There's something about a storm...

There's something about being alone in the house with the wind roaring through the woods behind us that has me thinking witchy thoughts. There's incense burning on the altar, and a shelf full of witchy books to read. But I've realized I have no general witchy books. All my general pagan books are about specifics. Encyclopedias of goddesses, books full of prayers, books about witchy housecleaning or herbs or tarot or astrology. I don't have any general witchcraft books. So I'm searching Amazon for interesting books. Not that I have the money to buy them right now, but perhaps the library has some of them?

So far I've been looking at Ann Moura's Green Witchcraft series, but I think it might be too wiccan-y for me.

I've also been looking at Lora O'Brien's Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch and A Practical Guide to Irish Spirituality.

Paganism: An Introduction to Earth- Centered Religions looks really interesting. The same author has published Pagan Spirituality: A Guide to Personal Transformation as a sequel.

I've heard conflicting reviews about Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft, but I guess it has to be a classic for a reason, right? And of course there's Silver Ravenwolf's Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation which is also a little iffy to me.

Anyone have any recommendations for general pagan/witchcraft references?

Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America is another one I'd like, but it's more a recent history of the people, and not so much a reference on the religion itself.

44 Days of Witchery, Day 13: Witchy Books

Well, the first book that immediately comes to mind is The Goddess Companion by Patricia Monaghan. I love its daily pieces of poetry or song, and the few paragraphs about each. It draws from all religions, and it's just lovely. My review is here.

Next would be the Corpus Hermeticum. I need to re-read it, it's been a while. 

I am also a pretty big fan of the Tao Te Ching. 

I've also enjoyed Ceisiwr Serith's A Book of Pagan Prayer and A Pagan Ritual Prayer Book. Both have pretty wonderful prayers in them that have inspired me to write some of my own. More detailed reviews here and here.

One book I need to find a copy of and finish reading, because I had to turn it into the library back home before I was finished, is Women of the Golden Dawn: Rebels and Priestesses: Maud Gonne, Moina Bergson Mathers, Annie Horniman, Florence Farr by Mary K. Greer. It was really interesting, what I got to read of it. 

I actually have a wishlist here on Amazon of pagan-ish books I want. That's my pagan/goddess list, but I also have an astrology/philosophy list here.


For a full list of witchy books I own/have read, check out the Witchy Books page at the top of the sidebar on the right. Or follow this link. 

Witchy Books

This will be a constantly evolving post, listing books I've read, books I've owned, and books I want to read. I will most likely post reviews of books as I read them, as separate posts. I'll try to go through and edit in reviews of books I've already read/books I own, as well. I have read the vast majority of the books I own, I will gradually get reviews up on the blog!

General Topic Books I own:
The Goddess Companion, by Patricia Monaghan Review
The Goddess Path, by Patricia Monaghan Review
The Way of Hermes, also known as the Corpus Hermeticum
A Book of Pagan Prayer, by Ceisiwr Serith Review
A Pagan Ritual Prayer Book, by Ceisiwr Serith Review
Book of Hours: Prayers to the God, by Galen Gillotte Review
Book of Hours: Prayers to the Goddess, by Galen Gillotte Review
Magical Housekeeping, by Tess Whitehurst Review
Goddesses for Every Day, by Julie Loar Review
The Kitchen Witch Companion, by Patricia Telesco
The Red Book, by Sera J. Beak
Goddess Spirituality Book, by Ffiona Morgan
Goddess Aloud! Transforming your World through Rituals & Mantras, by Michelle Skye
Goddess Afoot! Practicing Magic with Celtic & Norse Goddesses, by Michelle Skye
The Rites of Odin, by Ed Fitch
Celtic Magic, by D.J. Conway
Secret Teachings of All Ages, by Manly P. Hall
Lectures on Ancient Philosophy, by Manly P. Hall
Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, by Frances A. Yates
Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts, by Anne L. Barstow
Witches and Neighbors: The Social and Cultural Context of European Witchcraft, by Robin Briggs

Tarot Books I own:
A Feminist Tarot, by Sally Gearhart & Susan Rennie
Tarot for Every Day, by Cait Johnson
Tarot Plain and Simple, by Anthony Louis
The New Complete Book of Tarot, by Juliet Sharman-Burke
Tarot For Yourself, by Mary K. Greer
The Dragon Tarot, book for The Dragon Tarot deck
A Guide to the Celtic Dragon Tarot, book for The Celtic Dragon Deck


Feminist Books I own:
Reading Women: How the great books of feminism changed my life, by Stephanie Staal
Tete-a-Tete: The Tumultuous Lives and Loves of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, by Hazel Rowley
The Essential Feminist Reader, by Estelle Freedman
A History of Women in America, by Carol Hymowitz & Michaele Weissman
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, by Mary Wollstonecraft
Femininity and Domination: Studies in the Phenomenology of Oppression, by Sandra Lee Bartky
Powers of Desire: The Politics of Sexuality, edited by Ann Snitow, Christine Stansell & Sharon Thompson
A History of the Wife, by Marilyn Yalom


Astrology Books I own:
Linda Goodman's Sun Signs
Linda Goodman's Love Signs
Linda Goodman's Relationship Signs
Linda Goodman's Star Signs
Sextrology, by Stella Starsky
How to Spot a Bastard by his Star Sign, by Adele Lang & Susi Rajah
Love on a Rotten Day: An Astrological Survival Guide to Romance, by Hazel Dixon-Cooper
Born on a Rotten Day, by Hazel Dixon-Cooper
Sexscopes, by Stuart Hazleton
Astrology: A History, by Peter Whitfield
Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil, by Liz Greene
Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul, Vol. 1, by Jeff Green & Alan Oken
Pluto Vol. 2: The Soul's Evolution through Relationships, by Jeff Green
The Twelve Houses, by Howard Sasportas
Composite Charts: The Astrology of Relationships, by John Townley & Robert Hand
Planets in Composite, by Robert Hand
Planets in Aspect, by Robert Pelletier
Planets in Love, by John Townley
The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need, by Joanna Martine Woolfolk
Soul Signs In Love, by Diane Eichenbaum
The Astrological Guide to Seduction and Romance, by Susan and Stephen Sheppard
Predictive Astrology: Understanding Transits as the Key to the Future, by Frances Sakoian and Louis S. Acker
Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos
Surya Siddhanta, by Ebenezer Burgess & W.D. Whitney (Mine is a much older version.)
Choice-Centered Astrology, by Gail Fairfield
Ruling Planets, by Christopher Renstrom Review
Love Planets, by Claudia Bader & M.J. Abadie
Alan Oken's Complete Astrology (My version is much older, again)
Sex Signs, by Judith Bennett (Older version) Review
Skymates: The Astrology of Love, Sex, and Intimacy, by Steven Forrest & Jodie Forrest (older version)


Books I want:
Goddess Alive! Inviting Celtic & Norse Goddesses into your life, by Michelle Skye
Horary Astrology: Plain & Simple, by Anthony Louis
The Astrologer's Handbook, by Frances Sakoian and Louis S. Acker