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Recommended Reading

Sometimes quantity does not necessarily mean quality.  With there seemingly to be an abundance of boosk available of Craft (albeit mostly modern Wicca), it does not take the seeker long to realise that a large portion of these books contain by and large very similar, if not the same, material.  Therefore, finding the "right" book can be a rather hit or miss affair - and with the increasing price of books, not everyone has the luxury to constantly purchase books.

Whilst everyone I know has their own favourites, the following are those which I personally recommend.  This is not a complete list by all means, but should provide the seeker a solid base and foundation not only when it comes to ascertaining what Wicca and the Craft is truly about, but also various magickal practices.

CLASSIC WYTCHCRAFT TEXTS
  • A Witch Alone: Thirteen Moons to Master Natural Magic by Marian Green (Thorsons, 1991). Also highly recommended by the same author is Natural Witchcraft: The Timeless Arts and Craft of the Country Witch. Both of these books are more aligned to traditional British Craft as opposed to Wicca.
  • A Witches Bible Compleat by Janet and Stewart Farrar (Phoenix Publishing, 1996). This book is actually a combination of What Witches Do and Eight Sabbats for Witches. Other books by the Farrars are also recommend.
  • An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present by Doreen Valiente (St Martin's Press, 1973). Other books by this British author are recommended such as Witchcraft for Tomorow and The Rebirth of Witchcraft
  • "radia: Gospel of the Witches" by Charles G. Leland (Phoenix Publishing, 1998). This edition includes additional material by Chas Clifton, Robert Mathiesen and Robert Chartowich, as well as a forward by Stewart Farrar.
  • The Meaning of Witchcraft by Gerald Gardner (Weister Books, 2004). Along with Witchcraft Today these are reprints of Gardner's classic works.
  •  The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess by Starhawk (Harper Collins Publishers, 1989). Considered to be a classic. Brilliant exercises and meditations.
  • Wicca: An Old Religion for the New Age by Vivianne Crowley (Aquarian Press, 1989). Highly recommended.
  • Wicca Magickal Beginnings: A Study of Possible Origins by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine (Avalonia Press, 2008). Highly recommended.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE BOOKS
  • Celebrating the Southern Seasons: Rituals for Aotearoa by Juliet Batten (Tandem Press, 1995). Every New Zealand Wiccan or Wytch should have a copy of this fantastic book. The author combines both European traditions with Maori lore.
  • Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia by Lynne Hume (Melbourne University).
  • Sunwise by Roxanne Bodsworth (HiHorse Publications).  A good starting point in understanding the Sabbats in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Witches of Oz by Julia and Matthew Philips (Capall Bann, 1994). One of the few books written in relation to the Southern Hemisphere.
My own book, Dancing the Sacred Wheel: A Journey through the Southern Sabbats is due to be released in late September/early October 2012.

 WICCAN HISTORY BOOKS
  • A History of Witchcraft, Sorcerers, Heretics and Pagans by Jeffrey B Russell (Thames & Hudson, 2000)
  • The Signs of a Witch by David Waldron.
  • The Witchcraft Sourcebook edited by Brian P Levack (Routledge).
  • Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton (Oxford University, 1994).
  • Witchcraft in Europe: 400-1700 - A documentary History edited by Alan Charles Kors and Edward Peters (University of Pennsylvania). 
  • Witchcraft and Magick in Europe edited by Bengt Ankarloo and Stuart Clark (University of Pennsylvania). There are seven volumes in this set commencing in the Biblical and early Pagan societies and concluding with the 20th century.

CEREMONIAL MAGICK AND OTHER RECOMMENDED BOOKS


  • 777 and other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley edited by Israel Regardie (Samuel Weiser, 1973)
  • Climbing the Tree of Life by David Rankine and Stephen Skinner (Unwin, 1990)
  • Initiation into Hermetics: The Path of the True Adept by Franz Bardon (Merkur Publishing, 1999). A classic standard primer on Hermetic magick.  
  • Magick without Peers by Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankin (Capall Bann, 1997). Great information for the solitary practitioner, incorporating both the Craft and magickal techniques.
  • Modern Magick: Eleven Lessons in the High Magickal Arts by Donald Michael Kraig (Llewellyn, 1997). For those more interested in the works of the Golden Dawn, this is an excellent book with the rituals explained in plain English.
  • Techniques of High Magic: A Manual of Self Initiation by Francis King and Stephen Skinner (Destiny Books, 1976). Often considered a classic. 
  • The Golden Dawn: An Account of the Teachings, Rites and Ceremonies of the Order of the Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie (Llewellyn, 1984). A system and book that has been the most intensively used source for modern Western occult and magickal writing. 
  • The Paganism Reader by Chas Clifton
 Happy reading