Written as an introduction to witchcraft and magic, Cynova breaks her book Kitchen Table Magic into two parts: the first is an overview of what magic is and the various parts of what witchcraft are. She gives an overview of intention, grounding, spells, divination, etc. The second half is a collection of spells and rituals for various situations. Cynova presents herself as a hard polytheist with a belief in the supernatural.
PROS: While Cynova herself is a supernatural-believer she has moments where she recognizes that a lot of magic and spellcasting is all about hijacking your own brain. She references headology from the Discworld universe. Cynova places an emphasis on creating personal boundaries and keeping an eye out on abusive behavior. Cynova also emphasises the individuality of modern witchcraft and encourages her readers to create their own path with what feels right for them. The open-minded and liberated approach to a religious or spiritual practice rather than a dogmatic one is very freeing to read.
CONS: I don’t think the Cynova goes far enough to make a distinction between open and closed practices. She envisions a world in which all cultures appreciate and share practices together which is beautiful goal to have. However, many practices and rituals come from closed belief systems, meaning only those who are apart of that community or those who are participating on the invite of a member of the closed community should be practicing.
Overall, if you are interested in magic or spellcraft, this introduction isn’t terrible. The author has good intentions but falls short in a few places.