Today I thought I would talk about books. A question I get a lot is “what books are best for the new witch?” There are a lot of options and the choices can be overwhelming. However, there are a few great books that I believe all witches should read, so here are my top 5:
#1 Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (1989)
Wicca is a great read and Scott Cunningham is one of the most influential writers in the witchcraft realm. This book is not only valuable for those who practice the religion of Wicca, but any witchcraft practitioner. Scott was the person who popularized the idea of solitary practice, something we all take for granted today.
But let me be clear, I don’t just recommend this book because he was an important person in the community, but because the book is a treasure trove of information. It gives you a really good understanding of the practice and the importance of the various aspects of ritual.
That said, this book is very much a reading book, as compared to a doing book. Consequently, I find it appeals to the Gen X or older crowd more than it does the younger generations. While I think everyone should read it, and I would want to read it first, a lot of younger people like to start with book #2…
#2 Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation (2003)
While this book isn’t new, it is noticeably more modern in its tone and style than some of the other books on this list. Silver RavenWolf wrote most of the contents of this book when she was relatively young. It really is a compendium of her own books of shadows, and as a consequence, it has everything you want to know in the beginning. It has charts, rituals for every purpose and spells all laid out in a way that anyone can start casting in no time at all. While it is a huge book, it isn’t like a novel, you can jump all over the book reading the topics that interest you the most.
I love Solitary Witch and recommend it to young and old alike. If you get it, you will reference it whenever you are designing a new ritual. On the other hand, the youthful easy to follow nature does come with some small drawbacks. Silver does play a little loose with some historical facts and her rituals are not always 100% in line with traditional practice. However, most witches nowadays are inclined to paint outside of the traditional Gardnerian rituals, so it isn’t going to lead you astray.
#3 Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft (1986)
Raymond Buckland introduced Wicca to North America after learning from the very founders of the practice. To say he is important to the craft would be the understatement of the year. More than that, this book is so important to the craft that it has a nickname, “Big Blue”. If you have already read book #1 or #2, this should be the next one in your collection.
Why? Well, outside of joining a coven or taking training, you are never going to receive such a comprehensive compilation of the traditional practice of witchcraft. In fact, this book is one of the books I include in my beginner witchcraft course, for that very reason. This book will teach you the traditional way to do just about everything. Further, it has copious references to other materials and even evaluations of learning at the end of each section.
So, if it is so amazing, why isn’t it #1? In fairness, what makes it great, is also its greatest weakness. Raymond Buckland is a man of his time, and this book reflects that. While I must give him props for being forward thinking, his views are still a little dated. Ask most witches today, they will tell you that Wicca is a religion, witchcraft is a practice, and you don’t have to be Wiccan to be a witch.
For Buckland, the practice was secondary to the religion. While he made strides to be open to solitary practice, his views are dated and aspects of the book reflect this. Therefore, I believe that Big Blue would scare off a lot of new witches if they read it before they had a chance to see how open to original thought the community is. That being said, it should definitely be in your collection, and ideally in the first handful of books you buy about the craft.
#4 Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Correspondences (2013)
What Sandra Kynes did in the creation of her Correspondences book is nothing short of mind bending. This book is the ultimate reference for anyone trying to maximize a ritual’s impact. Everything under the sun, and the sun itself are referenced in table after table, so that you can build a ritual in no time flat. In a world where you can’t always trust what you read, this is the perfect cheat code for getting the right herbs, moon phase, colour, deity and whatever else you can dream of to align everything in your spell work.
That said, this is not a book for reading, it is a reference. It is expensive and it is really only of value once you are ready to start doing magick. When you are ready though… this book will be a game changer for you. There are books you will share with friends, this isn’t one of them. You will never want it to leave your collection.
#5 Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation (2020)
If you’re getting the impression that I only like old books, its not true. It just so happens that most modern books tend to be very niche. That’s great for advancing study in a specific field, but not fabulous for getting a good solid foundation. Mat Auryn, however, is a modern author who did the unthinkable, wrote an amazing book on a specific topic that is also easy for a relatively new witch to get their head around.
Psychic Witch is focused on psychic abilities, but not at the expense of how it is connected to the rest of witchcraft. While it is a bit too specific to be your first book, it can certainly be in the first 3 that you read. The writing is approachable, and the information is valid regardless of the tradition you follow. While psychic work doesn’t need to be part of your witchcraft practice, you should at least understand it. Mat is going to make sure you do.
So those are my top 5 books for beginners. How about you, do you have a taste for the more traditional, like Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler or The Spiral Dance by Starhawk? Maybe the more modern titles like The Crooked Path by Kelden or The Witch’s Book of Shadows by Phyllis Curott? Let us know in the comments.
If you have read any of these books, what were your impressions? Which ones helped to illuminate your path? Please share for the benefit of all readers. Blessed be!
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