Description
The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft
The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft by Kelden is a practical introduction to Traditional Witchcraft, drawing particularly upon British folklore, folk belief, historical material, and the relationship between witchcraft and the land. Written for those new to the path while offering plenty for established practitioners to consider, it provides a grounded framework for developing a personal witchcraft practice rather than simply presenting a collection of ready-made spells.
Traditional Witchcraft is a broad and varied term rather than a single organised religion or fixed tradition. In The Crooked Path, Kelden introduces practices and concepts commonly encountered within modern Traditional Witchcraft while encouraging readers to pay attention to their own locality, landscape, folklore, and spiritual relationships. This makes the book particularly useful for witches interested in developing a practice that feels connected to place rather than removed from their everyday surroundings.
Across 264 pages, readers are introduced to the tools, rituals, and spellcraft associated with the Crooked Path. Kelden discusses working with spirits and deities, connecting with ancestors, developing relationships with familiar spirits, and creating meaningful ritual practices. The book also moves into more advanced territory, including hedge-crossing – a term used within contemporary witchcraft for practices concerned with entering altered states or spiritually journeying beyond ordinary awareness.
The emphasis on folklore and spirit work makes this particularly suited to those interested in folk witchcraft, animistic practice, ancestor work, land-based spirituality, spirit communication, and the historical imagery surrounding the witch. Rather than presenting witchcraft as purely aesthetic or centred upon manifestation, The Crooked Path considers what it means to build an ongoing relationship with spirits, place, ritual, and magical practice.
Practical exercises throughout the book help readers put these ideas into practice and gradually establish their own approach. As with any tradition involving spirit work, altered states, or poisonous plants mentioned within historical folklore, practitioners should distinguish symbolic and historical material from safe practical use and research unfamiliar substances carefully.
Kelden has practised Traditional Witchcraft for more than a decade and is also the author of The Witches’ Sabbath and All Them Witches, as well as co-creator of The Traditional Witch’s Deck.
Format: Paperback / softback
Pages: 264
Illustrated: Yes
Author: Kelden
