Friday, June 10, 2011

Witchy Writing with Deborah Blake

I write about witches a lot and when I create them and their magic I try to throw in some real stuff in addition to my fictional magick created in my imagination.

So I turn to books for advice and knowledge.

I've went through a lot of witchcraft and Wicca books over the years and I have to say Deborah Blake's newest books are the best ones ever.

Everyday Witch A to Z and the Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook are phenomenal- easy to read, easy to understand, and fun they make witchcraft modern and simple unlike many books that are so archaic and complicated it's hard to follow or remember anything.

And just recently she inked a deal for her next book- 50 RITUALS FOR THE EVERYDAY WITCH, a comprehensive guide to a year of magical practice for the modern witch.

Not only does Deborah Blake write she also teaches classes about writing- her Witchcraft for the Paranormal Author class recently ended which I am bummed that I missed it. But hopefully she'll offer it again.

Her Beyond Fangs—Creating New and Interesting Paranormal Characters
- class is coming up in October. I think I'm going to register now- the class is only $16.

If you need some magick help or advice- check out these books below.


Break out your broomstick, and add a spark of magick to every day! Do stuffy academic tomes on Witchcraft make you want to hide in your broom closet or cast a boredom-banishing spell? Now you can get the low-down on everything you ever wondered about Witchcraft, and it’s as simple as A, B, C—sprinkled throughout with humor, flair, and a healthy dose of Witchy wisdom.

Unique and fun for everyone, Everyday Witch A to Z invites you to dip into a delightful medley of magickal essentials. Whether you’re just setting out on the path or looking to add extra zest to your practice, this friendly book on Witchcraft is for you. From creating and casting spells to working with stones and herbs, you will learn how magick works, what Witches do, and how you can incorporate Witchcraft into your daily life. Even Magic the Cat, the author’s magickal familiar, lends a playful paw with spells and wise words of her own!


This book is a great read and touches on just about everything that has to do with witches and witchcraft- it's perfect for beginners.


Today's Witch deals with everything from family drama to weight loss to fertility—concerns that go well beyond your average spellbook's well-worn repertoire. Brimming with practical everyday magick, this is the perfect companion for your multifaceted life.

Organized alphabetically, each of the nearly 200 spells has an associated goal to help you manifest your exact intention, plus corresponding candle colors, herbs, gemstones, and oils to help you focus your will more effectively. You'll also find a helpful primer on spellcasting, tips on crafting your own spells, and Magic the Cat's mewsings on working with a familiar. Fun and easy to use, this spellbook is filled with unique charms, blessings, and spells.

—Get ahead at work
—Fulfill obligations
—Control appetite
—Ensure safe childbirth
—Repair a damaged friendship
—Heal sick pets
—Strengthen a marriage
—Make sex more satisfying
—Quit bad habits


I love this book. It sits next to my computer, or at another within reach place, all the time and I use it a lot.

Yes, I even use the spells. The writing success spell is fabulous. Writers use it- it works.


Practicing Witchcraft doesn't have to cost an arm, a leg, and a broomstick!

From homemade tools to frugal feasts to thrifty home decoration, Deborah Blake offers economical tips and suggestions for stretching your dollar while enriching your practice. She gives clear, simple instructions for making your own magickal oils, runes, tarot cards, candles, jewelry, charms, and wands, all using inexpensive materials. Choose from over fifty ways to practice Witchcraft that cost little or no money, and try more than forty recipes for tasty sabbat dishes that cost ten dollars or less.

With a sprinkling of imagination and a touch of magick, you can add to your inner wealth of spirituality. After all, the best parts of being a Witch are always free.


This is the only one of Deborah's books I have not gotten my hands on yet- it's on my wish list and it will be in my hands soon. I hope.


From the hearth to the altar, make magic in every moment. Being a Witch isn't limited to casting a spell under the full moon or consecrating a ritual circle. Whether you're calling the Goddess or doing the dishes, your wonderfully witchy ways are woven into everything you do.

With her signature down-to-earth wisdom and warmth, Deborah Blake takes you into the heart of what it means to be a Witch all day, every day. Filled to the brim with practical suggestions, Pagan and Wicca spells, and helpful advice, this essential book brings to light all facets of a modern Witch's life: The seven core beliefs of Witches, mindful eating and health, creating sacred space at home, relationships with non-Pagans, sex and the single Witch, raising Pagan children, solitary and coven practice, Pagan ritual, and green living.

"Deborah Blake has created a practical method of weaving the spiritual into the daily chores of the mundane world in which we must live."-Edain McCoy, author of Advanced Witchcraft and If You Want to Be a Witch


This is a fabulous book with information and that can be used when creating witchy characters.


Green, Celtic, Alexandrian, Eclectic…every circle, coven, and grove of Witches is as unique as the magick they practice. No matter what kind of Witch you are, High Priestess Deborah Blake's guide to ritual has something for you.

Part instruction manual, part personal journal, and part Book of Shadows, this all-in-one ritual handbook is an ideal tool for busy Witches, new covens, and new priestesses, priests, or coven leaders. Celebrate the Wheel of the Year with original group rituals that can be used as written, personalized to reflect your coven's unique style, or modified for solitary practitioners. Along with practical tips on ritual basics, there are beautifully written New Moon rituals, Full Moon rituals, and Sabbat celebrations for each month and season.

Circle, Coven & Grove presents basic correspondences for magickal practice and coven work essentials such as circle etiquette. With seasonal spells, blessings, and rituals for celebrating holidays, increasing energy, giving thanks, healing, and more, this friendly book has everything you need.

This book is more traditional when it comes to witchcraft and is best for practicing or writing about coven magic.

Not for the solitary witch.


About the Author

Deborah Blake is the author of Circle, Coven and Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice (Llewellyn 2007), Everyday Witch A to Z: An Amusing, Inspiring & Informative Guide to the Wonderful World of Witchcraft (Llewellyn 2008), The Goddess is in the Details: Wisdom for the Everyday Witch (Llewellyn 2009), Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook (2010) and Witchcraft on a Shoestring (2010). She has published numerous articles in Pagan publications, including Llewellyn annuals and has an ongoing column in Witches & Pagans Magazine.

Her award-winning short story, "Dead and (Mostly) Gone" is included in the Pagan Anthology of Short Fiction: 13 Prize Winning Tales (Llewellyn, 2008). Deborah had been interviewed on television, radio and podcast, and can be found online at Facebook, Twitter and www.myspace.com/deborahblakehps.

When not writing, Deborah runs The Artisans' Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker. She lives in a 100 year old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magickal and mundane


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