Recommended Witch Books:

Tag: occult

Three Books of Occult Philosophy

Three Books Of Occult Philosophy

5 stars

Henry Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (written 1509-10; tr. by James Freake, 1651; ed. by Donald Tyson, Llewellyn Publications, 2005)

Review:

Illustrated, archaic, authentic, essential: De Occulta Philosophia (Three Books of Occult Philosophy) is the most influential book on magic ever written. Agrippa was a Renaissance German knight, theologian, feminist philosopher, and defender of witches who wandered the courts of Europe learning about and advocating for magic as the true synthesis of religion and science. His celebrated and persecuted grimoire and textbook on magic was an inspiration for The Goodly Spellbook. Editor Tyson’s well-researched explanatory notes and illustrations more than make up for Freake’s awkward 17th-century translation from the original Latin, which unfortunately remains the only available version in English of all three volumes.

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Witchcraft Basics

Necronomicon

Necronomicon

1 stars

"Abdul Alhazred" (numerous editions by various authors)

Review:

Marketed as real but utterly fake, the Necronomicon (“Book of Dead Names”) existed only in H.P. Lovecraft’s horror fiction, and even there only by allusion to its eldritch-sounding title. But if you’re a Lovecraft fan like *Diuvei, you’ll want to have it on your bookshelf just for its own sake — and to observe who does or doesn’t recognize it for what it is.

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Witchcraft Basics

Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells

Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells: From Abraxas to Zoar

5 stars

Claude Lecouteux (2015)

Review:

Extensive guide about more than 1,000 magical alphabets, phrases, symbols, and words that will help you pronounce, understand, and use them for maximum power; written by a respected occult author.

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Witchcraft Basics

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft

Buckland’s Complete Book Of Witchcraft

4 stars

Raymond Buckland (Llewellyn, 1990, 2002)

Review:

The famous “blue book” features illustrated, authentically traditional magic authored by the first Gardner-trained Third Degree Witch to publish such material in America. However it cannot, as promised, impart the reader “the equivalent of Third Degree.”

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Witchcraft Basics

An ABC of Witchcraft

ABC of Witchcraft

4 stars

Doreen Valiente (Phoenix Publishing, 1973)

Review:

Alphabetized information about Craft beliefs, traditions, lore, and practices; written by a witness to the modern rise of Witchcraft.

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Witchcraft Basics

Goodly Spellbook, The

The Goodly Spellbook: Olde Spells for Modern Problems

5 stars

Lady Passion (Dixie Deerman) & *Diuvei (Steven Rasmussen) (Sterling Publishing, 2nd edition, 2014)

Amazon Smile: Choose Coven Oldenwilde

Review:

Illustrated, definitive, fascinating guide to Witchcraft that explains how everyone can use common ingredients to work effective magic to help themselves, others, and the planet; written by trained, experienced Gardnerians.

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Witchcraft Basics

Amazon Smile: Choose Coven Oldenwilde

Witch Book

The Witch Book

4 stars

Raymond Buckland (Visible Ink Press, 2002)

Review:

Alphabetized, oft-illustrated information about magical practices, fads and traditions, and some ancient and modern occultists; written by a trained Gardnerian Witch elder who’d given our The Goodly Spellbook a rave review.

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Witchcraft Basics

Drawing Down the Moon

Drawing Down the Moon: Witches Druids Goddess Worshippers & Other Pagans in America Today

4 stars

Margot Adler (Penguin Books, 2006)

Review:

Craft history, information about diverse magical practitioners, groups, and Covens, and resources; written by a traditionally trained Gardnerian Witch; the author included information about Coven Oldenwilde in this 20th-anniversary update of her 1986 original edition.

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Witchcraft Basics