Wicca

Kathryn Huxtable's Pagan Bibliography

("An it harm none...")

These books are all oriented towards Wicca, or Witchcraft. There are a number of introductory books listed, because I read several and liked them.

Cunningham, Scott. Wicca--a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Llewellyn, St. Paul, 1988.

Excellent introduction to generic Wiccan practice with some basic Pagan philosophy. A good beginning book, especially if you're practicing solitary, or with just one other person.

Farrar, Janet and Stewart. Eight Sabbats For Witches. Phoenix, Custer, Washington, 1988. Originally published in 1981.

Excellent discussion of pagan traditions and myths surrounding each of the eight solar holidays. Gives a detailed description of a ritual for each sabbat. The tradition being described here is Alexandrian and some may find the Farrar's rituals too complex and/or stultifying, but it contains lots of good source material, especially for Celtic-based traditions. Highly recommended.

________. The Witches' Way. Phoenix, Custer, Washington, 1984.

Completes the work begun in Eight Sabbats and presents the rest of the material from the "Book of Shadows". Includes initiation rituals for the three degrees in the Gardnarian/Alexandrian tradition, Moon rituals, consecration rituals, and much more. Again, some may find this material a bit heavy, but it is a good description of a living tradition that works for some and it provides lots of good source material. Highly recommended.

________. The Witches' God. Phoenix, Custer, Washington, 1989.

Companion to The Witches' Goddess. this book presents an analysis of the various god archetypes. Describes rituals for invoking each aspect and includes a comprehensive survey of gods from cultures around the world. I find that some of the rituals seem a little forced, but otherwise it contains good source material. Highly recommended.

________. The Witches' Goddess. Phoenix, Custer, Washington, 1987.

An analysis of the various goddess archetypes. Describes rituals for invoking each aspect and includes a comprehensive survey of goddesses from cultures around the world. Highly recommended.

Kelly, Aidan A. Crafting the Art of Magic, Book I. Llewellyn, Saint Paul, 1991.

A rigorous historical analysis of Gardnerian witchcraft, clearly distinguishing its foundational myths from actual history. Using established scholarly methods, Kelly uncovers the history of the Craft as a new religion, created from whole cloth by Gardner in this century. Out of print, but highly recomended.

________. Hippy Commie Beatnik Witches. Self-published on floppy disk, 1994.

A history of the Craft in California from the late 1960s into the 1970s, from Aidan's perspective. Lots of interesting info about the founding of the New Reformed Orthodox Order of the Golden Dawn (NROOGD) as well as info about the Faerie Tradition.

Leland, Charles G. Aradia--Gospel of the Witches. Phoenix, Custer, Washington, 1990. Originally published in 1890.

A folklorist collects tales from surviving Tuscan Witches. The basic version of the Charge came from this book. Also one of the most common Outer Court names for the Goddess. I'd have to say, though, that these Nineteenth Century Italian Witches were a pretty vindictive bunch. I'd hate to be on their bad side.

RavenWolf, Silver. To Ride a Silver Broomstick. Llewellyn, St. Paul, 1993.

The new eclectic introduction to the Craft. Personally, I think the title and the cover are awful (I hate "cute") but the book is an excellent introduction. I think this is the Spiral Dance of the 1990s, at least so far as being relevant to the times and being a good beginning. Highly recommended for beginners.

Ryall, Rhiannon. West Country Wicca. Phoenix, Custer, Washington: 1989.

An account by a woman who claims to have participated in a "family tradition" indigenous to the Devon/Somerset border in England prior to the publication of Gerald Gardner's books, and hence documents a "genuine" indigenous tradition. Some interesting source material.

Starhawk. Dreaming the Dark. Beacon Press, Boston, 1982.

Theory and practice of the Craft and of running a coven. Ties Goddess spirituality and the Craft together with radical feminist politics. This is the book that convinced me that the Craft was relevant to my life. Highly recommended.

________. The Spiral Dance. Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1979.

Starhawk's first, and possibly most influential work. Provides an excellent introduction to the Craft, and the Fairy tradition in particular. This book makes a good workbook for any beginning witch. There is some evidence that hundreds of covens were started after people read this book. The 10th anniversary edition contains some additional material and retrospective commentary by the author. Highly recommended.

________. Truth or Dare. Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1987.

Starhawk continues her thesis on the Craft as a liberating force for spiritual and political change. This has some excellent discussion of group dynamics in non-hierarchical groups and how to deal with them.

Contact kathryn@kathrynhuxtable.org with questions or comments about this page.

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This file was modified Wednesday, 15-Dec-2004 12:54:46 PST