The autumnal equinox comes around every September with the promise of a chilly breeze and reddish leaves. With the official arrival of fall comes a craving for the eerie yet cozy ambiance that characterizes the season. What better way to do that than by settling in with a warm drink, a fluffy blanket, and a supernatural book? Let’s welcome in the spooky season by reading one (or more) of these witchy reads on the autumnal equinox!
Trigger Warning: This article discusses mentions of murder, drownings, death, religious bigotry, misogyny, and alcohol use. Additionally, all of the books in this article contain topics that may be triggering. Please read the TWs before purchasing.
The Summoned Series, Forged by M.B. Thurman
In Forged by M.B. Thurman, the third installment in the Summoned series, a powerful witch, Esther MacGregor, is executed during the Forfar Witch Trials in 1662. Her magical ring, infused with her family’s powers, vanishes. Nearly 350 years later, two witches, Hadley Weston and Fitz MacGregor, are sent back in time to retrieve the ring before a powerful witch can harness its magic for his own gain. They must work together to find the ring while surviving the rampant witch hunts that threaten their lives. As they get closer to Fitz’s ancestor and the date of her execution, Hadley must decide if she will let time take its course or alter the past and risk angering fate. This magical tale highlights the bonds of love and sisterhood, making it an exhilarating and spellbinding read.
“Share yer burden, Hadley. None of us should carry our troubles alone. Sisterhood is sacred.”
— M.B. Thurman, Forged
Cackle by Rachel Harrison
Trigger Warning: This book contains triggering topics such as toxic relationships, alcoholism, and body horror. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Cackle by Rachel Harrison follows Annie, a young woman looking for a fresh start, as she navigates her new life in a small town and meets Sophie, an unapologetically confident and beautiful woman. Their friendship begins to grow despite the townspeople’s disapproval of Sophie. But as she gets closer to Sophie, Annie starts to notice that Sophie seems to be magical. This book highlights women’s friendships and inner strength with a little witchy magic on the side. Its cozy nature and supernatural vibes make it a perfect read for the autumnal equinox!
“It’s astonishing how normal it is to love a creature you’re not supposed to love. It’s astonishing what you’ll accept when you want love. When you need it. You’ll welcome it in any form, from anyone, anything. regardless of circumstance, however peculiar. However fantastical.”
— Rachel Harrison, Cackle
The Ravens Series by Danielle Paige and Kass Morgan
Trigger Warning: This book contains triggering topics such as violence, cancer, manipulation, and death. Please exercise personal care while reading.
The Ravens series by Danielle Paige and Kass Morgan centers around a sorority that secretly houses a coven of witches. The first book follows two girls: Vivi, who isn’t the sorority type and hopes to redefine herself through it, and Scarlett, who pledges to the sorority with her mother’s high expectations gnawing at her mind. When they’re paired up as big and little, the two must traverse the sorority’s wickedness while hiding their own sinister secrets. This witchy, dark academia series is perfect to read during the autumn equinox as it ties in the spookiness of autumn with the start of the fall semester, meaning you’ll be fully immersed in its ambiance!
“Remember who I am. Remember who you are. Remember the Ravens.”
— Danielle Paige and Kass Morgan, The Ravens
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
Trigger Warning: This book contains triggering topics such as drownings, murder, and kidnappings. Please read the full list of trigger warnings before purchasing.
In The Wicked Deep, the town of Sparrow, Oregon, is tormented by three witches who were sentenced to death there centuries ago. Each summer, the sisters possess three girls and get their revenge by drowning boys. 17-year-old Penny Talbot and newcomer Bo Carter team up to stop the killings, not aware of the dangerous consequences that will arise. The most significant aspect of this book is its captivating and haunting atmosphere and imagery. Reading this during the Autumnal Equinox will certainly invoke those eerie fall vibes!
“‘This town was built on revenge,’ I say. ‘And it’s never made anything better or right.’”
— Shea Ernshaw, The Wicked Deep
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Trigger Warning: This book contains triggering topics such as child neglect and alcohol use. Please exercise personal care while reading.
In The Ex Hex, Vivi Jones drunkenly curses her ex-boyfriend, Rhys Penhallow, after a tumultuous break-up. Nine years later, Rhys returns to town, and the hasty curse turned out to be much more menacing than Vivi could have ever imagined. The two have to work together and undo the curse before time runs out. If you enjoy romcoms and prefer the cozy Halloween vibes as opposed to horror, this book is perfect for you. By reading The Ex Hex on the first day of fall, you’ll be welcoming in the season with joy, romance, and a good load of spice! If you enjoy this novel, you should check out the rest in the Graves Glen series throughout autumn!
“Never mix vodka and witchcraft.”
— Erin Sterling, The Ex Hex
Weyward by Emilia Hart
Trigger Warning: This book contains triggering topics such as domestic abuse, rape, and miscarriage. Please read the full list of trigger warnings before purchasing.
Emilia Hart’s debut novel, Weyward, follows three women living in three different timelines. Their stories are woven together through their connection to the Weyward family, innate bond with the natural world, and fights against their respective misogynistic societies. The novel’s compelling storylines, unforgettable characters, and wonderful writing make it very hard to put down. If you enjoy historical and women’s fiction, this witchy book is a great pick for the autumnal equinox.
“Weyward, they called us, when we would not submit, would not bend to their will. But we learned to wear the name with pride.”
— Emilia Hart, Weyward
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Trigger Warning: This book contains triggering topics such as domestic abuse, murder, and attempted sexual assault. Please exercise personal care while reading.
If you rewatch Practical Magic every fall, you’ll definitely enjoy reading the book during the autumnal equinox! In a small town in Massachusetts, the Owens women have been shunned by townspeople for centuries due to their witchy nature. After receiving disapproving looks and enduring the town’s bad-mouthing for their entire childhoods, Gillian and Sally want to leave their life behind. Though they manage to escape, their magical link will bring them back together. The book is notably different from the movie, but it has that same autumn aesthetic that is perfect for the first day of fall!
“My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage.”
— Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic
The Witches of New York by Ami McKay
Trigger Warning: This book contains triggering topics such as misogyny, torture, and violence. Please read the full list of trigger warnings before purchasing.
Ami McKay’s The Witches of New York is about two witches, Eleanor St. Clair and Adelaide Thom, who run a witchy tea shop in New York City in 1880. When Beatrice Dunn, a witch who has just discovered her magic, Adelaide and Eleanor take it upon themselves to help her find her place. This novel encapsulates the fall vibes with its Victorian setting and supernatural elements, while also providing feminist perspectives. After reading this book on the autumnal equinox, you should read the winter-themed sequel, Half Spent Was the Night, during the winter solstice!
“‘Let that be a lesson to you,’ her mother had said, wagging her finger at her daughter. ‘Those who use magic to find what they seek may not always like what they find.’”
— Ami McKay, The Witches of New York
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Trigger Warning: This book contains triggering topics such as racism, sexism, and violence. Please read the full list of trigger warnings before purchasing.
The Once and Future Witches follows three sisters as they reunite despite their painful past to redirect the power of witchcraft into the fight for women’s suffrage. But as a sinister force simmers at the surface and spreads fear amongst New Salem, rallying support becomes a difficult task. At the forefront of this novel is a message about connection and inclusion rooted in the fight for women’s rights. The witchcraft aspects further enhance and strengthen this message while also making it a perfect read for the autumnal equinox.
“One witch you can laugh at. Three you can burn. But what do you do with a hundred?”
— Alix E. Harrow, The Once and Future Witches
The Cahill Witch Chronicles series by Jessica Spotswood
Trigger Warning: This series contains triggering topics, including misogyny, physical abuse, and religious bigotry in Born Wicked. Please research trigger warnings for the series before purchasing.
Jessica Spotswood’s series, The Cahill Witch Chronicles, tells the story of three powerful sisters living in a society where witchcraft is punishable by imprisonment or death. Responsible for the suppression of magic and hatred towards witches is The Brotherhood, a religious group of men who control society. As the young witches unravel secrets and discover dangerous mysteries, they must do so in secret to avoid The Brotherhood’s wrath. If you enjoy YA fantasy with a sprinkle of romance, you should celebrate the coming of fall with this series!
“We must use magic only in the rose garden. We must speak of it only in hushed voices and behind closed doors. We must never forget how dangerous it can be — nor how wicked.”
— Jessica Spotswood, Born Wicked
The Forgotten Witch by Jessica Dodge
Trigger Warning: This book contains triggering topics such as death, misogyny, and violence. Please exercise personal care while reading.
In her debut novel, The Forgotten Witch, Jessica Dodge writes about Helen Kent, a lonely woman with a monotonous life who spontaneously buys a 500-year-old cottage in Scotland. Once in the cottage, she discovers a world of magic, secrets, and mystery tied to a dark past. The imagery in this book is fascinating, and the slow-burning romance adds a little spice to the mysterious plot! This magical read will certainly set the tone for a cozy and slightly spooky fall season.
“We all know what kinds of things happen when people start to fear one another.”
— Jessica Dodge, The Forgotten Witch
Fall is a whimsical and magical time that deserves to be celebrated with a spellbinding witchy read. We hope you feel inspired to pick one of these books up to welcome in the new season. Happy Reading!
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