A charm bag is basically a spell on-the-go. Usually consisting of a small pouch or bag, the contents include various items endued with magickal energies. In Elhoim’s book The Magical Art of Crafting Charm Bag, he walks the reader thru the process from start to finish of making your own charm bags. Whether the reader is a seasoned magick worker or a beginner seeking guidance, he leads us through not just the physical explanation of the creation of a charm bag, but also general magickal practice, the histories with traditions, and charm bag spell recipes. 

Elhoim’s writing style blends various traditions to assist the reader in creating their own personal magickal bag. Within the book contains formulas for everything from luck, love and attraction, abundance and success, protection and power, mental health and balance, psychic powers and more.

Part I educates on the basics from casting a magic circle, explaining the altar and the pentagram, talking about enchanted objects, as well as incense use. Even if you have been practicing for a while, this section is a great brush up on some of the basics.
Part II dives into the traditions, crafting, consecrating, and elements and ideas for the charm bag. I love that Elhoim does more than just offer ideas for what may go in the bags, he offers a great go-to glossary for the various plants, gemstones, and essential oils.
Part III has the chapters for the various charm bag intentions the seeker will want to make. The instructions are easy to follow for any skill level and provide a walkthrough for your magickal needs.

One of my favorite sections was in the conclusion. The message is simple, yet so important. “Believe in Yourself”. Magick is all about setting intentions. Whenever you are crafting an item, you add your own personal energy to it. This is what makes any of our scared tools powerful.

Go forth, have fun and create your own magic bag.

~review by Amber Barnes

Author: Elhoim Leafar
Weiser Books, 2017
pp. 256, $16.95

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