Tag Archives: Witchcraft

So You Want To Be A Witch

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pentacle with pumpkins, candle and book

I see it all the time on message boards and forums on the internet. “I want to be a Witch — how should I start?” It is pretty bewildering to newcomers because there is so much information out there, so many different “kinds” of Witches that someone who is just getting started can easily become overwhelmed. Here’s some advice from… Read more »

Pagan Roots in the South

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Isis and baby Horus

“Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who was of old also called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Bride, and by many other names…” This opening passage from the Charge of the Goddess used by Wiccans around the world is familiar to many, but how many realize that this introductory statement was inspired by the ancient… Read more »

Pagan Roots in the East

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Ganesh

Paganism and occultism in the English-speaking community today owes a lot to the East. Sure, most of the borrowed Eastern ideas have been adapted and changed over the years by various English practitioners but the basic ideas themselves are from Eastern sources. We don’t have to look very hard to find things that come from the Middle East, from India,… Read more »

Pagan Booklist: Spirit Work

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[Note: this article has been edited since it was first posted to include new books on the topic.] Some magickal practitioners focus on working with non-physical entities, whether these entities are described as elementals, faeries, ghosts, ancestors, angels, demons, saints, loa, intelligences, or deities. Different systems have different ways of categorizing and classifying — some are very strict about putting… Read more »

“Lifting the Veil” by Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone

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Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone have done it again with “Lifting the Veil” — another instant classic which will surely be recommended for years to come.  A must-read for Wiccans, Witches, Occultists and Pagans wishing to explore or strengthen ecstatic and trance connections with the Divine and spirit realm.  Janet and Gavin’s deep understanding of the topic and years of… Read more »

Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches (EPUB)

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Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland was published in 1899, and is now in the public domain. It documents what Leland believed was a surviving witch cult in Italy.  While its historical claims are disputed, it was influential in the development of modern Witchcraft and Wicca.  This EPUB edition was formatted by Ben Gruagach.

The Common Book of Witchcraft and Wicca (PDF)

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“Pagans don’t have a holy book, they have libraries.” – Phaedra Bonewits The Common Book of Witchcraft and Wicca was created in 2014 by Witch School, International, Inc., with the project spearheaded by Ed Hubbard. It was created specifically to be easily shared, in the public domain, without infringing on copyrights.  It contains a wide variety of articles, chants, poems, ritual ideas, and… Read more »

The Witches’ Sabbats by Mike Nichols

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Back in the pre-internet days computer geek Pagans like me would use our dial-up modems to connect with bulletin board systems where we could download text files, send and receive email, and participate in online discussion on a wide variety of topics.  There were dozens of different networks that individual BBSs would hook into covering all sorts of interests –… Read more »