Pagan Portals - Spellcraft and Spellwork: A Guide to the Magical Practice of Spells

First piece of literature I've read on this topic and it was a great intro to it

Don’t be misguided by the title, this is not another offering of lists of correspondences, pages of ready to use spells, with unfamiliar ingredients!The author guides the reader with an overview of why to do spells, instructions of how to put this together, in a way that is meaningful and relevant to the reader. She also discusses what is known about the history of spell craft.Interspersed throughout are suggested exercises, for the reader to try, enabling them to develop their own intuition and magical practice. There is a chapter on what to do with your working afterwards which is very useful, and she does share in the final chapter a few elegantly simple spells from her own practice.A useful book for anyone undertaking spellwork.

This is not a book of spells so don’t expect it to do the work for you. It is a book about how to construct spells. It gives you the building blocks to understand and develop your spell work, but (as it should be) it is up to you to do the assembly. This is a small book, about 100 pages, that gives you an overview of the subject with some practical applications.The first half of the book presents facts (and opinions) about what magic is and how it works. It covers definitions of magic, models of magic, principals, intentions, etc. It briefly touches upon types of magic such as crystals, plants, numbers, elements, planets, knots, and more.The second half gives you the framework of how to design and execute your spells. It explains the key points on the goal, ingredients, methodology, charging and action.There are also five example spells at the end that explain why the ingredients were chosen and provide step by step instructions on how to perform them.I really like that it speaks to the issue of disposing of your materials after the spell has completed, a subject rarely discussed in other books.While I agree with the author that magic is more nuanced than just being good or evil, I do disagree with the author’s assertion that using the terms white and black magic can be tied to racism. Those terms have been used for a really long time and have more to do with perceived purity. For example, if your bandage is white then it is probably clean, but, if it is turning black it is dirty and needs to be cleansed. Also, our ancestors might see the black of night as evil because it could hide dangerous predators. Saying that cursing someone is black magic doesn’t make you a racist and envisioning healing white light doesn’t make you a white supremacist.That said, this book gives you information you need to further research, learn, and practice your craft. Please remember that practice is a critical part.P.S. – Bonus points to the author for quoting Zora Neale Huston, one of my favorite folklore authors, who is frequently overlooked.

Even if that book is short and tends to target beginners and not so beginners.... I believe ANY magickal practitioner needs to check it.There's a lot of explanations, historical facts and ressources. I LOVE that Ariana presents something many magick writers failed to : the different modalities.After reading this book, you will know what you are doing. "Spellcraft and Spellwork" gives you the anatomy of magick....

Ariana wrote a nice guide that practically helps teach you how to incorporate meaning to actions.

I really appreciate this book for the knowledge it offers. It doesn't go highly in-depth on each topic, rather it lays out a brief overview of many terms, beliefs, approaches, and practices that the reader can then further delve into researching for themselves. It is very helpful to have so much occult/witchcraft terminology in one place. There are typos, but it is a quality book that I recommend if you're interested in this realm of information.