Paganism By The Book

One of the most difficult dilemmas for pagans - particularly pagans new to the Craft - is determining what place books have in their spiritual practice. For most of us, books were our first introduction to Paganism, Wicca and the Craft and it is where most of us started our journey.

But there are so many books! In fact, most of us lament the fact that there are so many wonderful books and not enough time to read them all. But never fear, my pagan friends! There are ways you can determine the legitimacy of an author before you shell out your hard earned cash.

The first question we often ask ourselves is how do we determine which books are "good" and which ones we should pass up? Certainly there are authors who are more favored in the pagan community than others. Most every pagan has their own favorite and least favorite authors. If you look at any purveyor of pagan books, you will find names and topics aplenty. You'll find authors who are liked, disliked and perhaps even unknown. You might hear about authors who have questionable scholarship, who might be surrounded by ethics issues, and who may seem to be more concerned with fluff over substance.

One of my first teachers taught me an invaluable lesson about the importance of separating wisdom from the vehicle it comes in. I recently had a discussion about this with Liz Draman, one of the many wonderful Mystickal Voyage practitioners. I think she recapped this idea beautifully when she said, "Focus on the message, not the messenger". What this means is that we must try to concentrate on at WHAT is being said, not necessarily WHO is saying it. Sometimes even a questionable author can write something in a way that resonates with you, or helps you understand a concept better. Remember that in the end, you alone have the final say whether you use the information in your practice or not.

With that being said, however, you have to be discerning when allowing authors to influence your spirituality. Before obtaining information about any author, you should have three very important tools in place. These tools will not only help you make better decisions about your source materials, but they will serve you well on your Pagan Path. These three items are:

1.  Critical Thinking Skills

2.  A Very Big block of Salt (as opposed to just a grain)

3.  A very well developed Bull Puckey Meter (to make sure people aren't trying to fool you)

The first thing you can do when researching an author is to ask pagans that you trust what they think of that person as a writer. You may find that there are authors who are resoundingly respected by pagans in the know, and others who they will steer clear of.  As an added bonus, you might even get turned on to similar authors to enjoy as well! Keep their opinions tucked in the back of your mind, but remember to temper their opinions with your own.

The next thing you will want to do is conduct some individual research. Just because Lady Pixie Moondrip has published a book, or has her own blog, or writes for a local newsletter / magazine, doesn't mean she is the Goddess's gift to Pagandom! Check out reviews of the author's work on the Internet - but please remember to employ your tools listed above. Amazon has a great feature to allow people to provide reviews on books they've bought, so too do other pagan websites. Getting multiple people's feedback can gives you an idea of the author's style and feel, so you can decide if that's the kind of writer you are looking for.

The next thing you may want to consider is the author's bibliography. Do they even have one? Which books do THEY draw from, and which books have influenced them? Do they only reference books which they themselves have written? Check to see who has written the book's foreword or testimonials. But do note that some publishers will request one of their more popular authors to write a glowing acknowledgment for a lesser known author in order to spur sales.

Now that you've researched the author, and have decided to buy one of their books...where do you go now?

First, choose the types of books you want to draw from - and you decide this by determining what you enjoy. The best ways to work this out is by starting with the broadest subjects and then focus on the specific topics which resonate with you. Not sure if you resonate with Celtic deities? Then choose a general book on Gods and Goddesses of all types before buying a detailed translation of the Mabinogion. Interested in the runes or the tarot? Try reading a book on divination before you specialize - you might find another medium better suited to you.

Another thing I would strongly suggest is to make your learning as diverse as possible. Mix information about theory with books about how to do something. It's important to understand pagan history and magickal theory as much as having a magickal cookbook full of spells for every occasion sitting on your shelf. Learn about how various groups do things - and perhaps just as important - WHY they do things. The more (w)holistic your knowledge, the better practitioner you will be, and the better you will be able to adapt your book learning to your own actions.

Try not to fall in the trap of seeking out just one perspective because you happen to like the particular author. There are many pagan authors who are almost universally loved and respected, but don't dismiss other writers because they might disagree with what your favorite author says. There is no "Wiccan Gospel According To <insert author here>". There are only perspectives of how each individual practices their faith. Understand that there is no cookie cutter methodology to paganism - and there are as many ways to practice our faith as there are practitioners!

Another way to broaden your knowledge is to obtain information from multiple sources. Books are fantastic, and I would be lost without mine. But they are a poor substitute for classes, workshops, Internet research, discussion with like minded pagans, or even actual practice. Books are but one part of a greater whole. 

So, now that you've decided what books you want to read, how do you use them in your own practice? There's a big gap between the written word and seeing those words in action. One of the most important things to understand is the WHYs of something. WHY does this author insist on using a particular herb/deity/word in this place? WHY do we need to chant at this point in the spell? WHY is a particular symbol important on the altar? Understanding WHY helps us to adapt these concepts to our own practice. If an author says to call on Athena to invoke the Goddess of Wisdom, but you're not familiar with Athena - you might find another Goddess of Wisdom more to your liking, such as Sophia, Cerridwen, Saraswati, or Freya. Conversely, if you're doing a money spell, and the author instructs you to use a green candle, it is better to know why green can be a better correspondence color than the blue or red candle your aunt gave you for your birthday.

Look at what the author has to say. Can you make their chant, prayer, tools, or accouterments uniquely yours? Remember, authors are only relating their experiences and understandings. You then can OWN the practice by flavoring it with your own personal energy. Use your creativity by incorporating things sacred to you, your Gods and your personal connection with the Universe. While their experiences should be honored, they give only one way to do things. Never allow someone to tell you that your practice is wrong because you're not following another's instructions 100% - provided you aren't harming anyone or being disrespectful, of course. 

Our pagan practice is about learning and then incorporating that knowledge into practice. Learn as much as you can, from as many sources as you can, and then put what you've learned into action.