Winter Reading Suggestions

As the days shorten and the nights stretch long and quiet, winter invites us to turn inward - to rest, reflect, and rekindle our spiritual fires. For those drawn to earth-based spirituality, the cold months are a sacred time for reading, dreaming, and connecting with the deeper rhythms of nature. Whether you’re new to pagan paths or a long-time practitioner, here are some beautifully written books to nourish your spirit through the dark season.

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

This enchanting novel, part of The Winternight Trilogy, weaves Russian folklore, old gods, and the magic of storytelling into a tale that feels perfectly suited to the cold months. Arden’s prose captures the frost and fire of winter, reminding readers of the power of courage, belief, and the wild feminine spirit.

Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by Joyce and River Higginbotham

If you’re looking to ground your practice or understand modern paganism more deeply, this accessible guide explores core beliefs, seasonal cycles, and personal spirituality. It’s thoughtful without being dogmatic, and makes an excellent fireside companion for reflection and journaling.

The Spell Book for New Witches by Ambrosia Hawthorn

Winter is a time for stillness - and spellwork. Hawthorn’s book is full of simple, beautifully presented rituals, correspondences, and seasonal magic. It’s a lovely choice if you want to infuse your days with small acts of mindfulness and intention, from simmer pots to moon rituals.

The Mabinogion translated by Jeffrey Gantz

For readers drawn to ancient myth, this Welsh collection is a cornerstone of Celtic lore. Its tales of transformation, kings, goddesses, and enchanted landscapes reveal the deep roots of European pagan traditions. Reading it by candlelight brings a sense of ancestral connection and timeless wonder.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Equal parts ecological wisdom and poetic reflection, this book bridges Indigenous spirituality and scientific insight. Kimmerer’s reverence for the natural world and her reflections on reciprocity make it a deeply spiritual read - a reminder that winter is not death, but rest and regeneration.

Year of the Witch by Temperance Alden

This modern classic explores the Wheel of the Year through personal practice, history, and modern interpretation. Alden encourages readers to connect with seasonal cycles in a way that feels authentic to their land and lifestyle - perfect for winter planning and introspection.

The Wild Unknown Archetypes Deck and Guidebook
by Kim Krans

Though technically not a “book,” this deck and its companion guide are exquisite tools for shadow work and meditation during the darker months. Each archetype invites contemplation and inner dialogue, supporting the self-discovery that winter so naturally brings.

As the world outside slows, winter gives us permission to do the same. Light a candle, pour something warm, and let your reading draw you closer to the quiet magic that hums beneath the frost - a reminder that even in darkness, the roots of spring are already stirring. 

Let us know your winter reading reccommendations below.

The Pagan Roots of the Day of the Dead

Image by Chait Goli

Each year, at the beginning of November, families across Mexico and Latin America create vibrant altars decorated with marigolds, sugar skulls, food, and photographs. They gather to honour their ancestors in a festival known as Día de los Muertos - the Day of the Dead. Though now deeply entwined with Catholic All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, its roots reach far deeper, into pre-Christian paganism and the ancient rhythms of life, death, and rebirth that have guided humanity for millennia.

Long before Spanish colonisation, Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica - including the Aztec, Maya, Toltec, and Purepecha - celebrated death not as an end, but as a continuation of life. For these cultures, death was a natural part of the cosmic cycle. Rather than being feared, it was respected, even welcomed as a return to the earth and the divine. The Aztecs, for instance, believed that souls journeyed to Mictlan, the underworld, after death. This journey took four years and was aided by offerings left by the living - food, water, and the guidance of a spirit dog.

One of the most significant deities in this cosmology was Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. She ruled over the underworld with her husband, Mictlantecuhtli, presiding over festivals that celebrated the departed. These rituals often took place in the ninth month of the Aztec solar calendar, around August, and lasted for several weeks. Offerings of food, flowers, and precious objects were made to ensure that the dead were honoured and remembered - a practice that resonates strongly with modern ofrendas (altars).

When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, they brought Catholicism and the Christian calendar, including All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). Rather than erasing Indigenous beliefs, the two traditions merged - a process known as syncretism. The festival was moved to coincide with the Christian feasts, but the underlying worldview remained distinctly pagan. The result was a powerful blend of Indigenous spirituality and Catholic symbolism: candles representing divine light, crosses mingled with marigolds, and saints sharing space with ancestral spirits.

Even today, the Day of the Dead carries echoes of ancient paganism. The use of marigolds (cempasúchil), known as the “flower of the dead,” harks back to pre-Columbian offerings, their bright orange petals said to guide spirits home. The skull, or calavera, once symbolised regeneration and fertility - not horror, but the mystery of transformation. The act of feasting with the dead, of setting out bread, fruit, and tequila, is a ritual of communion that recalls the pagan understanding that life and death are forever intertwined.

At its heart, Día de los Muertos is a celebration of connection - between the living and the dead, the material and the spiritual, the ancient and the modern. Like Samhain in the Celtic calendar, it honours the thinning of the veil between worlds, inviting ancestors to join in a joyful remembrance. It reminds us that to celebrate death is to celebrate life itself: the endless turning of the seasons, the persistence of memory, and the sacred cycle that unites all beings in the dance of existence.

In a world often afraid of mortality, the Day of the Dead stands as a radiant reminder of pagan wisdom - that love outlasts the grave, and that every ending is, in truth, a beginning.