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Author Topic: Resources on Wicca  (Read 4130 times)

GaiaDianne

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Resources on Wicca
« on: January 09, 2012, 11:18:28 pm »
RESOURCES ON WICCA:

A.    Websites:
 
1. CoG - Covenant of the Goddess - http://www.cog.org
CoG is a national organization of (legally-recognized Wiccan "churches) - Wiccan covens, clergy and solitaries -- with local "councils" in many cities; providing general, basic information, links to resources, etc.

2.  Circle Sanctuary - http://www.circlesanctuary.org
Circle is a Pagan (not just Wiccan) Sanctuary, working farm, and learning center, offering training, workshops, festivals, networking, etc.  
 
3.  Witchvox - http://www.witchvox.com
Witchvox is a wonderful resource that offers general, basic information,  referrals and links to local and regional resources.

5.  Wicca For the Rest of Us http://wicca.timerift.net/  -
 One of the better Pagan internet sites; lots of good information, articles, resources, links, networking, etc.

4.  “Beginning Wicca” Yahoo Group -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BeginningWicca/
 - One of the better Yahoo groups with several High Priests and Priestess members, so there are lots of good discussions and good information.

5.  BlueMoonWicca.org – http://bluemoonwicca.org/classes.html
Classes on Traditional Wicca.

6.  Religious Tolerance – Pages on Wicca:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/witchcra.htmd

7. Tangled Moon, Lark's excellent Wicca site:   http://www.tangledmoon.org
 
8.  Real Pagan:   http://www.realpagan.com
An(other) excellent resource for information, discussion,  and resources on (authentic) Paganism, Witchcraft, Wicca, etc., which places “special emphasis on quality.”

9.  College Wicca – Resource for Wiccans in School - http://www.collegewicca.com/

10.  CUUPS – the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans – (http://www.cuups.org)  -- Is sponsored by the Unitarian-Universalist Church, which is a very liberal church with many members of diverse religions; holds classes, rituals, etc.


Still More:

http://www.witchessabbats.com/

http://wcc.on.ca/faq/faq1.html

http://www.widdershins.org/vol10iss3/04.htm

http://wicca.timerift.net/

http://www.branwenscauldron.org/index.php/topic,5398.0.html

http://www.branwenscauldron.org/index.php/topic,5355.0.html

http://www.tangledmoon.org/wiccan-exercise.htm



Conflict Between Wiccans and Christians: http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_conf.htm

 
B.  Books:

1.  Books and Authors To Avoid:
Before going any further, however, I want to give you a warning:  There are many books that are so-so (pretty good), there are a few that are excellent, and there are (too many!) that are crap.   As you get more and more experience with the better materials,  you will be able to make better and better choices, faster, about which are which.

 Here are some  that  are  considered among the worst (because of factual errors, ethical problems, and more)  by most experienced Wiccans, but are rather popular (and often even recommended) by beginners who just don’t know any better.

AVOID  Anything  By:

1.   Silver Ravenwolf – For more on this, please see the article: “Silver Ravenwolf: Positive, Negative, Resources”, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Witch_Essentials/message/21193

2.   Douglas Monroe's "21 Lessons of Merlin" is known to be complete and absolute fiction - See   http://www.neopagan.net/21-Lessons.html
http://digitalmedievalist.com/reviews/21-lessons/

3.   Kisma Stepanich – has been publically accused of Plagiarism / Fraud:  See
http://www.geocities.com/ferigold/truthfaery/index.html
http://www.backwash.com/content.php?jouid=5256
http://www.cyberwitch.com/wychwood/library/WhenIsACeltNotACelt.htm
http://www.summerlands.com/crossroads/remembrance/faery_wicca.htm

4.   Edain McCoy –
http://www.stopedainmccoy.com/?page_id=10
http://www.stopedainmccoy.com/?page_id=14#response_5

5.   Mary Summer Rain – Is considered a “Plastic Shaman” Fraud by Native Americans – See http://www.newagefraud.org/

6.    Ann Moura – Tried to revive Margaret Murray’s (long ago debunked) “Wicca is an ancient religion”,  theory.

7.   DJ Conway – bad / inaccurate history –
faeriekat.wordpress.com/.../review-of-celtic-magic-by-dj-conway/
http://paganbookreviews.com/2010/02/20/mystical-dragon-magick-by-d-j-conway/

8.    “Wiccapedia”  By Shawn Robbins and Leana Greenaway
This book is a sham, there's nothing of Wicca in the book aside from the title.  It's written by two individuals who have no knowledge or experience in Wicca at all who compiled a pile of New Age odds n' ends then slapped a "wicca" label on it. .

Llewellyn Publishers – Known to have very “spotty” quality, for two main reasons:
a)   They don’t check their books for accuracy; you have to rely upon the author for good research, and only *some* of their authors bother with this;
b)   They require all their authors to sign “multiple-b ook deals”, so every author is obliged to come up with a certain number of books within a certain period of time, whether or not they happen to have sufficient material to justify those books.
See for example, “Why Llewellyn Sucks”:
 http://nonfluffypagans.livejournal.com/788324.html
 

OTHERS:
See for example, “Problematic Pagans”, here:  http://www.outofthedark.com/ProblematicPagans/index.html

See Also:   http://realpagan.net/forum/topics/authors-i-personally-dont

 
2.  On Scott Cunningham:

A few words on Scott Cunningham and his books, "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" and "Living Wicca":

Scott was a much-beloved, extremely prolific writer of Pagan and Wiccan books and articles, and became (through writing his two major books, "Wicca; A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" and its companion volume, "Living Wicca' -- one of the strongest proponents of non-initiatory, solitary and eclectic "Neo-Wicca" (as opposed to "Traditional Wicca", which is generally defined as "an initiatory, lineaged Path whose central Mysteries are generally Oath-bound").

 These two books had an extremely profound effect upon Paganism in general and Wicca in particular, and are most often recommended especially by beginners and "intermediate" students -- so i think it's important to note and discuss them a bit.
First, it's important to note that these two books were published back in 1988, and 1993 -- just as Wicca was beginning to become somewhat popular and generate a great deal of interest, but BEFORE there was a lot of easily-available information on (Traditional) Wicca.  Scott "hit" it just right, and his book took off like crazy.  

But (imo) it's crucial to realize that Scott was advocating a NEW and DIFFERENT Kind of Wicca .  Traditional Wicca is a Mystery, Initiatory, Lineaged Path, whose deepest, most profound principles and practices are oath-bound and not available publically.  Scott wrote his books for the many who were interested and he felt, deserved to have at least basic, essential information, even if they were not able to hope for finding a good teacher or Coven.

HOWEVER –

a)    This meant that the “Wicca” that they learn from Scott’s books is *NOT* the same Wicca that they would learn (and experience) in the context of a (traditional) Coven;

b)    Many of us feel that) Scott never intended that his book(s)  should REPLACE Traditional Wicca, or that those who COULD find good Covens and teachers, would avoid or neglect doing so, in favor of this new, different, "Solitary" and non-initiatory Wicca.

Anyone who *avoids* being well-trained by a good, experienced and well-trained High Priest/ess, or practicing within a Coven, does themselves a huge DIS-service; they are extremely unlikely to experience some of the most important, central, powerful and beautiful aspects of Wicca.

For more on this, please see CAllisto’s excellent articles on the differences between “Traditional Wicca”, and “Solitary-Eclectic”, here:

http://www.wiccantogether.com/forum/topics/solitary-wiccans-are-we-lying?page=5&commentId=1070680%3AComment%3A2843391&x=1#1070680Comment2843391

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Witch_Essentials/message/25342
 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Witch_Essentials/message/25367


3.  Good Book Resources On Wicca:

a.  Ellen Cannon Reed's "The Heart of Wicca" --
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Wicca-Wise-Words-Crone/dp/1578631742
NOTE: This is the very best book on the “Heart and Soul” of Wicca that I’ve found in over 30 years; it’s the first and major book i would recommend to anyone!

b.  Starhawk's "The Spiral Dance",
c.  Janet and Stewart Farrar's "The Witches Bible" -
d.  Ray Buckland's "Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft" –
e.  Gerald Gardner's "Witchcraft Today" and "The Meaning of Witchcraft"

 
Of course there are many, many other good books, and new ones coming out all the time -- These are what might be considered "classics".
 
 
I hope all of that is helpful --Blessed Be - GaiaDianne

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