Book Review: Container Conjure by Starr Casas

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As a witch living in the South, conjure has always fascinated me. It gives such deep insights into the culture and folklore of the area, which is unique from other regions in the United States. With increased globalization and the loss of small towns and communities, the practices of conjure have been on the decline. Instead, we are ending up with a mix of watered-down practices as our elders take their expertise to the grave. Starr Casas, a practicing conjure woman, has continued to try to fight this loss through her several publications, including her latest Container Conjure: Crafting Magic with Jars, Bottles, Bags & More. 

Casas always offers such wonderful insights into the world of conjure in a highly accessible way. Like her other books, Container Conjure feels like a conversation instead of a dense guide. She provides a basic introduction to her practice, making sure the reader understands that not everyone comes from the same background, so if some of this information is not new to you, it may be new to others. This is an excellent approach as it makes it so you don't have to read her other works in order to jump into this one. I will say that the repeated information from her other books did not bother me, but the repeated information within the same paragraph did. Sometimes it felt like Casas was rambling, but, having seen her speak, this is just how she talks, lending to the book's conversational feel.

Casas covers a wide variety of container magics in this A to W guide, complete with detailed instructions, real-world examples, and tips & tricks. I marked more than one recipe to try out in the future, and look forward to incorporating her wisdom into my own practice. One of the strongest points of this guide, however, is the fact that you really can jump around to find the container you wish to work with. However, I highly recommend reading Container Conjure from front to back before attempting to throw yourself into the middle. Casas hides a ton of golden nuggets deep within the text, so I recommend having your annotation supplies and Grimoire handy. This information builds on itself, so its imporant to read everything before starting any real work.

Container Conjure: Crafting Magic with Jars, Bottles, Bags & More is a wonderful resource for all witches, whether you are interested in conjure or not. It helps explain many of the practices we see infiltrating other modern witchcraft practices. It is important to honor a practice's roots and the ancestors who built the foundation, instead of just stealing. Context is key, and without context, there is a high chance your spells will fail. I highly recommend picking up this gem if you incorporate any container magic in your practice or plan to in the future.

PS: I have one last thing to mention that made me laugh. There is a brief section of herbs and roots (which I wish included scientific names), and all the items on the list are actual plants and roots EXCEPT for dirt dauber's nests. I did a double-take when I saw its inclusion, but it isn't wrong to include it here. Roots is a colloquial term for a spell or curse itself, and is often used to describe the ingredients used, meaning the nests are technically roots. I still laughed out loud reading it and hope it brings a smile to your face, too.

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