The Well-Read Witch
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THE WELL-READ WITCH Carl McColman The Career Press Essential Books for Your Magickal Library THE WELL-READ WITCH By Carl McColman NEW PAGE BOOKS A division of The Career Press, Inc. Franklin Lakes, NJ Copyright © 2002 by Carl McColman All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photo- copying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press. The Well-Read Witch Edited by Kristen Mohn Typeset by Eileen Dow Munson Cover design by Cheryl Cohan Finbow Printed in the U.S.A. by Book-mart Press To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and Canada: 201-848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for fur- ther information on books from Career Press. The Career Press, Inc., 3 Tice Road, PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417 www.careerpress.com www.newpagebooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McColman, Carl. The well read witch : essential books for your magickal library / by Carl McColman p.cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-56414-530-1 1. Magic—Bibliography. I Title Z6878.M3 M33 2001 [BF1611] 016.1334’3—dc21 2001044395 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people have provided help, advice, support, encour- agement, and (most important of all) recommendations of books to review. Thanks to Lord Athanor, Lord Dewrdrych, Nina L. Diamond, Diona, Lord Dorian, Cathryn Ellen, Judith Hawkins-Tillirson, David Herman, Lord Hermes, Gwen Knighton, Mike Lewis, Lady Magdalena, Lord Mikiel, Tom Murphy, Karen Price, Lady Ramona, Raven, Rayna, Lisa Roggow, Linda Roghaar, Pam Williams and Lord Ziggy Deucalion, and everyone at New Leaf Distributing, New Page Books, the House of Oak Spring, the Grove of the Unicorn, and the Earth Mystic Meditation Circle. Thanks to everyone who participated in my online survey at www.wellreadwitch.com, or who has taken the time to de- velop Wiccan Web sites with recommended readings lists, or posted Wiccan booklists on Amazon.com. There are too many of you to list by name, but I appreciate your love of books as well as your willingness to share your opinions. Heartfelt thanks to Dennis O’Connor, who, on a summer afternoon at Dumbarton Oaks in 1983, suggested I read Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance. That was a decisive moment in my journey to the Goddess. The Well-Read Witch is my tribute to that life-changing recommendation. Kudos to Lady Aurora Twilight, Lady Devayana Augusta, Numina, and Linda Sherer, who read early drafts of this book and offered many valuable suggestions. Special thanks to Francesca De Grandis for her thoughtful perspective on the relationship between oral tradition and the written word. Finally, my deepest thanks go to Lady Galadriel, who not only gave generously of her time by recommending books from her ex- tensive library, but also shared her thoughts on the role of the written word in Witchcraft and offered her comments on an early draft of this book. Of course, the warts that remain are my responsibility. This book is dedicated to the healing of the earth—and to everyone who has ever recommended a book they enjoy to a person they love. CONTENTS 1. Bell, Book, and Candle: 9 The Role of the Book in Witchcraft 2. Book of Shadows: 17 Oral Tradition and the Written Word 3. Discernment: 23 How to Figure Out Which Witch Books to Read (and Which Ones to Ignore) 4. How to Use This Book 29 5. For the Beginner: 35 A Brief Introduction to Wicca Part One: Discovering Wicca 43 6. Introductory Books on Wicca 45 7. Introductory Books on Paganism 53 8. Intermediate Wiccan Books 61 9. Advanced Wiccan Books 67 10. Wiccan Classics (Published Before 1979) 73 Part Two: The Elements of Wicca 79 11. The Goddess 81 12. The God (and Male Spirituality) 87 13. Mysticism and Meditation 93 14. Shamanism 99 15. Psychic Development 105 16. Magick 111 17. Divination 117 18. Ritual 125 19. Healing 131 20. Herbalism 137 21. Cycles of the Sun and Moon 143 22. Folklore 149 23. Mythology 155 24. The Inspiration of the Celts 161 25. The Inspiration of World Cultures 167 26. The Occult Tradition 173 Part Three: Wicca in the Real World 181 27. History for Witches 183 28. Science and Cosmology 189 29. Psychology and Community 195 30. The Body: Gender and Sexuality 203 31. The Earth: Nature, Ecology, and the Sacred Land 211 32. Kitchen Witchery: Gardening and the Home 217 33. The Arts and Personal Creativity 223 34. Fiction for Grownups 229 35. Fiction for Kids 235 36. Reference Books 243 37. The Well-Wired Witch 249 38. How to Find Books 255 (Especially When They’re Out of Print) Bibliography 259 Index 281 About the Author 287 1 BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE: THE ROLE OF THE BOOK IN WITCHCRAFT I recently had the good fortune to be a guest at a small coven of traditional Witches in western Georgia for their Sum- mer Solstice ritual. The High Priestess of this group—a good friend and business associate of mine—had impressed me with her depth of knowledge and balanced perspective concerning the old religion. Like many traditionalists, she and her coven prefer to keep to themselves, so when the unusual offer to join in their rites came, I did not hesitate to accept. As it turned out, there were seven of us present that evening, four guests and three coveners. We cast the circle, chanted the Witches’ Rune, and shared cakes and wine in a serene and lovely rite. After the circle, we gathered in the kitchen for a simple feast of salads, breads, and cold cuts. As we stood around the kitchen table fixing our sandwiches, I brought up one of my favorite subjects: books. 9 The Well-Read Witch I asked the group, “What was the first book you read when you initially became interested in Witchcraft?” Among the seven of us were elders who had practiced the old ways for over 20 years, as well as students who had been in the Craft only a year or two. As I suspected, each person had a different answer. One of the students spoke first. “Well, my first book was Scott Cunningham’s The Truth About Witchcraft Today.” Someone else followed with “I think my first was Magical Rites from the Crystal Well by Ed Fitch.” Around the table we went. Among the books mentioned were Sybil Leek’s Diary of a Witch, Raymond Buckland’s Com- plete Book of Witchcraft, Gerald Gardner’s The Meaning of Witchcraft, and Leo Martello’s Witchcraft, the Old Religion. Finally I revealed my first book, Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance. From there, the conversation veered off into a friendly, if spirited, discussion of the merits (and failings) of each of these books. We were a boisterous group, and no one lacked a point of view. At one point someone said, “Gather three Witches to- gether and you’ll have five opinions on a topic.” This certainly seemed true about the books we were discussing. We all agreed on one thing, however: each of us, from the newest student to the most veteran third-degree initiate, had first answered the call of the Goddess by reading a book. We may have had strong (and differing) opinions about the books we hold in high re- gard, but without exception, we were all readers. “Here, read this book.” Most people’s first encounter with Witchcraft comes through the written word. Also known as Wicca, the old religion, or simply the Craft, Witchcraft has enjoyed a major revival in the past 50 years. The resurgence of Wicca is a central part of the rebirth of Pagan (or Neopagan) spirituality—the spirituality of Nature. This revival is due, in no small part, to the many books that have been published on this spiritual path. 10 The Role of the Book in Witchcraft Indeed, a written description for a workshop presented by Wiccan author Phyllis Curott at the 2001 Pagan Spirit Gather- ing flatly described the Pagan community as “largely self-taught from books.” Although the call to practice Nature spirituality comes ultimately from the Goddess, for many people that call initially arrives through words on a page (or screen). Up until the mid-1990s, the easiest way for most people to learn about Wicca involved reading a book or two on the subject. More recent newcomers to the Craft are as likely to use the Internet as their portal of entry, but even when it is gussied up by a graphics-rich Web site, the written word is still the written word. The reason for this is simple. Even in our increasingly tol- erant age, most Wiccans stay “in the broomcloset” about their spirituality. Unfortunately, tolerance toward Witches remains in short supply, even now in the 21st century. Teachers have lost their jobs and parents have lost custody of their children, thanks to the ongoing fear and misunderstanding about the old religion. So, except for the still relatively uncommon situations where children grow up in a Wiccan family or trusting friends confide in one another, for the most part, those who feel drawn to Wicca will find their initial contact with the old religion through words on a page. This was certainly true for me. I first heard about Wicca through rumors and hearsay that floated around my college campus in the late 70s and early 80s.