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Shadow Magic: Unlocking the Whole Witch Within
"A necessary addition to any collection on magic and witchcraft." — Publisher's Weekly
From the bestselling author of Practical Magic Nikki Van De Car comes Shadow Magic , an expansive, beautiful primer on cultivating your own innate power, magic, and strength through shadow work—the mystical art of engaging with your deepest internal self.
Human beings are incredibly complex. We are more than just our happiness or sunny dispositions, and we have much to offer others and ourselves even on our worst days. There is magic and energy and potential in these moments—in the shadow—and we cannot be the fullest expression of ourselves, at our most powerful, unless we embrace and embody all that we are.
Shadow Magic is here to assist you in uncovering, understanding, and celebrating your own shadow. Author Nikki Van De Car teaches us to work with the shadow, rather than trying to suppress or ignore it—allowing each of us to uncover the whole, integrated witch within. Through foundational lessons on psychologist Carl Jung's concept of the shadow; explorations of magical topics like the moon, dream magic, and symbology; and rituals and spells for connecting to your own deepest self, Shadow Magic invites all of us to harness the shadow's power to bring more magic into our lives. The spells and rituals in this book will help you bring awareness and healing to whatever you may be carrying that you would rather leave behind. As you do so, you'll uncover your personal power, including abilities and gifts that you may not have recognized within yourself. You’ll work with sigil magic and symbology, with tarot and candle magic, with the moon, and with dreams. Each section includes three spells for you to one for creativity, one for intuition, and one for self-love. And along the way you'll encounter profiles of witches and women throughout history who embraced their own shadows, even when it wasn't popular.
Throughout this book you will learn to embrace what it means to be in relationship with your own shadow, in a process of growth and exploration that will enhance all aspects of the self, allowing for a fuller, more magical life.
From the bestselling author of Practical Magic Nikki Van De Car comes Shadow Magic , an expansive, beautiful primer on cultivating your own innate power, magic, and strength through shadow work—the mystical art of engaging with your deepest internal self.
Human beings are incredibly complex. We are more than just our happiness or sunny dispositions, and we have much to offer others and ourselves even on our worst days. There is magic and energy and potential in these moments—in the shadow—and we cannot be the fullest expression of ourselves, at our most powerful, unless we embrace and embody all that we are.
Shadow Magic is here to assist you in uncovering, understanding, and celebrating your own shadow. Author Nikki Van De Car teaches us to work with the shadow, rather than trying to suppress or ignore it—allowing each of us to uncover the whole, integrated witch within. Through foundational lessons on psychologist Carl Jung's concept of the shadow; explorations of magical topics like the moon, dream magic, and symbology; and rituals and spells for connecting to your own deepest self, Shadow Magic invites all of us to harness the shadow's power to bring more magic into our lives. The spells and rituals in this book will help you bring awareness and healing to whatever you may be carrying that you would rather leave behind. As you do so, you'll uncover your personal power, including abilities and gifts that you may not have recognized within yourself. You’ll work with sigil magic and symbology, with tarot and candle magic, with the moon, and with dreams. Each section includes three spells for you to one for creativity, one for intuition, and one for self-love. And along the way you'll encounter profiles of witches and women throughout history who embraced their own shadows, even when it wasn't popular.
Throughout this book you will learn to embrace what it means to be in relationship with your own shadow, in a process of growth and exploration that will enhance all aspects of the self, allowing for a fuller, more magical life.
184 pages, Hardcover
Published September 26, 2023
12 people are currently reading
119 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Van De Car
46 books108 followersNikki Van De Car is a blogger, knitter, and mother whose books What To Knit When You're Expecting and What To Knit: The Toddler Years chronicle the way her knitting changed as her daughter grew. Her popular knitting blog has received over 1.5 million pageviews since its inception in June 2008, and her patterns have been published in Interweave and Ply magazines, among others. Nikki lives in Hawaii with her family.
Come visit her on Instagram at @nikkivandecar and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sereknity/
Come visit her on Instagram at @nikkivandecar and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sereknity/
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 19, 2024
First want to point out
Shadow work is NOT inherently witchcraft.
Like the concept of the Shadow, it's all about psychology. The author does recommend doing shadow work along side with a professional (specifically a trained therapist), but I would stress that it's imperative.
That being said, a lot of the "spells" in this book are on the mild side when it comes to doing shadow work. Like one of the first activities it offers is basically a witchy exquisite corpse.
I really do not see this as a good book for baby witches, and a part of me is iffy on whether or not it's good for beginners. Especially when they placed protections at the VERY END.
Granted, protection isn't the first thing you learn to do - that would be energy work and magical theory - but it is SO IMPORTANT to learn before actually performing any spells! That's not even a my-opinion thing. It's common sense.
The book is just a whole peice of gorgeous art and there is good information. Some activities I plan to write down for potential use later. Just wish certainly topics were done differently.
Shadow work is NOT inherently witchcraft.
Like the concept of the Shadow, it's all about psychology. The author does recommend doing shadow work along side with a professional (specifically a trained therapist), but I would stress that it's imperative.
That being said, a lot of the "spells" in this book are on the mild side when it comes to doing shadow work. Like one of the first activities it offers is basically a witchy exquisite corpse.
I really do not see this as a good book for baby witches, and a part of me is iffy on whether or not it's good for beginners. Especially when they placed protections at the VERY END.
Granted, protection isn't the first thing you learn to do - that would be energy work and magical theory - but it is SO IMPORTANT to learn before actually performing any spells! That's not even a my-opinion thing. It's common sense.
The book is just a whole peice of gorgeous art and there is good information. Some activities I plan to write down for potential use later. Just wish certainly topics were done differently.
October 4, 2024
I just started a witch shelf in my home library, but this is the first witch book I read cover to cover. I enjoyed the variety of ideas and also the “Light a Candle for ___” pages with tributes to women from history and mythology.
Obviously this book isn’t for everyone. You need to be open to its messages. Here’s a little snippet from the end to see if it’s right for you:
“There’s magic in choosing what you want to grow and nurture within yourself. It’s a great feat of enchantment to take all the energy that flows to you—from society, family, friends, your own history, the history of your ancestors—and alchemize all of it into a force for good.”
Obviously this book isn’t for everyone. You need to be open to its messages. Here’s a little snippet from the end to see if it’s right for you:
“There’s magic in choosing what you want to grow and nurture within yourself. It’s a great feat of enchantment to take all the energy that flows to you—from society, family, friends, your own history, the history of your ancestors—and alchemize all of it into a force for good.”
November 15, 2023
I like the layout of this book. There is a little talk of the psychological concept of the shadow self, a little about how the author sees that as relatable to witchcraft, and then a variety of ways to explore your own shadow magically. Interspersed are some mini-bios of “witches” from history and myth that seem to have an obvious shadow side. This is not a witchcraft 101, the author assumes the reader is a practicing witch. It is an intro to shadow magic. It’s well written and thoughtful. I appreciate that it wasn’t overly focused on the author’s personal experiences. I am not fond of witchcraft books that are more magical memoirs than ideas, spells, and information. I want to find my own way. I think this book will be helpful to seasoned witches who are new to the concept of shadow magic, and can give those of us who are already familiar with it a few ideas about further self exploration. I think it could have gone a little deeper into darkness, but perhaps that’s best left to books more aimed at advanced practice.
September 9, 2024
Alles oberflächlich, hatte mehr erhofft.
2,5 Sterne
2,5 Sterne
December 4, 2023
I got this book from the library. A few pages in and I was charmed. It felt like I was reading Shadow Magic for Kids, but in a good, safe, supportive, non-judgemental way. I was ready to rate it five stars.
But…
The moon chapter took a star off for me. For one thing, why skip the first and last quarter phases? And for another thing “go stand in the moonlight” (I’m paraphrasing) was a bit TOO simplistic a ritual for my taste.
And then, just before the end… the horror. In the Light A Candle for The Weird Sisters section the author completely bollockses up a summary of Macbeth. No, Macbeth is not attacked by a man named Wood. Maybe some film or theatre interpretation somewhere has made the choice to personify Birnam Wood, but it’s definitely not in the script that Shakespeare wrote. And no, Banquo’s son does not inherit the throne at any point that is actually mentioned in the play (although he does survive, presumably so he or his offspring can rise to the throne at a later date). At the end of the play, Malcolm takes the throne. Duncan’s son. Not Banquo’s. And, yes, perhaps I’m being overly pedantic, but 1) I love Shakespeare and Macbeth is my favorite play, and 2) it’s so easy to get these things right. You don’t even have to read the play to check this stuff, as it’s in every summary ever written including the one on Wikipedia.
And so, right there at the end, I find myself doubting the entire book that I just put in my brain.
But there’s still a lot of good here. The overall tone of gentle guidance towards accepting the entire self (even and most especially the parts we don’t like so much) works powerfully in the book’s favor. As does the consistent emphasis on trusting your own intuition. The spells and rituals feel foundational: good on their own but allowing for personal refinement and/or elaboration. That may not be for everyone, but I liked it. And, perhaps most importantly, this book is entirely devoid of toxic positivity, as a book on shadow magic (or ANY magic, imho) absolutely should be.
Plus the book is gorgeous. Gotta give points for that.
But…
The moon chapter took a star off for me. For one thing, why skip the first and last quarter phases? And for another thing “go stand in the moonlight” (I’m paraphrasing) was a bit TOO simplistic a ritual for my taste.
And then, just before the end… the horror. In the Light A Candle for The Weird Sisters section the author completely bollockses up a summary of Macbeth. No, Macbeth is not attacked by a man named Wood. Maybe some film or theatre interpretation somewhere has made the choice to personify Birnam Wood, but it’s definitely not in the script that Shakespeare wrote. And no, Banquo’s son does not inherit the throne at any point that is actually mentioned in the play (although he does survive, presumably so he or his offspring can rise to the throne at a later date). At the end of the play, Malcolm takes the throne. Duncan’s son. Not Banquo’s. And, yes, perhaps I’m being overly pedantic, but 1) I love Shakespeare and Macbeth is my favorite play, and 2) it’s so easy to get these things right. You don’t even have to read the play to check this stuff, as it’s in every summary ever written including the one on Wikipedia.
And so, right there at the end, I find myself doubting the entire book that I just put in my brain.
But there’s still a lot of good here. The overall tone of gentle guidance towards accepting the entire self (even and most especially the parts we don’t like so much) works powerfully in the book’s favor. As does the consistent emphasis on trusting your own intuition. The spells and rituals feel foundational: good on their own but allowing for personal refinement and/or elaboration. That may not be for everyone, but I liked it. And, perhaps most importantly, this book is entirely devoid of toxic positivity, as a book on shadow magic (or ANY magic, imho) absolutely should be.
Plus the book is gorgeous. Gotta give points for that.
April 17, 2024
A basic beginner level book that is an introduction, not so much to Shadow Magic, as it is to New Age magic traditions, with some heavy Wiccan leanings. The section on sigils is heavy into Icelandic traditions, there is a nice dip into Ogham, with a smattering of other traditions, mostly European. That said, I did enjoy the section on tasseomancy.
It would have been nice if Kamrušepa, the Hittite Goddess of medicine and magic had been mentioned, but I know that not everyone has my love of ancient Middle Eastern medicine and magic traditions.
It would have been nice if Kamrušepa, the Hittite Goddess of medicine and magic had been mentioned, but I know that not everyone has my love of ancient Middle Eastern medicine and magic traditions.
November 3, 2024
I initially liked Nikki Van De Car because her book “Practical Magic” was the backbone of my practice when I began. Now, I see her lack of caution. I am not saying she is a poor author, but the lack of warning with herbs like Mugwort or serious energy work that will drain someone, making them tired. For those who read her books, please do your own research before doing any spells or rituals. Otherwise, I enjoyed the new information and how she went about a lighter version of “The Shadow.”
April 5, 2024
This book is full of so much information! I recommend it to anyone who wants to dig deeper into shadow work and becoming one with yourself!!!!!
May 26, 2024
SASS friendly introduction to Shadow work. I really enjoyed the chapter on how interrupting dream is actually shadow work - I had never thought of it like that.
July 10, 2025
Easy, fun, practical. Thank you for the challenge.
November 10, 2023
Overview:
- This book is very brief, nothing goes super in-depth.
- It feels like shadow work ‘light’ (for those who might be too scared to really go into things)
Cons:
- Most of the information is mediocre and can feel very surface-level
- Most of it all is one-sentence information
- I feel like it just dropped basic info and ended up losing the purpose of working with your shadow after a few chapters in
Pros:
- It is a beautiful book!
- The information was simple - making it easy to understand and even easier to do some of the spells (because not much is needed)
- The setup was nice for the 3 spells at the end of the chapters (one for creativity, intuition, and self-love)
- There were added pages dedicated to the witches of the past and Goddess mythology
Final Thoughts:
- Great beginner book and very beautiful
- The setup of the book is easy to understand and is good for those who want to keep things simple before learning more
- Do not let this be the only book you pick up on shadow magick or learning about your shadow side
- This book would have been better if there was even 1 more chapter dedicated to shadow work. Like get to the nitty-gritty of it all and give more steps on how to bring out the shadow side before we jump into the magick part of things
Would Recommend Instead or Add to your reading list:
Of Blood and Bones | Working with Shadow Magick & the Dark Moon
By Kate Freuler
- This book is very brief, nothing goes super in-depth.
- It feels like shadow work ‘light’ (for those who might be too scared to really go into things)
Cons:
- Most of the information is mediocre and can feel very surface-level
- Most of it all is one-sentence information
- I feel like it just dropped basic info and ended up losing the purpose of working with your shadow after a few chapters in
Pros:
- It is a beautiful book!
- The information was simple - making it easy to understand and even easier to do some of the spells (because not much is needed)
- The setup was nice for the 3 spells at the end of the chapters (one for creativity, intuition, and self-love)
- There were added pages dedicated to the witches of the past and Goddess mythology
Final Thoughts:
- Great beginner book and very beautiful
- The setup of the book is easy to understand and is good for those who want to keep things simple before learning more
- Do not let this be the only book you pick up on shadow magick or learning about your shadow side
- This book would have been better if there was even 1 more chapter dedicated to shadow work. Like get to the nitty-gritty of it all and give more steps on how to bring out the shadow side before we jump into the magick part of things
Would Recommend Instead or Add to your reading list:
Of Blood and Bones | Working with Shadow Magick & the Dark Moon
By Kate Freuler
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews