Book Review: The Spiritual Magic of Dolls by Najah Lightfoot

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 deck in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say, when Weiser reached out asking if I would be interested in reading and reviewing The Spiritual Magic of Dolls by Najah Lightfoot, I was intrigued. As the introduction by Judika Illes states, there isn't anything else quite like this book on the market, but hopefully that changes as more people discover different ways to practice witchcraft and magic.

Lightfoot does a wonderful job introducing readers to the world of dolls and the ways they can be used in one's magical practice. I will say, I was disappointed that she didn't offer more concrete ways to use dolls in spells and rituals, but the foundation is certainly there. She covers everything from finding and connecting with dolls, understanding their energy, introducing them to your home, and initiating them into your practice if they desire to be a part of your work.

Apart from the basics of incorporating dolls into your practice, Lightfoot also explores dolls in popular culture, from the movies they have been portrayed in to places that have strong "doll magic." She discusses, at length, how the media has shaped our views and understanding of dolls, especially as they relate to the occult. This reminded me of the same influence the media has had on spirit or Ouiji boards. Unfortunately, the media is not always kind, and this skews viewers' perceptions in the wrong direction. I personally loved that on more than one occasion, she discussed how powerful energy is not necessarily bad, evil, or haunted energy. So many people have fallen into the trap that every weird or awkward doll is possessed or haunted, and that simply isn't the case. Like all objects, they can absorb the energies around them and often develop personalities of their own. Not all personalities jive, and just because you don't get along with a doll or because its energy is strong, does not mean the doll is bad. Lightfoot is sick of it. I am sick of it. I think many expert practitioners of magic are sick of it, too.

Woven throughout this guide to using dolls are numerous personal stories. I always enjoy reading about the living practices of others, including the unique stories that shaped an author's practice. There is no shortage of stories in The Spiritual Magic of Dolls. We are even introduced to some of Lightfoot's dolls, all accompanied by beautiful photographs. While I really enjoyed her stories, this does make it a little hard to find the information you may be looking for, especially if you are trying to come back to this book later. As such, I recommend taking notes or annotating the text (with sticky notes!). This will make it a lot easier to actually use the information later.

While I read, I couldn't help but think about my own dolls and the dolls I have met over the years. During one story, Lightfoot mentions finding a discarded baby doll in a construction zone, and I couldn't help but remember one of the little girls I used to nanny losing her favorite baby doll (named Baby Grandpa), which happened to look exactly like the doll Lightfoot found (there is a photo). While there is zero chance Lightfoot found Baby Grandpa, it did bring back those memories of searching high and low for a beloved doll and hoping that whoever found it would love it as much as my little girl did. I also cannot help but think about my very small porcelain doll collection, which I obsessed over as a child. I still have them, stored away lovingly in storage, but now I am wondering if I should pull them out once again and see if they would like to participate in some magic. Every year when I do a great purge, I unbox these dolls and wonder if I should let them go, but I have never been able to bring myself to part with them. I am not particularly fond of dolls, but I certainly love the 5-6 ones I have packed away.

My biggest complaint, however, was Lightfoot's stance on using dolls and poppets for harming others. Everyone is allowed to have their own moral/ethical code. I fully support others choosing to "harm none" or find other means of changing events that do not directly harm another. I also fully support doing what is necessary to protect and defend yourself, and cursing and hexing are two such weapons in my arsenal. I see nothing wrong with using dolls in self-defense and would have been interested to read more about their use for such purposes.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Spiritual Magic of Dolls and recommend it to those looking to add something new to their practice.

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