Curious about witchcraft?
BY IBBY-ROSE MCKIM, IMAGES VIA CIPHER PRESS, MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY PRESS, SEMIOTEXT
With an estimated turnout of 20,000 people at Stonehenge for the summer solstice (also known as Litha), it’s the perfect time to learn about modern witchcraft.
There are many different types of witch, not just your aesthetics of sun witch vs moon witch. Put simply, Wicca is a pagan religion involving magic, while witchcraft is magic that doesn’t have to involve religion. Below you can find both sources that reference Wicca and sources focused on general witchcraft.
Both as a religion and as a practice, witchcraft offers a significant site for people to integrate their queer identities. There is no particular sacred text, and the heteronormativity and patriarchal structure of other religions are absent. Find our list of books that embrace queerness in witchcraft below.
Witch: An Anthology by Michelle Tea
Edited by Michelle Tea, who has written witchy works such as Modern Tarot, this anthology brings together writing from an array of people who identify as witches, many of whom are queer. In her introduction, Michelle highlights how queer and trans people, alongside women and femmes, make natural witches. At once containing manifestos, poetry, playscript, and prose, Witch is an inspirational look at the different ways witches fashion their craft.
Bargain Witch: Essays In Self-Initiation by Brooke Palmieri
Acting as a self-described “trans spiritual memoir”, Brooke’s book offers a selection of essays on witchy history, Brooke’s personal experiences as a witch, and queer futures. A self-initiated witch, Brooke approaches witchcraft with a beautiful DIY ethos. Brooke details his adventures, having previously worked at well-known occult bookstore Treadwells, which, if you’re London-based, is a great place to visit to shop for books from this list!
Queer As Folklore by Sacha Coward
Moving into a folklore focus, Sacha’s book is a tour de force of mythical queer beings – perfect for discovering who you connect with for deity work (relationships with divine beings). Spanning across the world, Sacha integrates ancient Greece with RuPaul’s Drag Race in an accessible way which fascinates and inspires. Sacha explains how pride today often includes imagery of unicorns, mermaids, and fairies and, through thought-provoking prose, discusses the roots of this imagery.
Queer Rites: A Magickal Grimoire To Honor Your Milestones With Pride by Enfys J. Book
Queer people’s milestones often look very different to heterosexual ones. The book includes rituals such as hosting a funeral for your deadname and acknowledging your chosen family. Functioning well as a reference book, Queer Rites provides a magical way to honour the milestones in a queer life.
Enfys also hosts a podcast entitled 4 Quick Q’s: Book Talk with Enfys, in which they interview pagan authors. Perfect to find more witchy books.
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