This is by no means a complete reading list, but it should provide a solid starting point for your journey. Some of these resources are more accessible than others, while a few require patience and persistence to work through.
Follow what genuinely resonates with you—or don't... Sometimes reading material you disagree with can be just as valuable as reading something that confirms your existing beliefs. Challenging perspectives can sharpen your critical thinking, expose blind spots, or simply help you understand why you hold the views you do. There is great value in exploring a variety of sources, provided you maintain healthy discernment.
Above all, trust your own judgment. If something feels fundamentally wrong or conflicts with your values, you are never obligated to adopt it. Uphold your boundaries and think critically about everything you encounter.
Some of the resources listed here can be purchased, while others may be available through libraries, archives, or online. It's also worthwhile to explore the recommendations of practitioners and researchers you respect. Follow your curiosity and investigate the sources that inspired them. Over time, you'll naturally begin building a personal library of books, articles, and references that reflect your own interests and path.
Whether you're reading books, listening to audiobooks or podcasts, or watching educational videos, one of the greatest obstacles to learning is information overload. Slowing your pace allows you to absorb, understand, and retain what you're learning far more effectively.
Whenever you consume educational material, try to transform the experience from a passive activity into an active one. Rather than simply reading or listening, engage with the material.
Take notes. Write summaries. Highlight key ideas. Copy meaningful quotes. Annotate the margins, underline passages, star your favorite concepts, ask questions, challenge the author's conclusions, and make note of unfamiliar terms you want to research further. If possible, write your notes by hand—many people find that handwriting creates a stronger connection between thought and memory.
Afterward, reflect on what you've learned. Ask yourself:
- What is the main idea?
- What do I agree with?
- What do I disagree with, and why?
- How does this compare to other sources I've studied?
- How could I apply this in practice?
Learning becomes truly valuable when knowledge is integrated rather than merely collected. Experiment with the ideas you encounter, apply them where appropriate, and observe the results. Discuss them with others, teach the concepts in your own words, write essays or blog posts, or create your own reference materials. Recording page numbers, chapter titles, or video timestamps will also make it much easier to revisit important information in the future.
Knowledge is not simply accumulated—it is cultivated through curiosity, reflection, practice, and experience.
History & perspective
“A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics & Pagans” by Jeffrey B. Russell & Brooks Alexander.
“A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult” by unknown author, foreword by Suzannah Lipscomb.
“Grimoires: A History of Magic Books” by Owen Davies.
“The Modern Fortune-Teller’s Field Guide” by Tom Benjamin.
Witch trials
“Canon Episcopi” (capitulum Episcopi), a manuscript of Decretum Burchardi.
“Decretum Gratiani” (Concordia discordantium canonum, Concordantia discordantium canonum or the Decretum), a collection of Catholic canon law compiled and written by Gratian.
“Summa contra Gentiles” by Thomas Aquinas.
“Malleus Maleficarum” (Hammer of Witches) by H. Kramer & J. Sprenger.
“Disquisitionum magicarum” by Martín Del Río.
“Night Battles: Witchcraft and Agrarian Cults in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries” by Carlo Ginzburg.
“The Discouerie of Witchcraft” by Reginald Scot.
“The Witchcraft Sourcebook” by unknown author, edited by P. Levack.
“Witchcraft in Europe, 400-1700: A Documentary History” by unknown author, edited by Alan Charles Kors & Edward Peters.
“Formicarius” by J. Nider.
“Directorium Inquisitorum” by N. Eymerich.
Protection
“Protection & Reversal Magick: A Witch's Defense Manual” by Jason Miller.
“The Witch's Shield: Protection Magick and Psychic Self-Defense” by Christopher Penczak.
“Hex Twisting: Countermagick Spells for the Irritated Witch” by Diana Rajchel.
Sorcery
“The Elements of Spellcrafting: 21 Keys to Successful Sorcery” by Jason Miller.
“Real Sorcery: Strategies for Powerful Magick” by Jason Miller. This is the new edition of the previously titled “The Sorcerer's Secrets: Strategies in Practical Magick.”
"Practical Solitary Magic" by Nancy B. Watson.
Psychic Skills
“Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation” by Mat Auryn.
“Mastering Magick: A Course in Spellcasting for the Psychic Witch” by Mat Auryn.
“Keys to Perception: A Practical Guide to Psychic Development” by Ivo Dominguez Jr.
Meditation, chakra & energy
“Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self” by Anodea Judith.
“The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness” by John Yates, Matthew Immergut & Jeremy Graves.
“Llewellyn's Complete Book of Meditation: A Comprehensive Guide to Effective Techniques for Calming Your Mind and Spirit” by Shai Tubali.
“Llewellyn's Complete Book of Chakras: Your Definitive Source of Energy Center Knowledge for Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Evolution” by Cyndi Dale.
Qabala
“Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford: Dilettante's Guide to What You Do and Do Not Know to Become a Qabalist” by Lon Milo DuQuette.
“Simplified Qabala Magic” by Ted Andrews.
“The Mystical Qabalah: Weiser Classics” by Dion Fortune.
“Modern Magick: Twelve Lessons in the High Magickal Arts” by Donald Michael Kraig.
“The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy” by Manly P. Hall.
Traditional Witchcraft
“Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways” by Gemma Gary.
“Treading the Mill: Workings in Traditional Witchcraft” by Nigel G. Pearson.
“The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft” by Kelden.
“Besom, Stang & Sword: A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft, the Six-Fold Path & the Hidden Landscape” by Christopher Orapello & Tara-Love Maguire.
“Liber Nox: A Traditional Witch's Gramarye” by Professor Michael Howard Sir.
“The Witch Compass: Working with the Winds in Traditional Witchcraft” by Ian Chambers.
“A Deed Without a Name: Unearthing the Legacy of Traditional Witchcraft” by Lee Morgan.
“The Art: A Grimoire of Traditional Witchcraft” by Kerry Wisner.
“The Willow Path” by Kerry Wisner.
“Horns of the Moon” by Kerry Wisner.
Folk magic
“Folk Witchcraft: A Guide to Lore, Land, & the Familiar Spirit” by Roger J. Horne.
“A Broom at Midnight: 13 Gates of Witchcraft by Spirit Flight” by Roger J. Horne.
“The Witches' Devil: Myth and Lore for Modern Cunning” by Roger J. Horne.
“Llewellyn's Complete Book of North American Folk Magic: A Landscape of Magic, Mystery, and Tradition" by Cory Thomas Hutcheson.
“New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic” by Cory Thomas Hutcheson.
“The Devil's Plantation: East Anglian Lore, Witchcraft & Folk-Magic” by Nigel G. Pearson.
“The Devil's Dozen: Thirteen Craft Rites of the Old One” by Gemma Gary.
“Silent as the Trees: Devonshire Witchcraft, Folklore & Magic” by Gemma Gary.
“The Black Toad: West Country Witchcraft and Magic” by Gemma Gary.
“Six Ways: Approaches & Entries for Practical Magic” by Aidan Wachter.
“Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past, & Telling True Lies” by Aidan Wachter.
“Changeling: A Book Of Qualities” by Aidan Wachter.
“Icelandic Folk Magic: Witchcraft of the North” by Albert Björn Shiell.
“The Book of Spells, 150 Magickal Ways to Achieve Your Heart's Desire” by Ella Harrison.
Chaos magic
“Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner's Guide” by Ivy Corvus.
“Hands-On Chaos Magic: Reality Manipulation through the Ovayki Current” by Andrieh Vitimus.
“Liber Null & Psychonaut: The Practice of Chaos Magic” by Peter J. Carroll.
“Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic” by Phil Hine.
Green magic
“Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs” by Scott Cunningham.
“The Green Witch's Guide to Herbal Magick: A Handbook of Green Hearthcraft and Plant-Based Spellcraft” by Annabel Margaret.
“Occult Botany: Sédir's Concise Guide to Magical Plants” by Paul Sédir.
“The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More” by Arin Murphy-Hiscock.
Urban magic
“Urban Magick: A Guide for the City Witch” by Diana Rajchel.
Spells
“The Book of Candle Magic: Candle Spell Secrets to Change Your Life” by Madame Pamita.
“Of Blood and Bones: Working with Shadow Magick & the Dark Moon” by Kate Freuler.
“Utterly Wicked: Hexes, Curses, and Other Unsavory Notions” by Dorothy Morrison.
“Planetary Spells & Rituals: Practicing Dark & Light Magick Aligned with the Cosmic Bodies” by Raven Digitalis.
“The Witch's Heart: The Magick of Perfect Love & Perfect Trust” by Christopher Penczak.
“The Witch's Coin: Prosperity and Money Magic” by Christopher Penczak.
“Financial Sorcery: Magical Strategies to Create Real and Lasting Wealth” by Jason Miller.
Alchemy
“Practical Alchemy: A Guide to the Great Work” by Brian Cotnoir.
Amulets, talismans, enchantments & effigies
“The Complete Book of Amulets & Talismans” by Migene González-Wippler.
“Ensouling the Effigy: The Witch’s Arte of Enspirited Objects” by Matthew Venus.
Sigils, symbols and alphabets
“Sigil Witchery: A Witch's Guide to Crafting Magick Symbols” by Laura Tempest Zakroff.
“Magical Symbols and Alphabets: A Practitioner's Guide to Spells, Rites, and History” by Sandra Kynes.
“Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences: A Comprehensive & Cross-Referenced Resource for Pagans & Wiccans” by Sandra Kynes.
“Llewellyn's Complete Dictionary of Dreams: Over 1,000 Dream Symbols and Their Universal Meanings" by Michael Lennox.
Pathworking
“Magical States of Consciousness: Pathworking on the Tree of Life” by Melita Denning.
Astrology
“Llewellyn's Complete Book of Astrology: The Easy Way to Learn Astrology” by Kris Brandt Riske.
“Llewellyn's Complete Book of Predictive Astrology: The Easy Way to Predict Your Future” by Kris Brandt Riske.
Divination
“Llewellyn's Complete Book of Divination: Your Definitive Source for Learning Predictive & Prophetic Techniques” by Richard Webster.
“The Art and Science of Hand Reading: Classical Methods for Self-Discovery through Palmistry” by Ellen Goldberg & Dorian Bergen.
Tarot
“Holistic Tarot: An Integrative Approach to Using Tarot for Personal Growth” by Benebell Wen.
“The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination” by Robert Place.
“Llewellyn's Complete Book of Tarot: A Comprehensive Guide” by Anthony Louis.
“Llewellyn's Complete Book of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot: A Journey Through the History, Meaning, and Use of the World's Most Famous Deck” by Sasha Graham.
“The Modern Witchcraft Book of Tarot: Your Complete Guide to Understanding the Tarot” by Skye Alexander.
Spirit work
“A Spirit Work Primer: A Beginner's Guide to Streamlined Spirit Work” by Naag Loki Shivanath.
“Spirit Speak: A Comprehensive Guide to Connect Beyond the Veil" by Ivo Dominguez Jr.
“Consorting with Spirits: Your Guide to Working with Invisible Allies” by Jason Miller.
“Invoking Angels: Theurgic Ideas and Practices, Thirteenth to Sixteenth Centuries” edited by Claire Fanger; contributors are Harvey J. Hames, Frank Klaassen, Katelyn Mesler, Sophie Page, Jan R. Veenstra, Julien Véronèse, Nicolas Weill-Parot, and Elliot R. Wolfson.
“The Witch's Familiar” by Raven Grimassi.
Necromancy, seances & ancestors
“Elucidation of Necromancy Lucidarium Artis Nigromantice” attributed to Peter of Abano.
“The Book of Séances: A Guide to Divination and Speaking to Spirits” by Claire Goodchild.
“The Book of Ancestors: A Guide to Magic, Rituals, and Your Family History” by Claire Goodchild.
Demonolatry & Demonology
“The Complete Book of Demonolatry” by S. Connolly.
“The Lesser Key of Solomon” (Lemegeton), an anonymous compilation. More specifically, The Ars Goetia (Liber Malorum Spirituum). There are many translations of the Books of Solomon, and there is ongoing discussion about which translators are the most reliable.
“Pseudomonarchia Dæmonium” by Johann Weyer.
“The Book of Abramelin” by Abraham von Worms. There is also “The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage: An Interpretation” S. L. MacGregor Mathers.
“The True Grimoire” (Grimorium Verum), by an unknown author, attributed to one "Alibeck the Egyptian.”
“The Sworn Book of Honorius” (Liber Iuratus Honorii) by Honorius of Thebes, translated by Joseph Peterson.
“The Book of Saint Cyprian”, a collection of grimoires, attributed to Saint Cyprian.
“The Grimoire of Armadel” (Liber Armadel seu totius cabalae perfectissima brevissima et infallabilis scientia tam speculativa quam practiqua) by an unknown author, translated by S. L. MacGregor Mathers.
“Le Dragon Rouge” or “The Red Dragon” (The Grand Grimoire) by Antonio Venitiana del Rabina.
“Malleus Maleficarum” (Hammer of Witches) by H. Kramer & J. Sprenger.
“De la démonomanie des sorciers” (On the Demonomania of the Sorcerers) by Jean Bodin.
“Daemonolatreiae” by Nicholas Rémy.
“Disquisitionum magicarum” by Martín Del Río.
“Daemonologie, in forme of a dialogue” by King James VI and I.
“De operatione dæmonum” or “De Daemonibus”(On the Operation of Demons) by Michael Psellus, translation by P. Gautier.
“Corpus Hermeticum” by M. Ficino.
“Traditions of Belief in Late Byzantine Demonology” by Richard P. H. Greenfield.
Dictionaries, Encyclopedia & Collections
“The World Mythology Encyclopedia” by Ancient Myths.
“Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology of the World: A Comprehensive A–Z of the Myths and Legends of the Ancient World” by Arthur Cotterell.
“Classical Mythology A to Z: An Encyclopedia of Gods & Goddesses, Heroes & Heroines, Nymphs, Spirits, Monsters, and Places” by Annette Giesecke.
“The Myths and Gods of India” by Alain Daniélou.
“Angels, Spirit Guides & Goddesses: A Guide to Working with 100 Divine Beings in Your Daily Life” by Susan Greg.
“Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses” by Judika Illes.
“The Witch's Book of Spirits” by Devin Hunter.
“Fabulous Beasts and Demons” by Heinz Mode.
“The Dictionary of Demons: Expanded & Revised: Names of the Damned” by M. Belanger.
“Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures” by Theresa Bane.
“The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology” by Rosemary Ellen Guiley.
“The Encyclopedia of Angels: An A-to-Z Guide with Nearly 4,000 Entries” by Constance Victoria Briggs.
“The Encyclopedia of Angels” by Rosemary Ellen Guiley.
“Dictionary of Angels” by Gustav Davidson.
“An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures” by Katharine M. Briggs.
“Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology” by Theresa Bane.
“Complete Guide to Faeries & Magical Beings: Explore the Mystical Realm of the Little People” by Cassandra Eason.
“The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Fairies: Your Complete Guide to the Magick of the Fae” by Skye Alexander.
“The Encyclopedia of Vampires, Werewolves, and Other Monsters” by Rosemary Ellen Guiley.
“The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits” by Rosemary Ellen Guiley.
“Encyclopedia of Spirits and Ghosts in World Mythology” by Theresa Bane.
“The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons: A Field Guide to Japanese Yokai” by Matthew Meyer.
“The Hour of Meeting Evil Spirits: An Encyclopedia of Mononoke and Magic” by Matthew Meyer.
“The Book of the Hakutaku: A Bestiary of Japanese Monsters” by Matthew Meyer.
“The Fox's Wedding: A Compendium of Japanese Folklore” by Matthew Meyer.
“The Palace of the Dragon King: A Manual of Myths and Monsters” by Matthew Meyer.
“The Encyclopedia of Saints” by Rosemary Ellen Guiley.
“Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints & Sages: A Guide to Asking for Protection, Wealth, Happiness, and Everything Else!” by Judika Illes.
“The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft, and Wicca” by Rosemary Guiley.
“Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the Entire Magical World” by Judika Illes.
“The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magical Arts” by Judika Illes.
Various interesting reads
“Le Petit Albert” by unknown author, attributed to Albertus Magnus.
“Three Books of Occult Philosophy” by Henry Cornelius Agrippa.
“Pathworking through Poetry: Pagan Pathworking through Poetry: Exploring, Knowing, Understanding and Dancing with the Wisdom the Bards Hid in Plain View” by Fiona Tinker.
“Holy Daimon” by Frater Acher.
“Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth” by John Michael Greer.
“Fallen Angels: Watchers and the Witches Sabbat” by Michael W Ford.
“Necrominon: Egyptian Sethanic Magick” by Michael W Ford.
“Loki: Trickster and Transformer” by Dagulf Loptson.
“Hades: Myth, Magic & Modern Devotion” by Jamie Waggoner.
“Low Magick: It's All In Your Head ... You Just Have No Idea How Big Your Head Is” by Lon Milo DuQuette.
“Magic for the Resistance: Rituals & Spells for Change” by Michael M. Hughes.
Gifts
“Witches Among Us: Understanding Contemporary Witchcraft and Wicca” by Thorn Mooney.
“Llewellyn's Magical Almanac: Practical Magic for Everyday Living” by many different authors. Each year, a diverse group of practitioners contribute.