One of the most common questions I get from witches who are just starting out is "what books should I read?" And "do you have any book recommendations?" So I figured I would make this post to address the subject.
There are THOUSANDS of books out there that you can get your hands on but not all of them will have the answers you seek or aren't very beginner friendly. I definitely remember going through ALOT of crappy books before acting finding ones that interested me or answered my questions. At the time, I most definitely would have appreciated a list to provide me with a jumping off point. So here's just that, a jumping off point for all of you new witches who are seeking reference material. Below are the links to some amazing books for beginners to provide general information on the craft and make for great references to keep on hand. I personally own all of these, and can speak for there usefulness.
Books:
-WITCHCRAFT: A HANDBOOK OF SPELLS AND POTIONS by Anastasia Greywolf
https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/witchcraft-anastasia-greywolf/1123775959
This particular book is a collection of spells and curses (Yes Curses) for the everyday witch. It's a great reference for spells and all of the spells come with simple instructions and are none too complex. What makes this book separate from other spell books on the market is that it lists which path each spell came from, providing a very diverse collection and introducing the reader to many paths they may not know of but might be interested in.
-THE WITCHES JOURNAL by Selene Silverwind
https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-witchs-journal-selene-silverwind/1123334372
I like to think of this as the cookbook for witches. True to the name, its formatted like a journal and is basically a guide to the practical side of witchcraft. And cheap too.
-WICCA: A GUIDE FOR THE SOLITARY PRACTITIONER by Scott Cunningham
https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicca-scott-cunningham/1101383650
This was one of the first books I ever got when I started and its one of THE BEST you will ever read. It does have a wicca focus but even if your not wiccan (neither am I) this book can still be applied and contains so much valuable and useful information. If you only take one book from this list, choose this one.
-LIVING WICCA: A FURTHER GUIDE FOR THE SOLITARY PRACTITIONER by Scott Cunningham
https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/living-wicca-scott-cunningham/1101356497?ean=9780875421841
This book is a sequel to the first and talks in depth on the lifestyle aspect of witchcraft (wicca in particular) Its a good read and is just as good and informative as the first.
-The Book of Shadows: A personal journal of your craft by Cassandra Eason
https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-book-of-shadows-cassandra-eason/1118531422?ean=9781454914266
Now, this book is a journal. Meaning you will write in it yourself but the reason it is on this list is because it contains an amazingly written introduction that has information about crystals, herbs, sabbats, correspondences, ect. It is the best witch journal on the market and if you haven't started a journal or grimoire of your own yet definitely pick this one up. You'll thank me later.
-1001 SPELLS by Cassandra Eason
https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/1001-spells-cassandra-eason/1122409455
Do I really need to explain this one?
-WITCH WAY MAGAZINE
https://www.witchwaymagazine.com/
Now, rather than a book, my next recommendation is a magazine. I LOVE this magazine SOOOOO MUCH. If you haven't subscribed to this magazine do yourself a favor and do it now. I'll wait. Done? Good. This digital magazine contains so much useful information sent straight to your email EVERY MONTH. For begginners that's especially useful and great for those who are very busy and don't have time to read a full book. Its convenient, cheap and contains articles written by witches, for witches.
Well there you have it, my six witchy book recommendations for beginning witches. As always, be sure to start a discussion down below and leave some of your own recommendations below. Hope this helps
-Novis Nox
Re: Getting Started: Books By: Lark Moderator / Adept
Post # 2 Aug 20, 2017
You appear to be confusing Witchcraft with Wicca as all of the books you mentioned seem to be focused on the topic of Wicca. That's fine if one is interested in Wicca, but if someone is interested in Traditional Witchcraft they aren't going to be very helpful.
As for those who wish to start out in Wicca, I would suggest the following books:
"Wicca: A Year and a Day" by Timothy Roderick
"Wicca" by Thea Sabin
"The Heart of Wicca" by Ellen Cannon Reed
"The Elements of Ritual" by Deborah Lipp
"Wicca; Old Religion for the New Millenium" by Vivianne Crowley
Cunningham's books were OK for their time, but many better books have come out since then such as the ones I've listed above. Furthermore, Cunningham is responsible for the idea that "Wicca is whatever you want it to be." This statement is patently false and has led many astray because of it.
I also thought the Cassandra Eaton book was "cute". I dunno, some of the spells actually seem kind of fantasy, or maybe it is way too white in the spectrum for my liking.
