Definitive Book List for New Pagans

There was a discussion at An Fianna about a list of books you might recommend to someone new to pagan ways. Its been a while since I thought about this, and given I have come from a heathen perspective, my list has changed. This is the list I provided, though I may amendments from time to time.

BEGINNERS

"Pagan Paths" by Pete Jennings
"Triumph of the Moon" by Professor Ronald Hutton, quickly followed by his other works including "The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy" and "Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain"
and anything by Terry Pratchett.

Celtic/Brythonic

"The Ancient Celts" by Barry Cunliffe
"The Celtic World" by Miranda J Green
"Gods of the Celts" by Miranda J Green
"Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch" by Lora O'Brien
"The Keys of Knowledge - Ogham, Coelbren and Pagan Celtic Religion" by Kevin Jones
"The Sacred Isle: Belief and Religion in Pre-Christian Ireland" by Dáithí Ó hÓgáin

and the following should then be undertaken:

"The Book of the Cailleach: Stories of the Wise Woman Healer" by Gearóid Ó Crualaoich
"Britain BC" by Francis Pryor
"Carmina Gadelica"
"The Cattle-Raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúailnge)"
"The Celts" by T. G. E. Powell
"Deirdre" [Longes mac nUislenn]
"The Destruction of Dá Derga's Hostel"
"Early Irish Myths and Sagas" by Jeffrey Gantz
"Imbas Forosnai" by N. K. Chadwick
"The Mabinogion" by Sioned Davies
"The Making of a Druid: Hidden Teachings from the Colloquy of Two Sages" by Christian J. Guyonvarc'h
"The Metrical Dindshenchas"
"The Otherworld Voyage in Irish Literature and History" by Jonathan M. Wooding
"Pagan Celtic Britain" by Anne Ross
"The Second Battle of Mag Tuired (Cath Maige Tuired) "
"Sweeney Astray" as translated by Seamus Heaney
"Tales of the Elders of Ireland" by Anne Dooley
"Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain" by Rachel Bromwich
"The Voyage of Bran"
"The Wooing of Emer" [from LU and Stowe] (Kuno Meyer)
"The Wooing of Étaín" translated by Bergin and Best

Anglo-Saxon Heathen

"Aspects of Anglo-Saxon Magic" by Bill Griffiths
"The Northern Tradition" by Pete Jennings
"The Poetic Edda"
"The Prose Edda: Tales from Norse Mythology" by S Sturluson
"The Way of Wyrd" by Brian Bates
"Understanding Wyrd: The Norns and the Tree - An Introduction to the cosmology of Northern Europe spiritual practice" by Jenny Blain
"Wights and Ancestors" by Jenny Blain

and the following should then be undertaken:

"Beowulf" as translated by Seamus Heaney
"Dictionary of Northern Mythology" by Rudolph Simek
"Eyrbyggja Saga"
"Elves, Wights, and Trolls: Studies Towards the Practice of Germanic…" by Kveldulf Gundarsson
Tacitus: "Germania"
"Gods and Myths of Northern Europe" by Hilda Ellis Davidson
"King Harald's Saga: Harald Hardradi of Norway from Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla" by Snorri Sturluson, Magnus Magnusson, and Hermann Palsson
"The Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe" by Hilda Ellis Davidson
"Northern Mythology: From Pagan Faith to Local Legends" by Benjamin Thorpe and Jacqueline Simpson
"Njal's Saga"
"Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney"
"The Saga of Grettir the Strong"
"The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki"
"The Saga of the Volsungs: The Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer"
"The Vinland Sagas: The Norse Discovery of America: "Graenlendinga Saga" and "Eirik's Saga""

Witchcraft/Magic

"13 Moons: A Journal of a Natural Witch" by Fiona Walker-Craven
"The Art and Practice of Creative Visualization" by Ophiel
"The Art and Practice of Astral Projection" by Ophiel
"Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain
"Liber Noctis: A Handbook of the Sorcerous Arte" by G. St. M. Nottingham
"Natural Magic" by Doreen Valiente
"Treading the Mill: Practical Craft Working in Modern Traditional Witchcraft" by Nigel G. Pearson

Moderating Fora

Well, one of the fora that I frequent have decided to set up a separate section for those new to ideas of Irish paganism and Irish witchcraft. So far, its been a very closed site, allowing new members only through invitation. I was very lucky to have received such an invitation after I kept asking questions of one of its members, who frequents An Fianna.

I am still a beginner, having started on a heathen path, which originated with Anglo-Saxon interests. When I made the transition, after a freak encounter, I started to trawl information about Irish paganism on the internet, only to find it overloaded with pages from delusional and/or uninformed writers. Even my limited grasp of Irish history and society told me that what I was reading was unreliable at best. Bibliographies were missing, and those that were in place were loaded with authors I knew to be doling out fodder for fires - see the ancient Irish potato goddess of one particularly prolific author.

I joined ITW in February of last year and have been asking questions, on an off, since that time. With trepidation, I consented to moderating the fora for new members of ITW. I have to admit to having some doubts, as I cannot answer the questions of fellow seekers at this point; I am still reading ferociously and trying to absorb the meanings behind texts, whilst getting a good grasp on history. It can be overwhelming and somewhat confusing - I just hope that other newcomers won't be put off by the work involved in treading a traditional path.

So, You Want to be a Pagan?

If you wish to practice a pagan religion you could do worse than to start with the following:

Learn herbalism: learn to identify, grow and harvest herbs at the right times. Culpepper lists the astronomical associations of each herb, so you will have some idea of the correspondences, etc. Learn about trees (thus, woods) and their mythology, growth patterns, etc. this will help with making tools, using correspondences - should that be the route you take.

Find a calendar of the moon, so you can watch its progress across the sky throughout the year and know how to keep track of it, eventually without the use of a moon chart/calendar. It is also good for everyone to know the night sky, so a basic map of the night sky that follows through the year would be good.

Information about the rural cycles of the year (times to sow, times to harvest, when the sap rises, when animals breed, give birth, etc.) will also be of benefit, when combined with books on local folklore and will help you get in tune with the natural energies around you. Information on weather lore, bird lore, etc. would also be of benefit; those old sayings have wisdom hidden in them. These books should be easily found in a library. Books do not have to be purchased and there are internet sites with this information, too.

Meditation - this should become a daily practice and you should also investigate visualisation techniques. These are basic skills that should not be ignored as a mastery of both will help you connect with the world around you. The more time you spend outdoors in natural surroundings, connecting with the spirits, the more you are likely to be able to conduct ritual in its proper setting in the future.

Write down what you currently believe about the cosmos and spirituality. Then, start reading books on myths so that you have an understanding of the various traditions and see which of those match your own understanding. Eventually, you will find one that fits close enough to examine it further. By reading the myths and history of your chosen tradition, you will come to know your own gods.

For instance, if you tend towards Celtic, try a copy of the The Mabinogion online followed by the celtic texts listed at Mary Jones's site. If you are interested in Egyptian, Roman or Norse gods see Encyclopedia Mythica, as it will have references to suitable texts.

If you prefer to read about the northern/norse gods, try the Northvegr site, which has articles and online version of original texts for those that prefer those gods/traditions.

Here is a list of further resources.

Sacred Texts - free books online.
Magical Library - more free books online.
Pantheon - information on gods and goddesses.
Edruid Press - online publishers of the most comprehensive herbal I have ever seen. Although, there is A Modern Herbal and Culpeper's Complete Herbal

There are plenty of good online resources. Just remember though, there is a huge difference between fact and fiction.

Photographing the Moon

Waxing Moon II

I happened to bring an old photographic disk to work this evening and, while searching through the pictures, I found this. I didn't believe I had ever taken a good photograph of the moon before, but it seems I did.

This was taken in October 2005, though I don't remember from where, or even how. I didn't have a tripod then, so only the gods know how I managed to get this shot.

Still, I'm pretty proud of it.

The Moon

I have always wanted to get a clear picture of the moon. I didn't think it was achievable. However, last night I got out my zoom lenses and made another attempt. This was the result, which isn't too bad considering I didn't have a tripod with me. Of course, this is severely cropped from a much wider shot, but I am still proud of it.

I also spent most of Saturday afternoon photographing wildflowers and I have posted these to my flickr account. I am surprised at some of the results, but I did feel I was getting a little help.

My First Hedgehog

I have pretty much seen most of the native animals of the British Isles in the wild. The only one that had escaped my sight was the hedgehog. For 12 years I had not seen one - that is, until last Saturday morning, driving home from work when one was crossing the road. I nearly hit it, but I did see it.

I was so chuffed. I have finally seen my first hedgehog.

Songs of Witchcraft & Magic

Well, what can I say about this particular CD? I love it. I truly do. I play it over and over and I've just had to replace my original copy (purchased at the Beltane Bash in London 2007) because it was worn. The added advantage of replacing the disc is that the replacement can also be used in my car CD player; the previous copy could not.

Various artists have contributed to this album, compiled by the Museum of Witchcraft and produced by Wild Goose Records, and each track is unique though all could be termed "folk music". Please don't let this put you off. Every song is fascinating and is accompanied by two pages of text giving the lyrics, details of the origin of the song, and reasons for inclusion on the album. In fact, the little booklet is fascinating on its own.

I do have my favourites, of course. Young Orphy gets me singing along in the car, or out in the woods, which has afford me a few odd looks from fellow walkers. The song that currently holds my fascination is The Brown Girl. There is something about the vibrato in the voice of the songstress that is like listening to a stringed instrument. The song itself is almost a lament and the emotion of the vibrato, a cappella, lends itself beautifully to the tale. The Two Magicians is a bit bawdy, but lots of fun and I imagine a group of people singing the chorus whilst waving their beers in the air.

I imagine I will need to replace the CD, and booklet (the original was ruined accidentally in my handbag when a water bottle imploded) again, but it doesn't matter. One day, my iPod will work and this album will be the first to be uploaded. In the meantime, I am hoping a second CD of "Songs of Witchcraft and Magic" will be forthcoming.

The CD is available from Wild Goose Records, The Occult Art Company online, and various shops, including Wicca Moon in London.

Rigantona

Its always tricky writing reviews for items that have been produced by people you know. You want to be honest, but you also don’t want to offend and ruin a friendship. Not something I have to worry about in this instance.

Rigantona is a CD by Liath Hollins. It is an album of traditional harp music; music native to the British Isles and Ireland. All but one of the songs feature the harp. Fairy Host, is my favourite track on the album, mostly because the lyrics and the power of the artist’s voice are mesmerizing. It is sung without the harp, though there is some light percussion to enchance one short section of the piece.

Greensleeves is a simple and perfect instrumental version, for which the Liath Hollins, should be congratulated. It is a tune that brings fond memories to the fore. The album is a combination of several good instrumental pieces played lovingly on the harp, and three songs, which combine to create a perfect afternoon’s listening. I’ve listened to this album several times already whilst driving to work, each time thinking I would dearly love to listen to a live performance from the artist.

I believe Liath originally intended this CD to promote her skills as a harpist for weddings, but its so much more. Definitely a worthwhile purchase. It can be obtained from the website,

Traditional Harp.