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Spiritus Mundi: Writings Borne from the Occult
When does creativity become spiritual? An enthralling anthology of prose and poetry, Spiritus Mundi aims to answer this question, revealing the connection between imagination and the divine.
First coined by Agrippa and employed by the poet W. B. Yeats, the term “spiritus mundi” describes the realm from which all creative and magical inspiration springs. In this incredible anthology of creative writing, editor Elizabeth Sulis Kim—feature writer for The Guardian and The Los Angeles Review of Books, and editor of Cunning Folk magazine—unlocks the mysteries of this realm through the use of topical writing prompts. Each creative work explores occult techniques such as invocation, cartomancy, and scrying. Including works by acclaimed authors such as Naomi Ishiguro, Alice Slater, and Ella Duffy, and original illustrations by Kaitlynn Copithorne, Spiritus Mundi is a treasure trove of incredible writing and deep inspiration.
First coined by Agrippa and employed by the poet W. B. Yeats, the term “spiritus mundi” describes the realm from which all creative and magical inspiration springs. In this incredible anthology of creative writing, editor Elizabeth Sulis Kim—feature writer for The Guardian and The Los Angeles Review of Books, and editor of Cunning Folk magazine—unlocks the mysteries of this realm through the use of topical writing prompts. Each creative work explores occult techniques such as invocation, cartomancy, and scrying. Including works by acclaimed authors such as Naomi Ishiguro, Alice Slater, and Ella Duffy, and original illustrations by Kaitlynn Copithorne, Spiritus Mundi is a treasure trove of incredible writing and deep inspiration.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2022
21 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Sulis Kim
4 books3 followersElizabeth Sulis Kim is founding editor of Cunning Folk, the popular independent magazine about magic, mythology, folklore and the occult. Cunning Folk has many influential fans and always quickly sells out its first printing, reprinting frequently. Elizabeth’s writing has appeared in various publications, including BBC Culture, The Guardian, The Independent, Refinery29, and the LA Review of Books.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 29, 2022
I have been reading books outside of my comfort zone this year and this book has shown me that pushing your boundaries is always worth it. I really enjoyed this wonderful book. Spiritus Mundi is super accessible, with a great range of stories, kept me captivated and entertained whilst also learning a lot. It's challenged the stereotype of what I expected from something 'occulty' but I know people who love the genre will love this too.
A beautifully written book, each contributor brings their own unique flair while always managing to feel like one, cohesive piece.
If you like to pick seasons to read your books like I do.. this is perfect for Autumn.
One of my favourite reads this year.
A beautifully written book, each contributor brings their own unique flair while always managing to feel like one, cohesive piece.
If you like to pick seasons to read your books like I do.. this is perfect for Autumn.
One of my favourite reads this year.
January 9, 2023
Gorgeous gorgeous GORGEOUS book!
I picked it up without really checking what it contains, only grasping on to words such as "writing" and "occult "... but I am so so so happy I got it!
The book is essentially a collection of "methods" for creative inspiration, framed in a way that tells a story of how they're inspired by magical practices.
At the end of each chapter, there are a few short literature works, which were created or inspired by the method that the chapter explores. This was honestly one of my favourite parts, as it meant stumbling across these completely foreign to me works and reading them within the context of the chapter. It was an amazing experience, because I probably wouldn't have found these works otherwise!
And the resources! Full pages of references and further reading suggestions, a few pages of summary for the creative prompts themselves and some words about the authors involved. Honestly, for a witchy artsy nerd like me, this was a gold mine for inspiration and just a delightful read because of the analysis and commentary.
And come on - the book is gorgeous, inside and out. Probably my only critique towards it is that because of the way the text is embossed on the back cover, some of the author names there are pretty much unreadable 😅.
In any case, HIGHLY recommend for everyone looking for writing inspiration, anyone interested in a cute read about art and occult, anyone just looking for a nice book for inspiration, baby witches who want to incorporate their stuff into writing - just get this book, it was so worth it 🥰
I picked it up without really checking what it contains, only grasping on to words such as "writing" and "occult "... but I am so so so happy I got it!
The book is essentially a collection of "methods" for creative inspiration, framed in a way that tells a story of how they're inspired by magical practices.
At the end of each chapter, there are a few short literature works, which were created or inspired by the method that the chapter explores. This was honestly one of my favourite parts, as it meant stumbling across these completely foreign to me works and reading them within the context of the chapter. It was an amazing experience, because I probably wouldn't have found these works otherwise!
And the resources! Full pages of references and further reading suggestions, a few pages of summary for the creative prompts themselves and some words about the authors involved. Honestly, for a witchy artsy nerd like me, this was a gold mine for inspiration and just a delightful read because of the analysis and commentary.
And come on - the book is gorgeous, inside and out. Probably my only critique towards it is that because of the way the text is embossed on the back cover, some of the author names there are pretty much unreadable 😅.
In any case, HIGHLY recommend for everyone looking for writing inspiration, anyone interested in a cute read about art and occult, anyone just looking for a nice book for inspiration, baby witches who want to incorporate their stuff into writing - just get this book, it was so worth it 🥰
December 30, 2024
Amei, amei 🖤🖤🖤
Inspirações para escrever através de artes do oculto e com pequenas explicações.
Adorei os contos 💓
Inspirações para escrever através de artes do oculto e com pequenas explicações.
Adorei os contos 💓
May 18, 2022
A beautiful, magical book that inspired me to try out new sources of inspiration for my own writing!
March 30, 2023
I picked this up at the Horror Show! exhibition at Somerset House earlier this year. It's taken me a while to read it, not because I was bored but because I find it hard to read short stories back to back. I enjoyed returning to it between other books.
A wild and original idea for a book, Spiritus Mundi is both an anthology and a book about occult writing, a vague term I didn't know much about before picking this up. It turns out lots of my favourite writers and musicians dabbled in it.
The stories, poems and essays within were really diverse. I liked some more than others. These were my favourites:
Alice Slater's beautiful story set in a pub garden
Rebecca Tamás' poem - it's so short I won't spoil it
Jen Campbell's playful essay written via automatic voice-to-text
Leon Craig's essay about Arthurian legends
CAConrad's wonderful tarot-inspired poetry
Naomi Ishiguro's sad tale about a man who everyone sees as a good laugh, with far darker undertones
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan's botanical and folkloric tale about conceiving a baby
I also must highlight I'm not a writer but this book made me try my hand at writing. I likely won't do it professionally but it was an accessible way to exercise my non-existent creative muscles, and I've found it quite therapeutic writing automatic diary entries while tracking the moon.
The cover art is beautiful and it looks handsome on my bookshelf. One thing I would say is the typeset on the back is a bit small and hard to read, but it's very minor.
A wild and original idea for a book, Spiritus Mundi is both an anthology and a book about occult writing, a vague term I didn't know much about before picking this up. It turns out lots of my favourite writers and musicians dabbled in it.
The stories, poems and essays within were really diverse. I liked some more than others. These were my favourites:
Alice Slater's beautiful story set in a pub garden
Rebecca Tamás' poem - it's so short I won't spoil it
Jen Campbell's playful essay written via automatic voice-to-text
Leon Craig's essay about Arthurian legends
CAConrad's wonderful tarot-inspired poetry
Naomi Ishiguro's sad tale about a man who everyone sees as a good laugh, with far darker undertones
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan's botanical and folkloric tale about conceiving a baby
I also must highlight I'm not a writer but this book made me try my hand at writing. I likely won't do it professionally but it was an accessible way to exercise my non-existent creative muscles, and I've found it quite therapeutic writing automatic diary entries while tracking the moon.
The cover art is beautiful and it looks handsome on my bookshelf. One thing I would say is the typeset on the back is a bit small and hard to read, but it's very minor.
February 18, 2023
thoughtful, beautifully done & magical ✨
June 25, 2025
fascinating exploration of occult practices used to foster creativity. will definitely be using some of these.
December 12, 2025
This took me a long time to read. Only that I would read a few stories and then put it down. But every time I picked it up I enjoyed it.
November 30, 2023
It was okay, wasn't quite what I expected and definitely tailored towards writers. Not something I'd read again but it's a beautiful book!
September 24, 2024
Spiritus Mundi is a fascinating anthology that explores the connection between creativity and the occult. Editor Elizabeth Sulis Kim has curated a collection of writings generated through various mystical methods, from scrying to tarot reading. My experience with this book was filled with what felt like magical coincidences, perfectly mirroring its mystical theme. I discovered a contribution from Camila Grudova, an author I’d recently encountered in my other readings (mentioned in a review above.) Jen Campbell, whose YouTube book reviews I frequently watch, also contributed a piece that I found both innovative and engaging. Pam Grossman’s “Invocation to Iris,” a lyric essay about the Greek goddess of rainbows, was absolutely phenomenal. Grossman describes it as “one of the weirdest, most personal, and most magical” things she’s ever written, and I wholeheartedly agree – it’s an absolute must-read. In a serendipitous turn, this book sparked a personal exploration of literary synchronicities. A passage I encountered eerily paralleled a phrase in a poetry book I had just read, inspiring a blog post about these uncanny literary connections. This experience felt like a real-life manifestation of the book’s exploration of mystical creativity. Spiritus Mundi left me with a deeper appreciation for the various ways writers can tap into unconventional sources of inspiration. It’s a thought-provoking journey that not only challenges our understanding of where ideas come from, but also seems to invite its own brand of magic into the reader’s life.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews