A Practical Guide for Witches: Spells, Rituals, and Magic for an Enchanted Life

by Ylva Mara Radziszewski

Reclaim the witch within—a hands-on guide to magical spellcasting and self-discovery

Witchcraft is a vast and varied range of magical rituals and beliefs—which means refining and deepening your craft can seem overwhelming at first. A Practical Guide for Witches is a simple but comprehensive reference to guide you through using witchcraft in all aspects of your life. It’s a solid foundation of knowledge and wisdom that empowers your practice to grow.

Inside you’ll find approachable spells, nourishing rituals, and encouraging advice that can help all witches channel their energy into everything from blessing house plants, to soothing a broken heart, lighting candles for protection, and attracting good luck.

This powerful guide for witches is:

Truly practical—No matter where you are on your path, this book draws on all types of witchcraft to help you tap into the enchantment of daily life.
Find your roots—Explore a brief history of witches and an introduction to magical practices like manifestations, setting intentions, the phases of the moon, and building altars to the seasons.
Magic for all areas of life—Use your craft to strengthen your health, happiness, relationships, career, and beyond.
Awaken your power and infuse magic into everything you do with A Practical Guide for Witches.

Genres: Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Magic, Paganism, Spirituality

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 21, 2020

Reviews

[Lem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly disappointed. The first three chapters are a nice intro and helpful hints kind of feel, and the rest... I didn't find any of the information, ritual, spells, etc. to be "practical." Many seemed very involved, and not realistic to add into daily life, unless you really spend most of your time witching. I was really hoping for more. Glad it was a library checkout and that I didn't buy it.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've slowly made my way through this book over the past month, taking my time and savoring it. This book is a hug. After a rough day at work, I'd sit among my plants and drink in the kindness and comfort of the spell that is this grimoire. Reading even a few pages helped me feel calmer, more focused and more able to practice my craft. Ylva makes the work accessible. Basic concepts are covered in a clear and concise way that sets a foundation for beginners without being boring for seasoned practitioners. They've considered those who have limited resources -- spells in this grimoire don't call for exotic ingredients or complicated ceremonies. Instead, they've encouraged you to make use of what's available to you and to show up with self-awareness and intention. Ylva's also done a wonderful job of distilling what is needed and supportive right now. Feeling stressed, anxious, worn down? There's a spell for that! Seriously, every time I opened the book, there was a spell that felt like balm for whatever hurt or stress I was holding. This is the only book or grimoire I've read where I want to try ALL of the spells. (You know how it goes, normally there ends up being 1 or 2 I like and I wish I hadn't bought the book. In this one, I want them alllllll).

PS I'm so glad I bought a physical copy because the illustrations are beautiful, and it actually just FEELS good. Like, maybe it's the texture of the cover. Maybe it's just magic. *shrug*

[Neelybat · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part about this book is that it doesn't tell the reader the ONE WAY of the Witch. It gives options, ideas, inspiration, and at the same time the author never suggests taking from a spiritual smorgasbord. She actively explains why using the magic of cultures unrelated to your own is harmful, both to those cultures, and to your own magical practice. It gives clear directions, and ideas on how to get in touch with your own ancestry line, and not JUST bloodlines. It's exciting and empowering and oh so motivating. The spells Ylva provides are at times simple, and perfect for the the Witch newly exploring, and yet they are deep in emotional workings. The explanation of the Witches Wheel was absolutely mind blowing, and created a new structure for my own spell workings, and I have been studying magic as a solitary witch for decades. I can not recommend this book enough.

[Madison Maler (anxious.librarian)]

A little too barebones for me, if I’m being honest.

I’ve been reading about different religions and spiritual practices lately, including witchcraft, and I was very excited to find a book from a queer perspective. The author is trans non-binary femme and sounds like their whole coven is wonderfully diverse both in backgrounds and practice!

The book is filled with really beautiful art (done by the author I believe but I could be wrong). The art and the cover are actually what drew me in. It’s colorful and quirky and sounds like it’s be a good introduction to witchcraft. Sadly the content was lacking a bit too much for me.

The author hit on a lot in the first few chapters but didn’t go into any detail really. Like there’s be a section on “Tarot, Pendulums, and Divination,” and it’d essentially say, “Divination is anyway of gathering information through magical means. Onto the next topic!” I wanted more information than that. Of course you don’t have to teach everything there is to know about it, but maybe go into more detail about the different methods than just 2 paragraphs that cover all methods.

Or saying make your own witch’s wheel with barely any description of what a wheel is and no resources for doing so.

And such suggestions as “sit with each element for 5 mins a day to reflect on it” were too vague for me. Maybe that’s my autism talking but I need more to go on than that. What exactly are we accomplishing here? Reflecting on what? I am confusion.

Anyway, decided to DNF once I realized I was skimming everything. Didn’t even get to the spells and rituals part. Might be a good reference guide for someone who just needs a quick refresher, but for someone trying to learn the whys and the basics of what exactly witchcraft is and how it works, I wouldn’t recommend this one.

[Garnet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great and refreshing take on witchcraft as a whole. Every reference has its place, and this book really brings home a warm and empowering view on learning the craft, while stepping away from the usual narrative. Many books on the craft are written by white men, so this new perspective is so very needed in our community.

Whether you are a new, returning, or long time practitioner, this book is a necessary addition to your library.

[Cary Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book directly from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A Practical Guide For Witches by Ylva Mara Radziszewski is one of the better witchcraft books I've read this year - and I've read quite a
few. I found the author's inclusive and welcoming approach to the practice to be very calming and reassuring. The book was well written, easy to follow, and packed with a wealth of historical knowledge and modern practice.

There's a little bit of everything in this book, from spells & charms to practical everyday advice, and philosophies on practice. If you are a practicing witch, or just someone interested in learning a little more about modern witchcraft, I'd recommend this book as a good place to start, as well as a useful reference for your library.

[Charlotte Asta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m just beginning my journey and practice and I refer to this book quite frequently since it’s a beautiful combination of thoughtful rituals and spells as well as reminding me of my place as a white queer witch. I found it really helpful that in imagining your ancestors, you can imagine beyond familial ties which had helped me fashion my home altar with feminist and queer icons I love. Highly recommend to any one starting their journey with witchcraft

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
This is overall a really good book for beginner witches. The artwork is adorable, it's very inclusive, it explains concepts very well, and it has a great variety of spellwork. I only docked half a star because some of the spells require a lot of ingredients without mentioning substitutions and because the author used the term Judeo-Christian to describe their Christian upbringing.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great intro to witchcraft with a focus on community and self-care. It covers foundational practices such as circle casting, energetic hygiene and the tools of witchcraft and includes a robust compliment of practical spells.

Although there are hints of more ethical or philosophical considerations, this book is very grounded in the practical.

[Val Monticue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and affirming.

I loved this book. I've read dozens of books on witchcraft from many angles, and this one is the one I've resonated with the most. I plan to let it process for a bit and then read it through a second time.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read for halloween! I'm just beginning to learn about witches, and I found this book to be a great first guide. I didn't try any of the spells, but I really appreciated their presence.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very helpful and didn’t overwhelm me too much in starting my journey. I appreciate the justice oriented perspective to magic & emphasis on not culturally appropriating. Well written and clearly organized.

[Emma (littledollreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Thoughts:

A good book.
this had a lot of good information
I only rate it a bit lower because I didn't resonate with this book as a whole
the art in here was beautiful