Books and Resources (Paganism, Witchcraft and More)
This list has been updated over the years and will continued to be updated over time. If you re-post this elsewhere, kindly credit me because it’s taken a long time to compile what I feel are useful resources on the following topics. The very basics are covered in my FAQ.
A Pagan Primer — For Those New to Paganism
Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by River and Joyce Higginbotham
Pagan Spirituality: A Guide to Personal Transformation by River and Joyce Higginbotham
Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America by Margot Adler
Connecting to the Power of Nature by Joe H. Slate
Exploring the Pagan Path: Wisdom from the Elders (a collection of articles, essays and general commentary from various pagan authors)
ChristoPaganism: An Inclusive Path by River Higginbotham and Joyce Higginbotham
Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe by H.R. Ellis Davidson
Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin
Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner
The Meaning of Witchcraft by Gerald Gardner
The Spiral Dance by Starhawk (most recent edition only, old editions have inaccurate info that has since been updated)
Elements of Ritual: Air, Fire, Water & Earth in the Wiccan Circle by Deborah Lipp
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner and Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Scott Cunningham) – note that this book is somewhat outdated, due to it being written in the 1980s.
The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes
Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells by Judika Illes
Crone’s Book of Charms & Spells by Valerie Worth
Witchcraft: a History by P.G. Maxwell-Stuart
Mrs. B’s Guide to Household Witchery by Kris Bradley
Candle Magic for Beginners by Richard Webster
Master Book of Candle Burning by Henry Gamache
A Grimoire for Modern Cunningfolk by Peter Paddon
Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways by Gemma Gary and Jane Cox
Non-Wiccan Witchcraft Reading List
Witch of Forest Grove: Sarah Anne Lawless
Welcome to Witchcraft - A Post for Beginners
The Salem Witch Hunt: A Brief History with Documents (The Bedford Series in History and Culture) by Richard Godbeer
Traditional Witchcraft Resources
Historical Witchcraft Books
Sea Witchcraft Resources / Sea Witchcraft Tag
Cottage Witchcraft Resources
Kitchen and Green Witchcraft Resources
Green Witchcraft: Walking the Green Path
Urban Witchcraft Resources
Resources for Sigil Magic and Crafting
www.sacred-texts.com (free archive of online books about religion, mythology, folklore, and the esoteric)
Mythology: Myths, Legends and Fantasies by Alice Mills
Illustrated Dictionary of Mythology: Heroes, Heroines, Gods, and Goddesses from Around the World by Philip Wilkinson
The Oxford Companion to World Mythology by David Leeming
World Mythology: The Illustrated Guide by Roy Willis
Hellenic Polytheism and Greek Mythology:
baringtheaegis.blogspot.com
Hellenic Recon Beginner’s Guide
Reconstruction of Hellenic Polytheistic Practices
An Outline for a Presentation on Hellenismos
Hellenic Resources by Bayoread
Hellenic Resource Download Bundle 1 by Elaphos
Hellenic Resource Download Bundle 2 by Elaphos
Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes & Monsters by Donna Jo Napoli
D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire
Old Stones, New Temples by Drew Campbell
Greek Mythology and Prehistory by W. Harris
The Gods of Reason by Timothy Jay Alexander
A Beginner’s Guide to Hellenismos by Timothy Jay Alexander
Hellenismos Today by Timothy Jay Alexander
The Complete World of Greek Mythology by Richard Buxton
Did the Greeks Believe in Their Myths? by Paul Veyne
Kharis: Hellenic Polytheism Explored by Sarah Kate Istra Winter
Homer’s Iliad, The Odyssey and Homeric Hymns
The Homeric Hymns (PDF) and The Orphic Hymns (PDF)
Homer’s Iliad (Theoi.com)
Hesiod: Works and Days (PDF version here)
The Theogony of Hesiod (PDF version here)
Magic in the Ancient Greek World by Derek Collins
Magic, Witchcraft and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds by Daniel Ogden
Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds by Georg Luck
The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation (PDF)
Magika Hiera: Ancient Greek Magic and Religion
Greek Folk Religion by Martin P Nilsson
Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World by John G. Gager
Magic in the Ancient World by Fritz Graf
Magic and Magicians in the Greco-Roman World by Matthew W. Dickie
Click Here for Books and Resources
Kemeticism and Ancient Egyptian Mythology:
Kemeticism by The Twisted Rope
The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Richard H. Wilkinson
Symbol & Magic in Egyptian Art by Richard H. Wilkinson
Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt by Geraldine Pinch
Celtic Folklore on Sacred Texts
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (Sacred Texts)
Carmina Gadelica by Alexander Carmichael
The Celts: A Very Short Introduction by Barry Cunliffe
The Mabinogi and Other Medieval Welsh Tales by Patrick Form
Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend by Miranda Green
Gods and Heroes of the Celts by Marie-Louise Sjoestedt
The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles by Ronald Hutton
Early Irish Myths and Sagas by Jeffrey Gantz
Druidry - A Mega List of Resources
Non-Wiccan Witches: Modern Druidry
Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions (Sacred Texts)
Asatru, Heathenism and Norse Mythology:
grumpylokeanelder.tumblr.com
“Alright, I’m interested in this Norse stuff. Where do I even start?”
The Eddas: The Keys to the Msteries of the North by James Allen Chisholm
Exploring the Northern Tradition by Galina Krasskova
Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs by John Lindow
Dictionary of Northern Mythology by Rudolf Simek
Teutonic Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
The Nature of Asatru: An Overview of the Ideals and Philosophy of the Indigenous Religion of Northern Europe by Mark Puryear
The Encyclopedia of Crystals by Judy Hall
The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall
Crystal Healing by Judy Hall
Rocks & Minerals by Chris Pellant (identification handbook)
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic by Scott Cunningham
Crystal Grids: How and Why They Work by Hibiscus Moon
The Book of Crystal Spells by Ember Grant
Herbal (Magical, Medicinal):
The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl
Compendium of Herbal Magic by Paul Beyerl
The Green Mantle: An Investigation Into Our Lost Knowledge of Plants by Michael Jordan
The Book of Magical Herbs: Herbal History, Mystery, & Folklore by Margaret Picton
A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guides)
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham (good for quick reference, but not in depth information)
The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and Brews by Scott Cunningham
A List of Threatened Magical Herbs
Resources to Start Learning Local Plants
Notes: please take care before using herbs for medicinal and/or supplemental purposes. Many herbs are toxic (some authors fail to mention this!) and/or have harmful side-effects. Always do research and consult a professional before use.
My Masterlist of Fae Resources
Working with Faery (Info and Resources)
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans
Futhark: A Handbook of Rune Magic by Edred Thorsson
Runelore: A Handbook of Esoteric Runology by Edred Thorsson
The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Runes by Nigel Pennick
Authors to avoid (due to misinformation, historical inaccuracies, poor research, potentially harmful advice, and/or failure to cite sources):
Silver Ravenwolf (here’s why)
approach Llewellyn-published books with caution — there are some great ones, but many aren’t well researched and may contain misinformation.
if all else fails, Google the author and ask around to see what people have to say about them - many bad authors have entire pages or discussions dedicated on why to avoid them!
always fact check information (especially if it involves ingesting anything or putting anything on the skin — just because an ingredient is natural does not mean it isn’t harmful/toxic)
How do I know what to believe? Critical Thinking and Pagan Books
gummygunk
kianamaiart
