The Book of Ancestors - by Claire Goodchild (Hardcover)

About the Book

Through a combination of text and illustration, The Book of Ancestors explores the history of traditional genealogy topics, such as "how to research and build a family tree" and "the history of cemeteries." Alongside these practical measures, Claire provides rituals, spells, and crafts from her own personal practice, drawing on the British and Slavic traditions of her heritage, alongside contributions from fellow witches including Codi Popovich and Marjorie from The Punk Priestess for a broader, more enriched lens. As the text progresses, Claire guides her readers through the creation their own "Book of Ancestors," a family grimoire of sorts, blending together their own ancestral legacies with witchcraft that can be passed down to future family. Visually, The Book of Ancestors pairs with The Book of Seances, containing witchy, esoteric, and funerary images in a Victorian style with lots of floral embellishments and classic colors. Whether a seasoned witch, or a newcomer to the spirit world, readers will walk away from The Book of Ancestors feeling empowered to perform their own rituals and spells, research family history, and form a lasting relationship with those who came before.

Book Synopsis

Find spiritual healing and everyday magic in this beautifully mysterious guide to communing with your ancestors.

Picking up where The Book of Séances left off, artist, author, and witch Claire Goodchild delivers a guide that is truly the first of its kind: The Book of Ancestors, a map for seekers looking to develop a relationship with their ancestors.

Through a combination of text and illustration, The Book of Ancestors explores the history of traditional genealogy topics, such as "how to research and build a family tree" and "the history of cemeteries." Alongside these practical measures, Claire provides rituals, spells, and crafts from her own personal practice, drawing on the British and Slavic traditions of her heritage, alongside contributions from fellow witches including Codi Popovich and Marjorie from The Punk Priestess for a broader, more enriched lens.

As the text progresses, Claire guides her readers through the creation their own "Book of Ancestors," a family grimoire of sorts, blending together their own ancestral legacies with witchcraft that can be passed down to future family. Visually, The Book of Ancestors pairs with The Book of Seances, containing witchy, esoteric, and funerary images in a Victorian style with lots of floral embellishments and classic colors. Whether a seasoned witch, or a newcomer to the spirit world, readers will walk away from The Book of Ancestors feeling empowered to perform their own rituals and spells, research family history, and form a lasting relationship with those who came before.

About the Author

Claire Goodchild is an award-winning artist, photographer, designer and writer from Toronto, Canada. She created the wildly popular tarot deck, The Antique Anatomy Tarot, published in 2019 by Quarto UK and Abrams Books, that features antique medical images, and she was the first person to create an Astrology themed tarot deck called the Arcana of Astrology which was published in 2020 by Abrams Books.