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Recommended Reading
General Reading:
Janet and Stewart Farrar:
*The
Witches' Bible : The Complete... (formerly published as The Witch's Bible
Compleat)--An Alexandrian take on ritual and Wicca. This book contains lots
of things which are very similar to Blue Star, mostly due to our Alexandrian
history.
*The
Witches' Goddess: The Feminine...
*The
Witches' God: Lord of the Dance--These books are an invaluable resource
for information on the various gods and goddesses of the world's mythologies.
Gerald Gardner:
*The Meaning of Witchcraft
*Witchcraft Today--These two books are very important in terms of their historical
significance. If it weren't for Uncle Gerry, we wouldn't be here today.
Starhawk:
*The
Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the...--Very useful for learning basic energy
work, especially in groups.
Margot Adler:
*Drawing
Down the Moon: Witches, Druids,...--A who's who of modern paganism. Gives
a good foundation for understanding some of the various traditions and their
movers and shakers.
Dion Fortune:
*Sea
Priestess--A novel, but very interesting from the perspective of being
Wiccan.
*Mystical
Qabalah--An excellent source of info on the use of the qaballah in spellcasting.
PSYCHIC
SELF-DEFENSE
Sane Occultism
Moon Magick
Goat-Foot
God
Judy Harrow:
Wicca
Covens: How to Start and Organize...
Bruno Bettelheim:
The
Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and...
Doreen Valiente:
*Natural
Magic --This book gives a background in spellcasting which is very compatible
with Blue Star training.
Witchcraft
for Tomorrow (Illustrated)
Where Witchcraft Lives
An
ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present
Patricia Crowther:
*Lid
Off the Cauldron: A Wicca Handbook --A good basic book on Wicca.
The Witches Speak
The Secrets of Ancient Witchcraft
Jean Shinoda Bolen:
*Goddesses
in Everywoman: A New...
*Gods
in Everyman: A New Psychology of... --These two books are invaluable tools
to help you with the journalling assignments of the same name.
Scott Cunningham:
Wicca:
A Guide for the Solitary...
Living
Wicca: A Further Guide for the...
The
Truth About Witchcraft
Janice Broch and Veronica MacLer:
*Seasonal
Dance: How to Celebrate the...--An excellent resource for planning sabbats.
Leonard W. Levy:
The
Establishment Clause: Religion and...
Marcia Starck and Gynne Stern:
*The
Dark Goddess: Dancing With the Shadow--Specifically addresses crone and
death goddesses, helping to make them more understandable and worshippable.
The Dark God
Malidoma Some:
Ritual:
Power, Healing, and Community
Greg Johanson and Ron Kurtz:
*Grace
Unfolding: Psychotherapy in the... --An excellent work on counselling from
a Taoist point of view, but easily adaptable to neopaganism.
Christina Baldwin:
Life's
Companion: Journal Writing As a...
Rhiannon Ryall:
*West
Country Wicca: A Journal of the Old... --A very similar trad to our own in
many ways.
*Celtic Lore and Druid Ritual--Also an excellent resource for Celtic trad info
Kenny Klein:
*The
Flowering Rod: Men, Sex and...--Written by one of the elders of this trad,
this book is full of info on men's spirituality and it's place in Wicca.
Tzipora Klein:
*Celebrating
Life: Rites of Passage for... --Written by another elder, this book is
focused on rites of passage and much of the info is very derivative of our
own tradition.
Marion Weinstein:
Earth
Magic: A Dianic Book of Shadows
R.J. Stewart:
*The
Underworld Initiation: A Journey... --A must for anyone considering initiation.
Silver Ravenwolf:
To
Ride a Silver Broomstick: New...
Sybil Leek:
*Complete
Art of Witchcraft--Some of our liturgy is derived from this author's work.
Herman Slater:
*A
Book of Pagan Rituals --New York Pagan Way material that was taught up
until very recently.
Paul Beyerl:
A
Wiccan Bardo, Revisited: initiation...
Ivo Dominguez:
*Castings:
The Creation Of Sacred Space--Lots of magical theory and especially great
info on the elements.
Mythology:
James George Frazer:
Golden
Bough
Robert Graves:
*The
White Goddess: A Historical Grammar... --Lots of excellent info on the
mysteries of British mythology.
Various Sources:
*The
Mabinogi, and Other Medieval Welsh... --The Patrick Ford translation is
the preferred one. This work is required reading before taking neophyte.
Charles Leland, et al:
*Aradia
: Gospel of the Witches--Great little book with lots of info on the worship
of Diana.
Margaret Murray:
*The Witchcult of Western Europe
*God
of the Witches --Both of these books are full of what many now believe
are false interpretations of ancient witchcraft and the Burning Times. From
a historical point of view, these books are very important because they provide
an understanding of what many believe is the truth of our mutual heritage.
Please read these with a grain of salt, and read the next two books on the
list soon afterwards so you can get a more complete idea of what the truth
might be.
Ronald Hutton:
*The
Pagan Religions of the Ancient...
*The
Stations of the Sun: A History of...--These books debunk much of Margaret
Murray's work as self-serving political propaganda. Please be aware if you
plan to read these books that they may shake your faith in your religion. It's
important to remember that what we do now isn't made more or less valid by
what was done historically.
The
Triumph of the Moon: A History of...
Merlin Stone:
Ancient
Mirrors of Womanhood: A Treasury...
When
God Was a Woman
W.B. Yeats:
*Celtic
Twilight--Full of great lore and mythology.
Thomas Bulfinch:
Bulfinch's
Mythology
Marija Gimbutas:
*Goddesses
and Gods of Old Europe,...--One of the best books written from an anthropological
point of view about our religion.
Eric L. Fitch:
*In
Search of Herne the Hunter--A great little volume full of info on a hard-to-research
deity whom many consider to be the patron deity of Blue Star.
Kim Long:
The
Moon Book: Fascinating Facts About...
Tikva Frymer-Kensky:
In the Wake of the Goddess
Kathy Jones:
Ancient British Goddesses
Barbara Donley:
Arianrhod:
A Welsh Myth Retold
Caitlin Matthews:
*Mabon
and the Mysteries of Britain: An.... It's a really good idea to read this
book while rereading The Mabinogi.
Elements
of Celtic Tradition
Simon James:
The
World of the Celts
Alwyn and Brinley Rees:
*Celtic
Heritage: Ancient Tradition in ...--One of the best books on the subject
ever written.
P.V. Glob:
Bog
People
Robin Williamson:
*Wise
and Foolish Tongue: Celtic Stories... --A great storyteller telling lots
of really great stories--good combination!
Moyra Caldecott:
Women
in Celtic Myth: Tales of...
R. J. Stewart:
Celtic
Gods Celtic Goddesses
Celtic Myths and Celtic Legends
Edith Hamilton:
Mythology
Joseph Campbell:
*The
Power of Myth -- This is great info by a brilliant man.
Claude Levi-Strauss:
Myth
and Meaning
Homer:
The
Odyssey
The
Iliad
Snorri Sturlson:
Prose
Edda of Snorri Sturluson: Tales...
Diane Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer:
Inanna:
Queen of Heaven and Earth; Her...
Kvedulf Gundarsson:
Teutonic
Religion: Folk Beliefs &...
W.Y. Evans-Wentz:
Fairy-Faith
in Celtic Countries
Jane Yolen:
Favorite
Folktales from Around the World
Brian Branston:
The
Lost Gods of England
John Matthews, ed.:
A
Celtic Reader : Selections from Celtic...
Charlene Spretnak:
*Lost
Goddesses of Early Greece: A... --Pre-Hellenic myths which look at the
classic Greek Goddess myths from a very different perspective. Of special interest
is the version of the Demeter and Persephone myth.
Elizabeth Hallam, ed.:
*Gods
and Goddesses: A Treasury of... --Cat loves this book because it's broken
down by type of deity, so it's easy to find, for example, a love goddess or
a death god from just about any pantheon.
Marvin W. Meyer, ed.:
The
Ancient Mysteries: A Sourcebook:...
Prudence Jones and Nigel Pennick:
A
History of Pagan Europe
Lindsay Clarke:
Traditional
Celtic Stories, Second...
Hallie Iglehart Austen:
The
Heart of the Goddess: Art, Myth and...
Jalaja Bonheim:
Goddess
: A Celebration in Art and...
Paths of Power:
Love:
Nan Hawthorne:
Loving
the Goddess Within: Sex Magick...
Robert S. De Ropp:
Sex
Energy: The Sexual Force in Man and...
Indra Sinha:
The
Great Book of Tantra: Translations...
Lillith McLelland:
*The
Salem Witches' Book of Love Spells:... --It sounds silly, but I liked it
anyway!
Starhawk:
Dreaming
the Dark: Magic, Sex, and... --OK, so it's more about gender politics
than sex. Sue me!
Music and Dance:
Kate Marks:
Circle
of Song: Songs, Chants, and...
Mickey Hart:
*Drumming
at the Edge of Magic: A Journey... --Very cool. Well, how do you get cooler
than Mickey Hart, anyway?
Layne Redmond:
When
the Drummers Were Women: A...
Ritual:
Robin Skelton, et al:
Earth,
Air, Fire, Water: Pre-Christian...
Nina Kossman, ed.:
Gods
and Mortals: Modern Poems on...
Robert Hass & Steven Mitchell:
Into
the Garden: A Wedding Anthology --Highly useful when designing
handfasting rituals.
Donna Henes, et al:
*Celestially
Auspicious Occasions:... --Good excuses for more ritual!
Dan and Pauline Campanelli:
Wheel
of the Year: Living the Magical...
Starhawk:
The
Pagan Book of Living and Dying:...
Barbara Walker:
Women's
Rituals: A Sourcebook
Caitlin Libera:
*Creating
Circles of Power: Magic: A...--Wonderful Ideas for how to make every circle
powerful.
Meditation:
Sanders Laurie & Melvin Tucker:
*Centering:
A Guide to Inner Growth--An excellent basic work on meditation
Yasmine Galenor:
Trancing
the Witch's Wheel: A Guide to...
Kay Leigh Hagan:
Prayers
to the Moon: Exercises in...
Helen Curry & Jean Houstin:
*The
Way of the Labyrinth: A Powerful... --Probably one of the best books on
labyrinths and meditation.
Lauren Artress:
Walking
a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the...
Thich Nhat Hanh:
The
Miracle of Mindfulness: An...
Joan Goldstein & Manuela Soares:
Joy
Within: A Beginner's Guide to...
Courtney Davis, et al:
Celtic
Mandalas
Osho:
The
Everyday Meditator: A Practical Guide
Divination:
Vicki Noble & Jonathan Tenney:
Motherpeace
Tarot Playbook
Noble:
Motherpeace:
A Way to the Goddess...
Naomi Ozaniec:
The
Illustrated Guide to the Tarot
Sallie Nichols:
Jung
and Tarot
Mary K. Greer:
*Tarot
for Your Self : A Workbook for... --A great book on using the tarot to
read for yourself, a good notion when you can't get to a reader!
Bill Butler:
Dictionary
of the Tarot
Arthur Edward Waite:
*Pictorial
Key to the Tarot--This is the book my dedicator often recommends as a good
basic book.
Lisa Peschel:
A
Practical Guide to the Runes: Their...
Ralph Blum:
The
Book of Runes: A Handbook for the...
Rune
Play: A Seasonal Record Book With...
Julia and Derek Parker:
*Parker's
Astrology: The Definitive Guide... --An all-around great book, and looks
nice on a coffee table, too.
Astral Projection:
Marghanita Laski:
Ecstasy:
A Study of Some Secular and...
Maeve Rhea:
*Summoning
Forth Wiccan Gods and...--With apologies to Siobhra, this is one of the
few books with decent info on invocation work.
James H. Brennan:
The
Astral Projection Workbook: How to...
Bruce Goldberg:
Astral
Travel Workbook
Herbology:
Mary Muryn:
Water
Magic: Healing Bath Recipes for...
Scott Cunningham:
*Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Magical... --Often inaccurate and self-contradictory, yet
a valuable resource if for no other reason than this may be the only book another
Wiccan you're talking to has ever read on the subject.
Paul Beyerl:
*The
Master Book of Herbalism --All in all, a better book than Cunningham's.
Ann Moura:
Green
Witchcraft : Folk Magic, Fairy...
Diane Stein:
All
Women Are Healers: A Comprehensive...
Hermann Slater:
Magickal
Formulary Book 1
Patricia Telesco:
A
Witch's Brew: The Art of Making...
Jim DeKorne:
Psychedelic
Shamanism: The Cultivation,...
Psychic Development:
Starhawk:
*The
Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the... --I know, I know, it's listed twice.
But it's really good for this!
Bruce Goldberg:
The
Psychic Development Workbook ?
