Wiccan Books For Beginners

Here you will find some of the best Wiccan books for beginners to learn the craft from and about Wiccan way of life.

Before anything else, I'd like to take a moment to point out the main differences between Wicca and Witchcraft, because while many confuse the two, they are not entirely the same. You can be a witch (and practice witchcraft) without being a Wiccan. But being a Wiccan without practicing witchcraft is just not done.

Basically Wicca is a Pagan religion, while witchcraft is a practice. As a religion, Wicca is quite modern, and it sort of started with Gerald Gardner in the early 1960s. Witchcraft, on the other hand, has been practiced for thousands of years, before Christianity even existed. Of course, during those old times, witches were not called as such, but were known instead as 'wise women', or 'healers', or other similar names.

There are tons of very useful books on the subject (I have read at least 50 of them and counting), and while you can learn from every single book there is out there on the subject, time is precious and it's best spent learning from the best books instead.

Note: If you are looking about books written by Silver Ravenwolf, you will not find them here. After reading several written by this author, I honestly have to say that to they're just waste of time (and money). Honest. But if you do want to read some of her books, just to see what is all about, here is a link with only her books on Wicca. But don't say I didn't warn you!

by Raymond Buckland

This book is considered in every Wiccan circles (and forums) the authority book on the subject of learning Wicca. It is the stepping stone for everything else to follow. No matter which Wiccan you will be talking to, they will have read this book, it's that important.

However, be prepared to face the dry and rather textbook quality of the writing. It reads like a college text book, which means you will get at times a feeling of 'have to' instead of 'want to'.

But don't let that deter you from reading it, because once you're past that, you know more than the many 'wanna be Wiccans'. And you'll learn to do things the right way.

by Thea Sabin

This is an awesome book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Thea Sabin not only knows what she's talking about, but she's a great writer that engages you with her style right from the start.

This book offers a great foundation which to build upon. It has pretty much everything you need to know when you're just starting out as a witch. A wonderful introduction to Wicca that will leave wanting to learn more!

The books explains all about magic, the tools that you will be using as a practitioning Wiccan, the elements and how you will connect to all of these.

by Scott Cunningham

A must read book for any Wiccan newbie, especially if you don't intend to join a coven. There are many reasons why you might want to remain a 'solitary witch'. In some countries there are simply not many people who are interested in the craft.

Or you might not know anyone. Or you prefer walking the path on your own.

For whatever reason, if your path is that of practicing alone, without a coven, then this is the perfect book for you to read. It basically It covers the basics if Wicca, from the viewpoint of not having a lot of contact with other Wiccans.

by Marian Green

Marian Green's books are awesome as well. While they might not be my very first choice, once you've gone through the previous selection, you will invariably turn to this book (and some of her others as well).

This is another book for the solitary practitioner. Many new Wiccans believe that they have to join a coven in order to learn and become a witch. That is not true, and this is why these types of books can help greatly in speeding up your learning on your own.

The wise woman, the druid, the hermit, the wizard, and the shaman all connect to their magical energy in a "group" of one. With only yourself to rely on, magic becomes an introspective act. Commune with nature on your own and form a deeper, stronger connection with the stars, the sun, and the moon.

Judika Illes

This book is not so much a course on Wicca per se, but more an encyclopedia of tons of spells that you will be using as a Wiccan. You WILL need this book for practicing. Afterall theory will take you only that far.

As you go through this book, you will learn that it is not purely for Wiccans. It has spells for every witchy tradition out there, including Folk Magic, from Brujeria, Santeria, Espiritismo, Latin America, Egypt, and many more. This book will be useful to you whether later on you still want to continue with Wicca or go on to other witchcraft types.

While you're out there doing magic, you are letting yourself open to all sorts of negative entities, so it's a good thing to protect yourself. Protection is also useful to learn for other times when you're in the company of a so-called psychic vampire (a person who simply likes to feed on the fear and energy of other people).

Knowing how to protect yourself psychically can help you greatly in many times of need!

The Book of Shadows (also called BOS in the Wicca circles) is one of the first things you'll need when starting out.

This is your personal journal where you write your spells (what works and what doesn't), your dreams and their interpretations, your chants, color correspondences, the plants you're using and what to avoid, basically pretty much everything that you are learning on your journey to being a powerful witch.