What are some good books/resources about witchcraft that don't necessarily involve Wicca?

Question

I am interested in witchcraft, and I know it is not the same as Wicca. Do those that are interested in witchcraft first have to become knowledgeable about Wicca?

Answer 1

My advice to you is to just read anything you can find that seems interesting to you. Read about all kinds of paganism, maybe also Wicca, to get a good idea of what's out there and what the differences are. Even still you don't need to 'pick what you are' because there are no set rules for paganism - you can adapt your own chosen pantheon and practices... just do what fits you best. In order to find out what that is, it is best to read about all kinds :-) also Wicca.

I'm Celtic pagan, and I recommend Celtic Magic by Conway, and Earth Power by Cunningham... in fact I recommend anything by Cunningham, because he is really good at introducing subjects. His books are mostly Wiccan based.

Answer 2

I agree with Julia that Scott Cunningham is indeed a wonderful author on subjects such as these.

It is probably best if you want to begin practicing witchcraft to develop some faith in some form of paganism, as books on 'witchcraft' aren't very accurate as witchcraft is done through power of the mind, which often requires a faith in something more divine, as all faiths/religions or spiritual paths do.

But I'm not saying that you should choose a religion so that you can practice the magic, because that is choosing it for the wrong reasons, but a little understanding of it would help a lot.

I think if you want good books on witchcraft, do read something by Scott Cunningham, particularly 'A Beginners Guide To Witchcraft' or perhaps something by Soraya who has books about tarot reading, dream analysising, and the more practical forms of witchcraft, if you wanted something on that.

You can also look on the internet for 'witchcraft' sites.

www.teenwitch.com is one that I used to look at when I first became interested in the whole subject.

Good luck with it!

Answer 3

check out http://www.sacredhearth.com and http://www.witchipedia.com

both were written by a witch who is not, and has never been, Wiccan.