Info

Magic and Spellcraft

Scott Cunningham, Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic

Most useful for:	Beginning students
Content:	Discusses in brief the basics of magical work and technique; discusses and describes spells to be done focusing on the elements of earth, air, fire, and water; discusses and describes spells to be done using various natural and other simple objects (stones, knots, candles, etc.).
Commentary:	Generally speaking, I'm not fond of spellbooks; however, Cunningham does describe the reasoning behind these spells, and makes clear that you cannot use a spellbook like a cookbook (you can't simply go through the motions and expect the spell to succeed)--and the spells themselves are quite good. Not to mention the wonderful Robin Wood illustrations throughout the book! :)
	Recommended

Scott Cunningham, Earth, Air, Fire and Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic

Most useful for:	Beginning students
Content:	Discusses magical theory, techniques, and tools; describes the elements in detail; provides spells focusing on earth, air, fire and water; provides spells focusing on various objects; discusses the creation of ones own spells, including a long section on correspondences.
Commentary:	Very similar in format to Earth Power, this book does present much similar material, with the same strengths and weaknesses; however, in my opinion the addition of a "do-it-yourself" section makes it a better book. The treatment of magical techniques is more detailed than that in the first book as well. And again, the Robin Wood drawings found before each chapter make the book a visual treat!
	Recommended

Janet and Stewart Farrar, Spells and How They Work

Most useful for:	Intermediate students and beyond
Content:	Discusses magical theory and ethics; discusses psychic self-defense; describes various magical methods, including sex magic, the Cabala, talismans, spells of different historical periods and lands, folk magic, and healing, love, problem-solving, weather, and binding spells; provides planetary squares and magical alphabets.
Commentary:	This book shares many of the same qualities of Valiente's Natural Magic--a general discussion of magical theory, a wide range of examples of traditional forms of spellwork. I particularly liked the chapter on "Coming Unstuck," full of examples of failed spells and the reasons they may have failed. Again, not a book for the beginner, but a potentially valuable one for someone seeking out somewhat more advanced information than is commonly found elsewhere.
	Recommended

Yasmine Galenorn, Embracing the Moon: A Witch's Guide to Ritual Spellwork and Shadow Work

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Provides information on visualization, magical basics (moons, correspondences), ritual procedure, and several ways of creating sacred space; discusses working with the elements and specific deities; briefly describes different tools and provides a ritual for their consecration; describes different magical techniques; discusses and provides specific spells for different areas of magic (transformation, prosperity, love, protection, healing); discusses working magic with faeries and with animals, and working with the Goddess and with the God; provides rituals for helping the Earth.
Commentary:	This book could be used as a spellbook, filled as it is with concrete examples of ritual and spellwork. However, enough information on magical theory is given that the reader can easily write his/her own spells or adapt the author's. The book is far from dry, and the author's personal anecdotes are generally quite helpful in illustrating her points--I particularly like the fact that she works with specific deities (often Wiccan authors provide information on working with a generic God and Goddess--not that there's anything wrong with that! :)) and gives advice on working this way (the section on mixing deities certainly gives one something to think about!). The spells seem quite good, the chants and rituals are lovely and evocative, and the information is presented well.
	Recommended

Amber K, True Magick: A Beginner's Guide

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Discusses ways to find an instructor and to evaluate whether s/he is right for you; describes a number of magical traditions; briefly discusses magical theory; discusses preparing yourself to do magic, including caring for your physical health; describes the particulars of magical ritual, including tools, altar setup, and format; provides several spells, for use or as examples; discusses ethics.
Commentary:	There's a lot of information in this small, inexpensive book; although information is given on various magical traditions, the instruction is for performing magic in the Wiccan tradition (so if you're looking for the details of any other style, this is not the best resource)--and if you're going to be practicing magic in this tradition, you will probably want to consult other books about the more spiritual aspects of Wicca. Overall I'd say this is an excellent supplementary text, but not a good first book; however, since some Wiccan books mention magic only briefly or incompletely, this is a wonderful companion to any of the "standard" Wiccan texts. If you're intention is to practice magic wholly outside of a religious context (or within the framework of a religion other than Wicca) the forms discussed here may not be useful to you.
	Strongly recommended

Edain McCoy, Lady of the Night: A Handbook of Moon Magick and Rituals

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Provides a simple moon phase chart; discusses full moon energies and provides several rituals; discusses waxing moon energies and provides a ritual; discusses waning moon energies and provides a ritual; discusses magical theory and ethics; discusses magic best done during the full, waxing or waning moon; discusses more advanced moon magic practices; describes how to create ones own rituals; provides a brief list of moon deities and moon festivals.
Commentary:	The information in this book is basically an extended discussion of the same information you're likely to find in any book on Wicca. However, the author does make it clearer than most just why different moon phases are appropriate for different work, and what this all has to do with the three aspects (Maiden, Mother and Crone) of the Goddess. I particularly liked her discussion of magical ethics, in which she suggests a tarot spread to use when working out the details of a spell you're planning. I also liked the section on advanced magic, with discussion on extended spells (rather than the one-time-only, light-a-candle-and-forget-about-it ones I know I tend to do :)). Overall, a good supplementary text if you want to emphasize the moon's energies in your spellwork.

Lilith McLelland, Spellcraft: A Primer for the Young Magician

Most useful for:	Beginning students, particularly young people
Content:	Includes basic principles of magic, including tools, ethics, and methods, aimed specifically at the younger seeker.
Commentary:	This is a book on magic and spells, not religion; although the author is Pagan the material presented could be used within another (or no) belief system. It covers the basics, with particular emphasis on ethics and what can go wrong if you don't follow them. A thin volume and easy to read, its non-intimidating approach makes it a good choice for the tentative and its clear depiction of what magic can and cannot do should be educational for those whose only previous exposure to magic has been through movies (and deter any whose reasons for learning magic are less ethical). It's certainly not a thorough treatment of the subject, but it's a good, reader-friendly introduction.
	Recommended

Silver Ravenwolf, Hexcraft: Dutch Country Magick.

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Presents history of and information about the Pennsylvania Dutch Pow-wow tradition of folk magic; describes the tools used by the Pow-wow magician; discusses healing, herbs and astrology.
Commentary:	A slightly different approach to magic than you mat be used to, based as it is on a system historically practiced most often by Christian magicians--but according to Ravenwolf the methods are as useful to Pagans looking to the Goddess as to the traditional Pow-wow looking to the Christian God. The magic is folk, not ritual, and you may not be comfortable practicing a method so firmly a part of a different magical tradition (as an eclectic, this isn't an issue for me :))--or, if you have issues with Christianity, this book's inclusiveness may not be to your taste; in addition, the spells tend to be for specific purposes, so if you are working for something other than healing or protection, you might prefer a different system (not that the forms here wouldn't be adaptable). It's a fun book, and Ravenwolf is generally a good read.
	Recommended

Patricia Telesco, Spinning Spells, Weaving Wonders: Modern Magic for Everyday Life

Most useful for:	Beginning students
Content:	Discusses magical theory and practical aspects of working magic; describes spell creation in great detail; provides a list of correspondences and actual spells for a wide variety of needs; provides alphabetical lists of correspondences and deities; gives directions for making a number of magical objects.
Commentary:	As I've said, I don't care for spellbooks, but this book is different--yes, it includes prewritten spells that the reader can use as they stand, but the emphasis is on writing your own spells, and she provides correspondences to use and a form to follow--a simple, step-by-step method that just about anyone can follow and use to write their own spells or adapt existing ones for their own individual needs. The same problems apply here as to any list of correspondences--correspondences used by different authors can differ widely--but if you're consistent in your own use you should be fine.
	Recommended

Doreen Valiente, Natural Magic

Most useful for:	Intermediate students and beyond
Content:	Discusses in some detail various methods of working magic, including the four elements, herbs and plants, numbers, colors, amulets and talismans, sex, dreams, weather, and animals.
Commentary:	Not a spellbook in the usual sense, although including a large number of traditional spells and rhymes, this is rather a resource for creating your own spells using traditional methods and folklore. An excellent resource for anyone who prefers to look to the past in creating their own magical forms, or who wants to attempt some tried-and-possibly-true forms. Not a particularly difficult read, but not a book for beginners.
	Recommended

Nancy B. Watson, Practical Solitary Magic

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Describes how magic works; discusses magical ethics; discusses prayer, deities/archetypes, visualization, elementals, ritual.
Commentary:	As the title implies, a very practical, useful book. It isn't for Pagans only; and is a reminder that although the methods (casting a circle, calling elementals) are familiar to anyone who knows Wicca, they aren't unique to Wiccan practice. The discussion of working with deities emphasizes the interpretation of these entities as archetypes, and the treatment of the deities is a little simple (for example, she states that Greek deities appeal to intellectual people, Celtic ones to more emotional sorts), but this is certainly not a great problem given the scope of the book. The visualization and other exercises are some of the best I've seen, and I particularly liked the extensive discussion of working with elementals--something I feel is given far less emphasis than it deserves in most texts. Overall I'd say that this is one of the books I'd recommend first to someone starting out in spellcraft, although it is only about magic and you will need to get your religious/spiritual information elsewhere.
	Strongly recommended