An unassuming book that is chock full of knowledge. A handy guide to spellcraft and doing it without spending a bundle. Witchcraft can be very expensive for beginners. This book helps dispel that notion. I loved it this book! And I was glad to have had the opportunity to read this book via Netgalley.

This is Tumblr witchcraft condensed into a book. In itself that isn't a problem so long as it doesn't pretend to be what it's not. A lot of the first chapter or so should be removed, because the beginning of the book serves only as an extended introduction, and while I like that idea the information it contains is repetitive at best and incorrect at worst. The entire thing is filled with misrepresentations, and much of the "factual" information is straight up wrong - claiming, for example, that hedge witchery and hearth witchery are the same (they could not be more different). There's a lot of stuff included here that has nothing to do with witchcraft, and is actually new age anti-science traditions (the ridiculous earth sound pseudoscience, or whatever we're calling it now, being the one I was most surprised by because I have never seen that in pagan, neopagan or witch traditions before, even by people who don't really know what they're doing). Honestly a lot of this just speaks to a lack of care on the author's part, because even a quick Google would give at least slightly more accurate information.

The "spell" section would more accurately labelled as small guided meditations, which there's nothing wrong with but it is wild that an entire book was commissioned on the basis of essentially 2-3 basic meditations that aren't all that witchy, repeated ad infinitum with slightly different "ingredients" (and if you don't buy into crystals, this entire book will be useless to you.) Again, a lot of the stuff is wrong - the author's comments on sacred circles are just not true (and she is missing common and obvious parts of it) which show that she probably hasn't even looked at basic social media information, no matter talked to, read books from or learnt from actual witches. Her aversion to what is now commonly called shadow work really sums up what she thinks "witchcraft" is - shallow, feel good mindfulness without the effort.

This book also doesn't live up to the "thrifty" description, as it focusses heavily in crystals (which have to be bought and aren't cheap) and avoids discussion of real cheap tips, such as how to forage and find spell constituents, what kitchen items (other than herbs and spices) can be used, how to craft spells yourself for your environment etc.

This book actually reminds me more of the early 00s trend of "asking the universe what you want," but with less effort. I am not impressed.

Not a huge selection, a small variety of spells but a good start. A few spells have some extra bits of information. Overall simple enough to start and could expand or change.

I run a spiritual business and frequently work with clients on different energy practices. There are so many posts and videos on social media about spells and manifestation lately and my clients have a hard time really understanding how to incorporate these practices into their own lives. After reading The Thrifty Witch's Book of Simple Spells I am happy to have a new resource for my clients. The book organizes the spells and explains the spells in a clear and concise manner. I really appreciate that the items that they request for the spells are easy to find around the house or in your local supermarket and they are affordable. This is a great resource for those new to spell-work or those more experienced.

Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds for allowing me to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This is a cute beginner spellbook. The spells live up to the title and are pretty simple by keeping the ingredients minimal and using some household items. I do feel like it is lacking some deeper substance so it is not necessarily for me personally. I do like the wide variety of spells included.

Libro molto carino che parla di magia moderna senza la lente Wicca, e quindi riesce a passare dei concetti di base unbiased. Ci sono diverse guide fra cui una alle erbe, una alla color magick, una alle fasi lunari e molte altre.
Inoltre apprezzo che non ci siano elementi di cultural appropriation (anche se forse accennare a questo argomento sarebbe stato più utile).

Disegni molto carini, ma forse occupano troppe pagine del libro

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am always looking out for new writers in the world of witchcraft. I really like this book and I'll definitely be buying a paper copy as well The range of spells is lovely, from self-care to luck and romance. Whatever spell you're looking for, there is an easy and thrifty version in this book.
I was a little thrown when the author commented about witchcraft being separate from religion as for me it is closely tied together. But I can understand how this would make it appeal to a wider audience. A lovely book for people curious about spells and a great place to start.

This wasn't my favourite beginner book. Overall, I thought the content was just "okay" and felt that the "thrifty witch" vibe didn't really carry through past the introduction.

That being said;
If you're a beginner, this is the book to start with!


Let me start off with the cons, because there are a few;
- no correspondence
- too big of a focus on intention (though this is something based on opinion and personal taste)
- it is advised as thrifty, and 9/10 it is, but it sometimes refers to crystals such as rhodonite or ruby - BUT the author explicitly mentions subsistitutions!

Pros;
- lists what is "needed" for all spells before, so you have a direct overview / shopping list!

- covers a wide variety of information, I particularly loved the second chapter which specifically covers how to set up magical areas, provides a list of intentions etc.

- the spells cover a wide variety of subjects; banishing & protection, healing on a mental, physical and emotional basis, prosperity, relaxation etc. The explicit focus seems to be self acceptance and well being.

- it may not have a correspondence section, but a bibliography section of resources, both online and in book format you can use to grow your craft; even some resources where you can shop your herbs and crystals!

What I like the most about this book is;
That the author really put in time, effort and a big chunk of their heart. It is beautifully illustrated and reading it feels like having a deep, therapeutic talk with your best friend.

This book is not explicitly wiccan though I suspect the author has at least a history with this religion; you won't find any preachy undertone though, which is a breath of fresh air.

The magic is sound and resonating through the pages, and I found myself reading for longer than I anticipiated.
I am convinced that the author did their best, and this is why I am giving this book a full 5/5 - and I'm going to buy a copy as soon as it is available.

Thank you to Netgallery for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is fantastic. A great book for beginners. I love the illustrations and the formatting makes it very enjoyable and easy to read.
It is wonderfully modern and secular, which is very refreshing given how hard it is to find beginner resources that are not Wiccan.
This book gives you a rundown of what witchcraft is, the types of witches, and a basic understanding of herbs, crystals, color magic and spellcasting. Then it follows up with a great assortment of useful spells.
I would absolutely recommend this to beginners and anyone else looking for a great general spell book and overview of basic information.

I love books about the occult and witchcraft so I was very interested in this one. The Thrifty Witch's Book of Simple Spells by Wren Maple is the ultimate book for witches of any level. It is a perfect read for novice and advanced practitioners of the craft; I think everyone could learn something from this book! It would be a great gift paired with a deck of tarot cards, a cute teacup and some tea, or a pouch of healing crystals. Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free digital Advanced Reading Copy (ARC e-book) of this title. I really enjoyed it!

Both for the thrifty witch and the modern one too. A great beginners guide to everything anyone interested in the subject would want/need to know.

3 stars - I liked it

This was a very simple and basic beginners spellbook. The spells were simple, easy to perform, and contained materials that were not very expensive. They were slightly repetitive but that is partially because that keeps them simple. I think this is a good book for beginners to witchcraft because it is so simple and easy to follow.

I do think that this title is slightly misleading though, because I was expecting more information about how to be more “thrifty” with your practice. The only real substitution that was provided was using clear quartz for spells, instead of the gem required. After reading the author summary at the back I realize that The Thrifty Witch refers to her social media pages. This was partially my fault since I didn’t really read the blurb when picking this book but I don’t think I will be the only one who ends up confused.

This was a great little book that is under 200 pages. It would be wonderful for the beginning witch and pretty good for something that is experienced but maybe needs a refresher. It was super cute and since its so small I could see someone carrying this one around with them for on the go spells.

This book was great!
It was beautiful to look at, and I loved how simplified the text was. I wouldn't class myself as a beginner when it comes to magick, but some books are very overwhelming with their spell ideas - this book does not overwhelm. It keeps everything simple, and means that its so much more accessible than a lot a books I have read on this topic. Its accessible and inclusive. It keeps it simple, but doesn't patronise at the same time.
The illustrations are stunning, and I would absolutely love to have some of this artwork up in my house. It's very bright, but a bit abstract too.

Really enjoyed reading this book, got a lot from it, and think a lot of other witches will do too!

This book is great for beginners, is well organized, and has beautiful pictures. I will say though this book is more spells, less thrift. The only explicit money saver mentioned was substituting minerals and crystals with Quartz. Crystals can get expensive and this is a good idea, but every spell still asked for incense/oils/burn bundles for cleansing. There are so many free ways to cleanse that could have been mentioned, like sound cleansing.

I read every word of the intro and the first chapter and appreciated what the author had to say. I only skimmed the rest of it. This book seems honest and great for beginners and those well versed in witchcraft. It introduces what you need in easy to understand terms and provides quite an array of helpful spells that can help anyone. This could appeal to teens or adults interested in witchcraft. I wasn't sure about the details of witchcraft but could easily understand the appeal after browsing this title and may even pick it up to see if any of the spells that appeal to me would provide me any clarity.

The thrifty part didn't come across strong for me but the collection of spells was nice and didn't need too many objects and ingredients to do. It might be a nice first spell books for a new witch.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC before publication.*

If you are new to the craft, I think this book may be perfect for you. All of the baby witches should put it on the shelf next to the “Psychic witch” by Mat Auryn and Arin Murphy-Hiscock’s books.

This book includes many tips and trick to make spellcrafting easier and more approachable for newbies. It explains subjects such as herbs and stones; protection, abundance, healing and banishing spells and a lot more. After reading this book I felt a desire to learn more about the tea magic so it is also inspiring.

Last but not least, “**The Thrifty Witch's Book of Simple Spells**” is beautifully illustrated and I can’t wait to have my physical copy on the shelf!

I think this is an excellent book for beginners and a useful reference guide if you are more experienced.
It's clear, full of useful information, graphically beautiful.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine