Modern Witch: Spells, Recipes & Workings

by Devin Hunter

Spells, Rituals, and Workings for the Modern Witch Filled with magical workings, lush photography, and creative inspiration, Modern Witch is a dazzling display of art and craft. Esthetic meets esoteric as author Devin Hunter shows how to work magic for love, healing, protection, prosperity, and divination. Color photos and artistic renderings show essential aspects of the workings, helping you develop a successful magical practice that achieves the results you desire. With dozens of spells, rituals, and recipes from the personal grimoire of a working witch, this book empowers you to work with dynamic magical energies and fulfill your deepest spiritual, physical, and emotional needs. With this powerful magic, you don't need to wait for some unknown fate; you can take charge and create your own. Discover an authentic collection of spells, recipes, charms, and correspondences that have been used and refined by the author for nearly twenty years. Combined with the author's original photographs and art, these teachings illuminate the five most popular types of magical love, healing, protection, prosperity, and divination. Within these pages you will find spells and workings such A Love Magic Charm Bag • A Finger Scrying Spell • The Bottle of 1,000 Eyes • A Spell for a Correct Diagnosis • The Witch's Foot Spell • A Serpent Candle Spell • The Jupiter Budget Working • A Golem Fetish • The Prayer of Fortuna • A Self-Love Spell • The Honey Jar Spell • A Himmelsbrief for Success

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

288 pages, Paperback

Published February 8, 2020

About the author

Devin Hunter is a professional Psychic Medium and modern witch and is the resident House Medium at The Mystic Dream in Walnut Creek, Ca. He holds third-degree initiations in both the Northern Star Tradition of Wicca as well as the Dianic Tradition of Witchcraft (the Cult of Diana) and is the founder of his own tradition, Sacred Fires. His AV Club favorited podcast, the Modern Witch, has helped thousands of people from all over the world discover and develop their magical abilities. He is a blogger for Witches & Pagans magazine and is the creator of Modern Witch Magazine. Devin is currently teaching with the Black Rose School of Witchcraft and is the reigning Master of Ceremonies at the New Orleans Witches’ Ball. His first book, The Witch’s Book of Power releases from Llewellyn World Wide in July of 2016!

Reviews

[Evelyn]

Honestly, I had pretty high hopes for this book but alas, was disappointed.

It's not very well researched and a lot of the information is just basically copied and pasted from other books. It sort of reminded me of those 90s fluffy-bunny witchcraft books in a sense that it talks about crystals and grounding yourself by imagining you have tree-roots growing from your spine into the earth - god, yawn, how original. At least it doesn't mention the threefold law - phew!

OH. Don't even get me started on him recommending to use "apple blossom essential oil" and "lily of the valley essential oil" and "honeysuckle essential oil" and "vanilla essential oil" in prosperity workings- cringe alert! Those are all FRAGRANCE oils, chemically compounded in labs made entirely out of synthetic chemicals. (There is nothing necessarily wrong with synthetics - I say this as somebody who works with chemicals in a perfumery lab as my day job - but they have absolutely nothing to do with actual essential oils that are steam distilled from plants.) But honestly, you can't possibly claim to be a magical practitioner and not know such basic, BASIC facts about what exists in nature and what doesn't.
"Ambergris essential oil" - you have to be kidding me right? There is no such thing! You can macerate ambergris in ethanol and make a tincture that way (if you have several hundred dollars to shell out on a real chunk of perfumery-grade ambergris) but you can't make an essential oil of it.
"Dragon's Blood Essential Oil" - again, no such thing. It is not made, dragon's blood resin cannot be distilled and liquified. If somebody sells you dragon's blood essential oil - it is not an essential oil - it is just a synthetic fragrance oil, pretty smelling chemicals and nothing more.

At one point, the book calls for rubbing cinnamon essential oil and galangal essential oil on your palms - again - you've done no research on this have you? This is physically DANGEROUS. If you are using actual cinnamon essential oil - you will have chemical burns if you rub a drop on your skin. You may as well get a good lawyer now because you can get sued for this.

I don't even have the energy to unpick the rest.

Listen up, people. If you want to work with botanical ingredients, you'd better go out and educate yourselves. Just because something is "natural" it doesn't mean it's "safe" - remember that. Order REAL, unadulterated essential oils from places like edenbotanicals for instance and smell them (not some crappy etsy shop). Real essential oils are not cheap. What you find in being sold as "essential oils" in most conjure, botanicas and occult stores is usually either heavily adulterated or just straight up synthetics. Most people can't tell the difference.
Read more books on aromatherapy and safety of essential oils. To begin with, maybe read Essence and Alchemy by Mandy Aftel - not a perfect book, but a great intro into the history of natural perfume and various essential oils and plant distillations.

Read "Incense: Crafting and Use of Magickal Scents" by Carl Neal to learn more about real incense.


Sadly nothing even remotely groundbreaking or unique about this book. It was just the same as hundreds of other witchcraft books that seem to kind of openly rip each other off, perpetuate misinformation and then the authors invite each other on each other's podcasts and tell each other how gifted and special the other one is.

[Gianmichael Salvato]

I've never been a fan of "spell books", but this one is surely among the rare exceptions.

As beautifully and magically written as it is artfully stunning, it needs to be an addition to everyone's bookshelf or coffee table!

More than a mere formulary of spells (which it offers in stunningly detailed, practical and insightful presentation,) this book is full of history, remedies, and insight into the culture of modern witchcraft. I highly recommend it!

[Christopher Silva]

I AM BLOWN AWAY.
I have never seen a spell book so well put together even with beautiful photography on every page IN COLOR!!
I'm obsessed. This is definitely a must have for any walks of life or practice.
It's definitely on my top favorite by Devin Hunter !!!
Thank you Devin for this beautiful master piece!

[Sylvia Moore]

One of the most useful lessons in Modern Witch is that “I need money” is usually not a very good magical diagnosis. Neither is “I need healing,” “I need protection,” or “I need love.” Those may describe the general territory of a problem, but Devin Hunter is much more interested in figuring out what actually needs to change.

That makes this a surprisingly intelligent spell book. The chapters are organized around familiar areas like love, healing, protection, prosperity, and divination, but many of the individual workings become much more specific once you get inside them. Instead of treating magical goals as enormous abstractions, Hunter keeps narrowing them until there is something concrete enough for a spell to address.

A working for obtaining a correct medical diagnosis is a perfect example. “Heal me” is an understandable desire, but sometimes the immediate obstacle is that nobody yet knows what is wrong. Directing the magic toward clarity, useful information, and the successful identification of the problem is a much more precise intervention.

The Jupiter Budget Working operates on the same principle from a completely different direction. Prosperity magic can easily become an endless parade of green candles and money-drawing ingredients, but financial problems are sometimes structural. If the issue involves budgeting, spending, planning, or the management of resources, then successful prosperity work may need to engage with those realities instead of simply asking the universe for more cash.

That practical intelligence is probably my favorite thing about Modern Witch. Hunter seems to begin by asking what successful change would actually look like and then builds the working backward from there. The magical technique serves the goal instead of the goal being squeezed into whatever spell format happens to be familiar.

This is an important distinction because spell books often train people to think in categories rather than mechanisms. You look under “protection,” find a protection spell, perform it, and hope the category matches the problem closely enough. Hunter’s approach encouraged me to think more like a magical diagnostician.

What am I protecting myself from? How is the problem reaching me? Do I need concealment, reversal, cleansing, fortification, warning, separation, or the removal of a particular influence? Those are all technically protection magic, but they describe very different magical operations.

The same reasoning applies to love. Attraction, reconciliation, communication, confidence, sexual chemistry, commitment, emotional healing, and releasing attachment all involve relationships, yet there is no reason one generic “love spell” should accomplish all of them equally well. Defining the desired change is part of the magic.

Modern Witch is filled with enough correspondences and foundational information to help the reader understand how those distinctions can be translated into spell construction. Herbs, colors, numbers, planetary influences, minerals, symbols, and other materials become a vocabulary rather than a shopping list. Once you understand why something is present, you can start deciding whether it belongs in your own version of the working.

That is where I think the book becomes particularly useful beyond the spells themselves. A good spell book should eventually make you better at creating spells that are not in the book, and Modern Witch provides plenty of opportunities to reverse-engineer Hunter’s decisions. You can look at a working and ask why these ingredients were chosen, why this action occurs at this stage, and what part of the magical goal each component is addressing.

Some of the workings are delightfully unusual, which makes that process even easier to see. The Bottle of 1,000 Eyes, Witch's Foot Spell, Serpent Candle Spell, Prayer of Fortuna, Golem Fetish, and other pieces have enough individual character that they do not blur together into generic candle spells with different colors. Each feels built around a particular magical concept.

That creativity matters because magical technique can become formulaic surprisingly quickly. Candle plus herb plus petition plus corresponding moon phase is perfectly functional, but if every problem receives essentially the same operation with different ingredients, the practitioner never has much reason to think about magical engineering. Hunter keeps changing the form to suit the function.

I found myself paying much more attention to magical verbs while reading this book. Are we drawing, opening, binding, illuminating, concealing, commanding, sweetening, transforming, removing, strengthening, awakening, or revealing? Once the verb becomes clear, the appropriate symbols and actions start becoming much easier to choose.

This is also why the recipes feel more adaptable than a lot of published spells. Hunter supplies a finished working, but the structure underneath it is usually visible enough that a reader can understand where alterations might be made. That is much more useful than pretending substitutions never happen or that changing one ingredient causes the entire magical mechanism to collapse.

Adaptation is part of real practice. People live in different regions, have different budgets, possess different supplies, respond to different symbols, and develop relationships with different spirits and magical materials. A spell that cannot survive any contact with the practitioner's actual circumstances has limited value.

Hunter clearly writes from a perspective in which magic is expected to interact with ordinary life. The Jupiter Budget Working especially captures this because magical action and mundane action reinforce one another instead of being treated as competitors. Creating a budget does not make the spell less magical, and performing magic does not eliminate the need to understand the financial situation.

That attitude appears elsewhere throughout the book. The objective is not to escape reality through ritual but to apply magical pressure at useful points within reality. Sometimes that means changing circumstances, sometimes changing perception, and sometimes creating conditions that allow a mundane process to work more effectively.

I think beginners can learn a great deal from that approach because it quietly teaches better spell formulation. Instead of beginning with ingredients, begin with the situation. Decide exactly what outcome would constitute success, identify the obstacles preventing it, and then choose magical actions that symbolically and energetically correspond to changing those conditions.

More experienced practitioners can get something different from the book. The value becomes less about needing instructions and more about encountering someone else's solutions to magical problems. Seeing how another witch constructs a working can spark entirely new approaches to your own craft.

That is how I ended up enjoying Modern Witch most. I stopped asking whether I personally intended to reproduce every spell exactly as written and started studying why each spell had been designed in that particular way. Suddenly the whole book became a collection of case studies in magical problem-solving.

The gorgeous presentation certainly makes the experience more pleasurable, and there is no denying that the photography and artwork make this one of the more visually memorable modern spell books. The beauty works best for me when it supports the larger lesson that ritual design itself can be creative.

Spellcraft is a craft in the fullest sense of the word. It involves technique, imagination, selection, composition, adaptation, and an understanding of how individual components combine to produce a coherent whole.

Modern Witch reminded me that the most important question before performing a spell may be the one that comes before choosing any magical ingredients at all: what, specifically, am I trying to make happen? Once that answer becomes precise, the magic has somewhere precise to go.

[Thomas Pinneck]

Devin Hunter’s Modern Witch: Spells, Recipes & Workings is an immersive experience for both the aesthetically inclined and the magically adept. This beautifully crafted book isn’t merely a collection of spells—it is an artistic exploration of modern witchcraft, weaving together Hunter’s two decades of personal practice with his clear passion for creativity and design. Modern Witch successfully balances the spiritual with the practical, offering a feast for the eyes and soul, while grounding the reader in effective, dynamic magic that has been tested and refined through years of real-world experience.

From the very first page, it is clear that this book stands apart from typical spell books. The lush photography and original artwork elevate it into the realm of a magical coffee table book, but do not let the dazzling visuals fool you—Hunter’s work here is as substantive as it is stunning. Each spell, charm, and ritual is laid out with both clarity and intention, making this book accessible to witches of all levels while still offering deep insight for those with more advanced practices.

Hunter’s personal grimoire is generously shared with the reader, opening up a treasure trove of magical workings that go beyond the usual formulaic spells found in many books. From a "Love Magic Charm Bag" to "The Jupiter Budget Working," each spell is imbued with a sense of individuality and innovation. These aren’t rote rituals, but thoughtfully constructed magical acts, designed not just to fulfill basic desires but to empower the practitioner to take control of their destiny. This reflects one of the book’s core messages: that magic is not about waiting for fate to play out, but about taking active steps to shape your own reality.

What makes Modern Witch especially unique is Hunter’s emphasis on the interplay between magic and art. The stunning visual design isn’t just for show—each photograph and artistic rendering complements the magical workings, helping the practitioner understand how to set up altars, work with tools, and create powerful visual focus points for their spells. This combination of aesthetic and esoteric not only makes the book a visual delight but also enhances the magical experience itself, as the reader is guided through the spellwork with an intuitive sense of ritual and beauty.

The diversity of spells and rituals in the book ensures there is something for every modern witch, whether you are looking to improve your finances, attract love, protect your home, or engage in deep healing work. One of the standouts is "The Bottle of 1,000 Eyes," a protection spell that is as visually striking as it is effective. Meanwhile, "A Spell for a Correct Diagnosis" demonstrates Hunter’s ability to address very specific needs with thoughtful magic—a reflection of his understanding that magic must be tailored to the particular circumstances of the practitioner.

The range of magical practices explored in Modern Witch is also notable. While many books focus on one or two types of magic, Hunter spans the elemental spectrum, drawing on planetary magic, sigils, candle spells, charms, and more. His practical advice is matched by a clear respect for tradition, yet he brings each working into the context of modern life. There is no dogma here, only a willingness to experiment and evolve one’s craft in ways that reflect both personal needs and broader, universal energies.

Hunter’s writing style is engaging and conversational, making complex magical techniques feel approachable without losing their depth. His experience as a working witch shines through, as he offers real-world advice alongside the spells. His teachings are empowering, always returning to the theme that witches can and should be active participants in their own magic. The spells and recipes are not simply tools to get something; they are practices for deepening one’s connection to the universe and manifesting intentions with purpose.

The inclusion of spells like "A Self-Love Spell" and "The Prayer of Fortuna" further demonstrates Hunter’s holistic approach to witchcraft. Magic, for Hunter, is about much more than achieving external goals—it is about aligning one’s inner world with the forces of the cosmos, and in doing so, transforming not just circumstances but the self. The spells are designed to nurture the practitioner on multiple levels, from the emotional to the spiritual, ensuring that each working feels as much a part of one’s personal growth as it is a means to an end.

Modern Witch: Spells, Recipes & Workings is not only an essential addition to any witch’s library, but it is also a work of art in itself. Devin Hunter has created something that is as powerful as it is beautiful, offering practical magic for the modern world while reminding us that magic, like art, is a living, breathing expression of the self. Whether you are casting a spell, creating a charm, or simply admiring the photography, this book invites you into a magical space where your desires and dreams take shape through the power of both spirit and creativity.

[Briony Silver]

If you’re seeking a resource that is overflowing with helpful information, provides ample “how-to” guides for the hands-on practitioner, and is packed cover-to-cover with stunningly magical photos, this is your perfect match!

Hunter’s introductory chapters lay the critical framework that make this book accessible for witches of all experience levels - including some simple yet powerful ground rules to help give your workings the highest chance of success. Unlike some other instructional texts, though, Modern Witch seems to intentionally encourage readers to make the practice their own, rather than follow every single direction down to the letter. Where other books might create a sense of dependence on the text for fear of “doing it wrong,” here, practitioners are inspired to follow their intuition and honor their own personal meanings related to spell ingredients, magical tools, and iconography.

The down-to-earth tone, common-sense approach, and thoughtful discussion around potentially activating topics are all elements that place Modern Witch truly in a class of its own. The section on Love Magic is a standout example of just such a discussion; while this subject is often viewed through a singular lens and / or labelled “taboo,” Hunter artfully navigates it in a way that avoids dogma while remaining wonderfully inclusive, providing value for all readers.

[Amer]

It's a beautiful book.
I love this book. The visuals and photos are amazing! The symbols and sigils are also a great addition. I feel like it has bits of everything. My only complaint is that a lot of the ingredients and essentials oils are not available in my region, but I guess there are always substitutions.

[Kaylus The Grey]

One the most visually appealing books on magick/witchcraft I have read in years. This book is geared towards beginners but still has bits and pieces for experienced workers. The images inside allow information to be organic, creating new insights and information hooks.

[Raven Wells]

It’s a trendy witchcraft book. On one hand, the information is beginner friendly. If you have someone in your life mildly curious about what witchcraft looks like, it’s a fair read. It has some information not readily mentioned in every book. However, it also doesn’t go deep into any subject. The information is surface level. It’s already been said for decades with nothing new added to it. If you’re in your first year or two of witchcraft, you might find something to use in your craft. Seasoned witches don’t waste your time or money. If this is your only book on witchcraft, keep searching for something else.

It read like a script for a podcast which made sense considering the author hosts one. The new trendy writing style has been over done for many years now and doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. Nothing unique about the writing.

The formatting is what absolutely killed this book for me. If it was a magazine, fine. It could have a much higher review because it works great for that type of work. However, as a book, it is awful! There are so many pages wasted on overly filtered photos with a sentence from the previous page. It felt like the author was trying to hit a page count by adding so many of these types of pages into the book. There is not a single “normal” page to the book. If there wasn’t a distracting photo in the background, it had an obnoxiously large purple blob with text in it. If you like it for a blog post, fine. But every single page? I wanted a book, not a trendy magazine.

I didn’t purchase this book, it was a gift and had been recommended by a local shop. Personally, I’d pass on this one and pick up an older book that covers the same information with better research and better writing. For the casual reader, you will likely enjoy this trendy witchcraft book.

[Adrienne Crane]

I usually don't write reviews but I honestly felt the need to share my opinion on this. This book is tacky. As others have stated, it is relatively poorly researched. It has it's charm, but once it starts proposing magic to prevent police brutality and hate crimes it starts to overestimate its own impact. Somehow spreads the valuable message that magic needs a user-created path to function through while simultaneously trivializing these issues by claiming they can be solved herbally. It's visually pretty and has some nice information but I honestly found myself cringing at it and would have to recommend another book if you're serious about this stuff.
Also, at risk of sounding like a gatekeeper, this book is written by a white man. Just for the record, however much or little you value that information.

[Jennifer]

This was a solid book. I loved the pictures and images used to accompany the information. It is something to go back to time and again.

[Petronela Mieloch]

Bardzo dobre wprowadzenie do podstaw witchfraftu, jeden minus magia ochronna jest po magii miłosnej, i jest mniejszy nacisk na nią kładziony

[Mitchell]

A nice overview of a diverse array of rituals.

[Michelle Avery]

Modern Witch is one of those rare spell books that is just as enjoyable to sit down and read as it is to actually use. Devin Hunter has created something genuinely beautiful here, but beneath the gorgeous photography and artwork is a serious collection of practical magic drawn from nearly twenty years of personal practice. It looks like a coffee-table book and works like a grimoire, which is a combination I didn't realize I wanted until I had it in my hands.

The biggest difference between this and a lot of spell collections is that these workings feel lived in. Hunter isn't inventing fifty spells because a publisher asked for fifty spells. These come from his own magical practice and have been developed, used, and refined over time. You can feel that experience in the construction of the workings. There is a logic behind why particular ingredients, spirits, symbols, and actions are being combined.

The range is fantastic. Hunter organizes much of the material around love, healing, protection, prosperity, and divination, but within those familiar categories he comes up with workings that are anything but generic. The Bottle of 1,000 Eyes immediately caught my attention, as did the Witch's Foot Spell, the Serpent Candle Spell, the Jupiter Budget Working, the Prayer of Fortuna, and the Golem Fetish. Even when the magical goal is something you've encountered in a hundred other spell books, Hunter often finds an approach that makes it feel new again.

I especially appreciate the Jupiter Budget Working because it's such a perfect example of what practical magic should look like. Prosperity magic isn't only about lighting a green candle and asking for money. Sometimes you need to understand your finances, change your behavior, create structure, and then bring magical force into that process. Hunter is very good at recognizing that successful witchcraft happens where magical action and ordinary life meet.

The healing material also impressed me. A spell for a correct diagnosis is such an intelligent magical goal. Rather than promising that witchcraft will magically cure every illness, the working focuses on helping the mundane process move toward accurate information so that appropriate help can follow. That's the kind of thoughtful spellcraft I wish appeared more often.

And then there is the artwork and photography. Modern Witch is genuinely stunning. The visual presentation doesn't feel like decoration pasted over the magical material. It creates atmosphere around the workings and makes the book itself feel like a magical object. There's something inspiring about seeing spellcraft treated as an art form in both senses of the word.

That's ultimately what Devin Hunter does so well here. He understands that witchcraft can be effective and beautiful at the same time. A spell doesn't become less serious because its materials are aesthetically compelling, and something looking witchy doesn't automatically make it shallow. At its best, magical aesthetics help shift consciousness, communicate symbolism, and make the ritual itself feel significant. Modern Witch understands that relationship between the aesthetic and the esoteric beautifully.

I've read a lot of spell books where I admired the author's ideas but couldn't imagine myself actually performing much from them. This isn't one of those books. I kept finding things I wanted to try, adapt, or steal inspiration from for my own workings. That's probably the highest compliment I can give a practical grimoire.

Modern Witch is beautiful enough to leave sitting out where everyone can see it, but useful enough that it probably won't stay sitting there for very long. Devin Hunter has created a gorgeous collection of real, workable witchcraft that reminds you spellcraft can be practical, creative, artistic, and powerful all at once.

[Amanda Graham]

I own a lot of beautiful books about Witchcraft that I almost never actually use.

Modern Witch is beautiful enough to be one of those books. Thankfully, it isn't.

This is an absolutely gorgeous book, filled with full-color photography and artwork that makes you want to leave it permanently sitting out on a table. But underneath all of that beauty is an actual working grimoire, and that's what makes it special to me.

Devin opens up his personal magical practice here in a way that feels very different from his Witch's Power trilogy. Those books explore some of the deeper mechanics, cosmology, and spiritual development behind his approach to Witchcraft. Modern Witch answers the much more immediate question: What does this actually look like when you want to make something happen?

The answer is wonderfully messy and material.

There are candles to dress, oils to blend, charms to construct, spirits to petition, symbols to draw, things to bury, bottles to fill, poppets to create, prayers to speak, and divination to perform. This is Witchcraft that gets wax on the table and herbs on the floor.

I love that.

There are also some genuinely memorable workings here. The Bottle of 1,000 Eyes is exactly the sort of wonderfully witchy protection magic I want from a book like this. The Witch's Foot, Serpent Candle Spell, Jupiter Budget Working, Prayer of Fortuna, Golem Fetish, finger scrying, condition oils, and other workings give the collection far more personality than the standard assortment of green-candle-for-money and pink-candle-for-love spells.

The Jupiter Budget Working is particularly representative of something Devin does very well. Prosperity magic isn't separated from actually managing your finances. The mundane action becomes part of the magical operation. That might sound obvious, but it's surprising how many spellbooks forget that getting results often requires creating somewhere for those results to land.

What I appreciate most, though, is that these workings feel like they belonged to someone before they belonged to a book.

There's a difference between writing spells because you need enough material to fill a manuscript and sharing things that have accumulated through years of being a practicing witch. You can feel that difference here. There are odd little details, specific solutions, and creative approaches that give the material personality.

And while Devin gives instructions, the book doesn't encourage dependency on them. There's enough information about the underlying components of spellcraft that you can start taking things apart, substituting materials, combining ideas, and creating workings of your own.

That's ultimately what I want from a good spellbook. Don't just give me fifty spells to perform.

Give me fifty spells that inspire me to invent the fifty-first.

Modern Witch does exactly that, and manages to be one of the prettiest damn Witchcraft books on my shelf while doing it.

[Helen Blake]

I have a weakness for witchcraft books that make me want to immediately rummage through my cabinets and start making things, and Modern Witch did exactly that to me. This book is ridiculously fun.

Devin Hunter packs an impressive amount into it. Spells, recipes, magical preparations, and hands-on workings keep coming, and I quickly stopped reading it straight through because I kept finding things I wanted to try. That ended up being part of the appeal. I could flip through looking for one thing and inevitably get distracted by three others. It has the energy of peeking through another witch’s collection of tried-and-true magical tricks and being told, “Here, try this.”

I particularly loved how tactile the magic is. There is something deeply satisfying about witchcraft that involves mixing, blending, burning, bathing, dressing, and actually interacting with physical materials. Hunter understands the pleasure of that process. The recipes aren’t decorative additions surrounding the “real” magical material. Making the thing is part of the magic.

There’s also a confidence to Hunter’s writing that I really enjoy. He doesn’t seem embarrassed by witchcraft or interested in constantly translating it into psychological language to make it more respectable. Magic is treated as magic. Psychic and spiritual realities are allowed to be psychic and spiritual realities. For readers who actually practice witchcraft, rather than simply enjoying its aesthetics, that makes a tremendous difference.

And despite how much material is packed into the book, it never feels precious about itself. You can alter things. Experiment. Substitute. Figure out what works for you. Hunter gives you plenty to work with without suggesting there is only one correct way to be a witch. That makes this especially valuable once you’ve moved beyond the stage where you need every ritual spelled out as an inviolable sequence of steps.

By the end, I had accumulated an unreasonable number of bookmarks.

That may be the simplest endorsement I can give Modern Witch. I didn’t finish it thinking, “That was informative.” I finished it thinking about what I wanted to make first. Months later, I can still imagine pulling it down because I need a recipe, want inspiration for a working, or simply feel like doing some witchcraft and need an idea to get me moving.

Books about witchcraft are plentiful. Books that actually make you want to go practice it are much rarer. Modern Witch belongs to the second category, and that is why it has earned a permanent place among my working books.

[Alex M]

I am absolutely the audience for a beautifully photographed witchcraft book, and I refuse to pretend otherwise. Modern Witch understands the pleasure of seeing magical work take physical form. The photographs show workings in progress, giving the materials and arrangements a context that’s useful when you’re trying to picture what an instruction means. There’s something inviting about a book that makes you want to clear a space and start making something.

The range of workings is a major attraction. The Jupiter Budget Working caught my attention immediately, because apparently planetary magick and looking at your finances can occupy the same afternoon. The Bottle of 1,000 Eyes has an entirely different appeal, as does the finger-scrying spell. Those specific, memorable ideas give the collection personality and encourage curiosity about how Hunter approaches different purposes.

I particularly appreciate the guidance on personalizing recipes. An author explaining how to adjust a working gives readers a chance to develop judgment about their choices. That matters when you’re trying to move from following instructions toward creating something suited to your circumstances. It also makes the book feel usable over time, as your interests change and you become more confident experimenting.

Having looked at Hunter’s approach in The Witch’s Book of Power, I like the opportunity to consider his work through such a tangible collection. There’s a creative pleasure in choosing materials and bringing them together, and Modern Witch gives that part of the craft substantial attention. The visual presentation helps convey how individual components occupy a shared space. For a practice involving physical objects, being able to see those relationships can be genuinely useful.

This is the sort of book I’d keep nearby when I want an idea to work with or a different way into a familiar magical goal. It has enough variety to encourage browsing, alongside practical guidance that invites closer attention. Hunter clearly understands how much enjoyment there can be in the making itself. I appreciate a witchcraft book that leaves room for that pleasure and gives it somewhere productive to go.

[Sandra Fargo]

I have shelves full of books that explain how magic works, so I appreciate one that occasionally says, "All right, now here's something to do." Modern Witch is very much that kind of book. Devin Hunter fills it with spells, recipes, formulas and workings that feel like they came out of an actual witch's practice rather than being invented because a manuscript needed another chapter. That matters to me. I've collected magical recipes for most of my life, some copied from books, some given to me by other witches, and plenty altered so many times that I've forgotten where they started. This book has that same working-book quality, the feeling that you're being allowed to rummage through another witch's cabinet and copy down whatever catches your interest. I especially enjoyed the oils, powders, incense, washes and other bits of practical magical technology scattered throughout the book. Hunter explains enough of the thinking behind his workings that I could see how I might alter them rather than treating the recipes as sacred instructions. That's how I've always used this sort of material anyway. If you've practiced long enough, you inevitably develop opinions about which herb you would substitute, which spirit you would approach, or what you already have growing outside that could do the job just as well. I caught myself doing exactly that in the margins, which is usually a sign that a book has moved from something I'm reading into something I'm actually using. There's also something refreshing about a contemporary witchcraft book that isn't embarrassed to be about getting results. Magic here can protect a home, shift circumstances, help with prosperity, support love, clear away trouble or address the ordinary complications of being alive. I've watched witchcraft publishing move through periods when spellwork was everywhere and others when everyone seemed more interested in discussing what witchcraft meant than actually casting anything. I want room for both, but sometimes I simply want to get my hands dirty and make something. Modern Witch understands the pleasure of that, and my copy didn't remain clean for very long.

[Julian Mercury]

There is something rather satisfying about opening a witchcraft book and discovering that the author actually intends for you to do things. Modern Witch is unabashedly a spellbook, and Devin Hunter fills it with the sort of workings that feel as though they have passed through someone’s hands before reaching the page. There are charm bags, candle spells, divination techniques, healing work, prosperity magic, protective workings, honey jars, spirit constructs, prayers, and enough odd little magical devices to keep me happily putting scraps of paper between the pages for later.

What saves it from becoming another attractive collection of spells is Hunter’s sense that magical objects should have an internal logic. The Bottle of 1,000 Eyes, the Jupiter Budget Working, the Witch’s Foot Spell, and the Golem Fetish are memorable because they feel designed rather than assembled from the usual correspondence lists. I am always more interested in a spell when I can see why its pieces belong together. Once you understand that logic, you can change the spell intelligently instead of treating the printed instructions like a recipe for muffins.

The photography and artwork matter here too. Witchcraft is a visual and material practice, and I have never understood the occasional suspicion that a beautiful magical book must therefore be shallow. Altars, bottles, candles, herbs, written charms, and ritual objects are meant to engage the senses. Hunter clearly understands the pleasure of making magic look like magic. The important thing is that the beauty is attached to workings with enough substance behind them to survive after the photograph is over.

I still prefer Hunter when he is wrestling with larger questions about power, spirits, and the nature of the witch. This book has a different purpose. It feels closer to being invited into another witch’s workroom and allowed to leaf through the pages he actually uses. After enough years of accumulating increasingly elaborate theories about magic, there is something healthy about being reminded that sooner or later one has to light the candle and cast the spell.

[Jessica Nightshade]

Modern Witch: Spells, Recipes & Workings by Devin Hunter is an immersive and visually stunning addition to any witch’s bookshelf. This book blends art and magic in a way that makes the rituals and spells feel both accessible and powerful. The photography and artistic renderings really bring each spell to life, allowing you to see the magic as you work with it, which adds a deeper dimension to the practice. The variety of workings—from love spells to healing rituals—offers something for every witch, no matter where they are on their path. Hunter's collection feels authentic and refined, drawn from his own grimoire with nearly two decades of experience behind each spell.

What I really appreciate about Modern Witch is the balance between beauty and practicality. It’s clear that these are spells and recipes that Hunter has personally used and perfected over the years, which gives the book a depth that goes beyond aesthetic appeal. The inclusion of spells like the Jupiter Budget Working and the Golem Fetish really showcase the book’s unique approach to everyday magic. There’s a sense of empowerment throughout—Hunter gives you the tools not just to follow the spells, but to adapt and grow them within your own practice. Whether you’re looking for love, healing, protection, or prosperity, this book offers the magical workings to help you take control and shape your reality.

[Sannie Razhel]

If you learn better visually or desire to see examples of other witch's workings, Modern Witch is right up your alley.

Filled with beautiful pictures of various workings, I've emulated many of the listed workings to great success. It covers basics such as crystals, tarot, runes etc. So it's a good starting point in your witchcraft journey.

However, I do have my reservations when it introduces love spells to a beginner and protection workings are listed much further behind, there are also mentions of closed practices. As always, cross reference & research from other sources is encouraged.

Overall, it's a beautiful book that will make for an elegant coffee table book, though I caution using it solely as your introduction to the craft.

[Kevin Worcester]

absolutely loved this book. modern witch is one of those books that actually feels like you’re getting a look inside the personal grimoire of someone who has spent years doing the work. devin hunter packs it with spells, recipes, charms, and rituals for everything from protection and prosperity to love, healing, and divination, and there’s a ton here i wanted to try for myself. loved how creative some of the workings are while still feeling practical and usable. the photography and artwork are gorgeous too and give the whole book this really rich magical atmosphere. definitely not just another collection of generic spells and correspondences. you can feel the experience behind it, and i’ll absolutely be coming back to this one.

[Jon Daniels]

This is basically Hunters working grimoire cleaned up enough for the rest of us to raid, love work, healing, protection, prosperity and divination with actual recipes and spells instead of another hundred pages explaining why intention matters. Stuff like the Bottle of 1,000 Eyes, Jupiter Budget Working and the Witch's Foot spell have enough personality that you can tell these werent all invented because a publisher needed 20 more pages, and theres alot here Id happily tear apart and rebuild for my own use. Its not trying to revolutionize magic and thats fine, sometimes I just want a book full of things somebody has actually done.

[Raze Nickolan]

As someone more advanced in the practice a lot of this was review. Although I did find a few little tidbits of information that I could use in my own practice, this is definitely geared more towards beginners.

Having said that, this is a great book for beginners. It breaks things down for you as far as spells and how you can work them with minerals, gems, plants, iconography, numerology, etc. Would definitely recommend for baby witches.

[Sam]

It's pretty nice for beginners but other than that it's pretty average. I bought it mostly because it has a beautiful cover in my languages print, but I haven't learned that many new things from it

[Secret Books]

To moja pierwsza tego typu książka. Chyba oczekiwałam po prostu więcej teorii i wprowadzenia w świat magiczny niż samych zaklęć

[Abe]

TW: Appropriation, mentions of diseases

Rating: 4/10 for the first 100 pages then 1/10 for the rest.

Pros: The author covers a ton of correspondences, from spirits, to protection, and anything else in-between. He focuses a lot on vibrations, but insists on cleansing and protection which is very good! The author also uses a lot of more folk-based workings, which would help new witches understand that you don't need a giant fancy ritual and a jar to do a spell! The author also includes options for LGBTQ+ individuals with the workings that would normally require a male and female attribute or focus.

It has three and a half pages of a bibliography, which is fine for a 200 page book.

Cons: Unfortunately that's about all the 'good' this book has. The author uses a lot of items which are very not minor friendly. He also advocates for the use of white sage, sweetgrass, smudging, honey jars, proper voodoo dolls without initiation, working with closed deities, love spells, and...quite frankly the worst part?

The author very specifically mentions something in the protection section that...boils me up. He says that Java Citronella, the plant commonly used for avoiding mosquitos...when used on a person specifically a member of the LGBTQ+ community...it'll protect them from...very particular diseases. The type that has haunted the LGBTQ community as an epidemic. A plant will keep you from getting AIDS.

It's beyond irresponsible to make a claim like that, and insulting to those that have suffered with these diseases, not to mention that the LGBTQ+ community isn't the only humans capable of getting these, to make it seem otherwise is crude, rude, and derogatory if you ask me. I did not finish this book after reading that.

In my personal opinion please avoid this book, save your time, energy, and money. I found a couple of spells I liked, but nothing in this book is worth dealing with someone who thinks this way, regardless of his personal orientation.