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The Thrifty Witch's Book of Simple Spells: Potions, Charms, and Incantations for the Modern Witch

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From Wren Maple, the Thrifty Witch, comes an introduction to witchcraft with a variety of spells, tips, and tricks to get the most out of your practice.

There’s nothing wrong with simple and straightforward. Easy spells are not less worthy spells. These ideas are central to the practice of the Thrifty Witch. Sick of not being able to easily source (or afford) what she needed for spells, Wren Maple dedicated herself to collecting and optimizing spells that could work for all witches—no matter where they were on their journey and no matter their personal resources. Now The Thrifty Witch is sharing her research and bringing her collection to the page for the first time. The Thrifty Witch’s Book of Simple Spells is part primer, part spellbook. It
  Getting started/witch Witchcraft as self-care, how to establish a practice, and a handful of super-easy spells to get casting today. Key ingredients for Starter stones and herbs, how to source, what to buy first, and more questions answered! Simple spells for every Just like the spells Wren is known for online, nearly every spell in the book requires five items or fewer, and all ingredients are easy to source. Specific Organized by purpose (e.g. love spells, protection spells), these spells are sure to cover what you're looking to cast. Tips and Tricks for When to cast for best results, where to cast and why it matters...make your spells count! 
The beauty of these spells is that they are easy enough and affordable enough to practice daily. Since practice and process are so important, this book provides an invaluable resource—unlocking the ability to try new spells and refine casting methods multiple times per week—even daily. 

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 11, 2022

34 people are currently reading
137 people want to read

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Wren Maple

1 book

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Kathleen Stephen.
81 reviews3 followers
February 4, 2022
Thank you to Netgallery for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is fantastic. A great book for beginners. I love the illustrations and the formatting makes it very enjoyable and easy to read.
It is wonderfully modern and secular, which is very refreshing given how hard it is to find beginner resources that are not Wiccan.
This book gives you a rundown of what witchcraft is, the types of witches, and a basic understanding of herbs, crystals, color magic and spellcasting. Then it follows up with a great assortment of useful spells.
I would absolutely recommend this to beginners and anyone else looking for a great general spell book and overview of basic information.
Profile Image for Kirsty ❤️.
923 reviews57 followers
January 18, 2022
I loved this book. It covers lots of simple and cheap spells but also doesn’t assume that everyone knows what they are doing. It’s excellent for a beginner like me to use. It doesn’t leave the reader overwhelmed rather excited to get going. Great colour schemes and art work. I’ve also started following her Instagram off the back of this. I got this as a netgalley review book but will be picking up the hard copy on release day.
Profile Image for Lannerz.
28 reviews6 followers
January 17, 2022
Thanks to Fair Winds Press for the digital ARC of this book for review purposes.

As an avid reader and consumer of Wicca and witchcraft related literature, I have to say this one is definitely a stand out! A lot of books in this genre claim to be perfect for beginners, but still provide an overwhelming amount of information while skipping over the basics. I remember when I was a so-called baby witch and had such a hard time finding a simple guide to starting my witchcraft practice that didn’t confuse me. I wish I’d had this book then! The format and graphics are beautiful and I found the information to be broken down in a way that made it easily absorbed. The general tone of the book is very inclusive and inviting, as opposed to the elitist rhetoric of some witchcraft books.
Despite its simplicity, The Thrifty Witch’s Book of Simple Spells has a ton of useful information on how to start a practice, moon cycles, deities, meditations, sacred spaces, and what tools one might need such as crystals, herbs, candles, and alter decorations. The spells included are accessible, unique, and useful for any new or experienced witch!

I can’t wait for this book to be released, I will definitely be buying a copy for myself!
Profile Image for Books Tea Magic.
147 reviews8 followers
January 22, 2023
I was so curious to see what this book would be like and I’m so glad Maple wrote this… she literally spells it out for you!

But more importantly for me is the invitation this books represents, the welcoming.

“Witchcraft is 90% intention and 10% using tools in a ritual way.”

And in this powerful, simple and honest statement — Wren releases all of us from the need to acquire materialistic goods to practice. Witchcraft is a practice that’s also a culture with a multi-million dollar industry and with this one sentence, the world of rituals, spells and casting is more inclusive. It’s more approachable.

There’s a whole lot of comparison culture and pressure to have, be and do on social media. Buy this, buy that to make the perfect altar, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in purchasing (which quite often is the opposite of witchy living). Tools are fun and a valuable addition, but overdoing — it’s quite literally too much.

And like a breath of fresh air this book encourages simplicity and crossover ingredients. Quite logical and practical, enabling thrifty peeps and minimalists alike the chance to practice some of Wrens spell suggestions without breaking the bank. And remember, meditation is free!

Spot on is the suggestion to use the master healer clear quartz in place of any crystal. And herbs are generally inexpensive, especially if bought loose. I particularly like the jar spell to protect your house and already have most ingredients at home. I don’t have a black candle but I improvised and Voila!

Appealing to all but particularly younger or new witches who might find the open arms they are looking for in this book, the invitation to cast and perform ritual with some wiggle room and permission not to have all the things. ✨
Profile Image for Heather.
119 reviews2 followers
February 12, 2024
I've added this book to my witchy wish list! I would ALMOST say this book is good for beginners. Just missing some depth to metaphysical theory and the WHY certain herbs and so forth work the way they do. It is a great book for new-ish witches. Ones that have the fundamentals down and are ready to start casting.
She wasn't kidding about the spells in this book being simple. Nearly all of them have about three or four steps and continue no more than five ingredients. I see this as an EXCELLENT resource for spoonie witches (like me)!
The one thing that bothered me, the ingredients in some of the spells aren't all that "thrifty". Some are more difficult to get or on the expensive side. Speaking of... I did find it odd there wasn't any warning or info on ethically buying of gemstones when there was about herbs. I was super pleased to finally see a practitioner mention the importance of taking care to not fund over harvesting and the use endangered plants (please stop buying white sage!). Yet, this is also important with crystals and other gemstones. I will say I was ecstatic to see the suggestion of just gathering stones and rocks of what you can find in your area. It's something I did in my baby witch days.
All in all, a good book. Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go test a couple of these spells tonight!
Profile Image for Rebecca Elson.
201 reviews17 followers
March 28, 2022
This review was originally published on The Magical Buffet website on 03/28/2022.

Today we’re talking about “The Thrifty Witch’s Book of Simple Spells: Potions, Charms, and Incantations for the Modern Witch” by Wren Maple. This is certainly not the first book about affordable witchcraft practices. I’m quite the fan of “Witchcraft on a Shoestring” by Deborah Blake. Many view these sorts of books as “beginner.” However, I find there is always something to take away from books like these, and “The Thrifty Witch’s Book of Simple Spells” is no exception.

Obviously, Maple covers some basics, you have to cover the bases. But from there she offers a variety of spells in the classic categories: protection, abundance, healing/health, banishing/binding, sleep/relaxation, and psychic. Not only are they easy to understand spells, but the necessary components are simple to acquire or things you may already have. Better still, Maple reminds you that YOU are the most important component to your magic. And it all comes in a package whimsically illustrated by Tanya Jacobson.

“The Thrifty Witch’s Book of Simple Spells” by Wren Maple is a fantastic book for beginners or advanced magic practitioners. It inspires readers, or at least inspired THIS reader, to rethink the way you make magic.
Profile Image for Roberta.
236 reviews27 followers
February 14, 2022
Libro molto carino che parla di magia moderna senza la lente Wicca, e quindi riesce a passare dei concetti di base unbiased. Ci sono diverse guide fra cui una alle erbe, una alla color magick, una alle fasi lunari e molte altre.
Inoltre apprezzo che non ci siano elementi di cultural appropriation (anche se forse accennare a questo argomento sarebbe stato più utile).

Disegni molto carini, ma forse occupano troppe pagine del libro
Profile Image for Ionarr.
328 reviews
March 18, 2022
Honestly I read about half of this or so and that was a struggle.

This is the worst of Tumblr witchcraft condensed into a book. In itself that isn't a problem so long as it doesn't pretend to be what it's not. A lot of the first chapter or so should be removed, because the beginning of the book serves only as an extended introduction, and while I like that idea the information it contains is repetitive at best and incorrect at worst. The entire thing is filled with misrepresentations, and much of the "factual" information is straight up wrong - claiming, for example, that hedge witchery and hearth witchery are the same (they could not be more different). There's a lot of stuff included here that has nothing to do with witchcraft, and is actually new age anti-science traditions (the ridiculous earth sound pseudoscience, or whatever we're calling it now, being the one I was most surprised by because I have never seen that in pagan or witch traditions before, even by people who don't really know what they're doing). Honestly a lot of this just speaks to a lack of care on the author's part, because even a quick Google would give at least slightly more accurate information.

The "spell" section would more accurately be labelled as small guided meditations, which there's nothing wrong with but it is wild that an entire book was commissioned on the basis of essentially 2-3 basic meditations that aren't all that witchy, repeated ad infinitum with slightly different "ingredients" (and if you don't buy into crystals, this entire book will be useless to you.) Again, a lot of the stuff is wrong - the author's comments on sacred circles are just not true (and she is missing common and obvious parts of it) which show that she probably hasn't even looked at basic social media information, no matter talked to, read books from or learnt from actual witches. Her aversion to what is now commonly called shadow work really sums up what she thinks "witchcraft" is - shallow, feel good mindfulness without the effort.

This book also doesn't live up to the "thrifty" description, as it focusses heavily in crystals (which have to be bought and aren't cheap) and avoids discussion of real cheap tips, such as how to forage and find spell constituents, what kitchen items (other than herbs and spices) can be used, how to craft spells yourself for your environment etc. There is so much in any witch's practice that can be dons without any bought ingredients, but everything in this book seemed to require crystals, a number of herbs and spices that may not be common (as a middle class English person I always grew up with all these in my cupboard, but many people may not), incense (again, bought) and other stuff, none of which is necessary or to many witches relevant to spell casting. So much could have been done with this idea, but instead it's a consumerist idea of "thrifty" with spending of some kind as integral. The background witchiness which is actually the key of most practices is totally glossed over for meaningless platitudes sandwiched between instagrammable (admittedly very sweet) illustrations.

This book actually reminds me more of the early 00s trend of "asking the universe what you want," but with less effort. I am not impressed.
Profile Image for Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads).
3,362 reviews181 followers
February 1, 2022
Rating: 3 stars - I liked it

This was a very simple and basic beginners spellbook. The spells were simple, easy to perform, and contained materials that were not very expensive. They were slightly repetitive but that is partially because that keeps them simple. I think this is a good book for beginners to witchcraft because it is so simple and easy to follow.

I do think that this title is slightly misleading though, because I was expecting more information about how to be more “thrifty” with your practice. The only real substitution that was provided was using clear quartz for spells, instead of the gem required. After reading the author summary at the back I realize that The Thrifty Witch refers to her social media pages. This was partially my fault since I didn’t really read the blurb when picking this book but I don’t think I will be the only one who ends up confused.

*ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.*


You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.
Profile Image for Hanii Aburame.
272 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2022
I love these spells!

The writing is clear and concise yet personable giving examples of what the author does when certain spells or things don't work for her saying that everything won't work for everyone. The ingredient/material lists for the spells gives substitutes for the crystals and hard to get items, (which are few and far between,) and the steps are very easy to follow and simple, making it easy for even the newest practitioner.

The first step to many of the spells is cleansing yourself and materials with incense, but if anyone out there is sensitive to fragrance and/or smoke like me, I use a folding fan I got from the dollar store and wave it so air hits my materials and myself all over while visualizing any negative energy being blown away. And depending on the spell I even match the color of the fan with my main intention for a little added boost.

The variety of spells is amazing to me, there's fast and long term turn spells, spell jars and pouches, there are ones for self-confidence, attracting friends, improving your mental state, finding financial freedom, even reducing fatigue. The fatigue spell is particularly interesting to me however the variety of psychic spells is even more impressive. At time of writing this I plan on performing the claircognizance spell at Mabon, I might update this review after I see the results.

I haven't read that many spell books so these spells may not be that special to an experienced practitioner but to a newbie it shows that being a witch doesn't have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time, it's all about the intent and care you put in, not the cash or hours long prep.

Check out my manga/bookstagram! @Witchy_Bookish_Otaku
Profile Image for Belle.
804 reviews8 followers
January 28, 2023
3.5 stars

[[The author states early on that they try to avoid certain herbs due to appropriation and overharvesting etc.. but then goes on to highlight sage as a herb to use. I found this confusing?... I know very, very little about witchcraft and spells but I was educated by someone just recently about sage being overharvested.. so, I'm just a bit unsure.

I also noticed a rather passionate reviewer of this book, highlighting that it contains some factual inaccuracies which is a bit troubling.]]

All that aside -- visually, I found this book very appealing and easy to read. It's a pleasant, pretty book. I liked the spells and the intention behind them, the illustrations and mindfulness inspiration.

The "thrifty" part was a little lost on me. I found the required elements and ingredients needed for the spells were the same as any other witchcraft book I have read. I definitely don't have most of them on hand.

Overall, a nice book.

*Free e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Another Pony.
159 reviews81 followers
January 26, 2022
*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC before publication.*

If you are new to the craft, I think this book may be perfect for you. All of the baby witches should put it on the shelf next to the “Psychic witch” by Mat Auryn and Arin Murphy-Hiscock’s books. 🧙🏻



This book includes many tips and trick to make spellcrafting easier and more approachable for newbies. It explains subjects such as herbs and stones; protection, abundance, healing and banishing spells and a lot more. After reading this book I felt a desire to learn more about the tea magic so it is also inspiring. ✨

Last but not least, “**The Thrifty Witch's Book of Simple Spells**” is so beautifully illustrated and I can’t wait to have my physical copy on the shelf! 😍
224 reviews2 followers
December 16, 2022
Much Valuable Information

Wren Maple discusses some of the types of witches one may encounter, such as:
1. Eclectic Witch.
2. Elemental Witch
3. Hedge/Hearth Witch
4. Kitchen Witch

She provides a brief description of each group of the above types of witches.
The author discusses various herbs, stones, crystals, and some of the various deities witches tend to worship. Additionally, I love the fact that the author suggest doing a five-minute meditation prior to beginning your spellwork, and provides instructions for doing this meditation process.

To add more to this book, the author provides quite a few spells. I truly love this book, and I have decided to purchased the hard copy in lieu of the digital copy for a hands on experience.

I highly recommend this book, it is packed with information that is very beneficial, especially for beginners.
96 reviews
February 9, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am always looking out for new writers in the world of witchcraft. I really like this book and I'll definitely be buying a paper copy as well The range of spells is lovely, from self-care to luck and romance. Whatever spell you're looking for, there is an easy and thrifty version in this book.
I was a little thrown when the author commented about witchcraft being separate from religion as for me it is closely tied together. But I can understand how this would make it appeal to a wider audience. A lovely book for people curious about spells and a great place to start.
Profile Image for Lauren Reid.
53 reviews17 followers
February 17, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

This is an amazing book for beginners very straightforward, it has a lot of useful information on herbs, crystals and tools. The illustrations are beautiful I found them soothing.

I really liked the focus on intention over the ingredients and actually going into what intention is which Is incredibly valuable.

There is a few substitution recommendations when you don't have certain crystals, I would have liked a few more but overall I recommend it.
252 reviews
January 22, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this ARC to review.

I really liked this book because not only was it more focused on budget work, where a few of the recipes had the same ingredients so you didn't have to buy a huge amount and waste it, but it also had a range of recipes (and crafts) that looked fun. I ended up writing a few down to share with my friends and I cannot wait to get a physical copy of this so I can use it.

5 ⭐
Profile Image for Kristina Aziz.
Author 4 books25 followers
January 30, 2022
This book is great for beginners, is well organized, and has beautiful pictures. I will say though this book is more spells, less thrift. The only explicit money saver mentioned was substituting minerals and crystals with Quartz. Crystals can get expensive and this is a good idea, but every spell still asked for incense/oils/burn bundles for cleansing. There are so many free ways to cleanse that could have been mentioned, like sound cleansing.
Profile Image for Rebecca Starks.
133 reviews3 followers
January 12, 2023
This book is excellent for beginners and has lots of useful information.
I really enjoyed this book, i loved the graphics in the book.
I like that this book has budget spells for people who want to start out but do not have lots of funds.
This book is clear and easy to follow and very useful to beginners just starting out.
Thankyou Wren Maple and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.
5/5
Profile Image for thebookishbard.
24 reviews23 followers
February 21, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This is a cute beginner spellbook. The spells live up to the title and are pretty simple by keeping the ingredients minimal and using some household items. I do feel like it is lacking some deeper substance so it is not necessarily for me personally. I do like the wide variety of spells included.
Profile Image for Christina.
861 reviews9 followers
March 26, 2022
An unassuming book that is chock full of knowledge. A handy guide to spellcraft and doing it without spending a bundle. Witchcraft can be very expensive for beginners. This book helps dispel that notion. I loved it this book! And I was glad to have had the opportunity to read this book via Netgalley.
Profile Image for Laura.
3,854 reviews
October 3, 2022
Although I don't know that I would follow these spells exactly, i don't even know if that is the author's intent. What I appreciate is the use of every day objects and spells for every day issues. even a few including technology. Perhaps it is the ideas and concepts that I like in this book. One to come back to for inspiration when creating a new spell. This author really likes jars.
Profile Image for Sally Wilsey.
643 reviews8 followers
January 23, 2023
This book had me at thrifty. So many books have expensive and hard to get items for spells. This book is good for the beginning Witch or seasoned one. It has a lot of information and correspondences. It is easy to understand and the artwork is very appealing. I recommend this book for any Wiccan or Witch Library.
Profile Image for Alexis.
837 reviews63 followers
January 26, 2023
Absolutely loved this book. Has a lot of good information in this book. 5 star book. and i plan on rereading this book again. Already read this 2 times already. Highly recommend this book. I did tell one friend that they need to read this book and hopefully they do because I think this a good for research or even if this is what you want to do or is doing.
Profile Image for Mindy.
76 reviews7 followers
February 17, 2025
good resource for ideas

I appreciate Wren Maple’s approach to spells—use what you have, it doesn’t have to be perfect, intention is the most important thing. This book has a lot of example spells for different areas of life, making it a good resource for someone looking for inspiration.
Profile Image for CR.
4,182 reviews40 followers
January 31, 2022
This was a great little book that is under 200 pages. It would be wonderful for the beginning witch and pretty good for something that is experienced but maybe needs a refresher. It was super cute and since its so small I could see someone carrying this one around with them for on the go spells.
87 reviews
July 29, 2022
Lovely little book.
Full of lots of useful information giving in a nice clear way so that it's easy to understand. Would be perfect for beginners.
Highly recommend
Profile Image for Annarella.
14.2k reviews165 followers
January 24, 2022
I think this is an excellent book for beginners and a useful reference guide if you are more experienced.
It's clear, full of useful information, graphically beautiful.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Profile Image for Kate Henderson.
1,592 reviews51 followers
January 30, 2022
This book was great!
It was beautiful to look at, and I loved how simplified the text was. I wouldn't class myself as a beginner when it comes to magick, but some books are very overwhelming with their spell ideas - this book does not overwhelm. It keeps everything simple, and means that its so much more accessible than a lot a books I have read on this topic. Its accessible and inclusive. It keeps it simple, but doesn't patronise at the same time.
The illustrations are stunning, and I would absolutely love to have some of this artwork up in my house. It's very bright, but a bit abstract too.

Really enjoyed reading this book, got a lot from it, and think a lot of other witches will do too!
Profile Image for Nemo.
18 reviews5 followers
July 25, 2022
Disclaimer; I received a temporary copy of the book through NetGallery in order to review it.

That being said;
If you're a beginner, this is the book to start with!


Let me start off with the cons, because there are a few;
- no correspondence
- too big of a focus on intention (though this is something based on opinion and personal taste)
- it is advised as thrifty, and 9/10 it is, but it sometimes refers to crystals such as rhodonite or ruby - BUT the author explicitly mentions subsistitutions!

Pros;
- lists what is "needed" for all spells before, so you have a direct overview / shopping list!

- covers a wide variety of information, I particularly loved the second chapter which specifically covers how to set up magical areas, provides a list of intentions etc.

- the spells cover a wide variety of subjects; banishing & protection, healing on a mental, physical and emotional basis, prosperity, relaxation etc. The explicit focus seems to be self acceptance and well being.

- it may not have a correspondence section, but a bibliography section of resources, both online and in book format you can use to grow your craft; even some resources where you can shop your herbs and crystals!

What I like the most about this book is;
That the author really put in time, effort and a big chunk of their heart. It is beautifully illustrated and reading it feels like having a deep, therapeutic talk with your best friend.

This book is not explicitly wiccan though I suspect the author has at least a history with this religion; you won't find any preachy undertone though, which is a breath of fresh air.

The magic is sound and resonating through the pages, and I found myself reading for longer than I anticipiated.
I am convinced that the author did their best, and this is why I am giving this book a full 5/5 - and I'm going to buy a copy as soon as it is available.
Profile Image for Helen.
1,243 reviews38 followers
December 20, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

I'm not a witch but an aspiring one, I should say. I work as a tarot reader and I'm very interested in spellcasting so I've been trying things out yet I don't like having to prepare loads of stuff for spellcasting. This is perfect for me as it is not only thrifty but practical and most of all, logical. I don't need to buy 23 new ingredients anytime I need to do a spell! Absolutely yes to that. This book emphasizes just the right things that tickle my skeptical part of the brain and I love it. And the illustrations are very green (or kitchen) witch vibes, which I love. I haven't casted a spell after reading this book but you bet I'm going to utilize techniques from here. Sending love to the author. I hope this review helps you as much as you have helped me with this book.
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