It's been said that "90% of everything is crap". This is certainly true of books on Wicca, Paganism, Magick, etc. Especially now there is so much material being put out, of varying degrees of quality and accurate research, that I thought I could write about some of the books I've macheted through on this wild overgrown spiritual path. Not all are specifically occult books, but some of them might be of interest also.
Unfortunately, her achingly PC weaknesses are as obvious as her strengths, mainly in the highly-questionable history department. Lots of Margaret Murray, herbal-tea matriarchy, and Joan of Arc was actually an ancient High Priestess of the Old Religion, of course. Riiiiiiight. Don't use this book for a look at the past, but as a template for the future.
Cunningham also seems to grudgingly understand the un-fluffy Wiccan tenets of balance and the complement of light and dark, so he obligingly concedes that the Goddess and God do have darker attributes. Of course he presents this information with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for a root canal, and again makes sure to lecture the reader not to invoke Dieties with war or vengance aspects. Oh well, what can you do? Bunnies are such timid creatures after all, heh heh.
This could just as easily be "Antagonists In The Coven/Grove/Office/Classroom/Nightclub"---you get the idea. Haugk is a Trans-denominational Christian pastor and so he writes the book with interactions in a church congregation as the focus. But the real meat here is strategies for recognizing and coping with "antagonistic personalities" - people who seem to thrive on creating dissent for their own power trips or manipulative ends. Haugk addresses a truth that is as uncomfortable for many "white-light" Wiccans as it is for the (more sincere) Christians--that some people are assholes. Not just some of the time but all of the time. People who seem to thrive on strife. In fact, Haugk reiterates time and time again that there is a difference between true antagonism which is innapeasible and normal healthy conflict. To that end I wish he'd included some more examples of the latter to illustrate the difference---as it is I could see a risk of someone silencing any voices of dissent with cries of "antagonist!" although this isn't the author's intent. And his explanation of why antagonism occurs (demonic forces, don'tcha know) seems a little too pat. But overall a good manual in mental self defense.
"Do you remember when God was a woman?" the song goes. Patai does, and he seems to be out to remind the rest of the Jewish community. And being that the bulk of us in America came out of some sort of Judeo-Christian background before we discovered our chosen paths, this book is certainly worth a perusal even if you're not a Hebrew Scholar. Patai meticulously researches the historical background of those fleeting references in the Torah, Zohar, and other sources to the "Queen of Heaven" and Her ilk - the various Middle Eastern Goddesses that pre-Yahwist Hebrews shared with their neighbors, the feminine aspects of YHVH Him/Herself in the divine Tetrad, and even a chapter on Lilith's various roles in the Hebraic religious and mystical systems. This work will beg as many questions as it answers --if early Biblical religion was so balanced and inclusive, what went wrong? Definitely worth the read!
Ignoring the fact that the name "Starhawk" conjures up images of some sort of 70's denim clad, pot and patchouli scented rock band, this may be the book that did more than any other to attempt to make Wicca an accessible religion of the masses. Influenced more by Carl Jung than Gerald Gardner, Starhawk is at her strongest when dealing with the actual doing of Wicca. She doesn't focus too much on the supernatural but rather understands ritual and magick as fullfilling needs of different parts of the psyche. She has some pretty good excercises and meditations for developing perception and altering consciousness, andf her experience as a political activist helps her to envision Wicca aas a vital philosophy for approaching life in the here and now with rather than an excuse to dress up in Ren-faire garb and bulky jewelery.
Cunningham has cultivated more than his share of detractors - a lot of people attribute the rise of fluffbunny pick-a Wicca to him, and there's even a "Why Scott Cunningham Sucks" page on the web. (I forget the URL. Google it if you're interested.) However, blaming Cunningham for all fluffiness is about as absurd as blaming Dr. Seuss for authors who write trash novels. This is because Wicca:AGFTSP is very much an introductory level book, a Dick Jane and Spot primer for the Wiccan belief system. And as primers go it's a damn good one. Cunningham breaks down the basics of the philosophy and practice without ever suggesting that he is the final word on the subject. In fact, he encourages the novice to continue to learn, both through reading and active practice. Is this the only book you'll ever need? I sincerely hope not. But it's an ideal place for baby's first step.
As a follow up to the very thorough primer his first book provides, "Living Wicca" is just a tad lukewarm. On one hand it's a sincere attempt to answer many of the questions and challenges beginners face ("Does illness or injury affect magick?" "Do I have to take on some hippy sounding Craft name?" "I'm having trouble reconciling the Wiccan concept of God with the bloodthirsty psycho my parents raised me with.") On the other hand, in the words of the Young Ones immortal Vyvyan Basterd, "It's so bloody NICE!! BLOODY BLOODY BLOODY!!!" How many times must Cunningham admonish us that negativity is bad, we never practice destructive magick and the Law of Three is gonna zap us in the ass if we screw up? He also explains that Wicca is not a religion about sin or retribution by the way. Ummmm...