Book Recs.

Book Recommendations!

Since I've been talking openly on the internet about being a Witch for over a decade now, people always want to know what books I recommend on Witchy topics, whether it be magick, Paganism in general, Wicca specifically, or something else. I haven't read every book there is, and I don't have knowledge about every one of the MANY varying paths of Paganism and Witchcraft. But I do read a lot, and I'm always reading more, so every year I usually end up with a few more books I would recommend.

Some books marketed to our community are full of misinformation, and really don't teach much of anything, while others are amazing resources yet seem to go unnoticed in some circles. So while this is by no means a full list--there are some pretty big authors I don't even list here because I haven't personally read any of their work (yet)--this is my list of personal book recommendations. I started this list in a blog post in 2013, and I've been updating it with new books every year since! Perhaps it can be helpful for others. Enjoy!

**Note: In 2018/2019 I have started talking about books with the publication date noted, so we can think about the context of the time in which the book was written and published. I am in the process of adding in the publication dates for books listed here.**


Authors whose books I have read many of...
    • Starhawk
      • The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (1979)
      • Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions, co-authored with Diane Baker and Anne Hill (1998)
      • The Twelve Wild Swans: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing, and Action, co-authored with Hilary Valentine (2000) - "Advanced training" book, the sequel to The Spiral Dance, designed to resemble the format of a Witchcamp in book form.
      • Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, & Politics (1982)
      • The Fifth Sacred Thing (1993) and the prequel, Walking to Mercury (1997) Fiction with Pagan/Reclaiming tradition principles.
      • The Pagan Book of Living and Dying (1997), co-authored with M. Macha Nightmare - Resources, rituals, and personal accounts of death, grief, the dying process.
      • The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature (2004)
      • The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups (2011)
      • and the last two I haven't read yet which are Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority and Mystery (1988); and Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising (2002)

    • Scott Cunningham
      • Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (1988)
      • Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
      • Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic
      • Earth, Air, Fire & Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic
      • Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs
      • Magical Aromatherapy
      • Spell Crafts: Creating Magical Objects (with David Harrington)
      • and many more. This list reflects the ones I have read, and own a copy of, but this by no means all of his work.


    Paganism, general
    • PAGANISM: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions - (2002) - Joyce and River Higginbotham (A look at those things that, from their research and experience, unite all Pagans.)
    • The Everything Paganism Book - Selene Silverwind (Basics about major paths, useful for comparing one to another in a basic way.)
    • The Way of the Horned God: A Young Man's Guide to Modern Paganism - Dancing Rabbit (Author is an online friend of mine, one of the original hosts of "The Pagan Perspective" collab channel--watch my review of the book here.)
    • Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America - (1979) - Margot Adler (Historical research)
    • Modern Pagans: An Investigation of Contemporary Pagan Practices - RE/SEARCH, interviews by V. Vale and John Sulak (All interviews! Absolutely love it, and learned so much!)
    • The Pagan Book of Living and Dying (1997), Starhawk & M. Macha Nightmare - Resources, rituals, and personal accounts of death, grief, the dying process.



    Wicca

    Note about Wicca vs. Witchcraft as terms, especially in older books - What is now called Wicca was originally just another form of Witchcraft. Practitioners were Witches, and it was considered a religion. As it gained popularity among new people, some didn't want to identify as a "Witch" which still had negative connotations in general society, and started calling themselves "Wiccans" instead. Practitioners who brought this form of Witchcraft into the spotlight -- like Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente, Monique Wilson, Raymond Buckland, and their covens -- did not call it Wicca or themselves Wiccans; it was and is simply a type of Witchcraft/the Craft. Eventually so many people were referring to Garderian-derived Witchcraft practices as "Wicca" that they determined it was too confusing, and had to start using "Wicca" as well so that people knew it was the same thing. I work at the Buckland Museum in Cleveland, OH. This is the history as it comes from Ray Buckland, "Father of American Witchcraft" himself.

    This is why early books on the subject, even those written by people we consider "Wiccans" today (such as those listed below), use the term Witchcraft and call the practitioners Witches. Wiccans are not the only type of Witches, of course! But they are Witches, and Wicca is a form of Witchcraft. When some of these books were written, "Wicca" was not a term anyone used. I hope this helps clarify things for some people as you continue your research!

    • Witchcraft Today - Gerald Gardner (1954)
    • Witchcraft for Tomorrow - Doreen Valiente (1978)
    • The Truth about Witchcraft Today - Scott Cunningham (1987)
    • Witchcraft from the Inside - Raymond Buckland (1971)
    • The Complete Book of Witchcraft - Raymond Buckland (1986) - based on a correspondence course that he ran for years, this book is in its second edition (2002) and 57th printing overall
    • Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft - Raven Grimassi (2000)
    • Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner - Scott Cunningham (1988)
    • Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner - Scott Cunningham (1993)
    • Three Wicca books I read through at a public library. I posted a video reviewing five books, including these three, here.
      • Wicca Teachings: An Introduction and Practical Guide - Tony Bell - Covers many basic topics all in one place--I was pleasantly surprised by this book, having never heard of it before finding it on a shelf!
      • Crafting Wiccan Traditions: Creating a Foundation for Your Spiritual Beliefs and Practices - Raven Grimassi (2008) - Learning foundations of Traditional Wicca, and from that basis, moving toward creating your own traditions and practice.
      • Exploring Wicca: The Beliefs, Rites, and Rituals of the Wiccan Religion - Lady Sabrina -Traditional Wicca, includes mythology, history, and section on creating "coven bylaws" for lack of a better term.
    • Traditional Wicca: A Seeker's Guide - Thorn Mooney (2018) - This book was released in July 2018, and I finally uploaded a review video of it in September that year. Highly recommend for modern practitioners who are interested in Traditional, lineaged, initiatory Wicca and seeking a formal coven, specifically.
    • WICCA: History, Belief, and Community in Modern Pagan Witchcraft - Ethan Doyle White (2016) - An academic, scholarly, thoroughly researched look at the history of the specific types of Witchcraft that came to be known as "Wicca", including how it has continued to evolve into this most recent decade.



    Reclaiming Tradition of Witchcraft

    • Pagan Portals: Reclaiming Witchcraft by Irisanya Moon (2020)
    • Everything listed above under Authors > Starhawk. Starhawk was one of the founding members of Reclaiming. Specifically,
      • The Spiral Dance: The Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (1979)
      • The Twelve Wild Swans: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing, and Action (2000)
    • Elements of Magic: Reclaiming Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit (2018), edited by Jane Meredith and Gede Parma, with contributions by more than 30 Reclaiming teachers worldwide



    Crystals

    • Everyone always recommends this one: The Crystal Bible - Judy Hall
    • The Crystal Zodiac - Judy Hall (crystals + astrology)
    • The Magic of Crystals, Colour, and Chakra (2006), editors: Lilly, Lilly, Martin, de Winter, and Hale (Sections focusing on crystals by color, color magick itself, and the chakra system, and bringing it all together. Feng Shui, magick with the elements, and more also covered.)


    Tarot, cartomancy
    • The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination (2005) - Robert M. Place (Considered a Tarot expert, Place explains the historical origins and development of the Tarot form, as well as the "mystical" mythological views, as well as a section interpreting the symbolism in the art of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. I learned A TON from this book, and I feel it grants a deeper appreciation for the history and layers of meaning in Tarot as a form of divination.)



    List of 27 must-read books on paganism, from Huffington Post.
    Fiction with Pagan Themes
    • Priestess of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson (Historical fiction)
    • The Fifth Sacred Thing and its sequel/prequel Walking to Mercury - Starhawk
    • The Killian Star - Alyson Denny (Personal friend of my mother's. Upon catching up with her a few years ago, she tells me that she has multiple books now and this one has been rewritten since I read it!)
      • The Cassie Rivers Adventures (series) - Christin Keck (You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wonder if Christin knows the same people you do...)
        • Book One: The Goddess Loves Your Shoes
        • Book Two: Altared States
        • Book Three: Infantasia
        • Book Four: Mini-Apple-Loss 



      ~


      As mentioned at the beginning of this page, I update this list as I read more books that I would recommend! I have certainly read other books that I do not recommend, so I don't list them here. But there are many other great books that I simply haven't read yet, either, and therefore I can't speak to them. That doesn't mean they aren't good! It just means I don't personally know yet. If I read it someday and I recommend it, it'll get added here.

      Beyond this list for my own, personal recommendations, my best recommendation for seekers is to find other Witches/Pagans whose beliefs or practice are similar to your own, or what you'd like to learn, and ask them for their recommendations.

      I also personally recommend checking out your local public library system! Some areas have way more than others in the way of Pagan/Witchy material, but I think it's always worth a look, so you can read some things without having to invest money in buying the books before you read them. Also check second-hand books stores and other thrift stores--you never know what you might find!


      Blessings for your journey~
      -C-
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