Pagans... please help. :)

[Velo Princesse]

My sister wants books about paganism, but not Wicca, and she isn't sure which authors she can trust. Could you please tell me what books to recommend to her? Thanks.

 

[Steezie]

My sister wants books about paganism, but not Wicca, and she isn't sure which authors she can trust. Could you please tell me what books to recommend to her? Thanks.

Some of the best starter books are the The Complete Idiot's Guide To... books. They're very simple to understand and are geared towards people who arent familar with the subject.

They have several that deal with Paganistic topics. The For Dummies series is also decent but I'd reccomend the Idiots series first.

My fiancee reccomends Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Addler, its supposed to be a very broad view.

Does she have any specific paths in mind?

 

[morningstar2651]

My sister wants books about paganism, but not Wicca, and she isn't sure which authors she can trust. Could you please tell me what books to recommend to her? Thanks.

Here is a pretty good booklist divided by category. This should help her find whatever she's looking for. There is also a list of books to avoid. Although a Wiccan site, these book reviews should help too.

Remind your sister to read with a notebook and pencil handy, and that any book worth reading is worth reading three times.

Here are some books that I highly recommend:

The Golden Bough by Sir James G. Frazer is good for Paganism, magic, and religion in general. It's in the public domain.

Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton is a great book on the modern history of Pagan witchcraft. Although it focuses on Wicca & witchcraft, it is a history book rather than a practical guide. Hutton is a professor of history at the University of Bristol and is a leading authority on the history of paganism. It's a dry academic book, and may be a tough read for your sister.

Greek Religion by Walter Burkert is a book that I consider mandatory if your sister wants to study ancient Greek religion.

Anything by Joseph Campbell -- he dedicated his life to the study of myth. Here is a video excerpt from the interview The Power of Myth.

Magick Without Tears was written by Aleister Crowley at the end of his life. I consider it an excellent introduction to Ceremonial Magick in plain English. Not a necessary read if your sister isn't interested in CM. Nevertheless, she may find it beneficial to read Chapter I.

This reading list should get your sister started. Remind her, however, not to get too attached to one author - it is important for her to criticize even the books she agrees with.

 

[sidhe]

I'd recommend anything by Lon Milo Duquette, if your sister has any interest in ceremonial magick. He clarifies and expands on Crowley's work.

Christopher Penczak (spelling, please?) is an excellent shamanistic writer, IMHO, as well as that of my wife.

Rodney Orpheus wrote a great introduction to Thelema called Abrahadabra. I'm reading it right now and it's excellent for beginners (and those more experienced with Thelema, too!).

My wife recommends Ruth Barrett for info on Goddess mysteries. Be warned: she does have some very negative opinions about patriarchal society and is very stubborn about her version of Dianic witchcraft.

Konstantinos gives a good view of the darker side of paganism, as in the not-so-love-light-and-fluff side that some authors focus on. He can be, in my opinion, a bit fluffy on the dark side, but he provides balance to authors like $ilver Ravenwallet.

Ceisiwr Serith wrote a nice book of pagan prayers that includes all kinds of pagan traditions. He's a Druid.

That's everyone I can think of, right off hand.

 

[Velo Princesse]

Some of the best starter books are the The Complete Idiot's Guide To... books. They're very simple to understand and are geared towards people who arent familar with the subject.

They have several that deal with Paganistic topics. The For Dummies series is also decent but I'd reccomend the Idiots series first.

My fiancee reccomends Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Addler, its supposed to be a very broad view.

Does she have any specific paths in mind?

Pantheism. That's all she said. She's very talkative.

Here is a pretty good booklist divided by category. This should help her find whatever she's looking for. There is also a list of books to avoid. Although a Wiccan site, these book reviews should help too.

Remind your sister to read with a notebook and pencil handy, and that any book worth reading is worth reading three times.

Here are some books that I highly recommend:

The Golden Bough by Sir James G. Frazer is good for Paganism, magic, and religion in general. It's in the public domain.

Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton is a great book on the modern history of Pagan witchcraft. Although it focuses on Wicca & witchcraft, it is a history book rather than a practical guide. Hutton is a professor of history at the University of Bristol and is a leading authority on the history of paganism. It's a dry academic book, and may be a tough read for your sister.

Greek Religion by Walter Burkert is a book that I consider mandatory if your sister wants to study ancient Greek religion.

Anything by Joseph Campbell -- he dedicated his life to the study of myth. Here is a video excerpt from the interview The Power of Myth.

Magick Without Tears was written by Aleister Crowley at the end of his life. I consider it an excellent introduction to Ceremonial Magick in plain English. Not a necessary read if your sister isn't interested in CM. Nevertheless, she may find it beneficial to read Chapter I.

This reading list should get your sister started. Remind her, however, not to get too attached to one author - it is important for her to criticize even the books she agrees with.

I'd recommend anything by Lon Milo Duquette, if your sister has any interest in ceremonial magick. He clarifies and expands on Crowley's work.

Christopher Penczak (spelling, please?) is an excellent shamanistic writer, IMHO, as well as that of my wife.

Rodney Orpheus wrote a great introduction to Thelema called Abrahadabra. I'm reading it right now and it's excellent for beginners (and those more experienced with Thelema, too!).

My wife recommends Ruth Barrett for info on Goddess mysteries. Be warned: she does have some very negative opinions about patriarchal society and is very stubborn about her version of Dianic witchcraft.

Konstantinos gives a good view of the darker side of paganism, as in the not-so-love-light-and-fluff side that some authors focus on. He can be, in my opinion, a bit fluffy on the dark side, but he provides balance to authors like $ilver Ravenwallet.

Ceisiwr Serith wrote a nice book of pagan prayers that includes all kinds of pagan traditions. He's a Druid.

That's everyone I can think of, right off hand.

Thank you, everyone, for you recommendations. I passed them on to her. Feel free to keep them coming!

 

[kit]

Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler.

It does tell quite a bit about Wicca but she makes an effort to address all the other forms of Paganism being practiced in the Western world. In addition to Paganism she has a short blurb about Satanism.

It is very comprehensive even though it covers a lot of territory. There is a massive bibliography so someone reading it can have ideas of what other books to check out if a particular interest arises.

 

[Velo Princesse]

Thanks, Kit. I'm passing that on.