Books – Pagan Roots

Witchcraft & Magic

Everyday Magic

This is a book of spells, not a guide to practising Wicca. While it is beneficial to put the effort into writing your own spells, if you are a beginner you may feel more comfortable using these simple spells to get a feel for what you should be doing. Furthermore Morrison’s book does provide spells for a wide range of goals, and you can start writing your own by basing them on the ones she’s given you.

Wicca 201

Elements of Ritual, The

Deborah Lipp
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This is quite a detailed book on the Celtic deities, with a Wiccan slant to it. The authors do not give any actual rituals, however they do provide suggestions for appropriate things you can do to honour them. They also take care to differentiate between known fact and hypothesis based on personal experience. The only criticism may be that though the scope of the book is broad, the depth of information on each individual deity is not that good. This should not dissuade you from reading the book if you are looking for a good introduction to the Celtic pantheon.

Wicca 101

Complete Book of Witchcraft

Raymond Buckland
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In this book Buckland covers a wide range of topics, from history and philosophy through to rituals, sabbats and magic. It’s an interesting read, sometimes for the things it doesn’t say as much as the things it does – don’t read it believing that it is complete, or unbiased. Buckland presents interesting information, not absolute truths! That having been said, the book does have some useful information in it and is thankfully devoid of ‘airy fairy’ feelings. For the most part this is a beginner’s book which will give you a solid foundation from which you can further explore the ideas he presents.

Traditions & Faiths

Essential Golden Dawn, The

Chic Cicero & Sandra Cicero
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This is a really well-written introduction to the Golden Dawn, and definite recommended reading for any Wiccans who would like to explore where some of the ideas present in Wicca came from. This is further reading as it will help you expand your knowledge on such topics as the history and structure of the Golden Dawn, yet it remains easy to understand and interesting to read through. The Ciceros have geared the book towards beginners, and the book will give you a good grounding in the Golden Dawn.

Sabbats, Esbats & Moon

Praise to the Moon

Elen Hawke
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Covering the magic and myth of the lunar cycle, this book takes you through phases of the moon, lunar deities, the moon and the zodiac, and more. Hawke writes in a style which is easy to read without being patronising, and gives you a lot of information without sounding dry. The only criticism would be that it is Wiccan-orientated, and so sometimes presents a not-entirely-unbiased view, but bear that in mind while reading it, and you’ll have a good source for moon information.

Reincarnation

Children That Time Forgot, The

Peter Harrision & Mary Harrison
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This is a really thought-provoking book, providing many accounts of children’s experiences and memories of past lives. The authors give quite a lot of detail on some cases, investigating the children’s descriptions of places and people from their past lives, and seeing if they can find any evidence for its veracity. The book also gives an account of visions of children after they have died, and considers theories such as regression therapy. It’s a fairly old book by now, and there has been a lot more research done into past lives since it was written, however the stories contained within are still touching and worth mulling over.

Qabalah & Chakras

Exploring Chakras

Susan Shumsky
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This is a really good book for those wishing to learn about kundalini and the chakra system. Shumsky’s years of experience allow her to give very good background information before discussing each chakra in detail and moving on to cover exercises and techniques for working with the chakras. Her writing is easy to read, and yet she still manages to provide the reader with detailed, interesting and important information, and practical exercises.

Modern & Ancient Greek

Greek Religion

Walter Burkert
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This is a fantastic, informative book for those who wish to take an in depth look at Ancient Greek religion. It should be noted that it is an academic text however, and may be rather dry reading. Nonetheless, if your interests lie in this area that should not discourage you from investing in it as an invaluable resource which has both breadth and depth of information, and an extensive bibliography.

Modern & Ancient Egyptian

Circle of Isis

Ellen Cannon Reed
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This book is a great introduction to Ancient Egyptian deities and a guide to modern Wicca practises based on Egyptian customs and traditions – it is not intended to present accurate reconstructions. The title is misleading as Reed actually provides a lot of good information on many different deities, as well as covering a range of topics from rituals to festivals, even including a brief discussion of Ancient Egyptian language.

Modern & Ancient Celtic

Magic of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses

Carl McColman & Kathryn Hinds
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