Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Very informative. I have an interest in this particular subject anyway. If I was to have this book in normal circumstances I would have it in book form rather than digital.

Absolutely fantastic book for a novice witch going towards a mid-level witch. The descriptions, spellcraft and imagery are excellent. Even as an advanced witch, I found this to be a wonderful book to have on my learning shelf. I definitely it. I look forward to her third book which will be coming out in Fall of 2022.

A beautiful book and an excellent introduction to the various spiritual paths of becoming a witch.

I found this interesting enough that I went out and bought a hard copy to have in my house. I have also been recommending it to friends interested in learning more about witchcraft.

Anyone new to the world of witches will learn a lot from this book of rituals and practices. The author does a great job of laying out the basics of the traditions, the items needed, and then detailing aspects of the seven listed types of witches. I particularly loved the recipes, the correlation to food and intentions, the Wiccan calendar, and the intro to astrology. Helpful illustrations.

This book gives the reader just enough of a taste to make them want to learn even more and move on to more in-depth works.

The Path of the Witch is a beautiful book about the different types of witches there are such as Wiccan, Kitchen Witch, Green Witch etc and then more in-depth knowledge and understanding of each type. In real life, most witches understand we do not need to label ourselves but it is the current TikTok trend so I tried not to focus on the irritation it gave me. The book is really well organized. I didn't feel overloaded with information and it was easy to go back and find pertinent info.
Overall it was an informative read, I just wish it didn't lead people interested in the craft to pigeon hole themselves.

The Path of the Witch (Rituals & Practices for Discovering Which Witch You Are) by Lidia Pradas
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds, Fair Winds Press
Genre: Health, Mind & Body, Religion & Spirituality
Publication Date: April 27, 2021

The Path of the Witch (Rituals & Practices for Discovering Which Witch You Are) by Lidia Pradas is an incredible beginner's resource. It is beautifully illustrated and filled with wonderful information. It is easy to understand and an enjoyable read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you for the advanced copy, as I am on my beginning journey, this read was an eye opener and was full of insights.
Truly enjoyed

…. To find your path, focus your craft on an aspect of it that attracts you the most. There aren’t paths that are better or stronger than others—there are simply different ways to live witchcraft. The best path you can choose is the one that resonates with you….Lidia Pradas

The Path of the Witch: Rituals & Practices for Discovering Which Witch You Are by Lidia Pradas is written as an exploration of a topic that has increased in interest as self-identity has become prominent in mundane and magickal endeavors. And, because there are more who identify as Witches, this title is a wonderful read in discovering where your innate “witchy” talents may lie. Ms. Pradas lays the groundwork for what the practice of Witchcraft is and how a Witch may express these….

…. Witchcraft is a practice, and witches aren’t tied to any religion, ethics, or belief system. It’s also important to know that witchcraft and paganism aren’t the same, but they are often related and many witches adopt pagan and neopagan beliefs systems. Although each path specializes in a specific type of witchcraft, most traditions share some basic concepts and beliefs….1.

Chapter 1: Shared Magick for All Paths takes the reader through the common practices that may be found as staples of the work a Witch may employ. This chapter covers the basics such as the alchemical elements, energy and intention, altars, tools and techniques. Divination as a means to open your subconscious and space of knowing concludes this chapter with a brief description of the more common techniques such as Cartomancy, Runes, Scrying and others. The reader is reminded at the onset that…

…. There are many witchcraft paths in the world and many differences between witches, depending on the beliefs they follow. But they all share something in common: magick. Magick creates subtle changes in the energy around us to obtain a desired result. This is an ancient practice that goes back to the first pagan beliefs…. 2.

The Path of the Witch: Rituals & Practices for Discovering Which Witch You Are is divided into nine (9) chapters in total. Chapters 2 – 8 delve into more specificity about what practices or predispositions may be found on those particular paths and the witches who practice them. These include the: Green Witch, Kitchen Witch, Wiccan Witch, Cosmic Witch, Elemental Witch, Sea Witch and Eclectic Witch. I was particularly drawn to Chapter 4: The Wiccan Witch and Chapter 5: The Cosmic Witch.

Each chapter is organized in a way that presents the specifics of that path in a usable and easily understood way. As example, recipes and charts of food symbolism are included in Chapter 3: The Kitchen Witch. The Wheel of the Year, Esbats and Life Passages Rituals grace the pages of Chapter 4: The Wiccan Witch. And, Astrology, planetary magick and celestial energy are the focus of Chapter 5: The Cosmic Witch. Each of the chapters concludes with a Guided Meditation, specific to the path of that Witch.

Chapter 4: The Wiccan Witch is most certainly a much needed resource. The common misconception being that a Witch is always Wiccan and that a Witch is always pagan. Neither of these beliefs are true and Ms. Pradas does a good job of distinguishing what constitutes a Wiccan practice and how these beliefs may be adopted by those who identify as witches, but are not exclusive only to Witches.

Chapter 5: The Cosmic Witch speaks to the expanded belief and path that aligns beyond the workings of the nature based path that is commonly associated with the Witch. This is a path that extends out beyond the realms of Earth and into the celestial realms. Planetary magick, astrology and astronomical events form the core of this path and its nature is one as a being of the Cosmos.

Chapter 9: Other Paths and Advice is a fitting conclusion for The Path of the Witch: Rituals & Practices for Discovering Which Witch You Are. This chapter is a reminder that there are so many ways that a Witch may express themselves, and this is a continually evolving and highly personal identification…

…. The paths we saw in this book are some of the most popular ones among witches all around the world, but they aren’t the only ones available. As we deepen our knowledge of the craft, many other paths appear, based on different traditions and beliefs…. There is no path that is better than the others. The best path for you is the one that adapts to your needs…. 3.

The topics of focus include Hereditary Witchcraft, Coven Witchcraft and the Solitary Witch and other nuances for consideration in trying to define yourself as one Witch versus another. The final admonition is one that is applicable to all of the many complex layers that form the definition of who you are in all of your parts..

…. Changing Your Path….As life goes on, our personal circumstances change. We change and grow. Because of this, it is completely normal to discover that a path that once was perfect for us no longer serves us. There is nothing wrong with changing your path for a new one that fits your situation better. There is no one path that is better than the others. The path you leave behind was good for you in the past, and there is simply a different one that is better suited to the present. Find your path, learn as you go, and enjoy it…. 4.

Would I Recommend:

The Path of the Witch: Rituals & Practices for Discovering Which Witch You Are by Lidia Pradas fills an ever growing need to find your place of belonging and in so doing, be in the company of others who hold the same truths and beliefs as yourself. For an individual who is new to the path of the Witch, there will certainly be some moments of “coming home” and for those who have walked the path of the Witch for many years, the “aha” moments are there for the exploring. Ms. Pradas has written a book rich with underpinnings and many mysteries to be revealed for those open to new experiences and a broader perspective of what being a Witch means. I look forward to re-reading this at those crossroads where I know that change is inevitable and a welcome part of the path of the Witch I am.

Notes:

Chapter 1:Shared Magick for All Paths
Chapter 1:Shared Magick for All Paths
Chapter 9:Other Paths and Advice
Chapter 9:Other Paths and Advice

About the Author: Lidia Pradas

Lidia Pradas is the wiccan witch behind the Instagram sensation Wiccan Tips and the author of The Complete Grimoire. She comes from a family of witches and teaches and writes about witchcraft and paganism to beginner witches.

Reviewed by Robin Fennelly of PaganPagesOrg

The path of a witch is a great resource book offering a range of practices to the reader. I gained a lot from reading this book and enjoyed the journey I experienced whilst reading. I really do recommend this book. Thank you.

I loved reading this book and learning more about the path of the witch. Being witch myself, I think you never have enough education. I'd recommend this book to beginners but also more experienced witched out there.

This is a very useful guide to the wide variety of witchcraft paths and practices, giving a good overview to a dozen or so. I appreciated that it included information on beliefs, history, rituals, meditations and correspondences for each path, as well as how many of them work together.

A few pages of each kind of path (that is most likely seen out there). Some recipes. Choosing these paths. Some information about each so you get an idea if that path is for you.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Path of the Witch is a beautiful book (inside and out) about the different types of witches there are such as Wiccan, Kitchen Witch, Green Witch etc and then more in-depth knowledge and understanding of each type.
The book gives you glimpses in to each type of Witch to help you understand which type of Witch you are drawn to and could be good at.
The book features numerous different recipes, meditations and rituals throughout and is a great guide to use without it making you feel overwhelmed with information.
If your not sure where to start out with herbalism or witchcraft, this is one of the best books I've come across to help get you informed and started up.

Sophie is spending 2021 exploring Paganism, Wicca, and witchcraft, so The Path of the Witch by Lidia Pradas was an immediate must-read when she spotted it.

This helpful book offers introductions to seven popular witchcraft paths: Green, Kitchen, Wicca, Cosmic, Elemental, Sea, and Eclectic. Each path has a dedicated chapter that looks at the core ideas behind that style of witchcraft, with practical ideas for exploring the path further and discovering if it suits you. These change depending on the path, so they cannot be directly contrasted. For example, the Green Witch chapter includes recipes for making meditation incense and herbal cold syrups, guidance for storing herbs, and correspondence tables for trees and flowers; the Cosmic Witch chapter offers guidance on understanding your birth chart, a guide to moon phases, and correspondences for days of the week; and the Sea Witch chapter discusses the uses for different types of seashells, ways to make a sea bath, and rules for taking items from beaches.

The final section of the book covers some other topics that may be relevant to those exploring witchcraft for the first time. There is a look at the pros and cons of solitary vs coven witchcraft, a guide to red flags to watch for when joining a new group, and a reminder that you don’t have to pick one specific path and stick with it for life: witchcraft allows for exploration.

The Path of the Witch is a brilliant book for those looking to get involved in witchcraft for the first time, and Sophie would also recommend following the author’s popular Instagram @wiccantips if this is a subject you find interesting.

It was really beautiful, loved the drawings and the information was really cool. It was the first book like this I ever read, so I can't say if the information is reliable or not, but it has a bibliography at the end and it gets points for it.

This book is really beneficial if you are looking to find yourself! I have always wanted to learn more about who I am spiritually and I feel as though this book helped me with that!

Very informative book. Full of a lot of useful information. This book will also be very useful for future reference

This is an introductory book about Witchcraft, full of beautiful illustrations. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in practicing witchcraft as well as anyone just interested in the subject. It is such as easy relaxing read. ( I was provided an ARC of this title by Netgalley)

Book Review: The Path of the Witch - Rituals and Practices for Discovering Which Witch you are.
Genre: Religion and Spirituality / Health, Mind and Body.
Publisher: Fair Winds Press - Quarto Publishing Group
Release Date: 27th April, 2021

About the Author
Let’s start with a little bit about the author. Lidia Pradas has written another book called The Complete Grimoire which came out last year. I did review that book as well, you can find the review here. From reading both of her books it’s obvious that Lidia knows her stuff, she has a great wealth of knowledge about Wicca and Witchcraft. You may also know her as @wiccantips on instagram where, again, she shares her knowledge of Wicca and Witchcraft practices. She comes from a family of Witches, so you could say it’s in her blood. It’s good to know that you’re in safe hands with her books.

The Book
Before I tell you about the book, it’s important to have a little context so you can see where my thoughts are coming from. When I first started exploring Witchcraft I felt like it was important to define what type of Witch I was. I consider myself to be a Wiccan, but I also practice Witchcraft. I read LOTS to see what kind of path I vibed with; Green Witch, Kitchen Witch, Hearth Witch etc. I feel like since I started there have been even more additions to this list, more sub-genres of Witchcraft: Crystal Witch, Lunar Witch, Sea Witch, Fae Witch, Astrology Witch, Divination Witch. The list goes on. I started to get a little fed-up with it. I use herbs in my craft, crystals, the lunar cycle. I’ve started exploring water magick and astrology. I work with my dreams and I love tarot. So I decided to go with I’m a Witch and that’s it! I didn’t feel like i needed to define it anymore than that.

Therefore, I was a little dubious about this book, especially when I saw the tag line, ‘rituals and practices for discovering which Witch you are’. I knew straight away I was going to be bits of all of them and I would be very stubborn about not being crammed into one path. However, I was still intrigued, and as I always do with witchy books, I wanted to see if there were things I could take from it and add to my own practice.

On to the book then. The blurb starts; "Witchcraft is not one defined path..." My first thoughts were to agree - this is exactly what I believe; there is no one path a Witch will follow. It continues; "...rather it is a diversity of practices you can curate and align with based on your lifestyle and unique gifts.
- Do you have an affinity for working with plants and herbs for magic and medicine? You may be a Green Witch.
- Are the kitchen and home space sacred to you? Are you able to tap into the sensory and healing properties of food for spellwork? Is cooking an intentional act for you? You may be a Kitchen Witch.
- Are you able to easily connect with the five basic elements of Air, Fire, Water, Earth adn Spirit? You may be an Elemental Witch.
- Can you do many practices with ease? You may be an Eclectic Witch.
The Path of the Witch describes the many different types of witches, their gifts and abilities, and their practices. Each path shows you activities and rituals you can use to discover and explore that type of witchcraft and discern if it is a fit for you."

When it began to define the paths and encouraged you to consider which you felt more of an affinity with, like I said before, I was dubious. Personally, I don’t like the idea of having to choose one of these paths. I'll discuss that more later when I come to my thoughts.

The book is beautifully illustrated throughout. The images are by Nata Vedanta and I would love to have some of them framed and on my altar. Look how beautiful they are!

I was slightly annoyed when I saw the contents page. I was thinking to myself, 'you can’t make me choose! I’m a Green Witch, a Wiccan, a Cosmic Witch. I work with the elements - but am I an eclectic witch? No i don’t think so.'

I did manage to calm myself down. I remembered I needed to be more objective because I was reviewing the book. Even though I don’t like the choosing a path aspect, the book does offer guidance for new witches as it allows them to explore the different areas of Witchcraft that they may not know anything about. If you are a new Witch and you are interested in this book then just remember: you don’t have to label your craft this way. You can take from the different areas and build a craft that is unique to you.

The book is really well organised. As well as the images, it is set out in sections with useful sub-headings making it easy to digest the information. You don’t feel like you’re having all of the information thrown at you and there’s no feeling of information overload. It also makes it easy to come back to sections you like or want to make notes on.

It begins with an ‘overall guide’ to Witchcraft. Covering things that are relevant to Witchcraft in general: the elements, altars, tools, cleansing; the things you would find in all beginner books. Then it moves on to the different paths, with a chapter for each ‘witch type’ and within each chapter there’s key information on what that path looks like, basic beliefs and values, some correspondences, spells, recipes and one of my favourite things is the guided meditation for each of the paths.

Throughout the whole book the information is clear, thoughtful and practical. As I said earlier, Lidia Pradas clearly has a wealth of knowledge to share on a range of Witchy topics.

My Thoughts
I did have a strong response to this book. In the opening it says that it is for, “anyone who wants to explore different paths” which is great! However, it then adds “before choosing one” This did make me twitch a bit. It bugged me. I don’t know if I was just being sensitive, but I felt like I was being forced to choose one. However, I did want to be more objective when reading the book and continued with the idea of just exploring the different paths for what they were, and for me that was definitely the best way to read it.

I did get a few things I could takeaway from the book and there was something in just about every chapter. I’ll go through each chapter and tell you what I thought and what resonated with me.

In the Green Witch section there were a few ideas about gardens. I already grow herbs and flowers etc. for cooking and spells, but I loved the idea of a moon garden and night blooming flowers. There were some really nice ideas shared in relation to that. This section also includes correspondences for trees, herbs, plants, essential oils - the usual stuff.

I also really enjoyed the Wiccan section because i felt like it had been a while since I had read anything about Wicca specifically and, for me, it was just nice to reaffirm those beliefs, values and ideals. I just felt myself agreeing and nodding along as I read.

You may notice that I enjoyed all the chapters that are aspects of my own path! The next being Cosmic Witch because astrology and the night sky is something I am currently studying. As this is a new aspect of my own craft I did find myself taking some notes and this section, like the others, offers enough detail to allow you to make good start in that particular area. The explanation of astrology was really clear and broken down. As it is just an introduction it was simplistic in some areas. If you really want to explore astrology, the cosmos and natal charts then a book dedicated to that specific area would be better. The information included in this chapter is something I already got from astrology specific books I’ve been reading. If you want to know the books I’ve been using for my Witchy studies then click here.

Predictably then, the chapter I didn’t really vibe with, and again this is a personal thing, was the Kitchen Witch chapter. I already know I am not, and never will be, a Kitchen Witch. I just don’t cook! Some aspects were interesting, for example the food correspondences for fruit and vegatables as I may use them in spells rather than actual food recipes. So those correspondences may still be useful for people, even if like me, you might not consider yourself a kitchen witch.

The chapter about ‘Elemental Witchcraft’ was a confusing one for me. I don’t really consider it to be a path of itself - if that makes sense? I think the same can be said for cosmic witch. I feel like these two things are definitely something that are part of other Witchcraft paths or things that compliment your craft rather than ‘paths’ in themselves. If I’m wrong and there are some elemental witches out there then please let me know in the comments. What do you think is different about an elemental witch than the elemental aspects all Witches use in their Craft?

I suppose really what I’m saying is that the information in this chapter, for me, was just things I would associate with being a witch. For example, linking the elements to the cardinal directions along with colour correspondences and items that we would use to represent each element, are just part of my general knowledge as a witch. I use the elements and their corresponding directions, colours, and the particular type of magick they are attuned with, regularly when creating and designing spells and rituals.

On the other hand, if you are not familiar with this aspect of Witchcraft, maybe because you’re a beginner or it’s just something you are not aware of, then I think it is something that can benefit everyone’s practice. This book could help you with understanding how to use the elements in your craft, but I have come across it in other books for beginners as well.

Lastly the Sea Witch chapter, Again this is an area of interest to me so I did like reading about the use of Water in spells and rituals. I do prefer to refer to it as 'water magick' or 'water witchcraft' just because for me, I don’t live near the sea, therefore it can be lakes, rivers or streams that inspire my magick. My sun sign is Pisces so that’s one of the main reasons I’m exploring this area and this chapter did offer a wealth of information around using the sea and other related aspects.

Lastly, one thing I really loved was the guided meditation at the end of each chapter. They feel really personal and I’m definitely going to make a note of my favourite ones in my book of shadows so I can come back to them.

Final Thoughts
Time for some final thoughts then, because I think some people may think I’ve been quite contradictory in my review. It does have positives and negatives. The main negative for me is the way the book is put across or the purpose of the book. This idea that you will read the information and know what type of Witch you want to be doesn't work for me and I really don’t think it will work like that for a lot of people. If I read this book when I was just starting out I would be even more confused about my 'supposed' path because, as you can probably tell, I love so many different aspects of Witchcraft.

However, once I got passed that then the information imparted throughout the book is great. If you are a beginner then I would look at it as more of a guide to just how varied and diverse Witchcraft can be. People who have literally no idea where to start or what to do will find it really helpful and I would recommend picking and choosing from the different areas what really speaks to you. Like I said at the beginning you know the information is coming from a good source! Lidia Pradas obviously has a lot of knowledge and has researched the various areas she talks about.

Towards the end of the book she does add a very small paragraph about labelling and changing your path which did appease me slightly. Lidia acknowledges that our paths change and that we may incorporate more than one ‘path’, that she has mentioned, into our Craft. Honestly, I did start to feel a bit weird at this point. Maybe I’m the only one that has a variety of areas in my Craft? Please let me know if there are other Witches out there who use astrology and green witchery and also consider themselves Wiccan, or some variation of that, and I’m not just excessive in my practice!

Some sub-genres can be really complimentary. For example, water and lunar witchcraft work well together because the moon is closely linked to the tides and is a controlling force over the seas. Furthermore, both are linked to feminine energies and emotions. I could talk about this forever and I think I’m slightly going off topic so I’ll leave it there for now.

Overall, I did enjoy reading the book as it offered some reminders as to why I love each aspect of my craft. The illustrations are beautiful throughout. Just don’t go in to the book expecting to find the one path you are meant to follow.

I hope you enjoyed this review and found some of it useful. Please share any thoughts you had about anything I’ve mentioned I’d love to know if there are people like me or even if you disagree with me then I’m interested in lots of different perspectives!

Ophelia x

Thank you to NetGalley and Fair Winds Press for allowing me to read and review an advanced e-copy of this book.

There are currently many introductory books on witchcraft on the market, Lidia's area of expertise is very clearly Wicca, and while the book is not exclusive to that path, its important to understand that is the particular approach to practising magic it takes, this is not a book that is going to discuss paths like Chaos magic or non-European forms like Hoodoo. The book provides a clear and accessible starting point for beginners who are just testing the waters of modern witchcraft by delving into a few popular paths - eclectic, kitchen, green etc. She gives a broad outline of that path followed by relevant information or table of correspondences and recipes or exercises which are very nice, and which will appeal to many. She does also point out the limits of just going by 'labels' as well and encourages experimentation and exploration.
The book sways away from going into too much details and should not be the only source by a stepping stone onto further research. It does lack some historical depth and context (especially when discussing areas like the calendar of the year) also avoids getting into any debatable areas such as ethics within witchcraft, instead it makes general points about sourcing materials and that festivals do pre date Wicca. It is very hard to gain a balance on accessible information and overwhelming the reader but I did feel it lacked depth and a larger bibliography. Nevertheless the presentation and illustrations are beautiful and its a very visually appealing book that I think many beginners would like.