Fire Lyte

As someone who "does the research", I appreciated this book and the many times it told me to go do more research. I've been doing the research for a few years now, but my focus has largely been on learning more about matriarchal societies which always seems to lead back to witches (and yes, I know why, I'm not complaining). This also means that a lot of what I'm reading that's accessible isn't necessarily the most "academic" (and while I know 3 million people weren't murdered during the show more European witch trials, the author seemed dismissive of the fact that the people that were tried were overwhelmingly female).

One of the books recommended is Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America which I read in 2023, I'm pretty sure I even considered reading The Dabbler's Guide back then, but wasn't interested in reading about witchcraft from a dude around that time (it's been difficult to be interested in hearing from men since 2022). Of all the witchy books I've purchased, this is one of the few that I've completed (I've been stalled a quarter of the way through The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess since 2023).

Most of this book is about how magic and the mundane can go hand-in-hand and advising readers to be cautious of anyone selling you something. I appreciated all of that. More than anything this book confirmed that my slow-weaving path is perfectly fine and there is no one right way or even organized entity (thank goodness, I hate organizations) to tell a curious seeker where to go or what to do. The last section includes "spells" with some fun ideas that I plan to try with my kiddo. show less

This book dives into vital but often neglected witchcraft topics: ethics, purpose, appropriation, discernment, media, culture, self-education, etc. Includes a fantastic reference list. Lyte's personality shines with humor and feels very down-to-earth. An essential addition to any witchcraft/Pagan bookshelf.

As someone who hadn't read a witchy book since probably the early 00's, I found The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft to be a fresh, modern discussion of some real issues which occur within the magical community, how to handle them, as well as some practical magical advice. The author's clear style makes it easy to follow, and the sense of humor had me laughing out loud in many places. This is an excellent addition to anyone's witchy bookshelf and I look forward to reading the author's next book.