While on the topic of Paganism..

CrimsonRaine · Post by **CrimsonRaine** » 2005-10-06 02:48pm

Since this was a recent topic, I was wondering if anyone could supply some good books to read about Paganism and Wicca? There's plenty of books out there that are crap, misleading or contain misinformation. Could anyone list some books that are good sources?

Thanks

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2005-10-06 03:52pm

What type of stuff are you looking for specifically? It's a rather broad topic, and it's sort of like saying "I'd like some good books on Science that aren't full of shite".

CrimsonRaine · Post by **CrimsonRaine** » 2005-10-06 05:27pm

*grins* I'm interested in Wicca primarily. I'd like a book that can sit down and explain some shit to me with the lack of bullshit. Maybe explain some rituals, gods, etc.

That help?

Post by **Broomstick** » 2005-10-06 09:28pm

Wicca is still a pretty broad topic. It's like saying "I'd like a short book that explains Christianity in all its forms"

A classic that makes for a good introduction to modern (post 1980) Wicca concepts is Scott Cunningham's Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner. Just remember not everyone agrees with Mr. Cunningham

Starhawk's The Spiral Dance is a little more chewy, but has some rituals in it. Sort of a late 1970's/early 1980's slant, with a dash of feminism.

Raymond Buckland's Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft and The Tree which I understand has been re-released as Saxon Witchcraft can provide you some insight into a segment that is a lineal descendant of Gardnerian Wicca - Buckland was part of Gardner's coven (so obviously Buckland has been in this for quite awhile). Buckland is quite open that "Seax Wicca" dates from the early 1970's and isn't some gradious millenium-old tradition.

Z (Zuzanna) Budapest has written a bunch of books, and operates out of the Dianic Wiccan segment. Some of her stuff is... well, it's whacky by my perspective. But then, Dianics are folks I've always had some trouble relating to, even if I am female. This got very complicated, as my oldest sister was a Dianic Wiccan High Priestess. We had some interesting argume-- er... discussions.

On-line - I followed Selena Fox's Circle Network News (aka "CNN for Pagans) in hardcopy for a long time, and this is her website: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/

Then there is the Church of All Worlds: http://www.caw.org/ These folks aren't Wiccan in orign (they were originally based on concept from Robert A. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land - since mutated considerably) but they are interesting nonetheless and do share quite a bit with the Wiccans. CAW was incorporate in 1968, so it's actually older than Buckland's Seax Wicca, which is interesting (at least to me).

Read everything while seated next to a LARGE boulder of salt. Don't forget to periodically whack off lump of salt and ingest along with reading material. What I've listed is among the saner folks in Pagandom, but use your own head, your own judgement, and stay out of trouble.