This is a beautifully illustrated beginner's guide into folklore and magic. Plants are described for their attributes and uses. It would be very useful as a counter book for beginning witches!

Book Review: The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick by Lindsay Squire

Rating: 4 Stars

When I first picked up The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick by Lindsay Squire, I was immediately enchanted by its eye-catching cover. As someone who has dabbled in the world of witchcraft, I found this book to be an insightful and practical resource for connecting with the ancient wisdom of folklore and magick.

Squire's guide draws from the deep well of folkloric knowledge that has been passed down through generations, often by village medicine women and those who lived on the fringes of formal academia. These women, with their profound understanding of nature's healing and magical properties, laid the groundwork for modern-day witchcraft practices. This book is a homage to that tradition, making it accessible to novices and seasoned practitioners alike.

What I particularly appreciated about this guide is its simple structure. Whether you're curious about the magickal legends associated with plants and trees or eager to learn about folk magick charms and spells, each section is clearly defined. This makes it easy to reference key information quickly, allowing you to revisit specific topics as needed. The explanations are detailed yet easy to digest, making it a great tool for anyone looking to expand their knowledge.

In addition to its informative content, the book is also a feast for the eyes. Each page is adorned with beautiful artwork that complements the text. This combination of content and imagery transforms the book into more than just a reference guide; it becomes an inspiring companion for anyone on their magickal journey.

In summary, The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick is an enchanting addition to any witch's library. It bridges the gap between ancient traditions and modern practices, all while being a visual delight. Although I gave it four stars, it's only because I'm always on the lookout for a bit more depth in historical context. Nevertheless, it's a book I will certainly revisit time and again as I continue my own exploration of folklore magick.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a great book! Really interesting to read, and the graphics were beautiful. It was super informative, and I loved the illustrations with each of the herb, flower, and tree that gave a general overview of information. I loved reading about the historical, folkloric, and mythological backgrounds. You'd have one herb and several different cultures and religions may believe different things about it.

Even if you aren't wanting to be a practicing witch (like me), it still had a lot of useful suggestions on how to use certain herbs for ailments or pains. And I also loved the beginning section that taught you how to make oils, balms, tinctures, etc.

“Herbs, flowers and trees played a huge part in the practice of witchcraft over the centuries, just as they do today, and they have rich and ancient folklore associated with them.”

Folklore Magic wasn’t what I expected it would be. I thought it was a graphic novel like the author’s previous book, but it’s more an illustrated herbarium. I read an advance copy, so it was impossible for me to judge their quality, but it didn’t felt like it provided much detail (not enough to be able to recognize the plant in nature), and the text remained pretty superficial too, without enough references to dig in (even though there WAS a bibliography, which is a great point!). On the other hand, the infographics were super nice and gave a few elements of folklore.
In the end, it is a nice book to browse, but if you want something sturdier, it might not be the right one for this use.

Thank you NetGalley and to the author for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Thanks NetGalley for providing this arch!

I'm really intrigued by the differences and specifics of all the books in this series. I did find it to be somewhat confusing, as I'm not super well versed in the craft but it's geared well toward a beginner. There was an abundance of beautiful images, graphics with a nice clean layout. The first half is rather basic regarding introductory to herbs but it does showcase them individually. Overall, great to add to a collection for starters.

I wish this book had been called Plant Magick instead of Folklore Magick. It's a guide to herbs, flowers, and trees, and how these plants can be used in remedies and spells. Each plant has a short section on its use throughout history, and what various cultures (often the Greeks and/or the Romans) believed about the plants. That's the extent of the "folklore" part of the book. The rest is about how to use these plants as a witch, which can be useful if you're looking for a plant compendium. Given the title, I was expecting something about witchy figures throughout history in different cultures. Stories, myths, etc. from around the world.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

This was a wonderful and informative compendium. Some parts seemed like it was thrown in there for the ticktok ‘witches’, which was a shame but it was a lovely book on the whole.

This book was really neat! I didn’t know much about witchcraft but I think this book is a good guide to start. The illustrations were also gorgeous! The only think I’d watch out for is that some pages were upside down in the pdf. Just make sure it’s corrected before is goes to print.

I was interested in this book right away!
The drawings were beautiful and eye catching and the book itself was super informative. It had a great amount of information and kept my interest. The format and the way the book was organized as well kept it super easy to follow along.
This is perfect for individuals interested in witchcraft.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the arc!

I loved flipping through the drawings - this is a book I will need to purchase as I'd like to refer back to it.
Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the book in exchange for a review!

This book was beautiful even as an ebook (in fact that is the only reason I didn't like reading this book was because it was an ebook and not a physical book and this book had amazing illustrations). I was already familiar with this author before I read this book, so I knew how stunning her books were from paging through them at my local bookstore or Barnes & Noble. If you are interested in witchcraft, I would recommend this book to you

A very informative and exhaustive compendium. Will reread for sure. It’s one of those books you can keep going back too, full of informative advice and content.

This book is so beautiful. The drawings and formatting are just so eye catching and I could just flip through it daily to see all the pictures. Its also very informative and well written with lots of great information on the different uses of the plants included.

This book would be much better in physical form to fully appreciate the illustrations and lay out whereas as a digital ARC I felt like it left much to be desired. Perhaps the final digital form will be better.

An excellent beginners guide and introduction but would leave intermediate and more experienced witches and folklorists wanting.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this ARC!

As a lover of all things relating to religion, magick, and the occult, this book piqued my interest right away. Whether you are a practitioner, a believer looking to take up magick, or just an interested reader like me you will find something interesting in this boo.

The book is set almost like a cookbook. It’s broken up into different sections or categories. I thought the terminology was written in a way that was clear and concise. One thing I would have liked was if there was a pronunciation guide for some of the less common words — but that might just be my own lack of knowledge of witchcraft terminology.

The real draw of this book is the incredible artwork. The illustrations add so much throughout. I especially like the pages that have the diagrams of particular plants and flowers. They really get at the balance of sort of dark, witchy, vibes with something you may find in a plant biology book.

Lindsay Squire has been a practicing Hedge Witch for many years and has published many books on the subject of magick.
In her latest book she looks at the folkloric that is a part of the history of Witchcraft, and the history down through the ages of the creation of so many of the balms, poultices, tinctures and herbal medicines that have been instrumental in healing and magick for centuries.
Set out in colourful chapters with easy explanations, simple recipes to tempt the beginners and stories from her pathway through witchcraft, this is a wonderful book for anyone who is curious about this aspect of healing and magic.
The content of the book is varied and informative. Having read it as an e-book it was very difficult to get the full impact of the layout. If folklore magick is an area you are interested in learning more this is one book that should be read as a paper copy.
The Witch of the Forests Guide to Folklore Magick would also make an excellent reference book for the beginner or someone that is interested in herbal tisanes and the healing benefit of herbs, flowers and alchemy, without taking on the full mantle of modern day witchery.

4 stars - It was really good

This book covers using various herbs, flowers, and plants for the use of folklore magic. This book starts by covering different types of ways these plants can be used, such as in teas, infusions, oils, liniment, and salves. After that, it jumps into the different types of herbs, flowers, trees, and poisonous (baneful) herbs. This section gives a brief overview of the folklore of the item, the magical and medicinal properties, the element, zodiac sign, and planet associated with it and other names for the plant.

This was a great reference guide for anyone looking for more information on plants. Not only is information provided about each plant, but a one page graphic page that brings all the different sections together and includes artwork of the plant. Like all of Squire’s books, this was another great reference guide with beautiful artwork.

I love how this book is set up. It starts with the basics and teaches you what the difference between a tea and infusion are which to me sounded like the same thing but it’s not. Than after learning the basics of how to use the herbs you learn what the herbs are and what they do and the more historical use of them before you even get into recipes which definitely love being educated on the properties before going in so I know what I’m getting into

A beautifully illustrated reference book that explores the magickal and medicinal properties of a variety of herbs, flowers, trees, and plants. The book opens with a useful overview of the different ways you can incorporate these natural ingredients into your life, such as tea blends and infusions. There is a good amount of information to inspire the reader on the properties of each ingredient but it doesn't go into great depth and I actually found that it lacked much information on the folklore.

If you're seeking a beginner-friendly reference on herbal magick, this book is a solid choice. But if you're hoping for an in-depth exploration of the history and mythology surrounding these plants, this may not fully satisfy your curiosity.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is great for the new to witchcraft souls. You will find tips, guides and just a soothing easy to read book.