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Msg # 53 ( 7 of 34) Date: 04-16-92 (22:36) / /
To : Mason Taube
From: Paul Seymour
Subj: Bibliography, Part 3
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Part 3
W I T C H C R A F T
the Magic of Ancient Celtic Beliefs
in a Contemporary Society
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OTHER SOURCES (cont.):
'A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics, & Pagans'
by Jeffrey B. Russell. Thames and Hudson trade paperback.
This book represents the approach of a gifted Cornell historian.
Although Russell doesn't always adequately cover modern sources, he has become
famous for his ability to integrate a sensible approach to the evidence of
medieval Witchcraft with an acceptance of modern Neo-Pagan Witchcraft.
'Magical Rites from the Crystal Well' by Ed Fitch.
Llewellyn trade paperback.
A book of rites, simple celebrations of land and water, wind and fire.
Rites of passage, seasonal celebrations, magical workings, healings, and many
more. Ed Fitch (one of the founders of Pagan Way) is truly in his element
here. And it is one of the most beautiful books on the Craft ever published.
The art work alone is worth the price of the book!
'A Book of Pagan Rituals' by Herman Slater. Weiser trade
paperback.
Originally published in two volumes as the 'Pagan Way Rituals', this
extremely beautiful book is just what it says it is: a book of rituals. Not
authentic Wiccan rituals, but very nearly so, these rituals are often used by
Covens in the training of neophytes. Like a good Catholic missal, the words
are printed in 'sense lines' using BOLD PRINT (easier to read by candlelight).
Anyone who is at least part animist or nature-lover is going to cherish this
beautiful book.
'Celtic Heritage' by Alwyn and Brinley Rees. Thames and
Hudson trade paperback.
A good deal of modern Witchcraft can be traced to ancient Celtic
sources. This book, based in comparative religion, mythology, and
anthropology, gives one a clear picture of the Celtic world-view. Drawn
mainly from Ireland and Wales, the study focuses on the interplay of Light
and Darkness, Day and Night, Summer and Winter, and all the seasonal myths and
rituals that make up the great Celtic yearly cycle.
OTHER USEFUL BOOKS:
'The Politics of Women's Spirituality: Essays on the Rise of Spiritualist
Power Within the Feminist Movement' by Charlene Spretnak. Doubleday trade
paperback.
A huge (and, one is tempted to say, the definitive) anthology of feminist
and Pagan theology. Many familiar authors here: Starhawk, Weinstein, Daly,
et. al. Subjects range from Amazons to the ethics of magic. A real bargain!
'The Way of Wyrd' by Brian Bates. Harper & Row hardback.
What Carlos Castaneda did for Native American tradition, this author
does for ancient Pagan Anglo-Saxon tradition. Subtitled 'The Book of a
Sorcerer's Apprentice' and based on authentic manuscripts found in the British
Museum, it is the chronicle of a young Christian monk sent
into the wilds beyond
Mercia in 674 to record the heresies (beliefs) of the Pagans. He is lucky to
have as his guide the Anglo-Saxon shaman Wulf. Throughout this documentary
novel, the Christian and Pagan beliefs are juxtaposed for a better
understanding of both. Not since 'The Mists of Avalon' has
a book accomplished
this task so neatly.
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* Origin: The Mountain Oracle, Home of the SPIRITUAL Echo (1:128/101)