This book has a very interesting concept and the way it’s written is fascinating, it almost feels like a guided lesson or guided course then you work your way through. It’s very interesting because it focuses on the night in the dark, something that we don’t normally think about as places or times to adventure. This book will open your eyes and make you really think what you think about nighttime and open possibilities to new adventures. The illustrations within are absolutely stunning.

This is a great book for beginners or for a refresher.
I love that this book not only talks about magic, but the history as well.

The way this is narrated *chef's kiss*! This is a self-help book and those are usually quite boring and monotone. This excites you! Like you're reading a fantasy novel, but you aren't!

I am definitely going to be ordering a hard copy for myself!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

I'm not finished with this book because I'm saving the experience for the hardback edition I pre-ordered. But what I've read is playfully and beautifully written by Toll, alongside evocative illustrations. I can't wait to dive into the full experience of night magic. It really does feel like the magic school we're all craving and a kind of secret initiation into a way of looking at the world and summoning up your very own lush night experience.

This book sits at the intersection of practicality and theoretical. It is so well researched and accessible, while maintaining a beautiful aura of the mysticism and ethereal that are intrinsic to the subject. A true journey for anyone willing to take the ride, it is at times a meditation on the magic and spirituality that lie within all of us, should we be brave enough to explore them.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

This is a true beginner-level witchcraft book. Instead of focusing on herbs or crystals, it focuses on how magic operates with science in our natural world. I loved reading about this in this way. There are historical sections of where it goes along the lines of “This is what was believed in the past and this is how it changed.” I really enjoyed that since it solidified this book as a theoretical text. To quote the author, “Science is simply daytime’s version of Nighttime magic.” and that’s the point of this book.

This book is “a tapas bar of delectable tidbits” (the author’s words referring to something else but I believe it works for the book as a whole). The author gives a succinct and thorough introduction but still wants you to research on your own. A reference list is provided at the end to help on your journey.

The presentation was this book was amazing. The narration was actually something I really enjoyed as it was a “nonfiction book being narrated by a fictional character.” Could this have failed? Absolutely! But it didn’t and I loved that. The interiors are beautiful and the formatting is laid out in a great way. I did read the version available through the NetGalley Shelf app, so I don’t know if a true ebook is going to look the same. if anything, the Shelf version showed what the paperback/hardcover would look like and it’s gorgeous.

There’s a lot of great contemplative work in here that I haven’t found in other beginner witchcraft books. The astrology chapter was one of the best nuanced but easy-to-follow astrology lessons I’ve ever read. I’ve read multiple books on the subject and after a certain point, my eyes would start to glaze over and I lost track. With this book, I actually understood what was being said once it hit a more intermediate level.

I think this book is an amazing theoretical resource that should be one of the first books a new witch reads. It’ll take time to get through every single lesson, but since the author wants you to go at a certain pace and not read in one sitting, that’s what you want. The book requires continuous working on it and at one point, a whole month has to be dedicated to doing the homework.

All this time you've been waiting for a mystical creature to drop off your letter to witch school and expecting an owl, or maybe a black cat would be the messenger. I'm very surprised to find out that the invitations are delivered via Maia Toll.

The Night School is a series of exercises to be performed at a slow pace. These cover all sorts of topics from Alchemy, Astrology, the elements, divination, and a lot of self-reflection. The exercises are pretty accessible and I like that you could take one day or three days to finish a lesson and you can take all the time you need to move through the book. You will want to gobble it up but the lessons are great for sitting with and reflecting on.

I read the other reviews for this book so far and I disagree with the statement that there was not a lot of insight. I found a great depth of insight and the beauty of a lot of it is that you have to take the time to come to the insight being served up here. Skimming through the book is a lot of fun but you will miss great gems hidden within. Maia strikes a great balance of tapping into the world of feelings and the world of concrete facts in a way that makes the writing appealing to all sorts of people.

I will say that if you are not interested in witchcraft at all, you may not enjoy this book. However, if you are curious about the liminal space between fantastic whimsy and solid truths, you will probably get a lot out of this.

I hear from a lot of people in the witchcraft community that they want to feel more in touch with their craft, this book is fantastic for this purpose. You will come out of this experience ready to bubble up something in the metaphorical cauldron.

My one disappointment is that I hoped to see more astronomy in the lessons. I hope to see more titles from Maia Toll in the near future, maybe I will get lucky and get a constellation-based title from her in the future.

The Night School is a guide through western metaphysical, mystical, and magical philosophy and practice done in a soft, cozy, step by step guide. It pulls strongly from the Kybalion, Jungian psychology, and modern witchcraft.

What I Enjoyed
As a former gold-star gifted kid later diagnosed autistic and loves checking off boxes and enjoys dark/magical academia aesthetic…the book’s set up as a school with semesters, courses, and lessons with homework and a final exam was right up my alley. (Yes I’m a nerd when it comes to magick.)
I was grinning ear to ear at the orientation section referring to the compass as the sort of code symbol of fellow students like we were in some secret academic society. I imaged us, walking through cafes and bookstores holding our school notebook and bag of pens, our compasses hanging like watch fobs from our belts, nodding surreptitiously at each other in passing – see you tonight, the moon is dark, bring your candles.

As I said, this was primarily about western metaphysics and mysticism but the author does her best to include references to those outside the western world when able including Chinese elements, Taoism, India’s chakra and yoga systems and philosophies, middle eastern philosophers especially in Alchemy, etc. While the reading list was dense, it does make it clear where these concepts are drawing from for those wanting that connection and further research.

The exercises were mostly great (see my next section on why I say mostly). I was a particular fan of the emphasis on writing in your journal, the focus on processing your own thoughts and why you think or feel the way that you do, the development of rituals around divination, and more.

I also loved that DNA and Genealogy was included in the Psychology section. The ancestor work including work and craft lineage is so important and I was happy to see that included.

As an alchemist I was very excited to get to that section of the 2nd Semester. It wasn’t in-depth (other than the philosophy section, most of the book is about introduction rather than deep dives) but it was still good to see since a lot of 101 books don’t include alchemy. The book recommendations are all ones I own and I also heartily agree with them being recommended.

Regarding divination and astrology, I really loved the exercise of scrying the night sky. Not necessarily by astrology or astronomy but simply by noting what objects you see first, what is rising, what is setting, etc and divining that intuitively for yourself. Brilliant! Something I don’t know why I never really thought of before but I will be doing more of.

Lastly, if this book just gets witches to step outside, embrace the darkness, and look at the sky – it has done wonders. We need to get out of our rooms, our altar spaces, our bookstores and cafes and look up more often.

What I Wasn’t a Fan Of
I want to start this section off by saying that I would not change these issues. These are personal pet peeves or problems of mine that I’m noting here in case you are like me and might like a heads up.

First, I’m not a fan of cutesy names and being continuously called Firefly was a little obnoxious. I know some folks like it though so its just a personal pet peeve and feels patronizing in a bad way.

Second, use of Bananas Foster as the alchemy metaphor was cute but not very helpful for someone like me who is allergic to bananas. I note it here because I wouldn’t have it changed but if you are allergic or have any other dietary restrictions, this part is a little disappointing.

Third, some of the exercises could have had some notes about alternatives for those who are disabled such as the balance exerice using the Mountain Yoga Post. I have joint deformities and chronic pain. Yes, standing up straight at all some days is more than I can handle so this wasn’t an exercise I can do. I know I’m not alone.
There was also a meditation where you mentally regress through the years to age 7. I opted out of this entirely because that would require me to go back to an age and time when my abuse was particularly difficult. This exercise too could have had an alternative option or at least a note with a nod to the community of people who have experienced child abuse.

Lastly, there is an exercise about planting 2 cuttings and speaking kindly to one and not to the other. This wasn’t something I was comfortable with because I believe all things I grow deserve kindness. It would have been better to at least let the reader know they can look up cases where this experiment has been done on plant and water and see the effects rather than do it themselves.

Rating and Recommendation
I give The Night School 4 stars. I took a star off for its lack of alternatives for disabled and other readers who might have difficulty with some of the exercises.

I highly recommend it for those who are having difficulty understanding western metaphysical concepts like the Kybalion, Jungian psychology, and beginning divination and would like a gentle, fun, step by step guide on that path.

This is one of the best, well put together, well researched, books I’ve seen of it’s kind. Author is knowledgeable and creates a fun was to work through the material. It’s creativity designed. I wish growing up my own family had actually used a similar format not do this because and left me to find all The Who what why’s and who’s on my own starting at age 6.
This is amazing for any elder for a fun run through or to pick up something you could ass to practice. But best for starters and the youth. Highly recommend

The Night School by Maia Toll is a book which guides the reader through the wonder of the night. This book is a mixture of psychological contemplation, philosophy, scientific information and of course magic itself. It gives a unique perspective on the velvety, rawness of the night and how it impacts our everyday lives. I absolutely adored the expressive, imaginary and spectacular writing style and artistic illustrations presented throughout the book. I could immediately tell that this book has been thoroughly researched, and that the writer is passionate. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the intertwining of science and magic. Thank you to Netgalley, Maia Toll and Running Press for the DRC!

While I enjoyed the set up of this book- similar to taking an actual course- there is nothing profound in this book. If you are an extremely new beginner, I can see this being a good introduction. I was skimming most of this book. The information is good and it wouldn’t hurt to read this, but it didn’t work for me personally.

I'm not normally one for anything coming close to self-help books, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Night School. I loved that it blended science and spirituality in a way that makes sense for those new to the spiritual, as well as those of us who have some practice. And there were CITATIONS. AND additional readings? Bless Maia Toll.

I also enjoyed the beautiful illustrations that are woven throughout the book. 4/5 stars, I'm definitely going to try incorporating some of the homework exercises into my life.

This book is in the format of a two semester class which teaches about the symbolism surrounding the night and it speaks to our individual spirit while nodding towards a shared universal experience. The lessons have homework, something to look up, a list to make, meditations,or a passage to look up. Additional resources. Illustrations. Imaginative, poetic and innovative introduction to a little discussed topic in spirituality offers a multidisciplinary approach combining myth, metaphysics divination, science, alchemy and ethics. Recommended addition to your metaphysical library