Wednesday, March 30, 2005

My occult library

These days, it's not hard to find books about Wicca, Witchcraft, magic, herbs, tarot, astrology, or the occult. However, it is difficult to find good books: smart, thoughtful, useful, rich, complicated, well-written books. What follows are highly idiosyncratic lists of the good, the bad, and the ugly in my personal occult library. (As I add books to my library, I'll add them to this page. My library is woefully incomplete. Recommendations are most welcome.)

The central library:
  • Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Pagans, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today Margot Adler
  • Etheric Anatomy: The Three Selves and Astral Travel Victor Anderson
  • Practicing the Presence of the Goddess Barbara Ardinger
  • In the Footsteps of the Goddess Cristina Biaggi
  • Goddesses in Everywoman Jean Shinoda Bolen
  • Crossing to Avalon Jean Shinoda Bolen
  • Close to the Bone Jean Shinoda Bolen
  • Urgent Message from Mother Jean Shinoda Bolen
  • Bonewits's Essential Guide to Witchcraft and Wicca Isaac Bonewits
  • The Pagan Man Isaac Bonewits
  • The Mists of Avalon Marion Zimmer Bradley
  • Pronoia is the Antidote for Paranoia Rob Brezny
  • The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries Zsuzsanna Budapest
  • Grandmother Moon Zsuzsanna Budapest
  • She Who Dreams Wanda Easter Burch
  • Intuitive Astrology Elizabeth Rose Campbell
  • Wiccan Beliefs and Practices Gary Cantrell
  • Womanspirit Rising ed. Carol Christ & Judith Plaskow
  • Weaving the Visions: New Patterns in Feminist Spirituality ed. Christ & Plaskow
  • The Laughter of Aphrodite Carol Christ
  • Odyssey with the Goddess: A Spiritual Quest in Crete Carol Christ
  • The Rebirth of the Goddess Carol Christ
  • She Who Changes: Re-Imagining the Divine in the World Carol Christ
  • Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell Susanna Clarke
  • Witchcraft Today, Book 1 ed. Chas Clifton
  • Witchcraft Today, Book 2 ed. Chas Clifton
  • Her Hidden Children: The Rise of Wicca and Paganism in America Chas Clifton
  • Evolutionary Witchcraft T. Thorn Coyle
  • Aegypt John Crowley
  • Little, Big John Crowley
  • Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner Scott Cunningham
  • The Truth About Witchcraft Today Scott Cunningham
  • Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic Scott Cunningham
  • The Magical Household: Spells and Rituals for the Home Scott Cunningham & David Harrington
  • Book of Shadows Phyllis Curott
  • Witchcrafting Phyllis Curott
  • Love Spell Phyllis Curott
  • Beyond God the Father Mary Daly
  • Gyn/Ecology: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism Mary Daly
  • Pure Lust Mary Daly
  • Wickedary Mary Daly
  • Witchcraft: Theory and Practice Ly de Angeles
  • Be A Goddess Francesca De Grandis
  • The Red Tent Anita Diamant
  • The Storyteller's Goddess: Tales of the Goddess and Her Wisdom from Around the World Carolyn McVickar Edwards
  • The Chalice and the Blade Riane Eisler
  • Living in the Lap of the Goddess Cynthia Eller
  • Women Who Run With the Wolves Clarissa Pinkola Estes
  • FutureRitual Philip H. Farber
  • The Solitary Wiccan's Bible Gavin & Yvonne Frost
  • Magical Meditations: Guided Imagery for the Pagan Path Yasmine Galenorm
  • The Meaning of Witchcraft Gerald Gardner
  • Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting Lynn Grabhorn
  • Deepening Witchcraft Grey Cat
  • Wild Witchcraft Marian Green
  • The Astrology of Fate Liz Greene
  • Orders of the Great Work: Alchemy Manly P. Hall
  • Paganism Today: Wiccans, Druids, the Goddess and Ancient Earth Traditions for the Twenty-First Century Graham Harvey & Charlotte Hardman
  • People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out ed. Ellen Evert Hopman & Lawrence Bond
  • The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft Ronald Hutton
  • Celebrating the Great Mother Cait Johnson & Maura D. Shaw
  • Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System Anodea Judith
  • True Magick Amber K
  • The Woman's Retreat Book Jennifer Louden
  • The Comfort Queen's Guide to Life Jennifer Louden
  • Bioenergetics Alexander Lowen
  • Before You Cast a Spell Carl McColman
  • The Goddess Companion Patricia Monaghan
  • The Planets Within: The Astrological Psychology of Marsillio Ficino Thomas Moore
  • The Family Wicca Book Ashleen O'Gaea
  • Honoring Menstruation Lara Owen
  • The Wiccan Wellness Book Laura Perry
  • Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves: Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community Sarah M. Pike
  • His Dark Materials Philip Pullman
  • The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth Monica Sjoo
  • The Politics of Women's Spirituality ed. Charlene Spretnak
  • Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, and Politics Starhawk
  • The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess Starhawk
  • The Earth Path Starhawk
  • Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery Starhawk
  • The Fifth Sacred Thing Starhawk
  • The Pagan Book of Living and Dying Starhawk, M. Macha Nightmare and the Reclaiming Collective
  • The Twelve Wild Swans: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing, and Action Starhawk & Hilary Valentine
  • Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions Starhawk, Diane Baker, & Anne Hill
  • Ariadne's Thread Diane Stein
  • Guide to Goddess Craft Diane Stein
  • Mother Wit: A Guide to Healing and Psychic Development Diane Stein
  • The Women's Book of Healing Diane Stein
  • Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats Diane Stein
  • All Women are Psychics Diane Stein
  • The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition Dianne Sylvan
  • Advanced Wicca Patricia Telesco
  • Cakes and Ale for the Pagan Soul ed. Patricia Telesco
  • The Power of Now Eckhart Tolle
  • A New Earth Eckhart Tolle
  • Ritual Magic Donald Tyson
  • Inanna Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer Diane Wolkstein & Samuel Noah Kramer
  • Rituals of the Dark Moon Gail Wood
Annuals:
  • We'Moon
  • The Witches' Almanac
  • SageWoman magazine
My Tarot library:
  • The Druid Craft Tarot Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm
  • Feminist Tarot Sally Gearhart & Susan Rennie
  • Tarot for Your Self Mary Greer
  • Tarot Mirrors Mary Greer
  • Discovering Yourself through the Tarot: A Jungian Guide to Archetypes and Personality Rose Gwain
  • Motherpeace: A Way to the Goddess through Myth, Art, and Picture Vicki Noble
  • The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination Robert M. Place
  • Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom Rachel Pollack
  • The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tarot Rachel Pollack
  • The Secrets of the Tarot Barbara Walker
Herbals:
  • Healing Wise Susun Weed
  • Breast Cancer? Breast Health! Susun Weed
  • Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way Susun Weed
  • Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year Susun Weed
  • Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs Gail Faith Edwards
  • Herbal Healing for Women Rosemary Gladstar
  • The Complete Medicinal Herbal Penelope Ody
  • Growing 101 Herbs That Heal Tammi Hartung
  • The Green Witch Herbal Barbara Griggs
  • Bud, Blossom, & Leaf Dorothy Morrison
  • Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore, & Herb Craft Ann Moura
  • Holistic Women's Herbal Kitty Campion
  • Wise Concoctions Bonny Trust Dahan
  • Bringing a Garden to Life Carol Williams
  • The Herbal Home Remedy Book Joyce Wardwell
  • The Herbal Body Book Stephanie Tourles
  • The Wicca Herbal: Recipes, Magick, and Abundance Jamie Wood
Creativity:
  • Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest Christina Baldwin
  • The Artist's Way Julia Cameron
  • The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life Julia Cameron
  • Writing Down the Bones Natalie Goldberg
  • Wild Mind Natalie Goldberg
  • Thunder and Lightening: Cracking Open the Writer's Craft Natalie Goldberg
  • Remembered Rapture: The Writer at Work bell hooks
  • Bird by Bird Anne Lamott
  • Trust the Process: An Artist's Guide to Letting Go Shaun McNiff
  • Writing for Your Life: A Guide and Companion to the Inner Worlds Deena Metzger
  • Making a Literary Life Carolyn See
  • If You Want to Write Brenda Ueland
Texts from other spiritual traditions:
  • The Woman's Book of Yoga and Health Linda Sparrowe & Patricia Waldman
  • Yoga: Mind, Body, & Spirit Donna Farhi
  • The Breathing Book Donna Farhi
  • Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness Eric Schiffmann
  • Yoga and the Quest for the True Self Stephen Cope
  • Living Your Yoga Judith Lasater
  • The Bhaghvad Gita tr. Eknath Easwaran
  • Discovering Kwan Yin, Buddhist Goddess of Compassion Sandy Boucher
  • Turning the Wheel: American Women Creating the New Buddhism Sandy Boucher
  • Hidden Spring: A Buddhist Woman Confronts Cancer Sandy Boucher
  • Sweet Zen Cheri Huber
  • Buddhism After Patriarchy Rita Gross
  • Soaring and Settling: Buddhist Perspectives on Contemporary Social and Religious Issues Rita Gross
  • Religious Feminism and the Future of the Planet Rita Gross and Rosemary Radford Reuther
  • Sexism and God-Talk Rosemary Radford Reuther
  • Being Peace Thich Nhat Hanh
  • Peace Is Every Step Thich Nhat Hahn
  • The Places That Scare You Pema Chodron
  • When Things Fall Apart Pema Chodrom
  • A Path With Heart Jack Kornfield
  • After the Ecstacy, the Laundry Jack Kornfield
  • Coming Back to Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World Joanna Macy
  • World as Lover, World as Self Joanna Macy
  • The Long Quiet Highway Natalie Goldberg
  • Open Mind: Women's Daily Inspiration for Becoming Mindful Diane Mariechild
  • At the Root of This Longing: Reconciling a Spiritual Hunger and a Feminist Thirst Carol Lee Flinders
  • The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman's Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine Sue Monk Kidd
  • Beautiful Necessity: The Art and Meaning of Women's Altars Kay Turner
  • The Cloister Walk Kathleen Norris
  • Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith Kathleen Norris
  • With Roots in Heaven Tirzah Firestone

4 comments:

Broomstick Chronicles said...

You have an unusually solid booklist, Inanna, far more substantial than most I've seen on the Web. You might consider adding HER HIDDEN CHILDREN, by Chas S. Clifton; WITCHCRAFING, by Sabina Magliocco; COMING TO THE EDGE OF THE CIRCLE, by Nikki Bado-Fralick; and THE RED-HAIRED GIRL FROM THE BOG, by Patricia Monaghan. Also THE PAGANISM READER, edited by Graham Harvey and Chas S. Clifton, if you don't already have it.

Blessings,
Macha

Rowan Dawn said...

Damn. You are well read.

Angel said...

That is quite a list that you have there and I'm very impressed! I'm thinking about copying and saving it to build my own "witchy" library!

lynnsdecor said...

Great list!
I just started reading : THE GODDESS IS IN THE DETAILS by Deborah Blake and I am going to recommend it to every witch! It goes into being a witch everyday, beyond just the full moons and sabbats.