Turns out, plenty exist that back up this strange faith expression.
As you may have known, my good friend and writing partner Mimi and I have been working on one hell of a book for the past year. Discovering Christian Witchcraft is, from my understanding and exploration, the first of its kind: one that not only takes the reader through the concept of Christian Witchcraft from a personal perspective, but also justifies it academically, philosophically, and yes, scripturally.
But that leaves a lot of people wondering: what sources could we have possibly found that outright say Christianity and Witchcraft go together?
Here's the secret: none do, because that's not their focus. That's our focus, and that's what we're saying. But obviously, these books, which are not about witchcraft, don't argue for the concept themselves. Rather, they give us the context, tools, and education we need to come to that conclusion ourselves. We've blended these sources together and, with them, made something entirely new, and that's exactly what academic writing does: takes various pieces and draws a conclusion out of them, weaving a line through them all as if each source were a piece of popcorn on a Christmas tree garland.
While I won't go into detail on these sources, as there are simply too many to do so, I will give this brief overview: all of these sources have been chosen because they either:
Give context about the Bible and the God it's written about
Explain the nuance of the words used to justify an anti-witch perspective (among many other sociopolitical issues)
Reveal the sociopolitical function of witchcraft and the people who leveled accusations of witchcraft at their enemies
Describe necessary historical, religious, social, and political context of how the word "witch" has evolved the way it has, from beyond antiquity to modern day
Show how much magic has always existed in Christianity—just under various other names in order to make it seem palatable
Reveal the way we can connect back to our spiritual heritage, ancestral traditions, and personal power as we continue to grow
Give us the foundation to go forward and make the change we know we can make with the controversial, seemingly unintuitive title that is Christian Witch.
So feel free to check out any of these books, articles, or other resources for yourself, and enjoy. In the meantime, make sure to pre-order Discovering Christian Witchcraft so you can see how all these separate sources come together into one work.
Feel free to follow any of the links to the articles on JSTOR, as while getting books may not be viable for you right now (though many are available on library services), the articles on JSTOR are always a treat and can help you get started learning some really cool things right now!
Reference List for Discovering Christian Witchcraft (Alphabetical Order)
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Archer, Henry. The Magick of Angels and Demons: Practical Rituals for The Union of Power.
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Asatria, Garnik and Victoria Arakelova, “Malak-Tāwūs, the Peacock Angel of the Yezidis,”
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Auryn, Mat. Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation.
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Hands Press, 2022.
Echols, Damien. Angels and Archangels: A Magician’s Guide. Boulder: Sounds True, 2020.
Echols, Damien. High Magick: A Guide to the Spiritual Practices That Saved My Life on
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Ehrman, Bart. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why. New
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Pamita, Madame. Baba Yaga’s Book of Slavic Witchcraft: Slavic Magic from the Witch of the
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Suggested Further Reading:
Ballard, H. Byron. Roots, Branches, & Spirits: The Folkways & Witchery of Appalachia.
Woodbury: Llewellyn, 2021.
Richards, Jake. Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia. USA:
Weiser Books, 2019.
Weston, Brandon. Ozark Folk Magic: Plants, Prayers & Healing. Woodbury: Llewellyn,
2021.
Wiggiton, Eliot and the Foxfire Fund. The Foxfire Books (1 - 17). USA: Anchor Publishing.
Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her s
piritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover
God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.