The Green Witch's Grimoire

A very thorough detailed book about making your own grimoire. Interesting examples afe given and encouragement also. Many people in the alternative religion community want spell books that will give them exact directions as to what materials are needed and what actions to take. While this is not wrong how many people actually try to make their own magic and leave a written record of their attempts . Success and failure, materials used and actions taken. I especially enjoyed reading about making your own secret script to record your spells and seasonal rituals. Safe from others eyes and written in a code only known to you! This is a very readable and upbeat way to practice positive life skills for your own rememberance and others too if you decide so,

This is an absolutely enchanting book about how to create and use your own personal grimoire. I loved reading about the different ideas of what to include in your grimoire to personalize it. This book is intended for the green witch, but I think anyone who is interested in the natural world, self-reflection, journaling, and art would enjoy and benefit from making their own personal grimoire.

This was a very interesting read. I’ve always been very curious about the practice and this was a good introduction and instructional. I would recommend this book

This is the second book about green witchcraft I've read by this author. And just like the other one I loved it.

I really like how she talks to the readers like they aren't stupid.
She never comes off bossy and instead gives you options to things like how to make your grimoire.

This book really helps a newbie understand the basics of starting a Grimoire and helping by putting all the information in one place.

A clear and concise guide to keeping a magical journal or record rituals and spells. I would recommend this to anyone who has ever asked "What do I put in my BOS???"

This is seriously the perfect followup to the original Green Witch book written bey Arin Murphy-Hiscock. I loved the style of this book and how clear but concise it is.

I LOVED this well-written, informational book. The author does a wonderful job of explaining exactly how to start one’s own grimoire, while also maintaining the idea that it must be one’s own. I loved her ideas and style of writing.

My kind of how-to-spell book! I like to create my own grimoires as they feel not only more personal, but more powerful! This is a nice intro to creating your own, but also inspires all of us in creating our own books! Nice collection of thoughts. Very satisfying read and inspirational.

This is an excellent companion to the authors original book, The Green Witch. It helps you continue your journey with your craft by giving excellent ideas and examples for how to make a unique grimoire to contain your plant, herbal, gardening, and all around green witch knowledge. She's clear, concise, and encouraging all while maintaining the idea that your grimoire is unique to you and there is no correct or wrong way to do something. I think it will bring some inspiration to anyone looking for how to create or what to put into their grimoire or BOS.

Arin Murphy-Hiscock is one of my favorite authors on witchcraft, so I naturally had to snap this up when I saw it available on NetGalley, despite not necessarily considering myself a green witch. Luckily, it was exactly as I expected: though I don't feel particularly drawn to herbalism, plants, and many other common facets of green witchcraft, The Green Witch's Grimoire still had a wealth of helpful information and inspiration to offer me!

In fact, I think it's worth noting — for those of you who, like me, are wondering if this book will be too specific for your needs — that the majority of this book would make a very helpful guide to grimoires for any witch (though obviously more so if you practice green witchcraft or even hearth and/or kitchen craft). This book also discusses divination, spellcraft, and so much more.

I would say that one of the most "green" aspects of this book is its stance on a witch's responsibility to take care of the earth in any ways we personally can. Arin offers suggestions for how to perform healing rituals after natural disasters, source ethical supplies, and even includes a guide for making your own paper! (Which I would probably never have the ambition for, but I thought was so awesome.) There's also a section on the validity of digital grimoires for people who are trying to use as little paper as possible in their lives, with tips for keeping your digital grimoire safe from others.

(As a side note related to the responsibility and ethics discussions in this book, I also appreciated Arin taking a moment to discuss the difference between smudging and smoke cleansing, the correlation between smudging and white sage to sacred Indigenous rituals, and plenty of alternatives you can use instead of white sage if you aren't Indigenous.)

In case you couldn't tell by my review so far, I absolutely loved The Green Witch's Grimoire and thought it would make an incredible asset to any green witch's library, as well as the shelves of many who don't practice green craft at all! On top of all of the valuable information, Arin Murphy-Hiscock has such a readable writing style and never comes across as condescending, judgmental, or pushy with her stances on things. I highly recommend picking up a copy!

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!

A lovely volume. Solid addition to collections where new age titles are popular. Crossover appeal for HS nonfiction collections.

A delightful read. Perfect for those new to the craft as well as those who are more seasoned. As a fan of her previous work I went into this expecting one thing but was pleased to say the least in not only the knowledge she presents the reader but her ability to have a conversation with the reader.

The excercises are wonderful and the author presents things in such a way that you get drawn in and the creative juices start flowing.

Would highly recommend.

I don’t identify as a Green Witch, and I didn’t have much knowledge about the spiritual practice prior to reading this book. I have been on a binge reading books about grimoires and grimoire work, however, and this book was a solid addition to my knowledge. Many of the grimoire books I’ve read recently have gone into the subjects, topics, and rituals that a person could use in their grimoire, and this book covered that as well — but one of the things that mad this book different and unique is that it addressed the physical grimoire itself. How to choose a book to make your grimoire, how to construct one of your own making, even instructions for making your own recycled paper. This book also went into great detail for the methodology and the mindset with which to approach working in your grimoire, and how to connect that to the path of the Green Witch. And although I don’t identify as such, it was approachable and easy-to-understand for those on other spiritual paths, with much that can be learned and integrated from Green Witchcraft. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone who identifies as a witch, Wiccan, pagan, or otherwise following a nature-centric, non-traditional spiritual path, or if you work with a grimoire.

Book Review: The Green Witch's Grimoire by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Genre: Religion and Spirituality
Publisher: Adams Media
Release Date: 28th July, 2020

If you've watched my video about my favourite Witchy books then you know that I love Arin Murphy Hiscock's The Green Witch. It is THE book that made me realise I wanted to pursue a green witch path. So when I found out about The Green Witch's Grimoire I knew I had to have it.

And it does not disappoint.

Firstly, despite the title, this book is NOT a grimoire. It is a guide for planning and creating your own green witch grimoire. Saying that it has so many useful tips for any Witch when creating a grimoire. Murphy-Hiscock does point out early on that this book is for Witch's that already have a foundation in Witchcraft, therefore, it is not from complete beginners. If you are looking for something more instructive on a green witch path then definitely check out her previous book, The Green Witch, first.

I do already have a grimoire, however it is currently not what I want it to be. I've been toying with the idea of starting from scratch and re-doing it. This book is exactly what I needed to help me do that. I am a very organised person, so much so that I have OCPD (obsessive compulsive personality disorder) which has its benefits and detriments. I do struggle with starting or restarting something and often put things off. However, this book really helps with the part I was struggling with the most; setting up a system for my grimoire. It helps you decide how to organise and structure your sections and gives some great ideas on what to include - with useful examples.

There really are so many things to consider when creating a grimoire and Arin Murphy-Hiscock is a wealth of knowledge!

Something I found really interesting was the history of grimoires and how much they have changed. I was surprised to learn that there was actually a difference in grimoires that related to a person's status in society and whether they were male or female!

I did not notice some repetition throughout the book; statements about what a grimoire is seemed to be regurgitated in different sections. However, this was an E-ARC so there is a chance this was changed after final edits.

As the book is primarily aimed at green witches, Murphy Hiscock spends time explaining how to structure and organise your entries on specific plants, herbs, trees etc. However, her method is something that can be attributed to other aspects of Witchcraft. I fully intend to use a similar method when it comes to recording crystals.

Another aspect I was left thinking about was the ideas she expressed on morals and ethics. As a Wiccan I follow the Wiccan rede, and I include this at the beginning of my grimoire. However, there are morals and ethics attributed to the green witch path that I just took for granted. I am now going to ensure I pin down exactly what my personal morals and ethics are in terms of the environment; locally, nationally and globally.

Who do I want to be as a person, not just as a Witch?

I made SO many notes whilst reading this book. There are lots of fun and interesting things I now want to include in my grimoire to make it 'beautiful and useful'. I'm eager to get started on re-working my grimoire and excited to delve deeper in to my personal practice.

Thanks to NetGalley and Adams Media for the opportunity to read and review this EARC.

So many times I’ve wanted to start a grimoire but haven’t known where to begin. The Green Witches Grimoire is a great guide to doing just that. It’s full of spells, recipes, and tips and I can’t wait to make my own paper a pen! I will definitely be referencing this book in the future! Thanks to Net Galley for a copy in exchange for a review!

This was a great book on how to set up a Grimoire. The book was very well structured and took the reader through the steps of how to create their own Grimoire that is just right for them.

I loved this book! There were beautiful witchy aspects to it. I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I was going to read this book but I just liked it so much. I loved the historical aspects along with how to make your very own grimoire! In my opinion, that was the best part of this book!

A very helpful, very informative read, and a very good introduction to the function and form of grimoires. Granted, I thought it was going to have a bit more information on actual green witchcraft, green practices and all that, but that's my own fault for not reading the synopsis properly and just diving right in.

I really appreciated the fact that the author took the time to talk about morals and ethics, and how you can use your witchcraft and your spirituality to better understand and apply them in your daily life. I was also really glad to see that she included instances of possible cultural appropriation (i.e. the use of white sage) and how practices like that can do more harm than good.

Overall, a very enjoyable and very fun read with plenty of information - there's even an index at the end!

I selected this book because I have always been intrigued by the term 'grimoire'.

This is an excellent book for readers of this genre, as well as those looking for spiritual view of journalling.

I love the Green Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock so I was excited to read this latest installment to the series a grimoire how-to. Hiscock goes into how to put together a Grimoire from the construction of the book itself, the format to choose, inks and paper choices. There is also a section on what to cover in your grimoire, topics and the layout. Once the physical aspects of the grimoire where discussed she goes into some witch basics to get you started with your grimoire content. I made quite a few notes in this section and found it the most interesting and useful. She gives a number of exercises and incantations you can use in your own practice. She finishes the book with chapters on journaling, ethics and a list of common plant, crystal and color references. All in all this was a unique magick book on a topic that isn't usually written about in such detail. I wouldn't say it's a read for everyone, but I did enjoy certain chapters quite a bit and would give it 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

I found this to be most informative and well designed. I enjoyed learning from the author who has a pleasant way of presenting the information to her readers. Al the aspects of a Grimoire are covered here for new witches as well as experienced witches seeking to improve their grimoire. The author emphasis that this is a personal journey for each witch and as such she offers her readers suggestions for their own grimoire creation. I highly recommend this book for all witches both new and experienced. Very well done to the author. .This is definitely a book I will buy in hard cover for my library.

This book was amazing!
I loved all the tips and advice about how to be a green witch, it was full of information and inspiration. It is perfect for any witch, not just a green witch. I wrote down so many things. I loved this book and will be on a lookout for the author's other works.

An interesting guide to green witchery; would be a great addition to any metaphysical collection. The various sects of wiccanism or practicing witchcraft can be tricky for beginners, and this guide succinctly explains this particular branch of witchcraft.

But first, a Disclaimer: If you have not figured out from the title, this book is NOT an actual grimoire. It is a how-to guide for creating and planning out how to make your own Grimoire and what you want your Grimoire to become. Arin Murphy-Hiscock has many amazing books on the how-to of witchcraft that I also highly recommend checking out.
This book is labeled for a “Green Witch,” however, I believe that it is a helpful tome for any witch, pagan or nature-based spiritual person looking to create a Grimoire or Book of Shadows. I do not personally identify as a Green Witch, I am more eclectic, and this manual had me excitedly writing down notes, highlighting and bookmarking a plethora of information for making my own Grimoire.
In the first part the author goes over just about EVERYTHING you could possibly think of when it comes to creating your Grimoire. The topics range from the type of binding you could use for a physical grimoire, if it will be digital and if so how to digitally protect it, and the type of paper and ink that you could potentially use; there is even a recipe for creating your own paper which I thought was SO awesome! Murphy-Hiscock also dives into the sections you may want to include in your Grimoire, if it will have an index or a table of contents, how to use page protectors to protect plant matter materials you may want to include, and so much more.
In the second part the author goes into how to practically use your Grimoire after its creation. The topics include spiritual and mundane journaling, writing your own spells, cataloging spells and their outcomes, cataloging your divinations, cataloging magical and practical associations for crystals, plants, trees, flowers, etc.
I love that she specifies that there is no right or wrong way in which to create your personal Grimoire except what feels right and beautiful to you.
The last section of the book was dedicated to morals and ethics. Who do you want to be as a person? Who do you want to be as a witch? Arin Murphy-Hiscock gives journal prompts for discovering your own code of ethics and how to incorporate them within your Grimoire and your daily life. Do you have to be out there protesting everything that goes against your personal code of ethics? No, not if that does not work for you. However, there are things that you can do when it comes to using magick and your Grimoire that can be in alignment with your personal morals. She includes rituals that you can do after natural disasters happen on the Earth and other great exercises for identifying your own personal moral compass.
Overall, this book was well-written, easy to follow, and extremely helpful with expanding my vision of creating my own magical Grimoire. I will be purchasing a physical copy of this book to have for future reference and I highly recommend for anyone looking to create or recreate their own Grimoire.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Arin Murphy-Hiscock and Adams Media for providing me with a free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has helped me so much with my craft!

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

I found this book very helpful and interesting, and I could absolutely see the benefit of a beginner practitioner finding and reading this book

This book is great for newbies like me. It is full of useful information and positive encouragement. It's also and easy and quick read.

This book is great for beginners' interest in Green Witching. I originally chose it because I've been trying to connect back to myself but I just haven't been able to do it. It had wonderful tips and I enjoyed reading through it. I hope this will help someone else who also has an interest.

Good book on how to create your own grimoire. This is for beginner or experienced practitioners alike.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Green Witch’s Grimoire provides a guide for creating and using a Grimoire that is perfect for the individual .

What I liked

1. There is a comprehensive index in the back to help with quickly finding individual topics that may not have had their own sections.
2. As the reader we are continually reminded that the included reference lists are intended as a starting point and should not remain the whole of our knowledge or be the only things included in our records.
3. A decent Bibliography is given to help with further research and show where the author’s assertions originate from.
4. While acknowledging the importance of activism and knowledge of current events the author also acknowledges that it is important to step back from time to time and rest .

What I would have liked to see done differently:

1. More discussion and acknowledgment of allergies would be helpful.
2. A deeper look and maybe whole section for helping green witches who are disabled connect to the path and to the concept of using a Grimoire is needed in books like this.
3. Additional In text citation is highly desirable in all pagan books on my shelf.

Who do I recommend this book for ?

This book is a good fit for pagans who are either new to their path or new to keeping a personal journal.