Finding the best books for beginning your journey into the world of witchcraft and the occult can feel incredibly daunting. When you look around, it seems like there are endless books, tools, herbs, and different ways of practicing—it’s enough to make a beginner feel completely overwhelmed.
That’s why I’ve written this guide! After years of collecting magickal texts, the question I hear most often is simple: “Where do I start?”
I’ve compiled a list of what I believe are The Best Books for Beginning your Journey in Witchcraft. These are the texts that personally guided my early steps and laid the foundation for the practice I have today. If you’re ready to stop feeling overwhelmed and start walking your path, these five books are your essential starting line. Below I will paste links where you can buy these books as this blog is an amazon affiliate.
I cannot stress this book enough—it is foundational. While the title mentions the paranormal, one of the first and most critical lessons you’ll learn is how to ground yourself. Grounding and energy work are, without question, the absolute bedrock of all witchcraft.
Cross explains the steps to begin this vital work with clear, easy-to-follow mental imagery. You’ll get a serious crash course in the necessities: how to cleanse your home, what herbs are used for protection, and how to effectively use tools like pendulums and candles.
Even if spirit work isn’t your goal, you will absolutely need the basics of grounding, repairing your aura, and working with energy, and this book hammers that lesson home. You could, in all honesty, write a whole book about why this one is a must-read for any new practitioner!
This beautiful book is often the first one that catches a beginner’s eye—and for good reason! With its silver metallic engravings and lined pages, it’s a stunning piece of work. For many, including myself, it was one of the very first books on the craft we ever picked up.
The Book of Practical Witchcraft is genuinely loaded with nearly everything you need to know when starting out. It includes:
Deities and their worship
A complete list of tools and how to use them
Herbs and crystals with their magickal properties
Incense blends and candle wax readings
The basics of elements and cardinal directions
It has a little bit of everything! The only reason it follows the first book is because I believe you need to master energy work before diving into the practical spells this book offers. Nevertheless, it’s one I would one hundred percent recommend as an essential, all-in-one resource.
This recommendation is a little different, as it focuses on starting your journey with Appalachian Hoodoo and traditional granny folk magick. Written by High Priestess Barbara Daca (and my wife’s aunt!), these books offer a full breakdown of a very specific, powerful tradition.
The collection covers everything from making Poppets to working with goofer dust, and it teaches about breaking blood bonds and curses, as well casting curses themselves (these books definitely need to be used with caution!). They all reference each other and are best treated as one large, cohesive guide. Barbara is a wonderful person and a truly powerful witch—I have the utmost respect for her work and recommend her path-specific guides to any practicing witch. She is also my wife’s aunt, so she’s quite literally family.
When it comes to learning Tarot, this is the book you want. It’s far more than just a brief description next to a card photo; it’s a complete codex that acts as the key to understanding the deck.
Tarot cards contain a hidden code based on symbolism, imagery, and numerology, and this book breaks it all down in an incredibly organized way. It features meditation exercises for each Major Arcana and a clear breakdown of the numbered suits, making the meanings easy to remember. By the end, you’ll confidently be able to lay out spreads and read them like a professional.
Witchcraft and the occult are dense with symbols. Symbols have power—they can change the vibrations around them and are capable of protecting, summoning, and bringing luck. That’s why having a solid reference guide is a must.
This thick sourcebook is chalked full of every important symbol in existence, describing the history and meaning behind religious, occult, and miscellaneous signs. Once you start studying, you’ll begin to see the symbols from this book everywhere: in advertising, groups, and even government institutions. It honestly opens your world up a lot, making it a powerful resource for any practicing occultist.
Final Thoughts on Your Witchcraft Journey
While I own many more books I could recommend, this article was deliberately focused on finding The Best Books for Beginning your Journey in Witchcraft. I think it’s crucial to get your foot in the door and really grasp the basics before moving on to challenging grimoires like The Key of Solomon.
The books above will guide you wonderfully along your way as you begin to walk the path. They provide a great outline, but remember: your path is yours alone to discover.
Blessed be!