Craft Books

There are literally thousands of books out there about the craft, paganism and natural magic. I have to say, many of them are repetitive and more than a little incorrect on some basics. I'm not here to say they should say this or that, I just want to make one point clear. Any chakra work you take on, if a book tells you to close your chakras back down after an exercise, dump the book. Chakras are your energy centres. When you open them, clean them, get them spinning away, why on earth would you then close then? You wouldn't, not if you know what you are doing.

The problem is that many beginners (and some not so beginners) don;'t know this sort of thing and it is very unhealthy that so many books continually write this. Elen Hawke, Sacred Round, is one such a book. She has a nice way of writing and the book is the usually basic wicca 101. However, I was shocked when she tells her readers to close the chakras down after an exercise. I don't want to pick on one writer, she was the first that came to mind. She has other books which are very good but I would avoid the one mentioned above.

Another thing that I find amusing is that many writers read books like Marian Green's A Witch Alone, Rae Beth's Hedgewitch and Doreen Valiente's Natural Magic, then re-write them and publish their own versions. Amber K is one such a writer but there are possibly hundreds of others.

I would recommend any beginner, or someone who has a little knowledge but who wants more, to go to these more original sources mentioned above. Marian Green has been writing for decades on magic and witchcraft and her book, A Witch Alone, is very good. Doreen Valiente is an original, having been part of Gerald Gardner's circle, his high priestess. She was highly knowledgeable. Rae Beth writes in a unique manner, as a series of letters and knows her folklore very well. Starhawk is another good, solid craft writer, who talks about a range of subjects.

For a more general pagan book, a wonderful start is Phoenix from the Flames by Vivienne Crowley - a wonderful read and it, like the others mentioned above, have excellent further reading suggestions.

Another thing to do when trying to figure out which books to buy, especially if you are wanting something beyond witchcraft 101, is look at the contents. If it's talking about magical tools, the elements and creating sacred space, then it's not a more advanced book - it's a 101. An advanced book will talk about making your own spells, how to use ritual for learning more about yourself and the world around you (or talk about archetypes), etc.

On another note, I have written 3 books. 2 are part of a series set in Scoltand about the Sidhe, fairy folk. Available on kindle and in paperback:

The Island of the Mist is book 2

The Stone in the Sword is book 1

The 3rd book is an adult, sexy witchy werewolf/vampire story set in New York and featuring a strong female lead character, again available in kindle and paperback formats:

The Wolf, the Witch and the Coffin