Surprisingly I haven’t been asked that question before so you are the first one. :)

Let’s see. Well really any of the books that are listed on the left of the blog they are all absolutely wonderful. Good beginner books to get you started are any of Scott Cunningham’s books and if you are interested in herbs any of Ellen Dugan’s books. Starhawk is also a well known author and respected person in the Wiccan/Pagan community and her book “The Spiral Dance” practically everyone knows. I would stay away from any of Silver Ravenwolf’s books. I personally never liked her books from the way she presents them. But this is a whole debate that’s been going on for years now. She has her fans, and she has her haters. There are plenty of people out there who love her books and suggest her books. For example the oh so famous Tiptoechick from Youtube who if you watch videos based on Wicca and Paganism you will know her as being one of the original Youtuber’s who started making videos on Wicca/Paganism, and who I absolutely love and adore. She has suggested Silver Ravenwolf’s books in her video’s but again it’s up to the individual and what their opinion is. I will say that yes it’s a great start to those especially those who are younger to start out from but again I don’t believe it’s as good as other books out there.

But basically any of the books listed on the side are good. If you want a whole list I found one online that list more than a lot of good books for you to read. It is a very long list so be prepared.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION:

** The Spiral Dance [20th. Annyversary Ed.] — Starhawk [A “Classic”, and personal favourite, that has stood the test of time! One will learn things in this book that are generally not discussed in countless other texts on the topic of modern Witchcraft. One would do well to make this text their first read on the subject despite so much witchcrap that’s out there.]
** The Power Of The Witch: A Witch’s Guide to Her Craft — Laurie Cabot [One of my more highly recommended titles to the novice through to the advanced student, for various reasons often overlooked, or altogether neglected. The two chapters titled: “The Science of Witchcraft” and “Alpha” are worth the cost of this book alone! Yes, like the previous text, it is also a “How-To” book— but it teaches Witchcraft from another angle altoegther… This book came to me during a “Dark Night of the Soul” when, because of so much blatant “witchcrap”, I was sincerely doubting The Craft, needing a far more analytical style of teaching, which this text greatfully provided to nourish my mind! Although, while her history of the Salem trials are well thought of, it is her Mediavel witchcraft-history which is not very good, historically, through no intentional fault of her own— she was merely using the sources that other Witches were during the 1980s.]
** The Elements of Ritual: Air, Fire, Water & Earth in the Wiccan Circle — Deborah Lipp [This is one of those books, that makes so much damned good sense, that I wish it had been available years ago! It details many of the whys, rather than the how-tos of casting a ritual Circle. One of the best books I’ve read in a long while! I hope to see more such as this published in recent years to come! BUY THIS BOOK!!!]
** The Witches’ Way — Janet & Stewart Farrar [Inner Court material, thanks to Gardnerian HPs, Doreen Valiente, the “Mother” of modern Witchcraft. This is real “Wicca, or Traditional Witchcraft, at its finest!]
** Drawing Down the Moon — Margot Adler [A study of modern Pagan religions. I recommend the two prior books in succession to this text only due to the fact that it’s a rather “dry” read in comparison. Remember, there are vastly more Pagan religions than mere “Wicca”. Indeed, Witchcraft, as a religion, is not the right Path for everyone, nor should it be! One would also do well to study the various Tradition Profiles at the Witches Voice: Paths & Traditions. Find the Path that is right for you! Simply, THIS book should bne EVERY novice Witch’s first exposure to The Craft!]
** Witchcraft for Tomorrow — Doreen Valiente [I adore all of her texts, and personally consider them to be obligatory!]
** An ABC of Witchcraft Past & Present — Doreen Valiente
** Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft — Dr. Raymond Buckland [A Gardnerian HP; Buckland was sent to the US upon Gardner’s request as a missionary for “the Old Religion” (i.e., Wica). He’s the “Father” of American Wicca and Witchcraft.]
** Circles, Groves, & Sanctuaries — Dan & Pauline Campanelli [A lovely look, and explaination, of modern Pagan altars!]
* Book of Shadows — Phyllis Currot
* Witch Crafting — Phyllis Currot
* Hedge Witch: A Guide to Solitary Witchcraft — Rae Beth [A fabulous book for the Solitary Witch based upon the British Pagan Tradition.]
* Wicca for One: The Path of Solitary Witchcraft — Dr. Raymond Buckland [An ex-Gardnerian HP— who brought Wicca, as an emmissary, to the U.S.— has vied for solitary Witrchcraft for some time. Indeed, Old Gerald may have poublically done so, had he loved well into the 70s or 80s, being that one of his remarkls to Doreen Valiente was, “This religion has too many chiefs and not enough Indians!”]
** A Grimoire of Shadows — Ed Fitch [Outer Court material]
** Magical Rites from the Crystal Well — Ed Fitch [Outer Court material.]
** A Book of Pagan Rituals — [ed.] Herman Slater [Outer Court material.]
** Pagan Rituals III — [ed.] Herman Slater [Outer Court material. My only true quibble are a few of the “Laws,” which, without proper explication may easily become abused due to the over-riding Ego of the HP/s in question. The Ego truly holds no place within the Priesthood of modern Paganism. Ultimately, it is a religion through which one serves the Gods, and mankind! To quote Daffy Duck, when out of balance (which, judging from many of the Pagans on-line that I’ve encountered [though thankfully not all by a long shot], is often), the Ego says, “Me, me, me!!! Mine, mine, mine!!!”]
* Rites of Shadow — E. A. St. George [Outer— and alledgedly Inner— Court material.]
* Crafting the Art of Magic — Aiden Kelley [Again, more Inner Court material. It’s a textual analyses of the Gardnerian BOS which, according to Gardnerian HP Charles Clark, Gerald gave the owner of Llewellyn Pub. permission to publish the Gardnerian BOS. This book is to be re-published, shortly— and if Aidan is reading this, I’d love a freebie, being a truly penniless Pagan— under the title of Inventing Witchcraft, by Thoth Pub. in the UK.! It will make use of far more recent research, and will also include the material which was omitted by the publisher during its initial publication. This book represents one of the first historographies on modern Paganism, thus, it should also be under the WICCAN/PAGAN HISTORY section. Be that as it may, as highly as a recommend this text due to the extracts of Gardnerian material, it should be tempered with this Critical Review of the text!]
* Charge of the Goddess — Doreen Valiente [Her post-humously published poetry, as well as letters and reflections upon her life, on behalf of friends. Includes photos of many of her artifacts. A truly brilliant book that, according to Janet Farrar, has the capacity to merely expand upon the Gardnerian “Book Of Shadows”.]
* Wiccan Wisdomkeepers — [ed.] Sally Griffyn [Listed only because it contains the full text of the final lecture Doreen Valiente gave shortly before her passing, at an event sponsored by the Pagan Federation; the full-version— greatly expanded from the version published here— may be found here: “Doreen Valiente: A Witch Speaks” (www.geocities.com/Athens/Tr…nte.htm).]
* Witchcraft Today — Gerald Gardner [The material by the man who essentially started it all. Published 50 years after the fact by Citidel press. We should write them to thank them for making it more widely available to a new generation, and audience! Ditto for Samuel/Weiser, below!]
* The Meaning of Witchcraft — Gerald Gardner
* Gardnerian CD [A selection of chants and interviews from Gerald Gardner, the reviled Monique Wilson, and Patricia Crowther and her Sheffield Coven. It contains a great deal of early information regarding the evolution of modern Pagan Witchcraft asa religion.]
* High Priestess: The Life & Times of Patricia Crowther — Patricia Crowther [Contains more “Traditional” teachings, though I do not adhere to most protocols hailing from Traditional Wica, as some sort of foolish mandate (i.e., unquestioned/unquestionable Dogmatic orthopraxy). Yet, I do greatly draw upon it, regardless. It should be noted that because I do no not adhere, blindly, to every nuance, does not make me— in the least— anti-Traditional. In fact, I do have my own Tradition, and Traditional practices, etc. They are merely mandatory for me, and my religion and Gods. Indeed, I must say, that I find it more than a little insulting when some Gardnerians rather emphatically expound about “my religion” as if their view of Gardnerianism is of an entirely differentiated religion from every other branch of modern Paganism, sharing no similarities. Indeed, they seem to believe that it should be ridiculous to equate Gardnerianism with any other Pagan Path. Sounds like an argument designed for Ockham’s Razor, if you ask me! Fortunately, just as many Gardnerians would not, I hazard, be so staunch in their poersonal subjectivity. She believes that she is Old Gerald’s “spiritual heir”.]
* The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism — Shelley Rabinovitch and James Lewis [A very well research text by various Pagan scholars (i.e. Pagans that happen to have advanced degrees). It also includes the little known propper companion piece to The Charge of The Goddess, by Doreen Valiente, The Charge of The God.]
* The Witch-Cult in Western Europe — Dr. Margaret Murrey [Controversial amongst scholars, but the single book which gave modern Paganism so much! Generally unduely criticized, however, much of what she lifts from trial records— though not all— is head-on! It is Prof. Cohn, and one other, that sought to discretid her based upon blatant erronious academic protocol that, because it was so “reductionist”, scholars unquestioningly swallowed every word of it without being bothered to check out all ot the facts to see if they lined up— they don’t! Hutton was one of these later scholars that refusesd to check what Cohn et al. had to say. Despite these facts to the contrary, Hutton has publically refused to acknowledge these earlier errors of his which makes him look more, and more, unreputible as a reliable resource! I simplty believe that Hutton is capible of far better! But, he is misleading modern Pagans, especially when he masks his opinion a though it were fact. The Cauldron published an article about this exact issue by the name of “The Great Debate” (www.vaccines.plus.com/Murray%….html)— if you have any problems loading the scanned rebuttle by Hutton, simply right-click on each respective image and click on “show picture”!]
* Persuasions of the Witches’ Craft: Ritual Magic in Contemporary England — Tanya Luhrmann [In many ways thisn text is far superior to Ronald Hutton’s The Triumph of the Moon, cf. his chapter, “Finding A God”. Prof. Luhrmann gains access— ie. Initiation— to the oldest “Wiccan” Coven on Earth— Gardner’s former “Brickettwood Coven” which is now known as the “North London Coven”.]

Please read the following texts ONLY after you’ve read the above books denoted with a double-asteric (**); I give this qualification, of course, because most Pagans that turn to these books first don’t know what to do with ‘em and take what the author says toi extremes that he never intended (ie. “Wicca’s, like, whatever I want it tou be, U know?”)!

* Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner — Scott Cunningham
* Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner — Scott Cunningham

THEOLOGY & THEALOGY:

** The Witches’ Goddess — Janet & Stewart Farrar [Obligatory reading, as it the next title!]
** The Witches’ God — Janet & Stewart Farrar
* The God of the Witches — Dr. Margaret Murray [Again, controversial amongst scholars, even if those scholars are far too pedantic at times! This was probably the text which gave Witchcraft the Traditional Horned God, the Lord of Beasts, etc.]
* The Goatfoot God — Dion Fortune [Dion Fortune — aka. Violet Furth’s— Fiction also has had a great impact on the modern Pagan renaissance.]
* The Sea Priestess — Dion Fortune [The Wiccan addendum, “All Gods are one God, all Goddesses are one Goddess, and there is but one Initiator,” stems from this text, as well as modern Paganisms sense of duotheism.]
* Devoted to You: Honoring Deity in Wiccan Practice — Judy Harrow [A lovely programme for study by a Gardnerian HPs and one meathod of how she teaches. She founded, and runs, Proteus Coven, a liberal Gardnerian Coven.]
** When God Was A Woman — Merlin Stone [Unfortunately, Art Historian Merlin Stone is often maligned amongst modern Pagans, though I have always loved her literature.]
* The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religions of the Earth — Monica Sjoo [d. 2005]
* The Hebrew Goddess — Raphael Patai
** In A Chariot Drawn By Lions: The Search for Female in Deity — Asphodel P. Long [d. 2005]
* The Concept of the Goddess — [ed.] Miranda Green
* The Ancient British Goddess — Kathy Jones
** The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: Myth and Cult Images— Marija Gimbutas
** Civilizations of the Goddess — Marija Gimbutas
** The Language of the Goddess — Marija Gimbutas
** The Living Goddesses — Marija Gimbutas, ed. & supplemented by Miriam Robbins Dexter, Ph.D.
** The Great Mother: Analysis of the Archetype — Erich Neumann [One of the texts cited by Gerald Gardner, as I recall. Often used as a personal resource for modern Pagan Witches.]
* The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future — Raine Eisler
* Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood — Merlin Stone
* In the Wake of the Goddess: Women, Culture, and the Biblical Transformation of Pagan Myth — Tikva Frymer-Kensky, Ph.D.
** Whence the Goddess: A Sourcebook — Miriam Robbins Dexter, Ph.D. [Definately a sourcebook of academia and various source material! Gey yourself a copy of this text!!!]
* Habitations of the Great Goddess — Christine Biaggi & Marija Gimbutas
* The Double Goddess — Vicki Noble [Concerns itself with the Neolithic conjoined Goddess images. Although, according to the most pedantic of scholars, as well as far too many modern Pagans claiming “research” they tend to balk at the assertion that these images may very be Goddesses, for no other reason then, they say, “we can’t know!” So…in a defeatest manner, they claim that we shouldn’t even bother interprating them. Oh, b.s.!]
** The White Goddess: A Historical Grammer of Poetic Myth — Robert Graves [Unfortunately, Robert Graves bears far too much of the brunt of consternation than what he deserves. After all, he submitted this ms. to various respected scholars in the fields with which it concerned itself. But, they could not be bothered to so much as respond.]
* Graves and the Goddess: Essays on Robert Graves “The White Goddess” — [ed.] Ian Firla and Grevel Lindop
** God Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism — Jonathan Kirsch
* The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image — Anne Baring and Jules Cashford
* The Lady of the Beasts: The Goddess and her Sacred Animals — Buffie Johnson
* The Goddess: Power, Sexuality, and the Feminine Divine — Shahrukh Husain
* The Moon: Myth and Image — Jules Cashford
* The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity — Jeffrey Burton Russell

NOTA BENE: I DO NOT recommend this book as a work of objective research, in ANY WAY! In fact, I CANNOT in good consciousness— as an independant scholar— recommend it at all! It is replite with inaccuracies and subjective biases. However, its only redeaming value is that it explains what proper academic meathodlology— or protocall— is, albeit she does not adhere to them even once! …very hypocritical! Yet, surprising as this may be, the vast majority of modern Pagans, claiming “rigour” seem to merely look past, and ignore, these severe problems. An amazing, academic, critic of this may be found at the following website by Harvard educated independant scholar, Max Dashu: Knocking Down Straw Dolls: A Critique of Cynthia Eller’s “The Myth ofMatriarchy” (www.suppressedhistories.net/arti…tml). Also, there is this Review by Asphodel P. Long [d. 2005] (www.asphodel-long.com/html/my…y.html). To be brutally blunt about it, Cynthia Eller’s a nut-case and simply had one ONE idea about what she was talking about, regardless of the modern Pagans that flock to her as though in citing her they think they will be taken seriously! Honestly, in so doing, they merely look foolish and show that they simply have not understood what academia is, nor how to digest it.

* The Myth of Matriarchy: Why An Invented Past Won’t Give Women A Future — Cynthia Eller

“WICCAN”/PAGAN HISTORY

* The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft — Ronald Hutton [I will not go as in depthly into his problematic texts as I’d like, but will generally mention two to three of his greatest errors: He proports abhorrant methodology, and does so as fact, in all of his texts! He only ventures onto the Continent-propper as it seems to suit his thesis, otherwise he ignores it. He draws hard conclusions using a very limited knowledge-base. He’s also, generally, hypocritical. For example, he will state that one author was wrong for dismissing any criticism directed at her, which is why she is not to be trusted. However, Hutton has also shown an inability to listen to the criticism of others for his works. There’s also the British bias, as if they are more rigorous than we, and they seem to look down their noses at American scholars. There is also his alegations-blanket statement that lack of evidence is proof of absense! In summation, I would generally call Hutton a wanna’be: i.e., a jack of all trades, and master of none. However, it wories me how so many modern Pagans are so keen on thoughtlesly excusing the inaccuricies of Hutton’s lit. Indeed, almost universally, I see modern Pagans that question Hutton’s lit. to be “uninformed,” and writing all criticism off as such! Oh, and did I m,ention that there was an academic Canadian journal which devoted an entire issue to poor meathodology in the research of modern Witchcraft? Ronald Hutton was one of their “targets”— indeed, his books are heaped full of poor meathodology, as far as I understand the topic. According to historian Nigel Pennick, in this title alone, Hutton had made dozens of mistakes.]
* The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Aisles: Their Nature and Legacy — Ronald Hutton [Read the following review, written by Harvard educated scholar, Max Dashu, which I consider to be obligatory: Max Dashu Critique (www.suppressedhistories.net/arti…html) as well as Asphodel P. Long’s Review (www.asphodel-long.com/html/pa…s.html). Astonishing, Hutton’s seeming disdane towards theories is emarkable, given hat he makes numerous myths of his own creation! He also mis-charcterizes the antecedants of modern Pagan thealogy regarding the Dark/Bright-Goddess, claiming that it stems from Zoroastrianism, which is incorrect. One needs only a brief over view of the complexity of Goddesses to come to this realization! Although, I can see it now: I’m bound to be pilloried as a “Fluff Bunny-Murrayite” for being somewhat critical of Hutton and his criterion. Oy vey… Also, it bears mentioning that I ave heard Hutton claim he would rather this book go out of print! And, in a responce to Long’s review, he admitted that he didn’t know enough about the topic in question before he started writing about it and putting his conclusions forth. Moreover, despite Hutton’s earlier fiercely held reductionist ideology, we can know and successfully decipher Neolithic cave art and the beliefs which is evident in their burial mounds, etc. For more information on this, I cannot refer the reader, more strongly enough, to the books written by David Lerwis-Williams (the world’s formost expert on cave art!): The Mind in the Cave and Inside the Neolithic Mind. It ius also worth noting that two raher “insidious” reductionists, Ronald Hutton and Peter Ucko, are now supporters of Lewis-Williams!]
* The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain — Ronald Hutton [Again, it’s chock full or short-sighted research, qv. THE SABBATS. But, still, full of sorely inaccurate and inept sweeping generalizations!!!]
* The Rise and Fall of Merry England: The Ritual Year 1400-1700 — Ronald Hutton
* Witches, Druids & King Arthur — Ronald Hutton [He quetions a very few of his origional theories from his earlier works, but not nearly enough for my liking, given his many inaccuracies!]
* A History of Pagan Europe — Prudence Jones and Nigel Pennick
* European Paganism: The Realities of Cult from Antiquity to the Middle Ages — Ken Dowden
* Wiccan Roots — Philip Hesselton [Like Hutton, another Gardnerian and scholar, who found some pretty good evidence for the existence of the New Forest Coven into which Old Gerald was Initiated. He even debunks some of Hutton’s cnclusions.]
* Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration — Philip Hesselton
* Aradia, of the Gosepl of the Witches [New Tr.] — Charles leland, Stewart Farrar, Mario Pazzaglini, et al.
* Etruscan Roman Remains — Charles Leland
* The Golden Bough: The Roots of Religion and Folklore — Sir James Frazer
Witchcraft Out of the Shadows: A Complete History — Leo Ruickbie [Not exactly “Complete”; but, of course, it didn’t make use of Hesselton’s recent research, only Hutton’s, when modern Pagan Witchcraft was broached. Somewhgat out-dated in its own right, but still a good book!]
* Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion: An Anthropological Study of the Supernatural [Sixth Ed.] — Arthur C. Lehmann, Jasmes Myers & Pamela A. Moro [McGraw Hill, a textbook]. A collection of fabulous academic essays for “Anthropology of Religion,” including “Pagan Studies”.
* The Malleus Maleficarum — Rev. Montague Summers [tr. and ed.]
* Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies: Shapeshifters and Astral Doubles in the Middle Ages — Claude Lecouteux [A highly respected Prof. at the Sorbonne, Paris, France (an academic institution beyond compare!). Apparently British scholars are lagging behind academics from other geographical regions throughout Europe by refusing to acknowledge the untenible school of thought they have maintained by advancing their cherished reductionist or minimalist standards! The tides of academe are turning! Most scholars now agree— though I fear Ronald Hutton has poisoned the well in the minds of many’a modern Pagan— that there is, indeed, a genuine folkloric or shamanic antecedant at the heart of the descriptions of belief of medieval witches. Most Pagans have remained in the dark about this new evidence— though, even were one to explain it to them, they would remain inately skeptical, by default.]
* Christianity: The Origins of a Pagan Religion — Prof. Phillippe Walter [Another French medievalist that would tend to counter Ronald Hutton in his reductionist model in, for example, The Stations of the Sun, by claiming that the inherent “mythologies” surrounding the various Feast Days of the Christian calendar are not, in fact, Christian [ie, originated independantly], but stem from a process of paleo-pagan “genesis”. Unlike Hutton, in his search for paleo-paganism, he does not view those Christian Medieval mythologies that “possess no biblical justification” as inconsequential, but of great value in discernment; whereas Hutton rather short-sightedly dates these practices only from their first modern writings, regardless of their pre-Christian antecedents. You see, when Hutton is allowed to adopt his reductionist model of methodology— or “school of thought”— he is allowed (and almost demanded) to dismiss such inconsistancies, and refrain from asking some very important questions subject to the historical issue at hand’s disimilrities! It is abhorrant methodology, is what it is— wrought by one that is afraid of upsetting their academic peers and getting a less than “peachy” reputation. When this is allowed to be the decinign factor in what can be demonstrated via historical methodological protocal, than we cease to have a means by which to apprehend the “truth” about what may really have been going on, under the guise of so-called “academic rigour”. I’d like to see Hutton grow some backbone!]
* Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants — Claudia Muller-Ebeling, Christian Ratsch, and Wolf-Dieter Storl, PhD. [qv, Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies concerning the current shift in academic thought as it is applied to the percepts of medieval witches.]
* Persuasions of the Witch’s Craft: Ritual Magic in Contemporary England — Tanya Luhrmann [Published by Harvard University Press, qv. TRADITIONAL WITCHCRAFT.]
* The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft & Demonology — Rossell Hope Robbins [A rather “Classic” reference text on medieval witchcraft.]
* Cassell’s Dictionary of Witchcraft — David Pickering
* Never Again the Burning Times: Paganism Revived — Loretta Orion [I bought this lovely, thoughtful, and at times very Traditionalist (thankfully!) book from the Half Priced Bookstore. It was, apparently, a former textbook from a local University. I approve of the sombre Death/Mourning Rites engendered within it’s pages on behalf of the Horned God and the Tradition that began this resurrgance od modern Pagan Witchcraft!]
* Raising Hell: A Concise History of the Black Arts—and Those Who Dared to Practice Them — Robert Masello

THE SABBATS:

* Celebrate The Earth — Laurie Cabot
* Eight Sabbats for Witches — Janet & Stewart Farrar
* The Stations of the SUn: The Ritual Year in England — Ronald Hutton [qv, Cattle Lords & Clansmen, below.]
* Lammas — Anna Franklin & Paul Mason
* Midsummer — Anna Franklin
* Candlemas — Amber K. and Azrael Arynn K.
* Wheel of the Year — Dan & Pauline Campanelli
* The Ancient Ways — Dan & Pauline Campanelli
* The Witches’ Sabbats — Mike Nichols [Because it’s a GeoCities site, it has a limited data stream, so if you get a “busy” signal, please try back later!]
* The Winter Solstice — John Matthews
* The Summer Solstice — John Matthews
* Halloween and Other Feastivals of Death and Life — [ed.] Jack Santino
* Christianity: The Origins of a Pagan Religion — Phillippe Walter [qv, listing under WICAN/PAGAN HISTORY.]
* Cattle Lords & Clansmen: The Social Structure of Early Ireland [Second Ed.] — Nerys Patterson [Supplies a great deal of information that is apparently lacking from Hutton’s own study of the “Ritual Year” from the British Isles. Hutton shows his own innate, and unforgivible bias, within his The Stations of the Sun: he has the nerve to dismiss and classify scholars from other fields, other than Historians, as unenlightened rubes, such as archaeologists! For example: Hutton dismisses an earlier scholar’s thesis re: Samhain being “New Years” because All Saints’ Day was the “most eerie” and “dreaded of all seasons” without offering the slightest shread of evidence for his allegations. Hutton seems seriously hell-bent about looking for any excuse— regardless of how illogical— not to accept information with which he does not agree. How other scholars have not criticized his texts is anyone’s guess, when they are littered with errors and severe methodological failings!!! I argue that much of Hutton’s so-called “evidence” is also “flimsy”! Time to go back to school, professor. And, before anyone starts to severely insult me by calling me a “history revisionist” check out the facts of the issue before defaming me as “some little know nothing Pagan who doesn’t have the educational standing as the ‘distingquished porofssor Hutton’!” PLEASE!]
* A Dictionary of English Folklore [Oxford University Press] — Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud [This one’s ben on my shelf for a while, and have only recently thought to add it.]

INCENSE, ANOINTING OILS, HERBES & CRYSTALS:

Herb Craft: A Guide to the Shamanic and Ritual use of Herbs — Anna Franklin & Susan Lavender [If you purchase only ONE text on herbal magick— make it this one!]
A Salem Witch’s Herbal Magic — Laurie Cabot
The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews — Scott Cunningham
Whispers of the Moon: The Life & Work of Scott Cunningham — deTraci Regula & David Herrington
Magical Incenses & Oils — Anna Franklin
Incense: Crafting & Use of Magickal Scents — Carl F. Niel
Wylundt’s Book of Incense
Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magick — Scott Cunningham
Nicholas Culpeper’s Herbal & Physician — Nicholas Culpeper [Another text with which Gerald Gardner was intimately aquainted! A classic text in the field of herbology!]
A Modern Herbal, Vol. I & Vol. II — Mrs. M. Grieve
The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology & Its Applications — Christian Ratsch
Medical Herbalism — David Hoffmann, FNIMH, AHG
The Herb Book — Dr. John Lust, N.D.
The Illustrated Encyclopediua of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Essential Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism — Julia Lawless
The Magical & Ritual use of Perfumes — Richard Alan Miller and Iona Miller
The Magical & Ritual use of Herbs — Richard Alan Miller
The Magical & Ritual use of Aphrodisiacs — Richard Alan Miller
Magickal Formulary Spellbook: Book I — Herman Slater
Magickal Formulary Spellbook: Book II — Herman Slater [A companion]
Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy — Clark Heinrich
Plants of the Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers — Richard Evans Schultes, Albert Hofmann & Christian Ratsch
The Secret Life of Plants: A fascinating account of the physical, emotional, and spiritual relations between plants and man — Peter Tompkins [A classic!]
Soma: The Divine Hallucinogen — David L. Spess
Marijuana Medicine: A World Tour of the Healing and Visionary Powers of Cannabis — Christian Ratsch
The Great Book of Hemp: The Complete Guide to the Environmental, Commercial, and Medicinal Uses of the World’s Most Extraordinary Plant — Rowan Robinson
Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas — Claudia Muller-Ebeling, Christian Ratsch, and Surendra Bahadur Shahi
Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants — Claudia Muller-Ebeling, Christian Ratsch, and Wolf-Dieter Storl, PhD.
Sacred Mushroom of Visions: Teonanacatl—A Sourcebook on the Psilocybin Mushroom — Ralph Metzner [ed.]
How Do Witches Fly—A Practical Approach to Nocturnal Flights — Dr. Alexander Kuklin [It’s a fascinating book all about Medieval flying ointments! Highly recommended, as many of the above books, for research purposes only!]
A Brief History of Drugs—From the Stone Age to the Stones Age — Antonio Escohotado
The Herbal Handbook: A User’s Guide to Medical Herbalism — David Hoffmann
The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism — Simon Y. Mills, M.A. M.N.I.M.H.
Green Pharmacy: The History and Evolution of Western Herbal Medicine — Barbara Griggs
The Book of the Toad — Robert M. Degraaff
Back To Eden [Updated & Expanded] — Jethro Kloss
The Cassell Dictionary of Folklore — David Pickering

ADVANCED WICCAN/PAGAN STUDIES:

The Heart of Wicca — Ellen Cannon Reed [d. ?]
Deepening Witchcraft — Grey Cat
Spiritual Mentoring: A Pagan Guide — Judy Harrow
The Veil’s Edge — Willow Polson
Advancing the Witches’ Craft — Lord Foxglove
Progressive Witchcraft: Spirituality, Mysteries & Training — Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone
Twelve Wild Swans — Starhawk
Evolutionary Witchcraft — T. Thorn Coyle
Adept Circle Magick: A Guide for the Advanced Wiccan Practitioner — Kirk White

MAGICK:

The Key of Solomon (Clavicula Salomonis) — S. Liddell MacGregor Mathers Translated and edited from manuscripts at the British Museum
The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King (Clavicula Salomonis Regis) — Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers
The Mystical Qabalah — Dion Fortune
The Middle Pillar — Israel Regardie
The Garden of Pomegranates — Israel Regardie
The Tree of Life — Israel Regardie
777 and Other Qabalistic Writings of Alesister Crowley — A.C.
Psychic Self-Defense — Dion Fortune
Applied Magick — Dion Fortune
Applied Occultism — Dion Fortune
Magick: Liber ABBA— Book 4 — Aleister Crowley
The Book of the Law — Aleister Crowley
The Golden Dawn — Israel Regardie
Three Books of Occult Philosophy — Henry Agrippa
Ritual Magick of the Golden Dawn — [ed.] Francis King
Lady Rhea’s Enchanted Candle Spells: How to Carve, Glitter, & breathe Life into your Enchanted Candle [First Ed., Completely Revised Version of, “The Enchanted Candle” also by Lady Rhea] — Lady Rhea
The Enchanted Candle: Crafting & casting Magickal Light — Lady Rheah, with Eve LeFey
The Healing Craft: Healing Practices for Witches & Pagans — Janet & Stewart Farrar, and Gavin Bone

QUANTUM MECHANICS:

The Tao of Physics — Fritjoff Capra
The Holographic Universe — Michael Talbot
Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness — Itzhak Bentov
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes — Stephen Hawking
Synchronicity: The Bridge Between Matter and Mind — F. David Peat
Looking Glass Universe — F. David Peat
In Search of Schrodinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality — John Gribbin
The Elegant Universe — Brian Green
The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy — Three Anonymous Initiates
Mind Into Matter: A New Alchemy of Science & Spirit — Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D.
The Hidden Messages in Water — Dr. Masaru Emoto
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality — Brian Greene

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