Wicca
There have been numerous “Wicca 101”-type books written over the last decade. Many of them repeat much of the same information, albeit from somewhat different viewpoints. The ones below are the more readily available and responsibly written books we have found.
You may be puzzled as to why some of the more prominent names do not appear on this list. Either they repeat the same information found in the below books or are authors to be avoided because of their sloppy scholarship or they may have plagiarized much of the material.
Complete Book of Witchcraft. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1986.
A generic primer of basic techniques and ritual. He is from the Seax (Saxon) tradition, but the book is more generic. Buckland was trained by Gerald Gardner (the founder of the Gardnerian traditions) and much of his writings reflect that. I will be flagging Gardner-influenced material throughout because the Gardnerian tradition is the one I find dogmatic in its approach. Many eclectic groups (knowingly or unknowingly use Gardner’s materials for their rituals, etc., but have done more research and have been far more creative in their approaches. (SR)
Wicca: The Old Religion in the New Age. Wellingborough, UK: Aquarian Press, 1989.
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1988.
______. Living Wicca. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 199?.
Scott Cunningham’s works are reassuring to new practitioners, if a bit lightweight in content. (SR)
A Witches Bible. New York: Magickal Childe Publishing, Inc., 1984.
I believe that this has been republished by another company. I have the old two-volume set and I think it has now been combined into one volume. The Farrars were also influenced by Gerald Gardner, but their ideas now differ considerably. (SR)
. Wicca for the Rest of Us. (http://wicca.timerift.net/index.html).
I rarely recommend web sites, but this one is exceptional. It gives concise and facutal overview of what Wicca is and what it is not and dicusses some common myths all-too-many Neo-pagans have about Wicca and its relationships to history. (SR, 09/03)
The Urban Pagan: Magical Living in a 9-to-5 World. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1994.
Although given to an idealization of nature and the rural environment most Pagans live in an urban/suburban environment. Telesco has a refreshing approach to finding the magic within that environment and to living a Pagan lifestyle in the 20th century. Another book by her, Wicca 2000: Invocations, Prayers, and Rituals for the Magickal Millennium, is also quite worthwhile. (SR)
Witchcraft for Tomorrow. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing Inc., 1978.
Valiente was a collaborator with Gerald Gardner, but her approach is much broader and less dogmatic. (SR)
Earth Magic: A Dianic Book of Shadows. Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing Inc., 1986.
Weinstein continues her emphasis with magical ethics with this practical primer. Although the title says “Dianic,” this book is not “Dianic” in the sense of being exclusively Goddess-oriented. (SR)
