Pagan Reading List
This is an old version (July 1999), the new version includes annotation for authors I suggest to avoid and such, but I have temporarily misplaced it. I will update as soon as I find it though.
This is simply a list of some of the best books (and a few other types of reading material) which would be of interest to Pagans. The majority of them deal with Wicca, but there are a few which are about other Pagan religions and various cultures. I have read, or at least skimmed through, most of these books, but there are a few on the list which I have not read. The reason that I put the books I haven't read on the list is because they were highly recommended by friends of mine or users on ISCABBS in their Pagan forum, as this began as a list in that forum. DJ Conway, for example, is an author that I would not suggest and will likely address that issue in future versions of this list. Some of the books on this list are old and may be hard to come by. You may have to try to get them by placing a special order. If you find a book on my list which has a great deal of stereotype or falsehoods, do not yell at me about it, but please inform me about it so that
I can remove it from my list or at least put a warning about that particular book.
Thank you for using my suggested reading list and feel free to forward it to your friends. Also, please email me with any suggestions.
Geoff
At the end of the entry may be a letter or letters to better define the matter contained within the book. See key below.
KEY: B=Worth buying R=Runes, NA=Native American, S=Shinto, A=Anamist/African, G/R=Greek/Roman, F=Fiction, M=It's a magazine/journal not a book
Suggested Reading List
(In alphabetical order by title)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"A,B,C,'s of Witchcraft" by Doriene Valiente
"Aikido in Daily Life" by Koechi Tohei
"Ancient Ways" by Pauline Capanelli
"Animal Speak" by Ted Andrews *NA*
"Aradia, Gospel of the Witches" by Geoffery Leland
"Ariadne's Thread" by Shekhinah Mountainwater
"The Art of Ritual" by Renee Beck and Sydney Barbara Metrick
"Astrology for Lovers" by Liz Greene
"At the Well of the Wyrd: A Handbook of Runic Divination" by Edred Thorsson *R*
"A Bard's Book of Pagan Songs" by Hugin the Bard
"Black Elk: The Ways of a Lakota Medicine Man" by Black Elk *NA*
"Black Hills, White Justice" by Edward Lasarus *NA*
"The Book of Thoth" by Aleister Crowly
"Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft" by Raymond Buckland *B*
"The Celtic Druids' Year" by John King *B*
"Celtic Fairy Tales" by Joseph Jacobs
"Celtic Heritage" by Rees and Rees
"Celtic Magic" by D.J. Conway
"Celtic Myths" by Miranda Green
"Celtic Myths and Legends" by Rolleston
"Celtic Shamanism" by John Matthews
"The Celtic Tradition" by Caitlin Mathews
"Celtic Wonder Tales" by Ella Young
"Champions of the Sidhe" by Kenneth Flint *F*
"Charge of the Goddess" by Doriene Valiente
"Circle of the Cosmic Muse" by Maria Kay Simms
"Circles and Standing Stones" by Evan Hadingham
"The Collected Works of Carl Jung" by Carl Jung
"Color Healing" by Mary Anderson
"Color Therapy" by Linda Clark
"Common and Uncommon Uses of Herbs for Healthful Living" by Richard Lucas
"Comparative Mythology" by Jaan Puhvel
"The Complete Book of Spells Ceremonies and Magic" by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler
(not
exceptionally accurate in some cases, but it does contain useful info)
"The Complete Crystal Guidebook" by Uma Silbey
"Cosmic Trigger" by Robert Anton Wilson
"Crafting the Art of Magic" by Aidan Kelly
"Crystal Enlightment, Vol. I" by Katrina Raphael
"Crystal Healing, Vol. II" by Katrina Raphael
"Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic" by Scott
Cunningham
"Dancing With Dragons" by D.J. Conway
"Demonolatry" by Montague Summers (Historical book in favor of witch trials)
"Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legends" by Miranda Green
"Discoveries of Witchcraft" by Walter Scott (Historical, questions witch
persecution)
"Dowsing Handbook" by Tom Graves
"Drawing Down the Moon" by Margot Adler *B*
"Dreaming the Dark" by Starhawk
"The Druids" by Stuart Piggott
"The Druid Tradition" by Philip Car-Gomm
"Early Irish Poetry" by J. Carney
"Earth Magic" by Scott Cunningham
"Egyptian Religion" by E.A. Wallis
"Eight Sabbats for Witches" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"Europe's Inner Demons" by Norman Cohn
"The Feminine in Fairy Tales" by Marie-Louise von Franz
"The Fifth Sacred Thing" by Starhawk
"Fire in the Head" by Cowan
"The Folklore of Ireland" by Sean O'Sullivan
"Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic" by Edred Thorsson *R*
"German Myths and Legends" by Donald McKenzie
"A Goddess Arrives" by Gerald Gardner
"The Goddesses' Mirror" by David Kinsley
"The God of Witches" by Margaret Murray
"Gods and Heroes From Viking Mythology" by Brian Branston
"The Golden Bough" by James Fraser
"The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman *F*
"Healing With Crystals & Gemstones" by Daya Saral Chocron
"Heaven Knows What" by Grant Levi
"The Herb Book" by John Lust
"The Hero With a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell
"Illuminati" by Robert Anton Wilson *F*
"Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions" by James Bonwick
"Judes' Complete Herbal" by Paul Beryl
"The King Must Die" by Mary Renault
"A Kitchen Witch's Cookbook" by Patricia Telesco
"Lammas Night" by Katherine Kurtz *F*
"Law Enforcement Guide To Wicca" by Kerr Cuhulain
"Legends of the Celts" by Frank Delaney
"The Lid of the Cauldren" by Patricia and Arnold Crowther
"Llewelyn's A,B,C Horoscope Delineator" by Grant Levi
"The Lost Gods of England" by Brian Branston
"The Mabinogion" by Gwynn and Thomas Jones?
"Magical Alphabets" by Nigel Pennick *R*
"Magical and Mystical Sites" by Elizabeth Pepper and John Wilcock
"The Magical Household" by Scott Cunningham
"Magical Rites from the Crystal Well" by Ed Fitch
"Malleus Malleficarum" by Montague Summers (Historical, against witches) *B*
"The Masks of God" by Joseph Campbell
"Master Book of Herbalism" by Paul Beyerl
"Mastering Herbalism" by Paul Huson (not my favorite herb book)
"Mastering Witchcraft" by Paul Huson
"Master of the Sidhe" by Kenneth Flint *F*
"The Meaning of Witchcraft" By Gerald Gardner
"The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley *F*
"Modern Herbology" by Paul Beryl
"Modern Magic" by Donald Kraig
"Moon Magic" by D.J. Conway
"Moon Power" by Mort Gale
"Mythology" by Edith Hamilton *G/R*
"Native American Religions, North America" by Lawrence F. Sullivan ed. *NA*
"Needles of Stone" by Tom Graves
"Norse Magic" by D.J. Conway
"The Norse Myths" by Kevin Crossley-Holland
"The Pagan Path" by Janet and Stewart Farrar and Gavin Bone
"Positive Magic" by Marion Wienstien
"The Power of Myth" by joseph Campbell
"Practical Celtic Magic" by Murray Hope
"Practical Color Magick" by Raymond Buckland
"Practical Occultism" by Dion Fortune
"Practical Quabalistic Symbolism" by Gareth Knight
"Principia Discordia" by Malaclypse the Younger *B*
"The Psychic Energy Handbook" by Mike Miller and Josephine Harper
"Psychic Self Defense" by Dion Fortune
"Real Magic: by P.I.E. Bonewits
"Red Mare, White Stallion" by Diana Paxson *F*
"Riders of the Sidhe" by Kenneth Flint *F*
"Runelore" by Edred Thorsson *R*
"Runes" by R.W.V. Elliot *R*
"Runes and Magic" by Stephen Flower(s?) *R*
"The Runes and Other Magical Alphabets" by Michael Howard *R*
"Runic Astrology" by Nigel Pennick *R* (interesting, but not useful)
"The Sabbats" by Edain McCoy
"The Sacred Pipe" by Joseph Epes Brown *NA*
"The Sacred Cauldron" by Tadhg MacCrosson
"The Santeria Experience" by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler
"Secrets of Gypsy Love Magick" by Raymond Buckland
"Serglige con Culainn" by M. Dillon
"The Serpent and the Goddess" by Mary Condren
"Serpent Power" by Arthur Avalon
"The Serpent and the Rainbow" by David Wade
"The Shadow of the Shaman" by Amber Wolfe
"Shinto" by Stuart Picken *S*
"The Song of Talisien" by John Matthews
"The Spiral Dance" by Starhawk *B*
"Spiritual Value of Gem Stones" by Richardson and Huett
"Staying Healthy With the Seasons" by Elson M. Haas
"The Sufis" by Idres Shah
"The Sumerians: Cradel of Civilization" by Samuel Noah Kramer
"Taliesin" by John Matthews
"Tarot for Yourself" by Mary Greer
"The Tarot Workbook" by Angles Arrien
"Teutonic Magic" by Kueldulf Gundarsson
"Teutonic Religion" by Kueldulf Gundarsson
"Thorns of the Blood Rose" by Victor Anderson
"Reservation Blues" by Sherman Alexis *NA,F*
"To Ride a Silver Broomstick" by Silver Ravenwolf
"To Stir a Magic Cauldron" by Silver Ravenwolf
"The Tree" by Raymond Buckland
"The Truth About Witchcraft" by Hans Holzer
"The Truth about Witchcraft Today" by Scott Cunningham
"The Urban Pagan" by Patricia Telesco
"The Way of the Goddess" by Ly Clarke
"The Way of Herbs" by Michael Tierra
"The Way of Merlin" by Clarke and Matthews
"The Way of the Shaman" by Micheal Harner
"West Country Wicca" by Rhiannon Ryall
"What Witches Do" by Stewart Farrar
"Wheel of Life" by Anodea Judith
"Wheel of the Year" by Pauline Campanelli
"When God Was a Woman" by Merlin Stone
"The White Goddess" by Robert Graves
"Wicca" by Vivian Crowley
"Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham
"The Wicca Book of Days" by Gerina Dunwich
"The Wiccan Bardo" by Paul Beryl
"A Witches Brew" by Patricia Telesco
"Witchcraft for Tomorrow" by Doriene Valiente
"Witchcraft From the Inside" by Raymond Buckland
"Witchcraft Today" by Gerald Gardener (Historical)
"Witches" by Erica Jong
"A Witches Bible" by Janet and Stewart Farrar *B*
"Witta: An Irish Pagan Tradition" by Edain McCoy
"The Women's Spirituality Book" by Diane Stein
"Year of Moons, Season of Trees" by Pattalee Glass-Koentop
This is the part of my reading list which you may or may not find useful. This is the section on raising your children Wiccan and children's books on witchcraft which do not portray witches as green-skinned hags and so forth. I myself do not believe in raising children as "of a religion" and I feel that they should be raised with the values of the parents, not the religion. I have seperated it from the rest of the list for this reason, but I feel that these books are worth reading whether you wish to raise your children Wiccan or not. The books are well written and some give descriptions of Wiccan practices which
are more appropriate for children than what you might find in some of the books in the main part of the list. Enjoy!
"The Celts Activity Book" by Mike Corbishley
"Circle Round" by Starhawk, Anne Hill, and Diane Baker
"Claymore and Kilt: Tales of Scottish Kings and Castles" by Sorche Nic Leodhas
"A Clearing in the Forest" by Carol and Donald Carrick
"The Family Wicca Book" by Ashleen O'Gaea
"Gaelic Ghosts" by Sorche Nic Leodhas
"The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein
"Grandfather Twilight" by Barbara Berger
"Louhi, Witch Of North Farm" retold by Toni de Gerez
"Mother Earth" by Nancy Luenn (Best Pagan kid's book I know of)
"The Pagan Family" by Ceisiwr Serith
"Pagan Kids' Activity Book" by Amber K.
"Religions of the World" by Lynn Underwood
"Sea-spells and Moor-magic; Tales of the Western Isles" by Sorche Nic Leodhas
"Strega Nona" by Tomie de Paola
"Trouble with Trolls" by Jan Brett
"Walking With Mother Earth" by Deidre Pulgram Arnosky
"WiccaCraft for Families" by Margie McArthur
"The Witch Who Was Afraid Of Witches" by Alice Low
**Note**
All of the other Strega Nona books by Tomie de Paola are also great. There are at least 3 others that I know of.
**Note**
The Covenant of the Goddess (COG) has an online listing of books for Pagan children as well. They also have warnings for book series which express extremely non-Wiccan moral viewpoints. I would suggest checking these lists out as well. The Covenant
of the Goddess web page can be found at http://www.cog.org
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July 9, 1999
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