An engaging work that emphasizes positive self transformation with techniques that are effective, ethical and safe. You are taught to trust the inner bell and gut instinct. Other techniques are given on negating various energy forms that are counter-productive. This is one book you will hate to finish because of its engaging quality and at times humourous, conversational approach.

The late author left behind a legacy of written works that are simple to understand and quite effective without being steeped in complicated jargon. The author describes how the four elements are the powerhouses to magick, and by harnessing their energy they can help transform our lives. It includes an assortment of easy to use rituals and spells for the novice. Any title by this author is highly recommended as a foundation to Craft study.

A Book of Pagan Rituals Edited by Herman Slater

This was once called Pagan Rituals 1, 2, and 3; this is the re-issue. Some of these books may be out of print so finding them can be a bit of a chore. They are a bit more advanced, but if you should happen to stumble upon them in a used bookshop, grab them.

The other title to look for as well is The Magickal Formulary, also edited by the late Herman Slater. What also makes these works invaluable is that they are from the inner workings of Mr. Slater’s shop, Magickal Childe, which used to be one of New York’s oldest Witchcraft Centers. (Magickal Childe closed several years ago, after the owner had passed away. -editor) Slater never wanted to commit these books to print, however dire financial problems occurred making it essential to do so. His Formulary work is worth its weight in gold simply because the recipes for some of the most effective and potent incense and oils utilized in the craft are within its pages. Slater guarded these recipes more tightly than a 5-star restaurant chef.

A great reference book that teaches how to create amulets, charms, sachets, herbal pillows, incenses and oils utilizing plants. Cunningham delineates the proper energies that each plant resonates with. It helps to attune the seeker with utilizing scent as a doorway to the psychic center. Many recipes and spells included.

This is a great introduction to Afro-American folklore and religious customs. Teish writes in a humorous vein while teaching about the Yoruba Lucumi tradition. Other works within this context would be Santeria by Migene Gonzalez Wippler which is also an introduction to the Afro-Latin religious experience. Please keep in mind, these works are not Witchcraft, but another form of Paganism. They are included in the event that the reader wants to expand on other cultures and belief systems.

Despite the controversy this author has endured because of her current writing of the Teen Witch books, which are aimed at the teen market, RavenWolf is still one of the sanest writers on the introduction of the Craft. These 2 volumes are the initial stages that one must learn to get to the intermediate and advanced stages of the Craft. Other works from other authors are available, but quite frankly, some of the wording can be rather tedious and unnecessarily grandiose. RavenWolf has many exercises that one must complete in order to test the self for completion of understanding. It’s one thing to read the books, but being an armchair witch won’t help you to make changes in your life. These particular books push you to strive for more.

At one point or another, you may want to learn the art of divination using the Tarot. Connolly’s work is very in depth, easy to understand, immensely enlightening and extremely accurate. Her books teach the reader to see further into the deck than most writers have thus far been able to do. The focus is with the more popular Rider-Waite Tarot deck which is an appropriate selection for the novice. As time progresses, one may seek out other decks, however, with the additional knowledge delved through these works, it will make reading other decks that much more psychically inducing.

Hopefully these books will keep many of you busy for a while. They are entertaining as much as they are informative. As you progress, you will ascertain which author’s you have a preference for and which author’s give quality work. There are numerous works out there that are also essential such as Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance and Margot Adler’s Drawing Down the Moon, to name a few. With time, these books will manage to come into your life as you are ready for them. Until then, curl up and dig in. The world of magic awaits!