Ancient Grimoires and How They Can Influence Your Story’s Magic System

Tap into the forgotten wisdom of historical spellbooks to craft magic systems with roots, rules—and just the right hint of mystery.

There’s something thrilling about the word grimoire. It evokes candlelight, cracked leather, and ink-stained secrets. As a fantasy writer, it’s hard not to be enchanted by the idea of dusty old spellbooks filled with cryptic instructions, strange symbols, and dangerous knowledge. But grimoires aren’t just gothic window dressing—they’re a goldmine of inspiration for anyone building a magical world. By looking at how real historical grimoires were structured, believed in, and feared, you can deepen your own story’s magic system and give it a texture that feels ancient, immersive, and eerily believable. Here’s how diving into the world of ancient grimoires can breathe new life into your magical writing.

What Exactly Is a Grimoire?

Grimoires were real books—practical handbooks for working magic. They often contained spells, healing rituals, astrological charts, spirit invocations, and protective charms. Some of the most famous include the Key of Solomon, the Picatrix, and The Book of Abramelin. Many blended Christianity, Jewish mysticism, astrology, and folk magic. Some were passed down through secretive orders; others were copied, scribbled in, and banned outright. To the people who used them, grimoires weren’t fiction. They were tools. Dangerous ones. That weight—of belief, taboo, mystery—is what makes them so useful for writers.

Design Your Magic Like a Grimoire

When creating a magic system, don’t just list what spells can do. Think about how magic is recorded, transmitted, or discovered in your world.

Ask:

• Is there a sacred or forbidden text at the heart of your world?

• Does magic require rituals, symbols, spoken words, or rare ingredients?

• Who can read the grimoire—and who can’t?

In Crestwick, magical knowledge is stored in forbidden libraries and dusty tomes that whisper when opened, guarded by the Goblinarians. There are rules to reading them—rules that, when broken, come with a cost. Magic systems become richer when there’s structure, secrecy, and consequence.

Let Symbols and Structure Matter

Grimoires weren’t written like novels. They used diagrams, celestial symbols, sigils, and poetic invocations. Some even instructed the reader to copy passages on specific moon phases or prepare with ritual bathing.

You can borrow this visual language for your world. Imagine:

• A spell that only works when drawn in salt in a circle of bones.

• An incantation hidden in verse that must be sung backwards under a blood moon.

• A page that burns away after one reading.

The more sensory and ritualistic your magic, the more it feels alive.

Consider Cultural Roots and Conflicts

Many ancient grimoires walked a tightrope between accepted religion and outlawed magic. This friction can be a powerful story device.

Ask:

• Is magic outlawed or revered in your world?

• Are there different kinds of magic—divine, folk, forbidden?

• Who controls access to magical texts? Is knowledge hoarded or shared?

This opens up conflict: tradition and rebellion, student and teacher. In Crestwick, this tension is a key plot point that drives the story forward.

Add a Touch of the Unknown

The best grimoires are incomplete. Pages missing. Margins scrawled with warnings. Symbols nobody can fully decode.

Don’t be afraid to let parts of your magic system remain mysterious. A spellbook no one truly understands. A language only the dead can read. A ritual with uncertain cost. Fictional magic should feel wild. Unruly. Dangerous in the best way.

Anaya Deen is a British-born writer conjuring up novels for her YA Fantasy Series, Secrets of Crestwick. She is happiest when she’s dreaming up new spells and daring escapades for readers to lose themselves.
If this article helped you, please consider subscribing to her Batmail Newsletter. Get insider writing tips, sneak peeks at her novel, brilliant AI hacks for writers, and real talk on self-publishing—ideal for new writers craving straightforward advice.