The Novice's Guide to Tarot
by me, Lauri Mukkala
My card-by-card beginner guide, written to sit next to any Rider-Waite-Smith style deck.
My Amazon picks
The books and decks I point readers to, by topic. Mostly history and reference, so you read the sources, not only me.
Some links on this page go to Amazon and are marked as paid links: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How I choose and mark links.
How I pick
A book makes this list when it helps a beginner understand a topic I write about, and when it is clear about what is history and what is modern practice. I do not list prices or ratings, because they change on Amazon and you should check them there. Older books reflect their time, so read them with that in mind.
You can also browse everything on my Amazon storefront (paid link).
My own books
These are my own books, so I earn from them as the author as well.
The Novice's Guide to Witchcraft
by me, Lauri Mukkala
My plain-language starting point for anyone curious about witchcraft.
The Closet Witch
by me, Lauri Mukkala
My book for anyone who has to keep their practice private.
The 5-Minute Witch
by me, Lauri Mukkala
My book of small, doable practices for busy days.
The Magical Child
by me, Lauri Mukkala
My gentle guide for parents who want to share nature, intuition and wonder with their children.
All my books on Amazon
by me, Lauri Mukkala
Every book I have published, in every format, on my Amazon author page.
Popular witchcraft books right now
The witchcraft books readers are buying and shelving most right now, with two histories at the end so you can see where modern practice comes from.
The Green Witch
Arin Murphy-Hiscock
A friendly beginner book on herb and nature-based practice.
Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation
Mat Auryn
A popular modern guide that pairs meditation and psychic exercises with witchcraft practice.
The Witch's Book of Self-Care
Arin Murphy-Hiscock
Gentle rituals and small practices for rest and care, a popular companion to The Green Witch.
Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft
Raymond Buckland
A long-running workbook of modern Wiccan practice from the 1980s. Read it as one modern tradition.
Why I picked it
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
Scott Cunningham
A classic reference to the folklore and magical associations of herbs. It is not a safety guide, so check safety separately.
Why I picked it
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
Scott Cunningham
A widely read introduction to solitary Wiccan practice. Read it as one modern tradition among many.
Why I picked it
Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences
Sandra Kynes
A cross-referenced look-up book for colours, stones, herbs and planets.
Why I picked it
Goodreads "witchcraft-nonfiction" shelf , opens in a new tab
Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power
Pam Grossman
Essays on the witch as a figure in culture, from folklore to film.
Why I picked it
Goodreads "witchcraft-nonfiction" shelf , opens in a new tab
The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess (20th Anniversary Edition)
Starhawk
The 1979 book that shaped Goddess spirituality and Reclaiming witchcraft, with rituals and exercises.
Why I picked it
My pick, not a sales rank: so much modern witchcraft grew out of this book, and it still works as a practical manual as well as a piece of history (HarperOne).
Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice
Thea Sabin
A clear primer on Wiccan beliefs, ethics and core techniques such as grounding, meditation and raising energy.
Why I picked it
My pick, not a sales rank: it teaches the basics without tying you to one tradition, and it has exercises you can actually do (Llewellyn, 2006).
The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft (new edition)
Ronald Hutton
The standard history of how modern pagan witchcraft came to be, by a historian.
The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present
Ronald Hutton
A historian's long view of witch beliefs, from the ancient world to the trials.
Why I picked it
Scholarly pick, not a sales rank: Ronald Hutton's general history (Yale University Press, 2017)
Popular tarot books right now
The tarot books readers come back to most, from friendly beginner guides to the classic study of the Rider-Waite-Smith cards, with two histories at the end.
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom
Rachel Pollack
A classic card-by-card study of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, in the new Weiser edition.
Why I picked it
Holistic Tarot
Benebell Wen
A large, thorough reference on the cards, spreads and correspondences.
Why I picked it
Tarot for Your Self: A Workbook for the Inward Journey
Mary K. Greer
A workbook of exercises for reading the cards for yourself.
Why I picked it
Kitchen Table Tarot
Melissa Cynova
A chatty, practical beginner book that reads like a conversation with a friend.
Why I picked it
Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards
Michelle Tea
A warm, personal walk through all 78 cards with rituals for each.
Why I picked it
Mary K. Greer's 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card
Mary K. Greer
Twenty-one ways to look at a single card, useful when a meaning feels stuck.
Why I picked it
The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination
Robert M. Place
A clear history of the cards and their symbols, from Renaissance Italy to modern decks.
Why I picked it
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot
A. E. Waite (Dover)
Waite's own 1910 guide to the deck, with plates of all 78 cards. Best read as a historical source.
Why I picked it
The Ultimate Guide to Tarot: A Beginner's Guide to the Cards, Spreads, and Revealing the Mystery of the Tarot
Liz Dean
A beginner guide to all 78 cards with spreads and practical reading advice.
Why I picked it
My pick, not a sales rank: an easy first reference, with every card and plenty of spreads in one illustrated book (Fair Winds Press, 2015).
Tarot Correspondences: Ancient Secrets for Everyday Readers
T. Susan Chang
Explains the astrological, numerical and elemental links behind the cards, with reference tables.
Why I picked it
My pick, not a sales rank: for readers ready to go past keywords and see where the traditional card associations come from (Llewellyn, 2018).
A Cultural History of Tarot: From Entertainment to Esotericism
Helen Farley
An academic but readable history of tarot from Renaissance courts to today.
Why I picked it
Scholarly pick, not a sales rank: an academic history of tarot (Bloomsbury)
A Wicked Pack of Cards: The Origins of the Occult Tarot
Michael Dummett, Ronald Decker and Thierry Depaulis
The scholarly history of how a card game became an occult tool.
Why I picked it
Scholarly pick, not a sales rank: the standard history of the occult tarot (Duckworth)
The Goetia and ceremonial magic: serious editions and scholarship
Primary texts in careful editions and the historians who explain them. These are books to study, not instructions to follow.
The Lesser Key of Solomon: Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis
Joseph H. Peterson (editor)
The critical edition of the whole Lemegeton from the manuscripts, not only the Goetia.
Why I picked it
Scholarly pick: the critical edition of the whole Lemegeton (Weiser)
The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King
S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley (ed. Hymenaeus Beta)
The 1904 Mathers and Crowley text in the 1995 Weiser edition. A primary source to study, not a how-to.
Why I picked it
The Goetia of Dr Rudd
Stephen Skinner and David Rankine
A 17th-century version of the Goetia that pairs each spirit with an angel, with a long introduction.
Why I picked it
The True Grimoire
Jake Stratton-Kent
A study of the Grimorium Verum and its place in the older goetic tradition.
Why I picked it
Grimorium Verum
Joseph H. Peterson (editor and translator)
An edited translation of a famous 18th-century grimoire. A primary source to study, not a how-to.
Why I picked it
Arbatel: Concerning the Magic of the Ancients
Joseph H. Peterson (editor and translator)
A short Renaissance text on angelic magic, with the Latin and an English translation.
Why I picked it
Three Books of Occult Philosophy
Henry Cornelius Agrippa; edited and annotated by Donald Tyson
Agrippa's Renaissance compendium of magic in the 1651 English translation, corrected and annotated by Donald Tyson.
Why I picked it
My pick, not a sales rank: the Goetia and the later grimoires borrow a great deal from Agrippa, and Tyson's notes make the text usable (Llewellyn).
The Book of Abramelin: A New Translation (Revised and Expanded)
Abraham von Worms; compiled and edited by Georg Dehn, translated by Steven Guth
A modern translation of the grimoire of the Holy Guardian Angel, built from several manuscripts rather than the single one Mathers used.
Why I picked it
My pick, not a sales rank: Abramelin sits beside the Goetia in the ceremonial magic canon, and this edition goes back to the manuscripts (Ibis Press, 2015).
Grimoires: A History of Magic Books
Owen Davies
A readable academic history of magic books and the people who used them.
Why I picked it
Magic: A Very Short Introduction
Owen Davies
A pocket-sized history of what people have meant by magic, by a leading historian.
Why I picked it
Scholarly pick, not a sales rank: Oxford Very Short Introductions
Magic in the Middle Ages
Richard Kieckhefer
An academic overview of magic in medieval Europe, a good base for the grimoire tradition.
Why I picked it
Scholarly pick, not a sales rank: Cambridge Medieval Textbooks
Forbidden Rites: A Necromancer's Manual of the Fifteenth Century
Richard Kieckhefer
An edition and study of a real medieval manual of demonic magic from Munich.
Why I picked it
Popular art history books right now
The art history books readers pick up most, plus a few newer ones and two that sit close to the tarot and the occult.
Ways of Seeing
John Berger
A short, influential book about how we look at images.
The Story of Art
E. H. Gombrich
The classic one-volume survey of art, written for readers new to the subject.
Why I picked it
The Story of Art Without Men
Katy Hessel
A survey of art history told through women artists, from the 1500s to now.
Why I picked it
The Secret Lives of Color
Kassia St. Clair
Short histories of 75 colours and the pigments behind them.
What Are You Looking At? The Surprising, Shocking, and Sometimes Strange Story of 150 Years of Modern Art
Will Gompertz
A lively introduction to modern art from Impressionism onwards.
Why I picked it
The Short Story of Art
Susie Hodge
A compact guide to movements, works, themes and techniques, good for quick look-ups.
Why I picked it
Pick, not a sales rank: a compact survey for quick look-ups
A Little History of Art
Charlotte Mullins
A short, readable history of art from cave paintings to today, in 40 chapters.
Why I picked it
Pick, not a sales rank: a short recent history (Yale University Press)
The Power of Art
Simon Schama
Eight artists from Caravaggio to Rothko, each told at the moment they made one defining work.
Why I picked it
My pick, not a sales rank: it tells the story behind single masterpieces, a good companion to the movement pages on this site (Ecco, 2006, the book of the BBC series).
Art: The Definitive Visual Guide
Andrew Graham-Dixon (editor-in-chief)
A large illustrated survey from cave painting to contemporary art, arranged by period and movement.
Why I picked it
My pick, not a sales rank: a visual reference you can browse by movement, which matches how my art history section is organized (DK).
The Other Side: A Story of Women in Art and the Spirit World
Jennifer Higgie
Women artists who worked with spirits, visions and the occult, from Hildegard to Hilma af Klint.
Why I picked it
Pick, not a sales rank: women artists and the spirit world, close to this site
A Dictionary of Symbols (NYRB Classics)
Juan Eduardo Cirlot
An A to Z of symbols in art, myth and dreams. Read it as one scholar's interpretations.
Why I picked it
Pick, not a sales rank: NYRB Classics reference
Pamela Colman Smith: The Untold Story
Stuart R. Kaplan, Mary K. Greer, Elizabeth Foley O'Connor and Melinda Boyd Parsons
An illustrated biography of the artist who drew the 1909 deck.
Why I picked it
Pick, not a sales rank: the biography of the 1909 tarot artist (U.S. Games)
Decks I've reviewed
These are decks I have reviewed or am reviewing on my Substack. Where a review is out, you can read it first and decide for yourself.
Goetia: Tarot in Darkness
Fabio Listrani
A 78-card tarot by Fabio Listrani, Lo Scarabeo.
Notoria: Tarot in Light
Fabio Listrani
A 78-card tarot by Fabio Listrani, Lo Scarabeo.
Seasons of the Witch: Samhain Oracle
Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz
A 44-card oracle by Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz, Rockpool Publishing. The original 2020 edition, not the later deluxe set.
The Tarot of A. E. Waite and P. Colman Smith
Johannes Fiebig (ed.), with Rachel Pollack, Mary K. Greer and Robert A. Gilbert
A box set of the 1909 deck with a history book by Johannes Fiebig (ed.), with Rachel Pollack, Mary K. Greer and Robert A. Gilbert, Taschen.
Occult Tarot
Travis McHenry
A 78-card tarot by Travis McHenry, Rockpool Publishing.
Mythologia Fennica Tarot
Susanna Salo
A 78-card tarot by Susanna Salo, Rockpool Publishing. The 2024 Rockpool edition of the deck first published in Finland as Ukon pakka.
Seasons of the Witch: Yule Oracle
Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz
A 44-card oracle by Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz, Rockpool Publishing.
Alice in Wonderland Oracle
Paolo Barbieri (art)
An oracle deck by Paolo Barbieri (art), Lo Scarabeo.
Baroque Tarot
La Muci Design
A 78-card tarot by La Muci Design, La Muci.
Crystal Ball Pocket Oracle
Athene Noctua
A pocket oracle by Athene Noctua, Hay House.
Seasons of the Witch: Imbolc Oracle
Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz
A 44-card oracle by Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz, Rockpool Publishing.
Cthulhu Dark Arts Tarot
Maxime Le Dain, art by Fortifem
A 78-card tarot by Maxime Le Dain, art by Fortifem, Abrams.
Dark Reflections Tarot
La Muci Design
A 78-card tarot by La Muci Design, La Muci.
Dreamscapes Tarot
La Muci Design
A 78-card tarot by La Muci Design, La Muci.
Folklore Tarot
Rowan Ortins
A 78-card tarot by Rowan Ortins, U.S. Games Systems.
Heaven & Earth Tarot Kit
Jack Sephiroth (art), Jaymi Elford (book)
A 78-card tarot with a 160-page book by Jack Sephiroth (art), Jaymi Elford (book), Lo Scarabeo.
The Steampunk Tarot
Barbara Moore, art by Aly Fell
A 78-card tarot kit by Barbara Moore, art by Aly Fell, Llewellyn.
Lovely Animals Oracle
Helena de Almeida
A 44-card oracle by Helena de Almeida, AGM Urania / U.S. Games Systems.
Seasons of the Witch: Beltane Oracle
Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz
A 44-card oracle by Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz, Rockpool Publishing.
Secret Garden: Enchanting Messages from Quiet Spaces
Jessica Le
A mini inspiration deck by Jessica Le, Rockpool Publishing.
Steampunk Lenormand
Barbara Moore and Diana Cammarano
A 36-card Lenormand deck by Barbara Moore and Diana Cammarano, Lo Scarabeo / Llewellyn.
Surrealist Tarot
Massimiliano Filadoro, art by Luigi Di Giammarino
A 78-card tarot by Massimiliano Filadoro, art by Luigi Di Giammarino, Lo Scarabeo / Llewellyn.
Tarot of the Divine
Yoshi Yoshitani
A 78-card tarot by Yoshi Yoshitani, Clarkson Potter.
The Archeo: Personal Archetype Cards
Nick Bantock
An archetype card deck by Nick Bantock, Llewellyn.
Seasons of the Witch: Lammas Oracle
Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz
A 44-card oracle by Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz, Rockpool Publishing.
The Witch's Familiar Runic Oracle
Athene Noctua
A 24-card pocket oracle by Athene Noctua, Hay House.
The Fablemaker's Animated Tarot
Hit Point Press
A 78-card animated (lenticular) tarot by Hit Point Press, Hit Point Press.
The Phantomwise Tarot
Erin Morgenstern
A 78-card tarot by Erin Morgenstern, Clarkson Potter.
Seasons of the Witch: Mabon Oracle
Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz
A 44-card oracle by Lorriane Anderson and Juliet Diaz, Rockpool Publishing.
The Solitary Witch Oracle
Lucy Cavendish, art by Lady Viktoria
A 45-card oracle by Lucy Cavendish, art by Lady Viktoria, Blue Angel Publishing.
More from my pages
Tarot
The Rider Tarot Deck
A. E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith (U.S. Games Systems)
The standard U.S. Games edition of the 1909 Smith and Waite deck, the deck family my card meaning pages are written for.
The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck and Guidebook
Kim Krans
A 78-card deck in ink and watercolor, mostly animals and nature, with a full illustrated guidebook.
Why I picked it
I picked it as a modern alternative to the Rider deck: the same 78-card structure with very different art (HarperOne, 2016).
The Modern Witch Tarot Deck
Lisa Sterle; guidebook by Vita Ayala
The Rider-Waite-Smith scenes redrawn with modern women and contemporary settings, with a guidebook.
Why I picked it
I picked it because the scenes follow the Rider-Waite-Smith layouts closely, so any RWS book on this page works with it (Sterling Ethos, 2019).
Witchcraft and paganism
The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain
Ronald Hutton
A detailed history of the festival year in Britain, useful for telling old customs from modern ones.
Liber Null & Psychonaut: An Introduction to Chaos Magic
Peter J. Carroll
The founding texts of chaos magic, in one Weiser volume. A primary source to study.
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen
Scott Cunningham
Kitchen folklore and food magic, an easy way to bring the craft into daily cooking.
Herbs
Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide
Rosemary Gladstar
A practical beginner guide to 33 common herbs. It does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist.
The Herbal Apothecary: 100 Medicinal Herbs and How to Use Them
JJ Pursell
Profiles of 100 medicinal herbs with growing notes and recipes for teas, tinctures and salves. Check safety with a doctor or pharmacist.
Why I picked it
I picked it as a practical next step after the Gladstar beginner guide, written by a practicing herbalist (Timber Press, 2015).
Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification
Thomas J. Elpel
Teaches plant families by their shared patterns, so you can identify plants instead of guessing.
Why I picked it
I picked it because knowing which plant you actually have is the first safety rule of herb work (HOPS Press).
Crystals
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic
Scott Cunningham
A classic reference to the folklore and magical lore of stones and metals.
The Crystal Bible
Judy Hall
A directory of around 200 crystals with photographs, lore and the properties attributed to each.
Why I picked it
I picked it because it is a well-known crystal directory with a photo for every stone, a handy companion to the Cunningham encyclopedia (Walking Stick Press).
Gemstones of the World (Newly Revised Fifth Edition)
Walter Schumann
A gemologist's reference with color photographs and the physical properties of gems and ornamental stones.
Why I picked it
I picked it to balance the lore with mineralogy: what a stone actually is and how it is identified (Sterling, fifth edition).
Runes and Norse sources
Runes (Reading the Past)
R. I. Page
A short, reliable introduction to runic inscriptions by a leading runologist.
The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes
Jackson Crawford (translator)
A readable modern translation of the Old Norse poems about the gods and heroes.
The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology
Snorri Sturluson; translated by Jesse L. Byock
Snorri's 13th-century handbook of Norse myth and poetic language, in a clear modern translation.
Why I picked it
I picked it as the companion to the Poetic Edda already on this list, since much of what we know about the Norse gods comes through Snorri (Penguin Classics).
Deities
The Hebrew Goddess
Raphael Patai
A classic study of the feminine divine in Jewish tradition, with a chapter on Lilith.
The Origin of Satan
Elaine Pagels
A historian of religion on how the figure of Satan took shape in early Christianity.
Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages
Jeffrey Burton Russell
A scholarly history of the Devil in medieval thought.