100 Best Paganism Books of All Time
We've researched and ranked the best paganism books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more
If you want to study Paganism in more detail, this book is the place to start. Based on a course in Paganism that the authors have taught for more than a decade, it is full of exercises, meditations, and discussion questions for group or individual study.
This book presents the basic fundamentals of Paganism. It explores what Pagans are like; how the Pagan sacred year is arranged; what Pagans do in ritual; what magick is; and what Pagans believe about God, worship, human nature, and ethics.
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Almost thirty years since its original publication, Drawing Down the Moon continues to be the only detailed history of the burgeoning but still widely misunderstood Neo- Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction. In this new edition featuring an updated resource guide of newsletters, journals, books, groups, and festivals, Margot Adler... more
For the first time after the Nightfall, the Resistance holds a true bargaining chip. For the first time, they have a chance to tip the scales of the war and ensure humanity’s survival. But Myra has made a promise, and breaking it will destroy all that is human in her. She is loyal to the Resistance,... more
For centuries, pagan witchcraft has been linked with chilling images of blood rituals, ghostlike druids, and even human sacrifices. But while Robert Hutton explores this dark side of witchery, he stresses the positive,... more
Selling more than 200,000 copies, Living Wicca has helped countless solitary practitioners blaze their own spiritual paths. Let the wise words of Scott Cunningham guide you toward a new level of practice.
Living Wicca takes a philosophical look at the questions, practices, and differences within Witchcraft. You'll learn how to create your own rituals and symbols, develop a book of shadows, and even become a... more
Don't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
The answers to questions like these and hundreds more can be found in The Complete Book of Incense, Oils and... more
A leaf from an oak tree...a wildflower...water from a sparkling stream...dirt from a cool dark cave--these are the age-old tools of natural magic. Born of the earth, possessing inherent power, they await only our touch and intention to bring their magical qualities to life.
The four elements are powerful magical tools. Using their energies, we can transform ourselves, our lives, and our world.... more
The ways of magic are revealed in nature . . . The secrets are written in meandering streams and drifting clouds, whispered by the roaring ocean and cooling breeze, echoed through caves and rocks and forests.
When you draw a heart in the sand, call on the four winds for assistance, or ask the rain to wash away a bad habit, you are practicing earth magic. By working in harmony with nature, we can transform ourselves, our lives, and our world. This tried-and-true guide offers more than one hundred spells, rites, and simple rituals you can perform using the powerful energy of...
In Essential Asatru, renowned author and priestess Diana Paxson demystifies an ancient, rich, and often misunderstood religion, and offers a practical guide for its modern followers.
Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru's origins in Scandinavian and German paganism to its acceptance as an official religion in the 1970s.
The book also includes:
-A complete history of Asatru gods and goddesses,... more
From the earliest times, respecting our interdependent relationship with nature has been the first step toward spirituality. Earth, air, fire and water are the four elements worshiped in many indigenous cultures and celebrated in earth–based spiritualities such as Wicca. In The Earth Path,... more
Birth,growth,death,and rebirth are a cycle that forms the underlying order of the universe. This is the core of Pagan belief – and the heart of this unique resource guide to de less
Don't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Practicing Druid Penny Billington offers a clear and structured course of study grounded in Celtic history and mythology, and highlights the mysteries and modern practice of this nature-based tradition. Each chapter begins with an evocative visualization and captivating Welsh mythic tales from the Mabinogionare woven throughout, introducing lessons and key concepts. A... more
The Circle Within is your guide to creating a personal spiritual practice for daily life. The first section is a thoughtful examination of Wiccan ethics and philosophy that explores how to truly live Wicca. The second section includes devotional prayers and rituals that provide inspiration for group or solitary practice.
Topics in this Wicca book include: cultivating an ongoing personal relationship with deity, ethics and standards of behavior, concepts of sacred space, elements of a daily practice, tuning into the Wheel of the... more
A 16-page, full-color insert, new with this edition... more
This book has everything a teen Witch could want and need between two covers: a magickal cookbook, encyclopedia, dictionary, and grimoire. It relates specifically to today's young adults and their concerns, yet is grounded in the magickal work of centuries past.
Information is arranged alphabetically and divided into five distinct categories:
(1) Shadows of Religion and Mystery,
(2) Shadows of Objects,
(3) Shadows of Expertise and Proficiency,
(4) Shadows of Magick and Enchantment,... more
This labyrinthine and extraordinary book, first published more than sixty years ago, was the outcome of Robert Graves's vast reading and curious research into strange territories of folklore, mythology, religion, and magic. Erudite and impassioned, it is a scholar-poet's quest for the meaning of European myths, a polemic about the relations between man and woman, and also an intensely personal document in which Graves explores the sources of his own inspiration and, as he believed, all... more
Embrace a spiritual journey to commune with nature, rediscover wonder in the world, and reconnect with yourself. Paganism for Beginners is your guide to exploring the diverse magick of modern Paganism. The up-to-date handbook introduces you to a breadth of Pagan traditions and core beliefs―welcoming you to this inclusive movement with a myriad of ways to deepen your personal spirituality.
Delve into a comprehensive overview of common Pagan practices and discover which speak most profoundly to you. Follow... more
• Includes charts of equinoxes and solstices, movable holy days, and monthly lunar phases through 2033
• First edition sold more than 30,000 copies
Pagan rites and festivals are at the root of many traditional holidays in the Western world. Embracing a sensitivity we have lost, the Pagan traditions emphasize mystical spirituality, reverence for the feminine principle, and the links between people and the earth.... more
Don't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Green Witchcraft explores the fundamentals of the Wiccan religion, providing magical training for the independent thinker. Step-by-step instructions on a wide variety of magical techniques as well as basic rules of conduct make this the ideal book to get you started. Green rituals for self-initiation, rites of... more
Animal Speak provides techniques for recognizing and interpreting the signs and omens of nature. Meet and work with animals as totems and spirit guides by learning the language of their behaviors within the physical world.
Animal Speak shows you how to:
Identify, meet, and attune to your spirit animals
Discover the power and spiritual significance of more than 100 different animals, birds, insects, and reptiles
Call upon the protective powers of your animal totem
Create... more
Earth from the ocean, eternally green;
the waterfalls plunge, an eagle soars above them,
over the mountain hunting fish.'
After the terrible conflagration of Ragnarok, the earth rises serenely again from the ocean, and life is renewed. The Poetic Edda begins with The Seeress's Prophecy which recounts the creation of the world, and looks forward to its destruction and rebirth. In this great collection of Norse-Icelandic mythological and heroic poetry, the exploits of gods and humans are related. The one-eyed Odin,... more
The Inner Temple of Witchcraft is a thorough course of education, introspection, meditation, and the development of the magickal and psychic abilities that are the birthright of the witch. Four introductory chapters present the history, traditions, and principles of... more
•Have a meaningful Pagan practice by following seven simple steps.
•Develop a sacred calendar customized for your beliefs, lifestyle, and environment.
•Make daily activities sacred with quick and easy rituals. Connect with the earth in a very real way by producing a portion of your own food—even if you live in an apartment!
•Express Pagan spirituality through... more
Embracing both the spiritual and the practical, Wicca for Beginners is a primer on the philosophies, culture, and beliefs behind the religion, without losing the mystery that draws many... more
Goddess tradition embraces the wheel of life, the never-ending cycle of birth, growth, love, fulfillment, and death. Each turn of the wheel is presented here, in eight holidays spanning the changing seasons, in rites of passage for life transitions, and in the elements of fire, air, water, earth, and spirit. Circle... more
Don't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Discover tips for establishing or deepening a regular practice. Explore how your spirituality can help you deal with life's inevitable hardships. Learn the basics of leadership roles and other steps to take as you... more
From the serpent goddesses of ancient Crete to modern nature-worship and the restoration of the indigenous religions of Eastern Europe, this wide-ranging book offered a rewarding - often provocative - new perspective on European history.
This second edition includes:
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When high-powered Manhattan lawyer Phyllis Curott began exploring Witchcraft, she discovered a spiritual movement that defied all stereotypes. Encountering neither satanic rites nor eccentric spinsters, she came to know a clandestine religion of the Goddess that had been forced into hiding over the course of history. Book of Shadows recounts Curott's remarkable initiation into Wicca (meaning... more
How did the change come about? By documenting the... more
Virtually any item in your pantry can be used for personal transformation. From artichokes to kidney beans to grape jelly, food contains specific magical energies you can harness for positive results. This encyclopedia of food magic offers twenty-seven of Scott... more
Wheel of the Year takes you on a month-by-month journey of discovery through seasonal aspects of Paganism practiced both in recent and ancient times. Just look at a few of the things shared in this gentle, loving book:
For December: The Magic of Mistletoe; The Ritual Burning of the Yule Log; Magical Uses of Ashes from the Yule Fire; A... more
Don't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
Part exploration of this taboo area, part manual detailing the actual mechanics of sex magic, the book draws on the pioneering studies of Aleister Crowley and Jack Parsons to penetrate the veil of secrecy surrounding the ecstasies and dangers of these practices.
Zeena and Nikolas Schreck have collaborated on several musical, written, artistic and spiritual projects together, including the avantgarde...
moreNewly updated and re-organized, this edition includes thirty-seven rituals-adapted for Christians and Pagans-that can be performed at home with readily available materials. No prior magickal knowledge is necessary. Diagrams and simple instructions make this candle magick primer an ideal... more
This book presents a complete system of magic using herbs. You will learn the theory of magic and the tools you'll need. Then you'll get countless techniques for using herbs for magic. Need a protection method? "Pick several protective herbs and bind the stems together with red thread, then hang them up. This practice dates back to Babylonian times." You'll... more
Popular Wiccan author and teacher Christopher Penczak takes a threefold approach to protection magick in this guide for Witches, Pagans, shamans, and psychics. First, find out how to protect... more
Don't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
This second edition of Spell Crafts, the much-loved and oft-read guide to magical handwork, features new illustrations and a new preface by David Harrington. Learn how to create and use all of the following:
Magical... more
The world of magic is full of immeasurable potential. There are literally thousands of spells in existence, for every purpose you could possibly imagine. In this book from best-selling author Lisa Chamberlain, you will find spells and other magical workings that, when applied with focused intention, can bring positive experiences into your life. Divided into four general categories, they are suitable for Witches of all experience levels, without... more
The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse mythology. Written in Iceland a century after the close of the Viking Age, it tells ancient stories of the Norse creation epic and recounts the battles that follow as gods, giants, dwarves and elves struggle for survival. It also preserves the oral memory of heroes, warrior kings and queens. In clear prose interspersed with powerful verse, the Edda provides... more
Discover binding spells and banishing spells, spells for love, luck, wealth, power, spiritual protection, physical healing, and enhanced fertility drawn from Earth’s every corner and spanning 5,000 years og magical history.
In The Encyclopedia Of 5,000 Spells: The Ultimate Reference Book for the Magical Arts, independent scholar, educator and author of several books of folklore, folkways, and mythology Judika Illes enables the reader to enter the world of folklore, myth and magic with... more
From specialized spells and charms to kitchen conjuring and color magick, this hands-on guide teaches Witches of all levels how to strengthen a home's aura and energy. Readers will learn how to use begonias and lilacs for protection, dispel bad vibes with... more
Don't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
An essential set of instructions and guidelines for beginning the practice of the Ancient arts An overview of Wiccan beliefs, laws, rules, and principles Directions for creating and using basic tools of the Craft--athame, wand, cup, pentacle, cauldron, broom, black mirror, and meditation Easy-to-follow... more
Alexi Kondratiev outlines rules for Celtic-circle membership and...
moreAdvanced, sophisticated Witchcraft philosophy and practice Delves further into the theology and theory of every phase of ritual, along with... more
Experience the life-transforming beauty of Celtic Witchcraft by calling upon the Morrigan—the Celtic embodiment of the victory, strength, and power of the divine feminine.
In this comprehensive and hands-on guide, Stephanie Woodfield invites you to explore the Morrigan's history and origins, mythology, and magic. Discover the hidden lessons and spiritual mysteries of the Dark Goddess as you perform guided pathworkings, rituals, and spells. Draw on the unique energies of her many expressions—her three main aspects of Macha, Anu, and Badb; the legendary Morgan Le Fay; and her other...
more"Laurie Cabot has written a fascinating account of a beautiful and sadly misunderstood religion, witchcraft. She has with her life and work done a great deal to legitimize this ancient pagan form of worship. I am among the ecumenical Christians who have discovered the truth about witchcraft, that it is neither demonic nor evil. Power of the Witch... more
Introducing an instant classic—master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.
Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and... moreDon't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
You are holding a source of great power and influence -- the wisdom of the animal world drawn from the wellspring of ancient Celtic tradition. The Druids, like the Native Americans, revered animals as sacred guides, guardians and protectors. Today, the book and beautiful card set of The Druid Animal Oracle can bring healing and will help you draw strength from its intuitive knowledge. From the interpretations of the card spreads and the animal lore given, you will gain powerful insights into your life-situation... more
Richard HeygateThis addresses the relationship between magic and Christianity. Bates is a Professor of Sociology at Sussex University. Middle-Earth, and the world of Tolkien, fascinates him. The church wiped it out in the sixth and seventh centuries, but Bates wanted to understand what paganism was really like. He didn’t find any direct descriptions. But he came across some wonderful books, written by monks... (Source)
You will enhance your spellcrafting, empower your witchery, and add richness and depth to your everyday life by developing your intuition and psychic skills. Natural Witchery features straightforward how-to's, first-hand stories, spells, rituals, fun quizzes, and creative exercises to help you live a more magickal life:
Learn how to tune in... more
Traditional blessings, ancient lore, and... more
Don't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
There are two basic types of holidays. The first come at the Solstices and Equinoxes. The others divide the time between those dates in two, resulting in eight major holidays or Sabbats with approximately the same amount of days between them. The balance, here, gives the appearance of spokes in a wheel, so this cycle is commonly called the Wheel of the Year.
The holidays represent two... more
Popular writer and witch Mat Auryn reveals his most closely guarded tips, practices, and meditations for unlocking your psychic abilities and elevating your witchcraft into exciting new territory. Featuring over ninety exercises, this groundbreaking book helps your magick and your senses reach their full potential.
Witchcraft and psychism are two sides of the same coin--they complement and strengthen one another. Psychic Witch provides everything you need to not only master... more
Ghosts that dance to haunted tune
Apples, goodies, food galore
Halloween has this and more! Just where did the autumn gaiety begin? Let Silver RavenWolf guide you through the cobwebby corners of time to uncover the history behind Halloween. Honor the spirit of this hallowed harvest holiday with:
Halloween magick: Prosperity Pumpkin Spell, Corn Husk Dolly, Solitary Harvest Moon Ritual Magickal goodies: Candied Love Apples, Witches' Brew, Sugar Snakes in Graveyard Dust Halloween myths and superstitions: Black cats, scarecrows, pitchforks,... more
Grimoire for the Green Witch offers a treasury of magical information--rituals for Esbats and Sabbats, correspondences, circle-casting techniques, sigils, symbols, recitations, spells, teas, oils, baths, and divinations. Every aspect of... more
Don't have time to read the top Paganism books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.