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    Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

    Any books and or authors you would recommend for someone still finding their path good book or author you want to share and why? No particular path in question just any and all. Is there a book or author you disagree with feel its incorrect and need to be brought to light? Please try to keep it friendly I hope this could be a usefull tool for those new or wanting to expand there knowledge.

    #2
    Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

    Great idea for a thread! Subbing

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

      Newbies should avoid silver ravenwolf as she had a big tendency to be biased and/inaccurate at times. Onece a basis of knowledge has been achieved these issues can be easily spotted. However, she can be helpful for the teen/tween in coming out of the broom closet to reluctant or highly "orthodox" for lack of a better word, parents. I think she would be a better counselor than pagan author.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

        Oh, my. Well, there are a few books out there (on various subjects) that I don't mind or find helpful for newcomers - but there are probably more that I am not too keen on. I don't really have much bias towards particular authors per se, but the content of their writings can sometimes rub me the wrong way.

        I've always thought that Christopher Penczak is a decent author for those new to Neo-Wiccan paths. Most books, not just his, are 101-type books that touch upon the basics really - even the so-called "advanced" books that I've read are not actually advanced at all. Then again, it depends upon the path/tradition/practice which defines the book.

        For instance, IMHO, you'd be hard-pressed to find any "advanced" Wicca book full-stop - outside of being exposed to the Mysteries of an initiated tradition - no book on Wicca/Neo-Wicca can really claim to share advanced practices. A recommendation that I often make is the Witches' Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar.

        However, if you're talking about Ceremonial Magic - there are plenty of good advanced books out there, IMHO. Much of what is written about in regards to CM is quite systematic and proscriptive as opposed to "low magick" such as practices within Neo-Wicca or earth-based traditions which tend to be more interpretive/intuitive and subjective. CM can be as complex as you like as much of it tends to be based upon early Grimoire texts and Kabbalistic traditions. Two modern authors whom I appreciate from this perspective are Lon Milo Duquette and Donald Michael Kraig. Of course, I prefer reading texts of the more classic authors such as Aleister Crowley and Israel Regardie.

        Books pertaining to Left Hand Paths tend to be more of a gray area for me - perhaps because I, myself, am an author in this field and it is a subject in which I am intimately familiar with on all levels. I try to remain unbiased and judge books on the merit of their content, however - but I can't say that I really have recommendations as far as authors go for this topic. Michael W. Ford is an author who writes prolifically on Luciferianism (even if it is his own "brand") and LHP themes - but I cannot recommend him as I have no respect for his integrity. Another author who dabbles in this realm is Konstantinos, and I have nothing positive to say about him or his work.

        I think that reading the works of a variety of authors within a particular subject is beneficial - but I think that people simply need to take care not to take one author's words as gospel.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

          Don't take anything in most Llewellyn books as historically valid, just don't. The authors may have a decent knowledge of their personal creeds (maybe), they may have interesting ideas and interpretations but they tend not to be historians. When they try their hand at writing history...

          Ancient. Irish. Potato. Ritual.

          That is all I feel a need to say, move along.
          life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

          Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

          "But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

          John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

          "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

          Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis


          Comment


            #6
            Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

            I agree about Llewelleyn but they do seem to always do a good job of creating beatiful imagery with stories.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Torey View Post
              For instance, IMHO, you'd be hard-pressed to find any "advanced" Wicca book full-stop - outside of being exposed to the Mysteries of an initiated tradition - no book on Wicca/Neo-Wicca can really claim to share advanced practices.
              In terms of 'advanced' wiccan books, Kaatryn MacMorgan Douglas (founder of All one Wicca) has two advanced texts. Called "Wicca 333" and "Wicca 334" I believe. They're not bad.
              ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

              RIP

              I have never been across the way
              Seen the desert and the birds
              You cut your hair short
              Like a shush to an insult
              The world had been yelling
              Since the day you were born
              Revolting with anger
              While it smiled like it was cute
              That everything was shit.

              - J. Wylder

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

                Originally posted by callmeclemens View Post
                I agree about Llewelleyn but they do seem to always do a good job of creating beatiful imagery with stories.
                Agreed, they have some decent wordsmiths in their employ. This is part of what makes their historical fails more annoying. If their writing was as shoddy as their history then they wouldn't acquire such a decent chunk of the pagan market.
                life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

                Yoda: Dark Rendezvous

                "But those men who know anything at all about the Light also know that there is a fierceness to its power, like the bare sword of the law, or the white burning of the sun." Suddenly his voice sounded to Will very strong, and very Welsh. "At the very heart, that is. Other things, like humanity, and mercy, and charity, that most good men hold more precious than all else, they do not come first for the Light. Oh, sometimes they are there; often, indeed. But in the very long run the concern of you people is with the absolute good, ahead of all else..."

                John Rowlands, The Grey King by Susan Cooper

                "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve", said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth; be content."

                Aslan, Prince Caspian by CS Lewis


                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

                  Originally posted by Lady Fang View Post
                  Newbies should avoid silver ravenwolf as she had a big tendency to be biased and/inaccurate at times. Onece a basis of knowledge has been achieved these issues can be easily spotted. However, she can be helpful for the teen/tween in coming out of the broom closet to reluctant or highly "orthodox" for lack of a better word, parents. I think she would be a better counselor than pagan author.
                  yeah. I did take a course from one of member of her coven/group. she did say the books were purposely misconstrued to make sure it would not be credible or workable. unless you had a working knowledge from other books. the only book that I am aware of that is good on it's own is the book on Samhain which is called Halloween.

                  Originally posted by Torey View Post
                  Oh, my. Well, there are a few books out there (on various subjects) that I don't mind or find helpful for newcomers - but there are probably more that I am not too keen on. I don't really have much bias towards particular authors per se, but the content of their writings can sometimes rub me the wrong way.
                  you would be surprised on what people have issues with.

                  I've always thought that Christopher Penczak is a decent author for those new to Neo-Wiccan paths. Most books, not just his, are 101-type books that touch upon the basics really - even the so-called "advanced" books that I've read are not actually advanced at all. Then again, it depends upon the path/tradition/practice which defines the book.
                  never got around to looking at his books but they are an excellent alt. to the SilverRavenWolf books.

                  For instance, IMHO, you'd be hard-pressed to find any "advanced" Wicca book full-stop - outside of being exposed to the Mysteries of an initiated tradition - no book on Wicca/Neo-Wicca can really claim to share advanced practices. A recommendation that I often make is the Witches' Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar.
                  some will consider the Witches' Bible a beginners book to advanced beginners.



                  I think that reading the works of a variety of authors within a particular subject is beneficial - but I think that people simply need to take care not to take one author's words as gospel.
                  THIS!

                  Originally posted by MaskedOne View Post
                  Don't take anything in most Llewellyn books as historically valid, just don't. The authors may have a decent knowledge of their personal creeds (maybe), they may have interesting ideas and interpretations but they tend not to be historians. When they try their hand at writing history...

                  Ancient. Irish. Potato. Ritual.

                  That is all I feel a need to say, move along.
                  Llewellyn has a LOT of bad books. in fact most are bad. but they do have a few good ones. Ancient.Irish.Potato.Ritual that pertains to Edain McCoy's book on Witta which is a bad book.to say the least. she didn't actually say it was an ancient symbol of the Goddess. but a symbol. to be fair it was based on an Irish tradition. NOT ancient Irish but with blends of Nordic and English influences to it. and not as THE Irish trad. also she discusses the Maypole dance as a form of symbolic fertility. so when combining these Nordic(which raided Ireland) and English(which did a lot more than raid Ireland) it causes a lot of people to get upset. due to the fact this had to be explained is why this book is bad. it should have been included in the book.

                  another one which is not as bad is Celtic myth and magick. pretty much is a book on Wicca but uses some aspects of Celtic culture in it to cite it is entirely Celtic which it s not. Which a lot of Llewellyn authors use which gives them the bad rep they have.

                  one of her better books is Sabbats:A witch's approach to living the old ways. although another one Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life by Pauline Campenelli might be better.both are by Llewellyn but these are some of the better books by them.

                  and another one to avoid is D.J.Conway as she pretty much does the same thing as McCoy did with Witta and Silver RavenWolf's books.
                  Originally posted by callmeclemens View Post
                  I agree about Llewelleyn but they do seem to always do a good job of creating beatiful imagery with stories.
                  Do Not Meddle In The Affairs Of Dragons, For You Are Crunchy And Good With Kethup.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

                    Ritual by Emma Restall Orr, Circle of One by Diane Sylvan, and Paganism by Joyce and River Higgenbotham
                    Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                    sigpic

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                      #11
                      Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

                      I have a penzack book, and although I have not read it all the way through, it is so far, more credible than most books that have crossed my lap.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

                        If you are looking for well reference academic books, start with anything by Ronald Hutton. He is really good. I don't always agree with everything he says, but he's phenomenally committed to paganism, plus he came on my Nature Walk last year.

                        Don't confuse D.J. Conway with David Conway who wrote very good books mostly on ceremonial magic.
                        www.thewolfenhowlepress.com


                        Phantom Turnips never die.... they just get stewed occasionally....

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

                          Originally posted by Tylluan Penry View Post
                          If you are looking for well reference academic books, start with anything by Ronald Hutton. He is really good. I don't always agree with everything he says, but he's phenomenally committed to paganism, plus he came on my Nature Walk last year.

                          Don't confuse D.J. Conway with David Conway who wrote very good books mostly on ceremonial magic.
                          I do like him. Also, I'm a fan of yours too Mrs. P!
                          Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                          sigpic

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

                            The Penczak book The Mystic Foundation struck me as a pretty good primer.

                            "No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical." -- Niels Bohr

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Books and authors? Helpful or useless?

                              Originally posted by thalassa View Post
                              I do like him. Also, I'm a fan of yours too Mrs. P!
                              Thank you!
                              Ronald Hutton is a really nice bloke too - very unassuming and down to earth.
                              www.thewolfenhowlepress.com


                              Phantom Turnips never die.... they just get stewed occasionally....

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