Witchy Wednesday: Most Influential Books

The new year is time to get back into the swing of things, so here is our Witchy Wednesday post for the week.  The topic: What books have been the biggest influence on you?

I’ve been Pagan for a good long time, and in that time, I’ve read a lot of really bad books.  In the early years of the twenty-first century a lot of books were published that sought to make Paganism palatable to the general public by making it look like enviro-Christianity.

There have been a lot of books worth reading in that time as well. Good reference guides with great ideas for crafts, and creative little tips and tricks.  There haven’t, however, been a whole lot that I found to be inspiring and held elements that I felt were essential to my own path.

Below are four books that I have read and kept close at hand.  One that I have kept since I was 10 years old.

Book of the Week: Witchcrafting

Witchcrafting by Phyllis Curott is a lesson book for Eclectic Wicca. Though it claims to provide new ideas and techniques for the adept, it ends up as a book that is truly aimed at beginners. Even though it tends to fail in its attempt to teach ‘old Witches new tricks’, I found it to be a very well written book and I recommend it regularly.

It is a thin paperback, and manages to still hold the magical tone of the author’s memoir work, Book of Shadows. This makes it very enjoyable to read. She doesn’t talk down to beginners and doesn’t make claims that her ways are the right ways.

Book of the Week: Book of Shadows

This fortunate library find has become one of my favorite books. Contrary to what its title suggests, this is not a book of spells or even a ‘how to be a witch’ text. Instead, we find the story of the author’s discovery and eventual initiation into the world of Wicca and modern witchcraft.

It takes place in the seventies, and provides those of us who weren’t around then, a rather shocking look at how much has changed in regards to women’s rights in only forty years. Hence, there is a pronounced feminist and environmentalist slant to this book, but if you liked Starhawk (or even if you thought she was a bit over the top), you will love the writings of Phyllis Curott.