Reading List

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Favorite Books, a list created by OLW members for a Wicca 101

From Angus:
The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker - This is a great reference book with a large bibliography and a wonderful resource at your finger tips. And if you don't believe what is written, you can look it up yourself from the sources she used. A must-have book.

Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham - This is a good book for explaining the basics of Wicca. Cunnimgham stresses that this is his view, and one should find his or her own. He lays out the tools one needs to explore the Craft.

From Artemis:
His Story by Nicholas Mann - He weaves together an analysis of the institution of patriarchy with the issues of masculine identity, self-definition, sexuality, symbology, mythology, archetypes and spirituality. Men who are interested in European prehistoric and pagan mysteries will fin them here. I highly recommend this book to both men and women.

From Genee:
Dreaming the Dark by Starhawk. I have been inspired by this book to become more of a political activist.

The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker is the best collection of information on Wicca and Paganism, etc., etc. in one place that I have found. Someone called Walker the Footnote Queen and this book earns her that title. You can pick a subject and read what she has to say, and then look at her footnotes to track the information further.

From Rowan:
Here are two reference books that come off the shelf frequently:

The Inner Sky, by Stephen Forrest is the best basic astrology book available, IMHO. Many books on astrology bog you down with overwhelming detail, but this one teaches you ways to the heart of a chart without getting distracted.

Magick of the Gods and Goddesses, by D. J. Conway has a chapter for nearly every pantheon imaginable. It is a valuable reference work for anyone who wants to work with divinity's many facets and a good overview for selecting areas for deeper study.

From Te Anu:
The Spiral Dance by Starhawk—its poetic discussion about practices and philosophy were my introduction to Wicca and changed my spiritual path forever.

Witchcrafting by Phyllis Curott—excellent because it encourages readers to practice and experience rather than just read and think.

From Tehom:
I selected these for very different reasons. DiZerega and Hutton because I think they're excellent overall; Jones and Pennick because I think that it gets overlooked on many history book lists; and Modern Pagans because it was the most fun I had reading about pagans this year—and it has lots of great pictures. Gardner was the second most fun I'd had; he's quite the gentleman.

DiZerega, Gus. Pagans and Christians, The Personal Spiritual Experience. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 2001. Without a doubt the best all-around book about Wiccan beliefs recently published. A clear, educational, and serious book that hopes to promote "understanding and reconciliation between sister faiths" of Paganism and Christianity. Even if you are not interested in the way these two faiths can come together, it is well worth reading for the clear presentations of Pagan theology, beliefs, and spirituality.

Gardner, Gerald B. Witchcraft Today. 1954. The book that started it all. Gardner rambles in and out and up and down about Witches in a most charming manner. One can imagine what it might have been like to chat with the old guy. In these times, when we seem to think we know what was going on in Gardner's head, it's interesting to revisit the source. Having recently read this little book, I found myself amused, surprised, and informed.

Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun. Oxford & NY: Oxford University Press, 1996. Hutton is a professor of History at the University of Bristol. He has done extensive research on ancient British customs and festivals, and his book probably has more detail than the average reader would care to digest; however, here is the real story of the Wheel of the Year in ancient Britain. I'd recommend reading it throughout the year, a few chapters at a time, coinciding with the Sabbats.

Jones, Prudence and Nigel Pennick. A History of Pagan Europe. NY & London: Routledge, 1995. Both of these authors are well respected in their fields. Jones is former president of the Pagan Federation (a national British association of Witches). Pennick writes about "ancient and modern mysteries." Their book is rather slim but dense and covers the history of Britain from the Greeks to more recent times. It is an excellent resource book, though rather dry reading straight through unless history is your passion.

Vale, V. and John Sulak, editors. Modern Pagans, An Investigation of Contemporary Pagan Practices. San Francisco: Re/Search Publications, 2001. This book contains interviews with about 35 pagans, Witches, Druids, gentle freaks, weirdos, and people I've met. Reading it is like going to a Sabbat festival, tossing off your clothes, grabbing a bottle of mead, and dancing around the fire pit. There are some famous folks included, such as Starhawk, Margot Adler, Bonewits, Paxson, and the Ravenhearts (aka Oberon and Morning Glory Zell and their extended, polyamorous clan), and less well-known but extremely interesting individuals.

From Willow:
Books I would recommend are any and all by Scott Cunningham, especially Magical Herbalism. This book was the one that turned me onto Wicca in the first place. He doesn't mention Wicca at all in that book, but I read it at age 15, and I wanted to follow the path he laid out, wholeheartedly. It's my bible.

Vivianne Crowley's Wicca--The Old Religion in the New Millennium.

Alistair Crowley's Wicca: I liked because it was an in-depth examination of Wicca, the "religion," and gave much information in a clear and engaging manner.

I should also recommend Pauline and Dan Campanelli's books, specifically the Wheel of the Year, and Ancient Ways...because they go to the heart of the natural relationship we all strive to achieve.

And, these references books are used to create some material for the Wicca 101 classes:

The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker.
A Witches Bible Compleat by Janet and Stewart Farrar.

Main reference for the Ethics class was Positive Magic, by Marion Weinstein. Besides being fun to read (the author is also a standup comedian), it is the most concise statement of pagan ethics that I have found. The "Ten Foot Pole Department" chapter alone is worth the price of the book.

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 This site last updated on April 9, 2011.