Overview

Discover the art of magical figures. On Pins and Needles is a hands-on guide to crafting, empowering, and deploying poppets for real results. This book is rooted in tradition, enriched by personal practice, and designed to empower any witch's craft. On Pins and Needles is a practical, grounded guide to the powerful magic of poppets and dolls. Blending deep traditional roots with insights from years of personal work, Kamden Cornell offers a thorough exploration of the creation, empowerment, and use of magical figures across a wide range of practices. Inside the book, you'll find overviews of materia, construction methods, activation techniques, and deployment strategies-everything needed to bring these magical constructs to life with purpose and precision. The author shares not only time-tested practices but also original charms and workings, many of which appear here for the first time, providing readers with fresh tools to add to their craft. Whether you are new to doll magic or seeking to deepen an existing practice, On Pins and Needles serves as both a complete workbook and an inspiring source of ideas. Each page invites you to view effigies and simulacra not simply as vessels of intent but as living participants in your magical work. Rooted in traditional frameworks while offering a contemporary, flexible approach, this book supports practitioners across different paths, including witchcraft, folk magic, ceremonial practice, and beyond. Through careful instruction and practical wisdom, it opens the door to a richer, more dynamic relationship with the figures you create and the forces you call upon.

Full Product Details

9781968185107

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A practitioner with a bone-deep knowledge of the subject they are writing about should be able to do so with a voice that is both accessible and direct, while still honoring the inarticulable mysteries of magic. Cornell's On Pins and Needles delivers this in refreshing order: a writer who knows their craft deeply and does not overcompensate with flowery language or intentional obtuseness. Grounded in historical and folkloric fact and wisdom, bolstered by philosophical curiosity and inquiry, and reddened by the blood of living witchcraft, this is a text that is as timeless as it is genuinely enjoyable to read. With an emphasis on praxis and getting your hands dirty, Cornell guides you through the world of poppetcraft with a wry twinkle in their eye and a hell of a lot of sophistication and grace. A worthy and wonderful staple in the witch's library."" --Sasha Ravitch, consultant and author of The Red Dreaded Spindle: An Astrolater's Guide to the Stinger Stars of Scorpius ""Wickedly cunning! On Pins & Needles provides the reader with loads of practical information and ingenious inspiration to incorporate into their own magical figure making. A master of puppets, Kamden pulls the strings, guiding us through this most ancient and enduring of magical art forms."" --Coby Michael, author of The Poison Path Grimoire: Dark Herbalism, Poison Magic, and Baneful Allies ""On Pins and Needles is a truly magnificent read. Threading folklore and scholarship together, Kamden seamlessly guides the reader on a brilliantly narrated journey through the art of poppetry. It brought me back to being a child, creating little figures from whatever I could get my hands on, reigniting inspiration within me. Make no mistake: this book is not only a how-to guide - it is enlivened with the ecstatic nature of creation that sits at the very heart of the Witch."" --Emily Lilly, artist and practicing seiðkona ""On Pins and Needles is the sort of wryly smiling, wickedly useful book I love to find. In the end, this is a book about dolls as an embodiment of a magical relationship, an act of creation and enchantment, and a focal point for both short- and long-term magical work. If you're looking for an all-around guide to getting started or going deeper with poppets, this is a great book to pick up!"" --Cory Hutcheson, author of 54 Devils: The Art and Folklore of Fortune-Telling with Playing Cards, New World Witchery: A Trove of North American Folk Magic, and Llewellyn's Complete Book of North American Folk Magic ""On Pins and Needles: A Witch's Book of Poppetry and Figure Magic provides everything a witch needs to begin working with dollies in their magic. In this well-researched and impeccably thorough book, Kamden Cornell offers tips and techniques that are clear enough for beginners, while also addressing complex considerations for seasoned practitioners. It's an exciting book, and I can't wait to give Kamden's suggestions!"" --Sterling Moon, author of Talking to Spirits: A Modern Medium's Practical Advice for Spirit Communication and Llewellyn's Little Book of Spirit Communication ""Kamden Cornell's On Pins and Needles is one part magical philosophy and one part historically grounded instructional text. The historical research, personal practice, and lived experience evident in this intelligent book offer a fresh take on the near-ubiquitous art of poppet magic that weaves through the folk practices of many cultures. The way this work guides the reader from well-cited theory to practical methods of use makes it an easy recommendation for both seasoned practitioners and beginners alike. Cornell's refreshing use of philosophy, history, and art is what keeps me on my shelf, both as a reference and as a deep inspiration."" --Rebecca Beyer, founder of The Blood and Spicebush School of Old Craft ""Image magic is one of the oldest known forms of magic practiced within folk traditions, having been expressed in numerous cultures all over the world. On Pins and Needles serves as a comfortably blended guide of both older and more modern practices, seeking to exhibit the vast variety of methods and inventive techniques in creating magical dolls and effigies for everyday spiritual work. Should your style of magic include imagery and poppets, then On Pins and Needles by Cornell will be a perfect companion to add to your bookshelf."" --Ash William Mills, Managing Director of the Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling & Witchcraft, Edinburgh, author of The Black of Isobel Gowdie and other Scottish Spells and Charms

Author Information

An apothecarist and wortcunner, Kamden Cornell has an avid love for plants of all kinds. As a bioregional animist and folk witch, they specialize in using the plants around them for their herbal and magical craft. As a nonbinary, gay, and queer person, the outsider perspective is important to them, and they are deeply drawn to invasive plant species, which have been much maligned and persecuted. That working relationship spurred the creation of The Tameless Path: Unleashing the Power of Invasive Plants in Witchcraft. Kamden also teaches classes on foraging, survival, and field herbalism in theSandia Mountains east of Albuquerque, New Mexico, as well as classes on tarot,alchemy, and witchcraft practices. They own a small, witchcraft-based business called Heart & Vine Apothecary that focuses on herbal remedies and ritual goods. They are also the author of Ars Granorum: The Six Seed Arts of Witchcraft. They are a regular columnist for Noumenia News, the periodical publication released by the Covenant of Hekate.

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