Book Review: Living Conjure by Starr Casas

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Earlier this week, I finished Living Conjure: The Practice of Southern Folk Magic by Starr Casas. Casas is a long-time Conjure practitioner, having learned from her family in the mountains of Kentucky. As a Northerner living in the South, I am fascinated by the practices of those outside of the cities, especially those in Appalachia where I live. There is something special about those mountains and the people that live there, and Casas does a great job of giving readers a glimpse into that culture.

Living Conjure is broken into five parts which build on each other. The first 2 parts lay the foundation for conjure and briefly introduce the practices conjurers use every day. Casas then goes on to introduce symbols and signs, tools such as herbs and curios, and finally how to make oils, washes, powders, and candles. It was the final part that I found most interesting because it included the actual "spells" and rituals that you can use in your conjure practice. Part 5 is full of so much useful information, unique perspectives, and practical applications that any occult practitioner can benefit from reading.

I appreciate that Casas has taken the time, despite the naysayers, to preserve this knowledge for future generations. She mentions multiple times that the Elders are dying without passing on their knowledge to others. While Conjure has largely been secretive, the need to preserve the culture outweighs the secrecy. Does this mean Conjure is open to anyone willy-nilly? Absolutely not, but that doesn't mean others can't pick up this book, learn about the culture, and develop a respectful practice of their own. Casas also does an amazing job recognizing the roots of Conjure and how struggle, perseverance, and trauma informed the practice as a whole. You cannot separate Conjure from its past, let alone the history and culture from which it arose and for what purpose. Witchcraft has always been an act of resistance, and Conjure is no different. Lately, I have been extremely frustrated with the occult community for saying things like "keep politics out of witchcraft." Anyone saying shit like this is clearly performative and has absolutely no business practicing or educating others about witchcraft because they haven't learned our history.

While there are many parts of Living Conjure that I enjoyed, I did not like the writing style. This is a personal preference as Casas writes like she speaks. This book is a conversation and I am not always a fan of conversations. It's very likely the rest of you will love the writing style, including the repetition. It just wasn't for me. Furthermore, Casas includes a list of herbs and their uses but doesn't include scientific names. She relies heavily on cultural folk names and if you are unfamiliar with these folk names, it's going to make it difficult for you to figure out which herbs to use for which recipes.

Living Conjure is a very simple introduction to Conjure, scratching just the surface to give those interested in potentially dabbling in Conjure an idea of what to expect. This is not a complete guide and should not be treated as such. Instead, it should be paired with other books such as Doctoring the Devil: Notebooks of an Appalachian Conjure Man by Jake Richards, Mountain Conjure and Southern Rootwork by Orion Foxwood, or New World Witchery by Thomas Hutcheson. Combined, these 5 books will give you an excellent foundation and provide you with everything you need to be truly successful. Living Conjure is available wherever books are sold.

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