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Wicca, Shamanism and Druidry. Where to start?


Whisper

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I'm really interested in exploring Wicca, Shamanism and Druidry.

 

Would anyone be able to help me figure out where to start? Books, etc.?

 

Thank you.

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For Shamanism, I'd recommend Sandra Ingerman for very accessible guides for beginners. One you've read a couple of hers, you'll get an idea of what in particular would interest you and then I can recommend a couple of others.

 

I would say that doing your own journeys is really how the practice will come into its own for you. If you can find someone who runs small workshops for beginners to learn the technique, that would be best. Some people try and cram as many people into a workshop as possible and I don't think that's the best way to learn this.

 

I'm afraid I can't help with Wicca or Druidry. :)

 

 

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For Shamanism, I'd recommend Sandra Ingerman for very accessible guides for beginners. One you've read a couple of hers, you'll get an idea of what in particular would interest you and then I can recommend a couple of others.

 

I would say that doing your own journeys is really how the practice will come into its own for you. If you can find someone who runs small workshops for beginners to learn the technique, that would be best. Some people try and cram as many people into a workshop as possible and I don't think that's the best way to learn this.

 

I'm afraid I can't help with Wicca or Druidry. :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

It'll be very difficult for me to find people who give workshops, but I've bought the electronic copies of Sandra Ingerman's Awakening to the Spirit World and The Hollow Bone: A Field Guide to Shamanism.

 

Thank you so much, Flaxen, for your recommendation.  <3 Sandra Ingerman seems wonderful. I was looking at her other books on Amazon and this one looks great, too.

 

Going to start with Awakening the Spirit....

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I'd recommend "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham. Unlike some other introductions to Wicca I've read, this one is very grounded and packs a lot of information into what appears to be a slim book.

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I'd recommend "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham. Unlike some other introductions to Wicca I've read, this one is very grounded and packs a lot of information into what appears to be a slim book.

 

Thank you, Albadawn.  <3 I'll see if I can get it. Maybe even as an audiobook, since I subscribe to Audible.

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Wicca = "Magick Without Peers" by Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankin.

Great for "progressive Wicca" a.k.a. eclectic Wicca.

 

Scot Cunningham's aforementioned book ("Wicca - a guide for the solitary practitioner"),

is an excellent one.

When I joined a practicing group - "Magick Without Peers" was what was recommended

and I would say it was like having an amalgamation of all the different books I had read beforehand - all rolled into one.

(I am Wiccan. Alexandrian BTW - British Traditional Wicca. Now Solitary).

 

 

Some Wicca classics:

 

Valiente - "Witchcraft for Tomorrow", "Natural Magic", "Charge of the Goddess"(Poetry)

Sally Morningstar - "The Wiccan Way"

Marian Green - "A Witch Alone"

Rae Beth - "Hedgewitch"

Janet Stewart Farrar - "A Witches Bible"

Kate West - "The Real Witches handbook"

Silver RavenWolf books on Wicca

Morrison - "The Craft. A Witches book of shadows"

 

I have read Valiant, Morningstar, Morrison, West, Farrar, taught by Green.

 

 

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Wicca = "Magick Without Peers" by Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankin.

Great for "progressive Wicca" a.k.a. eclectic Wicca.

 

Scot Cunningham's aforementioned book ("Wicca - a guide for the solitary practitioner"),

is an excellent one.

When I joined a practicing group - "Magick Without Peers" was what was recommended

and I would say it was like having an amalgamation of all the different books I had read beforehand - all rolled into one.

(I am Wiccan. Alexandrian BTW - British Traditional Wicca. Now Solitary).

 

 

Some Wicca classics:

 

Valiente - "Witchcraft for Tomorrow", "Natural Magic", "Charge of the Goddess"(Poetry)

Sally Morningstar - "The Wiccan Way"

Marian Green - "A Witch Alone"

Rae Beth - "Hedgewitch"

Janet Stewart Farrar - "A Witches Bible"

Kate West - "The Real Witches handbook"

Silver RavenWolf books on Wicca

Morrison - "The Craft. A Witches book of shadows"

 

I have read Valiant, Morningstar, Morrison, West, Farrar, taught by Green.

 

Thank you, Tanga. I appreciate your help very much.  <3 The Cunningham I got as an audiobook, for now. I will order the book by Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankin. Appears a little difficult to get, though. After I finish the one both you and Albadawn have kindly recommended, I'll read Magick without Peers. Then, on to the others you suggest.

 

I have wished to follow this path for years, but kept deviating from it. You know, life... . It's call is too loud, now, for me to ignore, so I've decided to dedicate myself to what is calling me.

 

I don't believe I have a hope of finding anyone who practices where I live, so the help you all give me, here, is precious. Thank you and many blessings. <3

 

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pacificwaters

Thank you, CharlotteK. :D It would be great to be able to attend either one of these.

 

I have had a strange attraction for Stonehenge ever since I knew about it as a child.

 

And attending this course has been on my bucketlist ever since I came to know about it. That this is held at Stonehenge makes the call even more louder. Fingers crossed, some day I will for sure!

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Thank you, CharlotteK. :D It would be great to be able to attend either one of these.

 

I have had a strange attraction for Stonehenge ever since I knew about it as a child.

 

And attending this course has been on my bucketlist ever since I came to know about it. That this is held at Stonehenge makes the call even more louder. Fingers crossed, some day I will for sure!

 

I would love to join you, Pacificwaters. I grew up in England and have always loved Stonehenge, too. So glad I was able to visit it, but would love to return. Maybe one day, if they continue with these courses, I might meet you there. :D

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pacificwaters

 

I have had a strange attraction for Stonehenge ever since I knew about it as a child.

 

And attending this course has been on my bucketlist ever since I came to know about it. That this is held at Stonehenge makes the call even more louder. Fingers crossed, some day I will for sure!

 

I would love to join you, Pacificwaters. I grew up in England and have always loved Stonehenge, too. So glad I was able to visit it, but would love to return. Maybe one day, if they continue with these courses, I might meet you there. :D

 

Haha..Well fingers crossed. I am sure it would be on the bucket list of many folks here. For the time being I am just collecting information about the various such courses that keep happening around the globe. And obviously creating a fund to do this atleast once in a lifetime. Such stuffs are unheard in my country!!

 

Veering away from the topic you started, but once when I remarked on a Rachel Pollack/Mary Greer FB post about my interest in her conferences if they were to be held anywhere in Asia, she reverted back saying she wouldnt mind conducting one such course if I could arrange it in my country.  In a city where the number of Tarot lovers (many treating it just like a side business) might not even be in double digits, this was but a far cry.

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I'm really interested in exploring Wicca, Shamanism and Druidry.

 

Would anyone be able to help me figure out where to start? Books, etc.?

 

Thank you.

 

Have you tried the eCauldron forum? https://ecauldron.com/forum/forum/

 

There's an amazing community there who are really helpful. There are a couple of boards for new members and members new to paganism and other spiritual beliefs.

 

Paganism for Beginners board: https://ecauldron.com/forum/paganism-for-beginners/

 

and this other board is for beginners, not sure if this is an area of focus for you, though - Magic & The Occult for Beginners board: https://ecauldron.com/forum/magic-and-the-occult-for-beginners/

 

I'm not there so much any more, but there was a time when the Celtic Polytheism and Druidy boards were of particular interest to me. :)

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I'm really interested in exploring Wicca, Shamanism and Druidry.

 

Would anyone be able to help me figure out where to start? Books, etc.?

 

Thank you.

 

Have you tried the eCauldron forum? https://ecauldron.com/forum/forum/

 

There's an amazing community there who are really helpful. There are a couple of boards for new members and members new to paganism and other spiritual beliefs.

 

Paganism for Beginners board: https://ecauldron.com/forum/paganism-for-beginners/

 

and this other board is for beginners, not sure if this is an area of focus for you, though - Magic & The Occult for Beginners board: https://ecauldron.com/forum/magic-and-the-occult-for-beginners/

 

I'm not there so much any more, but there was a time when the Celtic Polytheism and Druidy boards were of particular interest to me. :)

 

Shamanism, the Celtic lore and Paganism interest me. Everything that is nature, green and light.

 

Thank you, Starlight.  <3 I will definitely head on over there and look around.

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thanks for starting the discussion Shivani, as a beginner Wiccan I am always interested in resources

 

thanks for all the suggestions that I have also inspired me, especially Tanga and Starlight  <3

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Page of Ghosts

I don't think it's out yet but I'm really looking forward to Traditional Wicca: A Seekers Guide by Thorn Mooney. I've really enjoyed her blog and youtube channel over the years so I'll probably be picking it up even if I'm not Wiccan nor do I have the desire to become one. Some Wiccan books are still really interesting to me  ;) I think she set out to write in since traditional Wicca (the one where you have to be initiated to learn a bunch of secret stuff, (Thorn is Gardnerian but there are other branches like Alexandrian etc) not the eclectic or neo-wiccan stuff) has all the classics from 20+ years back or so and she thought it was about time to update the selection a bit with something modern.

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I don't think it's out yet but I'm really looking forward to Traditional Wicca: A Seekers Guide by Thorn Mooney. I've really enjoyed her blog and youtube channel over the years so I'll probably be picking it up even if I'm not Wiccan nor do I have the desire to become one. Some Wiccan books are still really interesting to me  ;) I think she set out to write in since traditional Wicca...

 

Interesting that she wanted to go in a more traditional way in this book. :)

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Page of Ghosts

I don't think it's out yet but I'm really looking forward to Traditional Wicca: A Seekers Guide by Thorn Mooney. I've really enjoyed her blog and youtube channel over the years so I'll probably be picking it up even if I'm not Wiccan nor do I have the desire to become one. Some Wiccan books are still really interesting to me  ;) I think she set out to write in since traditional Wicca...

 

Interesting that she wanted to go in a more traditional way in this book. :)

 

Yeah, I think it's really cool! Traditional Wicca often gets pegged as this and that, and some (or a lot, depends who you ask!) of that criticism is valid, but I do think there is more to it even if it isn't for me. I found you a blog post she wrote over on Patheos with some advice for beginners if you're interested: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/oathbound/2016/12/advice-absolute-beginner-wiccan/

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Hello Shivani

 

Start with what YOU believe.  Write it down, change it, draw it like a story; anything which brings your mind to an understanding of where you are now.  From those foundations you can start to research and find what fits.  Not so much a 'cherry picking' of ideas but instead a recognition of what makes sense.  Ancestors are important to honour, talk to etc, there is so much and books will only give surface information.  The deepening of any practice is just that, practice and yours may not fit into any of the already established boxes.  :)

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Hello Shivani

 

Start with what YOU believe.  Write it down, change it, draw it like a story; anything which brings your mind to an understanding of where you are now.  From those foundations you can start to research and find what fits.  Not so much a 'cherry picking' of ideas but instead a recognition of what makes sense.  Ancestors are important to honour, talk to etc, there is so much and books will only give surface information.  The deepening of any practice is just that, practice and yours may not fit into any of the already established boxes.  :)

 

Welcome, Millie.  <3

 

Your advice really touches me. Thank you so much. [emoji4]

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I'm really interested in exploring Wicca, Shamanism and Druidry.

 

Would anyone be able to help me figure out where to start? Books, etc.?

 

Thank you.

 

I like the books from Scott Cunningham and Christopher Penczak but also Starhawk. As for shamanism I am not so sure. Shamanism is something you are born with and I don't believe you can study it to become one. Druidry, I really like Penny Billngton.

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AJ-ish/Sharyn

Whisper, where do you find yourself on your journey after a year? Have you found some clarity or more confusion?

 

My conclusion over many years is paganism with names has as many rules and caveats and overbearing leaders as any mainstream religion..

 

I always end up back in a nature setting knowing that is the only thing that counts.

 

 

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Re Ravenwolf - I did come across this review: (link deleted).

 

There's been such an explosion of content on the internet, and like many fields, a lot of it isn't all that authoritative. Everyone is trying to monetize their blogs. It's a bit bewildering. I used to be on a small 'bog heathen' sort of forum populated by a few grumpy Scots, who had some long years of deep practice between them, but I can't find it again. 

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18 hours ago, archimedea said:

Re Ravenwolf - I did come across this review: *redacted*

While Ravenwolf's work is lightweight and often kind of silly, it's no worse than lots other books in the same genre. Silver was the victim of an organized smear campaign. I'm not sure who started it or why, I just stared seeing bad press everywhere starting in the late 90's.

I've asked people how using a coffee can partially filled with dried beans to drive off evil spirits is any sillier than a "Bacchus ritual" that involves visualizing Jim Morrison as Bacchus, playing Doors music, and dancing around the room. (I've actually seen this suggested in a book - Deb Lipp, IIRC, but I may be mistaken.) Since there really isn't a good answer to that, they always change the subject to "Ravenwolf tells kids to lie to their parents." Well, yeah...if you're a fourteen year old pagan and you don't want to be Christianized with the buckle end of a belt by your fundie parents, it's prudent to lie, and vital to get away with it.

In the end, no subject is exempt from Sturgeon's Law.
Some of the best books I've seen on the subject are Doreen Valiente's, but sadly, they're hard to find these days.

Quote

 

There's been such an explosion of content on the internet, and like many fields, a lot of it isn't all that authoritative. Everyone is trying to monetize their blogs. It's a bit bewildering. I used to be on a small 'bog heathen' sort of forum populated by a few grumpy Scots, who had some long years of deep practice between them, but I can't find it again. 

This world needs more grumpy Scots. 🤣

Edited by katrinka
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