Seven Good Books On Paganism,
Or Mine eyes deceive me!

     Believe it or not, there really are some informative, well written books about Paganism - or involving Pagan topics - out there. You just have to know where to look. (Let me give you a hint - if a little crescent moon in a box is involved, you're probably looking in the wrong place. But that's a discussion for another day.) Anyway, everyone is entitled to her opinions about what makes a good Wiccan book; these are mine. Seven is a nice, magickal number, so perhaps we'll start by listing that many.  
 

The Grandmother of Time by Zsuzsanna E. Budapest

     Most of the books published by the two main Occult imprints (and I won't mention any names here) are too obviously written with money, and not spirituality, in mind. Furthermore, one gets the feeling that the afore(un)mentioned publishing houses give their authors a template to work from, the end result being that no matter how different the perported concepts may be, the books read in an eerily similar fashion. Not so with this book. Zsuzsanna E. Budapest, one of the first outspoken feminist witches of modern times, comes through with a gloriously written, beautiful book full of ceremonies, rituals, goddess information, and personal insight into the Craft, the likes of which just isn't offered by most Occult fare. Budapest writes because she truly loves and believes in her faith, and it shows. The Grandmother of Time is organized around the months of the year, with daily rituals, historical information, and worship ideas presented for each. It's a wonderful read, and I highly recommend it. 
 

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

     This book knocked me off my feet the first time I read it. If you haven't heard the buzz, The Mists Of Avalon is Marion Zimmer Bradley's masterful retelling of the Arthurian saga, only this time the Goddess elements (formerly obscured by church clerics) are left fully intact. Because it's historical fiction, Bradely is freed from the creative constraints the authors of most Wiccan manuals face. The characters are both believable and easy to identify with, which allows you to fully experience all of the story. If you want to get a feel for the ways in which the Goddess interacts with us all, I suggest giving this book a go. 
 

When God Was A Woman by Merlin Stone

     A very good, thought provoking, and more than slightly unnerving read about the centuries-long propaganda war waged against the Goddess by Indo-European (and especially Semitic) religions. Stone confronts stories of Adam and Eve, Biblical devils, and the old Hebraic laws, (among others) and demonstrates how they originated as ways to remove sexual, social, and political influence from women by attacking the ancient faiths. Best of all, Stone backs up her arguments with exhaustive scholarship, historical evidence, and a bibiliography which lists more books than most people read in a lifetime. It's a must-have for anyone who's concerned with the history of Paganism before and as it went underground. 
 

From Ritual To Romance by Jessi L. Weston

     A very interesting book which proposes that the Arthurian legends are actually records of an ancient vegetation cult as understood through Celtic, then Christian, sensibilities. From Ritual To Romance, aside from being a very entertaining read, is an excellent survey of the ancient, 'Death of the God, Rebirth of the God' cults which have so deeply influenced modern Wicca. 
 

The Truth About Witchcraft Today by Scott Cunningham

     Okay, okay, I fold. While I'm generally not a fan of Mr. Cunningham - the guy's a little too touchy-feel-goody for my taste - this is an excellent book to keep around the house. The Truth About Witchcraft Today offers a very general, simplified introduction to the Craft, magick, and Wiccan thought, and can be used as a springboard for your own faith, presented to friends and family who don't quite get what Neo-Paganism is about, or used as an introduction to the Path for small children. Plus, at about four bucks, buying it doesn't feel like the big rip-off most other Llewellyn books do. 
 

The Encyclopedia of Fairies by Katherine Briggs

     This is the reference guide to the Wee People. Cornwall, Germany, Wales, Scotland, France, the Isle of Man, the Shetlands ... if you're looking for faery lore from any of these locations, The Encyclopaedia of Faeries has it in spades. Want to know about the Picts, Will O' The Wisps, how to see Faeries, how to protect yourself from Faeries, or anything else you can dream up? It's all in the book. Better still, the information is presented without the annoying "Fairies Are Our Little Friends!" tone many other works on the subject tend to adopt. The Encyclopaedia of Faeries is an invaluable reference book, as well as being unfailingly interesting to read. 
 

Charms, Spells, & Formulas by Ray T. Malbrough

     A very interesting and useful sourcebook. I bought this one way back in fifth grade and I still refer to it. This book is a compendium of recipies for incenses, oils, gris-gris, and other charms. Malbrough is a true expert in his field, and unlike most books on the subject, the spells in Charms, Spells, & Formulas actually sound like the genuine article, as opposed to the half-hearted attempts one so often sees in more recent Pagan and magickal works. Although many modern Pagan authors tell outright lies in their books, (claiming their spells have been handed down for centuries when it's just not historically possible) Malbrough's charms, based in American Voodoun, actually do have the weight of continued historical practice behind them. This book is the genuine article, and a good one at that.

Let me know what you think! Email me!  
 


Back