Chapters & Charms

Chapters and Charms Blog to Retire November 2021

My dearest readers, I am indescribably thankful for your support and accompaniment on this journey since I first launched the Chapters and Charms blog in 2017. Over the past four years, this blog has helped me share my passions with friends, family, and strangers; become more comfortable publicly identifying as a witch and letting go of shame or embarrassment around it; and refine my self…

Book Review: Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas

From the author of Cemetery Boys comes a dark YA retelling of Peter Pan. In this version, Wendy returned from Neverland with no memory and no little brothers in tow. After five years of wondering and guilt, Peter Pan plunges back into her life, bringing the shadow of their past with him.Continue reading

Book Review: Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

A stunning #OwnVoices debut representing Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) culture in a hook-you-from-the-start thriller. Teenage Daunis Fontaine gets roped into an FBI investigation of a meth ring in her small hockey-obsessed town near the Canadian border. Her knowledge of the Anishinaabe community, the hockey world, and medicinal plants make her the perfect informant, but digging too deep will put her in…

Two timelines, three very different women, one story of murder, intrigue, and self-fulfillment. Poisoning the men in your life who did you wrong might not be the best way to solve your problems, but it was certainly a popular one for a certain herbalist in 18th century London. Her deadly doses brought release to many, including a young serving girl who might carry on her legacy, and a modern day…

The Magic of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a meditative process that involves being attentive, intentional, and most of all present during even the mundane moments of your daily life. Today I’m writing about how to build up a mindfulness practice and how it can aid you in your craft.Continue reading

Book Review: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Ready for some epic battle scenes, well-paced character growth, and overthrowing the patriarchy? Debut author Namina Forna hits the ground running with The Gilded Ones, the story of a teen girl living in a repressive fantasy world who must train to slay demons for the emperor after being rejected by society for her cursed golden blood.Continue reading

DIY Protection Car Talisman

Here’s a thoughtful bespelled gift for someone in your life who does a lot of driving. This is technically a talisman (item charged with an intent) and made with items from my Witch Baby Soap winter subscription spell box, plus string and beads I had laying around. Feel free to substitute items you don’t have with similar materials, as long as they symbolize protection for you. (more…)

The Basics of Circle Casting

If you’ve been reading up on witchy topics or tangential fields like tarot and crystals, you probably have come across the phrase “cast a circle.” What does that mean, why do we do it, and how do we do it? That’s what I will lay out in this post.

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Homemade Witchy Gift Ideas: Calming and Energizing Bath Tea Blends

Customizable, useful, and containing that personal touch, bath teas are a great low-cost, medium-effort gift! Subtly witchy, you can give them to loved ones whether they are into the Craft or not and give the gift of warmth, magic, and self care. See recipes below for my energizing and calming blends.

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Book Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

A queer, gender-inclusive, Latinx ghost-boy love story—the perfect read to start off your spooky season right. Yadriel is a brujo, although not all of his family members accept his trans identity. Julian is dead. Together, with the help of Yadriel’s best friend Martiza, they must work to solve the mystery of several deaths and disappearances including Julian’s before the first day of Dia de…

Book Review: The Lost Queen by Signe Pike

Did you know the mythical figure of Merlin may have been based on a historical Scotsman? More importantly, did you know he had a twin sister? This is Languoreth’s story, sister to a great Wisdom Keeper, daughter of a king, destined to marry for strategy rather than love, one of many powerful women nearly lost to history. (more…)

Dream Work for the Jewish Witch

In my previous post, I outlined numerous examples from Jewish scripture about the magic of dreams. Today I build on that research as well as my general witchcraft practice to present a Jewitch’s guide to inducing meaningful dreams, dealing with nightmares, and interpreting dreams. (more…)

Dreams and Dream Interpretation in Judaism

This is the first of a two-part post exploring how to pull from my Jewish roots to make working with dreams a bigger part of my witchcraft practice. This first post will focus on examples of the belief that dreams hold significant spiritual meaning and of dream interpretations in Jewish tradition. My second post will focus on specific practices I use to induce or interpret dreams. (more…)

Animal Companions and Embracing Disruption During Spellwork

So your pet takes a special interest whenever you practice witchcraft. The good news: you may have a familiar! The bad news: there is now a cat tail swishing under your nose while you try to meditate. But it doesn’t have to be bad news. Here’s how I turned my mindset around when it comes to furry distractions. (more…)