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WICCA BOOKS

Farrar, Stewart:
What Witches Do

I place this first because it's what I began with. It's a pretty good book that describes, from an outsider's point of view (the Farrar's joined later), what it's like to work with an Alexandrian Coven. It not only tells what Wicca is about from the Alexandrian perspective, but it also gives a lot of good information for all Wiccans, even the most eclectic, solitary witches out there.

Cunningham, Scott:
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

I have very few Cunningham books, such as the Encyclopedia of Herbs and Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews. When I was first looking into Wicca, I flipped through some of his stuff and to me, it sounded WAY too marketed for my tastes. This is just my opinion. His books are VERY informative for the new Wiccan or for those who wish to be solitary. I highly suggest that if you use Cunningham, remember that Wicca is personal. I think you would find it more energetic to adapt Cunningham's rituals and information then just work from straight out of the book. Remember, these are guides for the Solitary.

Moura, Ann (Aoumiel):
Green Witchcraft I
Green Witchcraft II

A friend of mine, Twilight Silverfox, loaned me the first in this series of books and it was an interesting change. It seems to ride the border of Wicca and Kitchen Witchcraft and has other little tidbits of information thrown in for good measure. She also uses the traditions passed down from her mother and grandmother, so there are a few Indian (as in India, Indian) references in the book. I like the tone of the book, as well...not condescending or marketed.

Ravenwolf, Silver:
To Ride a Silver Broomstick
To Stir a Magic Cauldron

Lately Ravenwolf has been under fire for being too marketed. True. I don't like her most recent contributions but I do like these two books as beginners guides. One of them in particular said that if you're looking for a deity to grovel to, Wicca is NOT for you. *g* She also writes some decent articles for the Llewellyn's Magickal Almanacs. Take a look at these books before writing them off from just others' recommendations. (She also has To Light a Sacred Flame which has some good information on meditation, but I think the other two are her best.)

This should probably go without saying anything, but I'm adding my two cents in anyway. When someone mentions Starhawk, I let out an "ooohhh" of appreciation that they have actually read it. This is one of the premier books that any Wiccan should find. Not only as a beginner's guide, but also to keep in your Wiccan library forever. It has a lot of wonderful meditation exercises and is even used in many college Women's Studies classes. Marion Zimmer Bradley used The Spiral Dance as reference when she wrote her classic, The Mists of Avalon, and the other corresponding Avalon books. Not to mention, Starhawk began her path while in college, and she details how her first groups started there.

This is the "book that launched a thousand traditions." I am presently working with the training exercises now, and enjoying them immensely. While this has a lot of basic information, this also has training exercises and information I have yet to see anywhere else. There are some basic rituals that you can adapt and other training techniques that I highly recommend. However, if you do get this book, try to follow the exercises as they are placed in the book. They build upon each other and skipping to the more "exciting" steps is not recommended. Training goes from "Seeker" to "Wizard" stages and rituals include a Wiccaning, Handfasting, Initiation, Sabbats, etc. Also, take the history section with a ton (not just a grain) of salt.

This is also one of the must-haves. It's a long book about the history of various Pagan movements, but well worth it. Like Spiral Dance, you will reference Drawing Down the Moon long after you've been practicing Wicca confidently. I've taken some serious notes in my copy, and recommend it to everyone. In fact, I feel spoiled after reading this one: Very few other books measure up to this one. The level of writing and the amount of information present are spectacular.

This is a really good book to start with if you are interested in the practice of the Craft. It not only has lessons from which to learn, it also has self-tests and is a workbook for you to write in. It includes how to make an altar table, how to make an athame, and basic herbal, divination, and ritual information. However, since Buckland promotes his tradition called Seax-Wicca, it can be on the dry side and you have to remember that it was written when there were few solitaries. Otherwise it's a good book to fall back on. It's lovingly known amongst Pagans as "Unca Bucky's Big Blue Book."

I'm really not a Conway fan, but I bought this one and I really like it. It has rituals and lore for each of the thirteen full moons of the year and gives you ideas of things to do per month. It has lots of crafts if you want to make something to keep, and recipes ranging from easy to difficult if you want to make something to eat. I like using it when I run out of ideas or want an idea of something new to do, but I think you should also use it for ideas...not just "follow this ritual" recipe-style magick.

Gardner, Gerald: Anything

Gardner is one of the granddaddies of Wicca. He was the one who first brought Neo-Paganism into the public view. While he is coven-based like Alexandrian Wicca, most everything (including and especially the Alexandrian Tradition) is based off of Gardner's work. If you can find it, I suggest Witchcraft Today. (The publisher is out of stock and therefore, it cannot be ordered through Amazon.com right now. Check back periodically.) I have a copy, but I found it in the local witchnook.

No, I'm serious on this one. The Bible is one of the best sources for history and is a great ethical guide. If you can understand what Jesus REALLY wanted people to do, then you have the basics of Wicca. Besides, if you read the entire thing, chances are you've read about 95% more of the Bible than those fundies that harass you. There are several different versions, and while it's not the most accurate *cough cough* most people quote from the King James Version, so you may want to start there. Student Bibles are better as they are written without the embellished language. (Can you tell I was never fond of poetry?)

This is less a book, and more a 50-page document that comes from the Discordian/Erisian tradition. In short, Discordians believe that Chaos is as important as Order, and they have a very sarcastic way of expressing it. Their humor is very odd, but it makes sense if you can look beyond it. They DO take their ways seriously, no matter how they say it. To use one small quote from the Principia: "If you think the PRINCIPIA is just a ha-ha, then go read it again."

Here's one where I will probably be called a heretic or something. Some people call Crowley the "Father of Satanism" (though the title rightfully belongs to LaVey...see next entry) but it must be said that Crowley was a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn, one of the original groups for practitioners of Ceremonial Magick. From what I understand, Crowley got sick of the Golden Dawn and basically broke away, forming his own group, the OTO. A lot of Wiccans find his writing "too dark" but it should be noted that he had a strong influence on Gerald Gardner, and Crowley was the one who originally wrote what soon became the Wiccan Rede. There are lots of things written by and about Crowley at Atho's Pagan Files Collection. Silver Crescent has copies of The Book of the Law, 777 And Other Cabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley, and Diary of a Drug Fiend.

I know I'll be harassed for including these on my reading list (call me the Devil's Advocate, if you must), but here's my reason: Learn what TRUE Satanism is about so when people accuse you of being Satanic, you can refute their attacks. Chances are, they know nothing of Satanism other than what the media has to say, so if you can say, "I read it because I wanted to know why Wiccans are compared to Satanists, and I found that Satanists don't want to have anything to do with Wicca," then they may back off. Unless you have REALLY understanding parents (or a REALLY good hiding spot for your books, but remember what I said earlier about hiding things) I don't recommend buying these books if you're paranoid. It may give your family the wrong image of why you bought them. It's not necessary to read the books, but I recommend it for the above reasons. If you still need information, try The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance for their material on Satanism. You may be surprised on what you learn.