Witchy Books You NEED To Read
Suburban Witchery’s Book Recommendations
I am a self professed bibliophile, and I always have at least 2 books on the go at any one time along with a mile high pile of books I want to read.
If you too are a lover of books, BOY, do I have a list for you!
Now, I never recommend a resource or in this case, book, without first having read it in order to make sure I’m comfortable recommending it to others and especially to those who are new to the craft. There are a few out there that I’m sure could be added to this list, but they either didn’t ‘grab’ me or I didn’t gel with the beliefs and ideas within the book. This list has been created in July 2021 and I’m sure I will grow and edit this list with time. If you like me, and my content, you will most likely enjoy these books in your life too!
I have separated them into genres because my followers have a wide array of interests and reasons for following me, so you may be into Tarot and not care for Astrology, therefore you can look straight to the Divination section of my list.
If there are any that I haven’t listed, I encourage you to comment them below so I can give them a read too!
I also have a large list of books I want to read on my Amazon wishlist which you can find here not to mention my Good Reads account which you’ll see just here.
Divination
Time for Tea - Lindel Barker-Revel
This book is actually one I found in a thrift shop! It struck my eye because I love tea but this lovely book is not just about drinking tea, it’s about tea leaf reading and it is done beautifully! This particular book was my first dip into divination. It’s super feminine and isn’t scary at all so an excellent starting point for anyone with religious trauma. There are also some lovely little quotes scattered throughout along with scone recipes to have with your tea. She includes some key symbols that you may see in the cup, along with how to prepare the cup properly too.
Tarot Court Cards for Beginners - Leeza Robertson
For a lot of people, the court cards can be the toughest cards to figure out but not if you have this book! Leeza makes it easy to get into the energy of the court cards with a unique and in depth look into each card. Written for beginners, this is however great for anyone on their Tarot journey, I think everyone could learn something. It’s not too esoteric to be off putting which makes it perfect for those who may be new to the cards.
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom - Rachel Pollack
This is an absolute must have for anyone who’s into Tarot. Rachel takes a deep dive into every single card, looking at how they speak with one another as well as their personal meanings in an upright and reversed position. The book is based on the traditional Rider Waite Smith deck of cards and is one of those books that every Tarot reader should have on their shelf. You will find yourself returning to her wisdom time and time again. I will let you know however this isn’t a beginner friendly book, as it’s a serious deep dive into the cards. I’d recommend this for intermediate readers or those wishing to advance their studies very seriously.
Palmistry - Roberta Vernon
One of the prettier books on my shelf, this one also comes with a large palmistry poster which is fun! Unfortunately I left mine in my old study space when we moved home otherwise you’d see it in more of my content! Now, I’m not palmistry expert but this book easily goes into the main lines, what they mean and how to decipher it all for yourself. A really great introduction to the world of palm reading and fortune telling!
Suburban Witchery’s Book Recommendations
I am a self professed bibliophile, and I always have at least 2 books on the go at any one time along with a mile high pile of books I want to read.
If you too are a lover of books, BOY, do I have a list for you!
Now, I never recommend a resource or in this case, book, without first having read it in order to make sure I’m comfortable recommending it to others and especially to those who are new to the craft. There are a few out there that I’m sure could be added to this list, but they either didn’t ‘grab’ me or I didn’t gel with the beliefs and ideas within the book. This list has been created in July 2021 and I’m sure I will grow and edit this list with time. If you like me, and my content, you will most likely enjoy these books in your life too!
I have separated them into genres because my followers have a wide array of interests and reasons for following me, so you may be into Tarot and not care for Astrology, therefore you can look straight to the Divination section of my list.
If there are any that I haven’t listed, I encourage you to comment them below so I can give them a read too!
I also have a large list of books I want to read on my Amazon wishlist which you can find here not to mention my Good Reads account which you’ll see just here.
Divination
Time for Tea - Lindel Barker-Revel
This book is actually one I found in a thrift shop! It struck my eye because I love tea but this lovely book is not just about drinking tea, it’s about tea leaf reading and it is done beautifully! This particular book was my first dip into divination. It’s super feminine and isn’t scary at all so an excellent starting point for anyone with religious trauma. There are also some lovely little quotes scattered throughout along with scone recipes to have with your tea. She includes some key symbols that you may see in the cup, along with how to prepare the cup properly too.
Tarot Court Cards for Beginners - Leeza Robertson
For a lot of people, the court cards can be the toughest cards to figure out but not if you have this book! Leeza makes it easy to get into the energy of the court cards with a unique and in depth look into each card. Written for beginners, this is however great for anyone on their Tarot journey, I think everyone could learn something. It’s not too esoteric to be off putting which makes it perfect for those who may be new to the cards.
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom - Rachel Pollack
This is an absolute must have for anyone who’s into Tarot. Rachel takes a deep dive into every single card, looking at how they speak with one another as well as their personal meanings in an upright and reversed position. The book is based on the traditional Rider Waite Smith deck of cards and is one of those books that every Tarot reader should have on their shelf. You will find yourself returning to her wisdom time and time again. I will let you know however this isn’t a beginner friendly book, as it’s a serious deep dive into the cards. I’d recommend this for intermediate readers or those wishing to advance their studies very seriously.
Palmistry - Roberta Vernon
One of the prettier books on my shelf, this one also comes with a large palmistry poster which is fun! Unfortunately I left mine in my old study space when we moved home otherwise you’d see it in more of my content! Now, I’m not palmistry expert but this book easily goes into the main lines, what they mean and how to decipher it all for yourself. A really great introduction to the world of palm reading and fortune telling!
New Age/Psychic
The Green Book of Psychic Development - CB Bjork
This book is not too big in size so it’s a nice quick easy read. It’s very straight forward and it goes through a whole host of topics. You have everything from the psychic senses, what they are and how to develop them individually. Meditation tips, mediumship development tips, tools that pyshics use with recommendations on what to try. He also covers protection in the psychic space.
Many Lives Many Masters - Brian L Weiss
This book changed me. Seriously! It changed my perception of the afterlife, my ideas around reincarnation and challenged a lot of what I was led to believe from the church. An absolute MUST read for anyone interested in past lives, the afterlife and psychology/psychiatry and the spiritual connections. Phenomenal book. 10 out of 5 stars.
You Can Heal Your Life - Louise L. Hay
This is the number one go to book that I recommend for anyone who’s looking into doing some shadow work. It doesn’t look like your typical shadow working book I know, but that’s exactly what it is, in a really soft and gentle way. She will guide you through figuring yourself out, why you are the way you are, why things trigger you the way they do and how to begin moving forward from this and heal from the inside out. This book comes with an amazing glossary. It goes through a range of physical and medical issues with their potential spiritual causes along with affirmations to help move beyond these.
NOTE: Some things in this book may be seen as ableist. I want to use an example here and advise you to not take it all completely literally… the glossary has a section on burns and how when we burn ourselves it can be a physical representation of our internal anger. This is referring to a little burn on the stove or hair straightener and not to be read for things like burn victims or serious injury inflicted due to abuse.
Heart Thoughts - Louise L. Hay
This is just a beautiful book to use for bibliomancy. Ask it ‘what do I need to hear today’ and flip to a page. Each page has a lovely affirmation or quote, some gorgeous artwork and a small paragraph with some more guidance. This book was gifted to me when I was going through post natal depression and it was fantastic for me so a great gift idea for those going through a tough time. She covers a variety of topics to help you release old beliefs and old habits in order to make the necessary changes in your life.
Anatomy of the Spirit - Caroline Myss
This book changed the way I viewed the chakra systems. This book gives an in depth look into each of the chakra systems and compares them with the religious rites of passage from three major religions basically connecting the Hindu chakras with the Christian sacraments and the Kabbalah’s Tree of Life. Caroline is a medical intuitive this book talks on the spiritual reasoning behind many illnesses and issues that pop up in life. Not a quick read, this book needs your time and dedication.
Similar caveat to the You Can Heal Your Life book being that not everything we go through physically/mentally has to have some greater spiritual meaning. That can sometimes be more detrimental to believe that. It is an intriguing book, well worth the read, but remember, if you’re ill, it’s NOT your fault!
Witchcraft
Waking the Witch - Pam Grossman
Pam Grossman is a talented wordsmith. She traverses the many ways Witches are seen in pop culture in a way that is both intriguing and exciting. She is open to the many ways witchery presents itself and it’s truly a refreshing read. Not a how to book, but definitely one that anyone who calls themselves a Witch should read.
The Book of Herb Spells - Cheralyn Darcey
This is a wonderful little book of spells and a great addition to any green or kitchen witches shelf! Perfect for beginners and intermediate witches, it includes an introduction to spell work and correspondances and then it groups spells by category for you. This book covers Love, Relationships and Friendship, Home, Family and Pets, Study, Career and Money, Protection, Clearing and Banishment, Health, Self-Care and Happiness, Spirituality, Faith and Divination so there is most topics covered in such a handy little book. Side note, the illustrations and whole vibe is very aesthetically pleasing and it’s simple and easy to read.
Candle Magic - Lucya Starza
If you’re interested in candle magic at all this is the perfect beginners book for you! It’s a super quick read, and really just a very small book at only 110 pages but it manages to cover a lot of ground. I went into this thinking I already knew it all, and was pleasantly surprised to pick up one or two new ideas from its pages. Very much aimed at beginners but like me, you may find some hidden wisdom within too.
The Healing Power of Witchcraft - Meg Rosenbriar
If you want a super high vibe spell book then this is the one. Meg gives a really thorough introduction to Witchcraft, with the basics that you need to know for spellwork. She covers circle casting, raising energy, setting up your altar, having the right supplies, common correspondances and so much more. This is one of the books I recommend the most to new Witches entering the craft as it does a really great job of explaining everything. The spells within include crystals, herbs and essential oils and are all quite accessible (you won’t have to go out and buy a heap of things to do them). Nothing too advanced in here, but sometimes simple is best. I love that the sole intention of the book is to heal and uplift too, it’s so lovely.
The Good Witch’s Guide - Shawn Robbins and Charity Bedell
This is a part of the Wiccapedia book series. Now I’m not Wiccan myself and have previously stayed away from Wiccan books however having read this one, I now realise that was silly. There are some excellent take aways in this little book and it’s perfect for those that are new to the craft as it gives some excellent basics. The only thing to note here is to remember not every book is perfect. Take what resonates and leave the rest is a great motto. One tiny thing that bothered me is the suggestion to cleanse crystals in water, this is fine for the quartz family of crystals (amethyst, citrine, rose quartz) but please don’t put anything like selenite in water as it will dissolve and you’ll ruin your crystal so it’s always a good idea to read books like this critically and double check your information before going forward. Overall a good little book.
Rise Sister Rise - Rebecca Campbell
I guess not technically a Witchcraft book, but I wasn’t sure where else to place it. This is witchy feminism in a book and I’m so here for it! This book made me desire a connetion with women in a way I hadn’t felt before. I want to join womens circles and chant with one another beneath the night sky and it’s actually the book that inspired me to go out and join a moon circlea few years back!
Herbcraft - Nerys Purchon
Not a witchy book yet again, however this is a must have for any kitchen or green witches out there. This book is all about the healing and practical uses for herbs and plants with details on how to make decoctions, infusions, poultices and tinctures plus so much more. I always recommend using real knowledge alongside the magical properties when doing spell work and this book will be your perfect guide.
Astrology
Moonology - Yasmin Boland
This book is excellent for those wanting to learn how to work with moon manifesting. It is perfect for beginners and anyone wanting to be more in tune with the lunar cycles. Yasmin has some other great books, notably I’d also recommend the mercury retrograde book to add to your collection.
The Essential Guide to Practical Astrology - April Elliot Kent
If you want to start taking astrology seriously, this is the book for you. It is excellent for beginners and intermediate astro nerds. She starts with all the basics that you need to know and the book gets progressively deeper into astrology as you go on. It’s a perfect beginning point to learn what you need to know in order to begin decoding your own chart as well as others. Highly recommend.
In order to stay up to date with witchy information, and give you all the greatest book recommendations, I need to read ALL the books! Click here to view my amazon wishlist to help me provide you with more content!
This post is also in video format! See my YouTube videos below with more to come on this topic in future!
Meet Hana
Hana O’Neill, the Suburban Witch is a professional Tarot & Astrology reader, Intuitive Coach and the host of the Witch Talks podcast.
