Intuitive Magical Practice by Natalia Clarke is one of those books I had the privilege of reading long before it came out. That’s been tricky because it had a significant impact on me and I didn’t want to pre-empt the book too much by talking about that. This is a small book that offers things you can do to bring your intuition into your practice. It’s a gentle, generous book with a lot to offer in this regard, written by someone for whom intuition is at the heart of magic. Its clear reading this book that Natalia had to work to find and reclaim her intuition, and that raised a lot of questions for me. It seems obvious – especially after reading this book – that magic should be intuitive. It shouldn’t be entirely prescriptive of about going through someone else’s instructions. I know there are intensely prescriptive high ceremonial approaches to magic out there, but those leave me cold. There should be room for wonder, and surprise, and… well… magic. Reading this book made me ask a lot of questions about my own relationship with intuition. When did I stop trusting it, and why? How do I feel about it now? I came to the conclusion that it was something I wanted back. Natalia’s book was really timely for me, and it set me on a path that has radically impacted on my life. During 2020 I did a number of things that were leaps of faith, based on gut feelings and intuition. I started making space in my life for intuition and started acting on it. This has had a huge impact on me. I’ve also tested my intuition a great deal. I’ve had some challenging opportunities to explore what I might intuit, and was later blessed with feedback about how well I’d done – and it was certainly enough to have steered by, and steered well in adverse circumstances. This book opened a door for me. It also brought a lot of uneasy questions about my past, and it was good to be able to work that through. If you’re reading this review and wondering about your own intuition, and whether you have any, and whether you could work with it, then very likely this book is for you. If it feels right, go for it. ~ Nimue Brown, author of 'Spirituality without Structure' and 'When a Pagan Prays'

I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of Natalia Clarke’s new book Intuitive Magic Practice. I read it once, and then I read it again, and I can honestly say that this would make a great addition to any witches’ bookshelf. Intuition is incredibly important, and you will be hard pressed to find a book on witchcraft which doesn’t mention it. It helps us connect with ourselves and with the world around us, can guide us, and help us interpret messages from the otherworld. It is something that comes naturally to us, but sometimes using it doesn’t feel that natural at all. It is easy to think of our intuition as something that we can turn on or off. For example, if I’m out doing my weekly shop then I probably won’t even be aware of it, but if I am about to do some divination then I will make a conscious effort to engage with and listen to my intuition. An awareness of this disconnect was by far one of the biggest takeaways for me from this book. It was like a lightbulb moment! I’ve been a practicing witch for 20 years now, and I understand the importance of intuition well, but I realised that I am still guilty of ignoring my intuition. Even in those magickal moments, it can be easy to actively shut down the voice of your intuition without even realising it. When doing a tarot reading your intuition may tell you one meaning of a particular card, but because it isn’t the meaning in the book, you ignore it. You may be searching for a crystal to bring you protection and are drawn to a particular one, but discard it because your book doesn’t say that crystal is specifically associated with protection. Another chapter of this book which was a real eye opener for me was the chapter on intuition and dreams. Now I have to admit, I don’t do much dream work as I am just awful at remembering my dreams. However, Natalie’s approach to using your intuition to interpret your dreams is one which I had never considered. The emphasis on interpreting your dreams through feeling as opposed to dutifully interpreting the specific symbols in the dream is an intriguing concept, and she provides plenty of examples from her own personal dream journal to help you on your way. I honestly have something positive to say about every chapter, but I doubt you would make it to the end of the blog post if I wrote out every great thing about this book! It is a book full of practical workings for you to try (I particularly enjoyed delving more into spiritual writing and drawing) which is a great addition. Not only that, but Natalia touches on many commonly used aspects of witchcraft - such as grounding, and working with the moon cycles - and demonstrates how we can enhance our practices by aligning ourselves more with our intuition. Then there are some more ‘non-conventional’ topics, such as intuition and the triple Goddess aspects, and intuition and sacred self-care, which are topics you don’t see in many books on witchcraft and add to this book's uniqueness. This book is suitable for beginners, but also a great book for more experienced practitioners. It is easy to ‘forget’ the basics when you have been practicing for several years, and I found this book was a great way to remind myself the importance of our intuition, and to make a more conscious effort to pay more attention to it. In short, this was a great book, and one that I will definitely be revisiting every now and again! ~ Jessica Howard - The Cottage Mystic (www.thecottagemystic.com)

Intuitive Magic Practice, part of the Pagan Portals series, by Natalia Clarke makes me want to breathe a long, deep sigh of relief. Things have been a bit hectic in my world recently, and I’ve felt the disconnection that stems from being out of touch with my inner voice. Reading this book has shifted me back into my more natural, receptive state of being in the most delightful way. Clarke has combined her experience as a transpersonal psychotherapist with wisdom as a spiritual guide to offer readers insight on how to create an intuitive magic practice. Throughout the book, her gentle, calming tone invites a sense of fluidity, harmony, and personal energetic resonance to emerge. In no way is this book one in which the author holds the knowledge, prompting a hierarchy between author and reader. Rather, Clarke develops a relationship with the reader that’s guided by feelings of goodwill and trust. Much of the imparted content to the reader stems from her own personal experience, and she writes this book as though she might be telling a friend about her experiences with magic and developing intuition in her own life. I enjoyed her anecdotes and the lens it provided me into seeing how she developed her own spiritual perspective. I really liked reading about the importance of nature in Clarke’s spirituality and connection to her intuition. There is so much beauty in the natural world, along with lessons of tending, growing, and slowing down to enjoy the moment. Since her writing does not stem from any one belief system or practice, I noticed how nature seemed to be the greatest influence that gave shape to Clarke’s experiences. However, there’s so much that Intuitive Magic Practice covers. Each chapter highlights a method of connecting to one’s intuition and offers ways to become receptive to the guidance of one’s inner knowing. Receptivity is key here, as Clarke’s writing calls the reader to settle in, move at their own pace, and gently open to the promptings that want to be acknowledged. Some topics covered in the book are dreamwork, journaling, breathing exercises, creating sacred space, creative imagination, moon cycles, and more. Clarke also shares spells, information on candle magic, and guidance on how to select ritual tools. Through it all, she emphasizes that there is no one size fits all model for one’s magical practice; there is also no need to force something when the energy is not there. “This way there is a natural flow, no force, no attachment to an outcome, no artificial influences of any kind and it always works. One might say I flow with intuitive energy if and when it comes in. If I am not called or specific energies are not present, I do not do anything.”1 Clarke also includes information on the Triple Goddess aspects, working with the elements, and tips for intuitively crafting one’s own magical practice such as writing spells, casting a circle, and creating rituals. Again though, this all arises from a place of moving with the flow, rather than planning, specifying, and dictating how the process should look. She even contrasts intuitive magic to ritual magic to help readers get a better sense of this method in relation to others. My favorite chapter of Intuitive Magical Practice was “Intuition, Divine Feminine and Sacred Self-care.” While this book has valuable information for all readers, Clarke does note in the introduction it is more geared towards a female audience. All I can say is this chapter was all I needed to be reminded of and more right now. As I move through a phase of transition, stemming from immense burn-out in my last job that lead me to severely disconnect from my own internal guidance, I desperately needed the reminder that listening to my intuition, caring for my body, and moving in alignment with the energy is a practice of sacred self-care. “What do I mean by sacred self care? This links in with self-awareness, which can grow through listening to yourself with complete trust and seeing powerful results in your way of being with yourself and the world. It means giving yourself what your inner voice asks of you or points you towards; giving yourself what you need in the moment by listening to your intuition; treating yourself with compassion, love and respect, as you would any divine energy.”2 It’s interesting too how Clarke reminded me of the importance of moving according to where the energy is and how things are flowing. To be honest, this book has been sitting on my shelf for about two weeks now, and I had procrastinated delving into my new book. I tried to read it a week ago, but after a few pages it was sidetracked. Then, suddenly, this morning, all my energy was focused on reading this book and sinking in to receive it’s message. I am so glad that I trusted the timing of my feelings and didn’t read it in a mindset that wasn’t ready to embrace all the wisdom in this book. For the past few months, I’ve forgotten that it’s okay to live according to your intuition and trust the timing of when things unfold, but reading Clarke’s words reassured me that it’s okay to move in rhythm that feels right for you. It was particularly inspiring to read how she doesn’t do spellwork unless she feels called. Living a magical lifestyle doesn’t have to be doing spells with each moon cycle, or constantly keeping up with a specific practice “just because you’re supposed to.” It can be just as powerful when your practice is fluid and guided by intuition. This is such a deeply refreshing approach to magic. I’ll admit I moved quite quickly through the book, soaking it all in as I sat outside in the sunshine, feeling the fresh air gently flow around me. However, this is also a book that can be savored and referred back to over time. While I did finish it quickly, I now am ready to go back through it and practice some of the exercises, which Clarke offers plenty of through the book. There is one method of connecting to intuition Clarke writes about that I had never heard of before, which I am particularly excited to try out: intuitive drawing. This approach can help to facilitate a dialogue with the subconscious and allow feelings, sensations, and thoughts to arise from deep within. Sometimes I feel like I get trapped in my words, and I am eager to see what comes out when I choose drawing as a form of communication with my inner guidance. All in all, Clarke’s gentle and uplifting approach to an intuitive magic practice is something of great value to those who are seeking a more natural approach to working with energy. I highly recommend Intuitive Magic Practice to those who are seeking to tune back into their inner voice in a way that feels authentic and true to who they are. This book is a wonderful reminder that there is no right or wrong way, and that healing comes from remembering the sacred connection to our inner guidance. As you read Clarke’s wisdom, I’m sure you’ll feel right at home within yourself, comforted by the words that it’s okay to embrace your intuition and let your energy flow in a way that feels harmonious. ~ Alanna Kali https://musingmystical.com

There’s so many books out there on ‘how’ to explore your own magic. What made this one stand out to me was the word ‘Intuitive’ – which is pretty much how I’ve worked for many years now! Natalia speaks honestly and clearly about how to ‘reclaim your voice’. From discovering how your intuition feels, to allowing yourself to be guided by it, she uses anecdotes and advice from her own experience – not telling the reader what to do, but encouraging them in what they may have already been doing! People speak of ‘returning’ to Paganism, and this absolutely reinforces practices that you may have played with as a child – listening to birdsong, carrying a favourite stone, being aware of the turning of the seasons and moon phases. So much modern-day learning is intellectual that it can be hard to let yourself go and simply trust yourself and your own intuition – but that’s precisely where the magic lies. This is an excellent wee guide to reinforce a burgeoning magical practice, and simply living as a practical Pagan in a magical world. ~ Cate Treadwell https://druidcat.wordpress.com/

Great book! Trusting in your intuition is, I believe, key to working good magic. Learning how to trust it can be difficult. Natalia Clarke leads you through the process step by step with information, personal experience and exercises. Everything you need to take you on your own intuition discovery journey. ~ Rachel Patterson, author of Witchcraft into the Wilds, Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch and the Kitchen Witchcraft series

I think this is an excellent work. The structure is good, and the flow of it is very coherent and (dare I say) intuitive. Working with it has been a delight, and I’d love to know when you get it published so I can direct my friends to it as I can think of about four people off the top of my head who’d really benefit from it. It’s an inspirational, wonderful piece that gently guides you through a whole series of ideas. ~ Meredith Debonnaire, editor