Ben GruagachComments Off on Pagan Booklist: Wiccan History
Wicca is a modern religion based on witchcraft. It was started by a British retired civil servant named Gerald Gardner in the first half of the 20th century. When Gardner was getting his religion started he believed that he was preserving an intact pre-Christian religion although he felt it was so scarce and fragmented that he needed to put it… Read more »
Ben GruagachComments Off on Pagan Booklist: Prayers, Invocations, and Incantations
Witches’ spells often include a spoken component whether prayers, invocations or evocations, incantations, chants, or petitions addressed to the invisible realms. They can certainly be spontaneous but sometimes you might want to use something that was written by someone else with a particular talent for words. Thankfully there are a number of helpful books filled with all sorts of inspiring… Read more »
Ben GruagachComments Off on Pagan Booklist: Building a Relationship with Deities
Some modern Pagan practitioners dedicate themselves to building a personal relationship with a specific deity, or perhaps a group of deities. Here are a few book suggestions to help in that regard. “Dedicant, Devotee, Priest: A Pagan Guide to Divine Relationships” by Stephanie Woodfield. “For the Love of the Gods: The History and Modern Practice of Theurgy, Our Pagan Inheritance”… Read more »
Ben GruagachComments Off on Pagan Booklist: Working With Energy
Casting a spell or doing any form of magick involves more than just saying specific words and having specific ingredients gathered together. To make it all work you have to be able to draw up and then direct energy to power the whole thing. How can you learn about magical energy, how to tap into it, and how to direct… Read more »
Ben GruagachComments Off on Pagan Booklist: Protection Magick
Anyone who wants to learn how to do magick would be wise to start with protection magick. It’s not because magick is inherently dangerous (although depending what you get into it can be) but because you can learn the basics while also building skills that will help keep you out of any potential trouble.
Many Witches, Wiccans, and occultists work with trance and altered states of consciousness as a major part of their practice. If you are interested in getting started in this sort of work check out the introductory books listed in Pagan Booklist: Trance. If you’re ready for more here are some suggestions to get you even more involved. “Travelling Between the… Read more »
Ben GruagachComments Off on Pagan Booklist: Witchcraft for Activists
When your life is a disaster and you’ve tried everything to fix things, and it’s just not working, where do you turn? For many throughout history the answer is: witchcraft. Witchcraft has long been the last resort of the oppressed. One of the earliest practical texts documenting this relationship was published in 1899 as “Aradia: or the Gospel of the… Read more »
There are lots and lots of books out there about Wicca. Which ones are good for beginners? Here’s a list highlighting some of the best. “Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner” by Scott Cunningham is probably the best book to start out with as it provides a solid foundation in the ideas that are the basis of Wicca, along… Read more »
Ben GruagachComments Off on Pagan Booklist: Witchcraft History
There are lots of books about the history of witchcraft. Many do not even mention modern practitioners, let alone witchcraft religions like Wicca. Some do mention modern practitioners but fail to fact-check claims resulting in some of the worst speculations being reported as fact. Here are some books about the history of witchcraft, ancient and modern, that tend towards being… Read more »
Ben GruagachComments Off on Pagan Booklist: Magickal Herbalism
Witches are known for their use of plants for working magick. Incenses, brews and potions, oils, powders, washes, even magically charged foods are all ways of employing Green Magick. One of the most popular books on herbs, their properties and uses was published back in the 1600s. The book proved useful to magickal practitioners as well thanks to listing the… Read more »
