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Home > Witchcraft, Spirituality & Healing > Churches, covens, events, moots, Reiki Healing and info. > Things to know !!!!! >

Reading List

The Meaning of Witchcraft and Witchcraft Today.
The two books that started it all, by Gerald Gardner. There's a lot of information here for those who know where to look, and they are still superb introductions to what Wicca is as envisioned by the man who popularised Wicca in the mid 20th century. Other books are easier to read, more fun, but these are the books you can go back to time and time again to gain knew insights as you progess in Wicca. Should be on every Wiccan's bookshelf. Try to find the recent editions by Mercury publishing. They also include a CD of chants and interviews with Gardner.

Drawing Down the Moon by Margo Adler.
Adler is a correspondent on NPR radio, and this book started out as her college thesis. It is an in-depth look at the modern Pagan movement, and includes interviews with various leaders. A must read for anyone interested in Pagan "culture." Excellent book!

Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Age by Vivianne Crowley.
Crowley was initiated by Alex Sanders as a teenager, then later received Gardnerian initiation by Rae Bone, one of Gardner's HPS. As a result, her line carries dual Gardnerian/Alexandrian lineage. She is also a Jungian analyst that teaches in England. This is a wonderful book, going quite in-depth on the principles of Wicca, especially the deities. I've read a lot of books, but this one probably got me thinking more deeply than any of the others. It's especially good for those who have a taste for Jungian psychology. In my opinion, one of the best works on what Wicca really is, especially from a British Traditional perspective.

Principles of Wicca by Vivianne Crowley.
A smaller book, part of a series by the British publisher Thorsons. It's a good Wicca intro, the closest thing Vivianne's written to a how-to book, going more into the practices than the philosophical aspects of Wicca. Also highly recommended - perhaps even the best primer there is!

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham.
This is a great book for those without a coven for training. It outlines a simple but effective form of Wicca for the solitary Wiccan. Much of the Book of Shadows material included is adapted from Scott's own private Wiccan tradition. This is a good introduction, but don't believe him when he says it includes everything you need to know to practice Wicca. It's just a good place to start from.

Witchcraft for Tomorrow by Doreen Valiente.
An introductory book with a simplified Book of Shadows from the women who helped create modern Gardnerian Wicca.

Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland.
This is sometimes jestingly referred to as "Unca Raymond's Big Blue Book of Wicca." Buckland was the man who brought Gardnerian Wicca to America.

Psychic Self-Defense and Well-Being, by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips,
is a good introduction to psychic hygiene techniques. Denning and Phillips present basic techniques for strengthening your aura and maintaining your psychic center through common sense and practical techniques in this workbook-style book.

The Witch's Way by Janet and Stewart Farrar.
The Farrar's were originally trained by Alex Sanders, but later broke away and contacted Doreen Valiente, and have been the most important teachers of the Gardnerian style of Wicca. The Witch's Way contains their excellent versions of many Gardnerian rituals, including First, Second, and Third degree initiations, Circle castings, and a large section on basic Wiccan beliefs and teachings. A superb source book and highly recommended.

Eight Sabbats for Witches by Janet and Stewart Farrar.
This is the Farrar's construction of the eight major Sabbat rituals, based upon the original Gardnerian ones. Once again, a superb source book, with the Farrar's adaptation of the Oak King and Holly King cycle. This book, along with The Witch's Way, is available in a boxed paperback set published by the Magickal Childe named A Witch's Bible, Vols. I & II.

A Grimoire of Shadows by Ed Fitch.
Fitch was the founder and leader of the Pagan Way group in New York. His outer court rituals were published in part as A Book of Pagan Rituals, with a second volume called Magical Rites from the Crystal Well. These have now been compiled and amplified by Fitch into a complete collection.

Wheel of the Year
Ancient Ways
Circles, Groves & Sanctuaries
Rites of Passage all by Dan and Pauline Campenelli.
All these books are excellent guides to a Pagan lifestyle throughout the year. Wheel is a monthly guide to the year, with traditional beliefs and activities for the year. Ancient Ways is similar, but divides the year into the eight major Sabbats, showing the tides and traditions of each season. Circles is a look at how people have established their places of worship and ritual. Rites gives you folk customs and ideas for the major rites of passage, i.e. birth, marriage, death, an others. The Campenellis have written some well thought out and interesting books. Get them.

Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham.
This continues the teachings of his Solitary Wicca, with sections on ritual design, deities, prayer, and tools, among others.

The Goddess and the Tree by Ellen Cannon Reed.
This was originally published as The Witches Qabala by Llewellyn, but is now revised and published by Phoenix. This is a wonderful book on the Qabala from a Wiccan perspective. For those who use Qabalistic terminology in their practice, as I do, this book will cover most of the concepts you need to know. It also helps she presents the sephira in clear language, unlike some earlier books. If Dione Fortune's classic, The Mystical Qabalah, doesn't work for you, try Ellen's.

The Heart of Wicca: Wise Words from a Crone on the Path by Ellen Cannon Reed.
Ellen has written this book to explain the appeal of Traditional Wicca to those of us who practice it, and why we find ourselves at odds with "Eclectic Wicca" at times. She's not Gardnerian or Alexandrian, but from another traditonal path, yet her writings reflect what many of us "stuffy old Gardnerians" believe and feel. If you want to understand the Traditional mindset, read this book.

Aradia: or the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Godfrey Leland.
This is one of the early influences on Gardner and modern Wicca. Leland supposedly received the manuscript of this from an Italian Strega. It deals with the worship of Aradia, an avatar sent by the Goddess to teach knowledge to Witches. The "Charge of the Goddess," so important in modern rituals, was first revealed here.

The Rebirth of Witchcraft by Doreen Valiente.
This is probably the most important book on the origins of Wicca. Valiente began working with Gerald Gardner in the 1950's. She recognized a lot of Crowley's material in Gardner's rituals, and removed them, writing much of what is now the standard Gardnerian rites. She gives a good account of her involvement, the politics and sensationalism of the times, and how she finally broke with Gardner. An excellent book, it gives a lot of insight into the formation of Gardnerian Wicca.

Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed by Doreen Valiente and Evan Jones.
The authors give the story of their involvement of the late "Robert Cochrane" who claimed to be the possessor of family tradition of Wicca, called the "Tribe of Tubal Cain." After breaking with Gardner, Valiente worked with Cochrane, until personal politics within his group drove it apart. This is a fascinating story of a different type of Wicca than that developed by Gardner. Cochrane's tradition has several off-shoots in America, most notably the Roebuck tradition.

One Witch's World by Patricia Crowther.
Crowther was another person who worked with Gerald Gardner. She was a British cabaret entertainer, and was married to stage magician Arnold Crowther. It was Arnold, she states, who introduced Gerald Gardner to Aleister Crowley. Patricia tells of her meeting with Gardner, the handfasting he performed for her and Arnold, and her growth as the High Priestess of the Sheffield coven. She also tells the story of how Alex Sanders was able to get a copy of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, since it was from one of her students that Sanders acquired it.

Crafting the Art of Magick, by Aiden Kelly.
This is Kelly's infamous attack on Gerald Gardner and Gardnerian Wicca. His basic premise is that Gardner made the whole thing up! There is some interesting material here, and I found it fascinating. However, postings by many people on the internet, including long-time Wiccans who personally know Kelly, accuse him of shoddy scholarship and unethical research techniques. They claim this is not an accurate or fair book about the origins of Wicca. So I've included the book here with this caveat. The book is currently out of print by Llewellyn, and there doesn't seem to be much chance of a reprinting of it. Also, the planned sequel was canceled after it seemed that Kelly was "outing" several Wiccans in it, against their approval. In fact, there was a large letter writing campaign to Llewellyn and other publishers because of his revelation of oathbound material.

West Country Wicca by Rhiannon Ryall.
She claims to be a witch from pre-Gardnerian times, following a path that was not descended from, or influenced by, Gerald Gardner. Some in the community, however, do not believe the claims of the author, who now resides in Australia. Read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions (which is good advice about any book, really).

King of the Witches by June Johns
The "biography" of Alex Sanders, the founder of the Alexandrian tradition. Most of the book is mainly Sanders' "version" of how he got started in Wicca, which is pretty much now believed to be a lie. A more accurate version is found in Valiente's book, as well as a transcript of a presentation on the History of the Craft that can be found on several sites on the internet

Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton.
Hutton is a professor of history in England, and is the first person to do a serious study of the origins of modern Wicca. He spends a lot of the book covering the early influences, such as earlier magickal movements and organizations, writers, concepts of the Great Goddess and the triune Goddess. When it comes to Gardner, he explores his contributions and assertions, but Hutton takes a very conservative stance. Being an academic, he's reluctant to give credence to anything that he can't prove by written records. As a result, he's missed a lot. In spite of having first-person sources who worked with Gardner, or Alex Sanders (Maxine was interviewed), he has discounted important private research made available to him. It's still a fascinating read, and I do recommend it, with the caveat that it's not complete. He's probably done as good a job as an establishment historian can, who wants to guard his professional reputation.

Wiccan Roots by Philip Heselton.
Heselton has taken up where Hutton left off. He's concentrated on Gardner, specifically his allegations of the New Forest Coven, Dorothy Clutterbuck, etc. He's found some great information, and refutes some of the anti-NFC theories. He still doesn't have the "smoking gun," but he's got a lot of thought-provoking material and some interesting conjectures. Note, when he is making a conjecture or inference from the material, he's very plain in stating it's just his conjecture. That's refreshing in a book on Wiccan history. He has some great material about the Christ Church area that's not found in any other book. Strongly recommended!

Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration:
An Investigation into the Sources of Gardnerian Wicca, by Philip Heselton. His followup book to Wiccan Roots. He delves deeper, coming up with more new material, and chronicles his relationship with Dafo and others. Highly recommended for the serious student of Wiccan history.

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham
is one of the best reference books available on this subject. It list most any herb you may be interested in, with its various names, correspondences, medicinal, and magical uses. It includes black and white line drawings of each herb. Strongly recommended.

The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beryl
is also a very good handbook, giving lots of information about the making of washes, poultices, infusions, etc. along with a basic herbal. This book, along with Cunningham's, provide most anything you need to know about the use of herbs in magick or ritual.

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