Controverscial.Com
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Controverscial.Com
Welcome
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Controverscial.Com
Welcome
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As we have quite a number of new members to the group who are also new to 'Wicca and the Craft of the Wise', I thought to put together a list of resources that may help you in your search for more information. A list like this however cannot be definitive, based as it is on my own preferences. You will find for instance I may have left out many popular authors and titles that others would strenuously advocate, but that is just the nature of things, what's good for one person may not be good for another. The best advice I would give to anyone is to shop around and pick on what suits you best.
Many people seem to think that Wicca and Witchcraft is a figment of the imagination, something born out of Hollywood, they cannot comprehend it as the ‘Spiritual Path’ that it is. As such it requires diligent hard work, sincerity, discipline and persistence, if it is to work for you. You need to know that there are good and bad resources out there, as well as good and bad authors and teachers. There are also many defaulters who would lead you astray for their own gain, selling what many of us would call "Witchcrap". So don’t just take my word for it: read, research and question all that you find.
Most of the books I mention below I have in my own library, those marked with the ( * ), I have been advised are well worth a mention and are on my 'books to get' list. But first let us consider two questions: “Where can I find information about ‘real’ witches and witchcraft”, and “How and where can I find or buy books on the subject?”
In answer to the first, if you have a computer your life is made easier, but so much more complicated because it. There is so much information available on the WWW that again I would advise caution before you accept what you see, hear or read. When surfing sites, apply your own questioning judgment as to what is true, false or fiction. There are many good search-engines you can use to aid your research, my own preference and the one I use the most is: http://www.google.com/ Simply key in a word like ‘Witchcraft’ and you’ll be surprised at the amount of options it will find for you, refine your keyword for more advanced searches.
“How and where can I find books on the subject?” The first place to start is the occult reference section of your local library, but these often tend to be depleted and unless you know the authors name, title and ISBN number, to order books in can take an inordinate amount of time. The same thing can apply to bookshops, while some may carry a small selection of the more contemporary bestsellers, Scott Cunningham, Starhawk and others, you’ll need to search out specialist 'Occult shops' for anything more advanced and sadly these are few and far between. The best place to search of books therefore is once again on the WWW, and you will of course need a credit card. Aside from the main online-bookstores like http://www.amazon.co.uk/ (or amazon.com) and http://barnesandnoble.com/, here’s one of my favourite places to look:
http://abebooks.com/ This is an excellent site, I found most of the books in my own library here. It has a huge searchable database of second-hand and hard to get books available in the UK and USA. You also have the option to buy through Abe and they pay the bookseller, or you can contact the bookseller direct and buy through them.
Another place you can find some real bargains is from auction sites, here’s three I have used with good results in the past:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WICCANSHOPPERS/
http://www.epaganauctions.com/
Finally, before I get into the main list of resources, a little advice about on-line shopping. Many of the larger sites mentioned above i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Ebay etc, also have subsidiary sites in different countries. “Why should I buy from the USA when I can get the same book in the UK and save on shipping and postage, vis-à-vis? Diligence in your research can save you pennies” :-)
The Truth About Witchcraft Today by Scott Cunningham (about Scott Cunningham)
Wicca: Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham
Earth, Air, Fire & Water - By Scott Cunningham
What Witches Do - By Stewart Farrar (about Stewart Farrar)
Earth Magic - By Marion Weinstein
Principles of Wicca - By Vivianne Crowley (about Vivianne Crowley
Witchcraft for tomorrow - By Doreen Valiente (about Doreen Valiente)
*Wiccan Magick: Inner Teachings of the Craft - by Raven Grimassi
A Witches' Bible - By Janet and Stewart Farrar (about Janet Farrar)
*Modern Magick - By Donald Michael Kraig*
The Tree, The Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft - By Raymond Buckland (about Ray Buckland)
Witta - An Irish Pagan Tradition - By Edain McCoy
Candle Magic - By Phillip Cooper
Rune Magic - By Donald Tyson
*Wiccan Magick: Inner Teachings of the Craft - By Raven Grimassi*
*Witchcrafting - By Phyllis Curott*
*Covencraft - By Amber K*
*True Magick - By Amber K*
*Positive Magick By Marion Weinstein*
*Magical Rites from the Crystal Well By Ed Fitch*
A Witches' Bible - By Janet and Stewart Farrar
*The Goddess Celebrates - By Diane Stein*
*The Wheel of the Year - By Pauline Campanelli*
Wicca for Men - By A.J. Drew
*The Flowering Rod - By Kenny Klein*
*His Story - By Nicholas Mann*
The Golden Dawn - By Israel Regardie (about Israel Regardie), others books include:
How to Make and Use Talismans
*A Garden of Pomegranates (an Outline of the Qabalah)
*The Tree of Life (a Study in Magic)
*The Art of True Healing
*The Middle Pillar
*The Philosopher's Stone (a Modern Comparative Approach to Alchemy from the Psychological & Magical Points of View)
*The Art and Meaning of Magic
*A Practical Guide to Geomantic Divination
*Foundations of Practical Magic (an Introduction to Qabalistic, Magical and Meditative Techniques)
*Ceremonial Magic (a Guide to the Mechanisms of Ritual)
Psychic Self-Defence - By Dion Fortune (about Dion Fortune)
The Cloud upon the Sanctuary – By Carl von Exkartshausen (see Carl von Exkartshausen).
The Golden Bough - By James George Frazer (about George Frazer)
The Key of Solomon the King (Clavicula Salomonis) - By S. Liddell MacGregor Mathers (about MacGregor Mathers)
The Magus (A Complete System of Occult Philosophy) - By Francis Barrett (see Francis Barrett)
Understanding Chaos Magic - By Jaq D. Hawkins
Magick in Theory & Practice - By Aleister Crowley (about Aleister Crowley)
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts - By Arthur Edward Waite (see Arthur Edward Waite)
The Satanic Witch - By Anton Szandor LaVey (see Anton Szandor LaVey)
*The White Goddess - by Robert Graves (see Robert Graves).
*The God of the Witches - by Janet and Stewart Farrar
*365 Goddess – by Patricia Telesco
*The Book of Goddesses and Heroines - by Patricia Monaghan (an excellent encyclopedic type resource on Goddesses and Heroines)
*The Hebrew Goddess - by Raphael Patai
*The Dark God - by Nicholas Mann
*His Story - by Nicholas Mann
*Mysteries of the Dark Moon - by Demetra George (an excellent resource on Goddesses, the Mysteries of Renewal and especially Dark Goddesses)
Cunningham's Encyclopedia Of Magical Herbs - By Scott Cunningham, also:
Cunningham's Encyclopedia Of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic
The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews
Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft by Rosemary Guiley
Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft - By Raven Grimassi
Animal-Speak (The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small) - By Ted Andrews (see Ted Andrews)
Buckland's Complete Book Of Witchcraft - By Raymond Buckland
Tree Wisdom (The definitive guidebook to the myth, folklore and healing power of Trees) - By Jacqueline Memory Paterson
A History of Witchcraft (Sorcerers, Heretics and Pagans) - By Jeffrey B, Russell
Malleus Maleficarum - By Jacobus Sprenger and Heinrich Kramer, translated by Montague Summers (about Montague Summers)
The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology - By Rossell Hope Robbins (an excellent resource on the “Acts and Laws’ governing the ‘Witch-Trials’, and the infamous people responsible for them”.
The Geography of Witchcraft - By Montague Summers
The History of Witchcraft and Demonology - By Montague Summers
The Triumph Of The Moon - By Ronald Hutton
Wiccan Roots - By Philip Heselton
Witchcraft a History - By P.G. Maxwell-Stuart
Dictionary of Roman Religion - By Lesley Adkins & Roy A. Adkins
European Myth & Legend - By Mike Dixon-Kennedy
Oxford Dictionary of World Mythology - By Arthur Cotterall
Who's Who in Non-Classical Mythology - By Egerton Sykes
Who's Who in the Ancient World - By Betty Radice
Enchante - http://www.herodotus.com/
Sagewoman - Price $18 - PO Box 641, Point Arena, CA 95618
The Beltane Papers - http://www.thebeltanepapers.net/ - Price $13 - 1333 Lincoln St. #240, Bellingham, WA 98226
Green Egg - (Church of All Worlds) - http://www.greenegg.org/
Green Man
The Pagan Dawn (UK) - http://www.paganfed.demon.co.uk/pagandawn/home.htm - Price £12.00 for annual subscription
Circle Network News - http://www.circlesanctuary.org/circle/index.htm - Price $13 - PO Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572
Of A Like Mind - Price $13-33 - PO Box 6012, Madison, WI 53716
The Pomegranate - http://www.interchg.ubc.ca/fmuntean/
Thesmophoria - Price $13 - 5856 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618
Obsidian - http://www.madstone.com/
Common Boundary: Spirituality and Psychology
The Crone Chronicles - http://www.cronechronicles.com/
Broomstick: By, For and About Women Over Forty
Connections - http://www.cuups.org/content/publications/connectintro.html
Waxing & Waning - http://www.purplepentacle.com/w&w/main.html
https://www.controverscial.com/ - How could I not include this somewhere :-) This is my own site and contains basic information about Wicca and Witchcraft. Some of it's highlights include: a series of articles on Tree's based on the Celtic tree calendar, and a whole host of biographies making up a veritable 'Who's Who of Witchcraft past and present’, many of the above links ‘about authors’ will take you here :-)
http://www.witchvox.com/- This is a mayor site documenting many current events & info about Pagans. Want to know what's happening in your area, or looking for a resource, here's the place to seek and find it.
http://www.cog.org - Covenant of the Goddess (CoG). This is an internationally recognized Wiccan church with an organization of Wiccan clergy, covens and solitaries. They have chapters (called “Councils”) that work in major Cities and local areas (currently concentrated in the Bay Area, Orange County and Los Angeles). Politically they are proactive and have social and professional networking for Education, Legal Assistance, Information and Referrals. They advocate and support Clergy and Elder’s, and perform and give out Handfasting Certificates. There’re Interfaith Network provides representatives for Paganism at World Religious Conferences, and there’re Children's services includes the Boy Scouts Of America Paganism merit badge, and the 'Hart & Crescent Award'. Each year they sponsor and hold a National Festival on Labour Day weekend, alternating the festivals sites between the East coast, Midwest and the West coast area’s. For further information contact:
Covenant of the Goddess
PO Box
1226
Berkeley, CA 94701
http://www.circlesanctuary.org/ - Circle Sanctuary is a Pagan sanctuary with a working herb farm situated on a two hundred acre nature reserve located between Mt. Horeb and Barneveld in Wisconsin. Selena Fox aided by Jim Alan and a small group of pagan friends, founded circle in 1974. In 1978, Circle was incorporated as a non-profit religious organization and became a legally recognized church. That same year Circle Network was started with the aim of providing a national and international contact service while organizing and coordinating festivals and gatherings. Their newsletter 'Circle Network News' was then distributed to provide up-to-date news and information to individuals and groups within the movement, while at the same time doing much to dispel the myths and untruths propagated by the media at large to the general public.
In the early 80's, Selena was joined by Dennis Carpenter who she married in 1986, and together they continue to head the organization. Through Circle Sanctuary they are sponsors of the 'Pagan Spirit Alliance' (PSA) and give active support to the 'Pagan Spirit Gathering' (PSG) each year in Wisconsin. Circle also sponsors the 'Lady Liberty League’, which supports religious freedom for all Pagans. Through the League, help can be gained with Legal, Financial, Magickal and Emotional support in cases of civil rights violations.
From its farm, Circle provides many services through their Social, Educational and Networking facilities including: Intensive training courses for Pagan ministers and a School for Priestesses (established in 1986). As ministers themselves, Selena, Dennis and others perform Handfastings (Weddings), Blessings, Funerals and 'life passage' ceremonies both at the farm and up and down the country. In 1992, they formed the 'Pagan Academic Network', the first inter-traditional network for Pagan scholars who participate in numerous academic seminars, networks and conferences in efforts to re-establish Paganism as an area of academic interest.
For more information contact:
PSA c/o Circle
Box 219
Mt. Horeb, WI 53572
USA
Tel: 608-924-2216.
http://www.paganfed.demon.co.uk/about_us.htm - The Pagan Federation (UK) is the leading organization supporting Paganism in the U.K., founded in 1971 to provide information on Paganism by countering the many misconceptions about the religion. The Federation works for the rights of Pagans to worship freely without censure as decreed in 'Article 18' of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states:
"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public and in private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance".
The Pagan Federation publishes a quarterly magazine called the 'Pagan Dawn', formerly known as 'The Wiccan', an influential periodical founded in 1968 by one of the Federations founding members, the late 'John Score'. Under his guidance in the late 60's, the Wiccan rose to prominence in both Britain and the United States as one of the worlds leading journals on Paganism. In collaboration with groups from Britain and the US, Score then played a key role in the formation of the 'Pagan Way' in America, and in 1971 it's counter part in Britain the 'Pagan Front'. The Pagan Front however, evolved separately from the Pagan Way, and eventually changed its name to the Pagan Federation. The Wiccan remained the means of dissemination for the Pagan Front/Federation, before changing it's name to the Pagan Dawn.
Through-out the year, the Pagan Federation sponsors and arranges private (members-only) meetings, as well as public orientated events up and down the country. The highlight of these events is the Annual Conference held normally in November, which attracts an international gathering. The aim of the Federation is to provide information and contact between Pagan groups and genuine seekers of the Old Religion. To promote contact and dialogue between the various branches of Paganism in Britain and Europe, as well as other Pagan organizations world-wide, and to provide practical support and effective information to members of the public, the media, public bodies and government administrations.
The Three Principles of the Pagan Federation are:
Love for and Kinship with Nature. Reverence for the life force and its ever-renewing cycles of life and death.
The Pagan Ethic: "If it harms none, do what thou wilt". This is a positive morality expressing the belief in individual responsibility for discovering one's own true nature and developing it fully, in harmony with the outer world and community.
Recognition of the Divine, which transcends gender by acknowledging both the female and male aspect of Deity.
Membership to the Federation is restricted to persons over the age of 18 years, who agree with the above Three Principles.
For further information contact:
The Secretary
The Pagan Federation
London WC1N 3XX
United Kingdom
Email: secretary@paganfed.demon.co.uk
To be add later.
Let there be peace in the world - Where have all the flowers gone?
My Personal Page / My Place in England, UK / My Family Tree (Ancestry)
Wicca/Witchcraft / What is Wicca / What is Magick
Traditional Writings:
Wiccan Rede / Charge of the Goddess / Charge of the God / The Three-Fold Law (includes The Law of Power and The Four Powers of the Magus) / The Witches Chant / The Witches Creed / Descent of the Goddess / Drawing Down the Moon / The Great Rite Invocation / Invocation of the Horned God / The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief / The Witches Rede of Chivalry / A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality
Correspondence Tables:
Incense / Candles / Colours / Magickal Days / Stones and Gems / Elements and Elementals
Traditions Part 1 - Alexandrian Wicca / Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC) / Ár Ndraíocht Féin (ADF) / Blue Star Wicca / British Traditional (Druidic Witchcraft) / Celtic Wicca / Ceremonial Magic / Chaos Magic / Church and School of Wicca / Circle Sanctuary / Covenant of the Goddess (COG) / Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) / Cyber Wicca / Dianic Wicca / Eclectic Wicca / Feri Wicca /
Traditions Part 2 - Gardnerian Wicca / Georgian Tradition / Henge of Keltria / Hereditary Witchcraft / Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (H.O.G.D.) / Kitchen Witch (Hedge Witch) / Minoan Brotherhood and Minoan Sisterhood Tradition / Nordic Paganism / Pagan Federation / Pectic-Wita / Seax-Wica / Shamanism / Solitary / Strega / Sylvan Tradition / Vodoun or Voodoo / Witches League of Public Awareness (WLPA) /
Gods and Goddesses (Greek
Mythology) / Esbats &
Full Moons / Links
to Personal Friends & Resources / Wicca/Witchcraft
Resources / What's a spell? /
Circle Casting and
Sacred Space / Pentagram
- Pentacle / Marks
of a Witch / The Witches
Power / The Witches Hat
/ An
esoteric guide to visiting London / Satanism
/ Pow-wow
/ The
Unitarian Universalist Association / Numerology: Part 1
/ Part 2 / Part
3 / A
history of the Malleus Maleficarum: includes: Pope
Innocent VIII /
The
papal Bull /
The
Malleus Maleficarum /
An extract from the Malleus Maleficarum
/ The letter of approbation
/ Johann
Nider’s Formicarius /
Jacob
Sprenger /
Heinrich Kramer /
Stefano Infessura
/ Montague Summers /
The Waldenses
/ The Albigenses
/
The Hussites / The
Sun Dance
/ Shielding (Occult
and Psychic Protection) /
Sabbats in History and Mythology / Samhain (October 31st) / Yule (December 21st) / Imbolc (February 2nd) / Ostara (March 21st) / Beltane (April 30th) / Litha (June 21st) / Lughnasadh (August 1st) / Mabon (September 21st)
Rituals contributed by Crone: Samhain / Yule / Imbolc / Ostara / Beltane / Litha / Lammas / Mabon
Tools of a Witch / The Besom (Broom) / Poppets and Dolls / Pendulums / Cauldron Magick / Mirror Gazing
Animals in Witchcraft (The Witches Familiar) / Antelope / Bats / Crow / Fox / Frog and Toads / Goat / Honeybee / Kangaroo / Lion / Owl / Phoenix / Rabbits and Hares / Raven / Robin Redbreast / Sheep / Spider / Squirrel / Swans / Wild Boar / Wolf / Serpent / Pig / Stag / Horse / Mouse / Cat
In Worship of Trees - Myths, Lore and the Celtic Tree Calendar. For descriptions and correspondences of the thirteen sacred trees of Wicca/Witchcraft see the following: Birch / Rowan / Ash / Alder / Willow / Hawthorn / Oak / Holly / Hazel / Vine / Ivy / Reed / Elder. Also see: The Willow Tree (Folk Music)
Mystical Sacred Sites - Stonehenge / Glastonbury Tor / Malta - The Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni / Avebury / Cerne Abbas - The Chalk Giant / Ireland - Newgrange /
Rocks and Stones:
Stones - History, Myths and Lore
Articles contributed by Patricia Jean Martin: / Apophyllite / Amber / Amethyst / Aquamarine / Aragonite / Aventurine / Black Tourmaline / Bloodstone / Calcite / Carnelian / Celestite / Citrine / Chrysanthemum Stone / Diamond / Emerald / Fluorite / Garnet / Hematite / Herkimer Diamond / Labradorite / Lapis Lazuli / Malachite / Moonstone / Obsidian / Opal / Pyrite / Quartz (Rock Crystal) / Rose Quartz / Ruby / Selenite / Seraphinite / Silver and Gold / Smoky Quartz / Sodalite / Sunstone / Thunderegg / Tree Agate / Zebra Marble
Wisdom:
Knowledge vs Wisdom by Ardriana Cahill / I Talk to the Trees / Awakening / The Witch in You / A Tale of the Woods
Articles and Stories about Witchcraft:
Murder by Witchcraft / The Fairy Witch of Clonmel / A Battleship, U-boat, and a Witch / The Troll-Tear (A story for Children) / Goody Hawkins - The Wise Goodwife / The Story of Jack-O-Lantern / The Murder of the Hammersmith Ghost / Josephine Gray (The Infamous Black Widow) / The Two Brothers - Light and Dark
Old Masters of Academia:
Pliny the Elder / Hesiod / Pythagoras
Abramelin the Mage / Agrippa / Aidan A. Kelly / Albertus Magnus “Albert the Great” / Aleister Crowley “The Great Beast” / Alex Sanders "the King of the Witches” / Alison Harlow / Amber K / Anna Franklin / Anodea Judith / Anton Szandor LaVey / Arnold Crowther / Arthur Edward Waite / Austin Osman Spare / Biddy Early / Bridget Cleary / Carl Llewellyn Weschcke / Cecil Hugh Williamson / Charles Godfrey Leland / Charles Walton / Christina Oakley Harrington / Damh the Bard (Dave Smith) / Dion Fortune / Dolores Aschroft-Nowicki / Dorothy Morrison / Doreen Valiente / Edward Fitch / Eleanor Ray Bone “Matriarch of British Witchcraft” / Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelly / Dr. Leo Louis Martello / Eliphas Levi / Ernest Thompson Seton / Ernest Westlake and the Order of Woodcraft Chivalry / Fiona Horne / Friedrich von Spee / Francis Barrett / Gerald B. Gardner / Gavin and Yvonne Frost and the School and Church of Wicca / Gwydion Pendderwen / Hans Holzer / Helen Duncan / Herman Slater "Horrible Herman" / Israel Regardie / James "Cunning" Murrell / Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone / Jessie Wicker Bell “Lady Sheba” / John Belham-Payne / John George Hohman / John Gerard / John Gordon Hargrave (the White Fox) / John Michael Greer / John Score / Johannes Junius the Burgomaster of Bamberg / Joseph John Campbell / Karl von Eckartshausen / Laurie Cabot "the Official Witch of Salem" / Lewis Spence / Margaret Alice Murray / Margot Adler / Marie Laveau the " Voodoo Queen of New Orleans" / Marion Weinstein / Matthew Hopkins “The Witch-Finder General” / Max Ehrmann and the Desiderata / Monique Wilson the “Queen of the Witches” / Montague Summers / Nicholas Culpeper / Nicholas Remy / M. R. Sellers / Mrs. Grieve "A Modern Herbal" / Oberon and Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart / Old Dorothy Clutterbuck / Old George Pickingill / Paddy Slade / Pamela Colman-Smith / Paracelsus / Patricia Crowther / Patricia Monaghan / Patricia “Trish” Telesco / Philip Emmons Isaac Bonewits / Philip Heselton / Raymond Buckland / Reginald Scot / Robert Cochrane / Robert ‘von Ranke’ Graves and "The White Goddess" /
Rudolf Steiner / Rosaleen Norton “The Witch of Kings Cross” / Ross Nichols and The Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids / Sabrina - The Ink Witch / Scott Cunningham / Selena Fox / Silver Ravenwolf / Sir Francis Dashwood / Sir James George Frazer / S.L. MacGregor Mathers and the “Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn” / Starhawk / Stewart Farrar / Sybil Leek / Ted Andrews / The Mather Family - includes: Richard Mather, Increase Mather, Cotton Mather / Thomas Ady / Vera Chapman / Victor Henry Anderson / Vivianne Crowley / Walter Brown Gibson / William Butler Yeats / Zsuzsanna Budapest
Many of the above biographies are brief and far from complete. If you know about any of these individuals and can help with aditional information, please cantact me privately at my email address below. Many thanks for reading :-)
While I have taken due care and dilligence to credit all sources where possible, this website may contain copyrighted material which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. My use of making such material available here is done so in my efforts to advance our understanding of religious discrimination, the environmental and social justice issues etc. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this wedsite for purposes of your own then you must obtain permission from the relevant copyright owner yourself.
My online email discussion group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Email_Witches
Help send a message of peace around the world! The Dove of Peace flies from site to site, through as many countries as possible. It does not belong to ANY belief system. Please help make a line around the globe by taking it with you to your site, by giving it to someone for their site, by passing it on to another continent or to the conflict areas of the world. May trouble and strife be vanquished in it's path.
mailto:George@controverscial.com
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