RATING: 🌙 🌙 🌙 🌙 🌙 / 5
I’ve probably read half a dozen books on witchcraft this summer, but without a doubt, Inner Witch by Gabriela Herstik has easily become my instant favorite. It’s breezy and readable, yet doesn’t shy away from the core tenets traditionally associated with witchcraft. Inner Witch also is not directed toward any one particular “kind” of witch, but for empowered women and feminists, who often happen to be witches.
This book is careful not to assert that witchcraft is just one thing. Instead it acknowledges that there are so many reasons that someone might identify as a witch and works within that parameter to share a few reasons that are not entirely to do with religion or spirituality. While Herstik shares her point of view, her beliefs and her experience, this book acknowledges other points of view and repeatedly celebrates individual beliefs.
Inner Witch at its core is a witchcraft how-to manual. It doesn’t claim to be the end-all-be-all, but instead a place for a curious reader to get started. It provides a light history of witchcraft, beliefs, magick (with a k!), with chapters on lunar cycles, herbs, crystals, and tarot. There are spells sprinkled throughout and even an awesome chapter on fashion. The fashion chapter may be my favorite. It’s inspirational, practical, and even a bit spiritual.
With that said, Inner Witch has its drawbacks as well. For one thing, if you’re not exactly new to witchcraft, some chapters can a little repetitive. Only so much can be said about the basics of Tarot. The next thing is that it is only a cursory introduction to witchcraft. It’s meant to skim the surface and so if you’re hoping for a real deep-dive on a particular topic, you are not going to find that here.
Inner Witch is great to have on hand as a reference book and that’s where I see myself turning to it most, especially when I need to answer the age-old question of “what am I going to wear today?” – something the Moon-birds never take lightly.
Moon-Birds 
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