A Guide to Taking Notes on Witch Books

A couple years into my craft, I decided that I wanted to read some witchcraft books. I got a notebook and a pen, decided to try to take notes like it was college. Whatever book it was that I chose to read was full of things that just didn't work for me or with me, but I tried to power through. It didn't work, I got frustrated and abandoned the book within a few days. I tried again nearly a year later, this time with a book that's pretty infamous if you've followed my Tumblr for any amount of time: The Modern Witchcraft Spell Book by Skye Alexander.

Y'all. It was bad. My notes started to become arguments with the text. "Skye, I don't think that's as common as you think it is." "Skye, what are you talking about?" "Skye, I don't think that's how that tradition works." And lemme tell you, that one-sided argument was the best thing that happened to my craft. Reading a book that was so cartoonishly terrible that it forced me to deconstruct what I was doing was an invaluable experience.

Recently my friend Ali asked how I take notes and write my witch book reviews. Apparently the conversation ended up being more helpful than I was expecting, so now I present this little guide to you.

Which Books to Pick

What to Make Note Of