We know that starting out in Wicca can be daunting, so we’ve created this list of 7 recommended books* to get you started in Wicca to help you out. Sometimes the amount of information out there is overwhelming and this makes it difficult to find a place to begin. We’re not giving you a list of rituals, tools, and correspondences. Instead, we think it’s important for new practioners to know a bit about Wicca, it’s history, foundational practices, and ways to make their practice more safe and inclusive.
Getting Started
Books to start with for personal practice or the basics:
Thorn Mooney
Mooney gives you an idea of what Wicca is and what it isn’t in Traditional Wicca: A Seeker’s Guide . She points out what to look out for and what to expect. She’ll be the first to tell you that there are problems in Wicca to unpack but she is also unapologetically Wiccan. You can also find her on YouTube if you want to get a sense of what she’s about before purchasing her book.
Yvonne Aburrow
Aburrow’s books Dark Mirror and The Night Journey are both excellent books on Wicca. They encourage critical thought and contemplation on the structures and general inner workings from an inclusive Wiccan perspective. They write in an easy, conversationalist tone that makes for quick reading with lots of hidden gems and insights.
Aidan Wachter
Wachter’s book Six Ways isn’t Wiccan. His writing is solidly grounded in Western Esoterism. He presents info in a way that makes it accessible and easily applicable to developing a personal practice. However, be aware that while he sources well, he still uses some culturally appropriated materials and references. In other words, check his references for issues of cultural appropriation and consider them when reading.
Cultish by Amanda Montell
Montell explores cultish norms in her book. She looks at how ideology and group dynamics play out in cults, which is important in occult groups. Her writing isn’t Wiccan or even pagan, but her study of how language and community work to create insider and outsider dynamics is an important tool to have in your backpack when it comes to seeking a coven.
Ronald Hutton
Hutton has somewhat established himself as the academic who exposes the flawed history and rhetoric in and about the pagan scene. We particularly recommend Triumph of the Moon and Queens of the Wild. Hutton makes you rethink paganism. Hutton’s books are important to read because there are still groups spreading factually incorrect information. Consider this your caveat emptor when it comes to navigating the pagan scene, be it Wicca, Trad Craft and any other variation of witchcraft in the modern age. Pro tip: “read” his audiobooks.
Other Reviews
You can also find some of Inula’s book reviews online at Occultivated Books (instagram) or on Occultivated, a blog Inula shares with another practitioner.
To be continued…
*Note: these links are Amazon Associate links – if you purchase using them we get a small commission (3%) which helps us cover the cost of this website (or fund our occult reading library)!