Basic Witches: How to Summon Success, Banish Drama, and Raise Hell with Your Coven - Hardcover

by Jaya Saxena (Author), Jess Zimmerman (Author)

A magical lifestyle guide for everything from powering up a stylish crystal to banishing terrible Tinder dates

Want to feel terrifyingly beautiful? Wear the right color of eye shadow to project otherworldly glamour. Need to exorcise a toxic friendship? Repeat the proper incantation and make it disappear. Want to increase your energy? Whip up a tasty herbal "potion" to rev up your stamina. DIY projects, rituals, and spells--along with fun historical sidebars--summon the best trends of the modern witchy lifestyle and the time-trusted traditions of the hell-raising women of the past. With humor, heart, and a hip sensibility, Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman dispense witchy wisdom for the curious, the cynical, and anyone who could use a magical boost.

Selected Table of Contents:

CHAPTER 1 - Self-Initiation: An Induction into Basic Witchery
What We Mean by "Witchcraft"
Our Favorite Pop Culture Witches

CHAPTER 2 - Glamours: The Power to Change How You Look
How to Clothe Yourself in Literal Darkness
The Dark Magic of Unfeminine Haircuts
A Spell for Self-Care

CHAPTER 3 - Healing: The Power to Care for Yourself
A Spell to Make Peace with Your Body
Magical Exercise
A Ritual for a Relaxing Netflix Binge

CHAPTER 4 - Summoning: The Power to Care for Others (and Have Them Care for You)
The Transformative Power of Vulnerability
A Collaborative Ritual to Deepen Friendship

CHAPTER 5 - Enchantment: The Power to Make Choices about Love and Sex
Conjuring Your Perfect Mate
The Magic Circle of Consent
A Spell for Talking about Sex

CHAPTER 6 - Banishment: The Power to Avoid What Brings You Down
Expelling Social Toxicity
The Different Types of Personal Demons
A Spell to Counter Impostor Syndrome

CHAPTER 7 - Divination: The Power to Decide Your Destiny
A Spell to Name Your Heart's Desire
How to Read Tea Leaves

Author Biography

Jaya Saxena is the co-author of Basic Witches (Quirk, 2017) and a staff writer at Eater. Her work has appeared in many outlets, including the New York Times, Buzzfeed, GQ, ELLE, Electric Literature, Catapult, the Daily Dot, The Toast, and more. She lives in New York City with her partner.

Jess Zimmerman is the editor-in-chief of Electric Literature. Her writing has been published in the Guardian, the New Republic, the Washington Post, Hazlitt, Vice, Eater, and others.