any good beginner books?

[blueiris]

even though i've been researching wicca and pagan beliefs for a few years now, i still have a lot of questions about rituals and sabbats and pantheons.
- do you have to have pantheons (a set of goddesses and gods from a certain culture?) orcan i just pray to the God and Goddess?
Can anyone suggest any good beginner books to me?
Thanks!

[MystIc_WolF]

To answer your first questions, no, you don't have to have a specific pantheon or god/goddess. Some wiccans simply use God/Goddess, or Lord/Lady, some don't even believe in a deity at all, but a sort of divine energy or creation force present throughout the universe in everything that exists. There are in fact probably just as many interpretations of deities within the wiccan faith as there are followers of wicca. However if you end up joining a specific sect/trad at some point it is likely that you will end up using the deity forms that are used within that trad. As for your second question I would point you to the recommended reading thread within the books forum of this site, and the books section in general. The author's corner is also a good place to check out.

[blueiris]

Thanks!!! :elf:

[Kalika]

Every day Wicca - Not sure of the author

Living Wicca - Scott Cunningham

[MystIc_WolF]

Definitely check out the prequel to the second one, entitled "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner", if you're planning on practicing as a solitary for any length of time.

[Laurelei]

If you like to be patronized, you could always pick up some books by Silver RavenWolf. She's good at beginner books, and you can find some decent info hidden among the silly anecdotes, lashings of superficial-ality (is that a word!?) and pointless one liners.

Sorry, lol. I used to love Silver RavenWolf, but now I've ingested most of the material in her books (the ones i have anyway) I just find her patronizing.

Books by D.J. Conway are good for speciality subjects.

And I have an incredibly airy fairy book on Witchcraft written by a Gilly Sergiev. When I say 'airy fairy' I mean just plain daft. You can't put a decent amount of info in a tiny book with a billion odd pictures in it, heh. I suppose when the title is '5 Easy Steps to Becoming a Witch', the book's just asking for trouble. 5 easy steps?! If I ever write a book like that, I'll call it 500 hard ones :). Studying Witchcraft is the one load of hard work I DO enjoy. A lot!

[blueiris]

Thank you all very much!
yes i do have two books by silver ravenwolf - teen witch and to ride a silver broomstick. they've got info in them but she has really got such a negative attitude about christianity, it's kind of annoying. and not all her facts are correct.
Merry meet and blessings be
~blueiris

[Pan]

My first book was "Teen Witch" by Ravenwolf, and I rather liked it. I wouldn't ever suggest Scott Cunningham to someone just starting because he's a bit too dry. If I'd read him first, I'm afraid I probably wouldn't be where I am now. I was .. about 14 or so when I read Teen Witch, and it actually spoke to me on a deep and personal level. I think it's just the age group that she writes for to make her sound 'patronising' to older people.

I would prefer suggesting Teen Witch over Scott Cunningham, personally. Unless it was "Wicca in the Kitchen". He actually seems to have a sense of humour in that one.

[MystIc_WolF]

Part of it is taste also. Personally, I picked up "To Stir a Magick Cauldron", and her BOS (which, incidentally, isn't a true book of shadows at all, just an encyclopedia like tome with a couple spells and one or two rituals thrown in, the way its organised you couldn't use it for ritual if your life depended on it.) simply for the good information. Cunningham's "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner", and "Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" were the first books on wicca I ever read and I love them. In my opinion, most judgements, such as dry, boring, etc, like love, are in the eye of the beholder. What I find intriguing and interesting may make you bored out of your mind, and vise-versa.

[IndigoMoon]

I think that Silver RavenWolfe is a great writer for beginners. Even though she catches a lot of flack for her work I think that she covers the basics well and at the end of every chapter there is a list of suggested readings. I guess you could do what I did and read every book you can get your hands on.

[aefentid]

For Wicca I would suggest:
A Witch Alone, by Marian Green
Triumph of the Moon, by Ronald Hutton
21st Century Wicca , by Jennifer Hunter
anything by the Farrars or Doreen Valiente
The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk ( I don't agree with her politics or her theology but her exercises are wonderful and her writing is lyrical)
For paganism:
Drawing Down the Moon ,by Margot Adler (note this is an excellent overview at many pagan sects except Asatru, just ignore that section)
Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans, and Witches Today, by Ellen Evert Hopman and Lawrence Bond
A History of Pagan Europe , by Prudence Jones and Nigel Pennick

[blueiris]

Teen Witch was the first Wicca book I ever got and althogh some of her information is incorrect, i do like how she makes Wicca seem more personal and more about you - i mean i know it is, but some books are like you have to get all these tools and you have to do this and that etc, and hers seem like more suggestive, you can get this stuff but you could just substitute it with something else instead. Also for teenagers (seeing as I am one) it is more difficult to get supplies because it's not as though we can get a job and if we do then it's not a highpaying job or anything so it's hard to get things and silver ravenwolf gives suggestions on how to do make things at home.
thanks to everyone who responded, i appreciate it.
blessed be
~blueiris

P.s. did anyone see the lunar eclipse?
P.P.s. my apologizes for going on and on.