About Simple Magick and Its Four Writers

Simple Magick began in 2019 as a shared notebook. A few friends kept asking Tamsin Alderwick the same good questions: what the sabbats were, whether you needed to buy anything, whether any of it was really ancient. She began writing the answers down. The notebook became a site, and the site grew into the library you are reading.

What this site is

Simple Magick is a library of guides for people who are curious about Paganism, Wicca, and witchcraft, and for people who already practice and want a clear reference. It is written by four practitioners with different interests and one shared conviction: this subject can be explained plainly, without mystification and without fear.

The site is independent. It has no advertising, no sponsors, and no affiliate links. It sells nothing. There are no accounts, no comments, and no mailing list. It is here to be read.

Our principles

We are honest about history. Modern Paganism draws on very old material, and much of its present form is recent. We say which is which, and we say so when the evidence is thin. We think the Craft is strong enough to bear the truth about its own origins.
We explain the reasons. Every practice on this site comes with an account of what it is for. Where practitioners disagree, we describe the disagreement and do not hide it.
We put safety first. Candles, herbs, and inner work all carry risks. The cautions on our pages are part of the instructions. Nothing here is a substitute for medical, legal, or financial advice.
We keep it affordable. Every ritual on the site can be done at a kitchen table with household things. Nobody should have to spend money to practice.
We respect other traditions. Some religions and magical systems belong to particular peoples and are entered only through their own communities. We write about our own traditions and point respectfully toward the others.
We trust the reader. You are an adult who can weigh what you read, try it, and decide what belongs in your own practice. We will never tell you that there is only one right way.

Who writes Simple Magick

Four people write and maintain the site. Each guide carries the name of the person who wrote it, and every page is read by a second writer before it is published.

Tamsin Alderwick

Founding editor

Tamsin started Simple Magick in 2019 as a shared notebook for friends who kept asking the same good questions. She has kept a solitary, Wiccan-leaning practice since 2006, and she edits every page on the site before it is published. She writes most of the beginner guides and the pages on belief and ethics, and she is the person to blame for the house rule that every ritual must be doable at a kitchen table.

Idris Calloway

Seasons and folklore editor

Idris writes about the Wheel of the Year, folklore, and the history of modern Paganism. He has practiced since 2009, mostly with a small and informal seasonal circle, and he has a habit of checking where a supposedly timeless tradition actually comes from. On this site he looks after the eight sabbat guides and the history pages, and he keeps the rest of us honest about what is old, what is new, and what is simply unknown.

Maren Sollitt

Hearth and garden writer

Maren is a kitchen witch and a lifelong gardener. She writes the herb, hearth, and home pages, along with the herb, crystal, and color tables in the library, and she reads every plant reference on the site with safety in mind. Her practice is practical and thrifty: she would rather teach you to use the rosemary you already have than send you looking for something rare.

Odalys Finch

Moon and divination writer

Odalys has read tarot since 2011 and has kept a moon journal for more than a decade. She writes the moon and divination guides, and she built the moon phase and sabbat calculators that run quietly in the corner of most pages. She approaches divination as a tool for reflection and has little patience for superstition that scares beginners away from a deck of cards.

How we write

We aim for the plainest language that will do the job. A few house rules may help you as you read.

We spell magick with a K when we mean the spiritual practice. Our guide to magic and magick explains why.
We capitalize Pagan, Wicca, and Wiccan, as the names of religions, along with the names of the sabbats, the Goddess and the God, and the five elements. We write witch and witchcraft in lower case, except in titles.
We give dates for the Northern Hemisphere first and for the Southern Hemisphere beside them. The moon and sabbat panels on the site can be switched to either.
We describe our own house customs as customs. When we say that a thing is traditional, we try to say how old the tradition is.

How the guides are kept up to date

Every guide shows the date on which it was last updated. We reread each one at least once a year and revise it when our understanding improves, when the scholarship moves on, or when we find a clearer way to say something. Blog posts are dated and are generally left as they were written, with a note if anything important has changed.

What we do not do

We do not offer readings, spells cast on your behalf, courses, initiations, or personal consultations, and we will never ask you for money. The site has no contact form, and we are not able to give individual advice. If someone approaches you claiming to act for Simple Magick and offering any of these things, they have nothing to do with us.

Using what you find here

You are welcome to print pages for your own use, to copy rituals into your Book of Shadows, and to adapt anything here for your own practice or your own circle. If you quote us, please say where the words came from. The details are in our terms of use, and the limits of what the site offers are set out in our disclaimer.

Thank you for reading. May your path be clear and your practice be your own. Blessed be.