Review: Spellcrafting

Out of all of Arin Murphy-Hiscock’s books, I think that Spellcrafting: Strengthen the Power of Your Craft by Creating and Casting Your Own Unique Spells is my favorite of hers so far. The book is perfect for someone’s first book on spell-casting and formulating unique spells. The information in the book is really solid and while some of it may be a review for seasoned practitioners, I still encourage you to read. The reason I encourage a read of this book is that it’s not just a great review of the foundational aspects of practical magick, but there are some real gems buried throughout its pages that are sure to help troubleshoot some of your spells that you just can’t seem to get to work. There were even things within this book that I had forgotten and as such had many epiphany moments while reading this book. So even for myself, it was a great refresher.

Most of our textbook standard definitions of magick usually begin defining it as “the science and the art of…” While Arin strongly acknowledges the “science” of spellcrafting and lays it out in a concrete, easy-to-follow and affable fashion, Arin shows how to bring the “art” aspect into your spells and how equally important that is. So while Spellcrafting helps you tailor your own spells so that they are personalized and thus more effective for you, it does so without disregard to the occult principles necessary for successful spellcasting.

One of the many things I really found interesting was the discussion about using ingredients within your spells and being aware of how they might conflict, cancel each other out, neutralize each other, or unintentionally enhance an aspect that you didn’t intend to. Even better, she provides guidance on how to remedy these conflicts. Another thing I really liked about this book was Arin’s emphasis on record-keeping, something I haven’t seen in magick books in a long time. She likens magickal record-keeping to recording scientific experiments and monitoring what works and what doesn’t work for future reference and for homing in your own spellcrating efficiency. If you read Spellcrafting and begin applying it to your magick, you are sure to see enhanced results.