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Books I have Read - My Thoughts
on them
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This page is
for my (Brutally honest) opinions on the books that I have read on Witchcraft
and Paganismin the last 3 years. It isn't a review or critique as such...
just my thoughts and opinions of those books I have read (The ones I can
remember) They are your basic "New Age" store type lines... nothing
too dramatic.....
I stress that
this is MY OPINION on the books, good or bad. Books are different
to all who read them. Something that I find wonderful may seem boring
to another. I personally do not like history, therefore books
with a lot of the history of Wicca bore me :o)
The list is
(pretty much) in the order I read the books. I have arranged links
to the book reviews in alphabetical order to make it easier for you to
find one in particular.
The length
of the blurb I wrote has nothing to do with how much I enjoyed the books,
some books I didn't enjoy have more said about them than the ones I loved.
They have more explaining that is all. I must admit, I am getting
a bit booked out..... I don't have as much time to sit down with
a good book any more, and since I have read quite a few books on Paganism/Wicca
(in my opinion) [around 95] and got tons more info from mailing lists,
the internet and practical experience..... I tend not to read as
much as I once did. So the later comments are a reflection of this..
I am finding it hard to find a great book these days, because I have read
most of the info in them several times before.
(last updated
July 2001)
Wicca
- A guide for the Solitary practitioner (Scott
Cunningham)
This was the first book I read on
the subject of Wicca. I found it invaluable. This book gives
you everything you need to begin practicing Wicca. It details the
beliefs, the rituals and gives some simple spells. You will often
hear me rave about Scott Cunningham. This book is one of the best
books I have read. BUY IT ! It is fantastic.
(back to top)
Living
Wicca (Scott Cunningham)
This book is part two of "Wicca
- A guide for the solitary practitioner". This book is great for
explaining how to make your own spells and rites. I love all of Scott
Cunningham's books, and I recommend them all to anyone who wants to learn
about Wicca. Especially those who do not wish to (or can't)
join a coven.
(back to top)
Teen
Witch
(Silver Ravenwolf)
This book,
while good and informative, is a little simplistic. Having said that,
you will find some of her spells in my personal Book Of Shadows.
Her approach to Wicca in this book is aimed at teenagers, and therefore
can be a little basic for those who are older, and those who already have
knowledge in Wicca. Her spells are easy to follow though, and it
gives ideas for using household items for magical use. I haven't read her
other books yet, so I do not know if it is just this book that is simplistic,
or if it is the way she writes all the time. Either way, this book
is still worth getting. The spell section is quite large, and covers
a wide range of topics.
(back to top)
Hedge
Witch
(Rae Beth)
This book
is good for those solitary practitioners. (Hedge Witch is another
term for a Solitary witch - someone who practices Witchcraft, but does
not belong to a coven). This book is written in letter form, letters
from Rae to her "students" telling them a little of the information about
Wicca and outlining the Sabbat rituals for the Solitary Witch. It
is written in a form that is easy to read and understand, and I almost
felt like she was writing to me alone.
(back to top)
Witch
(Fiona
Horn)
I like this
book. There are a few spells, a bit of the theory and a bit of her
experiences. I am trying to think why exactly I like this book, and I think
it is because it is written like young adults think, and is therefore easy
to understand. Not in the same way as Silver Ravenwolf's book is,
I don't know how to explain it. You will just have to read it for
yourself! It is a really good book, and there is even a detailed
hexing spell for those who wish to go that road. The other good thing
about this book is that is was written by an Australian Witch :)
(back to top)
Practical
candle burning rituals (Raymond Buckland)
This book
has lots of candle spells, hence the name, and each spell has two different
chants to chose from. One Christian based one, and one Pagan based
one. I personally found the spells a little long and complicated,
taking lots of steps, and lots of candles (I am very simplistic in my spellcasting).
There are some really good ones in there though.
(back to top)
Principles
of Wicca (Vivianne Crowley)
This was another
really good book. Very informative. Good value. Nothing
else to say really.
(back to top)
Wicca
- an old religion in a new millennium (Vivianne
Crowley)
Again, another
good book. It has a lot of information on the coven side of Wicca,
which may not be of interest for those who have no intention of joining
a coven. There was some really good information in there though.
I preferred her Principles of Wicca.
(back to top)
Witchcraft
- A beginners guide (Teresa Moorey)
This was the
second book I read on Wicca. This is only a fairly small book, but
well worth the read. There are some really good spells in here too.
(back to top)
Herbs
- A beginners guide (Teresa Moorey)
This is the
best book on the magical properties of herbs I have found so far.
It tells you the magical properties of almost every herb the colours for
herbal bags, and heaps of other stuff. It is a book that you should
have as a reference guide.
(back to top)
Witches
of Oz
(Matthew and Julia Phillips)
I should like
this book, as it is one of the few Australian books around on Wicca.
But I found it a little boring. It also contains a lot of information
that are only useful for coven work. They have a few rituals in there,
but again they are for covens and if you are not in a coven, they are somewhat
void.
(back to top)
A
Wiccan herbal (Marie Rodway)
This was another
brilliant book on herbs. This book has recipes for herbal teas, poultices
and lots of other herbal remedies. This is another book you should
have as a reference guide. This is the best book on the healing properties
of herbs that I have found.
(back to top)
Witchcraft
and Paganism in Australia (Hume)
I have a feeling
that this book is actually someone's thesis. It was published by
a University in Victoria, and although it wasn't a bad book, it seemed
to be a bit like a project.
(back to top)
Power
of the Witch (Laurie Cabot)
This book
was written by a Witch who lives in Salem. The place where the most
publicised Witch trials took place. Laurie Cabot is a Witch who wears
the classic Witches black robe everywhere. She is a Witch and isn't
afraid to show the world. Her Book is very interesting, and is one
of the few books that I have actually read the section relating to the
history! A lot of info about meditating and visualisation, which I found
a bit boring.
(back to top)
White
Spells
(Ileana Abrev)
This book
is a book of spells broken up into sections. Herbal spells, Bath
spells, crystal spells etc. It is a really good book if you are just
interested in finding spells, and not the history or mythology. It
is a small book, but full of easy spells.
(back to top)
History
of Magic and the Occult (Kurt Steiglman)
Unfortunately
I cannot say anything good about this book, as I really didn't get much
out of it. Although I already mentioned that I don't like history.
There is an interesting section on Tarot cards though.
(back to top)
Wiccan
Magic
(Raven Grimassi)
Again there
isn't much to say about this book. I had already read about the history
and mythology of Wicca when I read this book, and therefore didn't really
find it that interesting. There are some good sections in it though,
it is worth a look.
(back to top)
Spellbound
- book of love (Helen Glisic)
For those
of you who think love spells are wrong, don't buy this book. Love
spells are the only spells in this book. I thought most of the spells
were against the "harm none" rule of Wicca, as you cannot change the will
of a person, so therefore cannot perform a spell to attract someone to
you. But there are some Pagans who do love spells. There are
a few spells that I considered ok though, and the book is certainly beautiful
to read, and there are some nice quotes in there too.
(back to top)
Spellbound
(Helen
Glisic)
This is another
book along the same lines as the above book, but it isn't centered on love
spells.
(back to top)
How
to turn your ex boyfriend into a Toad, and other spells
(Athena Starwoman and Deborah Gray)
Because of
the title of this book, I refused to read it for months, but finally I
picked it up and gingerly read it, as if my eyeballs would be singed from
my head, and found that it isn't actually as bad as I thought. You
see, Witches can't turn anyone into a toad, and we certainly wouldn't do
it to an ex boyfriend. This was a really good book of spells for
different things. Silly title.. but not bad for people just new to
the Craft wanting easy spells.
(back to top)
Witches
- An encyclopedia (Michael Jordan)
I am assuming
that this wasn't written by the basket ball player !
This book
is exactly what it says, an encyclopedia. If you want to know what
something is, then it is great, if you are after rituals, spells and information
on how to make and perform spells and rituals, then this isn't the book
for you. It is interesting though, but once you read it once, you
probably won't ever feel the need to read it again.
(back to top)
Everyday
Magic (Dorothy Morrison)
This book
is written by a lady who believes that technology hasn't effected Wicca
in a bad way. I agree with her (Obviously - or I wouldn't have this
web page). She gives ideas on how to speed up the magic making process.
She also has a HUGE section of spells, some herbal info, some info on stones,
and a section on the Gods and Goddesses. A really fantastic book,
full of useful information.
(back to top)
Green
Witchcraft
(Ann Moura { Aoumiel })
Green Witchcraft
is a little different to Witchcraft. She has some really good information
in this book, but I didn't like the rites. I felt the rites were
a little strange for me. In my personal Book Of Shadows I have altered
many of her rites, so that they feel better to me. Although, as I
mentioned earlier, it is personal choice, and I personally didn't like
them. You on the other hand may like them.
(back to top)
Spells
(Nicola
De Pulford)
This is another
book of just spells. The book itself is Beautiful, black cover with
a silver ribbon to tie it closed with. It even comes with a special
sealed section. There are some really good spells in here, but the
book is just sooooooo beautiful! (back to top)
Spells
(Matthew
Green)
This is another
beautiful book. There are spells, herbal information and heaps of
other interesting things in this book. Quite an interesting book,
and it has good information too. He is very into spells using herbs
though, so if you don't like using herbs, or don't have many - then you
might want to give it a miss, or work out a way to change the spells.
(back to top)
Crones
book of Charms and spells (Valerie Worth)
If you like
the old form of spell casting, the chants of eye of newt and stuff like
that, then you will love this book. I am a bit of a lover of things
theatric, so I liked this book. The only thing I had a problem with
is that I thought some of the spells were a little wrong, as in Ethically
wrong. But there were some spells that I thought were great.
(back to top)
Goddess
in my pocket (Patricia Telesco)
This book
is another one where the Author believes in using modern everyday items
to create magic. There are great spells for computers, photocopiers,
parking and lots lots more. Fantastic book.
(back to top)
Hocus
Pocus
(Titania)
This is a
lovely velvet type book, she has three books out, Titania's Oracle, this
one and one called Bewitched. This is a purple book, the oracle is
blue and Bewitched is red. All are fantastic. The books are
beautifully illustrated, and the spells are great too.
(back to top)
The
Gaia Tradition (Kisma Stepanich)
Hmmmm.....is
all I have to say about this book. I found it weird. From what
I gather (And I freely admit that I didn't read the whole thing) the Gaia
tradition is a form of nature worship. Wicca is nature worship, but
in a different way. I just didn't like this book, and I didn't think
much of the author.
(back to top)
Witches
and Wizards (Anton Adams)
This book
looks really pretty, and there is a lot of interesting stuff in there too.
No spells or rites, just information. Not a bad book though, if you
are after the information on certain aspects of magic.
(back to top)
Witchcraft
and Paganism today (A. Kemp)
This book
is another book of information, but I already knew most of what was in
there, so I didn't find it that interesting. Like all books though,
they are worth reading, you never know what information you may find.
(back to top)
The
Goddess Celebrates (Edited by Dianne
Stein)
This book
is a collection of chapters written by various women. Some of the
chapters were really good, and others were a little boring. It was a really
good book though, just skip the chapter on the "blood mysteries" if you
are squemish.
(back to top)
Spell
crafts (Scott
Cunningham and David Harrington)
This book
tells you how to make spell banners, bottles and other useful information.
I like Scott Cunningham and I think that anything he has written is worth
while reading. This book he wrote with another person, David Harrington.
It also tells you the meanings of colours, shells, feathers and other items.
A very useful book.
(back to top)
Book
of Shadows (Phyllis Curott)
This book
is more like a novel, in that it tells of the way Phyllis Curott found
Wicca. In amongst the story is quite a bit of information and useful
tips. This book is wonderfully written, and well worth reading.
I really enjoyed reading this book, one of those "can't put down" books.
(back to top)
Complete
book of incense, oils and brews (Scott
Cunningham)
As I said
before, anything that Scott Cunningham has written, I think is worth reading.
This book is exactly what it says, everything you kneed to know about making
incense, oils and brews. Full of recipes and hints on what you can
substitute for some of the more expensive ingredients. The only thing
I disagreed with was the inclusion of poisonous recipes, but they did come
with a warning. If you have this book, you basically do not need
to ever go looking for incense recipes, oil recipes etc. again. There
are recipes for soap, bath salts, oils, tinctures, ointments (including
flying ointments, that are safe to use), incense and sachets. I have
probably left some out, but basically everyone needs to have this book,
it is great.
(back to top)
Charms,
spells and formulas (Ray T. Malbrough)
This book
is about Voodoo. (I didn't realise until I had read it.) Which
isn't my cup of tea. In Voodoo you can perform spells to make someone
fall in love with you, and this book includes spells on that, and how to
control people and other spells and charms which I personally think are
wrong. Having said that, it would be an excellent book if you do
agree with that, as it contains information on how to make gris-gris charms,
Voodoo dolls, incense and other information that you may find useful.
(back to top)
The
Handbook of Ancient wisdom (Cassandra
Eason)
This book
didn't look like it would be very good, I thought it was about Aboriginal
wisdom looking at the front cover, but inside is a lot of information.
There are sections on the I Ching, Divination with various different methods,
the meanings of objects, Chinese horoscope, and lots more. I really
recommend this book as a reference book.
(back to top)
Earth
Power
(Scott Cunningham)
This book
explains how to invoke the power of the earth into your magic, by using
the 4 Elements in your rituals, and how to "get in touch" with nature.
There are many great spells broken up into sections for each of the 4 Elements.
I have raved about how good Scott Cunningham's books are, and this is no
exception. The information is easy to understand, and the spells are quite
easy to perform.
(back to top)
Spells
and how they work (Janet and Stewart Farrar)
This is the
first book I have read by these authors. They are considered to be
among the most respected authors on the subject of Wicca/Paganism, and
I found this book to be quite interesting. There are a selection
of spells, as well as the information about what a spell is, and why and
how they work.
(back to top)
The
moon and you for beginners (Teresa Moorey)
This book
explains the moon phases and how they relate to your life. We all
have a sun (also called star) sign, and we also have a moon sign, this
book explains the 9 different types of people, from the phase the moon
was in at the time of their birth. Very interesting if you are interested
in this type of information.
(back to top)
Practical
solitary magic (Nancy B. Watson)
This book
is another similar to the Scott Cunningham book "Wicca - guide for the
solitary practitioner" but not as good. It still has some good information
in it, but if you had to chose between buying this one, and buying the
Scott Cunningham one, then I suggest the Scott Cunningham one. But
as I said, it is personal choice.
(back to top)
Notions
and Potions (Susan Bowes)
This book
has some beautiful pictures, and some small bits of information, but those
few bits of information can be found in other books that have even more
useful information. I thought this book was a bit useless actually,
pretty...but useless.
(back to top)
Silver's
spells for prosperity (Silver Ravenwolf)
As it's title
says, this is a book of prosperity spells. They are arranged under
two categories, banishing poverty, and bringing in money, so you can chose
which spell suits the phase of the moon, or your particular mood that day.
It is packed with spells, and if you like Silver Ravenwolf's other books,
and you need money (And who doesn't) then this book is really good.
(back to top)
Spinning
spells, weaving wonders (Patricia Telesco)
This book
boasts "over 300 spells". I didn't count them all, but there are
heaps!!! and they are all arranged in sections in alphabetical order, such
as "money" then a few corresponding herbs, objects etc. to do with money,
and a few spells for obtaining money. So it makes it easy to use,
as you just have to turn to the section you want, and there is a choice
of a few different spells to do. Well worth buying it I think.
(back to top)
Magical
Aromatherapy (Scott Cunningham)
I thought
this book was about Aromatherapy with Essential oils, but it gives the
magical properties for herbs as well. There is a lot of information
packed into such a small book, and it is really cheap too!!! There is a
section of 100 or more herbs and plants, where he gives their botanical
names, what part of the plant is used, and if it is best used as an oil
or the herb/plant. I thought it was a great book, and there are also
some different incense and oil recipes in there as well... I won't go on
about how great the author is again... :)
(back to top)
The
magical household (Scott Cunningham &
David Harrington)
This book
is brilliant, it has divided the house into sections and gives short spells,
and folklore for everything. For example, hanging a key upside down,
prevents nightmares. It tells you how to make a witches bottle to
guard the garage, from items that you would find lying around there.
I will never look at my house the same way again. There was so much
interesting stuff in this book. There is also a section in the back
for bigger spells. (but what do you expect...it is a Scott Cunningham
book, of course I would like it!)
(back to top)
Century
of spells (Draja Mickaharic)
This book
has lots of spells mixed in with the information. There are some good spells,
and some weird ones, like a spell where you heat a jar of water till it
explodes, and showers glass and pins all around the house.......
(back to top)
Every
Woman a Witch (Cassandra Eason)
I thought
that this book was great! Lots of spells, and they are easy to do.
Some great information too. The book is easy to read.
(back to top)
To
stir a Magick Cauldron (Silver Ravenwolf)
This book
had some great information, and along with Teen Witch, this is one of the
most popular books by Silver Ravenwolf. Lots of exercises to help
you along your path, and easy to read.
(back to top)
Nice
Girls Book of Naughty Spells (Deborah Gray)
The title
of this book had me a little worried, but I thought I would read it anyway,
and it has some very good spells in it. I thought it was going to
be all spells that I consider wrong, but there were many spells ranging
from stopping a noisy neighbor to stopping road rage. Nice simple
spells that don't require expensive ingredients.
(back to top)
Advanced
Candle Burning Magick (Ray Buckland)
This is a
follow on from his previous book called Practical Candle Burning Rituals.
I wouldn't recommend this book for "newbies" to the craft, as I personally
think that some of these spells are a little bit too long for beginners
(which is why it is called "Advanced Candle Burning Magick").
It has a lot of information though. If you are a lover of candle
spells, then this is your book! It gives ideas for making your
own candles too.
(back to top)
Celtic
Magic (D. J. Conway)
This book
(as the title states) is about Celtic magic. It has some simple rituals
and a great section on the deities. (And I love the picture on the
cover - I bought it just for that!)
(back to top)
A
Grimoire of Shadows (Ed Fitch)
This book
has some great information in it. It has a large section of detailed
rituals, including 1st, 2nd and third degree initiations. Probably
one for more experienced people - rather than beginners.
(back to top)
Witchcraft
- A Tradition Renewed (Valiente and Jordan)
This book
had some interesting sections, but I actually didn't think it was that
great. Of course it is handy to read lots of books, as you never
know what you will find, and I may re-read it and find something else useful.
(back to top)
Witch
- A Magickal Year (Fiona Horn)
I think this
book was great! There is a great week long ritual to perform, great
information, and I just love Fiona's writing style. If you liked
her first book, then you will love this book too.
(back to top)
Wylundts
Book of Incense (Wylundt)
This book
is another book of herbal properties. It also contains recipes for
incense and the different methods for making incense, including incense
cones, sticks and loose incense. I think this is a great book, as
it has different information to Scott Cunningham's Incense oils and Brews.
I can't decide which I like better.. this or 'Incense Oils and brews'....
which is why I have both :)
(back to top)
Beginners
guide to spells and rituals (Teresa Moorey)
I thought
this was a good book for people looking for an inexpensive book with information
on how to write spells and rituals. I like Teresa Moorey's books.
They are basic, but affordable :) Not a lot of information, and I
feel that there are better books out there on writing spells, but this
was a good book.
(back to top)
Covencraft
(Amber
K)
This book
gives you a lot of information on starting a coven, and working within
a coven. It is a huge book, with a lot of useful information if you
are thinking of starting your own coven. A touch pricey... but worth
it.
(back to top)
The
Sabbats - a new approach to living the old ways (Edain
Mcoy)
Looking for
info on the Sabbats? Then this is your book! It details each
Sabbat, with a couple of pages for each, giving recipes and info.
It has a section of Sabbat rituals to perform in a group situation, and
a section of rituals for a solitary. It also has the largest list
of Sabbat correspondences I have seen in a book, giving a HUGE list of
the Gods and Goddesses for each Sabbat, Symbols, animals, stones, foods
etc. I thought it was fantastic, I cannot praise this book
enough.
(back to top)
Complete
book of Witchcraft (Ray Buckland)
This is a
witchcraft class in a book. It gives lessons (the chapters are even
called "lessons"), and at the end of each lesson, there is an assignment.
There is a lot of good information in this book, and according to the book,
if you do all the exercises, you are the equivalent of a 3rd degree Witch.
A bit deep for beginners, you may have to re-read it a few times to absorb
everything.
(back to top)
Pagan
rites of passage (Pauline Campanelli)
This book
gives rituals for all the main milestones in our life: Birth, adulthood,
mid-life etc. Including a mid-life rite for men.
(back to top)
Magickal
Herbalism (Scott Cunningham)
Another herbal
book, recipes, info and herbal properties lists. Not as good a Wylundts
book of incense, or Incense oils and brews.. but it isn't bad for a starting
point (and cheaper) and it has slightly different information (So I bought
it too)
(back to top)
Hereditary
magick (Raven Grimassi)
This book
goes into the different forms of witchcraft. There was some interesting
information in this book.
(back to top)
Spellweaving
( )
This book
has lots of pretty pictures, and has some quite good of information and
spells in it. It is a good book for someone just starting out in
the craft and very cheap considering how pretty it is.
(back to top)
Titania's
little spell books (love, happiness, health, wealth) (Titania
Hardie)
These are
cute little velvet covered books, with simple spells for each of the areas
(love = Red, Happiness = Blue, Health = Green, Wealth = Yellow) There are
a lot of spells in these books, and you can chose the area you need spells
for and just buy that book (or you can buy the whole set)
(back to top)
Pagan
Gods (Howard and Teresa Moorey)
This is (you
guessed it) a book on Pagan Gods. I expected there to be a long list
of the different Gods, which there wasn't, but there was information on
some of the individual deities, such as Thoth, Set and Osiris, the Greenman,
and how they influence you. I felt there could have been more information
on Gods in general though, like lists of Gods for different things...Oh
well..
(back to top)
The
complete book of amulets and talismans (Migene
Gonzales-wippler)
This book
has pictures and information on different amulets and talismans from different
religious backgrounds. A Great reference book.
(back to top)
The
Family Wicca book (Ashleen O'Gaea)
Written from
the point of view of a Wiccan mother, this book gives information on how
they dealt with raising a Wiccan child, and gives ideas for other families.
I didn't like it much, but then again... I am not a mother.. (Yes I read
books for the fun of it).
(back to top)
Celtic
Goddesses (Miranda Green)
A book giving
information on some of the celtic Goddesses. Including pictures of
Goddess statues. I admit that I found it a tad boring, but I am not a great
one for studing history or mythology.
(back to top)
Trancing
the Witch's wheel (Yasmine Galenorn)
This is a
book of guided meditations for the Sabbats and the Elements. I found
this book very interesting, as I had never though of doing a meditation
as a Sabbat celebration. You can perform these meditations in a group
situation, with one member narrating, or you can tape yourself, and play
it back during the ritual. For personal reasons I will never purchase another
Yasmine Galenorn book again, and I do not suggest to others to buy them,
but I do admit that this one was quite good.
(back to top)
Magic
for Beginners (J. H. Brennan)
I thought
this book might be a little in-depth for beginners, but there is a lot
of good information in there. It even has a section on how to create
$100 notes (although it admits that it is easier and quicker to just go
out and get a job to earn it)
(back to top)
To
ride a silver Broomstick (Silver Ravenwolf)
To be honest
I am not a huge fan of Silver Ravenwolf. This and The Cauldron book
are better than Teen Witch for anyone older than 15 (IMHO), but I still
think your money is better spent on other books. Of couse, if you
can borrow it any book is worth reading! and that isn't to say that
this book doesn't have interesting things in it, but in my opinion others
are better.
(back to top)
Crafting
and use of ritual tools (Eleanor
& Philip Harris)
This book
shows you how to make tools from scratch such as Athames and wands.
It even tells you how to consecrate them.
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Green
Witchcraft 3 (Ann
Moura)
I haven't
read book 2, although I have read the first one. This book was great,
IMHO better than the first. It refers to the second book though,
so it is best to have all three I think. Lots of information and
some circle casting rituals.
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Druid
magic (Maya Magee
Sutton & Nicholas R. Mann)
This book
was quite good, gives lots of information on the Druid religion (which
is very similar to Wicca really)
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Pagan
book of living and dying (Starhawk)
I only flicked
through this book, but it appears to be rituals and information to help
cope with grieving, and to prepare yourself, or others for the passage
into the next life.
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Earth
divination Earth magic (John
Michael Greer)
This book
is about Geomancy (divination using dots, hard
to explain, you have to see it...) There is a section on scrying
as well. If you are into Geomancy (or want to be) then this book
probably has all the information you need to know, very in depth.
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Life's
a Witch (Fiona
Horne)
This is her
3rd book. This book is aimed more towards teenage Witches.
This book was done to coincide with her Wikid Witch Kit I think, but isn't
a bad book. I prefered her other two.
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A
Complete guide to Witchcraft (Teresa Moorey)
This (Quite
obviously) is a more in-depth look at Witchcraft than her beginners guide.
A lot of good information in here. I like Teresa Moorey's writing
style, so I like her books.
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A
Complete book of magickal Names (Pheonix
McPharland)
EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!
This book is great if you are trying to come up with a Magickal name (Second
to my book of course ;)) It gives lists of different names and in
some cases their meanings and origin. I can't remember if it goes
into using numerology or meditation to find your name (and I am too lazy
to reach over to the bookcase at the moment :)) but it has so many names
listed that it is sure to be of help for those seriously stuck. I
say seriously stuck becuase although I think it is a brilliant book, it
might be too expensive for someone who just wants help choosing a Pagan
name for themselves. I bought it becuase I thought it could be useful
for members of my Coven, as a reference book for my own names book,
and becuase when I first opened the book it opened to the gemstone page
and my eyes happened to be resting on the section of page that had "Obsidian"
:) So I took it as a sign and bought it!
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Witchcraft
(Geddes and Grosset)
A really cheap
book (I got it on a throw out table for $3) that is more like a Witchcraft
encyclopedia really. I don't really think it's that great (some of
the info is a bit dodgy to say the least), but I can't really complain
for $3 - any more than that and I doubt it's worth it.
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How
to be a Real Witch (Deborah
Gray)
The funniest
thing about this book is that the title claims to teach you how to be a
real witch, but the pictures of Deborah used inside show her with sparkles
and glitter floating from her fingertips....Inside though it does mention
that shows like Charmed are not real Witchcraft - but I find it amusing
that she chose such stereotypical images .... I also didn't like
the way she used stars on the page, whole page pictures and wavy writing,
which in my opinion look like they are done to use up space..making the
book look thicker. I try not to give really bad comments on books,
but I wasn't totally impressed with this book I must admit... There
are some really good messages in there, but I didn't really like it, not
enough detail on each section IMHO.
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The
Book Of Shadows (Lady Sheba)
This was apparently
Lady Sheba's own Book Of Shadows that was published. The back of
every page is blank, making the book look thicker than it really is (Sneaky).
It is filled with Coven rules (tons of them), rituals and other info
from her coven or tradition, and in my opinion isn't the best book you
can buy, other books of roughly the same price range have HEAPS more info.
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The
magic power of White Witchcraft (Gavin and
Yvonne Frost)
The founders
of Wicca, apparently. There was some really good information in this
book, but in my opinion they didn't explain each section in enough detail.
What it did have though, was an example for most of the sections it explained...
so that you could get an understanding of how that example fits in with
everyday life...Very Nifty. Very interesting, but overall, I wasn't
overly impressed with it, I felt it could have contained more information
on each section - which would have made it much better.
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Spiral
Dance (Starhawk)
Everyone seems
to recommend this book to everyone else, which is probably why I found
that a lot of the information from this book is stuff I had seen floating
aroung mailing lists. If nothing else I think you need to have a
copy of this on your bookshelf so that you don't shock people by saying
you don't have it ;) To be honest I am almost getting "all booked
out" so it takes something quite different to get me excited about
books at the moment... but I know that a lot of people use Spiral Dance
as a sort of bible, so I do think it is worth getting.
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The
Real Witches Handbook (Kate West)
I loved this
book. It doesn't have a lot of magickal information (as in telling
you what colours mean, and stuff like that) but it explains different parts
of Witchcraft (like what magick is) very well, in a very practical
way. It is a beginners book, so it won't really interest the more
experienced Witch, but I think it is a very good book for those just starting
out (And it is quite reasonably priced!)
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Wicca
(Vivianne
Crowley)
This is one
of those pretty books with hardly any information in it. Ordinarily
I would blame the author, but this book is part of a series, called the
"Thorson's First Directions", so I guess that explains it. There
are several other books that give you more information for the same price.
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Green
Witchcraft 2 (Ann
Moura)
I still think
#3 is the best, but this one isn't too bad. It has a lot of good
info in it, and some rituals and things.
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5
easy steps to becoming a Witch (Gilly Sergier)
Shocking.....
that's all I can say about this book, although it is great for a laugh!
Becuase this sounds really harsh, and it's the worst critique I have given
on a book, I'll explain why I think it is so bad. Step #1 wasn't
too bad, it had tiny bits of information on aspects of the craft..... but
step #2 was by far the funniest... it was on appearance......This chapter
basically tells you how to look like a Witch. It even offers helpful
suggestions like using fake hair to achieve that black with white streaks
look....There are 3 parts I would like to quote for you (For review purposes),
which I found to sum up the ideas of this chapter "There
are many marks which used to be linked with Witches - a 6th finger, webbed
toes, extra birthmarks were all indications. Do not despair if you
do not have any particular marks, in this day and age transfer tattoos
are a marvellous alternative" and "Witches
look extremely good in glitter and the constant shine and energy given
off by the glitter will enhance your own aura and psychic abilities".
Now...... I wear body glitter on occasion... however I do not do so in
the hope that I will become more psychic.... it's little bits of metal/plastic
for heavens sake! (However I do believe that if you believe it will
aid you, then it will - as your belief will give you the power you need).
Then it goes on about the magickal power of having long fingernails, and
that you should of course decorate the nails with Pagan symbols.... (The
reasoning behind the long nails is becuase energy travels down your hand
and out through you nails, and having longer nails helps direct it....
according to this book). Another quote is "There
are many clothes shops now that include or specalise in larger sizes and
a very well known chain in most high streets that seems to concentrate
on floaty, glittering, unusual colours and fabrics - one would think made
exclusively for Witches". Step #3 Was
not too bad, it talked (very briefly) about tools and other Witchy things.
Another thing that made me laugh was the "Great Calendar of Being"
(her name for the Wheel of the year apparently)... this *Great* calendar
took up less than 1 page, :) and consisted of a list of the Sabbats
and their dates. Step #4 was spells and recipes. Not a bad
section, considering. It did have lots of spells and Sabbat rituals
(short ones). Step #5 talks about tarot and other "specialities"
and "clients". Most people in the craft believe that it is wrong
to charge for spells, but this book says it's fine to.... "A
true Witch should never charge an exact sum for their service, but should
say that whatever the client feel is appropriate, should be given."
and "Witchcraft is not about making money,
but a good witch can easily survive quite happily on the proceeds of her
work". So there you go. In my
opinion, it's nothing better than a humerous book, but I fear that beginners
will think that this is gospel.
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(last updated
July 2001)
The Real Witches
Kitchen (Kate West)
Blurb to come
(except now I've forgotten what it was like and have to read it again!..
d'oh)
The Complete
Book of Magick and Witchcraft (Leonard R.N.Ashley)
Blurb to come
(except now I've forgotten what it was like and have to read it again!..
d'oh)
Principles
of Paganism (Vivianne Crowley)
Pretty similar
to Principles of Wicca, but with more of a Pagan slant (of course).
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Obsi's Pick - Recommended
books
|
I often get asked to recommend books,
and I see people on mailing lists asking for advice on what books to get.
The problem is there are many different paths, and what I feel is a good
book for my path, might be a pile of crap for someone else.... So
these are the books I recommend for a beginner who is following an Eclectic
or Wiccan path. (Of course, I also recommed my own book!! Obsidian's
Book Of Shadows, available here)
Listed in no particular order.
General Witchcraft information for
complete Beginners
The Real Witches
Handbook (Kate West)
A Complete
guide to Witchcraft (Teresa Moorey)
Witchcraft
- A beginners guide (Teresa Moorey)
Hedge Witch
(Rae
Beth)
Wicca - A
guide for the Solitary practitioner (Scott
Cunningham)
General Witchcraft information for
more advanced Beginners to intermediate
Complete book
of Witchcraft (Ray Buckland)
The Sabbats
- a new approach to livi
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