The Ultimate Wintery Reading List – Magic, Creativity, And Nature

One of the experiences unique to humans that I cherish most is being able to cozy up with tea and a good book on a chilly day. The colder seasons like fall and winter always inspire me to pause, go inward, and reflect. In this state I find myself reaching for books on magic, feminine wisdom, and creativity. From epic fantasy novels to workbooks that help you unbury your inner creative, here are 7 books to read fireside.

A Note On Consciously Purchasing Books

While these days it is easy to buy books through Amazon, there are so many reasons why you shouldn’t. Also, Amazon hurts authors. Before searching for a new copy of a book, why not do a little investigating and see if your local library already has it? If they don’t there’s a chance that they’re willing to order a copy that you can check out. Have a friend that you can borrow a copy from instead? Even better!

But if you decide to go the route of buying a book, try your best to source your books directly from the author, or independent book stores (like Firestorm – my favorite queer, vegan, anarchist bookstore) unless you are buying them second hand. In that case, I recommend ordering them from ThriftBooks. I’ve been using this platform for years to find pre-loved books, and unlike AbeBooks, it is not owned by Amazon.

1. To Light a Sacred Flame

To Light a Sacred Flame: Practical Witchcraft for the Millennium by Silver Ravenwolf is a great foundation on magical practices and how they can be incorporated into our lives in the 21st century. In this guidebook readers of all religions and diverse backgrounds are invited to experience the calm and knowing that comes to us in silent, intuitive states.

Written with amusing anecdotes, To Light a Sacred Flame gives practical tools and instructions for listening to ourselves, bettering our lives, and finding the mystical in all things, no matter how mundane. I recommend starting at the beginning of the book and working your way through over a season, landing it a spot on your wintery reading list. The rituals build on each other but can also be done independently, so store it on your shelf and reach for it in a quiet moment.

You can purchase a new or used copy of To Light a Sacred Flame here on ThriftBooks. 

2. Women Who Run With The Wolves

Chances are you’ve already either heard about, seen, or read parts of Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. It was published in 1922 and spent 145 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list over a three-year span. Author and poet Clarissa Pinkola Estés weaves together important themes and specific, useable life knowledge about love and relationships, our bodies, female intuition, and nature through brilliant storytelling that is laced with love and wisdom.

I’ve been slowly savoring my way through this book for years, returning to sections that feed my soul and taking all of the time I need. This book is not one to rush through, but if you’re wanting to glide around through different stories that call to you, you’ll be glad that you did. Each one of them contain the magic and wisdom that so many of us are craving.

You can purchase a new or used copy of Women Who Run with the Wolves here on ThriftBooks.

3. Intuition

Intuition: Access Your Intuitive Self; Trust Your Instincts; Find Your Path by Amisha Ghadiali is a book that I keep beside my bed to tap into in when I’m looking to get grounded or stay grounded. Intuition, a free form of ancient intelligence, lives in all of us yet can get buried under obsessive thoughts, mental gymnastics, and a taxing society. The author’s background in intuitive therapy, yoga, meditation, reiki and other forms of healing combine to bring practical yet powerful approaches to tap into our intuition, even if it’s your first time consciously trying to do so.

The book is arranged by topics such as “Create Space, “Free Yourself,” or “Be Open.” In each section there’s education on the science behind why the practice or healing modality works, how much time it will take, and the benefits. The practices offered can be done fairly quickly but the book overall is a slow read, something you’ll want to keep coming back to through different seasons of your life, playing with what works and what doesn’t.

You can purchase a new or used copy of Intuition here on ThriftBooks. 

4. The Fifth Season

The Fifth Season is the first book of The Broken Earth Series and I’ve never read anything quite like it before. Set in a supercontinent referred to as the Stillness, we see through multiple different perspectives how characters navigate devastating cataclysms and other deadly weather events. This book is full of magic (not your typical wizards and witches though) and navigates political themes through creative fiction. Not only did Jemisin win The Hugo Award for Best Novel (among many others) for The Fifth Season, but she continued her award-winning writing by finishing the journey through the second and third book to complete this series, The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky.

This series can be purchased in person or online in Spanish or English through Firestorm Co-op. You can also find new and used copies on ThriftBooks here.

5. The Green Witch

The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More by Arin Murphy-Hiscock is a great beginner reference for those interested in change by way of natural herbs, flowers, and common plants. The author guides readers in relying on so-called “alternative” forms of medicine to heal and balance themselves. Unlike other magical guidebooks, you aren’t instructed to spend money to create rituals around your personal goals. Written with respect for the natural world, this go-to guide clearly presents herbal remedies, ritual suggestions, and ways to communicate with the life teeming around us with what’s already at our fingertips.

You can purchase a new or used copy of The Green Witch here on ThriftBooks. 

6. The Artist’s Way

You’ll find The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron is plastered all over reading lists and recommended by writers, painters, and millions of readers. I stumbled upon this book at a small thrift store in rural North Carolina having no idea what to expect. When I brought it to the register the clerk told me that the book was hard to keep on the shelf, and after paging through the many practices I now understand why. This makes the Ultimate Wintery Reading List because after tapping into your intuition and exploring your internal world want to put your new-found energy to creative use.

The Artist’s Way knows that creativity lives inside all of us, no matter how traumatized, worn down, depressed or repressed we can feel. It’s a love letter mixed with an invitation to get back to who we are: creative beings that hold unlimited capacities to create. Cameron beckons creative recovery through The Morning Pages, The Artist Date, and more. If the creative gods were doctors, this would be their prescription for living a more vivid life.

You can purchase a new or used copy of The Artist’s Way here on ThriftBooks. 

7. Of Orcas And Men

Did you know that orcas have their own cultures, distinct dialects, and keep an overall pacifist mentality? David Neiwert’s Of Wolves and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us dives into the underwater world of orcas exploring their hierarchies, powerful brains, and natural inclination towards compassion. Interviewing Indigenous leaders, scientists, and activists along the way, this book under-handedly makes a case for why we should all care about orcas, and how their own struggles are directly linked to ours. This was one of my favorite books of 2024 and a must-read for anyone who cares about the beyond-human world.

You can purchase a new or used copy of Of Orcas And Men here on ThriftBooks.

This reading list was created as a part of the “Unruly Travel & Nature” corner on the Unruly Travel blog. If you’ve been itching to get out and explore epic lakes, mountains, and volcanoes around the world, this section is for you. If you’ve even wondering how people have nurtured their relationship with themself through nature (or with nature herself) this section is for you. If you’re not sure why nature is worth protecting, this section is for you. And finally, if you’ve wanted to learn more about just how magnificent and unruly nature really is, enjoy exploring this corner of the blog!