Msg # 53 ( 7 of 34) Date: 04-16-92 (22:36) / / To : Mason Taube From: Paul Seymour Subj: Bibliography, Part 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 3 W I T C H C R A F T the Magic of Ancient Celtic Beliefs in a Contemporary Society =================================== 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. --- * Origin: The Mountain Oracle, Home of the SPIRITUAL Echo (1:128/101)