The Green Witch’s Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Natural Magic by Arin-Murphy-Hiscock. Adams Media, 978-1507213544, 256 pp., July 2020

… A grimoire is essential for any witch wanting to capture and record spells, rituals, and secret ingredients. And for a green witch, a perfect place to reflect upon the power of nature, and document the stones, plants, flowers, oils, and herbs used in her practice….

The Green Witch’s Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Natural Magic by Arin-Murphy-Hiscock is a companion title to Arin’s previously published The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More. The author noes in the introduction that the reader would benefit by going back and reviewing some of the basics of magickal practice as that is not included in this title. And, given the amount of information and guidance provided by this title, this would have been a tome too large to digest in the manner that it deserves.

The Green Witch’s Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Natural Magic by Arin-Murphy-Hiscock is portioned into ten (10) chapters separated into a two (2) part journey in crafting your own grimoire and developing your skills as a green witch. Part One-Chapters 1-5 are dedicated to “Designing Your Green Witch Grimoire”. Each chapter address a component of the intention and understanding required to assemble a grimoire that is a reflection of your personal style and work. Chapter 1: What is A Grimoire opens the way for knowing what a grimoire can become, its historical uses and the primary functions that creating a personal record vs. a compilation of someone else’ work that should be factored into what you craft.

Chapters 2:Designing Your Grimoire; Chapter 3:Creating Your Grimoire through Chapter 4:Setting Up Your Grimoire, dive into the specifics and nuances. Selecting the correct papers, what your grimoire will look like and been contained within, organizing the content and more are covered in a way that stimulates the reader’s discernment and encourages creativity while being mindful of what is needed and what is extraneous matter. Befitting a Green Witch’s Grimoire, Chapter 5:Adding the Magic of Plants to Your Grimoire provides the reader with recommendations for noting herbal workings, the energies of specific herbs you may use, toxicity warning, geographic locations, medical uses and more. Samples of a “Plant Entry”  take the reader through all that should be included in your grimoire for safety and efficacy of your green work.

Part 2: Using Your Green Witch Grimore gets into the practical application of what you have lovingly crafted using the guidelines and information from Part 1.

… “A Green Witch’s Grimoire” isn’t meant to sit on a shelf. It’s meant to be used often, thumbed through, written in, scribbled on, and consulted. It’s the place to record ideas and new information, and keep track of your spellwork and rituals. It’s where you collect information about spell materials, store things that inspire you, and journal your medita­tions and reflections. It’s a collection of memories and dreams, goals, and obstacles. In other words, the grimoire is the reflection of your spiritual journey, which means that it, too, is always in development. It’s a symbol of your path and your direction, which shifts as your growth takes place…

Chapter 6: Practicing Witchcraft with Your Grimoire guides the reader through several exercises relevant to specifics of the Craft to be used as tools of exploration, the findings of which can be recorded in your grimoire. These include the foundations of sensing energy, contemplative activities and sacred space. In keeping with the practices of green witchery, the use of herbs and natural components is strewn throughout. There is a lovely section of instruction on how to “Make An Herbal Blessing Wand” using dried herb stalks, natural fiber string and a small dish of sand. The results of “bundling” the stalks and tying is a lighter version of a typically envisioned smudge stick.

Chapter 7:Using Your Grimoire in Energy and Spellwork  emphasizes that…

… Your Grimoire is part reference book, and part lab notebook. As you work with it, it will collect and expand in parallel with your practice, reflecting your growth and insight…

This chapter focuses on divination, spellcraft and ritual workings. There are suggested templates for recording your experiences and work in your grimoire in a way that is useable and memorable .

I particularly enjoyed Chapter 8:Journaling in Your Grimoire. This is an action that I think many to do not necessarily consider as something to be included within their Grimoire. The reminder is that this is your personal collection of everything that is you magically. This also includes everything that may arise to the surface as you do the work and record those impressions, references and notes in your grimoire.

Chapter 9: Honoring Your Grimoire moves organically into the final Chapter 10: Personal Development Within the Green Witch Path. Topics such as ethics, spiritual and mundane, death and the dishonoring of the natural world are discussed and there is plenty to chew on and use a points of opening for you. These insights that arise from this work of honoring the path you have chosen and who you are in the larger world are further deepened in the final chapter. The intention of this final offering is one of connection.  The seamless and organic connections between the Green Witch’s path and their surroundings in all of their forms, subtle, spiritual and physical.  These may include activism, healing, travel and being present in the current events that are evolving ever more quickly.

The Green Witch’s Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Natural Magic provides a robust Recommended References and Resources listing in conclusion. A robust Bibliography, quick reference to Herbs and Plants, the Magical Associations of Fruits, Trees, Crystals and Stones, and Colors allow for user friendly interaction.

Would I recommend:

The Green Witch’s Grimoire: Your Complete Guide to Creating Your Own Book of Natural Magic by Arin-Murphy-Hiscock is a complete package of insight, guidance, knowledge and practicality. Regardless of whether your path is that of the green Witch, the contents are useable and wen put into practice will definitely serve as a transformative experience. This is a book that you will want to spend time with, read, digest, try and re-read again because there are so many layers to each of the topics contained. I have read and reviewed other titles by this author and once again the easy style of writing and Arin’s passion for her chosen path are evident in the meticulous care give to producing a reading that is relevant and useable in any time or setting.

About the Author:

Arin Murphy-Hiscock is the author of Spellcrafting, Wicca, The Way of the Green Witch, The Green Witch, The Way of the Hedge Witch, Pagan Pregnancy, Power Spellcraft for Life, Solitary Wicca for Life, and The Hidden Meaning of Birds: A Spiritual Field Guide. She has been active in the field of alternative spirituality for over twenty years and lives in Montreal, Canada.