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Author Topic: thoughts on some books and suggestions  (Read 2668 times)

Faylie

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thoughts on some books and suggestions
« on: January 11, 2012, 10:54:51 pm »
I was wondering what people thoughts were on a couple of books and authors;

Vivianne Crowly; Wicca, New Edition: A Comprehensive Guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World

Ronald Hutton; The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft

And the general consensus on Scott Cunningham, Raymond Buckland and the Farrars

And also if people could suggest good sources for Ogham and it's history, and something with ideas for daily devotions and how to go about making your own that isn't of a completely or mostly Wiccan basis, I know it is primarily a do-what-feels-right-for-you sort of thing, but I'd like something to give me a bit of a starting point and the same with altars of a not so ceremonial / stereotypical (i.e, athame, chalice, umpteen candles, velvet cloth) type.  For these websites would be just as welcome as books.

Thanks for any help.

Asch

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2012, 11:48:48 pm »
Quote from: Faylie;38501
I was wondering what people thoughts were on a couple of books and authors;

Vivianne Crowly; Wicca, New Edition: A Comprehensive Guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World

Ronald Hutton; The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft

And the general consensus on Scott Cunningham, Raymond Buckland and the Farrars

And also if people could suggest good sources for Ogham and it's history, and something with ideas for daily devotions and how to go about making your own that isn't of a completely or mostly Wiccan basis, I know it is primarily a do-what-feels-right-for-you sort of thing, but I'd like something to give me a bit of a starting point and the same with altars of a not so ceremonial / stereotypical (i.e, athame, chalice, umpteen candles, velvet cloth) type.  For these websites would be just as welcome as books.

Thanks for any help.

 
Hutton is dry but excellent.

Dunno 'bout the other authors/books. For Ogham Ogam, weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie and Ogam the Secret Language of the Druids by Rev. Rober Lee 'Skip' Ellison are usually recommended. I have both but haven't had a chance to read them so I'm not able to comment past that.

As to altars, IDK, my shrine is set up along ADF lines.

Chatelaine

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2012, 07:30:21 am »
Quote from: Faylie;38501
I was wondering what people thoughts were on a couple of books and authors;

Vivianne Crowly; Wicca, New Edition: A Comprehensive Guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World

Ronald Hutton; The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft

And the general consensus on Scott Cunningham, Raymond Buckland and the Farrars

And also if people could suggest good sources for Ogham and it's history, and something with ideas for daily devotions and how to go about making your own that isn't of a completely or mostly Wiccan basis, I know it is primarily a do-what-feels-right-for-you sort of thing, but I'd like something to give me a bit of a starting point and the same with altars of a not so ceremonial / stereotypical (i.e, athame, chalice, umpteen candles, velvet cloth) type.  For these websites would be just as welcome as books.

Thanks for any help.

 
I haven't read either of those books, but I've heard only good things about both writers.

As for altar-building, if you don't want something stereotypical, you can just assemble it however you see fit. There's a thread around here where people talk about their own altars and post pics (my connection is wonky, or I'd go find it for you). My altars have always been minimal in the extreme, with only image(s) and a candle being necessary, plus a bit of cloth (a handkerchief, in my case) to separate them from the rest of the horizontal surface, and occasionally some incense. Bare bones and all.
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RandallS

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2012, 08:04:39 am »
Quote from: Faylie;38501

Vivianne Crowly; Wicca, New Edition: A Comprehensive Guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World

Ronald Hutton; The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft

Crowly writes well and is a good source on early Wicca. Hutton reads like a professor (because he is) but his stuff in general is excellent.

Quote
And the general consensus on Scott Cunningham, Raymond Buckland and the Farrars

The Farrars are a good source for info in traditional Wicca, especially their version of Alexandrian Wicca. Cunningham and Buckland are variable but in many cases there are better sources.
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Faylie

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2012, 04:52:18 am »
Quote from: Asch;38503
Hutton is dry but excellent.

Dunno 'bout the other authors/books. For Ogham Ogam, weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie and Ogam the Secret Language of the Druids by Rev. Rober Lee 'Skip' Ellison are usually recommended. I have both but haven't had a chance to read them so I'm not able to comment past that.

As to altars, IDK, my shrine is set up along ADF lines.


Hehe, here ADF stands for Australian Defence Force, Being a novice, I'm not sore what if means on Pagan terms.  I will look into those books though, thank you.
 
Quote from: Chatelaine;38517
I haven't read either of those books, but I've heard only good things about both writers.

As for altar-building, if you don't want something stereotypical, you can just assemble it however you see fit. There's a thread around here where people talk about their own altars and post pics (my connection is wonky, or I'd go find it for you). My altars have always been minimal in the extreme, with only image(s) and a candle being necessary, plus a bit of cloth (a handkerchief, in my case) to separate them from the rest of the horizontal surface, and occasionally some incense. Bare bones and all.


I'll try and hunt down that thread, I'd like to see pictures of others altars, as they say, a picture is worth 1000 words.  I like minimal, it seems more peaceful to me.  I would also like things I have collected and found in nature but I don't know what would fit fire for that.
 
Quote from: RandallS;38518
Crowly writes well and is a good source on early Wicca. Hutton reads like a professor (because he is) but his stuff in general is excellent.

The Farrars are a good source for info in traditional Wicca, especially their version of Alexandrian Wicca. Cunningham and Buckland are variable but in many cases there are better sources.


Has Hutton written other books?  I have only come across the one as far as I know.  I have no problem with a more heavy read as long as it is relevant and something I find interesting.  If it was the history of tyres then I would probably not be taking too much of it in.

Thank you all for your replies.

RandallS

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2012, 08:10:16 am »
Quote from: Faylie;38702Has Hutton written other books?  I have only come across the one as far as I know.  I have no problem with a more heavy read as long as it is relevant and something I find interesting.  If it was the history of tyres then I would probably not be taking too much of it in.[/QUOTE

He's wriiten a number of books, around half of them of interest to pagans. Unfortunately, many are hard to get. There's a good bibliography in his wikipedia entry.
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Faylie

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2012, 07:10:05 pm »
Quote from: RandallS;38710
He's wriiten a number of books, around half of them of interest to pagans. Unfortunately, many are hard to get. There's a good bibliography in his wikipedia entry.

 
Oh, thank you.  Almost all of them are of interest to me, I don't know why, as I am not a royalist, but I do find England's past rulers interesting, particularly the War of the Roses and the Tudor era.

Now to track some of these down.

SunflowerP

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #7 on: January 15, 2012, 03:55:17 am »
Quote from: Faylie;38702
Hehe, here ADF stands for Australian Defence Force, Being a novice, I'm not sore what if means on Pagan terms.

 
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Faylie

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2012, 10:04:56 pm »
Quote from: SunflowerP;38791
Ár nDraíocht Féin.


That makes much more sense :)  Thank you.

Aster Breo

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2012, 01:50:59 am »
Quote from: Asch;38503
For Ogham Ogam, weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie and Ogam the Secret Language of the Druids by Rev. Rober Lee 'Skip' Ellison are usually recommended.

 
Erynn's book is excellent.  Here's her website, where you can find a taste of the kind of work she's doing.

Another book you might want to check out is The Poet's Ogam:  A Living Magical Tradition by John-Paul Patton.
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Faylie

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #10 on: January 17, 2012, 01:10:07 am »
Quote from: Leanan Sidhe;38611
Try here, to start: http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Gaia.html

There's a ton of information there.

A book I have found helpful, but has absolutely NOTHING to do with religion of spirituality is: Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth by James Lovelock. It's based on his scientific theory that the earth is alive. However, it's written for people who are not scientists. I like it because it fits my own UPG notion of who/what Gaia is and was worshiped for.

I understand your frustration at a lack of available information. While some gods and goddesses were very well documented, other were or much information about them has been lost.

Also, you could read through Greek myths to do research.

 
I have been reading Greek myths and finding them quite interesting.  I plan
 to get a copy of Herodotus and The Illiad when I have the time to read them.  The Gaia hypothesis is very interesting although so far I have only read the basics.  I will look up the James Lovelock book, thank you.

Quote from: Aster Breo;38901
Erynn's book is excellent.  Here's her website, where you can find a taste of the kind of work she's doing.

Another book you might want to check out is The Poet's Ogam:  A Living Magical Tradition by John-Paul Patton.

 
Thank you, I am looking through Erynn's site and enjoying it a lot.  She has a lovely feel to her.

Leanan Sidhe

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #11 on: January 17, 2012, 02:07:52 am »
Quote from: Faylie;38501


And the general consensus on Scott Cunningham, Raymond Buckland and the Farrars

and the same with altars of a not so ceremonial / stereotypical (i.e, athame, chalice, umpteen candles, velvet cloth) type.  For these websites would be just as welcome as books.

Thanks for any help.

 
I like Cunningham a lot, but there are a bunch of other sources. It kind of depends where you wind up branching off into.
"Modesty is an illusion" -- de Sade
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Faylie

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Re: thoughts on some books and suggestions
« Reply #12 on: January 17, 2012, 04:14:57 am »
Quote from: Leanan Sidhe;39065
I like Cunningham a lot, but there are a bunch of other sources. It kind of depends where you wind up branching off into.

 
Well, I'm still not really sure there, I am leaning away from Wicca which I know is where his books lie, but I do have a couple of his books which I bought years ago, Solitary Practitioner and Wicca in the Kitchen.  There is some aspects I do like in them, but then some that doesn't resonate with me so much.  So I am still feeling my way.  I am wanting to find more about Gaia as she has crossed my path in out of the ordinary ways but I don't feel any connection with the Greek pantheon in general.

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