Interview With Deb Robinson, Author of The Magickal Library

Join us as we sit down with Deb Robinson to discuss the essential herbs in her apothecary, why she loves Substack, and her feelings as The Herb Dispensary is finally released into the world.

A New Year, A New Book

Witch Casket's Deb Robinson is, unquestionably, on a roll. In just two years she has become a bestselling author, joined the witchcraft community on Substack with great success, and encouraged witches around the world to take confidence in their craft with The Magickal Library series.

Co-founder/owner of Witch Casket, the immensely popular magickal monthly subscription box, Deb Robinson released her first book The Witch-ionary: An A-Z of magickal terms and their meanings in 2024, earning huge acclaim from witches around the world.

After the resonant success of her first book, Deb released it’s highly-anticipated sequel in October 2025. The Spell Dispensary offers 200 spells and rituals for every situation, organised by their purpose - with chapters such as Healing, Self-Love, Abundance and more, this book helps witches to manifest their greatest dreams.

Today, we sit down with Deb just after the release of her third book, The Herb Dispensary. Helping readers to discover the powerful, magickal properties of herbs, this beautiful book is organised alphabetically by purpose to perfectly adapt to the busy life of the modern witch. Learn more about Deb’s mystical background, and how she developed the ground-breaking Magickal Library Series in this full interview.

Already excited? You can order an exclusive signed copy of The Herb Dispensary alongside two free bookmarks from Deb Robinson herself at the link below!

You have mentioned previously that magic was always encouraged throughout your early life, can you tell us more about that?

Yes, I am so grateful to my parents for raising us to believe in magick. I think in a lot of ways this came from a place of necessity, since we were not well-off and had to ‘make do’ a lot of the time – out of this, my mother encouraged that our bedroom rug was a magickal flying carpet; on which we could travel if we closed our eyes and imagined. Twigs were magick wands, pebbles held magick, and wishes could be cast on dandelion clocks and candles, and of course, flowers could be used for divination…and it turns out that mama was right about most of these things! I am forever grateful that we were raised with a love of nature, and a belief in magick – for unbeknownst to them, that was the start of my witchcraft journey.

The Herb Dispensary is finally out in the world, congratulations! How does it feel to add a third instalment to The Magickal Library Series?

All I feel is gratitude. I’ve always wanted to be an author, and having the opportunity to write books on a subject I feel so passionately about is such a blessing. The Magickal Library series is a dream manifested – and I can’t thank people enough for believing in my work and trusting me enough to give my books a place on their bookshelves.

How do you envision witches using the series, and how can it sit within their practice?

The first in the series, The Witch-ionary, is a book that I hope will help the reader to understand the meanings of the most frequently-used words and phrases in magick, and leave them more able to study the craft without impediment. The rest of the series was written to offer simple, yet powerful spells and rituals to help people with their daily lives – and I wrote them in such a way that they also encourage the reader to adapt the spells to suit their needs, and what supplies they may already have at home. So, my hope is that this is a library of books that people will refer to time and time again to help them with their practice, and give them confidence to develop their own spell crafting skills.

Did you always intend on including a book about herbal magick in the series, or was this something that came later?

I had always hoped to include it – as one of the things I am most often asked is ‘Can you suggest a substitute for this herb?” and I thought how great it would be to have a book laid out in a way that made this simple. If you’d like a herb or spell for ‘Love’, for example, look under ‘L’, where you’ll find some sample spells and a list of herbs you can use as substitutes in the spells offered, and in your own spells for love.

What was the process of writing The Herb Dispensary like, and did it differ to The Witch-ionary and The Spell Dispensary in any way?

The process was almost identical to The Spell Dispensary – I created a list of topics that I knew people would find useful, then I went through my book of shadows finding appropriate spells to include, and adapting them where necessary…or in some cases, writing new spells drawing from my years of experience in the craft.

Why is having an understanding of herbs and their different magickal uses so important for those seeking to begin practicing witchcraft?

Understanding that all things have their own unique and magickal vibrations, and that plants are as diverse in their magickal properties as crystals or anything else, is important to ensure you choose appropriate herbs to match your desired outcome. In much the same way as a rose quartz has a gentle, loving, and joyous vibration, so too does a rose petal, and so both are excellent for use spells for love, happiness, and harmony. In the same way that green aventurine and citrine have an abundant vibration, so too do basil and wheat, and therefore all are excellent for money spells. Not only this, but the sight, colour, smell, and taste of a particular plant is likely to influence the way the practitioner thinks and feels about the spell they are casting and this will affect their energy too.

What is your favourite herb to work with, and why?

Ginger is a staple in my apothecary as it brings speed and power! So, if you need to add a little ‘oomph’ to your magick, or need fast results, you can do worse than adding a little ginger!

What is one herb that you think people underestimate?

Not a herb, but a flower - I incorporate rose petals into my craft often as they have such a joyous vibration, they are often considered for love spells, but can be overlooked when casting spells to manifest anything else – but encouraging a happy and joyous outcome is important whatever the spell – so adding in some rose petals can only bring positivity to your magick.

What are some simple ways that new witches can incorporate herbal magick into their everyday lives?

Herbal magick can be as simple as making a herbal tea and drinking it mindfully while setting your intention. Or dressing a candle then burning it while visualising your desired outcome. Herbal magick needn’t be complicated, it can be as simple as a bowl of an appropriate herb blend by the bed to banish nightmares, for example.

You spoke on the recent resurgence of witchcraft in our Spring Equinox Special: how does it feel knowing that so many beginner witches are using The Magickal Library as their guide and entry to the craft?

It feels incredible – it makes all the hard work worthwhile knowing how well-received this series has been, and knowing that my books are helping to introduce people to the craft is everything. Making witchcraft more accessible has always been my goal. I also love that these books are also encouraging experienced witches to practice in new ways, or to develop their own spellcrafting.

Since your last interview with us, your Substack publication The Magick Dispensary has flourished! What do you find most special about the witchcraft community on this platform?

Substack feels like a more mindful platform – and I hope that doesn’t change. People actually take the time to slow down and read each other’s content, share stories and advice, and create connections. It’s a very different platform, as it’s slow-paced, and that is so appealing in today’s hurried world.

Is there anything else that you would like to mention?

I’d like to thank everyone for supporting me and Ella in all we do. Our witchcraft community has supported us as we’ve grown Witch Casket, launched The Magick Study, and is now being so supportive of my book series. We have worked very hard to make witchcraft accessible, but without the support of our beautiful community, we could never have been able to do all that we have. Thank you, our magickal family of witches, from the bottom of my heart.

You can shop the entire Magickal Library Series from Deb Robinson’s site to receive exclusive signed books and bookmark bundles - check it out below!