next step after the basics

[Elaine]

I was looking over some websites the other day and was realizing that most of them are just Wicca101 type stuff....all of the basic stuff...and all the same.....I was wondering if anyone knows of any websites that would take me to step 2....(ya know past the rede and the 3 fold law and the sabbats.....) or would my next step up be books? I appreciate the help as always!!:cool:

[Faery-Wings]

I just got Cunninham's book For Solitary Practicioners. I am halfway through it so far. It has a lot of small ritual ideas to get started. He describes meditiing on the moon at night, visualizing her power flowing through you and thanking her for being with you. And doing the same thing with the sun and God in the morning. He also has some simple altar ideas.

I will look through my list of websites and see if I have some that are more than 101 for you too.

Chris
:sunny:

[Emerald Sky]

Elaine,
I have been reading, reading, reading. I read on a website that you should read the "good" books as well as the "bad" ones - just to get an idea of the broad range that different wiccans practice. So far, I have read Scott Cunningham's solitary practitioner book, Robin Wood's "When, Why ...If", I'm halfway through Raven Grimassi's The Wiccan Mysteries, and I'm also currently reading SRW's "To Ride a Silver Broomstick". I really wasn't going to read SRW's books. I've heard a lot of negative stuff about her and seemed to have formed an opinion before I even read any of her stuff. However, I'm glad I did get the book and that I'm reading it. It actually isn't as bad as I thought it would be, and it covers some things that some of the other books haven't. And, as that one website suggested - read the bad stuff as well as the good stuff. I also have four or five books that I've bought but haven't had a chance to read yet. Grimassi's "Beltane"; "Maiden, Mother, Crone" by DJ Conway; Cunningham's "Further Guide for Solitaries"; "Invoking the Goddess" (don't remember the author); "Spiral Dance" by Starhawk... um, I think that's it. There's about 100 other books I want to read, but I'm making myself read the ones I have before I buy any others.
One thing I did was search Amazon.com for Wiccan books and read the reviews by other readers for each book. It helped me weed out some of the ones I thought I wanted... and added a few I didn't know about. Anyway, good luck.

[Mairwen]

Originally posted by Elaine
I was looking over some websites the other day and was realizing that most of them are just Wicca101 type stuff....all of the basic stuff...and all the same.....I was wondering if anyone knows of any websites that would take me to step 2....(ya know past the rede and the 3 fold law and the sabbats.....) or would my next step up be books? I appreciate the help as always!!:cool:

Yeah I know. I've been in the Craft for 13 years, and all this Wicca 101, while it has its place, is driving me through the roof. You can't find anythign on the net without running into the same stuff over and over and over again. Heck, even Fritz said soemthign about it not long ago on WitchVox!

[Earth Walker]

This is all I could find at the moment.

http://www.zbudapest.com

e-mail: info@zbudapest.com

Covenant of the Goddess
e-mail: pio@cog.org

Goddess Regenerated
e-mail: goddssng@maltanet.net


Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.:crazy:
---Isaac Asimov - Foundation

[Mairwen]

Originally posted by Emerald Sky
"Maiden, Mother, Crone" by DJ Conway;

I have a bone to pick about this one. Like most of DJ's books, this has some rather glaring factual errors in it. My group is reading through it right now, and in my notes I have "error" remarks scattered throughout.

[Emerald Sky]

Thanks for the tip, Mairwen. I'll keep that in mind while I'm reading it. This was one of the first books I bought - before I took a look at Amazon.com. Reading some of the other reviews there about DJ's books, I heard the same thing about them.

[bluecat]

I really hate to say this and I know it has been brought up before; anything from Llewellyn Press is suspect as far as I am concerned. I have found so much regurgitated stuff and just plain errors and such that I no longer have any confidence in the publications from there. A few years ago they were pretty good, then they seemed to go for the $$$$ and quit checking things. I have some of Cunningham's books before he crossed over and they were pretty good. I really believe they are riding on his name and I feel it's pretty sad.

Just my two pennies.

Blue

[Mairwen]

Have you seen that horrible, tacky new cover they've put on "Solitary Practitioner"??! I almost blew a fuse!

[bluecat]

Originally posted by Mairwen
Have you seen that horrible, tacky new cover they've put on "Solitary Practitioner"??! I almost blew a fuse!


No, but now I am almost afraid to see the new one. :eek: I wonder if it is a new edition with previously uncovered writings from Cunningham, you know the stuff the publisher cut in the first place and file away for another edition later? ;) I may just have to visit the bookstore and take a look, should I take a barf bag? :eek:

Blue:rolleyes:

[Ari]

Originally posted by bluecat
I really hate to say this and I know it has been brought up before; anything from Llewellyn Press is suspect as far as I am concerned. I have found so much regurgitated stuff and just plain errors and such that I no longer have any confidence in the publications from there. A few years ago they were pretty good, then they seemed to go for the $$$$ and quit checking things.


While alot of Llewellyn's Wicca 101 books are a waste of tree, they -do- keep a number of good books on ceremonial magic etc in print that would otherwise be difficult to find.

As far as 'the next step' in websites goes, you might try looking for pages with people's personal opinions on pagan issues and their practice, like:
the essays on http://www.witchvox.com
http://www.celt.drak.net/morgansrites/
http://www.siubhan.com/witch/index.html

[Elaine]

I will go check out those websites and then get some $$ together and go to the bookstore!! My library has NOTHING!!!8O and I printed out all of your postings so that when I read those books I can keep in mind the things you've said about them!!;) thanks again!!

[Wiccan Maeve]

I personally think that as far as the web & books go all there is is 101 information. The next step is to practice and form your own ideas and opinions.

Sweetest of dreams always,
Maeve

[Emerald Sky]

I've heard a lot of negative things about Llewellyn. That's such a shame that they seem to be more interested in making a buck vs. teaching the truth. :(

So, what books do all of you like the best or recommend? I love to hear what helped you the most.

[Rima]

Try "Power of the Witch" by Laurie Cabot - interesting slant on it all, and a slightly more personal approach.
I'm a newbie too, and know what you mean... actually, I would be interested to read more autobiographical witchy books, so if anyone has any ideas on that...?

BB

[Wiccan Maeve]

Scott Cunningham's Wicca & Living Wicca.

[Ari]

Originally posted by Rima

I'm a newbie too, and know what you mean... actually, I would be interested to read more autobiographical witchy books, so if anyone has any ideas on that...?
BB

For 'autobiographical witchy books' try Phyllis Curott's "Book of Shadows", Fiona Horne's "Witch" or maybe "Jambalaya" by Luisah Teish (although that's more Santeria than Wicca).

[Ari]

Originally posted by Emerald Sky
I've heard a lot of negative things about Llewellyn. That's such a shame that they seem to be more interested in making a buck vs. teaching the truth. :(


Llewellyn gets more flack than it deserves. People lose sight of the fact that any publishing company is first and foremost a business. Of course it's interested in making a buck, and naturally it will publish books that sell regardless of whether those books are 'quality literature' or not. If anyone is at fault, it is the numerous pagan authors who plagiarise each other and continue to include the same basic material.

[Mairwen]

Originally posted by bluecat
No, but now I am almost afraid to see the new one. :eek: I wonder if it is a new edition with previously uncovered writings from Cunningham, you know the stuff the publisher cut in the first place and file away for another edition later? ;) I may just have to visit the bookstore and take a look, should I take a barf bag? :eek: Blue:rolleyes:

Take a barf bag, yes. But no, I don't know if anything was added to it. Flipping through, I honestly couldn't tell ~ it was one of the first Craft books I ever read (some 13 years ago), but I never owned a copy.

[bluecat]

Originally posted by Mairwen


Take a barf bag, yes. But no, I don't know if anything was added to it. Flipping through, I honestly couldn't tell ~ it was one of the first Craft books I ever read (some 13 years ago), but I never owned a copy.

Well, I am sure I'll live thru it. :eek: