Overall I really loved this book. It has lots of great recipes and skills. I loooooved the section on natural dyes!

Solid 4.5 Stars.

Absolutely stunning photography and layout.
Vibrant and full of energy.
Well explained.

There are a LOT of books coming out these days concerning witchcraft, being a Witch, and most are all consumed with the aesthetics (and Instragrammability of their look) rather than the deep wells of knowing and steadfast standing in one's power that it really takes to show up as a Witch in late-stage capitalist patriarchy. Further, these often preach a specific (shallow) way of practising magick.

This book is really *not* one of those (despite being exquisitely pretty). But neither is it concerned - not primarily, at least - with didactic spellwork. This book teaches the arts required to make certain magick tools that a practitioner may use: the making of different styles of incense, botanically dying ritual fabrics/yarns/threads&more, the making of naturally-sourced inks and drawing charcoal+chalks for spellwork use, hand-making own's own paper and various uses for such, the making and individualizing of candles (both dipped and poured), making and uses for herbally-infused oils, and the grinding magickal herbal powders.

Having previously made many of these items myself, I still had much to learn by this book. The author is incredibly well-versed, and teaches these subjects well. The information given is both incredibly interesting, and just what you need to get started right away in creating these things yourself. Honestly, before reading this book, I hadn't really thought of these creation arts as the making of witchcrafting tools, though I can now see why each was included within. These are each essential tools for both the act of magick-making, and for living a certain lifestyle. I can also now see where I can expand the use of certain herbs in additional, previously-overlooked ways.

I will be purchasing a physical copy of *The Witch's Workshop* for my library so that I may reference it again and again.

Huge gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher, Watkins Publishing, for a digital ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

I’m always looking for cool-sounding nonfiction reads in the witchy genre. I have to admit, the cover of this book caught my eye first. It’s beautiful and I especially liked the emphasis on vivid, bright green natural items. Plus, the idea of crafting my own magical tools and items sounded very intriguing to me.

This is easily one of the most comprehensive books that I’ve read thus far, as far as magical items goes. It’s obvious that the author has a working knowledge of each of these items, since there are plenty of helpful tips and tricks included with each ‘recipe’ or set of instructions to prevent potential snags that commonly occur. In addition, every single recipe (yeah, I’m just going to go with that since it’s easier) has a stunning, full-color photograph to go with it, so that readers know what the finished item should (ideally) look like.

Madara takes some time at the beginning of the book to discuss the concept of green magic, how to use this book, ways to source botanicals ethically, and tools that will commonly be used throughout the book. It’s divided into chapters based on the specific tools, including incense, natural dyes, inks, papers, candles, oils, and powders. The beginning of each chapter discusses history, techniques, and tools that are used, and then we get to see a combination of some more famous recipes from history and some modern recipes that are incredibly useful.

Overall, this is a fantastic book for both new and experienced practitioners of the craft. There are so many interesting recipes and crafts in here that I want to try that I gave up bookmarking the pages because there were just too many bookmarks. The only thing that’s stopping me from trying out so many of these recipes is that most of them require either ingredients or materials that aren’t on hand or the kind of thing I can just pick up at the local supermarket. Other than that, it was also intriguing to read just to learn more about how these items are made—I use things like ink and paper daily, and love using candles and incense, but haven’t put much thought into how these items are made. I loved learning about all of this, and will absolutely be trying out some of these crafts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book for review. The book is beautifully designed and I have ordered a hard copy as I want to get my hands on those lovely pages! There is a wealth of information and detailed instructions on how to make incense, oils, papers, candles and more, along with why and how to use these tools. It's packed full of great recipes, and most of the ingredients used seem to be readily available. Highly recommended.

This is a fantastic book for anyone insterested in making their own incense, candles, dyes, and more. There are even instructions for making paper and ink. A wonderful resource for witchy folk and for anyone who loves earthy, diy projects.

A wonderfully unique book full of crafts and projects for a hands on witch that likes to get in the mix. The intros are interesting and ground many of the projects in historical context. The ingredients and process might have a steep learning curve for some but the end result is sure to be magical.

I really enjoyed this book! It is packed with lots of recipes and beginner-friendly information, and the visuals are just stunning!
I also found the Bibliography section very useful to discover more about both primary historical sources and more modern ones. Thank you!

Fantastic! Perfect for the DIY Witch. Thank you to NetGalley and Watkins publishing. I really enjoyed having access to this digital arc. The images were absolutely incredible and I found every recipe in this title to be exemplary. I would recommend this to anyone interested in witchcraft or crafting spiritual items. Fabulously done! Totally has a place in my practice and will for any!

With beautiful photos and interesting projects that encompass all areas of witchcraft, this is a wonderful book for anyone interested in learning how to make personal items. Easy to follow and well explained, it has a vast range of crafts to suit everyone. Highly recommend.

Thank you to the author & publisher for allowing me to read this book early in return for my honest thoughts and review.

Great layout and beautiful photos. This is a comprehensive guide and a wonderful addition to a solitary witch's shelf and a really nice resource for making tools for your practice. A lot of inspiration and projects to try inside. I have a lot of adjacent hobbies that appreciated with this book. If you like homesteading this book would be particularly useful.

An interesting recipe book that includes many things other introduction to magic books don't. I liked that is included a lot of history. I am excited to go and try to make some incense.

This book is full of comprehensive recipes and instructions or all types of occult crafts. I'm particularly excited to try making the edible butter candle and natural dyes! The directions are all accompanied by beautiful photographs and historical background. Would love to see more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book!

This book delves into the realms of "Green Witch," focusing on personal, nature-based magic rooted in plants, cooking, and environmental energy. Its clear and thoughtful instructions, paired with beautiful imagery, offer an inspiring journey. What distinguishes this book is its comprehensive exploration of magical crafting, spanning from natural dyes and inks to oils and incense, fostering creativity and a deeper bond with nature. The author's emphasis on natural ingredients and sustainable methods adds depth, and the inclusion of scientific explanations enhances understanding beyond mystical language typically found in such works.

This book was great! The instructions were clear, straightforward, and there were so many good photos. I can’t wait to try them!

The witch’s workshop is a beautiful book with lots of wonderful crafts you can do on your journey as a witch.

The pictures are truly stunning, the texts are lovely and detailed, the crafts are well put together and it’s so easy to understand every single step to making incense, paper, inks and all of the other things talked about in the book.

I would be the happiest person alive if I was gifted this book, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy and try to make every single thing named in the book.

I’m truly grateful for getting the chance to read this ARC.
A huge thanks to NetGalley, Melissa Madara and Watkins Publishing for this amazing opportunity.

This was a beautifully illustrated book with lots of recipes for magical items such as incense,, inks, oils and candles. Many of the items required some ingredients that were not easily sourced but for my purposes this book was perfect as a reference to what could be made using foraged ingredients.

The Witch's Workshop: A Guide to Crafting Your Own Magical Tools by Melissa Madara empowers individuals to become self-sufficient witches and masters of the natural arts. This resource not only provides guidance on creating tools for magical practices but also explores techniques for natural homesteading. Drawing inspiration from ancient societies, readers can learn how to make dyes for clothing, candles for light, and much more.

This is a reference book packed full of information!! Gorgeous pictures to match the detailed recipes...this is a must have to expand your practice e

Thank you Netgalley and Watkins Publishing for the chance to read The Witch's Workshop as an ARC.

With gorgeous illustrations and photographs, the book has some lovely recipes and ideas from making your own incense to what I was really excited about the natural dye section, which I'm looking forward to having a go at soon, the instructions for the various projects within the book are fairly accessible and easy to follow and understand. A few ingredients are somewhat niche specialist where you'd either have to buy online from a specialist shop or your local hippie type shop (e.g. frankincense resin) but otherwise the ingredients are easy to get ahold of.

A good and beautiful reference book, I was amaze of the inside of it. It's special to see so much witch book, and in some way being so different. I do make my magic work alone and special to me but I like seeing what others can do!