It’s that time of the year again! The time where I again steal Oprah’s schtick and do my own favorite things. Much like my website in general, The Magical Buffet’s Favorite Things is a mish mash of chaos with only my affection as the binding theme. However, this year I couldn’t help but notice that many of the entries not only had wonderful content but were beautiful to look at. Although it is true that I do not judge a book by its cover (or illustrations, or presentation), apparently appearance can push a book to the head of the pack.
What are the guidelines for a Favorite Thing? It must have been featured on The Magical Buffet any time after the previous year’s Favorite Things. I do not present the list in any order. It’s hard enough limiting the list to only 10 without then trying to rank them!
And with that, to the list!
“The Witch of the Forest’s Guide to Folklore Magick” by Lindsay Squire
Squire put together a fantastic book of what the author refers to as “green folklore”, which highlights stories and legends having to do with plants, flowers, herbs, etc. Add to that the framed as art worthiness of the illustrations by Viki Lester, and you get a favorite thing!
You can read the original review here.
“The Occult Elvis: The Mystical and Magical Life of the King” by Miguel Conner
When you open a book titled “The Occult Elvis” it’s hard to know what to expect. However, Conner didn’t disappoint with an eye-opening look at new facets of the Elvis myth, and Elvis, the man. As I said in my original review, “In exploring all that was supernatural in the life of Elvis Presley, Conner succeeds in making Presley truly human.” I loved this book.
You can read my original review here.
“A Year and a Day of Everyday Magic: Witchify Your Life with a Daily Dose of Magic” by Deborah Blake
It’s Deborah Blake’s accessible brand of witchcraft broken down into little tidbits that you can scatter throughout your daily life! Who wouldn’t love that? Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Blake and I are friends. (Be on the lookout for your holiday card Deborah!)
You can read my original review here.
“Practical Symbols: Runes and Sigils for Holistic Wellbeing” by Amy Donnelly
Donnelly put together a great resource for anyone looking to work with symbols for any facet of daily life. Again, the illustrations of Viki Lester take a useful book and turn it into a beautiful resource.
You can read my original review here.
“Witches: A Compendium” by Judika Illes
I think my original review summed it up nicely. “Witches: A Compendium’ by Judika Illes is an amazing resource for the new witch looking to work stuff out and for the experienced witch looking to reflect on the wider witching world and their place in it.”
You can read my original review here.
The Mini Weiser Tarot
I loved the original Weiser Tarot. I mean, I named it one of my Favorite Things of 2022! (You can read my original review of that deck here.)
So what if you take a deck I already love and put it into my new favorite deck format and packaging? Obviously, it’s a Favorite Thing. I love this new format so much I made a rambling, tipsy, stream of consciousness video for my YouTube channel all about it!
You can watch the video here.
“Enchanted Plants: A Treasury of Botanical Folklore and Magic” by Varla Ventura
I described that book as “a luscious, greenery-soaked treat,” and I stand by that. Ventura curated a mix of plants that personally inspired the author, wrapped that up in personal stories and fairy tales, and then presented it to us in a hardcover format with gold gilded paper edges, a ribbon bookmark, and full color illustrations.
You can read my original review here.
“A Kitchen Witch’s Culinary Oracle Deck: Gain Daily Insight and Bring Magic to Your Meals with Everyday Ingredients” by Dawn Aurora Hunt
There’s no doubt that I’m joking when I lay claim to an Oprah of the witchy world type of title once a year. However, it’s no joke to say that Hunt is well on the way to being the witching world’s Martha Stewart. Hunt already runs the successful brand Cucina Aurora, that started out with a few olive oils but now offers coffee, baking mixes, risotto and more. She has also already authored several books about kitchen witchcraft. Now Hunt can also lay claim to the title of oracle deck creator. As I said in my original review, “If food is your love language, you should consider getting a copy of “A Kitchen Witch’s Culinary Oracle Deck” by Dawn Aurora Hunt asap!”
You can read my original review here.
“Crystals for Psychic Self-Defense: 145 Gemstones for Banishing, Binding, and Magickal Protection” by Nicholas Pearson
When it comes to crystals, Pearson is my “go to” guy. Add his writings on crystals with the topic of magical protection and I am all in.
You can read my original review here.
“The Sorcerer’s Scholar: The High Magic and Spells of the Middle Ages” by Claude Lecouteux
I just reviewed this sexy stack of books, so just go read my review!
You can read my original review here.
Want to shop all my Favorite Things? Go to my Favorite Things 2025 list in my Bookshop!
(This is an affiliate link to my Bookshop, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
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Yay! I made the list!