A Pagan Reading List

If you can find the unabridged, 13-volume edition, get it. Otherwise, this highly abridged one volume version will do rather well.

One of the best translators of the Greek Epics tries his hand at untangling Taliesin's Cad Goddeu, the Battle of the Trees, giving several versions of the Celtic tree alphabet in the process. Also some insightful views on the origin of the Celts in Asia Minor and their migration through Europe to Britain.

Pretty much anything by Jung on dreams and archetypes. This is heavy reading, but extremely helpful in interpreting symbols. Most books that deal with dream interpretation will include bits of Jung already digested for you so you can absorb it better.

Explores the Witch Cult in England that has saved it from invasion by the Spanish Armada in the late 16th century and invasion by Germany in World War II. Also looks at the involvement of the Royal family in the craft through the Order of the Garter, and the Sacred King/Divine Victim archetype.

Basic Texts

Excellent historical bits. Includes Cabot's Science of Witchcraft .

This is a very good series of essays and articles on various aspects of paganism.

EXCELLENT book. I prefer it to Buckland's cookbook method to ritual.

A great introduction to several forms of divination: Tarot, palmistry, crystal scrying, tea leaves.

Excellent herb book. Non-magical uses of herbs. Many "recipes" for ailments.

Very good method for learning to see auras.

If the stone isn't in this book, you probably don't need it. This is the best reference for crystals, their properties and their uses.

This the philosophy and physiology of witchcraft, not the religion. The seven Laws described in this book outline the way magick works.

This is a very good introductory book. If you are a feminist, this is probably THE introductory book for you. The only drawback is that Starhawk is very much a feminist, to the exclusion of any positive mention of the God.

Supplemental Texts

Excellent book on aura and chakras as well as auric healing.

If you can get past the title, the section on numerology is pretty complete. Also has the basics of Cabalism and High Magick.

Penny Royal is good for herbs in general. This one gives you the magical uses of herbs.

More of Scott's down to Earth magick (yes, I intended that pun).

Highly recommended for learning protection methods.

Another source book for Neo-pagan rituals.

I don t know much about astrology. This title looked promising to start with.

If Ritual or High Magick intrigues you, this book is a good introductory course. From this you can branch out to Golden Dawn, Enochian and other kabbalistic magicks.

An altertative (and rebuttal) to Gardner. This is a What do the simple folk do? book. Magick as practiced by working farmers and blacksmiths, not by dilettantes with too much time on their hands.

Nice little book with a great housecleaning ritual.

Tables of correspondences, magical alphabets. Eastern, Western and American magickal systems! Excellent resource.

Jung Light. This is a good start for dreamworking and dream analysis.

Exploring Your Path

Finally, a book for rediscovering the God without all that drum-beating.

The title says it all. Monroe claims to have tapped into the oral tradition of the Druids and was allowed to publish it in story form. Whether authentic tradition, channeled information or simply deductive reconstruction, the lessons are a great start for modern Druids.

Bad examples

This is really the little book that usually comes with the deck, but in trade paperback form. The book is meant to accompany a rather sterile deck. The only good thing about the book is the last chapter on various types of spreads.

Very cookbook This is THE ritual for...

Manual for the male path written by women, so it is rather slanted. In defense of this book, the authors have listed several archetypes of the masculine.

Beware of anything cross-categorized with Humor. Many of the spells in this book are of questionable ethics. Remember the law of three-fold karmic retribution before you try any spells in this book. This book does include some positive self-improvement spells, however.

Fiction

Over Sea, Under Stone

The Dark Is Rising

Greenwitch

The Grey King

Silver on the Tree

One of the best adaptations of British and Celtic legend to children's literature. No real magickal techniques are to be gleaned, but those on the Celtic path will find the background information on Celtic lore indispensable.

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins Comes Back

Mary Poppins Opens the Door

Mary Poppins in the Park

These are the original Mary Poppins books. Accept no Disney imitations. Mary P. is most assuredly the Goddess (usually Mother and Crone, but occasionally Maiden). Whenever any of her relatives has a birthday, expect the unexpected.

Pick up any book by Misty and you will get a lesson in Magick. She has three major series of books set in two universes (our own modern Earth, and her creation of Valdemar). If you like High Fantasy, the Valdemar books (12 so far) will be a wonderful treat. If you prefer something a little closer to home, there are the Urban Fantasies where Elves drive fast cars and save children. Or there is Diana Tregarde, Witch Detective.

As with Lackey, any book by Kurtz will be full of Magick. But, where Lackey deals mainly with natural, Earth-type magick, Kurtz leans toward the Ceremonial. Kurtz has created an alternate Medieval England, where the Catholic Church has driven the magical, quasi-celtic race of the Deryni from their place as Kings of the Realm to the object of bloody witch hunts. The Deryni are born with the Gift, and can do basic natural magick, but most were trained in more ceremonial magicks.

Another series that Kurtz has created is The Adept. The series should include an earlier book, Lammas Night, which is basically a novelization of the ideas put forth in Murray's The God of the Witches. The Adept series proper is the adventures of Sir Adam Sinclair, psychiatrist by day, Adept of a Scottish magickal society by night.

The bio in all of her books lists Katherine Kurtz as a licensed hypnotist. None mention her achievements as a ceremonial magician, but it is obvious from her writing that she is well-versed and experienced in High Magick.

I "chanced" upon this one at a used book store. More Celtic magic, but based in modern Ottawa, Canada. The appendix gives a description of a new Celtic divination system, the Wierdin.

Still more Celtic-based fiction, this time drawing from Welsh tradition. The Welch family has a deep connection to Welch County. Besides being the founders of the county, the head of the family has a bond with the Earth. This is excellent stuff set in modern Georgia. I especially like the divinition system developed in these books: Rock-and-Roll Tarot.

Ok, I found something non-Celtic. Here we have African magick. Doro is an immortal, a body thief. His descendants all have heightened psychic abilities. I read these in my pre-Craft days, so I don t recall how much is relevant to Witchcraft, but they are good reading anyway.

A Manhattan apartment holds a Gate between the worlds. The resident of the apartment must be the Guardian. Interesting depiction of magick and covens.

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