I have purchased every witchy prompted journal that has come out to date. Spellcraft by Agnes Hollyhock is hands down the best one so far. I really liked the way that the journal is laid out and the work that went into the prompts. I loved in the prompts for Ostara that the author asks you to reflected on light and dark and the balance in both. This for me is important because it helps new witches to realize that dark and shadow don't equal bad and shows the need for a balanced approach. I love that the author talks about making your own tools and supplies and that the prompts around the Wheel of the Year help you relate it to your life and path. I highly recommend this book to all interested in witchcraft whether you are new on the path or have been practicing for some time.

I didn't feel like there was much to this book and honestly wondered if author had ever cast a spell. This was more of a journal with no real guidance. It would be great if you are new to the world of spells but so much important info was left out.

A very simple, practical spell book. Also gives space for journaling. Another way to look at manifesting for a beginner spell caster.

I loved this book! Really beautiful artwork and simple to browse for the average reader. Thank you so much for the opportunity to review Spellcraft by Agnes Hollyhock.

A nice workbook of rituals/spells so you can have a record and questions to reflect on and reflect on the ritual. A small number of rituals for the sections - well sabbats. Decent book to look over.

More and more titles are being published under the name of new-age, witchcraft, etc. Some are true gems and should be a part of any crafter/spell caster library. This book is one of those that is more a collection of already designed spells. It does touch on the basics on spellcasting so it is nice for new comers. I would not say it is a one of those “gems” that people need to keep around. Personally, I do wonder how people feel about have a book of spells (which it is) and not know anything about the person/people who wrote them.

Spellcraft is a lovely introduction into spell work and witchcraft. This is a step by step spell book so if you are looking for something a bit more dense or historical this will not be your book.

It’s sectioned off nicely so you can bounce around as you see fit. What I enjoyed most about this book was the addition of the journal questions after each spell, it’s so important to reflect after spell work and sometimes the hardest part is figuring out what to ask yourself. Another plus was the ingredient lists, they were very attainable items, which keeps the book accessible for any budget.

Totally a book I would gift to friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Rock Point for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In the last couple of months I've been reading quite a lot regarding witchcraft and I've gone through a few witchcraft-for-beginners books. In all honesty, this was my least favourite one among all of them.

For starters, the book seemed very superficial and only quickly went through some Wikipedia-style entries on the craft, its components and their meaning. There were some spells involved, as the title would suggest, but unlike the other books I've read so far, the spells felt impersonal and almost like something a person who's not into witchcraft would come up with in order to appear knowledgeable on the topic.

And lo and behold, right about that time I realized that this book doesn't even have an author. How exactly the whole staff of editors of Rock Point would gather together and share their information and ideas about their shared practices is kind of beyond my imagination. Not to mention that upon a short google search, I found that Rock Point has a lot of motivational books, which tells me that perhaps they just wanted to also print something in the witchcraft niche, which would make the majority of the book more or less disingenuous.

If you want to learn about witch-&spellcraft, I would wholeheartedly advise you to find a book which is the result of the knowledge and experience of a practicing witch - regardless of your motivations for reading up on the subject, be it curiosity or a desire to learn the craft.

This is more of a journal than a spellbook exactly. It gives spells and rituals of various sorts and some questions and pages in blank for you to fill with your autoanalysing answers.

This was a good mix of informative and thought provoking. My favorite parts were the journal prompts! I'm not one to normally take notes but I've been inspired.

To be honest I'm just in the very beginning stages of researching/learning about this area. This book was interesting and had some really enjoyable aspects but it felt like a weird mix between assuming you're a base novice (like me) and assuming you already know what you're doing. For example there's a small bit on "what is a spell" which seems aimed at complete novices, but then in many spells references your altar - but doesn't provide any information on what should be on it etc. I feel like it's more of a learning companion for beginners. I loved the journaling aspect and that the book walked through the spells more than some others I've looked at. I felt there could have been more explanation and background with each. I really appreciated that most of the spells used things that would probably already have around the house or that were easy to get. I also thought the calendar aspect would be better located in the back of the book - I found it very interesting but my first reaction was that it felt like I was perhaps supposed to wait until the first celebration before using the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this book!

I'm not usually the type of witch to journal, but I do take a ton of notes when I'm reading something new, so I really enjoyed this book. It's the perfect combo for both. This book both gives you ideas on how to get started in your craft, but also let's you spread your wings to make every spell your own. I will definitely be buying a hard copy of this one!

Creative, inspirational, thought-provoking. I liked the prompts for journaling included with each ritual, as well as the rituals themselves (explained well and with interesting background info).

Spellcraft is more workbook than anything else. It does contain the Wiccan wheel of the year for the Northern hemisphere however this would be easy to adapt to the south. The celebrations lack a lot of explanation and the spells and rituals associated seem incomplete. The journal prompts I thought were good overall and I think this is okay for novice witches to get their feet wet. Sadly due to the lack of author (this was put together by the publisher production team) it lacks authenticity.

If I was a novice witch and someone gifted me this book, I wouldn’t be mad.

*eArc supplies by the publisher and Netgalley

This can be an ok book for beginners, but it definitely needs to be cross-referenced and the spells involved should be taken with a grain of salt. The very first spell says to burn a poppet of yourself, which is something many other sources and seasoned witches say is a big no-no. The writing prompts are cute and very helpful, but my skepticism after the first spell tainted the rest of the book.

A beautiful book abundant with a variety of spells, tips for customization, and so many great journal prompts! I really appreciated that the spells were broken up with by certain times of the year or by purpose. This would be a really great “activity” book for any beginner witch!

Book Review: Spellcraft - A guided journal for casting, cleansing and blessing.
Genre: Health, mind and body / Spirituality
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group - Rock Point
Release Date: 8th September, 2020

I was discussing Witchcraft books with someone on Instagram yesterday. She was saying how there are books authored by people who don't even practice the Craft. As I try to make sure I am reviewing all the new releases in this genre, I already had this book on my 'shelf'. It wasn't until later that I realised that it didn't even have an author attributed to it; just the publishing company. Now I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but it does make you wonder who is writing the information they present in this book.*

I do prefer books that I know are written by practicing Witches and Wiccans as they feel more authentic and personal.

However, that said, this was still a nice book. Spellcraft doesn't actually give much information about how to craft your own spells, but rather provides some lovely beginner spells and rituals to get you started.

Starting by introducing the Wheel of the Year there is a spell or activity to accompany each festival. After each spell there is a journaling section, with some prompts for what you might like to write about, related to the spell or intentions you have been working with. The book then goes on to provide spells for other areas such as; creativity, manifestation and growth along with further journaling prompts.

There is not much more to this book and it is written in a very simple and easy to follow style. As I am already a practicing Witch I do prefer to research and craft my own spells, however this book did provide some nice ideas that I may incorporate into my work in the future. I would recommend it for beginners who are looking to start practical magick.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group/Rock Point for the opportunity to read and review this E-ARC.

*After looking into the lack of an author further. It's worth noting that the books 'text' is attributed to Leeann Moreau who is a Project Editor for Quarto Publishing Group. She is also a ghost-writer for 'under- delivered titles'. Personally, my recommendation would be to find a book written by an authentic voice on this topic.
If you are looking for something similar to Spellcraft then I would recommend:
The Witch's Spellbook: Enchantments, Incantations and Rituals from Around the World by Sarah Bartlett.
The Witchcraft Handbook: Unleash Your Magickal Powers to Create the Life you Want by Midia Star.

As a new beginner to this wonderful new world of tarot. Spells this book is beautifully written, very explanatory, in depth and I was honoured to have been given the privilege to have been chosen to have read it.


Definitely recommend that anyone who is just starting please read this.

Spellcraft is a useful guide for beginners in the magick world. If you ever wondered how to start casting but didn't know what to start with, you should check this book out.
From spells to every holiday to spells to everyday little things, this guide offers a clear and easy way to do everything, with blank spaces for you to write down useful information, answer questions and note down anything you need.

Keep in mind this is not a normal book; it's more of a workbook so get it only if you're willing to become a witch as you're going to need to study some aspects and adopt new lifestyles and rituals for your everyday routine. And you're going to have to study aditional information like choices of candles and colors; sewing skills, baking bread, making incense and etcetera.
It's also interesting pointing out this seems to have been written by a young person as it looks it's aimed to millenials

This is the type of companion I wish I had when I first started out with spells! It isn’t heavy on explanations and history, not that it claims to be, but I think it is important to know. This is a companion journal that will work along side other spell, witchcraft, and paganism books. You get a paragraph explanation of which holiday or what the spell is used for. The supplies are fairly easy to come by. There is a spell for every holiday in the Wheel of the Year, as well as spells for manifesting, money, creativity, growth, love, and more. The journal prompts are thoughtful and were my favorite part about it.

For a beginner, I think this journal is perfect! You get a little bit of everything to give you a good starting point on spells while you distinguish what works for you. For witches with more experience, I think this would come in handy when you are having spiritual blocks or are reintroducing yourself into spells after spending time away from your craft. The information wouldn’t be new to you, but you may enjoy it as a get back to basics to see how far you’ve come!