Book Review-The Witch’s Workshop: A Guide to Crafting Your Own Magical Tools by Melissa Jayne Madara

Photo Credits: Stock Photo of The Witch’s Workshop, courtesy of Publisher

The Witch’s Workshop: A Guide to Crafting Your Own Magical Tools by Melissa Jayne Madara is a 231 page book published by Watkins Publishing, a division of Watkins Media Group, of which I received an e-book copy. This book, to start off with, is beautiful, with full color pages, photos and vintage style plant illustrations gracing the pages. As far as the material within the book goes, the recipes are tried and true, having used the same or similar recipes myself in the past. Madara gives recipes for incense, oils, powders, candles, dyes, inks, how to craft ritual paper, ritual chalk, and making ritual tools yourself, often harvesting the materials needed locally. This is Green Witchcraft at its peak, and a book that wasn’t on my radar, that has proven to be very useful for the beginner (especially), and even advanced witches. With easy to follow instructions and easily obtained ingredients and materials, you too can make all your own witchcraft supplies, and imbue them with your own energy, making them even more powerful!

Personal Thoughts on The Witch’s Workshop

I wish this book had been published long ago, because these are the types of Witchery that I was first drawn to; I still make my own supplies at times, but as life got busier, I found it more convenient to simply purchase the materials needed from a storefront. This book reignited that passion to make my own magical tools and supplies once again, and I plan on starting to soon, as harvest season starts coming into full gear in my area of Ohio. I appreciate Madara being inclusive of multiple traditions of witchcraft, including deities from various cultures and pantheons into the recipes and rituals given. An eclectic green witchcraft book can be hard to come by, as the focus in my experience is on the Celtic Pantheon, or Wiccan ideas, but The Witch’s Workshop delivers! As Samhain begins to draw nearer, I plan on using some of the recipes and ideas given in this book personally.

Because of the beauty of the book, in terms of design, the easy to make crafts and ritual items, as well as the solid foundations on which the crafts in this book are built on, I give The Witch’s Workshop: A Guide to Creating Your Own Magical Tools a 5 on a scale of 1-5. It’s got more than enough material for the beginning and advanced witch to learn something from, and as said previously, the recipes are doable, crafts easily made, and ingredients and supplies easily obtained. All aspects of real witchery, at least in my opinion. I believe this is the book every Witch looking to make their own magical tools, ritual supplies, and spell ingredients, should have.

Melissa Jayne Madara is a Witch, herbalist, educator and author living in New York City. They are the head of Moon Cult, an online organization dedicated to sharing quality education and resources on witchcraft, occult history, and the botanical arts. She centers her research on folklore and pre-christian religions, with a focus on finding historical formularies for food, fragrance, adn herbcraft. As an occultist, Melissa is largely concerned with the ancient religions of Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean coast, divination, herbal magic, and work with poisonous plants. Melissa’s work as an herbalist can be found in their incense, perfume, and tinctures under their apothecary brand, Moon Cult Herbs. 

 

About the Author:

Hello there! I’m the Modern Merlin, and I’ve been a Polytheist and Animist Pagan, Witch, Sorcerer, Wizard, Druid, Mystic, Ceremonial Magician, Occultist, Shaman, Seer and Soothsayer for 15 years, worshipping and casting magick with deities and spirits from many cultures, including Ancient Greece, Rome, Norse & Germanic, Celtic, Egyptian, Sumerian, as well as many Faeries, Nymphs, Dryads, Ancestors and other nature and land spirits and spirits of place. I practice Necromancy and Deathwalking, as well as Traditional Witchcraft, Druidry, Hellenism and Ceremonial Magick. I study and practice Astrology as well as Tarot and other forms of divination such as Runes, Palmistry and Ogham. I give readings and spiritual services on my Facebook Page, The Modern Merlin, as well other free informational posts for everyone to see!