What are the best books for beginners in Wicca?

Hi there...

Wow, look at me; 22 years being Wiccan, even more studying occult practices, and a happily married (only once-- and to a Pagan hard-working blue collar wonderful man!), college-educated, mentally sound, hard-working professional 'soccer mom' of three with a very peaceful and happy life. Never had psychosis, never had problems with police or the law, never did drugs... and my middle-aged Wiccan friends could report similar, very normal lives.

I guess there's all the evidence anyone needs to know James Birdwell up there is completely full of it.

I would say the best books on Wicca to begin with are:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin for a good straight-forward introduction that's not heaped with misniformation

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham (a little vague and misinformed about the "Old Religion" theories but still very good)

Circle Within by Diane Sylvan (a better follow up to Cunningham's book than even Cunningham's own sequel)

A Witches Bible Complete by Janet & Stewart Farrar is good to see what traditional Wicca looks like, as is anything by Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente-- however keep in mind that there is a lot of misinformation about Wicca's history, and Wicca being a young religion has changed since then. But these are good for studying the "roots" of Wicca.

And for a really good overview of the real history, try Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton (respected author, professor, historian and a Pagan to boot). He dispells a lot of the bad history info.

You are absolutely correct that much of the web info is unreliable. Obviously, you should be vigilant about books too - there's some real stinkers out there - but you have a better chance with books. Also, the internet simply isn't made for in-depth information. Even the best sites are going to provide short explanations and summary. That's the nature of the internet.

My first recommendation is Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin. Firm foundation without getting sidetracked. Deborah Lipp has some very good books. Scott Cunningham is very decent, but a bit dated, and it gives a lot of personal ideas that some Wiccans have presumed were central Wiccan tenets.

Other suggestions I list here:

http://wicca.cnbeyer.com/book_recommendations.shtm...

http://wicca.cnbeyer.com/books.shtml

Most "Wicca" books are written by Witches who follow the faith of Wicca, so will have to sift through a lot of information which relates to magic. Also Wicca has as many paths as there are people (groups and solitaries) who follow it. Wicca is the umbrella name for many polytheistic (two or more Deities) beliefs/religions. This being said I would start with Scott Cunningham who puts things into an easy to understand breakdown of the basics. After that read everything you can including ANY and ALL history of Pagans and their beliefs. Then it is up to you to sift through what feels right and wrong to you. Wicca and MANY other Pagan based religions have nothing to do with the Occult, nor the other Christian based lies about followers following their "Satan/Demons/Devils" Since most of us don't belief in such nonsense. We believe there is good and evil, but we believe it is our nature which makes it good and evil, NOT a creature which whispers in someones ear to get them to do evil. It is OUR actions and decisions not some creatures'!

I was in the occult for many years; wish someone had warned me:

Those drawn into the occult world through dabbling in astrology, psychic development, witchcraft etc. eventually will EVENTUALLY relax all moral standards and make morality a relative matter, they will EVENTUALLY become mentally oppressed and/or enslaved by inexplicable forces. OFTEN they suffer from strong depression, melancholia, psychopathic disorders, sever psychosis, and are easily controlled and influenced by SUPERSTITION and immoral beliefs. Psychic practices introduce people to spiritual beings who seek their destruction. This

occult involvement does not merely involve consorting with the enemies of God, but also with one's own adversaries..... satan may pretend friendship for ulterior motives, but sooner or later he will seek to injure or destroy.

the spiritual underworld operates in ways similar to the criminal underworld. Just as the criminal underworld will use its hirelings only for its personal plans or glory and dispose of them when convenient, the spiritual underworld operates in the same manner.

It is known that prolonged activity with mediumistic forces produce symptoms of schizophrenia. This has been termed mediumistic psychosis. Professor Bender, from the University of Frieburg in his booklet entitled, "Parapsychology – It's Results and Problems," has warned people in these words......."Thousands of people base their hopes on the deceptive statements of psychic practitioners and subsequently become dependent upon the advice they receive from the 'other side'. "I have quite a number of patients who have suffered serious psychic disturbances through the use of such practices. Their personalities have been split and they have been utterly confused by the spirits on which they have called. They often suffer from strong depression, melancholia, psychopathic disorders, and severe psychoses." Elsewhere he points out that those involved in occult or psychic activity commonly develop a hatred toward true spirituality and reject the Bible as the authoritative word of God.

The Holy Bible is the best book for everyone

Book of mormon.

Let's say your eyes and ears were jabbed out, Atheists, and people started calling you hellen keller...behind your back. What is knowledge? What is science?

why people believe weird things, by Michael Shermer.

might save your life.