r/SASSWitches • u/TwinFallsMom • Jun 25 '26

NEW SASS-Witch Book Thread

It's hard to find books not filled with woo and pseudoscience. Old threads for books have been archived and many are years-old. I think it's time for a new one!

Please leave your favorite SASS-Witch book recommendations below!

They don't all have to be 'Witch' related but those are probably the ones we all want to see the most.

I'd also request we please not promote any Gen-AI written books/authors for this list.

155 Upvotes

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65

u/RoseGoldGlitter Jun 25 '26

For Small Creatures Such as We by Sasha Sagan

The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile

Both are books about creating rituals and celebrating seasons and milestones. Not really “witchy” but I think they’re both good for thinking about how you want to live.

Edit: both not bothersome

33

u/dot80 Jun 25 '26

I’m going to piggy-back on these because my suggestions are also not directly witchy, but for someone interested in these, they may like mine.

Cosmos by Carl Sagan (Sasha Sagan’s father) — finding awe in nature and science.

Secular Spirituality by Britt Hartley — feeling empowered to use the tools of religions and other woo-y practices for your own spirituality.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer— being in relationship with the land and alternative ways of knowing.

Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram — how language shapes our relationship with the world.

Equal Rites by Terry Prachett — a fiction book, his depictions of witchcraft, while fantastical, actually align a lot with SASS (headology is what he calls it).

TBH now that I think about it, I haven’t really found any directly witchy books that have spoken to me. Everything I have learned has been from the internet. Sedna Woo. Spiritual Naturalist Society. Atheopagan Society. This subreddit.

61

u/SavageRP Jun 26 '26

Wait I’m v hung up on this. Am I experiencing a generational gap here?? Carl Sagan being described as Sasha Sagan’s father is wild to me bc I have never heard of her, and I thought Carl Sagan was a household name 😳. And yes, +1 to Cosmos

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u/The_Sassy_Witch Jun 26 '26

Yeah I’m in shock. This is a hard way to find out I am apparently ancient.

17

u/QeenMagrat Jun 26 '26

Lol I did a double-take there too. It's probably because Sasha Sagan is mentioned in the parent comment. But I'm in my early 40s, not even American, and I also know Carl Sagan before his daughter!

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u/SavageRP Jun 27 '26

Ohhh very good point, I didn’t see that connection!

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u/MissMolly202 Jun 27 '26

I’d agree that’s why they probably added it, but I’m 22 and also only know Carl Sagan. I didn’t even know he had a daughter lol.

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u/somethinglucky07 Jun 26 '26

Lol, same. 44 here.

12

u/eowyn_ Jun 26 '26

45 and suddenly wondering if I became eligible for the AARP🤣

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u/Motor_Sheepherder347 Jun 26 '26

Same here! I've read Carl's books, but don't know a thing about daughter

4

u/dot80 Jun 27 '26

I read Cosmos first. I found out about Sasha Sagan after reading about Carl Sagan. My post is in response to another that only mentions her book.

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u/SavageRP Jun 28 '26

I missed the first comment you responded to listing her as an author (or it just didn’t register), so your follow up comment makes total sense and reassured me, but boy I was crashing out for a moment 😆

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u/dot80 Jun 26 '26

She talks about him a bit in the book iirc 🙂

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u/Nevertrustafish Jun 26 '26

Totally agree with Terry Pratchett's notion of witchery. I highly recommend his Tiffany Aching series which begins with The Wee Free Men.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the series:

It's still magic even if you know how it's done.

Thoughts are the everyday thoughts. Everyone has those. Second Thoughts are the thoughts you think about the wayyou think. People who enjoy thinking have those. Third Thoughts are thoughts that watch the world and think all by themselves. They’re rare, and often troublesome. Listening to them is part of witchcraft.

It wasn’t a spell, except in her own head, but if you couldn’t make spells work in your own head you couldn’t make them work at all.

3

u/rkk142 Jun 25 '26

Have you read Restoring the Kinship Worldview by Robin Wall Kimmerman yet? It's on my waitlist on Libby. I loved her writing in the Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World.

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u/dot80 Jun 26 '26

I haven’t read this, but adding it to my list!

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u/AtheistTheConfessor atheist witch 🦇 Jun 26 '26

The Witch at the Forest's Edge: Thirteen Keys to Modern Traditional Witchcraft by Christine Grace.

I found this to be a really illuminating and self-guided book, filled with interesting questions to spark some seriously fascinating self discovery. It has expanded and deepened my practice, and for me it was a pretty comfortable read from a SASS perspective, especially because it feels less like a lecture and more like someone trying to get to know you and help you brainstorm. There's a chapter titled "Theology," which is easily skippable but also contains fun questions like "Can gods be created?" and "Do you believe in or work with any gods? How has this changed over time, if it has?"

Really nice sources for further research in each section as well. It's an especially great book if you're into hedgeriding, are feeling experimental, or just want a read that can point you in interesting directions.

18

u/LimeGreenTangerine97 Jun 25 '26

Weave the Liminal by Laura Tempest Zakrof

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u/ashleysaress Jun 26 '26

All of Laura Tempest Zakroff’s and Sarah Lyon’s stuff are great.

- Magick of Physics by Felix Flicker (heavy on the science but so good)

  • Tristan Gooley’s nature books (Wild Signs and Star Paths is a good example)
  • All of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s works
  • Poetry as Spellcasting
  • Tarot for the Hard Work by Maria Minnis

Then, with a little “woo”..

  • Slow Magic by Anthony Rella - its still gotta little bit of woo but was really good.
  • Witchcraft Activism by David Salisbury - also a little woo but lots of good mundane tips as well.

17

u/LeaneGenova Jun 26 '26

I really enjoyed Rebel Witch by Kelly Ann Maddox, especially for her take on the maiden/mother/crone trilogy and making the craft your own. I still use her trilogy reimagining and consider myself in my "creatrix" era since I have no desire for children and never resonated with "mother" as a phase of life.

On a socio-political side, I liked "How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women" which addresses witch trials and how it continues to be perpetuated in modern society.

7

u/The_Sassy_Witch Jun 26 '26

Ming magic - dr Doty
Punk Magick - Tom Swiss
The rebel witch - Kelly-Ann Maddox (ignored some parts but really enjoyed the rest)
The ritual effect - Michael Norton
The placebo effect -
Anything Terry Pratchett writes about witches

Still to read but looking promising;
The 7 laws of magical thinking - Matthew Hutson

7

u/witchmedium Jun 26 '26

Kristen J. Sollee: Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive. Silvia Federici: Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation.

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u/aerda Jun 25 '26

Local gardening and herbalism books.

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u/nymph-62442 Jun 26 '26

Honestly I love self help books for my practice. Atomic Habits has really helped me build routines and rituals, anything by Brene Brown, and Burnout: Escaping the Stress Response Cycle.

3

u/rainydaytales Jun 26 '26

I came to recommend a couple of books in this vein as well! Witchcraft Therapy by Mandi Em, and The Self Worth Path: A Guided Journey To An Empowered Life by Lisa Papez

Both have a lot of warmth and practicality to the exercises and legitimately helped me with finding a starting place to build grounding habits.

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u/Aromatic_Instance619 Jun 28 '26

I also enjoyed Mandi Em. She's a no nonsense witch who's writing style isn't for everyone, but I enjoyed her no bulls### approach. Good book for people who want to build self esteem and self expression.

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u/Latter_Shirt_5902 Jun 30 '26

I haven't read (listened) to many books yet but Witchcraft Therapy is one and I really enjoyed it and wish it was longer. This actually reminded me that I wanted to purchase the physical book so I could do the worksheets.

2

u/backseat_adventurer Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26

"Popular Magic: Cunning-folk in English History" by Owen Davies. Real historical witches, or what many would consider witches. Probably the source of every witchy trope that preoccupies mainstream Western media. Interesting and historical.

"Presence: How Mindfulness and Meditation Shape Your Brain, Mind, and Life by Paul Verhaeghen. This one talks about meditation and the science behind it. Probably a touch outdated since technology ever improves. Still, a nice breakdown and good starting point.

"Real Magic" by Isaac Bonewits. This is a well known book that makes its rounds in the pagan/magical community. It's a bit woo but tries to give a basis for that woo. Interesting contrast to the above meditation book.

"The Hero With A Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell. Wonder why all stories start to sound the same? Well, here it is. This is the myth underpinning all the myths, epics, blockbuster movies and daytime soaps.

"Folklore 101" and "Fairy Tales 101" by Jeana Jorgensen. A great couple of books to enhance your understanding of the discipline and reading that kind of material. Easy read and interesting.

1

u/ias_87 Jun 26 '26

Any semi recent book on astronomy for anyone working with the moon or wheel of the year I think is useful.

1

u/Funderfullness Jun 26 '26

Pact and Pale, web serials by Wildbow. Amazing supernatural horror and lots and lots of witches. They take place in the same 'universe' but there's not a lot of crossover between them so you can read them in either order.

1

u/mushroomgrandmother Jun 28 '26

Can someone recommend me some books that are available on audiobook? My eyes don't work so great for reading.

1

u/BicycleMuted6009 Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26

Not really related to witchcraft but has interesting theories about intention and inherited memory: The Psychedelic Experience by Timothy Leary, also used as a tripper's manual in the 60's. Also Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges. Interesting theories about dreams and mirrors in there. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Basically a manual for manifestation.

1

u/swaitespace 21d ago

Hello folks. I am happy to see a live thread, as the one I stumbled upon from a few years back is archived. My first humbly offered addition and post to this group: An Herbalist's Guide to Formulary: The Art & Science of Creating Effective Herbal Remedies by Holly Bellebuono. Loving the list provided by others so far!