Note: I am rating these books according to my own opinions, on a five star scale, with five stars being Excellent, three = good, & worth buying, and one star being horrible.
Please see my "Gwen's Library" page to purchase these selections (and more) from Amazon.com!
Wicca 101
Intermediate-Advanced
Mythology/History
Coven related
Crystals/Divination/Natural Healing
Fiction
To Ride a Silver Broomstick- Silver RavenWolf
*****
In my opinion, this book is THE BEST book to get started with-- it is truly Wicca "101"-- but it isn't a baby step. Silver has a style that is very personable and yet knowledgable. She
knows what she is talking about, and can explain complex concepts easily. There isn't any Witchcraft "Jargon" that she doesn't give a definition for, and she takes things one step at a time. This book is more of a novel than most of the books on Wicca you can find at the local
bookstore. It is a combination of fact and fiction-- she takes her life experiences (both inside the Craft and her working life), and fictionalizes some of the members of her first coven.
I read this book twice. once when I first started my path, and I'm reviewing it only because it's required reading for a coven I may join. it's been about 6 years... I hated it then, and I
really hate it now. There is some information in this book that is important and essential for a beginner to, well, begin with in study. Yet, it may be difficult for the beginner to discern the useful bits of information from his ego-trip.
Buckland says the one thing witches have against Christianity is their doctrine of being "the one, true, and only way"-- he should reexamine his book and see if he isn't guilty of the same thing. Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham Cunningham is a very talented author, and Living Wicca
is one of his greatest books. It is devoted to the Solitary Practitioner, helping the individual to create your own tradition, develop your relationship with the God/dess, ritual design, create your Book of Shadows, and
even perform a self-initiation. Earth, Air, Fire & Water by Scott Cunningham
This book is truly a spellbook. It includes more than 75 spells, rituals, and ceremonies ( for almost everything!) that are simple, yet powerful. The book is divided into 3 sections: Basics
of Magic, Elemental Magic, and Natural Magic, and includes the aspects of Earth, Air, Fire & Water, as well as crystal, candle, snow, mirror, and star magick. The appendices have pages of symbols for spell craft focus. To Light A Sacred Flame-
Silver RavenWolf I hate most of the covers in this series-- but if you don't judge a book by it's cover and look
on the inside...it's wonderful. I love silver's personal writing style, and her spells are very down to earth-- you don't need exotic ingredients or long invocations to get results. I came
away from this book with a deeper connection to Divinity, and much spiritual growth. Her first book, To Ride A Silver Broomstick, and second book, To Stir A Magick Cauldron,
are great to get started in the Craft. They give you the groundwork necessary to really reach great heights. Sacred Flame goes way beyond Wicca 101-- and it's one of the few on the shelves at the moment.
I admire everything Silver has done for the Wiccan community, and in my opinion, Sacred Flame is her best work . Summoning Forth Wiccan Gods and Goddesses by Lady Maeve Rhea If you want to get in touch with your inner Goddess, this is the book for you. Lady Rhea explains exactly how to prepare yourself for both invocation of god forms, and the evocation
of elementals. This is definately an advanced reading book-- so be sure you are ready for it before you try anything! A chapter on Psychic first aid is also helpful, in case something doesn't go as planned. Overall, a very detailed book, for the Adept.
This is a very "complete" book of goddesses. Including the stories of Aphrodite, Ariadne, Artemis, Athena, Circe, Daphne, Demeter, Flora, Hathor, Isis, Kali, Kuan Yin, Leda, Medea,
Pandora, Pele, Psyche, Sekhmet, and the Snake Goddess, I would conclude that this book is a rich source of goddess history.
By the end of this book, you will have a working knowledge of the basics of Wicca, and a feeling of accomplishment. I highly recommend keeping a journal (as she encourages you to
do)-- you can look back on your progress and be proud of yourself :-)
She includes the general basics like explaining the holidays and celebrations, the basics of
spell casting, choosing a pantheon of god/desses for you, etc. There is also a chapter about "coming out of the broom closet" that is helpful for anyone ready to tell their friends and family about their religion.
*****
Overall, this book is about the road of finding one's identity, finding strength within and without, and it follows a circle of newcomers through their spiritual path, including initiation.
*
There are so many more books out there- anything RavenWolf or Cunningham is far more "complete" than buckland's big blue book- the Charge of the Goddess isn't even mentioned! Besides his version
of History (which isn't backed up!), he quotes himself, suggests his books under the "further reading list" and is rather boastful about being the first witch in
America... AND he's very sexist. It's really hard for me to get past these things, and why should I have to? Just because he learned from Gerald Gardner doesn't mean he's the authority on Witchcraft.
****
There is a great chapter on Wiccan beliefs and "rules" that translate the Laws of the Ordains into plain language that is much more accessible to the beginner.
At the end of this book, you will have a greater understanding of the everyday practices of Wicca, as well as a deeper connection with the God/dess
***
1/2
*****
****
This book would have gotten five stars if she had left out the chapters which basically trashed any other "system" of invocation other than her own. I
feel that the author places undue stress on HER WAY of doing things... she says to feel free to change her words around, etc, but then says "Do not use this lightly. Learn it by heart. Don't flub your lines!" I
agree, one must be serious about preparation... but I don't think the Goddess will unleash wrath upon you if you accidentally miss a word or say thee instead of you. buy the book, it's worth the $$, even though it's relatively short
*****
The entire "myth" of each goddess is explored, and often includes the origin of the "myth"
itself. This book was one of the Barnes and Noble "Bargain Books," and i was very impressed how detailed it was. Usually these kinds of books are an