draft of book list for Intro to Paganism talk

[ianphanes]

this is a draft in process...suggestions are welcome

Druidry/Druidism:

• Bonewits, Isaac. Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism. A highly informative introduction, but very little in the way of practical material.
• Greer, John Michael. Druidry Handbook. A complete training manual for the First Degree of the AODA.

Modern Pagan Witchcraft:

• Bonewits, Isaac

Comments

[cgirlslife]

For Heathenism/Germanic Paganism, I'd recommend Diana Paxson's "Essential Asatru" Although I haven't read many books on this subject, (and haven't yet gotten a hold of "Our Troth") Paxon's book is one of the best I've read on that subject. She writes well and clearly and points out that Heathen's don't need to do spell work.

As far as Druidry/Druidism, I'm so NOT your gal.

Would you be interested in maybe mentioning a Shamanism book for those who might be interested in that? Not that I can recommend any, but if someone else did I'd be interested in reading one.

[cgirlslife]

Ok, apparently you were editing this as I typed my comment. Since you added a book that I mentioned, I must assume that I am in fact Divine...

[ianphanes]

This is news? Not to us!

[ianphanes]

btw, "Our Troth" is in the Education Library.

[alzbeta_m]

It's so nice to see a list of introductory Pagan books that doesn't include Silver Ravenwolf. (Sorry if that offends anyone, but her writing makes my teeth hurt.)

If you do want to add a Shamanism book, I would recommend "Fire in the Head" by Tom Cowan.

only vaguely related...

[ianphanes]

I've been considering doing a class for an SCA event on the history of Hermeticism. I would love to pick your brain sometime on how best to approach this in a one-hour SCA class.

[mythworker]

I'm partial to "The Deities Are Many" by Jordan Paper, a nice simple short non-neopagan (he's been involved in several indigenous, Buddhist, and meso-pagan traditions) overview of what a modern "Pagan theology" could/would be like. Written in part as a response to Michael York's "Pagan Theology" because he felt there wasn't enough, well, pagan theology, in it.

I'd also recommend "The Other Side of Virtue" by Brendan Myers and "Living With Honour: A Pagan Ethics" by Emma Restall Orr if you are going to do a section on ethics and values.

[ianphanes]

For the general information category, I prefer John Michael Greer's A World Full of Gods: An Inquiry into Polytheism. Have you read it?

However, I'm not sure either of them is appropriate for this list, as it's intended for those with no background.

[shivianbalaris]

My standard list:

General Topics (Phase 1)
* Witchcraft / British Traditional Witchcraft: The Witch's Bible - by Janet and Stuart Farrar
* Understanding Witchcraft: Witchcraft for Tomorrow - by Doreen Valiente
* Understanding Paganism: Paganism - by Higgenbothems
* Elements: Wisdom of the Elements - by Margie Mcarthur
* Trance & Meditation: Transportation - by Diana Paxson
* Spells & Spellcraft: Natural Magic - by Doreen Valiente

General Topics (Phase 2)
* Spells & Spellcraft: Element Book of 5000 Spells - by Judika Illes
* General Witchcraft: Mastering Witchcraft - by Paul Huson
* Ethics: When, Why, If - by Robin Wood
* Eclectic Wicca: Wicca for the Solitary Practioner - by Scott Cunningham
* Sabbats: Eight Sabbats for Witches - by Janet and Stuart Farrar

[ianphanes]

This is a handout for a 2 hour intro talk on the range of modern paganism. Most of your titles are too in-depth for this talk. (For example, I won't discuss magic at all. I will mention that the Craft includes magic, but that none of the other branches of paganism require it. That's as far as I'm going here.) I'm not familiar with the Higgenbothems, however; is is clearly at the introductory level? And what kinds of paganisms are they discussing?

On a side note: a minor, but significant issue of nomenclature. The Farrar's, being Alexandrian, are British Traditional Wicca, not British Traditional Witchcraft. Cochrane would be an example of British Traditional Witchcraft.

[shivianbalaris]

I've heard BTW only referred to as Wicca, but called "British Traditional Witchcraft" -- I'd agree with you, though, that Wicca is not traditional craft.

[sara_super_id]

I also like Paul Huson's Mastering Witchcraft for general non-wiccan non-neo-wiccan witchcraft. But it might be out of print.