Author Description

Product Description From amethyst to obsidian, Basic Witches author Jaya Saxena explores the multi-faceted meanings and history behind eleven popular crystals in this relatable personal essay collection. Highly prized for their beauty, crystals can take the shape of jewelry, household objects, and an array of self-care products. But it's the ideas they stand for that draw people to their raw forms. Like astrology, tarot, and modern witchcraft, crystals help practitioners understand themselves and the wider world around them. In this collection of sharply observed essays, Jaya Saxena reflects on-and challenges-the ideas associated with eleven popular stones, including unconditional love (rose quartz), happiness and success (citrine), balance (amethyst), self-care (black tourmaline), purity (pearl), imposter syndrome (pyrite), toxic positivity (carnelian), change (opals), traditional concepts of marriage (diamonds), presentation versus identity (obsidian), and death (amber). The result is a deeply personal book with universal appeal, exploring how we assign meaning and power to crystals in order to give meaning and power to our lives. About the Author Jaya Saxena is the coauthor of Basic Witches and a staff writer at Eater. Her work has appeared in many outlets, including the New York Times, Buzzfeed, GQ, Elle, Electric Literature, Catapult, The Daily Dot, The Toast, and more. She lives in New York City with her partner. Amy McFadden is a five-time Audie Award Finalist, an Audie Award winner, and has multiple Earphones Awards. The narrator of 400 titles across a wide range of genres, she specializes in mysteries, thrillers, and urban fantasy.