witchcraft

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Wicca Bashing

Okay, this is perhaps the longest blog post I’ve ever made! Here goes…

I’m noticing a growing trend of Wicca bashing on social media. I don’t have a lot of contact with other Pagans in the flesh out here on the rural coast of the North Sea, so I can’t really say what people are talking about face to face, if at all, about this phenomenon. But what I’m seeing online does make me uneasy.

Many people who are now in their forties and fifties started out on the path of Wicca. Some stayed, some moved to traditions and practices that better suited them. But at that time when Wicca was really starting to boom (late 80’s early 90’s) the majority of Pagan reading material centred around Wicca. And so, for the next twenty years, Wicca had the loudest voice in the Pagan community. With the arrival of the internet, things began to change, as information about other traditions spread more freely. You weren’t limited to what you could find at your local bookstore. More and more books were being published on other Pagan paths, and you could now buy them online without having to leave the comfort of your home. A whole generation of Pagans now had a ton of information literally at their fingertips.

And so the backlash begins.

The history of Wicca becomes widely known. The history of its founders. The misinformation that they had taken as gospel to use in the creation of their traditions. Their blinding mistakes became convoluted into something that was planned, exploitative even. They were liars and willing to create a false history to authenticate their claims. It was all bullshit.

At least, this is what people’s opinions on the internet seem to say.

There are several problems and issues at play here. The first is that people are far more inclined to listen to other people’s opinions on stuff rather than do the research for themselves. Yes, I realise the hypocrisy of this statement while writing this blog. But hear me out, and disagree with me if you feel like it.

Yes, there are problems with the founders of Wicca and what they created. There are issues of cultural appropriation, of discrimination and also of the sheer gullibility of some of these people who were willing to believe everything that they were told.

Is that so different to what is happening with social media today?

Those who are involved in Wicca are now questioning their past, and looking critically at these very issues. Wicca today has changed, has evolved. It’s just not the same as it was 30, 40, 50, and most definitely not 70 years ago. New writers are coming out every year, pointing out the difficulties and the way that they are dealing with and overcoming these issues to make the tradition appropriate for the modern day. And thank goodness for that! Because a religion or spiritual tradition that does not evolve with the times is one that creates dogma that quickly becomes outdated and which doesn’t appeal to modern folk.

We are now in a situation where we are told what to think, mainly through the avenues of social media. We are not told or taught how to think critically. If we do so, we can avoid the muck-splashing that results from (mostly older) authors (or AI bots) still circulating a lot of nonsense about Wicca and concentrate on the brilliant Wiccan authors who are currently addressing these issues today. I know, I know. I just wrote a review that stated that Raven Grimassi’s Wiccan Mysteries should never have been re-published. I stand by my opinion. That book needed to remain in the past, to allow for more modern authors to talk about what Wicca actually is today, correct historical inaccuracies and to discuss their various traditions, whether solitary, Gardnerian, Alexandrian, green, whatever.

This poses another problem. There are newer books out there (or old books that have gone out of print being re-released through different publishers) that only compound the difficulty around the debate. Some of these new books are simply AI written, rehashing the older books and making it appear new and available for all beginners to pick up and start their Wiccan journey. With the re-publication of older books, you have to look very carefully to see if this is a re-print from another title that was released 30 years ago, for example. Just buying a book these days requires a lot of research, to find out if the author is really a human being, or whether the work is old pretending to be new. The information at the beginning of the book (you know, where all that copyright stuff and ISBN details is on the left-hand side of a physical book?) can really help you out here. And then go and check to see if it’s a real author. Do they have a website? Click on the link to check that it’s an actual, working website. I was nearly fooled a couple of days ago. It’s not unknown for people to steal the identities of others to create Facebook pages to make themselves appear as real people. I came across an “author” doing just that a recently. Check on Amazon and look at their paperback books. When you look at the paperback versions, the release date is right there next to the title. Check out several of their books. Did they release six books last month? Chances are, it’s an AI programme writing the books, or a team of people who really have very little to do with the actual spiritual path they are currently writing about.

Then we come to the issue of what is real Witchcraft and what isn’t. I see Wicca as one of many traditions of Witchcraft. Because, well, the word Wicca means Witch. When I see people fighting over what is “real Witchcraft” I just have to sigh and go make a cup of tea. Because all this really is, deep down, is an ego issue. Wicca isn’t the cool kid anymore. Wicca isn’t edgy. It’s not dark, or dangerous, or even modern. It’s fluffy bunny crap, right?

I know plenty of bad-ass Wiccans out there.

Just because someone isn’t creating YouTube videos or Instagram posts with dark filters, skulls surrounded by roses and peeing in witch bottles doesn’t mean that their tradition isn’t real, valid or meaningful. The responses to Wicca as being white-lighter fluffy bunny New Age nonsense comes from those who are most likely feeling threatened because others are practicing differently. It’s easy to put someone else’ practice down to make yours feel better, edgier, whatever. But it serves no purpose whatsoever except to inflate one’s own ego. It has more to do with that person’s own issues of self-worth than it does with anything anyone else is doing in their own spiritual tradition.

There are so many misconceptions about Wicca. That it’s all about harming none. That what you do comes back to you threefold. Yes, there are some Wiccans who believe this, but then there are many, many traditions who don’t. It isn’t writ or ancient lore. I myself have been guilty of conflating these ideas with Wicca, but after doing a little research finding it to be false. The Wiccan Rede, for example, is not part of the first strands of Wicca that came out in the 1950’s.

Wicca has fallen out of fashion. Literally and figuratively. Check out social media spaces, channels, whatever, and you will find lots of “darker” stuff out there. The witch aesthetic, whatever that is. The filters. Don’t get me started on the filters that make everything darker. These seem to be reactions to a perceived and incorrect notion that Wicca is all love and light. So many of them are trying so hard to be edgy, cool, harder, more bad ass. The Wiccan author, Thorn Mooney, wrote in her blog post “Screw Your Aesthetic” for Patheos Pagan: “What good is infighting over authenticity when we spend more time sneering than practicing?” Too often people are spending their time bigging themselves up, rather than actually practicing a Craft.

I’m the first to admit I don’t look or act particularly witchy. My house isn’t filled with skulls and potion bottles and bones and dead flowers and lots of black. It’s more Scandi than anything else. I’m a pretty normal, well-adjusted person. In fact, I often get mistaken for a muggle in certain places because I’m not dripping with pentacles or loudly proclaiming my spiritual path through fashion. If that’s your choice, go for it, but I’ve never felt the need. But humans are visual creatures, and that’s what we respond to first and foremost. I’ve walked into Witchcraft shops in Glastonbury wearing hiking books and a good waterproof raincoat (because, well, it was raining and horrible outside!) and taken for a complete tourist who had no idea about anything, sometimes by well-intending shopkeepers and sometimes by sneering ones. Meh.

Wicca and other forms of Witchcraft do not have to compete. There is, in fact, no competition, no winners or losers. Assumptions are not helpful. We have to learn for ourselves, and develop our own opinions on things. How can we be certain that we are more knowledgeable than others, based solely on how someone looks, or what spiritual tradition they follow? Unless you really know them, it’s all about putting someone down to make yourself feel better. My facetious examples of “dark witchcraft” in this very blog post very likely should be included. But they help to make my point. That there is no “real Witchcraft” or no tradition that is more real or authentic than another. Over the last 1,000 years Witchcraft has changed, adapted and incorporated so many other traditions because it needed to in order to evolve and fit with modern times. And that process is still ongoing.

What someone thinks I do in my own Hedge Witch practice or Hedge Druid practice means absolutely nothing until they stand in ritual with me. That’s where you will get a real feel for what it is that I do, what I believe, and how I work with and communicate with the gods, the spirits of the land, the ancestors (and how they respond). You would have to spend weeks with me to see the real ins and outs of my practice, from my daily practice to how I use my spiritual path to deal with crisis, or joy, or day to day issues that arise in everyone’s lives. Making instant assumptions about someone because of the label that they use or what they look like is not helpful in the slightest.

This brings me onto the notion of those who believe that they know everything that there is to know about a tradition. If you’ve been around long enough, you’ve been there too (I did, in my 20’s. Boy, was I wrong). We’ve all been there. What we realise with time and experience is that there is always so much to learn, and that we are constant students in life. If you think you know more or know better than someone else, and feel the need to lord it over someone, then you are totally missing out on the wonders of being a student of life. We are all learning.

I think that bears repeating. We are all learning.

The person who is further along that path up the mountain isn’t better than the person who has just started out. They are just in a different place. If they are constantly turning around to shout advice or insults at the person starting out, they might not notice the loose stone under their foot until it too late, and down they tumble on their asses.

I think that a lot of the Wicca-bashing stems from inflated ego and a sense of one-upmanship. Some people think that Wicca is a starting point, and then you grow up and move on from there. If that’s your choice, fine, but that doesn’t make that correct for everyone. There are so many who have been in Wicca for absolute decades, because they have found a spiritual home there. It’s not because they have blinders on, or are ignorant, lazy, stupid or whatever. No, it’s because it is right for them. And if that upsets you, that’s your problem, not theirs. One Wiccan’s tradition or way of living in the world will vary widely from another person’s. As Wicca itself has now become an umbrella term, we need to acknowledge the wide and varied traditions and possibilities that this path holds.

Today’s Wicca is not your grandma’s Wicca.

So let’s stop coming down so hard on Wicca. Let’s stop parroting other people’s opinions simply because they make us feel cool. Let’s do the work and find out for ourselves about other people’s religious and spiritual paths before we start with the sneers. Let’s take responsibility for our opinions and our research. Let’s be sovereign in ourselves so that what we say and do comes from a place of authenticity, instead of from a place of shadow where previous experience, other’s opinions and self-denial rule. Let’s be our own judge, and use discernment wisely.

Let’s live and let live, if nothing else.

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My Top 10 Books on Witchcraft, Druidry and More!

I thought I would share with you some top ten lists of my favourite books on Witchcraft, Druidry, history and reference material, herbcraft and spellcraft. I hope you like them, and that you try some of these works, if you haven’t already! I haven’t included my own books such as The Path of the Hedge Witch or The Book of Hedge Druidry and others as I wanted to reccomend other authors, but of course I highly recommend my own works right alongside these as well 🙂 Please find my Top 10 Lists below 🙂

Top 10 Beginner Books on Wicca and Witchcraft

  1. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
  2. Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
  3. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine A. Gleason
  4. A Witch Alone by Marian Green
  5. The Green Hedge Witch by Rae Beth
  6. The Earth Path by Starhawk
  7. Solitary Wicca for Life by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
  8. Natural Witchery by Ellen Dugan
  9. How to Become a Witch by Amber K, Azrael Arynn K
  10. Natural Witchcraft by Marian Green

Top 10 Advanced Books on Wicca and Witchcraft

  1. The Witch’s Path by Thorn Mooney
  2. The Circle Within by Dianne Sylvan
  3. Philosophy of Wicca by Amber Fisher
  4. The Inner Mysteries by Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone
  5. Of Chalk and Flint by Val Thomas
  6. Transformative Witchcraft by Jason Mankey
  7. The Twelve Wild Swans by Starhawk and Hilary Valentine
  8. The Wiccan Warrior by Kerr Cuhulain
  9. The Study of Witchraft by Deborah Lipp
  10. Walking the Tides by Nigel Pearson

Top 10 Books on Druidry

  1. Spritis of the Sacred Grove by Emma Restall Orr
  2. Living Druidry by Emma Restall Orr
  3. Ritual by Emma Restall Orr
  4. The Salmon in the Spring by Jason Kirkey
  5. Way of the Druid by Graeme Tallboys
  6. Natural Druidry by Kristoffer Hughes
  7. Celtic Devotional by John and Caitlinn Matthews
  8. Wild Magic by Danu Forest
  9. The Druid Way by Phillip Carr-Gomm
  10. Living With Honour by Emma Restall Orr

Top 10 Books on History and also Reference Material

  1. The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes
  2. An ABC of Witchcraft by Doreen Valiente
  3. Stations of the Sun by Ronald Hutton
  4. The Witch by Ronald Hutton
  5. The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton
  6. The Book of Witchery by Ellen Dugan
  7. Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland
  8. The Spiral Dance by Starhawk
  9. Cunningham’s Encyclopedias (all of them: Magical Herbs, Wicca in the Kitchen, Crystal Gem, Incense Oils, etc.)
  10. The Devil’s Plantation by Nigel Pearson

Top 10 Herbcraft Books

  1. Hedgerow Medicine by Julie Bruton Seal et al
  2. Herbs for Healthy Living by Dr. Ute Künkele et als
  3. Brighid’s Healing by Gina McGarry
  4. Wild Witchcraft by Marian Green
  5. Garden Witchery by Ellen Dugan
  6. The Garden Witch’s Herbal by Ellen Dugan
  7. Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham
  8. The Hearth Witch’s Compendium by Anna Franklin
  9. A Druid’s Herbal by Ellen Evert Hopman
  10. The Herbalist’s Bible by Julie Bruton Seal et al

Top 10 Spellcraft Books

  1. Earth Power and also the follow-up book, Earth, Air, Fire and Water by Scott Cunningham
  2. Protection Magic by Ellen Dugan
  3. Prosperity Magic by Ellen Dugan
  4. The Natural Magician by Vivianne Crowley
  5. Spellcraft for Hedge Witches by Rae Beth
  6. Magickal Self-Defense by Kerr Cuhulain
  7. Spellcrafts by Scott Cunningham
  8. Spells and How They Work by Janet and Stewart Farrar
  9. The Book of Celtic Magic by Kristoffer Hughes
  10. Protection Spells by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

I hope that these lists helps you, wherever you are on your path! Blessings.

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A Tribute to Scott Cunningham

It’s been 31 years since the beloved author, Scott Cunningham passed on from this life on 28 March 1993. Like many others in the Pagan community, I never knew Scott personally, though I felt that I knew him through his works which were a foundational part of my spiritual path, and which were the tools that opened my eyes to a wonderful earth-based spirituality.

It was the early ‘90s, and a magical Witchcraft shop had opened in Montreal. Melange Magique (The Magical Blend) was located right in the heart of downtown Montreal, on Ste Catherine Street West. I remember walking in and the first thing that I noticed was the amazing smell of handmade incense. It evoked something within me, something that I couldn’t describe at the time, but which I shall never forget and which changed me forever. I wandered the book section, with the cats that lived at the store lounging on shelves and wandering around underfoot. I came to a shelf dedicated to titles on Wicca. I had heard of Wicca only recently, from a course I was taking in college called “Magic, Religion and Science”. I picked up my first book on the subject of Paganism, and it was Scott’s Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. That book literally changed my life. It was the first Pagan book I ever touched, and I am so glad that I did.

Since then, I have read and bought every book that he ever published. And hundreds of other books from hundreds of other authors. Though my path has moved on from Wicca over the years to Druidry and Hedge Witchcraft, I still hold Scott’s words and ideals close to my heart. Yes, I call him Scott, as does everyone who ever read his books. The way that he wrote made you feel like you had a friend on this solitary, seekers path, one that had good advice and common sense. All of us GenXers who got into Paganism came across his works, learned from them and acknowledge (though sometimes grudgingly) that he was a seminal force for so many of us.

I see a growing trend in the last 5 – 10 years or so, of putting down Scott’s work. People say it’s outdated, that we’ve moved on from it, that it holds nothing for today’s Pagan practitioner. I say bollocks. I’ve reread all the books recently, and they still stand up fairly well, considering the time in which they were published. Material was difficult to come by back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, with only a few authors’ works widely available. There is little that I would argue about in his works, even today. Scott researched and tried out everything that he talks about, and so his works come from his own experience. He walked his talk and truly believed in his work and in his spiritual path.

He never claimed that his way of witchcraft was ancient. In fact, at the beginning of Wicca it is clearly established that this is a new tradition, and a new way of working in this spiritual path. He strongly advocated creating and designing your own rituals that work for you, in your particular area, for this was an earth-based path. This is something that I urge everyone to do still, because it means so much to work with your local environment and landscape, wherever that may be.

His style of writing was personal. It felt like he was talking directly to you. He urged the reader to explore, to try new things and not to do it his way, but to use that as inspiration. He also didn’t hold back when he had a strong opinion on certain topics, which I greatly appreciated. He wasn’t afraid to share his opinion, because it came from a strong and valid base of personal experience.

I still have the first editions of his books, because I bought them as they were being released, or within a few years of their initial release. Those early cover artworks, which so many people today often deride or make fun of, were that which sparked me into a magical way of thinking and being. On Wicca, the androgynous man in the robe wafting incense around his back garden by the light of the full moon, that image spoke to me and my romantic soul. I wanted to be that person, that person who chanted the names of the gods under the stars and who connected with the energies of life, death and rebirth that are all around us, all the time.

The woman on the cover of Living Wicca, well, I of course I wanted to be her: summoning or invoking the gods while the deer, rabbits and owls crowded around. And indeed I have had similar experiences over my years of practicing my Craft out in the wilds, calling upon my deities, the spirits of place, the ancestors and more. Never could I have imagined back then that it would become a reality, but it was a starting point and an ideal.

I wanted to know a goddess, a female divinity. I wanted the magic that we all have as children come back and be a part of my life in the present moment. These old book covers demonstrated that to me and more. They are now a backdrop to my life.

The covers have since changed, of course, to adapt to modern fashions and trends. But the contents within those books remain the same. The inner artwork of his books such as Earth Power and Earth, Air, Fire and Water still give me a little thrill. Illustrated by Robin Wood (who did the original covers of Wicca and the follow-up,  Living Wicca), these art nouveau inspired drawings of people working Scott’s spells and rituals were instrumental in making me want to do these practices. This was a spiritual practice that was meant for me, I knew that when I saw these images. And I could do all these things and more. (See Robin Wood’s tarot deck, too, if you love tarot. It’s really, really good.)

I think that many (though not all) of the people who don’t enjoy Scott’s works are from a different generation. They don’t understand what it’s like having to travel miles out of your way to buy a book on any Pagan spiritual practice, because the internet hadn’t been available back then in Ye Olden Days. Comments picked up directly from Aamzon reviews read as:

“A theme with cunninghams books is that they are all tailored to the novice who has never picked up a book on wicca or read about it online.”

Nevermind not bothering with punctuation, but this review fails to notice that Scott’s books were written before material was available online. And there were only a handful of Pagan authors being published at that time, so there was very little material for the novice to read which is why Scott wrote this book in the first place. It’s utterly ignorant of the timeline of the books’ production, its history and the legacy that Scott provided. Sadly, there are dozens of reviews like that online, stating that the information is readily available online, so why buy the book – sigh. Read the boring copyright and publishing info at the beginning of a book, people: it will tell you a lot about a book, when it was written, how popular it has been with different printings, and whether it has been re-published or re-worked. Scott was never able to re-work his books for a modern-day audience, because he died far, far too soon. But I am certain that he would have, and would have enjoyed doing so.

Where do you think all these online sites got the information from, I wonder?

New generations of readers have so much access to material now, that I suppose for some these books may not contain what it is that they are seeking. But for those who want to sit down with an author and their book and really see what it is like working in a certain practice, there is no better alternative than reading a book. So much online material is simply copied and pasted from other sources (many of which derive from Scott’s works) without any heart, feeling or experience behind them. They are soulless.

There are also many reviews from ego-based practitioners, who just want to show off how advanced they are because they are so beyond Scott’s works. Again, sigh.

Is Scott’s work all about love and light? In some aspects, that may be what some people take away from it. But once again, we must remember the context in which the books were written, which is the late 80’s and early ‘90s when Wicca, especially in America, was trying to distance itself from the threat of the “Satanic Panic”. Do the books promote a love for the earth and a way to magically celebrate, work with the energies and reverence the earth? Yes, yes they do. And thank all the gods that they do.

I even recently tried Scott’s simple ritual for the Spring Equinox, taken directly from Wicca. This was going to be an experiment, to see whether this ritual would still have any meaning for me today, someone who has been on this Pagan path for more than 30 years. And you know what? It was lovely. It was a beautiful, simple ritual that connected me to the energies of the seasons, and which brought me closer to the spirits of place where I live.

His spell books such as Earth Power and Earth, Air & Fire Water are still great books for anyone practicing magic today. If you are more secular, then these are the books from Scott that you should read. His books on gems, magical herbalism and spellcrafts are also really good resources for anyone following a Pagan path.

It’s not just about sentimentality, or nostalgia. It’s about an author who changed the face of how we practice most, if not all modern Pagan paths today. His influence is so far-reaching, and yet so many people new to the Craft have no idea of the significance of Scott’s works.  He is a beloved author for many, for good reason. He passed on way too soon from this incarnation, and I would have loved to see what his contemporary writing and works would have offered for today’s magical community.

It would have been wonderful to have journeyed with Scott through many subsequent books, but sadly we only have the ones that date from 1993 and earlier. There have been biographies written about Scott, such as Whispers of the Moon, which I highly recommend for anyone who has been touched by Scott’s work. Written by his friends, it’s a very good portrait of the person and makes him very real, outside of his Wiccan writing. It also demonstrates just how dedicated he was to his spiritual path, and just how much he walked his talk, always experimenting, always trying new things, always progressing on his own journeys. The newest biography, The Path Less Taken that came out in 2023 I found less interesting, and not as well-written though it was written by his sister. In this work she is open about the fact that she never read Scott’s works until after his death, and so knew very little about how he felt about his religion. The writing is disjointed, jumping all over the place timewise, and though most likely written from a place of love, falls short of actually portraying Scott as the magical pioneer that he was.

Would I still recommend Scott’s books to those who are interested in and just starting out on their path of Wicca? Most definitely. I would also recommend Marion Green’s A Witch Alone, Rae Beth’s Hedgewitch, Dorothy Morrison’s The Craft, Silver RavenWolf’s To Ride a Silver Broomstick, Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance and many other books of that generation. I know, I can hear many of you sighing from here. I would also suggest Thorn Mooney’s Traditional Wicca as well as The Witch’s Path, Jason Mankey’s Transformative Witchcraft, Danu Forest’s The Magical Year and anything Ellen Dugan has written, such as Seasons of Witchery and The Natural Witch (alongside ALL of her fiction work, especially the Legacy of Magick series).

Scott Cunningham’s legacy is one that still lives on today. And long may it continue.

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New Video: Beyond Beginner

Hiya! I have a new video up that relates to all Pagan paths, and not just Witchcraft (but needed a specific title). So, I hope you enjoy it!  

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What Is It Like Being A Pagan Author?

What is it like being a Pagan author? Well, it might not be quite what you think! Growing up, I had always wanted to be an author. I wanted to write fantasy fiction, and indeed have written a fantasy book and hope to do more. This year I’m considering trying my hand at some modern, witchy fiction, alongside other books that I am working on. I hope to post up samples up on my Patreon page, along with other writing that I am currently working on later in the year. So, back to the question, what is it like being a Pagan author?

It’s wonderful to be able to share my journeys, my insights and my experience with my readers. To put information out there into the wide world, and have people respond to it is incredible. It can feel like you are setting your work free, to go where it needs to, while at the same time feeling scary as you don’t know how it will be received. But I have had the joy of so many people connecting with me, messaging me, emailing me and commenting here on my blog and on my other social media platforms about how much my work has resonated with them. It fills my heart with joy to know that I have helped, inspired or guided someone on their journey. That in some way I have helped others in this community.

When writing a book about your religion or spirituality, you are sharing a very intimate part of yourself. You are putting this out into the world, and hoping that it doesn’t get destroyed by negativity. You want to be well-received, or else it can feel like sending your child to school and they come home and tell you how they’ve been bullied all day. Putting work out there means sticking your head above the parapet. You are doing something you love, but you have to hope that the outside world will not destroy that love. It takes courage to write.

However, if you are considering becoming a Pagan author, don’t give up your day job! For most authors in any genre, writing is something that they have to do on the side, because the pay just isn’t that great. Until you can sell hundreds of thousands of books, your income will not support this career choice full-time. Many authors, myself included, have other platforms that help to support us, such as on Patreon. I also have a Bandcamp page, where I share music, podcasts, meditations and more as a sideline to my writing. If I was living alone, I wouldn’t be able to survive on these avenues alone. Many people know of my YouTube channel, and again that is an excellent venue for my creativity, but I do not make any money from it, as I refuse to monetise my channel. If I can’t control the type of advertising that appears on there, I won’t do it, and I feel that there is too much advertising in the world as it stands. To think that a MacDonald’s advert could appear in one of my videos just makes my skin crawl.

Royalties paid on books range from the usual 10% net income on every sale (that means that after everyone such as the retailer, the publisher etc. have taken their cut, you then get 10% of what’s left), to perhaps 15% if you sell more than 10,000 copies. Some publishers go up to 20% or 25% if you sell  a whole bunch more, but again that is net income and still isn’t all that much. Audiobooks usually offer the same, but can go up to 25% from the start, depending on your contract. E-books, similar percentages applies.

As a Pagan author these days, you are also expected to do a bunch of marketing. The publishers will initially do a big push at the release of your book (if they are any good), but then it is usually up to you to maintain the momentum. If you already don’t have much time on your hands, using any spare time for marketing can be an issue. Knowledge of all the different platforms is required, and many Pagan authors have to teach themselves how to use them, how to create a “brand” for themselves and more. Again, this is not an easy thing to do, especially if you are not into that sort of thing (most of us aren’t).  It doesn’t always work either, which can result in taking time away from your writing. Getting a publicist can help with this, but the amount that you pay them will usually cancel out, or at least take a huge chunk of any profit you do make from the sales of your book. We are not big-time authors, we are selling to a very niche group of people with very different interests than your popular crime, horror, thriller, fantasy, or romance author.

Essentially you will need to be tech savvy, when all you want to do is snuggle up with some cottagecore.

The time it takes to create a good book is also a factor. It takes me usually a year to research for a new book, and there will always be years of learning before then which are added to the mix. Then there is a year of writing that follows.  A good book doesn’t just happen in a couple of months. After the research and the writing, it then goes through several editing processes. Then there is the discussion of artwork (the book covers and interior artwork), and the correspondence between yourself and your editors regarding these and everything else mentioned above.

It has a lot to do with finding a balance between all these things: between the work that is less enjoyable than writing, and the writing itself. It is also being open to trying new experiences and taking on information and suggestions from others regarding your work. There is an essential task of taking good care of yourself as well, so that you don’t burn out while trying to balance all these things such as the research, the writing, the marketing, the design, the branding, etc. It is essential to take some time out to rest, to recharge and to ground yourself and your practice once again.

Often, as authors we are so busy writing about our spiritual practices that we don’t get much time to actually do them!

These periods of rest are necessary so that you have the energy to go somewhere new with your practice, to try new things and have new experiences. This will allow you to write about these new experiences and lessons instead of just re-hashing all your previous material.

Having a good publisher is for me essential. Self-publishing is extremely difficult, and it a lot of hard work. Publishers usually have much larger platforms to operate from than an individual, and so will sell more books generally. There are one or two self-published Pagan authors who have made it on their own, some of whom are now publishing through well-known companies. Finding good self-published material can be a challenge, as the expertise in editing, design and manufacture usually just isn’t there. Producing your own self-published work requires a knowledge and skill set that most authors don’t have and need to learn. Despite years of working in marketing for a world famous concert hall, my two self-published works still only sell a handful every year. My works with publishers such as Llewellyn sell a great deal more.

I am so grateful to my publishing team at Llewellyn for all that they have done for me and my work. I have published my last two books with them (The Book of Hedge Druidry and also The Path of the Hedge Witch) and am releasing another one with them in the autumn of 2024. Their years of experience and expertise has helped me to create my best work with them. Just with regards to proof-reading and suggestions in the editing process, they are hands down the best. They are also the oldest publisher of Pagan material, and so have that accolade behind them, reaching not only those of us who have been buying their material for decades, but also reaching out to people new to Paganism and all its various traditions. They are a company that has evolved over the decades, learned invaluable lessons and now produce the most wonderful books!

We authors live in a very different world to those authors who were releasing books 20, 30, 40 years ago. We have had to learn to multitask on a whole other level. We live in a consumer culture, and that takes its toll on the writer. We are expected to create content for various online platforms, and not just produce a book. We have and maintain our own websites and social media. Requests to do unpaid work, such as speaking at conference, writing articles for magazines, do interviews for other brands on their platforms: it all adds up. Authors often can’t give enough to meet the demand for free material. I know of authors that have over 88,000 subscribers on YouTube, but have less than 20 people supporting them on Patreon. So many people just want to consume content for free. The books often get lost, or ignored. Who can be bothered to buy and read a whole book when there is so much info out there online for free? Or available via illegal downloading?

That is another issue that authors today face: illegal sharing and downloading of their books on various internet sites. Most of these are scams intended to install trojans on your device, but some actually do offer your book to others for free. I’ve had to tell people to take down my book from their websites, as what they were doing is illegal. If anyone is offering you a pdf version of a book, know that it is an illegal download, and the author is not getting paid one penny for it. If money is tight, there are always libraries and second-hand book shops both in the flesh and online that you can visit to obtain the material legally, and still allow the author the benefit of the sale of at least one book in the process. I’ve written a whole other blog post about that HERE.  

Authors just have to try to navigate living in a world that is all about consumption, rather than conservation. It is hard to live and work in this kind of environment and still preserve the work that we are able to produce. We can’t give enough away for free, and so others will do it for us.

This takes me on to the issue of artificial intelligence.  The upside to all your hard work means that you reach a greater audience of people. The downside is that you reach the wrong kind of people, who are willing to take advantage of your hard work without doing any of their own. As of writing this blog post, I’ve had at least two of my books put through an AI programme to be “rewritten” for someone else to cash in on. And currently there is no law to stop them from doing that. When buying books, please do try to ensure that they are written by actual authors, rather than robots. Check for a website for the author, as well as taking a look at how many books they have released lately. For example, the “author” Mari Silva released four or five books in February 2024 alone. This either means that there is a group of ghost writers going under that name, or that the works have been processed and stolen from other authors using artificial intelligence. The fact that within six months to a year of some popular book releases by real authors in the community, “Mari Silva” then releases a book on the same subject, with similar contents just differently arranged. This deeply suggests an AI theft of someone’s hard work. And with the programmes being so good lately, it’s impossible to tell the difference between a real author and a robot just from reading the work.

Again, this all relates to a culture of consumerism, with its inherent greed, rather than a culture of preservation. We need to help preserve the hard-working authors that do the work, and who usually get paid very little in return in comparison with other forms of employment. We need to support the authors we love, however we can, whether that’s moral or financial support. We also need to buy more books, if we have the resources, instead of getting all our content online through other means.

Of course I am biased in my opinion, because I am an author. But I am also a reader, and I LOVE books. There is nothing like holding a new book in your hands. I remember saving up my pennies in my early days of college back in 1991, and then doing the hour-long bus journey to the witchcraft shop in downtown Montreal where I could buy a new book to help me on my journey. These books and their authors became not only my mentors, but also my greatest spiritual friends. Even though some have passed on from this world these past 30 years, their words still live on and I feel their presence in my life and in my work.

Being a Pagan author is a wonderful career, if you can make it work. It’s not an easy route to success, and it still succumbs to the dream of “overnight fame” and the like. The odds of that happening are similar to being an overnight pop star, or YouTube influencer. You can produce the most beautiful content on any platform, but whether or not it gets picked up is rather random.

However, if you have something to say, if you have a skill to impart, if you have inspiration whispering in your ear to go and write than book, then go for it! And I wish you all the best! Knowing that you can make a difference in people’s lives is worth all the challenges that you will face in this line of work.

Blessings to you all.

Available now, my new book – The Path of the Hedge Witch: Simple, Natural Magic and the Art of Hedge Riding: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Path-Hedgewitch-Simple-Natural-Riding/dp/0738772283

Join my Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/joannavanderhoeven

Website: http://www.joannavanderhoeven.com/

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Blog: https://downtheforestpath.com/

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkI8C2dqmUb-eatjxaDWXmw   Buy my book – Hedge Druidry: A Complete Guide for the Solitary Seeker: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Hedge-Druidry-Complete-Solitary/dp/0738758256

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Book Review: Witches’ Sabbats and Esbats by Sandra Kynes (Formerly published as A Year of Ritual)

Kynes’ re-published work through Crossed Crow books brings a long-standing classic back to life. Within its pages you will find good, solid foundations for starting your own practice, whether that is solo or in a group context. Indeed, she provides ritual outlines for both group and solo practices for each sabbat and esbat, which can be invaluable to the beginner.

There are good tables of basic correspondences, including that of the Norse runes. The runes in an esbat ritual are a new addition to the work, which I’m sure many will find interesting. The second chapter that presents the tables of correspondences and symbols in general is in fact new, and is a good starting point for those who are beginning to learn the ins and outs of a witchcraft or wiccan tradition.

The book is well-written, in an easy-going tone that draws the reader in, explaining things concisely without getting too flowery in the descriptions. The author’s own experience comes through in this work, and after having written nineteen books since the first release of this one, has become an established voice in the witchcraft and pagan community.

The only hiccup in this work was, for me, a personal one which others may not find issue with at all. In the October esbat ritual, it is dedicated to Tolkein’s elven mythology. For me it feels a bit wrong to call upon characters based in a set of fantasy books (albeit amazing ones and one of my favourite authors) and honouring them as an established mythos. For others this may present no problem at all.

A whole new generation of witches will be able to access this book once more, now that it is no longer out of print and re-released. I hope they enjoy it too.

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A Pine Protection Spell

The spell below is one that I provided to my Patreon community. Each month, I post a different spell or information relating to spellcraft, alongside other offerings such as herbcraft, Book of Shadows material (rituals, info, etc.) personal updates via video and more. If you are interested in joining me on my Patreon page and supporting my work, please click the following link: https://www.patreon.com/joannavanderhoeven

A Pine Protection Spell

This is a simple spell that you can use for protection. It can be for yourself, the home, the car or anywhere you feel an extra added protection bonus is necessary. This protection spell requires a pine cone, and so the size will matter depending on how you wish to have it function. If it’s for personal protection and made to be carried around, a small pinecone that you can fit in your pocket or handbag is ideal. Slightly bigger ones can be used for the car, and even bigger ones in the home. As always, use what is available to you in your area, and make sure that you have permission to collect the pine cones both from the landowner and the parent tree itself when foraging.

What you will need:

A pinecone (or several, for protecting a larger area)

Red thread (if hanging them up to protect a larger area)

After collecting your pine cone/s, wait for a bright, sunny day. Hold the pine cone/s out in your hands and let it absorb the light of the sun. See and feel the sunlight streaming down into the cone, infusing it with its strength. Then, say these or similar words:

Cone of strength

Cone of power

I enchant you

In this hour

Light of sun

Strength of tree

Protect me now

And blessed be

You can repeat this chant three, seven or nine times, for extra oomph to the spell. Then, either carry the pine cone on your person, or if you have a large cone or several cones, tie them up with red thread and hang in a prominent space in the home. You can tie several together should you so wish. If you need something more discreet for the home,  place them in a nice bowl instead, where they will still work their magic and look decorative. If you are using this for travel protection in your car, ensure that you still have a fairly small cone that you can hang from the rearview mirror, and one that will not impede your view in any direction.

Add extra energy to this spell by spritzing the area with a pine needle and/or bark infusion. See the previous herbcraft post on Scots Pine for full instructions on how to make and use a pine infusion.

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New Video: Beloved Autumn and Samhain

I’ve just uploaded a new video onto my YouTube channel: “Beloved Autumn and Samhain”. I hope you like it 🙂

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Another turn of the wheel…

t’s been a year since The Path of the Hedge Witch came out! Where has the time gone? I’m nearly finished writing up the sequel, which hopefully will be available this time next year 🙂 Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my work. All the wonderful comments, emails, reviews and messages make me filled with gratitude for being able to share my experiences with you. Here’s to another year!

(And the audiobook cover)