the dabbler's guide to witchcraft

last updated september 5, 2022

• book club

these were asked as part of the sass witches book club for the dabbler’s guide to witchcraft.

Have you ever performed a breakup ritual or other ritual that you didn’t think of as witchcraft?

my sister and i would ritually sing “eye of the tiger” before dog shows growing up. i’ve also always loved staring at the moon, and i’ll often open the blinds to see it!

Have you believed a lie that you read in a witchy book or heard from the witch community? How did you come to know the lie was incorrect?

probably, but i don’t remember a specific instance.

How can we find better answers when researching magic, religion, and culture?

i feel like this is getting easier every day! i remember trying to research things as a teenager, and it was so hard to do so.

Who was your “first witch?” Were there other witches in media that influenced your desire to be a witch?

definitely willow of buffy the vampire slayer! i had a huge crush on her as a kid (still do). i went as her for halloween one year, even dying my hair red to match. ✨

since then, sookie (of true blood) who is technically a fairy, but what’s the difference really? also the witch is my favorite move. 😍

i have a hot take about that movie, which is basically: she escaped her shitty family, and the ending is actually a great one for her.

How have the media’s depictions of witches negatively shaped the perception of witchcraft?

i think this was mentioned in the book, but they’re often very evil and ugly! which, okay, sometimes we are, but not as much as media depicts, haha.

The author refers to the movie The Craft and says “Magic can look like having a picnic in the woods with your friends.” What feels magic to you?

anything in nature. camping with friends. riding my bike. howling at the moon.

What was your first witchcraft book?

the idiot’s guide to wicca and witchcraft. i read it when i was maybe fifteen? i don’t feel like i’ve kept a lot of that around, but it definitely felt magical at that age.

How does magic work? What can it be used for? What can it not be used for?

it’s powerfully psychological. it works better on the witch than anyone else.

The author says when you use a spell, you still have to put in work. He gives the example that if you do a spell to get hired, you still have to go out and look for jobs. Do you think SASS magic and non-SASS magic have this in common? What other things do they have in common?

even the more magically inclined folks i’ve seen still tell you to do the work! it’s a boost to what’s already there.

The author also quotes Terry Pratchett—“It doesn’t stop being magic, just because you know how it works.” What is something you understand but is still magical to you?

so. many. things. i’ve seen various magic tricks (like, magicians), and even when i see them explained in great detail, it’s still magical. same goes for knowing what the moon is. it’s still this giant thing we can see in the sky, and that’s neat!

If you’ve had a spell fail, what did you do?

honestly? not much of anything. i don’t consider a spell a failure, because getting myself in the right mindset to do a spell is a success in and of itself. magic is mundane in my personal view.

The author says that magic is a tool and failure is a part of growth and magic. As a SASS witch, are there skills you need to learn to practice more effective magic?

studying, listening to nature, and thinking more deeply are big parts of my practice. so yeah, i had to learn those skills better in order to be more effective.

The author says Circumstances are the big C of magic. He defines circumstances that are important as emotional state, focus, and intent. How do these affect your ability to practice magic?

without those, there is no magic! haha. at least not for me. those are the pieces of magic—not the physical tools (as much as i love them).

He says “not having a clear understanding of what you need often leads to an undesirable result,” and “Magic is most effective when it’s reasonable, clearly defined, and possible.” Do you agree with this? And if so, what can you do to make your magic more effective?

absolutely. this is classic goal setting, and in some ways, i think magic is a way to frame our goals, ambitions, hopes, and dreams.

Why do people lie about their magical successes? How does this impact how other’s see magic?

hearing a spell didn’t work is boring. it’s the same reason we don’t share that we lost a competition. it feels like there’s no reason to tell anyone about our failures. i think this makes it out to be like magic can solve any problem, which isn’t the reality of things.

Aside from the examples discussed by the author, can you think of any other witches in history?

been a minute since i’ve read this chapter. i do often do a “hmmm” when people label popular figures as witches, especially when that person is no longer alive and can’t accept or reject the term.

What historical witches have most impacted society’s perception of witches?

i’m not super well versed in the various historical witches. maybe i need to do some more studying on this. 😅

What falsities remain popular about the Salem Witch trials? What other theories have you heard about what happened? Do you think any of the witches were really practicing witchcraft?

the whole “burned at the stake” thing was something i didn’t know was false, so definitely that one! i know it’s a common meme to say, “we’re the children of the witches you didn’t burn,” or something along those lines. i’m sure some folks were practicing folk magic of some kind. just about everybody was. it’s sorta ingrained into all cultures to a degree.

The author offers several examples of witchcraft as “people finding power when they thought they had none,” and as a form of protest. When have you used magic in relation to something you felt no control over?

i most often find myself reaching for magic when i’m injured. i absolutely loathe the healing process, but being able to sit with a candle and imagine my tissues and bones lacing themselves back together is really comforting and brings down my stress levels.