Recommended Reading List
From Hypatia's Hoard
Why "Hypatia's Hoard"? More information is available.
- The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess by Starhawk. Designed by Leigh McLellan. Harper & Row, 1979 (first edition). U.S. $12.95 trade paperback, 218 pages. ISBN: 0-06-067535-7.
- Strong Wiccan-Feminist slant but widely relevant to all types of Paganism; aimed at novices but still useful for more advanced practitioners. Contains numerous exercises, chants, invocations, spells, and other material. A real classic. No index in the first edition, so get the second one if possible. Highly recommended.
- People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out edited by Ellen Evert Hopman and Lawrence Bond. Text design & layout by Virginia L. Scott. Destiny Books, 1996. U.S. $19.95 trade paperback, 402 pages. ISBN: 0-89281-559-0.
- Features interviews with practicing Pagans, including well-known speakers like Isaac Bonewits, Yvonne and Gavin Frost, Susun Weed, Oberon G'Zell, Selena Fox, Starhawk, and Zsuzsanna Budapest. Many traditions and issues covered with care: Druidic and Celtic paths, Wicca, the Faery Faith, Pagans and the Law, the Church of All Worlds, Pagan artists and writers, etc. Comprehensive resource guide to books, audiotapes, periodicals, organizations, and so forth. Suitable for all levels of experience; highly recommended.
- The Goddess Celebrates: An Anthology of Women's Rituals edited by Diane Stein. Cover art by Susan Seddon Boulet. The Crossing Press, 1991. U.S. $12.95 trade paperback, 259 pages. ISBN: 0-89594-460-X.
- A superb sampler of Pagan traditions, activities, and personages. Offers rituals by Zsuzsanna Budapest (teaching), Jay Goldspinner (storytelling), Starhawk (sacred space), Antiga (blood mysteries), Caridwyn Aleva (handfasting), Uzuri Amini (emotional healing), and others. Most suitable for novices, but also interesting to more advanced practitioners; highly recommended.
- To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft by Silver RavenWolf. Illustrated by Silver RavenWolf, cover painting by Lisa Iris. Llewellyn Publications, 1993. U.S. $14.95 / Canada $20.50 trade paperback, 300 pages. ISBN: 0-87542-791-X.
- A beginner's guide to Paganism with a wider range than The Spiral Dance but still with heavy Wiccan influence. Discusses principles of belief, magical tools, ritual work, color symbolism, coming out Pagan, and other important skills & issues. Decent index and resource list. Recommended for beginning and intermediate practitioners.
- The Wicca Sourcebook: A Complete Guide for the Modern Witch by Gerina Dunwich. No artist listed. Citadel Press, 1997. U.S. $10.95 / Canada $14.95 trade paperback, 207 pages. ISBN: 0-8065-1830-8.
- Not a how-to guide but a resource listing for essential Pagan products and services. Includes sections on organizations, churches, schools, books/publishers, periodicals, and stores plus special sections on astrology, herbalism, and other tidbits. Covers the United States most thoroughly with occasional listings for Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries. Highly recommended for all Pagans, invaluable as a networking resource for beginners.
- Inside a Witches' Coven by Edain McCoy. Cover design by Anne Marie Garrison. Llewellyn Publications, 1997. U.S. $9.95 / Canada $13.50 trade paperback, 206 pages. ISBN: 1-56718-666-1.
- Comprehensive guide to finding and forming Pagan groups. Discussions of group dynamics, what to look for and what to avoid, initiation rites, magic and healing, networking, and more. Decent resource list and index. The definitive non-solitary handbook. Highly recommended for all levels.
- Earth, Air, Fire & Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic by Scott Cunningham. Cover painting & illustrations by Robin Wood. Llewellyn Publications, 1991. U.S. $9.95 trade paperback, 223 pages.
ISBN: 0-87542-131-8.
- Like the related Earth Power this book focuses on Elemental magic, and covers a considerably wider range; it features not only the title Elements but also magic based on stones, magnets, stars, snow, ice, and other natural things. The author also introduces the basics of magic and how it works. Solid end matter includes a list of symbols and their uses, suppliers of magical products, a nice glossary and annotated bibliography, and a fine index. Most suitable for beginning and intermediate practitioners; highly recommended.
- Entering the Summerland: Customs and Rituals of Transition into the Afterlife by Edain McCoy. Cover art by Liz Phillips. Llewellyn Publications, 1996. U.S. $17.95 / Canada $24.95 trade paperback, 242 pages.
ISBN: 1-56718-665-3.
- Thoughtful and positive guide to Pagan beliefs about what happens during and after death. Presents a variety of Divine figures associated with death and related concepts, a discussion of Pagan funeral customs, some rituals, information on grief, death-related festivals, methods of honoring ancestor and animal spirits, and more. Supporting material includes music for passing-over rituals, a nice resource list, chapter notes, a fine glossary and annotated bibliography, and a great index. A must-have for Pagans of all traditions. Most suitable for intermediate and advanced practitioners, but still accessible to novices; highly recommended.
- The Grandmother of Time: A Woman's Book of Celebrations, Spells, and Sacred Objects for Every Month of the Year by Zsuzsanna E. Budapest. Artwork for chapter openers by Judith Mitchell, other art by Robin Dorn. Harper & Row, 1989. U.S. $13.95 trade paperback, 262 pages. ISBN: 0-06-250109-7.
- A Pagan "book of days" presenting festivals and holy days from diverse cultures throughout the year. Organized chronologically. Showcases a different Goddess for each month and offers seasonal rituals, spells, and celebrations. Nice bibliography, excellent index. Highly recommended for all levels.
- Lord of Light & Shadow: The Many Faces of the God by D.J. Conway. Cover art by MoonDeer, interior art by Lisa Hunt. Llewellyn Publications, 1997. U.S. $14.95 / Canada $20.50 trade paperback, 227 pages. ISBN:1-56718-177-5.
- Counterpoint to the more common women's spirituality texts, this book provides generous coverage for male deities and figures from around the world. Discusses mythology, numerous archetypes such as the Divine Child and the Trickster, ways of recovering the forgotten God, and more. Supporting matter includes several meditations, a lavish appendix on Gods and their attributes, another on God symbols, a great cross-reference guide, chapter endnotes, a wonderful bibliography, and a fantastic index. Highly recommended, especially for those interested in men's mysteries or in reclaiming masculine divinity. Suitable for all levels.
- Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today, by Margot Adler. Cover illustration by Joanna Priestly. Beacon Press, 1979, 1986 (revised and expanded edition). No price given, trade paperback, 595 pages. ISBN: 0-8070-3253-0.
- A Pagan classic, this book takes a look at the historical and modern Pagan movement. Explores Wicca, Radical Faerie, the Church of All Worlds, and more. Appendix material includes a fascinating questionnaire and its results, ritual elements, an extensive but somewhat dated resource list, lavish chapter notes, and a fabulous index. Recommended for those interested in the recent history of Paganism; most suitable for intermediate and advanced pracitioners, but still accessible to novices.
This list of Recommended Reading copyright 1997 Elizabeth Barrette.
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Art on this page is from the set "Here There Be Dragons" at Moyra's Web Jewels.
The URL for this page is http://www.worthlink.net/~ysabet/spirit/readlist.html and it was last updated on October 13, 1998.
