issue is that the author states that you should not use magic to influence people, then turns around and includes SEVERAL "love spells" that do exactly that.
There was even a spell that included using the target person's hair as a taglock. Like WTF?
The information included is pretty good for beginner stuff but the spells are pretty gross and many are bound to backfire, just based on their purposes and the typical practitioner that would pick up this book.
So needless to say, I will definitely not be passing this book on.
First, one thing I liked about this book was that the author encouraged the reader to craft their own supplies such as candles and incense, but also stated that it wasn't necessary. Basic instructions were included which was nice to see.
YET, my biggest issue is that the author states that you should not use magic to influence people, then turns around and includes SEVERAL "love spells" that do exactly that.
There was even a spell that included using the target person's hair as a taglock. Like WTF?
The information included is pretty good for beginner stuff but the spells are pretty gross and many are bound to backfire, just based on their purposes and the typical practitioner that would pick up this book.
So needless to say, I will definitely not be passing this book on.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews