Green Witchcraft: A Practical Guide to Discovering the Magic of Plants, Herbs, Crystals, and Beyond

Miranda Reads

Rating: really liked it

Just finished my 2020 Book-Year in Review BookTube Video - Click the link to see my recs!

The Written Review

3.75 stars

One of the first things I learned about real witchcraft was that it was a path for those who wanted to live in harmony with the earth...

Green witchcraft definitely doesn't live up to the broomsticks and cauldrons stereotypes.

In fact, it's surprisingly wholesome and well-meaning.

Thinking that you know everything is probably one of the worst curses you can cast on yourself.

This little handbook is designed to introduce the curious and the questioning to the lifestyle of several different green witches.

It goes through what a green witch is, followed how to connect to the natural world.

From there it goes into various spells and whatnot that green witches use - with emphasis on flowers, plants, herbs, wood and stone and crystal.

Most of the magic described in this book is rather sweet and wholesome.

The kitchen witch might choose to grow fruits, vegetables, and culinary herbs to infuse all the meals they make with magical intent.

I rather liked learning about creating a green space and how it is correlated with feeling better and more at-ease.

It was also fun to know a bit about the past of green witchcraft.

Acorns are carried as talismans for protection and fertility and to encourage the growth and prosperity,

There was a bit at the beginning of the crystal/stone section which gave me pause.

The author warns that some crystals/stones are toxic and can cause harm - and to always do your research before using them (citing which ones are problematic in the intro paragraph).

Considering this is an intro book, I think she should have been more explicit about what could cause harm when working with the crystals (rather than telling you to look it up yourself). (After all, you don't tell someone to do something with poison ivy and not warn them to wear gloves). So a little more direction would've been nice.

Overall, this was a rather fun little book. It has lovely illustrations scattered throughout - though I would have loved to see more of the images when she was describing the various plants - but all in all this was a fun perspective that I was able to learn about!

While I didn't agree with everything in the book, it still provided a rather interesting viewpoint on something that is often quite controversial.

There were some aspects I will be taking to my home - like growing herbs in the sun room and using greenery around the house to make things a bit more nature-esque.

A huge thank you to the author and Rockridge Press for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review

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myo (myonna reads)

Rating: really liked it
good beginner book

Weslyn

Rating: really liked it
This book has a plethora of useful information in it that would be beneficial for any beginner. I’ve been practicing witchcraft since I was very young, but I still found a few useful things in it.

I did, however, have a few issues with this book. First and foremost, the lack of sources for some of the information - the resources section in the back of the book lists some useful books, but I noticed all of them have been published more recently (within the last 16 years.) I find that problematic because some of the information she’s presenting predates those books and I feel that there are other, more direct sources that could have been used. Another minor annoyance is that the plant references don’t seem to go in any specific order aside from being grouped by flowers, herbs, woods, and also stones. I personally think it would be easier to quick reference if they were alphabetized within those sections.

I also would have preferred to have some sort of illustration for the plants and stones mentioned, but given the price of the book, I’m not going to complain too much about that.

Overall, good beginners book that I would recommend. I do intend to keep this for cross-referencing with other books as well as for some of the spells and recipes.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

♠ TABI⁷ ♠

Rating: really liked it
'As you go forward, creating your own path as you go, remember to remain curious and humble in the wilderness.'

This was certainly a good, easy-to-understand starting point for anyone interested in witchy things. I kinda wish it was a little longer, but that's where the fact that this is more of a beginner's introduction than a full guide or information station.

Anna (Bananas)

Rating: really liked it
This is a wonderful introduction to the basics of certain plants, flowers, herbs, crystals, smoke, and wood for various natural purposes. It’s also just beautiful to look at, every page. I loved it.

“One of the first things I learned about real witchcraft was that it was a path for those who wanted to live in harmony with the earth - those who want to grow and harvest plants for magic and medicine, and to honor the spirits of the trees, the animals, and even the rocks around them.”

“Spirituality, like witchcraft, is a big part of many religions but is not a religion in and of itself. It’s more of a mindset. Spiritual people tend to understand that we, as humans, do not know everything and that one of the reasons we are all here is to seek out answers to questions, even those that may seem impossible to answer.”

💚💚💚💚💚💚

Sandra Bertilsson

Rating: really liked it
4,5 stars!

What a lovely introduction to herbs, crystals and other magical things.
Paige has a way of explaining that makes me want to go outside and search for plants growing native, and not feeling that I have to order X amount of herbs and crystals online to be a witch. That you don't need all these objects to start practicing.

The only thing I wished for when reading was simple illustrations for plants and herbs, then it would have been a clear 5 star from me.

Cassandra

Rating: really liked it
I received a complimentary copy

Filled with great tips that anyone can easily learn to practice. It is interesting and can take a lot of time to learn but the good thing is that it is super easy to understand and flow with. Very organized.

Holly

Rating: really liked it
I was given a review copy of this book. A full review will be on my podcast, but I totally loved this for what it was: a solid and completely approachable intro to witchery.

Bon

Rating: really liked it
I really enjoyed this. Some parts, like when it breaks down spells and rituals, are best saved for me thumbing through my paperback edition with some post-it notes, but the more generic educational passages were really pleasant, read with a British accent!

Jen B

Rating: really liked it
I wanted to like this because I like Paige and I'm happy she made this dream come true.

However, I had to speed read through this because the writing is so clunky.

For me, green witchcraft at its core is about local connection and I didn't feel that was true with the mishmash of plant selections.

My other nitpick is the sampling of Eastern practices and focus on crystals, which puts this book in the New Age category.

Not for me, but clearly it works for a lot of people.

Kelly

Rating: really liked it
I received a complimentary print copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

“Green Witchcraft is a guide to creating a relationship with all things natural and supernatural and for harnessing that energy in a way that can affect your everyday life.”

Once you understand more about green witchcraft you can learn how to connect with the natural world in a meaningful way. Don’t let the title steer you from reading this book if you have or want to enhance your relationship with nature. This is not a book about “witchcraft” in the typical image that the word congers up. But, like most books it might not be for everyone. It explores the spiritual path that some might choose for health and wellbeing. Mostly, these alternatives are similar to ancient Ayurvedic medicine with plants, herbs, creams essential oils incorporated into healthy living.

I liked this book because it provided another lens in which to explore one’s experience with the world.

CG Evolving

Rating: really liked it
This book was a decent introduction to green witchcraft. (At least I think so, this was my first read on green witchcraft). I feel like it should have been labeled as an introduction instead of a “practical guide”. There were only a few plants, trees, herbs, flowers, and crystals listed in each category, but few resources were given as to how the author got the information, or where I could go to look up more.

There was one plant that was listed as poisonous, and the reader is instructed to “do your research” before doing anything with that specific plant. But then no resource was given as to where to look for said research. Now, I’m a gal that has a masters degree. I know how to research and Google. But when I purchase a book like this I expect there to be more information than was given here.

I’m giving it 3 stars because the part on “Understanding Green Witchcraft” was decent and some of the potions/rituals/spells etc. were well written.

Taylor

Rating: really liked it
Good Read

I liked how informative the book was. There were many things that I have heard but didn’t know the correct term for it or what its use was for. I would definitely read this again.

Jassmine

Rating: really liked it
I suspect this won't really be a review, so... if you are really interested in that part skip to the ending. Partly that's because I feel like I have to explain why I read this book (yes, I got over my embarrassment of reading erotica, so I now picked a new genre of books I'm not really sure how to talk about), but mostly I just want to write this down for myself. (Yes, I'm shamelessly using GR as a diary... that's kind of weird now that I'm thinking about it...)
As it often does, this interest started at an unexpected place - I read Women, Men, and Society earlier this year and in chapter on religion there was a short section about feminist using witchcraft to reclaim religious narratives. There really wasn't much about it, but it got my attention nevertheless since it joined "positive"(meaning pro something not against something) feminism with religion (which interests me...). I also suddenly remembered that... I don't know when or where, it had to be really long time ago, I watched a documentary about contemporary witchcraft (We probably had to watch it in school? Does that even makes sense?) Well, the result was, I decided to pursue this further. And as a good child of my generation, I turned to YouTube as the infinite well of wisdom.
I watched several videos, mainly from The Green Witch and The Witch of Wonderlust. And something I didn't really expected happened, I realized I was already doing a lot of the things they were talking about? Like doing things mindfully and with intention. I'm doing a lot of preserving during the year and it always had almost a meditating quality to me. I lived at my grandmother's during covid and that helped me realized how much important caring for the plants and garden is to me. And that it has a spiritual quality to it that I didn't really recognize before. (This kind of feels like coming out all over again, because... I regularly talk to trees, how could I... just not notice, I guess...)
All of this is still a little bit confusing to me, so you know "when in doubt, go to the library." Which finally leads me to this book, first book I read on witchcraft by a person that identifies as a witch. (I previously read Witchcraft in the Western Tradition which was very disappointing and am currently reading Magická kuchařka which is a fascinating book, but more on the historical side.) I picked it mostly because I was able to get hold on the audiobook version, but it was a good pick nevertheless. I still have problems with some aspects, but that is more on me. I think that the whole book is organised in a very practical manner - starting with the basic vocabulary and myth-busting and slowly proceeding to encyclopedic parts that alternate with specific examples of practices and spells. It's probably better to read this book physically, but since i was mainly trying to get the general feeling of it, it worked for me. Overall, it seems to me that this is a great book for beginners, it certainly answered some of my questions and gave me a broader view on the practice.

Elizabeth

Rating: really liked it
3.75 Stars

Great for anyone looking to get into the basics of Green witchcraft. I enjoyed that in the very beginning the author breaks the common misbeliefs of being a witch such as Green witches needing to live in the countryside as opposed to a major city.

The first half is your basics on witchcraft. Dissecting the elements of each Astrological sign, setting up a magical space, list of Wiccan holidays and purposes of certain crystals are a few discussed. I was more interested in the second half of the book. There is a large list of plants, flowers, and trees along with their magical purposes, elements, chakras, and astrological sign. Then follows green witch spells with said earth elements.

I knew this was an introduction book but I was expected a bit more. There are portions where other references are said to be looked at instead. Always research more before using any of the items listed. There are some things I disagree with such as using white sage for smoking as it is going extinct. If you are looking for a substitute, rosemary is what I personally use and is easy to grow. There are plenty of sites online that list far more alternatives.

Great book for curious beginners and list of earth sources for witchcraft. May end up using this as a reference book from time to time.