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

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

• 
  Miranda Reads

  
  
  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)

  good beginner book
• 
  Weslyn

  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 ♠

  '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.
• 
  Latasha

  I borrowed this book from Libby and loved it! The information is great for beginners and for those who are already practicing. The plants, herbs, trees, crystals, and such are ones I'm familiar with and are easily obtainable. The spells are great! I will have to buy this book for myself. There was so much I wanted to highlight!
• 
  Anna (Bananas)

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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.
  
• 
  Kelley

  I bought Green Witchcraft when I was seeking to learn more about herbalism and how to incorporate it into my practice. This book was just what I needed at just the right time! First of all, I need to talk about how beautiful it is. That gorgeous art you see on the cover? This continues all throughout the inside, with colored text, illustrations, and page details. Green Witchcraft provides an accessible introduction to incorporating plants and herbs into your practice, as well as a general introduction to things like weather and seasons and moon cycles, etc. The reference pages for various flowers, plants, and crystals have been a resource I have gone back to many times as I've built up my own grimoire and personal reference notebooks. Like most witchy guidebooks, Green Witchcraft also includes some lovely rituals, meditations, and suggestions for bringing more of nature into your everyday practice. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone seeking to connect with the elements of Earth all around them.
• 
  Gilly

  3.5 stars. I read the Kindle edition of this book, which I'd describe as Witchcraft Lite. This is a pretty basic introduction to the Craft, an overview that never delves too deep. The selection of herbs and crystals, etc., with their attributes and correspondences, isn't very comprehensive, and some obvious properties (and warnings) are omitted. A few basic rituals - but no spells - are described; there are several nice sounding recipes and crafts. The author includes a curated list of other resource books that I'm tempted to check out. The writing and editing are fine; I spotted only a couple of typos. A few passages were placed rather oddly within chapters, almost incongruously out of order; perhaps this is down to the e-copy. Those just starting out on their magickal path may find this book appealing; for me, it only skims the surface. There are other more comprehensive and compelling sources to be found elsewhere, such as the works of Arin Murphy-Hiscock and Ellen Dugan.
• 
  Taylor

  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

  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

  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.
  
• 
  Briar Drost

  First off, this book is lovely. I adore the crisp white pages with a peekaboo of green in the corners, the illustrations at the beginning of chapters and the little bursts of more in depth info pages made in different hues to have them stand out. The book was also a breeze to read through with the larger clear print and easygoing writing style as well. I read it start to finish it in about two hours (I’m a quick reader however). I know from the authors podcast that she’s very friendly to a wide variety of practitioners and any “level” they believe themselves to be at. She makes recommendations on books and the like to learn further if one so wishes on her show as well. This book was very similar to the work we know and love from Paige. It was very beginner friendly for anyone dipping their toes in and it made an effort to be inclusive as well as understanding of varying life circumstances. If I met someone knew to green witchery this is one book I would suggest now. I’ve been practicing for so long and I still found useful tidbits and nice reminders. It was a pleasure to read through. As a note, after seeing some reviews of others not finding the work in depth enough; there is a nice recommendations section IN her book if you were looking for more. This isn’t a deep dive kind of book but rather a nice easy sampler of techniques, correspondences, suggestions, uplifting and encouraging messages and a quick introduction into the world of green witchery. ��
• 
  Monica Reents

  Thank you to the publisher for gifting a copy of Green Witchcraft to me. I write this review by choice and honestly.
  
  I have never read a book about witchcraft, so I have nothing to compare this book to. However, I was instantly intrigued. First, the layout and design of this book is perfect for the subject and looks beautiful in the green color pallet. The book is divided into two parts; Part one is understanding green witchcraft, and part two is practicing green witchcraft.
  
  I enjoyed the way it explains each topic, including answers to the how's and why's the reader may have in chapters such as, "The Power of Plants", "Healing with Herbs and Greens","The Strength of Stone and Crystals", and more. This book is an easy to read, easy-to-understand introduction into green witchcraft. For me, being new to learning about this, I found it interesting to see how to connect a plant/herb, to an element (ie: fire, water, earth, air), to a planet, a chakra, its energy, and then what that plant/herb is useful for magically. The chapter that does this same thing with crystals is also fascinating.
  
  A quote from the introduction may be all you need to choose this book, "If you've found your way to this book, I imagine you've felt the same call from the earth; to slow down and listen to what it has to teach you."
  Highly recommend!
• 
  Christina

  A wonderful addition to any newbie witch, or anyone who wants to learn some basic magical information about common plants, flowers, herbs, trees and stones.
  
  I borrowed this from my library, but will definitely be picking up a copy to keep in my personal collection too. 💚
• 
  Abby

  I couldn’t give this book a rating just because I didn’t fully understand everything in it, it was such a quick read for me because most of the pages were spells and I didn’t have the supplies for them, but the crystal section was really coooooooollll
• 
  Brad

  Really enjoyed this book
  
  Great book, a fun read with great suggestions to get started. I recommend it to anyone wanting to begin learning about green witchcraft.
• 
  Carrie Strom

  Some good stuff about herbs and other things
• 
  BooksAndRae

  "Thinking that you know everything is probably one of the worst curses you can cast on yourself"
  
  A brilliant and very educational book! It was very easy to understand and read.
• 
  Nelia Ilieva

  A great book, has most basics of witchcraft. A great starting point.
• 
  Carmen DaVinleam

  What a glorious book. I read it after a friend recommended it to me. I have enjoyed it very much and I will keep it around. Very interesting things inside.