A Victorian Grimoire

A Victorian Grimoire by Patricia Telesco is an outstanding book for practitioners of all magic\magicks! The Victorian period was a time of great awakening for magical practice.This book covers so much! This is a "how to" and why for everything. This covers divination of all kinds, moon spells, as well as poppets, jewellery, stones/crystal meanings, herbs, and so on. Also a huge number of spells, and recipes. This book is appropriate for beginners as well as advanced practitioners. Every type of magic you can imagine is covered here. This is the most thorough book on magic to be released in years. Take it from an eclectic witch that's practiced for over thirty years. This is a must have book!

Wow this book is simply stuffed with a massive amount of victorian charms to make, magical associations, spells corresponding to the Wheel of the year, tea party rituals and a whole lot more. I'll definitely be referencing this book alot in the future. I love the fonts used and they're a sweet little drawings throughout that add to the victorian aesthetic. I need to get my hands on a physical copy of this so I can have it handy on my shelf!

Well Presented Information

The author discusses the various aspects and history of the craft during the Victorian era. She states that the Victorian era was full of magic, from the focus on the stage magician and mind readers to the subtle symbolism embodied in what they wore, how they stood, and even what they said.

She provides a list of each month and its corresponding birthstone, along with their attributes. She discusses the magical calendar, the types of foods prepared, rituals, and other annual observances.

I enjoyed reading this book, exploring the rich culture of the Victorian era and reading about all the various herbs used to teat and heal so many illnesses. This book is full of so much information and is great reference material. I highly recommend it.

Perfect addition to my magic library As a solo hedge witch, I enjoy finding useful books on magic that cover spells, charms, etc... used in the past, and now in the present! Lots of lovely information; something for everyone! I have made or used many of the ideas in this book over my lifetime. Some I had no history about, so this book offered explanations. I think anyone starting to learn about witchcraft, or just anyone just wanting to learn about traditions. Craft ideas are in here as well, so crafters and kids will have fun learning how to make fun crafts!

A Victorian Grimoire by Patricia Telesco drew me in with its gorgeous cover and kept me hooked with its practical and historical witchcraft content.
What I liked
-Decent mix of historical info and practical application for the modern witch
-inclusion of children friendly activities
-approachable for a beginner while being innovative enough to keep an intermediate practitioner intrigued.

What didn't work as well for me
-some elements of the text and formatting will almost surely come across better when I get my physical copy.

Who I would recommend this title for
This title while having excellent historic information is best read by a practicing witch or pagan and does not come off as intended for the intensely academic focused reader.

A Victorian Grimoire is an interesting read to anyone interested in both history, especially the Victorian era, and witchcraft. The book give you insight anywhere from making corn husk dolls to tea ceremonies and palmistry. There is also a lovely section on spiritual activities for children, which is something you don't see in a lot of comprehensive witchcraft books, and a personal favourite section on pets and animals. This is a book I want to have a physical copy on my bookshelf of. I definitely recommend you give this book a go, it's a five star read for me 2024!

I am particularly a fan of history within my witchcraft books, so this book was a pleasant surprise. Rather than a traditional spell book, it's more like a historical look at the magic practiced during the Victorian era, with some actionable spells and recipes thrown in. I don't consider myself a beginner and even I was blown away by the amount of new concepts in here for me - fan magic?? Amazing. There was quite a bit of beginner info though as well as thorough appendices, so those new to witchcraft and the Wiccan religion will still be able to fully follow along and adopt some of the practices in the book.

I love history and there’s a lot to learn about magic from the past. This book is a treasure and an enjoyable read. Who says all history has to be about War and Politics?

This is an interesting and informative book. A great book for somebody who wants to learn more about the Victorian era magic. It is a great reference book you can go back to year after year.

Very informative read it’s packed with tons of thoughtfully gathered information that you can’t easily find elsewhere. Most grimoire books are just a repeat of the same information but this title comes in handy and it’s a pleasant read. I’m grateful that I picked it up and I recommend it. 5/5

oh wow!! this book blew me away!! it has it all! laughs and tears and excitement and sadness and fun!! what a great time! thank you so much to netgalley for letting me read this one early!!

A Victorian Grimoire by Patricia Telesco fulfills its promise to provide readers with enchantment, romance, and magic! This beautiful book blends history and folklore with ideas for everyday magic, uncovering the “unadulterated magic…that danced and wove its spell throughout every fiber of the Victorian era.” Telesco, who is both a writer and an herbalist, reveals that the Victorian era was about more than repression. She situates the time period at the crossroads of the mystical and the modern so that readers can apply past traditions to the present day.

The book features well over two hundred chapters and is divided into sections that include Victorian Symbols, Celebrating the Wheel of the Year, Cooking Magic, Magic throughout the House, Personal Care for the Body and Spirit, Romance, and Lullaby. The author also provides an appendix that compares “then” to “now”, an appendix of modern enchantments, and a glossary of magical terms. This is the kind of book best purchased in print so that readers can flip through the chapters according to their interests and desires.

Telesco argues throughout her book that “real magic can be something unpretentious, soft, and part of every corner of our reality.” I absolutely loved her presentation of the Victorian era and her approach to enchanting life with everyday magic. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the 19th century and how its lessons and symbols remain relevant to a 21st century audience. This is a book I will return to often!

A Victorian Grimoire is an absolutely gorgeous and extremely thoughtful title that explores witchery as it existed in the Victorian era and how those ideas carry through to today. Telesco artfully explores all the ways we can find magic in the mundane, and how our homes and spaces are imbued with it. Her applications to magic are practical, and the ritual practices highlighted in the book are simple and make for an extremely accessible approach to magic for the everyday witch.

I'm a huge fan of Telesco's, and this title was as much of a hit as I had anticipated it would be, A Victorian Grimoire should certainly be a staple for any magical bookshelf.

This is the most complete book I've ever read or seen. I'm totally blown away and in love with this book.

I was born gifted with spiritual gifts 66 years ago and a witch. This book has everything from crystals, flowers, how to set up your garden, recipes, fan magic, scrying, wheel of the year, cleaning, divination, personal care, love, children and so much more. You will totally be amazed by this book written by a talented author, Patricia Telesco.

There are illustrations and everything is written quite clear so you everyone can understand. This book is for anyone that is interested in the spiritual journey, spells, witchcraft, wanting to kmow more reference. Get a copy for yourself and as gifts.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book (via E-Book) in exchange for an honest review.

I did not expect this book to be so packed with information. I am ver pleasantly surprised. This book has everything from everyday items and ways to use them. Flowers and their meanings. The Wheel of the Year. Gardening info as well as layout drawings. Working with weather. And the list just keeps going. There is so much information! Some already known some new. This is the kind of book you keep nearby and pull out often as a reference!

This would be a great guide to someone who was just starting on their journey!

This book is chock full of ideas for a better life in step with nature and the past. The chapters are interesting and very doable. The ideas will sound familiar to many people as this type of hands on spirituality is great to get outside and be part of nature. There are also chapters that include talking boards and seances which were popular in Victorian times. My favorite chapters dealt with gardening and the ideas are awesome! I love this book and its ideas and information.

This is an informative look at victorian era folklore and history. It’s a charming book for anyone interested in old timey traditions or modern new age witchy stuff. I’ve been reading some magical realism lately and got a deeper understanding of materials that come up in the stories. The section on fans was enchanting. Made me want to dig out a hand fan to play at being a Victorian lady.

This was a fun and informative read! I have been wanting to read another of this authors books so I was excited to find this one! I read a lot of witchy/pagan books and while some of the material is easily found in other books there was certainly things I hadn't seen before which I appreciate! The updated cover is also beautifully done!

This was a fun and informative read. I would recommend this to anyone interested in the Victorian era and/or magic, or a practicing Wiccan. The author was clear and concise with their reasoning. I learned quite a bit about the indirect and direct influences of the mysticism of the time and how it permeated so many aspects of Victorian society. I look forward to rereading this book in the future as it will be great reference material.

When I got this book I wasn't sure what to expected, but I did not expect it to be such a complete book, perfect for anybody who wants to know more about magic and it's history

This book is an absolute gem! A Victorian Grimoire is full of magical information, ranging from the lore of common household items to honoring the Wheel of the Year, herbalism, correspondences, spells, divination, and rituals, all presented in a very positive manner. You can learn everything from the language of flowers to circle casting to making poppets. This would be a wonderful addition to any magical bookshelf! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy for review.

I rather enjoyed this one a lot and I will be getting a physical copy as well. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in Grimoires

Really nice and well written and very detailed and interesting. I would definitely buy a copy when available.
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