Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft
Raven Grimassi
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Grimassi does a good job with this encyclopedia, bearing in mind that most of the entries in it are written by him, and so naturally some are not as complete as others. This book provides a number of biographies of well known Pagan personalities, although there are a few glaring omissions – noticably authors who are not published by Llewellyn. Nonetheless this book is informative and readable, and worth a look at.
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies
Anna Franklin
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This book is a collection of real fairy stories – myths and legends from around the world which focus on fairies. The illustrations are beautiful and the information provided is of a generally high standard, covering hundreds of different fairies from all parts of the globe. Franklin also provides a very decent bibliography and references for further reading.
New Encyclopedia of the Occult, The
John Michael Greer
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This is a very comprehensive encyclopedia, covering a wide range of topics, from Adam to Wicca. It’s very readable, and Greer has done a good job at providing an interesting and accurate description for entries ranging from widely-known to things you may not have encountered before.
Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion, The
Simon Price & Emily Kearns
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This is a great reference for anyone interested in religions of the Mediterranean world. It gives clear, concise information with extensive cross-referencing. It also provides a thematic index, maps and genealogical tables.
Signs, Symbols and Omens
Raymond Buckland
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This is a decent, if basic, guide to symbols etc. Although Buckland does cover a great variety of symbols in this book, there’s not enough information provided, and what is given is not always useful. This would be a good first reference point as Buckland gives you enough of an explanation to get started, introduces you to a great many symbols and provides a good bibliography.
Witch Book, The
Raymond Buckland
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As its subtitle states, this is an ‘Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca and Neo-Paganism’. Buckland covers a wide range of topics, providing cross-references and resources for each article. The information provided is not the most detailed, but does give a handy reference with pointers to further information.