Rosewicket Wicca Coven

Alright, so I thought I would put this out as my list of books and authors recommended for those interested in Wicca :

• Raymond Buckland (a little iffy on this one)
  
• Any Gerald Gardner book
• Vivanne Crowley's books
• Doreen Valiente's work
• Stewart and Janet Farrar's work
• Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon (though this is more general paganism)

Actually....make that a list of authors and a book. 

The book, 'A Witch Alone' is rather popular, though by the time I got my hands on it I was sort of past that level, but I'm sure it could be a benefit to others.

Scott Cunningham is also a great author, especially for solitary Witches who may be just starting out.

On the note of Gerald Gardener, he is credited with reviving (or formally founding) Wicca, but I think his works are at a more intermediate level, and many of his claims are sketchy.

Starhawk is also a good author, her book 'The Spiral Dance' is the most popular Wicca book of all - and Earth Path is very good for getting more in tune with the earth.

I agree with your comments on Gardner, Chi.

Many of his claims are quite outlandish in my opinion.

He was basically the man who took a stand and went public with his beliefs after the repeal of the Witchcraft laws in England.

While I respect that, perhaps it was a little of "Right place, right time?"

The man is credited with the revival/invention of Wicca--personally, I would have preferred if people recommended him to me from the beginning as opposed to Cunningham.  And Starhawk--I love love love HER by the way--I don't feel is Wiccan.  More...well, she calls herself a Witch, and I think that's really the only way to describe her effectively.

One of the ways I gauge if a book is Wiccan is if I find myself gritting my teeth a bit at the formality of it all.  Then I definitely know it's traditional and Wiccan.  If I find myself on...'better terms' with the book and not trying to wrestle with the often plan weird claims made by the authors, then I know its more New Age Wicca or general witchcraft. 

Personally, Gardner and I don't agree on...a lot.  He's been known for outright hating gays and the system he brought to light/created just doesn't mix with me. 

For New Age Wicca and spiritual witchcraft, I would definitely recommend Cunningham, as well as Starhawk, as well as Gede Parma, T. Thorn Coyle, Christopher Penczak, Amber K, and Thuri Calafia.  I basically have different lists I recommend for different interests: people interested in Wicca get the first list, if they say their interested in earth-based spirituality or witchcraft I give them the second. 

Gardener is a gray line for me. I do not agree with his views as a person, and many of his claims are false - but it is good to have a background for historical purposes at least.

He idolized and refferenced Margret Murray quite a bit, though every credible historian and scientist knows her claims are false and romanticised. Why then, do we still idoloze gardener is we know his claims are false?

For historical and intelletcual purposes. I think that is why you should pick up his books, to get a clearer idea of Wicca in the past what what is was like prior to the 1950s. If his claims resonate with you, then perhaps you should look into traditional Wicca, but I believe for someone starting out and perhaps not aware of what direction they want to go, it should be taken with a grain of salt and looked at in a historical perspective first.

Hmm...perhaps Gardner could be read at the same time as another newer book to demostrate the change?  I think that would be best, so the two could be compared very immediately. 

Ugh, Margret Murray...Gardner did idolze her, though at the time she was thought to be credible.  I'd say that whole debacle is a bit similar to the criticism thrown at Starhawk for referencing Majirta Gimbutas (probably spelled that wrong), except on a much larger scale.  I do think it's important to know the traditional section of Wicca though, because it allows for proper understanding to be fostered between the two groups.  Before I read Gardner or Vivianne Crowley's work, I always thought the people spouting 'you're not Wiccan if you haven't been initiated!' were just jerks.  Now I understand and agree slightly with their point.  That said, I prefer Cunningham's modern Wicca style...it was what got me involved with modern Wicca.

I do agree that Gardeners work is worth reading, but it needs to be read carefully. The reason I don't know to what extent I would reccommend it to beginners is because many new readers are so eager to read everything that they forget to prcoess it with their best judgement - which is vital whenever you are reading a religious, magical, or spiritually oriented book. Especially one of questionable credibility.

I do think comparing Gardeners work with siome modern work is a very good idea if readers have the time and focus - it would lend insight into the varrying opinions in the modern Pagan movement and give some understanding of how different traditions can be. It woudl also teach a lot about how you gather information and how to compare your own ethics to texts and teach you to go with what resonates with you best.

For beginner Wiccans like me, I recommend The Solitary Witch  by Silver Ravenwolf. It contains nearly everything a beginner witch would need to know, including spells, rituals, legends and history, as well as advice from the author on what books are best to get for different topics.

I, myself, haven't made a dent in the monsterous book, but I usually HATE non-fiction books, and I can't take my eyes off this one! It helps the reader understand more about the culture and makes suggeestions on how best to practice controlling your magick and recipes to use during holiday rituals.