
Member Reviews

This is a really interesting book - well written and engaging. An enjoyable and informative read, thanks for the ARC

Beautifully written book by @lindsaysquire, she doesn't disappoint in this well crafted book about witch of the forests guide to folklore Magick.
If you are just dipping your toes into folklore Magick this a perfect choice for all the basics and more. I have been doing it for over 60 years and I am still learning. It's an ongoing process of learning and practicing. The chapters are easy to find and understand.

I was immediately drawn to this gorgeous cover! I've read multiple books by Lindsay Squire, so I knew I would enjoy this read when I requested it. It's a good primer filled with information about herbs, but I felt like something was missing. I'm a bit disappointed that there wasn't more folklore. The art is stunning as always though.

More like an encyclopedia of herbal lore, botany and history than a "guide to magick," this book was full of information on a variety of plants that have been used throughout history in both natural medicine and spells. Would've liked more details on some of the historical rituals and modern-day uses, and some additional pictures to help with identifying would be nice.

dnf 20%
Книга не виправдовує свої назву та опис, немає лісового посібника, немає народної магії, хоча, можливо, там було би щось далі, але перші розділи з переліком рослин були геть не інформативними. Якщо далі було краще, а не загальні "народні рецепти використовували ромашку для заспокоєння" (які народи, в яких рецептах), то це було дивне рішення помістити спершу довідник рослин, а потім ширшу інформацію, бо ясно не було нічого.
Дякую NetGalley за ознайомлення з книгою. Я хоч і небагато читала подібних книг, але вони були кращими, хоча інформація була більш лаконічною, але оформлення гарне, ілюстрації на цілу сторінку.

This is one of those books that feels like it was made for sipping tea under fairy lights while you flip through pages with moss under your nails. It’s earthy, approachable, and full of magical nuggets that made my folklore-loving brain do a happy little wiggle.
Lindsay Squire does a solid job laying the groundwork for folk magick—especially if you’re newer to the craft or craving something that reconnects you to the natural world without being too “light and love, ignore the hexes” about it. The balance of plant lore, spellcraft, and seasonal wisdom works well, and I appreciate that it doesn’t pretend folk magick came out of nowhere. There’s at least some acknowledgment of how old this all is, and how deeply rooted it is in cultural traditions.
That said—I wanted more. More depth. More storytelling. More folklore. The title teases a rich dive into the histories and mythologies behind the herbs, symbols, and rituals... but sometimes the book just skims the surface. Like, yes, tell me what rowan is used for—but also tell me the juicy folktale behind it, please and thank you.
Still, this is a gorgeous addition to any witchy shelf. Visually beautiful. Spiritually grounding. And a great companion for those moments when you want to reconnect with your practice in a gentle, forest-witch kind of way.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review—and by honest, I mean lovingly nerdy and slightly herbalist-obsessed.

In Witchcraft as Folk Resistance, historian William G. Pooley presents a compelling and meticulously researched re-evaluation of witchcraft—not as superstition or arcane lore—but as a powerful form of grassroots resistance. This is a work of profound historical revisionism and theoretical elegance, tracing how marginalized communities, particularly women and rural peoples, used accusations, rituals, and reputational power to contest the encroaching authority of the modern state.
What Pooley accomplishes here is remarkable: he reframes witchcraft not as a relic of ignorance, but as a strategic response to oppression, a system of meaning-making forged at the margins. Drawing upon a rich archive of case studies from 19th and early 20th-century France and beyond, the book unearths a subterranean history in which peasants, the poor, and the politically disenfranchised wielded “magic” as a vocabulary of power when all others were denied them.
The prose is academically rigorous yet accessible, striking a careful balance between theoretical weight and narrative clarity. Pooley weaves together legal records, folklore, oral traditions, and political discourse to show how witchcraft functioned as a counter-discourse to bureaucratic rationalism and state surveillance. In doing so, he also highlights the gendered nature of this resistance—showing how women, in particular, were both victims of control and agents of subversion.
What is especially striking is Pooley’s nuanced approach to “belief.” Rather than reducing witchcraft to delusion or dismissing it as purely symbolic, he treats it with the ethnographic dignity it deserves—as real within its own cosmology, and as consequential as any political act. The result is a study that restores agency to historical actors too often treated as passive or pathological.
Final Verdict: Witchcraft as Folk Resistance is a landmark contribution to cultural history, political theory, and folklore studies. It is essential reading for anyone interested in power, resistance, and the radical potential of belief systems outside sanctioned structures. Pooley reminds us that history is not only made in palaces and parliaments—but also in whispers, hexes, and household altars.
⭐ 5/5 stars
📚 A must-read for scholars of history, anthropology, feminist studies, and anyone seeking to understand the covert strategies of survival employed by those history often forgets.

As a fan of Lindsey Squire’s work, I was eager to read her new book, “Folklore Magic”, and it not disappoint! Filled with a wealth of information, written in a clear and simple way, the book was engaging to read. And the art work gave the book an extra joy while reading. If you are new to witchcraft or like me, just have a thirst for more knowledge, this is the book for you!

This book is sooooo pretty and has nice background about spices, herbs, and kitchen magick. It would be a great coffee table book in any witchy home.

Well presented beautiful book exploring witchraft and foklaw, suitable for those looking for a beginners guide

Thank you to NetGalley and Leaping Hare Press for this ARC!
The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Folklore Magick is an easy to follow guide for those interested in Folklore Magick. There are various herbs and their magickal properties listed. I will be referring to this guide in my practice.

This is an odd book. It's part story, part recipe book for witches?
It's not for me. I'm not going to review it elsewhere.

“The witch of the forests guide to folklore magick” by Lindsay squire was a wonderful book for those wanting to educate themselves more on the Craft and spirit.

This was a pleasure to read. It is brightly and creatively illustrated. I went into guessing correctly that is very much a beginner's book, but I love to read those anyway and I've enjoyed Lindsay Squire's previous work. I do consider myself intermediate, but intermediate with a foggy, foggy memory, so I don't mind reading to refresh. If only we were all lucky enough to have books this warm and thoughtful when we began our journeys.

Every one of Lindsay Squire's books are beautiful thorough, and well presented. This book is no different. This is a perfect "first books" for newbie witches.

A true beginner’s book—if you’re looking to dip your toes into folklore magick, this is the perfect choice.
I also have to point out that the illustrations are absolutely stunning! The artwork in this book is lush and beautifully detailed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Leaping Hare/Leaping Hare Press for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Such a wonderful starter guide to herbal folklore and witchcraft! I loved the illustrations that corresponded to each plant and that both medicinal and magickal uses were included. I do wish it went more in depth into the folklore behind each plant, but seeing as this was geared towards beginners, I still think it is a great reference book with some gorgeous illustrations.

My favorite part about this book, by far, were the gorgeous illustrations found on every page. They were so detailed and intricate that, even if I didn't understand completely what the text was saying, I was still able to thoroughly enjoy looking through the pages.
Witches and magic are very interesting topics to me, but I've never really dived in to learn more about it. This book was a great beginner guide for someone like me; interested in the subject, but more on a superficial level.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A very basic introduction guide to witchcraft aimed at beginners.
The book begins with simple two pages spreads introducing the ideas of things are like 'balms'. This was done in a way that sometimes felt they were trying to fill space as some of the things felt they were obvious, even for a beginner. But maybe not.
Its definitely an aesthetically pleasing book that I can see being popular in a millennial/gen z baby witch crowd but not something that I can see myself revisiting.

This book is so bright and colorful, packed with fascinating info I didn’t even know I needed! I’ve been getting more into holistic medicine, and this is definitely one I’ll keep coming back to as a reference.