Suggested Book List

These are books I have liked myself and/or recommended to students. There might be editions other than those listed here, and some of these might be out of print, but if you use your Google fu, you should be able to find used copies somewhere. I also haven’t updated this list in a while, so there are some great new books I haven’t listed yet. Consider these classics.

Books for Absolute Beginners

The Spiral Dance by Starhawk

The Spiral Dance was written around 1979, when there were almost no beginner Wiccan or Pagan books on the market. Many, many people were introduced to the Craft through this book. It’s well-structured and full of great information and extremely useful exercises, meditations, and rituals. I have some quibbles with Starhawk’s view of the Goddess in history, and this book is a bit female-centric, but it is gorgeously written and can help women and men alike build a strong foundational practice. Get the most updated version if you can.

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

Some people have made the argument that solitary Wicca exists because of this book. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but Cunningham was certainly one of the first to take all of the core ideas and practices of Wicca and make them useful, accessible, and practical for solitary Wiccans. This book and the follow-up, Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, are clear, easy to follow, and deceptively simple. There’s a lot more meat in these titles than what’s obvious at first glance. A beginner could practice Wicca for quite a while using these two books alone.

Positive Magic by Marion Weinstein

Personally, I see Wicca as a path of transformation, so I love that Weinstein writes that the purpose of our path is to “transform, uplift, and so fully develop the self that the whole Universe may benefit thereby.” Positive Magic covers the beginner basics while focusing on ethics in a positive, warm, and accessible way. The Words of Power are particularly useful.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine Gleason

Yes, you read that right. I’m recommending an “Idiot’s Guide” book. Why? Because it is an easy-to-understand, comprehensive, “just the facts, ma’am” introduction to Wicca that gives an overview of everything from history to deities to magic and even throws in some astrology for good measure. The tone is light, positive, and practical, and the content is broken up into easily digestible chunks. Will it become your book of shadows? No. Is it a sound jumping-off point for deeper exploration and practice? Absolutely.

A Book of Pagan Rituals by Ed Fitch

Legend has it that after Alex Sanders published King of the Witches, in which he said he was initiated by his grandmother into an ancient Craft tradition, there was a rash of Wiccans claiming that they, too, were initiated by their grandmothers into traditions as old as the cave paintings. As evidence they offered up some lovely rituals that supposedly came down to them through the ages, but which were traced back to this book, which was written around 1974. This earned Ed Fitch the affectionate nickname “Grandma Fitch” and enshrined this book as a Wiccan classic. It is a very useful collection of rituals that are great as written or easily adapted to suit your needs.

Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Millennium by Vivianne Crowley

Crowley applies Jungian theory to describe Wicca not only from a practical point of view, but also from a psychological and sociological one. This book provides a solid, thorough foundation in the Wiccan basics, with a lot of exploration of why Wiccans do what they do. It has more of a traditional than an eclectic perspective, but it can be useful and thought-provoking for anyone learning Wicca. I recommend reading it after finishing a couple of the more “nuts and bolts” titles, because it’s the kind of book that will have you deepening your exploration of the path. A personal favorite.

The Inner Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak

The first three things I teach my students are grounding, meditation, and visualization. The Inner Temple of Witchcraft is a thorough introduction to these types of practices and psychic and energy work, all of which are foundational to Wicca. This book goes beyond the mechanics of Wiccan practice and gets into the why and the how. It’s particularly useful for beginners who have trouble initially visualizing or meditating, which—judging by the questions in my inbox—is pretty common.

Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner

Whether they’re eclectic or traditional, many—if not most—Wiccan practices today have their roots in the work of Gerald Gardner. Gardner’s books, published in the 1950s, brought Wicca into the public consciousness. Rather than being a “how-to” book, Witchcraft Today describes practices and beliefs of a group of Witches Gardner met in the New Forest in England in the 1930s, and details Gardner’s (sometimes fanciful) theories on where their traditions originated. Gardner, like anthropologist Margaret Murray, believed the Wicca he found was the survival of ancient Pagan religion. This theory has been largely discredited, and Gardner’s writing is a rambling reminder of the Victorian age in which he was born, but this book gives valuable insight into the philosophical underpinnings that gave birth to modern Wicca.

Witchcraft for Tomorrow by Doreen Valiente

If Gerald Gardner is the father of modern Wicca, Doreen Valiente—who was one of his priestesses and is credited with writing many poetic ritual texts—is its mother. Witchcraft for Tomorrow is a very accessible, down-to-earth beginning book that includes both Wiccan basics and a full book of shadows.

Basic Wicca and Paganism Books

Adler, Margot: Drawing Down the Moon. Boston: Beacon Press, 1979.

Buckland, Raymond. Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1993.

Campanelli, Pauline and Dan. Ancient Ways: Reclaiming Pagan Traditions. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1991.

Campanelli, Pauline and Dan. Rites of Passage: The Pagan Wheel of Life. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1994.

Campanelli, Pauline and Dan. Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1989.

Coyle, T. Thorn. Evolutionary Witchcraft. New York: Penguin, 2004.

Crowley, Vivianne. Way of Wicca. London: Thorsons, 1997.

Crowley, Vivianne. Wicca. London: Thorsons, 1996.

Crowther, Patricia. Lid Off the Cauldron. Somerset, England: Capall Bann, 1998.

Cunningham, Scott. Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1997.

Cunningham, Scott. Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1989.

Farrar, Janet and Stewart. Eight Sabbats for Witches. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, Inc., 1981.

Farrar, Janet and Stewart. A Witches’ Bible: The Complete Witches’ Handbook. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, Inc., 1981.

Fitch, Ed. A Grimoire of Shadows. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 2001.

Gardner, Gerald B. The Meaning of Witchcraft. Lake Toxaway, NC: Mercury Press, 1999.

Gardner, Gerald B. Witchcraft Today. Lake Toxaway, NC: Mercury Press, 1999.

Martello, Dr. Leo Louis. Witchcraft: The Old Religion. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel Press, 1974.

K., Amber and K., Azrael Arynn. How to Become a Witch: The Path of Nature, Spirit & Magick. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 2010.

Starhawk. The Spiral Dance. San Francisco: Harper & Row Publishers, 1979.

Valiente, Doreen. An ABC of Witchcraft. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, 1973.

Valiente, Doreen. Natural Magic. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, 1975.

Valiente, Doreen. The Rebirth of Witchcraft. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, 1989.

Valiente, Doreen. Witchcraft for Tomorrow. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, 1978.

Valiente, Doreen, and Jones, Evan John. Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, 1990.

Zimmerman, Denise, and Gleason, Katherine A. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2000.

Animal Familiars

Andrews, Ted. Animal Speak. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1993.

Smith, Penelope. Animal Talk: Interspecies Telepathic Communication. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond Words Publishing, Inc., 1999.

Covens, Clergy, and Drawing Down the Moon

D’Este, Sorita. Priestesses, Pythonesses, Sibyls: The Sacred Voices of Women Who Speak with and for the Gods. London: Avalonia, 2008.

Filan, Kenaz and Kaldera, Raven. Talking to Spirits: Personal Gnosis in Pagan Religion. Rochester, VT: Destiny, 2013.

K, Amber. Covencraft: Witchcraft for Three or More. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1998.

Trobe, Kala. How to Find Your Inner Priestess. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2005.

Folklore and Mythology

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1968.

Campbell, Joseph. The Mythic Image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1974.

Campbell, Joseph. Myths to Live By. New York: Penguin, 1972.

Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth (DVD). Apostrophe S Productions, 1988. (Distributed most recently by Mystic Fire Video, Inc.)

Campbell, Joseph. The Power of Myth. New York: Doubleday, 1988.

Campbell, Joseph. Transformation of Myth Through Time. New York: Harper & Row, 1990.

Evans-Wentz, W. Y. The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries. New York: Citadel Press, 1990.

Frazer, James. The Golden Bough. London: Penguin Books, 1996.

Graves, Robert. The White Goddess. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 1975.

Kerenyi, Karl. Gods of the Greeks. New York: Thames & Hudson, 1980.

The Táin: From the Irish Epic Táin Bó Cuailnge. Kinsella, Thomas translator. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1969.

Lecouteux, Claude. Phantom Armies of the Night: The Wild Hunt and the Ghostly Processions of the Dead. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2011.

The Mabinogion.

McNeill, Marian F. The Silver Bough, Volumes 1–4. Glasgow: Beith Printing Co., Ltd., 1990.

Pegg, Bob. Rites and Riots: Folk Customs of Britain and Europe. Dorset, UK: Blandford Press, 1981.

The Goddess, the God, and Specific Aspects of Deity

Baring, Anne, and Cashford, Jules. The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image. London: Penguin, 1991.

Farrar, Janet and Stewart. The Witches’ God. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, Inc., 1989.

Farrar, Janet and Stewart. The Witches’ Goddess. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, Inc., 1987.

Fitch, Eric L. In Search of Herne the Hunter. Somerset, England: Capall Bann Publishing, 1994.

Jackson, Nigel Aldcroft. Call of the Horned Piper. Somerset, England: Capall Bann Publishing, 1994.

Jackson, Nigel Aldcroft. Masks of Misrule. Somerset, England: Capall Bann Publishing, 1996.

Monaghan, Patricia. The Book of Goddesses and Heroines. St. Paul: Llewellyn Pubications, 1990.

Monaghan, Patricia. The Goddess Companion: Daily Meditations on the Feminine Spirit. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1999.

Monaghan, Patricia. The Goddess Path: Myths, Invocations, and Rituals. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1999.

Neumann, Erich. The Great Mother: An Analysis of the Archetype. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1983.

Herbs, Incense, and Oils

Bereyl, Paul. A Compendium of Herbal Magick. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing, 1998.

Cech, Richo. Making Plant Medicine. Williams, OR: Horizon Herbs, LLC, 2000.

Culpeper, Nicholas. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal. Avon: The Bath Press, 1998. (Note: There are many versions of Culpeper’s Herbal in print, including more extensive ones than this edition.)

Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1985.

Cunningham, Scott. Magical Herbalism. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1991.

Cunningham, Scott. The Magic of Incense, Oils, and Brews. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1988.

Griffin, Judy. Mother Nature’s Herbal. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1997.

Williams, Jude. Jude’s Herbal Home Remedies. Llewellyn Publications, 1992.

Wylundt. Wylundt’s Book of Incense. York Beach, ME: 1996.

History of Paganism, Witchcraft, and Wicca

Baroja, Julio Caro. The World of the Witches. London: Phoenix Press, 2001.

Ginzberg, Carlo. Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches’ Sabbath. New York: Penguin, 1991.

Ginzberg, Carlo. The Night Battles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992.

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft. New York: Facts on File, 1989.

Heselton, Philip. Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration. Somerset, England: Capall Bann Publishing, 2003.

Heselton, Philip. Wiccan Roots: Gerald Gardner and the Modern Witchcraft Revival. Somerset, England: Capall Bann Publishing, 2000.

Hole, Christina. Witchcraft in England. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1947.

Hutton, Ronald. The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 1991.

Hutton, Ronald. The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. London: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Jones, Prudence and Pennick, Nigel. A History of Pagan Europe. London: Routledge, 1995.

Leland, Charles G. Aradia, or Gospel of the Witches. Newport, RI: The Witches’ Almanac, 2010.

Matthews, Caitlin. Voices from the Circle: The Heritage of Western Paganism. New York: Harper Collins, 1990.

Murray, Margaret. The God of the Witches. London: Oxford University Press, 1952.

Murray, Margaret. The Witch-Cult in Western Europe. London: Oxford University Press, 1922.

Ross, Anne. Pagan Celtic Britain. Chicago: Academy Chicago Publishers, 1967.

Magic and Correspondences

Bills, Rex. The Rulership Book. Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers, 1971.

Bonewitz, Isaac. Real Magic. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1989.

Buckland, Raymond. Practical Candleburning Rituals. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 1982.

Crowley, Aleister. Magick in Theory and Practice. New York: Magickal Childe Publishing, Inc., 1990.

Daniels, Estelle. Astrologickal Magick. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1995.

Dominguez, Ivo, and Coyle, T. Thorn. Casting Sacred Space: The Core of All Magickal Work. New York: Weiser, 2012

Duquette, Lon Milo. The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 2001.

Duquette, Lon Milo. The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of Rituals of Thelema. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 2003.

Holland, Eileen. Holland’s Grimoire of Magickal Correspondences: A Ritual Handbook. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press, 2006.

Kraig, Donald Michael. Modern Magick. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1993.

Simms, Maria Kay. A Time for Magick. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 2001.

Williams, Brandy. The Woman Magician. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2011.

Mystery Traditions

Kerenyi, Carl. Eleusis: Archetypal Image of Mother and Daughter. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1967.

Meyer, Marvin W. The Ancient Mysteries: A Sourcebook of Sacred Texts. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1987.

Stewart, R. J. The Underworld Initiation. Chapel Hill, NC: Mercury Publishing, 1990.

Psychic and Self-Development Stuff

Coyle, T. Thorn. Crafting a Personal Practice. Seattle: Kindle/Amazon, 2012.

Coyle, T. Thorn. Kissing the Limitless: Deep Magic and the Great Work of Transforming Yourself and the World.  New York: Weiser. 2009.

Coyle, T. Thorn. Make Magic of Your Life: Passion, Purpose, and the Power of Desire. New York: Weiser. 2013.

Glass, Justine. Witchcraft: The Sixth Sense. North Hollywood, CA: Wilshire Book Company, 1965.

Hillman, James. The Dream and the Underworld. New York: Harper & Row, 1979.

Swann, Ingo. Everybody’s Guide to Natural ESP. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., 1991.

Shamanism

Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism. Princeton, NJ: University of Princeton Press, 1964.

Johnson, Kenneth. North Star Road. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1996.

Kalweit, Holger. Dreamtime and Inner Space: The World of the Shaman. Boston: Shambhala, 1984.

Matthews, Caitlin. Singing the Soul Back Home: Shamanism in Daily Life. Shaftsbury, Dorset, England: Element Books, 1995.

Stones and Crystals

Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1993.

Melody. Love is in the Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals. Wheat Ridge, CO: Earth-Love Publishing House, 1995.