Description
On Pins and Needles
On Pins and Needles: A Witch’s Book of Poppetry & Figure Magic by Kamden Cornell is a practical and tradition-rooted exploration of poppet magick, effigy work, and figure-based spellcraft, offering readers a detailed guide to creating and working with magical figures as active participants within ritual practice.
Drawing from folk magick, witchcraft, animistic practice, and personal experience, Cornell approaches poppets not simply as symbolic objects, but as intentionally crafted tools capable of carrying focused spiritual purpose, relationship, and energetic direction. The book combines foundational techniques with adaptable methods, encouraging readers to develop a practice that feels both grounded and personally meaningful.
Inside, readers will find guidance on:
- Constructing poppets and magical figures using different materials
- Choosing fabrics, herbs, plants, roots, bones, threads, and curios
- Methods of activation, empowerment, and spirit alignment
- Figure magick for healing, protection, love, justice, binding, and baneful work
- Working with sympathetic magick and energetic links
- Caring for, storing, and ritually deploying magical figures
- Creating personal charms and customised ritual tools
- Building relationships with crafted magical forms as living ritual participants
The book balances historical context with contemporary practice, making space for experimentation while still acknowledging the deeper roots of figure magick across folk traditions and witchcraft practices. Cornell’s approach is hands-on and accessible without losing the seriousness or spiritual depth of the work itself.
Particularly notable is the emphasis on relationship and intention. Rather than treating poppets as novelty objects or stereotypes of “voodoo dolls,” the book reframes figure magick as a nuanced and longstanding magical technology found across many cultures and traditions.
Kamden Cornell’s background as a folk witch, herbalist, forager, and bioregional animist strongly shapes the text, with close attention paid to plants, local materials, land-based practice, and the spiritual qualities of physical objects used within magickal work.
Ideal for readers interested in:
- Poppet and doll magick
- Sympathetic magick and effigy work
- Folk witchcraft and practical spellcraft
- Herbal and plant-based ritual practices
- Animistic approaches to magick
- Craft-based spiritual tools
- Traditional and contemporary witchcraft methods
A detailed and approachable guide for practitioners wanting to deepen their understanding of figure magick through thoughtful, intentional, and hands-on practice.
