Favourite books from a beginner

[redumbrella]

Thought I'd do a quick review of the books I've liked and disliked so far as someone who is very new to the path. I'm hoping someone else who's new too can use this to see if there's anything they'd like to read themselves! Also I'd love some further recommendations based on what I've enjoyed.

Liked:

Encyclopedia of 5000 spells by Jessica Illes - this was my first book on witchcraft since starting to learn about the traditional path. I found it an excellent introduction to a variety of concepts and symbols, along with her other book, the encyclopedia of witchcraft. This is a really good entry point imo as it gave me a foundation for writing my own spells. 7/10

 

Six ways by Aidan Watcher - Reallly really really excellent. The writing style is wonderful and doesn't treat the reader like a child. Author is open minded and doesn't provide any dogma. Everything is optional, everything is a suggestion and everything is adaptable to the goals and instincts of the practitioner. Exercises are easily implement with, for me, useful and reliable results. Highly recommend 10/10

 

13 essential witching herbs by Harold Roth - 9/10, a wonderful guide to some super interesting herbs providing a lot of valuable folklore, recipes and horticultural advice. There were parts I wish were more in depth though so I would not use this or any book as your sole guide towards the use of these herbs medicinally or otherwise.

Dale Pendell Pharmako Poeia - Beautifully written and fills the gap which the above book leaves in terms of pharmacology and use of the discussed plants. More practical, but still useful even for solely magical used if you think about things a little. I only wish he wrote a guide to every plant in the world. 8/10, only criticism is that some of the poetry can get a bit over the top for me personally 

The Black Toad by Gemma Gary - Really good book of folklore in the west country. 10/10

Disliked or simply don't understand yet due to ignorance: The clovenstone workings, advanced magick by edan McCoy, consorting with spirits, treading the mill by nigel g pearson

[Phagos]

**moving this to the book section**