THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
	a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.

To: tyagi mordred nagasiva 
From: wizard@bga.com (Howling John)
Subject: Re: Wicca FAQ?
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 23:08:16 -0600

At 01:26 PM 02.22.95, tyagi mordred nagasiva wrote:
>Kali Yuga 49950222
>
what does this mean?

>|Greetings, Lorax.  Odd that you should be using tyagi's address...
>:> Not really.  Lorax is my Craft Name and I tend to operate within
>diverse groups based upon names that I am given there ('tyagi' is
>more of a title than a name, though most who interact with me on a
>purely practical level will use this (Landlord, some family members,
>OMNet people).
>
ah!  You are, then, the Lorax that I have seen on the Pagan Digest and the
Nemeton list?

What, then, should I call you?  As for myself, within pagan/occult circles,
I prefer to be known as Llew.  To everyone else, I am John.

>Please do.  I'll be sending you a different version I got privately in
>response and then offering my comments on both of them after that.
>
since you requested both a book list and a FAQ, I'll attach them both to
this letter.  They'll be in ASCII format, but you may need to add linefeeds
if you're on an ibm.

>Ok, I'll take a look at the FAQ you send me, offer some feedback and we can
>go from there.
>
I look forward to it, then.

In Light...

Llew

>From sdickson@ivory.trentu.ca Tue Jan 24 13:10:29 CST 199
Drawing down the moon.       Margot Alder
Beacon Press, 1986.  *Great history stuff for many other things too*

Wicca: the old religion in the new age.        Vivianne Crowley
The aquarian press, 1989. *Good history and background*

Practical candle burning rituals.                   Raymond Buckland
Llewellyn, 1990.      *Interestingly, this book also has spells for the
Christian practitioner*

True Magick:a beginners guide            Amber K
Llewellyn, 1990.        *It's well, a beginners guide ...*

A witches bible compleat             Janet and Stuart Farrar
Magickal Childe, 1984.        *A good book to have!*

The family wicca book                          Ashleen O'Gaea
Llewellyn, 1993.       *Good suggestions for a wiccan family*






This list is brought to you with the help of Dave Hurst
.  To him I am deeply indebted for at least half the
work on this list.

I also wish to thank Rochelle Broder , Clinton
Sheppard  (for major additions to the fictional section),
sdickson@ivory.trentu.ca,

As for myself, I am Llew, or wizard@bga.com.  The last revision of this
list was made on 04.Feb.95




LEGEND:
* - I have this book and have read it, so I can comment on it.
+ - I have this book but have not read it, and might be able to comment
    on it.
= - This book was on the reading list for my coven (Whiteoak, a branch
    of Woodland Celtic Wicca).
  - This book was recommended by someone else, and I have not read it
    nor have it, so no comments available.




Celtic Studies:
---------------

Blamires, Steve.  _The Irish Celtic Magical Tradition_.  London:
	Aquarian Press, 1992.

Stewart, RJ.  _Celebrating the Male Mysteries_.  Bath:  Arcania Press,
	1991.



Consciousness:
--------------

Ali, Antero.  _Angel_Tech_.  Phoenix:  Falcon Press, 1986.  A user's
	manual for the human nervous system and reality selection. Draws
	upon symbolic systems ranging from Tarot and the Cabala to modern
	psychology and quantum physics.

Leary, Timothy.  _Info-Psychology_.  Phoenix:  The Falcon Press, 1987.
	The definative explication of Leary's eight-circuit brain model.
	A revision of his earlier work, _Exo-Psychology_, the "Head
	coach" has incorporated the recent advances in the information
	processing model of consciousness.

Leary, Timothy, Alpert, Richard, and Metzner, Ralph.
	_The_Psychedelic_	Experience_. Secaucus:  The Citadel Press, 1964.
Indispensible 	guide to programming and directing experiences while in
altered 	states of consciousness.  Based on the mental and spiritual
	traditions presented in the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

Lilly, John C., M.D.  _The_Center_of_the_Cyclone_.  New York: The Julian
	Press, 1972.  Lilly's autobiographical quest in the realms of
	altered states of consciousness and far-out mind spaces.

Lilly, John C., M.D.
	_Programming_and_Metaprogramming_	the_Human_Biocomputer_.  New York:  The
Julian Press, 1968.  A 	user's manual for the human nervous system and
reality selection.  	Highly recommended.

Wilson, Robert Anton.  _Prometheus_Rising_.  Phoenix:  Falcon Press, 	1986.
A guide to Leary's eight-circuit brain model and expanding
	consciousness with exercises.  Highly recommended.





Fiction:
--------

Abbey, Lynn.  _The Guardians_. New York: Ace Books, 1982 (out of print)
      Set in America earlier this century, story of a high coven.

Abbey, Lynn.  _The Wooden Sword_.  New York: Berkley Pub. Group,
	1991.  Recommended if you like The Guardians.

Andrews.  _Medicine Woman_.  +=

Bradley, Marion Zimmer.  _The Firebrand_. Conjectural but inspiring.

Bradley, Marion Zimmer.  _The Mists of Avalon_.  It's very good reading,
+=	has a theme built on the struggle between Wicca and Christianity 	in
King Arthur times, from Morgaine's point of view.  Leaves a 	deep, moving
and lasting impression.  A bit long (~1000 pgs) but 	well worth the effort.


Bradley, Marion Zimmer.  _Heritage of Hastur_.  +=

Bradley, Marion Zimmer.  _The Inheritor_.  Warning:  Read NO books by
	her advertised as Prequels or sequels to The Inheritor.  They are
	all books written by her much earlier, slightly re-written to make 	the
prequels.  They all are very bad.

Bradley, Marion Zimmer.  _Forest House_.

Cooper, Susan:
   The Dark is Rising - Young Adult series:
      Over Sea, Under Stone
      The Dark is Rising  (the best, very pagan)
      Greenwitch  (also very good)
      The Grey King
      Silver on the Tree
         [This is GREAT stuff]

DeLint, Charles:
   Moonheart
      [This masterpiece should be on every Pagan's bookshelf.]
   Jack the Giant Killer
   Drink Down the Moon
   Yarrow: An Autumn Tale
   Into the Green
   Dreams Underfoot  (short story collection)
   Mulengro: A Romany Tale
   Memory and Dreams
      [Many books by Charles DeLint, while not overtly Wiccan, certainly
      following a Wiccan worldview, and are STRONGLY recommended,
      especially if you like Urban Fantasy.  (read the short story
      collection Dreams Underfoot before Memory and Dreams).]

Fallingstar, Cerridwen:
   The Heart of the Fire
      [scottish/celtic girl's short life as a witch during the burning
      times]

Fortune, Dion:
   assorted novels such as Moon Goddess

Fortune, Dion.  _Secrets of Dr. Taverner_.  Magickal fiction.  +=

Gardner, Gerald (under pen name Scire).  _High Magic's Aid_. +=

Garner, Alan:
   Weirdstone of Brisingamen
   Moon of Gomrath
      [Two more Young Adult novels with very British Pagan overtones.]

Graves, Robert.   _Watch the North Wind Rise_   also known as _Seven 	Days
in New	Crete_

Haraway, Donna:
   Simians, Cyborgs, and Women
      [Or more specifically, the essay in that collection "A Manifesto
	For Cyborgs."]

Heinlein, Robert:
   Stranger in a Strange Land
      [It's not exactly Wicca, but it's darn close.]

Kennealy, Patricia:
   a few books that have to do with celtic stuff and science fiction
      [they are reputed to be good.]

Kurtz, Katherine:
   Lammas Night
      [a story about a pre-Gardnarian coven in WWII England working
	 against Hitler.  VERY good.]

Kurtz, Katherine & Harris, Deborah Turner:
   Adept series:
      The Adept
      Adept II:  Lodge of the Lynx
      Adept III:  The Templar Treasure.
         [Not really Wiccan, but based on Western magickal tradition,
	    heavy in Masonry, especially the last two.  Not as well 	
          written, since Harris really does the writing, Kurtz only does
	    the outline and final edit.]

Lackey, Mercedes:
   The Last Herald Mage:
      Magic's Pawn
      Magic's Promise
      Magic's Price
   Oathbound
   Oathbreakers
   By The Sword
   Arrow's Flight
   Arrow's Fall
   Arrows of the Queen
   Winds of Fate
   Winds of Change
   Winds of Fury
   Storm warning
   Black Gryphon
     [all come from the same series]

   Investigations of Diana Tregarde:
      Burning Water
         [The first of the Diana Tregarde series, about a romance writer
          who is a Wiccan priestess involved in occult crimes/etc.  The
          first one is flawed, but otherwise quite good.]
      Children of the Night
      Jinx High
         [These three collectively are about a Guardian/witch who goes
          around hauling peoples fat out of arcane fire.  GREAT books.
          Loaded with cute phrases intended for Wiccans to pick up on.]

   Bardic Voices
      [more elvish but still some nice bits o' magick]

   Knight of Ghosts and Shadows (coauthor: Ellen Guon)
      [another more elvishy thing]

   a few short stories in fantasy 'zines

      [Almost all of her writing has that thread of Wicca in it, but she
       refuses to reveal her religion as she lives in Oklahoma near to Oral
       Roberts University.]


LeGuin, Ursula K.:
   Wizard of Earthsea
   Tombs of Atuan
      [argh... whatever that 3rd one is!]

Llewlleyn, Morgan:
   Bard: The odyssey of the Irish
      [tale of Amergin]
   The Horse Goddess
      [tale of Epona]
   Druids
      [tale of a young boy who grows to be archdruid]
   Red Branch
      [tale of Cuchulain]

Shky, Kathleen
   Witchdame
      [shows both sides of magic, the High Magic and the greenwitch or
       herbalist way.  Very good reading.]

St Clair, Margaret.   _Sign of the Labrys_.

Streiber, Whitley
   Cat Magic
      [quite informative.  He used Circle informative.  He used Circle
       Sanctuary as a source of info.  It is listed in both Horror and
       Sci-fi.]

Tarr, Judith:
   Lord of the Two Lands

      [historical/magical biography about Alexander the Great, told through
       the eyes of an Egyptian princess/priestess]

Walton, Evangeline:
   her rewrite of the Mabioginon(4 books)

Woolsey, Persia:
   Queen of the Summer Stars
      [Guinevere's story, told from her point of view, in the first
       person...as a Pagan believer]

anthol:
   Grails: Quests of the Dawn
      [though speaking around a supposedly Xtian legand, has lots of
       decidedly pagan stuff, esp. by Diane Paxon and Lackey.]


Magick:
-------

Ashcroft-Nowicki, Dolores.  _First_Steps_in_Ritual.  Wellingborough,
	Northamptonshire: The Aquarian Press, 1982.  Introduction to the
	art and practice of magical ritual.  Covers a number of different
	traditions, presenting simple rituals from each for learning.

Carroll, Peter.  _Liber_Null_&_Psychonaut_.  An interesting introduction
	to chaos magic.  Predicated on the thesis that altered states of
	consciousness are a key to developing magical ability and that the
	only symbol system necessary for magical practice is that provided
	by reality.

Crowley, Aleister. _777_and_Other_Qabalistic_Writings_of_
	Aleister_Crowley_.  York Beach: Samuel Weiser, 1988.  Crowley's
	comprehensive encyclopedia of magical correspondences and an essay
	detailing his particular system of Cabalistic interpretation.  	This is an
essential reference for anyone who is seriously into
	ceremonial magic.  (Advanced)

Crowley, Aleister.  _Book_Four_.  York Beach, Maine:  Samuel Weiser, 	Inc.,
1984.  Crowley's introduction to the practices of yoga, the 	fundamentals
of ceremonial magic, and the hidden cabalistic
	meanings of Mother Goose rhymes.  This volume, along with
	_Magick_in_Theory_and_Practice_ can sometimes be found published 	together
in a single hardbound volume entitled simply _Magick_.  	(Intermediate)

Crowley, Aleister.  _Gems_From_The_Equinox_.  Israel Regardie, ed.
	Phoenix: Falcon Press, 1986.  Collection of Crowley's writings
	from the _Equinox_, as selected by Israel Regardie.  Contains much 	useful
material, including an index to all of the publication of 	the A.A. and the
syllabus for the A.A.  Highly recommended for 	anyone with an interest in
Crowley and his works.

Crowley, Aleister.  _Magic_in_Theory_and_Practice_.  New York:  Dover,
	1976.  Crowley's classic work on the subject.  This should be 	regarded as
required reading for anyone interested in Magick. Not 	easy reading and the
usual caveats about Crowley's penchant for 	misleading and laying blind
alleys for the reader apply.
	(Advanced)

Crowley, Aleister.  _Moonchild_.  York Beach, Maine:  Samuel Weiser, 	1982.
One of Crowley's few real works of fiction.  Describes a 	woman's
initiation into a magical lodge and subsequent involvement 	in a complex
magical operation.  There's intrigue, black magic, 	and some excellent
discussion about the nature and practice of 	Magick.  All in all, a good
yarn.

Crowley, Aleister.  _The_Holy_Books_of_Thelema_.  York Beach:  Samuel
	Weiser, 1983. Collection of most of Crowley's inspired writings.  	A
must-have for the Crowley aficionado.

Crowley, Aleister.  _The_Law_Is_For_All_.  Phoenix:  Falcon Press, 1985.
	Crowley's verse-by-verse commentary on his central inspired work, 	_The
Book of the Law_.  Discusses in some detail his thesis _Do 	what Thou Wilt
shall be the Whole of the Law_ and its 	ramifications.  A must-have for the
Crowley aficionado and highly 	recommended in general.

Cunningham, Scott.  _Earth_Power_.  St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications,
	1983.  Folk magic:  natural magic of the earth and day-to-day 	living.
Spells of the sea, rivers and springs, the Sun and Moon, 	storms and rain,
trees and knots and mirrors.

Mariechild, Diane.  _Mother_Wit_.  Trumansburg:  The Crossing Press, 	1981.
A manual for developing psychic talent presented within a 	feminist
context.  The exercises are helpful if you can wade 	though the feminist
baggage.

Pepper, Elizabeth and John Wilcock.  _Magical_and_Mystical_Sites_.  New
	York:  Harper & Row, 1977.  A travelogue through Ephesus, Delphi,
	Malta, Rome, Chartres, Stonehenge, Glastonbury, Ireland and other
	ancient sites in Europe.  Worth consulting if you're planning a
	trip to Europe.

Regardie, Israel.  _Ceremonial_Magic_.  Northamptonshire:  The Aquarian
	Press, 1980.  Introduction to ceremonial magic techniques,
	drawing heavily on the traditions of the Golden Dawn.

Regardie, Israel.  _Roll_Away_The_Stone_.  Saint Paul:  Llewellyn, 1968.
	Contains Crowleys essays on the psychology hashish, 	_The_Herb_Dangerous_
and the use of consciousness expanding drugs 	as a gateway to mystic
experience.  Provided Regardie with an 	opportunity to make observations on
the then-contemporary drug 	scene in America and to draw parallels with
Crowley's writing.

Regardie, Israel.  _The_Eye_In_The_Triangle_.  Saint Paul:  Llewellyn,
	1982.  Magical biography of Aleister Crowley, describing his	ascent to the
degree of Magus within the Golden Dawn and then the 	OTO.  One of the few
which presents Crowley's life and work in a 	positive light by one who had
a better idea of what the man was 	about than most.

Regardie, Israel.  _The_Golden_Dawn_.  Saint Paul:  Llewellyn, 1982.  	The
complete Golden Dawn course of study.  Includes introductory 	knowledge
lectures, initation rituals for grades up to Adeptus 	Minor, and a
collected encyclopedia of occultism.





MYTHOLOGY
---------

Apuleius, Lucius.  _The_Golden_Ass_.  Trans. Robert Graves.  New York:
	Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1951.  The mythological classic about a
	man who witnesses a sacred rite of the Goddess and is turned into
	an ass and his adventures thereafter.  The description of the Isis
	ritual at the end make this work a classic.

Black Elk.  _Black Elk Speaks_.  +=

Brindel, June Rachuy.  _Ariadne_.  A modern, "feminist" interpretation  	of
the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.  Worth reading if
	you're into feminist historical reinterpretation.

Budge, E.A. Wallis.  _The_Egyptian_Book_of_the_Dead_.  New York:  Dover
	Publications, 1967.  The classic translation of the Egyptian
	rites and spells for the "dead".  Can be interpreted as a
	ritual manual of Egyption spiritual initiation mysteries.

Campbell, Joseph.  _The_Hero_With_a_Thousand_Faces_.  Princeton: 	Princeton
University Press, 1949.  Campbell's classic work 	analyzing in excruciating
detail the basic patterns repeated in 	myths the world over.  Dry reading
and somewhat dated in his 	attitudes towards women, but otherwise worth
slogging through.

Campbell, Joseph.  _The_Power_of_Myth_.  New York:  Doubleday, 1988.
*	The companion book to the PBS series.  Very informative series of
	interviews with Bill Moyers.

Chant, Joy.  _The_High_Kings_.  Toronto:  Bantam Books, 1983.  An
	collection of Celtic stories and legends intertwined with a
	discussion of Celtic culture.  Stories are presented from the 	point of
view of a bard in the ``historical'' King Arthur's court.
	Excellent source material for Celtic mythology.

D'Aulaire, Ingri and Edgar.  _Book_of_Greek_Myths_.  Garden City:
	Doubleday & Company, 1962.  Excellent introduction to Greek
	mythology.  Presents all of the important myths.  As a child, I
	virtually devoured this book.  As an adult, I was gratified to
	discover that it's still in print.  This could be classified as a
	children's book, but I still find it enjoyable reading.  Highly
	recommended, especially for children.

Day, David.  _Castles_.  Illus. Alan Lee.  Toronto:  Bantam Books, 1984.
	Stories, legends, and myths revolving around castles.  Draws 	highly upon
Celtic mythology.  Alan Lee's illustrations are reason 	enough to buy the
book, but the text is excellent as well.

Dickinson, Peter.  _Merlin_Dreams_.  New York:  Delacorte Press, 1988.
	This is not about the Arthurian Cycle at all, but is a collection
	of stories drawn from Celtic myth and legend.

Farrar, Janet & Stewart.  _British & Irish Mythology_.  =

Farrar, Janet & Stewart.  _The_Witches'_Goddess_.  Custer:  Phoenix
	Publishing, 1987.  An analysis of the various goddess archetypes.
	Describes rituals for invoking each aspect and includes a
	comprehensive survey of goddesses from cultures around the world.
	Highly recommended.

Farrar, Janet & Stewart.  _The_Witches'_God_.  Custer:  Phoenix
	Publishing, 1989.  Companion to _The_Witches'_Goddess_, this book
	presents an analysis of the various god archetypes.  Describes 	rituals
for invoking each aspect and includes a comprehensive 	survey of gods from
cultures around the world.  I find that some
	of the rituals seem a little forced, but otherwise it contains
	good source material, especially as a reference work.  Highly
	recommended.

Fitzpatrick, Jim.  _The_Silver_Arm_.  Surrey:  Paper Tiger, 1981.
	Interpretation of the Celtic "Book of Conquests" and the story of
	Nuada of the Silver Arm.  Jim Fitzpatrick's illustrations are
	reason enough to buy this book.  That his text is a good companion
	to the illustrations make this book highly recommended.

Fortune, Dion.  _The_Sea_Priestess_.  A story about sea magic, Moon 	magic,
Atlantis, and a woman who is the reincarnation of Morgan le
	Fey.  Contains much good source material for spells and rituals.  	Highly
recommended.

Frazer, James G.  _The_Golden_Bough_.  New York:  Avenel Books, 1981.
	The classic analysis of "primitive" myth and religion.  Although
	Frazer's conclusions are dated, this is still required reference
	for the complete library.

Froud, Brian and Alan Lee.  _Faeries_.  New York:  Harry N. Abrams,
	1978.  A field guide to the various species of Faeries one might
	encounter, based on British folklore.  Alan Lee's illustrations
	are, as always, most excellent.

Gantz, Jeffrey.  _The Mabinogian_.  =

Gantz, Jeffrey.  _The Book of Invasions_.  =

Gantz, Jeffrey.  _Early Irish Myths and Sagas_.  =

Graves, Robert.  _The_White_Goddess_.  New York:  Farrar, Straus and
	Giroux, 1982.  Inspired analysis of poetic myth as the magical
	language of the Moon Goddess among Mediterranean and Northern
	European peoples dating from as early as the Stone Age.

Grene, David and Richard Lattimore (eds).  _Aeschylus_II_.  Chicago:  	The
University of Chicago Press, 1956.

Grene, David and Richard Lattimore (eds).  _Euripides_II_.  Chicago:  	The
University of Chicago Press, 1959.

Grene, David and Richard Lattimore (eds).  _Euripides_I_.  Chicago:  The
	University of Chicago Press, 1955.  Translations of the plays of 	these
classic Greek playwrites.  There are more books in the 	series; those
listed here are the only ones given because they are 	the ones in my
library, acquired for a class on Greek Mythology in 	college.

Jones, Gwyn and Thomas.  _The_Mabinogion_.  Illus. Alan Lee.  The
	Netherlands:  Dragon's Dream, 1982.  The classic of Welsh 	mythology with
illustrations by Alan Lee.

Morford, Mark P.O. and Robert J. Lenardon.  _Classical_Mythology_.  New
	York:  Longman, 1977.  Textbook on Greek and Roman mythology.

Neumann, Eric.  _The_Great_Mother_.  Princeton:  Princeton University
	Press, 1963.  An analysis of the Jungian archetype of the Great
	Mother.

Ovid.  _Metamorphoses_.  Trans. Rolfe Humphries.  Bloomington:  Indiana
	University Press, 1955.  Translation of the Roman poet's
	interpretation of various Greek and Roman myths.

Squire, Charles.  _Celtic_Myth_and_Legend_.  New Castle Publishing, 	1975.
Compendium of Celtic mythology.  Although a bit dated in 	its approach to
the myths, it's still a useful reference and a 	good starting point for
research into Celtic myth cycles.

Stone, Merlin.  _When_God_Was_a_Woman_.  San Diego:  Harcourt Brace
	Jovanovich, 1976.  Semi-scholarly study of of the archaeological
	traces of ancient Goddess worship.

Whitcomb, Bill.  _Magician's Companion_.  Saint Paul: Llewellyn, 1993.
	This book is a good reference on numerous systems of magick as 	well as
providing a neophyte with some instruction on starting a 	path of magickal
practice.  Outstanding as a reference of all the 	many and varied systems
of magick in use, but leaving out a few 	less well known versions.  Highly
recommended.




Paganism:
---------

Adler, Margot.  _Drawing_Down_the_Moon_.  New York, Viking Press, 1979.
+	A documentary survey of Neo-Pagan religions.  Good introductory
	material.  The second edition contains more recent information.

Anonymous.  _A_Book_of_Pagan_Rituals_.  New York:  Samuel Weiser, 1978.
	As the title implies, this book contains basic rituals for the
	seasonal holidays, Moons,  handfastings, etc.  Provides a lot of
	good introductory material and is not specifically Wiccan.  	Highly
recommended.

Campanelli, Pauline.  _Wheel_of_the_Year_.  Saint Paul:  Llewellyn,
	1989.  Traditions, spells, herblore, charms, and natural magic
	pertinent to each month of the year.  Emphasis on day-to-day 	practice and
magical attitudes as a way of life.

Fitch, Ed.  _Magical_Rites_from_the_Crystal_Well_.  Saint Paul:
	Llewellyn, 1984.  Collection of rituals and lore reprinted from
	the _Crystal_Well_, a pagan-oriented periodical which flourished 	several
years ago.  Useful source material on seasonal rituals,
	natural magic, and Central and Eastern European traditions.

Malaclypse the Younger.  _Principia_Discordia_.  Port Townsend:
	Loompanics Unlimited, fnord.  The classic book of the Discordians,
	worshippers of Eris, Goddess of chaos and confusion, wherein is
	explained absolutely everything worth knowing about absolutely 	anything.




Religion in General:
--------------------

Godwin, Joscelyn.  _Mystery_Religions_in_the_Ancient_World_.  San
        Francisco:  Harper & Row, 1981.  Presents five basic spiritual
        attitudes informing religious conception and applies them in a
        survey of major ancient mystery religions.

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen.  _Harper's_Encyclopedia_of_Mystical_&_Paranormal
        _Experience_.  San Francisco:  Harper, 1991.  As the title
        suggests, this book discusses religions, cults, mystics, the
        paranormal, paganism, the New Age, and just about everything in
        between.

Hanh, Thich Nhat.  _The Miracle of Mindfulness._  To the author of this
	book I am deeply indebted, for he got me started on my path.

Hua-Ching, Ni.  _The_Complete_Works_of_Lao_Tzu_.  _Tao Teh Ching_ and
	_Hua Hu Ching_.  Malibu:  The Shrine of the Eternal Breath of Tao,
	1979.  The classic of Chinese Taoist religion.

Parrinder, Geoffrey, ed.  _World_Religions_.  New York:  Facts on File
	Publications, 1971.  Survey of about 20 major religions from 	around the
world.  A useful reference.

Picken, Stuart D.B.  _Shinto_.  Japan:  Kodansha International Limited,
	1980.  Introduction to the native Japanese spirituality.  Nice
	pictures.


Shamanism:
----------

Gonzalez-Wippler.  _The Santeria Experience_.  About the particular
=	method or sect of Santeria, which is a branch of shamanism.

Halifax, Joan.  _Shamanic_Voices_.  New York:  E.P. Dutton, 1979.
        Collection of accounts by shamen from various Native American
        tribes describing their experiences with the spirit world.

Roth, Gabrielle.  _Maps to Ecstasy: Teaching of an urban shaman_.  San
+	Rafael:  New World Library, 1989.  Written by the Raven Records
	drumming/trance/shamanistic recording artist.  About rhythm,
	cycles, loving, knowing, discovering yourself, seeing, the self
	and the ego, healing, intuition, and the spirit.



Tarot:
------

Clarson, Laura E.  _Tarot Unveiled: The method to its magic_.  Stamford:
*	US Games Systems, Inc., 1988.  Clear-cut interpretations of each
	of the cards in a tarot deck.  Includes quite a bit of information
	for the beginning tarot reader.  Illustrated with the Hanson-	Roberts deck.

Gray, Eden.  _Mastering_the_Tarot_.  New York:  The New American
+	Library, 1973.  Good quick reference to the interpretations of the 	cards
in the Rider-Waite deck.  Basic reference work.

Ouspensky, PD.  _The Symbolism of the Tarot: Philosophy of occultism in
+	pictures and numbers_.  New York:  Dover Publications, 1976.  A
	short treatise on the Tarot and a group of personal
	interpretations of the Major Arcana, using the Rider-Waite cards.

Pollack, Rachel.  _Seventy-Eight_Degrees_of_Wisdom_, Parts I & II.
	Northamptonshire:  Aquarian Press, 1980.  In depth analysis of
	each card in the Rider-Waite deck.










Wicca Basic
----- -----


Cabot, Laurie.  _The Power of the Witch_.  Good introductory work.
	Apparently there is something in there that everyone can relate
	to, regardless of pre-existing belief system.

Crowley, Vivianne.  _Wicca:  The Old Religion in the New Age_.
*	Northamptonshire:  Aquarian Press, 1989.  My own personal 	introduction
to Wicca, this books gives a good general overview of 	Wicca, a little bit
of history, the three degrees, some about the 	goddess, some about the god.
A very good read.

Cunningham, Scott.  _The Truth About Witchcraft Today_.  St. Paul:
*=	Llewellyn, 1990.  Basic introduction to Wicca/witchcraft,
	especially good for those who are not already involved.

Cunningham, Scott.  _Wicca for Solitary Practitioners_.  A good guide
*=	for solitary practitioners, including a Book of Shadows to use for
	your very own.  Includes information on associations, how to do
	things, etc.

Cunningham, Scott.  _Living Wicca_.  St Paul: Llewellyn, 1994.  A
+=	continuation of the above work.

Farrar, Janet & Stewart.  _The Life and Times of a Modern Witch_.
*=	Custer:  Phoenix Publishing, 1987.  Fairly detailed account of
      what witches do in general, ranging from "Why is there an altar?" 	to
"Why are you naked when you practise?"  Question and answer 	format;
answers are in an easy to read essay format.

Farrar, Janet and Stewart.  _Eight_Sabbats_For_Witches_.  London:
	Robert Hale, 1981.  Excellent discussion of pagan traditions and
	myths surrounding each of the eight solar holidays.  Gives a
	detailed description of a ritual for each sabbat.  The tradition 	being
described here is Alexandrian and some may find the Farrar's
	rituals too complex and/or stultifying, but it contains lots of
	good source material, especially for Celtic-based traditions.
	Highly recommended.

Farrar, Janet & Stewart.  _The Witches'_Way_.  London:  Robert Hale,
	1984.  Completes the work begun in _Eight_Sabbats_ and presents
	the rest of the material from the _Book of Shadows_.  Includes
	initiation rituals for the three degrees in the
	Gardnerian/Alexandrian tradition, Moon rituals, consecration
	rituals, and much more.  Again, some may find this material a bit
	heavy, but it is a good description of a living tradition that
	works for some and it provides lots of good source material.
	Highly recommended.

Farrar, Janet & Stewart.  _What Witches Do_.

Kelly, Aidan A.  _Crafting_the_Art_of_Magic_.  Saint Paul:  Llewellyn,
	1991.  A historical analysis of the origins of Gardnerian
	witchcraft, attempting to distinguish its foundational myths from
	actual history.  This book goes a long way towards opening up a
	discussion about the creation of the Craft as a new religion in
	this century.  Highly recommended.

Leek, Sybil.  _Diary of a Witch_.  =

RavenWolf, Silver.  _To Ride a Silver Broomstick_.  St Paul:  Llewellyn,
*=	1993.  In depth practical introduction to a solitary Wiccan path.
	Includes information on psychichism, networking, etiquette,
	procedures, spells, etc.

Valiente, Doreen.  _ABCs of Witchcraft_.

Weinstein, Marion.  _Positive Magic_.  guidlines on the use of magick,
	study of the wiccan craft, on rituals and the book of shadows.


Wicca Intermediate
----- ------------

Farrar, Janet & Stewart.  _Witches' Bible Complete_.  =

Farrar, Janet & Stewart.  _Aquarian Guide_.  =

Matthews, Caitlin.  _Elements of the Celtic Tradition_.  =

Ryall.  _Western Country Wicca_.  =

Ryall, Rhiannon.  _West_Country_Wicca_.  Custer:  Phoenix Publishing:
	1989.  An account by a woman who claims to have participated in
	a "family tradition" indigenous to the Devon/Somerset border in
	England  prior to the publication of Gerald Gardner's books, and
	hence documents a ``genuine'' indigenous tradition.  Some
	interesting source material.

Starhawk.  _Dreaming_the_Dark_.  Boston:  Beacon Press, 1982.  Theory 	and
practice of the Craft and of running a coven.  Ties Goddess
	spirituality and the Craft together with radical feminist 	politics.  Dave
says that personally, this book had a 	transformative effect on my life and
development within the Craft.  	Some may not agree with her politics.

Starhawk.  _Truth_or_Dare_.  San Francisco:  Harper & Row, 1987.
	Starhawk continues her thesis on the Craft as a liberating force 	for
spiritual and political change.  Again, some may not agree 	with her
politics.

Starhawk,  _The Spiral Dance_.  San Francisco:  Harper & Row, 1979.
*=    Starhawk's first, and possibly most influential work.  Provides
	an excellent introduction to the Craft, and the Fairy tradition in
	particular.  This book makes a good workbook for any beginning
	witch -- there are some exercises but the book is not laid out as
	a workbook.  The 10th anniversary edition contains some additional
	material and retrospective commentary by the author.  Highly 	recommended.

Telesco, Patricia.  _The Urban Pagan: Magickal living in a 9 to 5
*=	world_.  St Paul:  Llewellyn, 1994.  Lighthearted and not taking
	itself too seriously, this is a book with a wealth of practical
	up-to-date information.  Plenty of exercises.  Has sections on 	Creative
Communication, Sociology and Magic, 	Sound/Light/Mood 	Magic, The Magical
Ecologist, Creative Herbalism, Meditations and 	Musings, The Frugal
Magician, New Symbols for a New Age, Craft Art 	and the Art of Craft, All
in a Magical Day, and the Urban Wheel of 	Time.

Valiente, Doreen.  _Witchcraft for Tomorrow_.  =



ADVANCED
--------

MacCrossan.  _Sacred Couldron_.  =

Graves.  _White Goddess_.  =

Frazer, James.  _The Golden Bough_.  =









SPECIALISED / UNKNOWN
-----------   -------

Beyerl, Paul.  _A Wiccan Bardo_.  Dorset:  Prism Press, 1989.  Whereas I
+	have not read this book as yet, it seems to include
basic-to-	intermediate information about Wicca, networking, initiation,
	handfasting, working in the atral plane, Wiccan ethics, and rites 	for the
dead.  From the tradition of Lothlorien.

Bonewits, Isaac.  _Druid Chronicles_.  =

Budapest, Z.  _Holy Book of Women's Mysteries_.  +=

Cuhulain, Kerr.  _Law enforcement guide to Wicca_.  Colorado Springs :
	CultWatch Response, c1989.

Cunningham, Scott.  _Magical Aromatherapy_.  +=

Cunningham, Scott.  _Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic_.  =

Fortune, Dion.  _Psychic Self Defense_.  A treatise on how to defend
=	one's self from psychic or mental attack.

Fortune, Dion.  _Sea Priestess_.  =

 Fox, Selena.
     Circle guide to Wicca & pagan resources, 1982-1983 / compiled by Selena
   Fox ; illustrated by Sarah White.  3rd ed.  Madison, WI. : Circle
   Publications, 1981.
       GTU   Library   BF1571 .F6 1981 Ref


Gardner, Gerald.  _Meaning of Witchcraft_.  =

Gardner, Gerald.  _Witchcraft Today_.  =

 O'Gaea, Ashleen.
      The family Wicca book : the craft for parents and children / by Ashleen
    O'Gaea.  St. Paul, MN : Llewellyn Publications, 1992.
      Series title:  Llewellyn's modern witchcraft series.
        GTU   Library   BF1572.F35 O35 1993

Dunwich, Gerina.
      Wicca craft : the book of herbs, magick, and dreams / Gerina Dunwich.
    [Secaucus, N.J.] : Carol Pub. Group, 1991.
      Series title:  Library of the mystic arts.
        UCSB  Main Lib  BF1571 .D85 1991 Special Coll

24. Holzer, Hans, 1920-
      Wicca : the way of the witches / Hans Holzer.  New York : Manor Books,
    c1979.

 Jones, Prudence.
      The path to the centre : the grail initiations in wicca / Prudence Jones.
    London : Wiccan Publications, c1988.

Miscellaneous:
--------------

Brennan, Martin.  _The_Stars_and_the_Stones_.  London: Thames and 	Hudson,
1983.  An artist's analysis of the astronomical 	interpretations of the
megalithic art and architecture of the 	passage mounds and related
megalithic structures in Ireland.

Daley, Mary.  _Gyn/Ecology_.  Boston:  Beacon Press, 1978.  Manifesto of
	radical feminist ideology and ethics.  Contains useful historical
	interpretations of various patriarchal customs oppressing women,
	including the European witchburnings.

Fuller, Buckminster.  _Synergetics_ and _Synergetics_II_.  New York:
	Macmillan Publishing Co., 1981.  Comprehensive text on Fuller's
	geometries of thinking.  The parallels between synergetic
	mathematics and magic should be apparent.  Very difficult to get
	through the excess verbiage.

Hofstadter, Douglas R.  _Metamagical_Themas_.  New York:  Basic Books,
	Inc., Publishers, 1985.  Collection of Hofstadter's columns in
	Scientific American.  Interesting for its insights into the
	operation of the human mind from the perspective of creating
	artificial intelligence.

Hofstadter, Douglas R.  _The Minds_I_.  Toronto:  Bantam Books, 1981.
	Collection of essays about the operation of the human mind and the
	problem of self and self-consciousness.

Lovelock, J.E.  _Gaia_.  Oxford:  Oxford University Press, 1987.  The
	original exposition of the Gaia Hypothesis.

O'Driscoll, Robert, ed.  _The_Celtic_Consciousness_.  New York:  George
	Braziller, 1981.  Collection of papers presented at a symposium on
	the Celtic Consiousness in 1978.  Topics covered range from
	archaeological and historical accounts of the prehistoric and
	ancient Celtic peoples to Celtic folklore and mythology to modern
	Celtic nationalism.  A must for anyone interested in Celtic
	traditions.

Reese, W.L.  _A_Dictionary_of_Philosophy_and_Religion_.  New Jersey:
	Humanities Press, 1980.  Although a dictionary in the sense of an
	explication of terms, this contains detailed analyses of the
	thought of all major mainstream philosophers and religious 	leaders.


Gantz, Jeffrey.  _Red Book of Hergest_.  =

Gundarsson.  _Teutonic Magic_.  =

Hadley, J & Slaudacher, C.  _Hypnosis for Change_.  =

Hope, Murray.  _Practical Celtic Magic_.  =

Hope, Murray.  _Practical Greek Magic_.  =

Hope, Murray.  _Practical Egyptian Magic_.  =

Leland.  _Aradia_.  =

Murray, Margaret.  _God of the Witches_.  =

Murray, Margaret.  _Witch-cult in Western Europe_.  =

Redersen.  _Nutritional Herbology_.  =

Russel, Stephen & Kolb, J.  _Tao of Sexual Massage_.

Smith, Houston.  _Religions of Man_.  =

Smith, Steven.  _Wylundt's Book of Incense_.  How to make incense.  Give
*+=	proper proportions, elements needed, different methods and types 	of
incense.  Is also a reference work.

Stewart, RJ.  _Living Magical Arts_.  +=

Thorsson, Edred.  _Book of Ogham_.  (About the Druidic tree language,
	runes, and so on)  +=

Thorsson, Edred.  _Futhark_.  (regarding Nordic runes and language)=

Thorsson, Edred.  _The Book of Troth_.  =



Wicca:
------





----------





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alt.religion.wicca FAQ version 2.6
written by Llew (John P Onorato), wizard@bga.com

last modified 22.February.1995



PLEASE NOTE:  If this FAQ does not answer your question(s), PLEASE
mail me with them.  I will then either find out for you or refer you
to some place you can get your thirst for knowledge slaked.  Please
help me make this a better FAQ!

Also, if you have concerns about this FAQ, please mail me; do not
stew in silence, as this does not help me.  If you can, please mail
me with your concerns so that I may address them, for if you post in
the group, there is a good chance I will miss your comments (my pro-
vider does not keep articles in the group around for very long).



BLANKET DISCLAIMER:
Please be adivesed that most, if not all of the information contained
in this FAQ is representative of and filtered by my own experiences,
thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.  The information I impart is what
I feel to be representative of the Wiccan community-at-large.  I most
certainly could be wrong!  Therefore, if any of this information
somehow does not sit well with you, then please ignore it.  I am not
a central authority figure, nor am I perfect, nor do I know everything
there is to know about Wicca.  As I stated above, though, I felt that
I could help people further their knowledge of the Craft; so they
could better make decisions about whether or not they are interested,
whether it is for them or not, and so on.





CONTENTS:
---------

1.0  Administrative stuff
     1.1  Contacting me
     1.2  Thanks be department
     1.3  Sources I've used
     1.4  Why this FAQ exists

2.0  Frequently Asked Questions
     2.01  What is Wicca?
          2.1.1  My explanation
               2.1.1.1     Derivation
               2.1.1.2     General traits
               2.1.1.4     What is Wicca?
          2.1.2  Excerpt from US Military Chaplain's Handbook
     2.02  What is Paganism?
     2.03  What makes Wiccans different from Pagans?
     2.04  Why do you use a 'k' in the word 'magick'?
     2.05  What's a coven?
     2.06  Why are there 13 people in a coven?
     2.07  What is the Charge of the Goddess?
     2.08  What is the Charge of the God?
     2.09  Why do some Wiccans practice naked (skyclad)?
     2.10  What deities does Wicca have?
     2.11  Is one deity greater than the other?
     2.12  How are the above deities worshipped?
     2.13  What are the ideals of the Wiccan religion regarding one's
           interactions with the world at large?
     2.14  What do the terms 'initiation,' 'dedication' and
           'covenbonding' mean?
     2.15  What's a witch, then?  What's a warlock?
     2.16  What is the 'year and a day' rule?
     2.17  What is the 'threefold law?'

3.0  Wiccan resources
     3.1  WWW pages
     3.2  mailing lists
     3.3  IRC channels
     3.4  FTP sites
     3.5  book list (short)
     3.6  pointer to LONG book list


1.0  Adminisrative Stuff
------------------------

1.1  My address
     I can be reached at wizard@bga.com.  My snailmail address is
     John P Onorato
     POB 1018
     Georgetown, TX  78627-1018

     If need be, I can also be reached at:
     voicemail:  512.706.4386


1.2  Thanks be Department
     I owe thanks for help with this FAQ to:
     - The Goddess, in all her glory, Brigit, Danu, Cerridwen; I
       owe you my thanks, my allegiance and my very life.
     - The God:  Herne, Lugh, the Dagda.  You have given me the
       strength to continue on in your service, and I thank you.
     - the good folks in my coven, Whiteoak, which is a branch of
          Woodland Celtic Wicca
     - Tom Davis, tmd@bga.com, for his invaluable support and advice
     - whoever it was on the Pagan Digest (see section 3.2) that
          reposted the Chaplain's Handbook excerpt
     - mthorn@aol.com (Michael Thorn) for help with the COG Web page
          URLs
     - fireyes@cns.computel.com for more WWW help
     - cortese@netcom.com (Janis Maria C. C. Cortese) for her own URL
     - byrdie@u.washington.edu (Renee Ann Byrd) for compiling some
          more URLs, and Hollie Butler (hollie@omnigroup.com) for
          unearthing those links
     - The Wayward Mage , aka Michael, for his
          aid with the FAQ format and helping me with questions that
          people might ask


1.3  Sources I've used
1.  _The Military Chaplain's Handbook_, other bibliographic info
    unknown.  I got it from a post on the net.
2.  Starhawk,  _The Spiral Dance_.  San Francisco:  Harper & Row,
    1979.
3.  Farrar, Janet & Stewart.  _The Life and Times of a Modern Witch_.
    Custer:  Phoenix Publishing, 1987.
4.  Couggar, et. al.  _A Book of Shadows_.  Unpublished.
5.  RavenWolf, Silver.  _To Ride a Silver Broomstick_.  St Paul:
    Llewellyn, 1993.


1.4  Why this FAQ exists
The reason I write and maintain this FAQ is that I've seen many
questions from many people in the time that I've been reading alt.
religion.wicca.  I felt that I was able to help these people, but I
thought that it would be better to approach it from a FAQ standpoint
as opposed to mailing people individually.  Not only does the latter
take up more time (something that I'm not necessarily averse to, but
I don't HAVE a -lot- of time these days), but I felt I could reach
more people with the FAQ method; e.g., lurkers who for whatever reason
don't post their questions.







2.0 Frequently Asked Questions
------------------------------

2.1  What is Wicca?
Wicca is an earth religion derived in large part from the early pagan
religions.  Wiccans, also called Witches or practitioners of
witchcraft, generally hold the Earth as being sacred, revere the
female as well as the male, and celebrate the intangible, as opposed
to more 'mainstream' religions.

Primarily, Wicca is an INDIVIDUAL religion; everything is the choice of the
practitioner.  If something doesn't feel right, don't do it!

As far as a more formal introduction to Wicca, I present here an
excerpt from the Military Chaplain's Handbook:  (it has been editted
a bit for clarity's sake; all the AUTHOR'S NOTES are mine and not the
original writer's.)





               WICCA

ADDRESS:  No central address.  Wiccan worship groups, called
covens, are essentially autonomous.

RELATED GROUPS and NAMES:  Witchcraft; Goddess worshippers;
Neo-Paganism, Paganism, Norse (or any other ethnic designation)
Paganism, Earth Religion, Old Religion, Druidism, Shamanism.
Note:  All of these groups have some basic similarities and many
surface differences of expression with Wicca.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Despite the similarities with the above named
groups, Wicca is NOT the same as most of the above named groups.]

LEADERSHIP:  No central leadership.

MEMBERSHIP:  Because of the complete autonomy of covens, this
cannot be determined.  There are an estimated of 50,000 Wiccans
in the United States.

HISTORICAL ORIGIN:  Wicca is a reconstruction of the Nature
worship of tribal Europe, strongly influenced by the living
Nature worship traditions of tribal peoples in other parts of the
world.  The works of such early twentieth century writers as
Margaret Murray, Robert Graves and Gerald B. Gardner began the
renewal of interest in the Old Religion.  After the repeal of the
anti-Witchcraft laws in Britain in 1951, Gardner publicly
declared himself a Witch and began to gather a group of students
and worshipers.
     In 1962, two of his students Raymond and Rosemary Buckland
(religious names: Lady Rowen and Robat), emigrated to the United
States and began teaching Gardnerian Witchcraft here.  At the
same time, other groups of people became interested through
reading books by Gardner and others.  Many covens were
spontaneously formed, using rituals created from a combination of
research and individual inspiration.  These self-created covens
are today regarded as just as valid as those who can trace a
"lineage" of teaching back to England.
     In 1975, a very diverse group of covens who wanted to secure
the legal protections and benefits of church status formed
Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), which is incorporated in the State
of California and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.
CoG does not represent all, or even a majority of Wiccans.  A
coven or an individual need not be affiliated with CoG in order
to validly practice the religion.  But CoG is the largest single
public Wiccan organization, and it is cross-Traditional (i.e.
non-denominational).

BASIC BELIEFS:  Wiccans worship the sacred as immanent in Nature,
often personified as Mother Earth and Father Sky.  [AUTHOR'S NOTE:
And also often personified as the Moon Goddess and the Sun God.]

As polytheists, they may use many other names for Deity.
Individuals will often choose Goddesses or Gods from any of the
world's pantheons whose stories are particularly inspiring and
use those Deities as a focus for personal devotions.  Similarly,
covens will use particular Deity names as a group focus, and
these are often held secret by the groups.
     It is very important to be aware that Wiccans do not in any
way worship or believe in "Satan," "the Devil," or any similar
entities.  They point out that "Satan" is a symbol of rebellion
against and inversion of the Christian and Jewish traditions.
Wiccans do not revile the Bible.  They simply regard it as one
among many of the world's mythic systems, less applicable than
some to their core values, but still deserving just as much
respect as any of the others.
     Most Wiccan groups also practice magic, by which they mean
the direction and use of "psychic energy," those natural but
invisible forces which surround all living things.  Some members
spell the word "magick," to distinguish it from sleight of hand
entertainments.  Wiccans employ such means as dance, chant,
creative visualization and hypnosis to focus and direct psychic
energy for the purpose of healing, protecting and aiding members
in various endeavors.  Such assistance is also extended to non-
members upon request.
     Many, but not all, Wiccans believe in reincarnation.  Some
take this as a literal description of what happens to people when
they die.  For others, it is a symbolic model that helps them
deal with the cycles and changes within this life.  Neither
Reincarnation nor any other literal belief can be used as a test
of an individual's validity as a member of the Old Religion.
     Most groups have a handwritten collection of rituals and
lore, known as a _Book of Shadows._  Part of the religious
education of a new member will be to hand copy this book for him
or herself.  Over they years, as inspiration provides, new
material will be added.  Normally, access to these books is
limited to initiated members of the religion.

PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS:  The core ethical statement
of Wicca, called the "Wiccan Rede" states "an it harm none, do
what you will."  The rede fulfills the same function as does the
"Golden Rule" for Jews and Christians; all other ethical
teachings are considered to be elaborations and applications of
the Rede.  It is a statement of situational ethics, emphasizing
at once the individual's responsibility to avoid harm to others
and the widest range of personal autonomy in "victimless"
activities.  Wicca has been described as having a "high-choice"
ethic.
     Because of the basic Nature orientation of the religion,
many Wiccans will regard all living things as Sacred, and to show
a special concern for ecological issues.  For this reason,
individual conscience will lead some to take a pacifist position.
Some are vegetarians.  Others will feel that, as Nature's Way
includes self-defense, they should participate in wars that they
conscientiously consider to be just.  The religion does not
dictate either position, but requires each member to thoughtfully
and meditatively examine her or his own conscience and to live by
it.
     Social forces generally do not yet allow Witches to publicly
declare their religious faith without fear of reprisals such as
loss of job, child-custody challenges, ridicule, etc.  Prejudice
against Wiccans is the result of public confusion between
Witchcraft and Satanism.  Wiccans in the military, especially
those who may be posted in countries perceived to be particularly
intolerant, will often have their dogtags read "No Religious
Preference."  Concealment is a traditional Wiccan defense against
persecution, so non-denominational dogtags should not contravene
a member's request for religious services.
     Wiccans celebrate eight festivals, called "Sabbats," as a
means of attunement to the seasonal rhythms of Nature.  These are
January 31 (Called Oimelc, Brigit, or February Eve), March 21
(Ostara or Spring Equinox), April 30 (Beltane or May Eve), June
22 (Midsummer, Litha or Summer Solstice), July 31 (Lunasa or
Lammas), September 21 (Harvest, Mabon or Autumn Equinox), October
31 (Samhain, Sowyn or Hallows), and December 21 (Yule or Winter
Solstice.)  Some groups find meetings within a few days of those
dates to be acceptable, others require the precise date.  In
addition, most groups will meet for worship at each Full Moon,
and many will also meet on the New Moon.  Meetings for religious
study will often be scheduled at any time convenient to the
members, and rituals can be scheduled whenever there is a need
(i.e. for a healing).
     Ritual jewelry is particularly important to many Wiccans.
In addition to being a symbol of religious dedication, these
talismans are often blessed by the coven back home and felt to
carry the coven's protective and healing energy.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:  Most Wiccans meet with a coven, a
small group of people.  [AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Actually, I feel that most
Wiccans are solitary, with SOME Wiccans practising in covens.] Each
coven is autonomous.  Most are headed by a High Priestess, often with
the assistance of a High Priest.  Some are headed by a High Priestess
or High Priest without a partner, and some regard themselves as a
gathering of equals.  Covens can be of mixed gender, or all female or
male, depending on the preferences of the members.  Every initiate is
considered to be a priestess a priest.  Most covens are small.
Thirteen is the traditional maximum number of members, although
not an absolute limit.  At that size covens form a close bond, so
Wiccans in the military are likely to maintain a strong
affiliation with their covens back home.
     There are many distinct "Traditions" of Wicca, just as there
are many denominations within Christianity.  The spectrum of
Wiccan practice can be described as ranging from "traditional" to
"eclectic," with Traditions, covens and individuals fitting
anywhere within that range.  A typical difference would be that
more traditional groups would tend to follow a set liturgy,
whereas eclectic groups would emphasize immediate inspiration in
worship.
     These distinctions are not particularly important to the
military chaplain, since it is unlikely that enough members of
any one Tradition would be at the same base.  Worship circles at
military facilities are likely to be ad-hoc cross-Traditional
groups, working out compromise styles of worship for themselves
and constantly adapting them to a changing membership.  Therefor,
the lack of strict adherence to the patterns of any one Tradition
is not an indicator of invalidity.
     While many Wiccans meet in a coven, there are also a number
of solitairies.  These are individuals who choose to practice
their faith alone.  The may have been initiated in a coven or
self initiated.  They will join with other Wiccans to celebrate
the festivals or to attend the various regional events organized
by the larger community.

ROLE OF MINISTERS:  Within a traditional coven, the High
Priestess, usually assisted by her High Priest, serves both as
leader in the rituals and as teacher and counselor for coven
members and unaffiliated Pagans.  Eclectic covens tend to share
leadership more equally.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE:  The High Priest (sometimes referred to as the HP) and
the High Priestess (aka HPs) actually SHARE responsibility.  They are
equals.  One or the other may be in ascendance at any given time.]

WORSHIP:  Wiccans usually worship in groups.  Individuals who are
currently not affiliated with a coven, or are away from their
home coven, may choose to worship privately or may form ad-hoc
groups to mark religious occasions.  Non-participating observers
are not generally welcome at Wiccan rituals.
     Some, but not all, Wiccan covens worship in the nude
("skyclad") as a sign of attunement with Nature.  Most, but not
all, Wiccan covens bless and share a cup of wine as part of the
ritual.  Almost all Wiccans use an individual ritual knife (an
"athame"_ to focus and direct personal energy.  Covens often also
have ritual swords to direct the energy of the group.  These
tools, like all other ritual tools, are highly personal and
should never leave the possession of the owner.
     Other commonly used ritual tools include a bowl of water, a
bowl of salt, a censer with incense, a disk with symbols engraved
on it (a "pentacle"), statues or artwork representing the Goddess
and God, and candles.  Most groups will bless and share bread or
cookies along with the wine.  All of these items are used in
individual, private worship as well as in congregate rituals.

DIETARY LAWS OR RESTRICTIONS:  None.

FUNERAL AND BURIAL REQUIREMENTS:  None.  Recognition of the death
of a member takes place within the coven, apart from the body of
the deceased.  Ritual tools, materials, or writings found among
the effects of the deceased should be returned to their home
coven (typically a member will designate a person to whom ritual
materials should be sent).
     It is desirable for a Wiccan priest or priestess to be
present at the time of death, but not strictly necessary.  If not
possible, the best assistance would be to make the member as
comfortable as possible, listen to whatever they have to say,
honor any possible requests, and otherwise leave them as quite
and private as possible.

MEDICAL TREATMENT:  No medical restrictions.  Wiccans generally
believe in the efficacy of spiritual or psychic healing when done
in tandem with standard medical treatment.  Therefore, at the
request of the patient, other Wiccan personnel should be allowed
visiting privileges as though they were immediate family,
including access to Intensive Care Units.  Most Wiccans believe
that healing energy can be sent from great distances, so, if
possible, in the case of any serious medical condition, the
member's home coven should be notified.

OTHER:  With respect to attitude toward military service, Wiccans
range from career military personnel to conscientious objectors.
     Wiccans do not proselytize and generally resent those who
do.  They believe that no one Path to the Sacred is right for all
people, and see their own religious pattern as only one among
many that are equally worthy.  Wiccans respect all religious that
foster honor and compassion in their adherents, and expect the
same respect.  Members are encouraged to learn about all faiths,
and are permitted to attend the services of other religions,
should they desire to do so.

Because of the autonomy of each coven and the wide variance of
specific ritual practices, the best contact person would be the
High Priestess or other leader of the member's home coven.

(Apparently the above text was written by the Covenant of the
Goddess.  I have no evidence to substantiate this, however.)



2.2  What is Paganism?
The word 'pagan' simply means, at the root, 'country dweller.'  It is
a term used to describe the simple country folk, those untrained in
the more modern religions, or Christianity, for the most part.  It
can be taken to denote any person who does not follow the more
mainstream religious path; nowadays, pagans come in all shapes and
sizes, with representatives of many many sects all calling themselves
pagans.

For a broad overview of paganism (also known as neo-paganism or
simply 'new paganism') in general, see Margot Adler's book _Drawing
Down the Moon_, New York, Viking Press, 1979.



2.3  What makes Wiccans different from Pagans?
The distinction is slight.  The Wiccan religion is a subset of
paganism, that is to say, Wiccans ARE pagans.  All pagans are not
wiccans, though.

Wiccans, as a general rule, follow the Wiccan Rede, which basically
states "An it harm none, do what thou wilt."  (There is a much longer
version I have in my possession.)  Of course, the terms in the Rede
are open to much discussion and interpretation, but that is something
for every Wiccan to do for themselves.



2.4  Why do you use a 'k' in the word 'magick'?
Simply put, to distinguish it (magick) from the more mundane 'magic.'
The latter is parlor tricks, David Copperfield stuff, whereas the
former is working with real forces to achieve one's ends.

NB:  Not all groups, nor all Wiccans use the word with the 'k'
attached.  But it's common enough to mention here.



2.5  What's a coven?
A coven is a group of Wiccans banded together for the purpouse of
worshipping the deities in a manner that they all agree to.  If I may
realte it to terms that one might already know, a coven is like the
congregation of a traditional church.
Coveners (term for the people in a coven) are often bonded to each other in
ways that people in traditional churches are not.  They are
aware of things that are happening to each other, can sense when
another covenmate is in distress, et cetera.


2.6  Why are there 13 people in a coven?
There are not always 13 people in a coven; in all covens there are not
necessarily 13 people.  Thirteen, however, is widely felt to be the
maximum managable number of people.
Additionally, 13 is felt to be the maximum number of people that can
share in each other as deeply as coveners do (see "What's a coven?"
above).  Any more than that would mean sensory overload for some of
the coveners.


2.7  What is the Charge of the Goddess?
The Charge of the Goddess is a basic guideline for Wiccan
practise.  The portion of the Charge (as it is commonly known by) states
"All acts of love and pleasure are My rituals."  This refers to the fact
that the Goddess (as well as the God, however one chooses to worshipthem)
considers all acts of love and pleasure sacred.  This is not to say that
Wiccans are 'free love' people or sexually promiscuous.  Some of them are,
perhaps, but then again, some non-Wiccans are as well.

The full text of the Charge of the Goddess, as it appears in the
Whiteoak Book of Shadows, is available upon request to me.


2.8  What is the Charge of the God?
The Charge of the God exists, yet for some reason is not as widely
quoted as the Charge of the Goddess.  When people talk of 'The

Charge,' they are typically speaking of the Charge of the Goddess.
It is very similar to the Charge of the Goddess, in that it is a
general guideline for behaviour.  However, not only is it not set in
stone, but it varies from coven to coven.


2.9  Why do some Wiccans practice naked (skyclad)?
Simply put, because some of us feel it beings us closer to the Divine.
Others think that clothes are a barrier to psychic energy.  If there are no
clothes, then there is one less barrier between us and
other people, us and the Divine, us and our energy.

As with all the other 'rules' in Wicca, this is not set in stone!  Not
everybody chooses this way to practise or worship, and that's okay.

To quote the Farrars in _Life and Times_:
"1.  Wicca is a Nature religion, which aims at a direct relationship
with the Earth environment; and skyclad [naked] practice greatly helps
us with this directness.
2.  Wicca is democratic; and without the external trappings of class
or status, this democracy is more naturally realised.
3.  Wicca aims at personal development through discovery and
integration of one's true Self, the shedding of comforting masks and
images; and there is nothing so image-creating as clothes.
4.  It is easier to raise and use psychic power without the insulation
of clothes."

The term 'skyclad' refers to a state of dress, that is, clad in
nothing but sky, which is to say, naked.


2.10  What is a Book of Shadows?
A Book of Shadows (often abbreviated BoS) is a journal of one's
magickal workings, a dream log, an astrological workbook, another
set of guidelines, a book of rituals.  It is whatever you make it, but
whatever it is, it is special.  Some covens have their own Book of
Shadows, as does mine, which is an introduction into the way that
coven sees things.  One is then expected to keep their own Book of
Shadows.

As for myself, I keep it all in one binder:  My coven's BoS, my BoS,
notes of my workings with the Tarot, the things I've written about the
Craft, and so on.



2.10  What deities does Wicca have?
Wicca has two deities, the God and the Goddess.  Or the Goddess and
the God, depending on how one looks at it.

The way I see it, there are but one Goddess and one God.  All forms
thereafter are simply different manifestations, different aspects,
different creatures (for lack of a better word) that humans have
created for one reason or another.

It's like a phrase I coined when I was a wee lad:  "Religions are like
cars.  They may look different, feel different, drive different, have
different characteristics, but they all get you from point A to point
B."  I feel somewhat the same way about the God and Goddess, although
as I pointed out in the above paragraph, there are different
manifestations to deal with different things.  For instance, there are
creator god/desses, healer god/desses, destroyer god/desses, ones that
personify love, compassion, rationality, fire, smithcraft, poetry,
motherhood, fatherhood, etc etc etc.




2.11  Is one deity greater than the other?
Fine question, but no, certainly not.  Wicca is a religion of
equality, of democracy, and as such there is hardly any room for
one deity being greater than the other, any 'my magick is better
than your magick,' any spiritual one-upmanship.



2.12  How are the above deities worshipped?
In whatever way one wishes!  Typically, a set of Gods and Goddesses
are chosen by the practitioner, and she or he works with those almost
exclusively.

In many pantheons (sets of deities indigenous to a certain area, such
as the Irish/Celtics, the Norse (Asatru), the Sumerian, the Greek and so
on) the concept of the 'Triple God' or 'Triple Goddess' is woven
in.  In short, this is to say that each deity holds sway over a
certain portion of the year, a certain portion of one's life.  For
instance, in my pantheon (the Celtic), the Goddess is worshipped in
the form of Brigid (the Maiden), Danu (the Mother), and Cerridwen (the
Crone).  This corresponds, generally speaking, to the three phases of
one's life.  Similarly, the God has three faces:  Herne or Cernnunnos
(the Hunter), Lugh (the Father), and the Dagda (the Sage).

Of course, the term 'pantheon' can also be used to denote one's own
group of goddesses and gods, but above I use the word in the more
traditional sense.  Many Wiccans' pantheons range from Ireland to
China, Greece to Sumeria to Native America.



2.13  What are the ideals of the Wiccan religion regarding one's
      interactions with the world at large?
The ideals number as many as there are Wiccans in the world.  Everyone
has their own set of ideals; there is no set dogma as to what one
should or should not belive.  After all, this is most of all a
religion of the INDIVIDUAL -- noone in the Craft is going to do anyone
else's thinking for them.

Someone recently asked the above question and tacked this on the end:
"i.e., the Wiccan perspective on love, work, sex, money, life, and
the afterlife."
The only response I have to that, aside from the above, is that a
commonly held belief among Wiccans (most, not all) is one in rein-
carnation.  That is, most of us believe that after we die, our souls
or spirits or whatever one chooses to call them return to this earth
in another form.




2.14  What do the terms 'initiation,' 'dedication' and
      'covenbonding' mean?
Okay, here's the scoop, at least within Whiteoak (the name of my
coven).  Not all covens have initiation or dedication or covenbonding.  One
is 'dedicated' when one decides that he or she wants to
formally announce their pursuit of study with the coven.  It's not
exclusive; none of the titles are.  It's simply a formal declaration
of intent.  Nevertheless, it can be very powerful.

Initiation is a different matter.  It means that one has chosen Wicca
as one's religion, and that one isn't going to return to traditional
beliefs anytime soon.

After one is initiated -- also known as getting one's 'first degree'
-- then one is truly recognised by the rest of the community as being
a Wiccan.  Keep in mind that one can dedicate and/or initiate one's
self...  this path of doing it in community is simply my path, the way
I feel things are right for me.

The initiation ceremony generally involves a challenge, that is to
say, a challenge to the prospective initiate so that they may know
what they choose is right for them.  It is followed by a statement of
purpouse -- the initiate makes clear her or his wishes, hopes and
fears about the initiation.  Of course, it is different from tradition
to tradition, but these two elements, at least, are fairly common.

Second-degree means that one has attained a higher level of knowledge
and understanding.  More is expected of a second-degree person that is
of a first.  And after third degree, which is a step up from second,
one can 'officially' start one's own coven; 'hive off' if that is what
one wants to do.

'Covenbonding,' as far as I know, is a practise limited to my
tradition -- Woodland Celtic Wicca.  This is a ritual that links the
bondee with the other people in the coven, so that everyone can feel
the others' sorrows, joys, etc.  I have not experienced this as yet,
so I cannot give a full description of it.




2.15  What's a witch, then?  What's a warlock?
'Witch' is a generic term to indicate a person that is involved in the
Craft and that practises it as a way of life.  It refers to men as
well as women.  Despite its being laden with negative imagery, this
is a commonly used terms, especially in the Wiccan community.

A warlock is one that was a Wiccan at one time but has turned against
the Craft.  It does not mean 'male witch' as commonly known, but
rather its original etymology (word derivation) denotes
'oath-breaker.'  It is not a complimentary term at all.



2.16  What is the 'year and a day' rule?
The year and a day rule is used by covens to distinguish those people
that are serious about Wicca from those for whom it is a passing
fancy.  It is generally thought that if one is serious about the path,
one will be willing to stick it out, to study and learn, and to 'just
watch' for a year and a day.



2.17  What is the 'threefold law?'
The threefold law can be equated to a similar concept in many other
religions.  "What ye reap, ye shall sow", "do unto others as thou
wouldst have them do unto you":  These are all variations on a theme.
The threefold law simply means that if you do acts that are 'bad,'
then bad things will be done to you three times over.  Similarly, if
one does 'good' acts, then the goodness will be returned threefold.

Of course, I nor any self-respecting Wiccan (I would like to think)
would be so presumptuous as to tell any individual what is good and
bad for that individual.  Wiccans think for themselves.





3.0  WICCAN RESOURCES
---------------------

There is plenty on Wicca out there to read, especially since Gerald
Gardner brought Wicca out of the broom closet and introduced it to
the general public around 1935 or so.  He felt that the religion would
die without people knowing about it -- and it probably would have.


3.1  WWW pages
--------------

At the time of this writing, I know of only a few Wiccan WWW pages:
1.  Cerridwen's Home Page, at http://www.computel.com:80/~cerri/
2.  Fireeyes' home page, at http://www.computel.com/~fireyes
3.  COGWEB -- Covenant of the Goddess Web page --
    http://www.cog.org/cog/
    Apparently this page has more to do with COG/paganism than Wicca,
    but I have not verified this.
    There is also an email address assocaited with this page,
    cogweb@cog.org.
    Apparently this is for linking your personal pages in.
4.  For those in the New England area, there is a local calendar
    excerpted from the Boston-area COG publication "Horns and
    Crescent".  http://www.cog.org/nelccog/handc/handcidx.html
5.  There is a page that is largely  devoted to paganism, but has
    some Wiccan influence:
    ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/co/cortese/home.html.
    This page is maintained by cortese@netcom.com (Janis Maria C. C.
    Cortese)
6.  a page maintained by Robert J Quinn:
    http://rhf.bradley.edu/~raven/


And there's a few pagan WWW pages as well, which might or might not
have Wicca-related material on them:
1.  Barrett Nuzum's page, at
    http://www.mv.com/users/wicca/hogarth/pagan.html


Some random related pages:
http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~feorag/paganlink/plhome.html
http://netspace.org/~athomps/altpagan.html
http://www.lysator.liu.se/ftp/pub/religion/neopagan/
http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu:8001/usr/sk4p/occult/occult.html
http://www.protree.com/kiwi/Spirit.html
http://zeta.cs.adfa.oz.au/Spirituality.html
http://www.cac.psu.edu/jbe/jbe.html
the pages above have links from
http://www.omnigroup.com/People/hollie/


3.2  mailing lists
------------------

At the time of this writing, I know of no strictly Wiccan mailing
lists.  However, the Uther Locksley's Pagan Digest is almost entirely
Wiccan.  That information is:
     To send mail to the list:    uther+pagan@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu
     To send mail to me:          uther@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu
     To subscribe/unsubscribe:    mailserv@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu
     Archive directory on DRYCAS: USR:[ANONYMOUS.PAGAN.ARCHIVE]
     URL: ftp://drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu/anonymous/pagan/archive

There is also NEMETON-L, which is devoted to Celtic paths and talk of
druidism:
Send mail to "Majordomo@pentagon.io.com" with the following command
in the body of your email message:
    subscribe nemeton-l you@youraddress



3.3  IRC channels
-----------------

I haven't been on it lately, but there is the channel #wicca on IRC,
for those of you who have access to it.  Oftentimes one can find the
answers to quick questions here.



3.4  FTP sites
--------------

1.  There is a page that is largely  devoted to paganism, but has
     some Wiccan influence:
     ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/co/cortese/home.html.
    This page is maintained by cortese@netcom.com (Janis Maria C. C.
    Cortese)
2.  A site located in Sweden has a lot to do with paganism, Wicca and
    so forth:  Lysita.lysator.liu.se is reachable by anonymous ftp.
    Check the /pub/religion directory.


3.5  book list (short)
----------------------

I recommend four books for the beginner, in order of complexity:
_The Truth About Witchcraft Today_, by Scott Cunningham  (general
     overview)
_The Life and Times of a Modern Witch_, by Janet and Stewart Farrar
     (question and answer stuff)
_To Ride a Silver Broomstick_, by Silver Ravenwolf (practical
     infomation)
_Spiral Dance_, by Starhawk (lots of theory and reasons why,
      exercises too).



3.6  pointer to LONG book list
------------------------------

I also maintain a very large book list, consisting of everything that
is in my library, as well as recommendations other people have made.
Well, that's what I'd like to think!    There are a lot of
books on the list, anyway, and I would be happy to mail it out to
anyone who asks for it.  Again, my name is Llew, and my address is
wizard@bga.com.






(c) 1995 John P Onorato.  All Rights Reserved.



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John P Onorato     |  "The weak can never forgive. | "That's what it's all
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