The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: Your Complete Guide to Witches, Covens, and Spells

by Skye Alexander

Unlock your powers...Looking for an enchanting love potion? Want to create your own sacred space and promote good energy? The Modern Guide to Witchcraft helps you harness your own inner power so you can shape your destiny.With the help of spellcraft expert Skye Alexander, you'll tap into your own magic and create incantations, potions, and charms. As she carefully guides you through each step of these witchcraft practices and details ways of personalizing them to your specific situation, you'll gain confidence in your own knowledge and inner force.Once you learn to harness your natural talents as a witch, you'll discover that a whole new world of possibilities exists.

Genres: Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Wicca, Magick, Occult, Magic

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 4, 2014

Reviews

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Short Review: Any book that cites "The Secret" in a positive manner is not a book you should waste your time on.

Long Review: While The Modern Guide to Witchcraft offers a lot of overviews of basic magical areas that some may find useful, I have a really hard time giving any credit to a book that starts beginners off with some really harmful ideas about witchcraft and magick. Witchcraft is largely about intent and one's purposeful relationships with the world around us. Unfortunately, this book (as well as several others) seem to suggest we have more control over the universe than is reasonable to expect. Sure, set your intentions and work for something, but a desire and wish, even when mixed with work, does not mean you get what you want because you thought about it really hard. If so, the world would suck far far less (for example, I can't intention my way out of multiple sclerosis). The best witchcraft spells use intention as a way of focusing our movements and actions. I accept that I am applying my own definitions of witchcraft and spirituality to this and not all may agree, but my own flavour of magick is really not down for this type witchery. Save your money for other books that make you look further into yourself.

[J.M. Wynter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will not support this book or this Author. I didn't even get into the book before she actually compared witch persecution to racism! I was disgusted. I do not think she takes witches of color serious and is very bigoted in that regard. I can't believe in this day and age she thought it would be OK to write such a thing. Keep your bigotry out of Witchcraft!

[Stephanie Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's Just Okay

This is a very Wicca-centric book, despite the title. The cover is beautiful and that's actually what compelled me purchase it.

I wish the author had cited references.

Two corrections: Hedge Witchery is actually more akin to Shamanism as the witch "walks the hedge" between our world and the Otherworld. It actually has nothing to do with the home. Also, Vodou (the correct Haitian spelling) does not incorporate anything dealing with zombification or the "things horror movies are made of". Notions of that nature only reinforce the Hollywood stereotype which is completely untrue. New Orleans Voodoo is a mixture of an appropriation of Vodou and folk magic.

Otherwise, I'd say this book is probably a decent primer for those interested in Wicca (which unfortunately I'm not).

[Steffi]

I don't rate books if they're below a 4 star. This book is ableist, sexist, racists and has so much cultural appropriation. I think it does more harm than good and won't recommend it to anyone.

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I said in one of my reading status: this does have some helpful info, but there are also a lot of concepts and/or history bits thrown around without being properly sourced. Some of the practices also seem wasteful.

I also noticed that, overall, there seems to be a lot of focus on money? Which is... fine, I suppose, but rubbed me the wrong way. So this did give me a bit of insight into witchcraft and what things to read more about but, personally, it wasn't that illuminating.

[Liselotte · Rating 1 out of 5]

At least for the time being, you'll have to live with being constantly offended by the ignorance of people who would never think of insulting blacks, Jews or other folks so outrageously as they do witches. (page 16 - 17)

I should've known by just that one quote that this book would be a MESS.
Just before it she says:

Witches don't engage in rivalries and conflicts with other magickal practitioners. (page 16)

Then why compare witches to blacks (which I personally find pretty offensive sounding but that might just be me) and Jews? Especially as Judaism is one of the reasons we have our current beliefs? Qabalah anyone?

I tend to read a lot of witchy books, as they align quite a bit with my own personal beliefs. But this has been by FAR the worst one I've read. It really rivals Witch for worst one. Not only is there a lot of missinformation, but it's incredibly white centered. There has been said you can use spirit animals (which, in my very European brain, is a closed practice?). There are love spells (which is a bad idea to my knowledge for beginners??). And there are "spells" that will only work because the herbs used in fact, have medicinal properties (yes, peppermint and mint in general will help you with digestive issues, these are facts and just writing down on a little paper won't make it better?)

Honestly, I should've known after the utter mess that is Skye Alexander's Vampire book. Do yourself a favor, please read other books.

[Alexia ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

So even though I have a couple of years of practice on my back, I always like to read books for beginners so I can have an idea of what's out on the market and what new books I can recommend!

This book wasn't too bad compared to some others that I've been reading. Here are the main takes that I collected throughout my readings. Besides what I say below, it's not a bad beginner's books. Wish it had a bibliography at the end with more recommendations, which also doesn't. That's a point I did not like either.

Pros:
- Love the fact that she talks about Personal Ethics and a Personal Code and all. Not many books talk about that and it's such an important part of our practice, to know what we're comfortable with and not comfortable.
- Gives great advice for solitary practices and for the solitary path.
- Gives very good advice for searching and looking up for a coven. The last chapter is fantastic.
- Gives simple and not too complex information about several themes.
- Gives a wide range of spells and magical workings that can be used in personal practice.

Cons:
- A bit too focused on Wicca. Even though the author tries to separate Wicca from Witchcraft it always goes back to Wicca whether in Ethics or in Festivals.
- Focus a lot on self-development and talks about "The Secret", Law of Attraction and other coaching techniques which I think wouldn't be needed in this type of book.
- In the "Omens" chapter the author should have said that not everything is a divine sign. Sometimes life just sucks or stuff just happens, doesn't mean it's a sign.
- Talks that Magic is a way to avoid problems and bring blessings and it's not just that. You can't avoid all problems in life, you gotta face them. Magic might help, but it's not a holy grail solution.
-Talks that "everyone has done magic" because everyone has thoughts. Magic isn't just thoughts. You don't think of being rich and suddenly have a truck of money at your door. Magic is intent and action towards that intent. It's not just thinking about it.
- I didn't like that she said that gods were made up imagination from people back in the days, but I kinda get the message she was passing. She could've worded it better tho.
- Talks A LOT about Angels. From circle casting to elementals, to cardinal points, the woman goes on and on about Angels and Archangels. I hate seeing Christian entities mixed with Witchcraft, especially a book so focused on Wiccan-based Witchcraft.
- The author talks about the Pagan paths like they're a magical buffet you can just come and pick. Doesn't mentioned closed practices, even though it mentions Hoodoo and Santeria.
- Doesn't give information on taking care of crystals. Some crystals cannot be subjected to water or salt or even solar light/heat due to the chemical composition and hardness and people need to know that, the author doesn't mention and just tells people to "pass it through running water" or "put it in the sun".
- No bibliography or additional recommendations and sources.

[Alyssa Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for beginner witches!

[Chloé Loong · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alright for a beginner who's new to the craft, like I am. But the fact that the author doesn't recognize India as part of Asia had me rolling. (Sis, that's embarrassing)

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summer 2020 (Cozy Book Club);

This was ... not great. That might be the only way I can put it. I was instantly put off by the singular references to Black people and Muslims in the early chapters, each once and not in great light. I was very unhappy to see the authors' only answer to people not liking your religion was to hide it.

But what really cemented it for me was the whole chapter on history, wherein there is not a single citation in those paragraphs, the bottoms of the pages, or the back of the book.

[Natali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure what these bad reviews are for. This is not so much a spell book as a history of neopaganism and its current place in the world. The author is not trying to really teach you anything as much as encourage you to learn. She does offer ritual guidance but it is not the major part of the book.

More, it’s a history and anthropology book. There are so many pieces of pagan ritual still circulating in our world and it is worth knowing about them. I found this book fascinating, well researched, and encouraging.

[Mary Hope · Rating 1 out of 5]

I agree with the former reviewers about the tone-deafness, cultural appropriation, sciolism and in-your-face-Wiccan and like to add very dangerous advice, even more so for beginners such as putting crystals in water since lots of them will break or could poison you and polluting (pouring perfume into natural bodies of water, buring whatever wherever...)

[Lilith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Big yikes. Noped out of this book after reading a comparison of the struggles of Black people and jews to those of witches.

[Kathryn Whetstone · Rating 1 out of 5]

The audacity to imply that witches have been more persecuted than blacks, or Jews. This book is literary garbage.

[Naava · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Modern Guide to Cultural Appropriation, Misinformation, and Wicca.

Not witchcraft, which is not synonymous with Wicca. Sigh. DNF @70%, I've read enough to rate, I think.

[lucia meets books]

RTC

[Kiko · Rating 2 out of 5]

~2,5 ☆

"Your Complete Guide to Witchcraft : witches covens and spells" that is the furthest thing I've read from "complete". This barely scratched the surface ! "Introduction to the World of Witchcraft" would've been more accurate. Not to mentions how one dimensional the book felt. How it flew through too many topics with so little information given at times that it felt like a dictionary listing various spiritual terms.

I had realised how Wiccan it is at the very beginning, though I wasn't opposed to gleaning some new information here and there. But then I started noticing the rather subjective phrases and even jibes at multiple practices and ideologies that made me grit my theeth. A guide that is supposedly suited for beginners should offer information to the reader as objectively as possible to refrain from influencing the person's view on practices before even reading more about them or trying them out -especially since the author does nothing more than tease about those-

The spells were rather unoriginal but maybe that was the author's intention ?

Last but not least, the author's insistence on following the rituals/spells to the letter at their first try is in contradiction with the core element of Witchcraft : intention is the most important tool and the practitioner is always better off working with what HE vibes with !

In short, I am glad I didn't read this when I was only starting on my journey.

[KayLynn Zollinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up out of pure curiosity when I saw it on display at the library. So what do I think? Well, some of the attitudes and ideals that witches strive for resonated with me. I love the idea of sending positivity into the world to get positive things back. I love the use of herbs and oils for certain ailments or for aromatherapy. I love being in tune with nature and try to respect our Earth. But when she told me the garden gnome statue in my neighbors yard is real...she lost me a bit. However, it was interesting to learn more about witchcraft, which I really knew about only from Hollywood. There are also some great grounding and goal setting exercises in the book, which I intend to complete and use. Perhaps this book is better as a self-help book than anything else.

[Ashlyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

One star, not for the information provided (it's a simple overview, but I agree with others: It reads lazy), but I'm pretty sure this lady is a quack. You can tell by her website built from the 1990s and she's been documented multiple times on Rip Off Report by providing in-person services and overcharging them. She's hiding because she has nothing valuable to contribute, and who knows what else. Please re-consider supporting this author.

[Anu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea why I read this or why I found this but it is absolute bs. It feels like all the bs of the world was meticulously combined, compacted and converted into this legendary piece of shit-work.
No shade on witches. I wish I was one. But seriously this book doesn't do justice to the miraculous image of witches. Just my opinion!

[Izzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF: Absolut problematische Inhalte.
Vergleicht die Hexenverbrennung mit Rassistischer Verfolgung
Ableistisch, Sexistisch
Bildet Closed Practices ab / Cultural Appropriation
Ignoriert soziale Position die Einfluss auf die Möglichkeiten im Leben hat.
Neigt zu Rassismus (z.B. Voodoo=Schwarze/Böse Magie)
Zitiert den Autoren von The Secret positiv

[Liz Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful in some places. In others, it seems to be capitalizing on the current trendiness of witchcraft. Beware indigenous cultural appropriation, too.

[Iria Cardoso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gostei bastante deste livro. Está um livro instrutivo, e também engraçado, sobre o começo da magia, sobre a sua evolução, sobre mulheres e homens terem sido perseguidos ao longo dos séculos apenas por terem pensamentos diferentes do que é a norma, e sobre o que é a magia hoje em dia e o que representa. Explica termos, significados, oferece conselhos. Para quem se quer iniciar neste modo de vida, em viver lado a lado com a natureza (e não só), este é um bom livro pelo qual começar.

[Marla Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good basic guide

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine overview of witchcraftery, (is that even a word?) but it didn’t cast a spell on me. Looks like it’s back to the cauldron to find another source for learning sorcery and enlightenment on the dark arts.

[Rae Percy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cozy Book Club - Summer 2020

Unless you're Agrippa or from Ancient Egypt with the papyrus to prove it then you must cite your sources! Poorly written whistle-stop tour of an extremely high-level view of something the author calls Witchcraft. They reference books of their own which is concerning, and glorify members of magical practice of the past that people need to take some time to look at more critically.

The idea the world is flat is a very modern view and is not something you use to say our ancestors were dumb. Theories of a sphere were built on from the 6th century BC, then in 330 BC mathematical evidence of such was provided. From this point on the world was believed to be a sphere and it was the terror of not knowing what was on the other side that concerned many people. Any research done into just the aspect of herbs shows that the people-who-came-before knew their stuff. In many of the cases science has refined these points.

The author also constantly confuses the terms Pagan, Witchcraft, Witch, Wicca, and Magician! There is also a throw away comment about how witches of specific focuses don't belong in covens. They also completely misunderstand one of the more famous quotes from Macbeth (Macbeth (IV, i, 14-15). The 'tongue of dog' is likely Hound's Tongue (Cynoglossum Officinale) and others are likely historical names for herbs.

My advice to anyone who is starting this journey into Witchcraft SPECIFICALLY is to research and constantly ask why. And only read authors who provide extensive sources so you can bolster your reading with your own research and understanding. Your Witchcraft is local to you; your local plants, your local spirits, your local earth.

Read Agrippas three books on philosophy of the Occult, and embrace the correspondence tables within David Conway's Magic: An Occult Primer. For those in the British Isles (and similar climates) I recommend Culpeper's Complete Herbal.

[Autumn · Rating 1 out of 5]

DO NOT DRINK CRYSTALS OR ESSENTIAL OILS!!
Some may be okay but do your research! Don’t just follow this author blindly. They’re gonna get someone hurt.

In the nicest way possible, did this author do any research?
Any witch who has done even the slightest bit of research can tell this book is full of misguided information if not outright incorrect misinformation.
Grimoires are not the same thing as a Book of Shadows.
Hedge Witchcraft is not the same as kitchen witchcraft.
Pagan quite literally means worshiping a deity, people who do not follow a religion don’t call themselves pagan.

Not to mention the author is incredibly racist through out the book.

They really started the book saying most people’s concept of witches is what hollywood portrays, and then proceeded to explain hollywood “witch” concepts as though they were right. And more than half of the “witch paths” section are closed practices and no where in there do they explain that.

There were heavy christian influences through out, which if that is part of your practice thats cool, but don’t market that as a “for everyone” book/practice. Theres a whole part about working with all of the archangels in the front with the basics of witchcraft, but then only listed like 10 (and only the most well known) deities with little information about them later in the book.

Overall this book was a DNF by the 5th page. Would not recommend especially for new witches and beginners because its all misleading and someone could get themselves hurt. It will lead to you having to unlearn all this information later on when you learn how wrong this author is.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Acredito que não seja um género de livros muito adorados e lidos, mas acredito que independentemente das nossas crenças, há algo sempre a retirar neste género de livros.
Fico tão feliz de cada vez mais haver abertura nas editoras em Portugal para este género de livros!
Sinto que ainda há muito ceticismo nestas temáticas. Para se ler este género de livros há que ter uma mente bem aberta.
Este livro está muito bem dividido, na minha opinião, pois começa com partes teóricas bem importantes para se entender certos tópicos abordados. Fala de várias crenças relacionadas com a magia mas sinto que é um pouco mais virado para a religião Wicca.
Adorei este livro em tantos aspectos! São livros que retiramos imensa aprendizagem.

[M.J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think there are better starter books out there. At one one point the author states there was a time people believed the world was flat. That’s not really true. ( maybe now, but that’s not what they were referring to). That was a red flag for me.

There’s an elixir spell that uses essential oils that you’re supposed to sip as needed. From what I understand, you shouldn’t be ingesting essential oils. It didn’t even mention being careful with them.

I would suggest another starter book for a first timer.

[Amy Woods · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have issues with books that tell their readers that they could be responsible for the bad things that happen to them, like they deserve it or something. Poor form.