Birch Grove

Hmmkay, so, since I haven’t been taking artsy pictures since I put up the Gallery, this is renamed the Library, because I’ve always wanted one. I must explain that despite being a professed bibliophile, I don’t have much in the way of directly Pagan literature, but I do have a wishlist!

Note: All the links will take you to Amazon.com and are specifically the prints/editions that I own. Others do exist.

Magickal Books I Want to Own:

Cottage Witchery: Natural Magick for Hearth and Home by Ellen Dugan

Natural Witchery: Intuitive, Personal, & Practical Magic by Ellen Dugan

Northern Mysteries & Magick: Runes & Feminine Powers by Freya Aswynn

Magickal Books I Own:

The Poetic Edda - I own this because I needed it for a class, but it’s full of useful info on the Gods, lovely tales, and fun (if sometimes dry) reading.

The Prose Edda – Again, for a class, but full of good historical info for the academic in us all. My favorite thing to do with this pair of Snorri Sturlasson’s books is to disseminate the Christianity from them and read between the lines. It’s fun! Note: This is not just the prose version of the Poetic Edda, they are separate books with separate tales and info.

Gods and Myths of Northern Europe by H.R. Ellis Davidson – Another for a class, but full of solid academic stuff, a great one to temper all the New Agey stuff out there. Davidson (a woman, P.S.) is a good, albeit slightly dry, author, but the book sometimes ventures too far into the prehistory of Scandinavia, which can be frustrating when all you want it a titch more info on the Norse Gods. And since it was originally published in the 1960s, it can be a bit dated from time to time.

The Magical Household: Spells & Rituals for the Home by Scott Cunningham & David Harrington (I have the 2006 edition) – Sometimes a little Wiccan-y, but mostly just good lore about household magick. Haven’t quite finished it yet, but it’s been good so far. I’ll probably like it more when I have my own place.

Finnish Magic by Robert Nelson – Not the greatest and perhaps even dangerous. Another in Llewellyn’s “(Insert Cultural Name Here) Magic” series. The trance work advice is bad and dangerous. There is a lot of mixing of cultures (Native American, Nordic, even Celtic) in with the Finnish. To be read with an extremely skeptical frame of mind and a lot of common sense.

Rune Magic: The History and Practice of Ancient Runic Traditions by Nigel Pennick – Pretty Wiccan-y with lots of annoying mandates about how things must be done (without saying why). However, it does offer some info on the runes, and this was my first truly magickal book, so it holds a special place in my heart.

“Fun” Books That Inspired Me:

The Heralds of Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey – Many Pagans today will tell you that they got their first inkling of witchcraft or Paganism from fantasy novels. This is certainly my case, and while I now know there’s no such thing as Harry Potter magic, Lackey’s positive portrayal of witches, magick, women as warriors, etc., and tolerance of other cultures, homosexuality, and honor and respect really spoke to me and helped shape my values as a Pagan. I still love all of her books. (The link goes to the first of appx. 20 books in the Valdemar series)

Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic and Blackbird House. Both evoke New England witchery and blend new magick with old.

Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness, Immortals, Circle of Magic, and The Circle Opens series(es?). All considered young adult fiction, but full of good stuff.