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Help on Wicca by Avytrix

It's something I've been interested in for a while; does anyone know any good sources of information?

If someone could snag me a good, reasonably in-depth deity list, that would also be hella.

Help on Wicca

Avytrix

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    I know squat, but I do have a friend I'll ask.

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      thank you (nvn)

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        And a reply has been received!

        She recommends Scott Cunningham's "The Truth About Witchcraft Today" as a very solid introductory book. Basically saying that it's the first book you should grab.

        Following that, other recommendations are "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner", and to check out Chris Penczak (although the books are apparently pricier and more in-depth), particularly "Temple of Witchcraft". She also says that Silver Ravenwolf's "To Ride a Silver Broomstick" is a decent introductory book from a woman's perspective, but also "don't elevate Silver into a 'guru'".

        Hope that all helps!

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          Alright I should have read everyones' comments before posting mine. Apparently Cunningham is the man for this. Yea start with the Solitary Practitioner book I would.

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    this is one of my preferred sources for wicca: http://paganwiccan.about.com/
    i believe it has a deity list somewhere.

    also if you're interested in practicing wicca, "wicca: a guide for the solitary practitioner" by scott cunningham is a great starting point. i can give you a pdf if you want.

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      that would be lovely, and thank you!

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      Oh thanks vib. I should have read your comment before posting mine

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    I have a book I haven't read for eons called Wicca
    A Guide for the solitary practitioner
    by Scott Cunningham.
    Which has the authors book of shadows in it.
    Given that I haven't read this since I was the newbliest of newbs coming out of a Christian ideology, I can't remember how legit this book is spiritually. I was such a nublet I couldn't tell what was going on.
    However I get the impression this is one of the main books for Wicca. Probably this was suggested to me by the pagans I knew back home.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Cunningham
    "Scott Douglas Cunningham (June 27, 1956 – March 28, 1993) was a U.S. writer. Cunningham is the author of several books on Wicca and various other alternative religious subjects.

    His work Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, is one of the most successful books on Wicca ever published;[1] he was a friend of notable occultists and Wiccans such as Raymond Buckland, and was a member of the Serpent Stone Family, and received his Third Degree Initiation as a member of that coven."

    It is apparently one of the most successful books.
    I would assume its a good starting place, though success does not equal quality, necessarily.

    Here is the book cover: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ac/Wiccabookcover.jpg

    I do assume this book and some other things I have on wicca, and what those witches taught me, are the sources for some of the symbolic elements of my rituals, such a color associations for certain things. And associations of herbs and incense etc. I think this book is probably a good outline for getting your ritual craft in order. That is stuff like learning symbolism, selecting objects for that symbolism, and the processes of conducting rituals. There is a section in here about the days of power, one about festivals. Runes, crystals,herbs, symbols and signs, gestures, yea a lot of basics.

    My path is so eclectic I can't really school you in what is specifically Wicca. I don't know what the limitations are for what is considered Wicca. But Wicca is a path that is inherently eclectic. I just have no idea what the boundaries are.

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    Also this is not wicca specifically, but I have a book called Signs & Symbols, An Illustrated Guide to their Origins and Meanings
    color illustrated, very nice book. Studying symbols helps develop an esoteric vocabulary/gives your mind images to use in processing this kind of thinking. Pg 99: The Durian: "Said to have the taste of Heaven and the stench of Hell, the Southeast Asian durian symbolizes the unpleasantness that obstructs the path to inner truth and beauty. The Malays regard it as an aphrodisiac, while in Hong Kong its costliness reflects status."
    I latch onto the "unpleasantness that obstructs the path to inner truth and beauty" since that is personally relevant to me. So the Durian gains that symbolism for me.
    Also, I had durian pop-sicles once but they were underwhelming. Someday I'll have a fresh one, perhaps.

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    Oh well I am just going to keep going. I also have here The Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews, also by Cunningham. This is exactly as it sounds, a book of recipes for making brews and smell goods and everything nice. It's main use is to calm me just by holding the book -- I mean to show you what kinds of material, sensory stimulating things you can produce to help you in your craft. Contains magical properties of herbs and whatnot. I usually go teh chaos rout and just make things based on my own associations but I can see someone new finding use from what is in here.

    Another herbalism book is needed to go with this, one that shows the pictures of the herbs and that has all the other stuff about them that someone entirely secular could also read and believe. I have a nice one that my mom gave me, called Complete Book of Herbs "Using Herbs to Enrich Your Garden, Home, and Health" I sit on the porch in the summer reading this, next to my potted herbs. This book covers how to grow, harvest, and preserve and process herbs. Make oils, tinctures, ointments, etc. Has a long list of common herbs each getting at least a page of description. Listing precautions, medical uses, other uses, propagation, preservation, parts used, cultivation and other stuff, and pictures of the plants, well drawn illustrations in color and sometimes also photos. There are also recipes for food in here. And some information for making herb gardens. Some stuff may overlap with the first book.

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      http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71-3SR6mzhL._SL500_SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

      Not a very good picture and I think this book might be old enough to be out of print or something.
      Besides the title it says on the cover: "With the American Herb Association and Kathi Keville, Diector"

      But there are many many many herbalism books so it doesn't really matter. I think you just need at least one if you will be getting into Wicca. Or else a good online source but I prefer tangible books for things like all this, especially if you want to be outside while reading or elsewhere or in a ritual where you want to read from a thing and don't want a lit screen involved.

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      I am also not /too/ keen on the first book about the Brews as it does seem to be lacking, but it was still useful to me when I was starting out in magic.

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        It has been /years/ since I used it -- bad in my nublet phase- but I got the impression it was a bit over-generalzing.

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    i want to recommend a site http://www.thewitchescollective.com/ has a lot of good info