Inspiring Creativity Through Magick: How to Ritualize Your Art & Attract the Creative Spirit

by Astrea Taylor, Michael Herkes (Foreword)

Find Your Creative Spirit in Every Magickal Act Art is inherently magickal and you, as an artist, are a magician who can ritualize any creative endeavor. Sharing an impressive collection of spells, rituals, deities, and lore, Astrea Taylor helps you bring to life the story, painting, sculpture, or music you've been dreaming about. This book is designed to guide you through the entire creative process. You'll draw inspiration from spirits and the four elements to complete your rough draft, and then use the principles of alchemy to transform it into a masterpiece. Astrea also provides deep insight on releasing your art into the world, resting between projects, and persevering through hard times. From handling criticism to awakening the guiding spirit of your art, this book shares numerous exercises to get your creativity flowing and keep it going. Includes a foreword by Michael Herkes, author of The Glam Witch

Genres: Witchcraft, Spirituality, Art, Paganism, Writing, Nonfiction, Magick

248 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 2023

About the author

Astrea Taylor is the author of Intuitive Witchcraft, Inspiring Creativity Through Magick, Air Magic, Modern Witchcraft with the Greek Gods, and The Magic Bell.

She's an eclectic/intuitive pagan witch whose life goals include empowering other witches and encouraging them to use intuition in their witchcraft.

She has also published passages in Mastering Magick, The Witches' Companion, Witchology, Green Egg, The Witches' Calendar, The Witch's Almanac, and several other periodicals and books. Sometimes, she blogs as Starlight Witch on Patheos.

When she's not co-leading the Aurora Fire dance group, she presents workshops and rituals at festivals across the country.

Learn more at AstreaTaylor.com.

Reviews

[Amy Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a professional artist and mentor to several young creatives, I am always on the lookout for information about tapping into creativity and finding your artistic voice. I really enjoyed how the book started out with historical information about how creativity has been viewed throughout the disciplines, especially learning more about the muses. It was nice to read a book on creativity that has quotes from a variety of sources, both the old masters and contemporary voices, especially wisdom from women! One thing I strongly believe is following your intuition and I loved reading Astrea Taylor's personal stories as well as advice on how to explore your inner voice. Once I got to the chapter focused on AIR with its helpful questions/exercises, I sent some of the questions to a mentee that has been struggling with focus and inspiration. She wrote back that those questions were so helpful and that she was recently thinking she wanted to include more ritual into her creative practice. Guess who will get this book next?!? A fabulous read for creatives just starting out and for those who want to bring more magick into their craft!

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring Creativity Through Magick by Astrea Taylor

Interesting and informative while providing concrete ideas for incorporating magick into one’s artistic practice – whatever medium one might create in. I loved the personal anecdotes, mythological historical aspects that tie into creativity and magick, correspondences, rituals, etc.

The is sectioned into:
* The introduction
* Part I: Creative Spirit & Creative Ritual broken down into
- Creative spirits inspiring art, Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Casting the Circle, Finishing the rough draft
* Part II: Refining and Releasing Your Art into the World
- The spirit of your creation, awakening the Egregone, Creative alchemy, The Magician’s Reveal, and what to do post release

The above topics are detailed, filled with information, rituals, tools, how to create a workspace and cleanse it, worksheets with questions to help the artist work through the topics, and more than I can cover in this review.

I can see using this book as a guide and would incorporate the ideas into more than one area of my creative process. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would like to have it in my library.

Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn Publications for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

[Luna Corvidae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across Astrea’s writing in her first book for Llewellyn, Intuitive Witchcraft, and I love how accessible and engaging her writing is. Her new book, Inspiring Creativity Through Magick is no different and as someone who identifies as a “creative jack of all trades” I was very interested in learning more about Astrea's methods in working with the creative spirit. The methods in this book can easily be applied to just about any artistic medium.

In part 1, each chapter builds beautifully upon the concepts of making connection and working with a creative spirit. I really enjoyed the way Astrea used the elements to break up the information Into smaller chunks to build upon as you work through the exercises and rituals (Btw, working with the elements is not strictly a Wiccan practice, not sure where other readers are getting that connection from, Astrea isn’t Wiccan).

This book offers many ideas to get you started including protective measures to put in place to ensure you’re cultivating a healthy relationship with your creative spirit. The exercises help streamline the creative process and hone your focus in a more manageable way. Astrea includes an abundance of magickal correspondences to give the reader a jumping off point in figuring out what works for them in their personal practice. The reader is also given tons of ideas and strategies for clearing away distractions and cultivating a magickal space where creativity can flow.

Part 2 felt significantly different from Part 1. I am not saying it’s horrible or anything, just that it switched gears quite starkly. As someone who is fascinated by the concepts of egregores in other interests in my life, I really liked the idea of creating an egregore with a piece of your art. Although this isn’t something I would do often, certainly something I’d experiment with though. After that, I feel like the second half of this book will depend on what you want to do with your finished art - if it’s just for personal expression then I don’t think you’ll get much out of it and that’s okay. However, if you wish to share your art and creations with the world this portion of the book gives some excellent ideas and perhaps more importantly, ways to safeguard yourself and your art while sharing such a personal and intimate part of yourself with the world.

I would recommend this book for those who already have some form of magickal practice, regardless of skill level, just that you’re already familiar with witchcraft in some form. The rituals and exercises provided are accessible and easy to build upon with your own personal gnosis or traditions. Reading this book has helped lift me out of a many months long creative burnout and I’m looking forward to applying the exercises as I venture back into my creativity. I would absolutely love to see Astrea offer a companion class or workshop to go along with and compliment her book. I think the bulk of the content within the pages would make for an excellent 6-8 week interactive class.

[Sophy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard the muses whisper to me when I was about 5 years old. I didn’t know it at the time, of course, but I’m sure that they were there the day that I decided that I was going to draw the princess Aurora out of my picture book version of Sleeping Beauty. It looked awesome! I was over the moon with joy and ran to show my parents. They praised me and told me it was the prettiest princess ever. And it was, for a little while, but one day when I looked at it, taped to the wall of my pink bedroom, I suddenly realised that it was, in fact, not the prettiest princess. It was a very ugly princess and I just felt that I could do better than that. So I grabbed my crayons and tried again. At almost 40, I still try to make that little girl proud. I never did become a cartoonist for Disney as I was convinced was my calling in life at that age, but I still wake up every day and hear the muses whisper that I should draw more so that I can be a little better than yesterday.
I guess that is why Astrea Taylor’s new book struck such a warm and delicious chord in me. I am a craft witch through and through and have always been feeling that the connection between art and magic, and the divine current of creativity have been largely neglected within the witchcraft community. Now, I can no longer say that. This book is both light and thorough, filled with personal gnosis while also drawing parallels to the creative genius of some of the world’s most productive and wonderful creatives in various fields. I caught myself nodding along and exclaiming “yes, exactly” several times, and I feel that this book makes explicit a lot of things that I have felt and thought but never fully explored.
I think this book is a wonderful start to any spiritually creative endeavor, regardless whether you are new to the craft (pun intended) or a seasoned practitioner and artist. I have been creating art professionally for almost a decade now, and still felt hugely inspired to tweak my work and spiritual approach to the work that I do. I think that this will become a staple in my witchy library; a go-to when I need to get some perspective to my thoughts and practices.

[Debbie Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opens you up to take your creativity to new levels while weaving the magick within. The in-depth conversation between the author and reader of using creativity thru crafts taking manifestations and making a reality is amazing. The story behind creative spirits and the ability to make contact and the interactions give new and experienced witches something to look forward to. While giving tips on how to make your own connections with inspirational spirits. This book is the first i've seen where the topic of crafting and magic have come together in such a way. As a fellow witch and member of the crafting community, it brings to life all the things we tell the next generation. To be inspired is more than one's will but the force that helps guide it. As a witch whom grew up in the day and age of making your own tools I found it refreshing. It reminded me of simpler times when we would connect with the world around us and let our imaginations explore. It wasn't about esthetic as much as it was about the passion and inspiration fueling it. I've already recommended this book to every pagan or spiritual crafter I know. As it has something for everyone within its pages and can help unlock new inspiration.

[Elyse Welles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wealth of resources, rituals, and diverse perspectives on both reclaiming, continuing, and beginning your journey as an artist. Much like ‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert, or ‘the Artist’s Way’ by Julia, Cameron and Mark Bryan, this is a treasure trove of inspiration for the creative witch.

Creativity is the highest form of magic. In fact, it’s what we’re on this planet to do. Being creative is a uniquely human experience, and one that draws us closer to the divine, whatever that looks like for our individual paths. Astrea Taylor has put together an incredible book of wisdom with her always-approachable, yet well-researched, inspiring words.

One of the most impressive parts of this book is the structure. It flows through the creative process with you, and holds your hand through all the scary parts. It also let you flourish on your own and find your footing as an artist, whether that’s through movement, writing, painting, playing or writing music, throwing pottery, or any other form of creation.

I really liked Astrea’s description of the creative spirit, and the explorations of other types of creative spirits, like the Duende and egregore. Astrea really put into words a lot of what I experienced as a writer, particularly the chapter on egregores, and the very first chapter introducing the concept of the creative Spirit.

If you’ve been feeling stagnant in your magical practice, creativity is what you’re missing. If you’ve been feeling stagnant in your creative practice, some magic is what you’ve been missing. This book has it all to inspire and reinvigorate your path.

[Brianne Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing that appealed to me when I started reading this book was using Ritual Magick in whichever creative practice you’re working in. Whether it be art, dance, theatrical acting, and in my case, writing in my blog. I guess I hadn’t considered this in a creative or Magickal practice sense. By using the the four elements and Spirit, this book drew me right in to give me a fresh perspective regarding my writing. No matter whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned creative this book has something for everyone. For me, I think the part that really opened my eyes was the chapter on writers block. I had never considered using tarot divination to overcome that. I know that I will be using that method in the future. So many great ideas overall in Astrea’s book. I will be invoking the Creative Spirit in my writing from now on.

Brianne Ravenwolf
Pagan blogger at Between Two Worlds on Patheos.com , The Agora.

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are tons of books on creativity out there, full of pretty basic pieces of advice. This is not one of them!

This is a very complex work, from someone who delves in many art forms and has a tremendous understanding of the whole creative process. Add to this rituals, ideas, pieces of advice and magikal practices to enhance each step of this process and you get a very enriching and encompassing writing.

It is a book like no other, written from the point of view of art as an inspired act, a creation, and it's a book I think the world needs. I definitely needed to find something like this, that mixes art with spirituality in a very practical way.

I cannot recommend this book enough, it's a gift for anyone seriously invested in its acts and creative process. And it's universal, the information is suitable for any kind of craft, weather it's writing or dance or everything in between.

I received this in order to share my view on it.

[Lazarone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is art equal magick? In many ways yes, and this amazing book will give you enough teachings to understand why it is so. Five classical elements of the ancient world are summoned here to describe processes of creativity for arts in general. It is like reading some manual for creativity with many commonsense advices except that here things are little pushed with few magics, spells and secrets of occultism. Theories and practices are passionate and logical except some of them which are little "out of place" and less understandable or usable. Occult techniques are of course correct, but some further explanations mainly for beginners would be welcomed, because the text is kinda little short anyway. Finally, for lovers of the arts who by the way love esoteric worlds this surely will be recommended enjoyable reading.

[Hana the Suburban Witch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the reason I began writing my own book! It inspired me so much and I will be forever grateful to Astrea for writing this, it is honestly magick. Both literally and figuritively. I believe there is creative energy infused into the book itself and that all creatives will have a breakthrough when reading it.
As usual, Astrea's writing is easy to understand and flows wonderfully. Her stories jump right out of the page and come to life as you read them, embedding themselves in your memory. As I'm a writer, I found the part about setting up your art correspondences super helpful and I'm so grateful for it. What a wonderful way to set the mood and alert your spirits and muses that you're ready.
Thanks Astrea!

[Arrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book aimed at professional artists who are mostly Wiccan. It could also be useful to any spiritual practitioner in general or for artists who do art as a hobby, not a career. This book gives realistic advice on how to incorporate magic into your art, such as lighting a candle or diffusing oils that correspond to your specific intention or using guided meditation. It gives historic and modern examples of artists who worked with spirits during their art process. The first half of the book was great but the second half fell off a bit. Overall, this book is very useful and a helpful guide to adding in witchcraft to your artistic practices.

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

an artist, but creative for sure. This book really opened my eyes about how I view myself and my creative processes and more importantly how I can improve and take myself beyond my own blocks and uncertainties which can sometimes create blocks for me.

I highly recommend this book for everyone, regardless of whether you think you’re an artist or not. We’re all creative and practice different forms of art, whether society calls it an art or not. Believe in yourself, and invest in yourself by taking the time to read this book. You will be rewarded more than you can imagine.

[JadersCorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc netgalley review app and kindle doc

Omg I absolutely loved this book, it was interactive journaling within this which is sometimes so helpful. And journaling as an artist and healing practitioner/artist. The author opened up a door I necessarily didn’t think if tapping into or using for my creativity development. This is a book I can’t wait to get my hands on to work through the journaling activities.
I will also be gifting this to a few artist I know that struggle with creativity and this will give them a new venture to creativity.

[Jenny Blacker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not quite the audience for this book, I am arty/creative but I don't practice Wicca or magick (though I can appreciate the practices)

That said, I really liked this book. There's a lot of talking about how to be more creative, and some practical activities/rituals to help you along

This isn't a manual, more of a creative pagan self help book, so if that's what you're after then it's ideal!

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

[Anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read! Well laid out and organised chapters. First a bit of history about creative spirits in different cultural settings and how they could help you with your own creative work. Then some rituals on how to connect and work with your spirit, as well as mindset and attitude suggestions.
I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second, but altogether I can recommend this to anyone creative wanting to add some spirituality into their practices.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Destiny Bridwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I decided to read this book because I am a creative soul and I am always looking for ways to help my creativity to have a better flow to it. This book helped me work passed some of my blockage I have when it comes to wanting to manifest something I am trying to create into being. I will look back to it when I find myself doubting in myself. This is the first book I have read by this author and plan to look into others. It was easy for me to use and follow on the part I needed help with.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t really what I expected. I was hoping for creative and artistic exercises and art prompts but it’s more along the lines of working with actual spirits to write, improve your art and market yourself. There is also no art in the book. It will be a good tool for Wiccan writers and performers who like journaling and introspection.

I read a temporary digital copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads)]

DNF 20%

I am sadly not connecting to this book. Nothing so far has really resonated with me and I don’t see it getting better if I am not connecting this early in. I can see how this would be helpful for other people though but sadly, not me.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[Jenna Deaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring Creativity Through Magick by Astera Taylor is an excellent read for Witches and artists alike. The way this book is organized it particularly approachable. I do think the intended audience is likely those of us who already practice magic to some degree but all creatives will likely find a tid bit of useful inspiration in the rituals and activities presented within this lovely book.

[WickedReads221b · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this book, I found the content helpful in assessing and propelling my own creativity forward. It may not be for everyone, but it certainly works for me!

[B.S.H. Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rtc

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good quick read. Lots of great motivation to complete your crafts, while also juggling the feelings that come with it.