For Further Reading:
The Bewitching Ways Book list

(This section is still under construction.
More of our references are coming soon.)

As with any topic, the more you know, the better informed you'll be when it comes to making decisions. The Craft is no different. There are as many ways to practice it as there are practitioners. Reading the works of others may open you to new ideas or help you structure your beliefs as you see fit. Even if a particular topic is of no interest to you, it is always wise to know something about it. You never know when you might need that information. Knowledge is key.

Below you will find links to some of the many, many reference books and grimoires available. The ones listed here are ones that the editors of Bewitching Ways have found most helpful and informative. Most were ones consulted while doing research for this site. While we might have our favorite authors, we have no allegiance to any one specific author or tradition. And please remember, these are just our personal opinions regarding these books. Yours may be totally different.

Beginning in January, Gene Dratva will be reviewing new books in a monthly column. Check it out to see what's worth picking up. Also, if you know of a really great book, let us know and we'll add it to our Readers' Choice list.

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General 'How To' Wiccan books
Reference books/Encyclopedia
Runes
Other Craft resources
Wiccan Fiction
Readers Choice

General Wiccan books

"Wicca for Life: The Way of the Craft from Birth to Summerland," by Raymond Buckland
*Whether a solitary or a coven member, there is something in this for everyone, even if it is a little more "traditional" than some of the more contemporary books. It has a very interesting history section, especially the parts on the effect of Christianity on Paganism. It also includes rituals and songs. - Apythia

"Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner," by Scott Cunningham
* A great first book for anyone interested in The Craft, especially for gentlemen. It is filled with the whys and how tos and the mechanics of Witchcraft and will have you practicing in no time. Also check out the next book, " Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner," to take it to the next level.- Apythia

*I'm sure someone else has already mentioned this book because everyone has probably used this as a basic how-to. Easy to read, easy to understand, allows you to get right in and start witching it up! - Lady Phoenix

"To Ride a Silver Broomstick," "To Stir a Magick Cauldron," and "To Light a Sacred Flame" by Silver RavenWolf
*Another great book series for beginners, complete with exercises. While some people disagree with some of the author's beliefs, the writing style is very approachable and the author stresses the fact that you chose what you want to follow on this path. And while I personally don't practice everything in these books, I have found them to be a very valuable part of my collection. I am currently using them for start-off points in my weekly study group - Apythia.

*This is my trilogy, the one that truly helped me on the way to Witch ability. You can say whatever you want to about Silver - I don't care. All I know is these three books are right under my hand when I'm looking for an answer to any question. - Lady Phoenix

"The Spiral Dance," by Starhawk
*I have a special place in my heart for this book, as it was the one that opened the Wiccan door to me. I also had the amazing honor of meeting Starhawk and spending an evening with her about ten years ago. You may not agree with her political stance or ideas, but she's a remarkable woman, no matter what. Anyway, this book is a great introduction; plus, she includes chants, songs, rituals, and exercises that you can do on your own or with your coven/study group. - Lady Phoenix

*This was the first Wiccan book I read. And while it may lean a little to the woman/feminist side, I still would recommend it to everyone. (However I don't suggest ti to be the first Wiccan book I guy picks up). It also has some solo and group exercises.- Apythia

"The Wicca Handbook," by Eileen Holland
*This is also a great beginner and/or how-to book. It covers a little of everything, from history to correspondences to becoming a witch. I particularly like her affinity for practicing Wicca as an adaptable religion that can grow and change with the times and the practitioner. - Apythia

"Pagan Rites of Passage" by Pauline Campanelli.
* I think of this book as a manual for really living Wicca. This book focuses on wiccanings, handfastings, crossings, divorces, "becoming" a man or woman-the kind of stuff that defines you as a person as you go along in life. - Lady Phoenix

"A Witches' Bible: The Complete Witches Handbook" by Janet Farrar and Stewart Farrar
* I personally am not a fan of this book. I found the writing style wanting and some of the practices a little, well, let's just say it wasn't always to my taste. While the book (sort of a two-for one deal) does give a broad overview of the craft, complete with a book of shadows, it is geared toward a coven more so than a solitary practitioner. I put it on the list because so many Wiccans do seem to love this book and it is one that, like it or not, should be read, if for no other reason that to know what the others are talking about. - Apythia

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Reference books

"The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation Solitary Witch" by Silver RavenWolf
* While this book was written for the 16-24 year old crowd, it can be an invaluable assets for all witches. If you ignore the spells in the back that deal with school and teen angst (unless of course, you are in this age ranged, then by all means, put them to use), you will find it a very handy reference book that covers everything from basic Wicca, astrology, tarot, herbs, divination, spirit guides etc. etc. in its 600+ pages. It's a great book for whenever you have a quick question. I refer to it much more than I had anticipated I would. - Apythia

"Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem and Metal Magick " by Scott Cunningham.
*This is a very comprehensive collection of all you ever wanted to know about your stones. The only flaw is the lack of photos. There are a few, but it would be nice to have a photo for each stone in the book. - Apythia

"The Complete Encyclopedia of Incense, Oils and Brews" by Scott Cunningham
*This is truly all you ever wanted to know about incense, oils, powders, tinctures, bath salts, etc. It gives thorough instructions on how to make your own as well as complete correspondence for the usual scents. - Apythia

"Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs," by Scott Cunningham
*While I don't own this personally (It is next on my list of things to buy), it is referenced countless times and cited for the source of herb correspondences in many other Wiccan books. I am sure it is just as thorough and helpful as his other works- Apythia

"Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today," by Margot Adler
*This "compendium of information about the rebirth of Pagan religions" is very informative but is also dense. While it is worth the read, be forewarned that it can be a little term-paperish. This is not a how-to book. - Apythia

"Animal-Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small," by Ted Andrews.
*A thorough, excellent resource on totem animals. After explaining what totems are and how you can use them, Mr. Andrews offers an amazing encyclopedia of animals, and what they mean in a totem setting. It's very thorough-I have never looked in there without learning something new. - Lady Phoenix

"The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca and
Neo-Paganism" by Raymond Buckland
*True to the name "encyclopedia," this reference book is great more for the history, philosophy and vocabulary of the craft as opposed to the how-tos. It's a great "who's who" in and against the craft. - Apythia

Llewellyn's "Magickal Almanac" series, various contributors
*These books are great, and relatively inexpensive considering how much information is packed into them. Llewellyn prints a new one every year, and while some may pick these up for the almanac info, I get them for the scads of informative articles each one contains. Contributing authors (often well-known in their own right) cover an enormous range of topics, and whenever I am in research mode, I turn to these books. - Lady Phoenix

Llewellyn's "holiday" books, various authors
*In the past couple of years, Llewellyn published eight books, each one focusing solely on one of the Sabbats, and I can't say enough good things about them. I am especially fond of the solstice and equinox books, and my favorite is probably the one on Candlemas (Imbolc), but they are all wonderful. Great background, history, ritual ideas, craft projects-all themed to each holiday. These are excellent resources for putting together your own holiday celebrations, and I wouldn't want to be without them. - Lady Phoenix

Llewellyn's "Witches Spell a Day Almanac" series, various contributors
*Each year, Llewellyn publishes a collection of submitted spells, rituals, poems, meditations, etc. and compiles them into a handy little book. There are enough gems in the little book to definitely make it worth the small price (usually around $8). Because the spells come from a variety of sources, everyone is pretty much guaranteed to find at least one thing in here that they really like. - Apythia

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Runes

"Discover Runes" by Tony Willis
*After I discovered a certain book that comes with a particular runeset was not all it was cracked up to be, I turned to this book and was satisfied. Mr. Willis explains each rune in detail, and he offers lots of interesting and intricate multirune casts. You can't go wrong with this rune book. - Lady Phoenix

"Northern Mysteries and Magick" by Freya Aswynn
*You can't go wrong with this book either. The author is originally from Holland, so she's lived in Rune Central for most of her life. Her book really digs into the ancient history of the runes, and she is focusing on Northern traditions and gods such as Odin, Thor, Loki, Freya, and the like. If you are working with this pantheon at all, you should really read this book. - Lady Phoenix

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Other Resources

"Everyday Magic," by Dorothy Morrison
*This book is great for practical magick in every aspect of life. It's one of the most-referred to book I have for spells. It covers everything from protection from computer viruses to emotional issues. It is a very practical and useful book. - Apythia

"The Urban Primitive: Paganism in the Concrete Jungle" by Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein and "City Magick: Urban Rituals, Spells and Shamanism" by Christopher Penczak
* These books combined with "Everyday Magic" create sort of an ultimate book of shadows for the city witch. Inside, you will find practical advice and approaches to participating in a nature-based religion in an urban religion. I have found the information and comparisons invaluable. They really helped me get over the feeling of inadequacy for not being able to celebrate under the moon, bury things on my property or access natural running water or frolic in the forest, etc.Their takes on city gods and city totems are humorous for the grain of truth in them all. - Apythia

"Enchantment of the Faerie Realm: Communicate With Nature Spirits and Elementals," by Ted Anderson
* This book is basically divided into sections. While I pretty much skipped the Faerie part, there was a great section on the Elementals and how to work with them. It is one of the more in-depth books on this topic I have read - Apythia

"Animal-Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small,"by Ted Andrews.
* A thorough, excellent resource on totem animals. After explaining what totems are and how you can use them, Mr. Andrews offers an amazing encyclopedia of animals, and what they mean in a totem setting. It's very thorough-I have never looked in there without learning something new. - Lady Phoenix

"Meditation Made Easy" by Lorne Roche
*This is not a "witch book" per se, but if you, like me, find meditation to be a tricky skill, this is a good book to check out. - Lady Phoenix

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Wiccan Fiction

"The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley
If you loved the made-for-TV movie, you'll love the book even more. Tells the Arthurian legend from the viewpoint of its women, particularly Morgan Le Fay, who is not evil in this retelling, thank the Goddess. An awesome book, with some great Pagan stuff. People who knew her insist that she was not, but I still believe that Bradley had a little Pagan in her, may she rest in peace. - Lady Phoenix

"The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice
To this day, I remain astounded by this woman's ability to create and maintain the most complicated family tree known to the written word. I can't say enough good things about this one-it is to witches what Interview with a Vampire was to the bloodsuckers. In fact, I regularly reread this one just because. - Lady Phoenix

Anne Bishop
Everything this woman has written so far has been glorious, and there's only one other author out there about whom I say this (and that would be Laurell K. Hamilton , in case you want to run out and buy her books too, and you should. Yes, you should. Every single one.) I discovered her Black Jewels Trilogy ("Daughter of the Blood," "Heir to the Shadows," and "Queen of the Darkness") and was bowled over. Then she wrote the Tir Alainn Trilogy ("The Pillars of the World," "Shadow and Light," and "The House of Gaian") and I rejoiced, for the second trilogy deftly blends Craft and mythology into a beautiful reading experience. I'm sorry-I know I'm gushing, but I just adore this woman's witches! You'll find her in the sci-fi/fantasy section, not too far away from Ms. Hamilton. Go on…indulge. You'll be glad you did. - Lady Phoenix

Christopher Golden
Okay, it's not all Wiccan per se, but just like Laurell K. Hamilton, it is very entertaining! I first read Golden's "The Gatekeeper's Trilogy," which are only three of a myriad of books he wrote based on the TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." I then discovered his vampire/sorcerer series "The Shadow Saga", the creatures series "Prowlers" and his detective/mystery series "Body of Evidence". He is also a well-known name in the comic book industry (X-men/Daredevil) - Apythia

"The Fifth Sacred Thing" by Starhawk.
This novel rocked my world when I first read it. When you read it, you will truly understand Starhawk's beliefs and philosophy. Somewhat speculative in nature, you'll sometimes find it in the sci-fi/fantasy section of your bookstore, but it's more often with the rest of the "new age" books. Some argue that it isn't particularly well-written, but when I stay up until 6 a.m. to finish reading a book, you know it's got to be good. - Lady Phoenix

"Murder at Witches' Bluff" by Silver RavenWolf
Since becoming a Witch, I try to find fiction that deals with the real side of witchcraft, without all the shooting-blue-lights-out-of-one's-fingertips crap that, while it would be great to do, will never actually happen in this reality. Silver's fiction attempts that nicely. Her other fiction includes Beneath a Mountain Moon and the Witches' Night Out series, but this mystery is probably my favorite of hers. - Lady Phoenix

"Eternity" by Maggie Shayne
Although this book doesn't indulge in the realism of the Craft, it is still a great book. (It helps that Maggie is a "real" witch.) It is a romance at heart, but it's also the story of Raven St. James, an Immortal High Witch who survives the witch trials only to lose her lover. Raven's powers, the love story, and the threat of an evil warlock all mesh together to form a memorable tale. It's the first-and my favorite-in the Immortal Witches trilogy (the other books are "Infinity" and "Destiny"), and you need to read it first before you read the other two. Maggie also writes an amazing vampire series, the Twilight books, for those of you who are into that. - Lady Phoenix

"The Heart of the Fire" by Cerridwen Fallingstar
The author insists that this is more than a novel-she claims it is a true recounting of one of her past lives. I don't know if I believe that, but I do believe that this book will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I think everyone should read it at least once. It is the story of Fiona MacNair, a peasant girl in 16th-century Scotland, and a story of how life as a Pagan might have been "back in the day." Its descriptions of ritual are enchanting, and the love scenes are hot, but be aware that there is some extremely graphic depiction of violence, and it's not for the faint of heart. You will feel as if you are really there and that it's happening to you. I literally sobbed as I read through the worst of it, but this is what our ancestors suffered, and it needs to be remembered. - Lady Phoenix

"Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire.
*I'm including this book because everyone seems to be raving about it. I personally couldn't get through it. I found the writing style to be very amateurish and it took away too much from the story. But those who did make it through the book liked the story. If you ever come across it on sale, it might be worth picking up so you can decide for yourself. It tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West leading up to the familiar tale of "The Wizard of Oz." Maguire also tackled the ugly stepsisters of "Cinderella" and the witch in "Snow White." - Apythia

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Readers' Choice book list

Do you absolutely love a book that you think others might like or would be beneficial to read, let us know and we will post it. E-mail Apythia with the title, author and a sentence or two of why this book is worth picking up.

I absolutely loved Nora Roberts "Three Sisters Island Trilogy" ....It really stretches the usages of magic, But they were a "good read". There are a lot of fantastic supernatural events leading up to a posible tragic end for the Island of the coast of Massachusetts, but of course in the end good manages to overcome evil. - Polgara

Hi, I am a 24 yr. old full time college student (living in beautiful Maine), have been practicing eclectic Wicca since I was about 14 or so, and I picked this book up at a surplus and salvage store many years ago.The name of the book is "Crystals: A Fiona Kendrick Mystery," and it is by Ann Zavala; ISBN: 0312854404. I have not read any of her other books, but this particular work of fiction is wonderful. Here is a description: About this title: Two best friends, Fiona Kendrick and Gia Fields, are not entirely pleased with the state of their lives. Gia's husband has just left her, and Fiona's has tax problems and a daughter with a brain tumor. The two decide to dabble in a little witchcraft and seek out a local coven. It does the book little justice, but is a concise and adequate description. Thanks and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have; it's definitely a "re-reader"..... ~Jenny

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