(Part 3) Top products from r/Wicca

i love the rain. i love water in all forms.

i just thought i'd put this book title here. i haven't read it yet - the wait list at the library is long. and maybe i won't because why read in scientific terms what you already know with your heart and soul but anyway ....

Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do

>Why are we drawn to the ocean each summer? Why does being near water set our minds and bodies at ease? In BLUE MIND, Wallace J. Nichols revolutionizes how we think about these questions, revealing the remarkable truth about the benefits of being in, on, under, or simply near water. Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling personal stories from top athletes, leading scientists, military veterans, and gifted artists, he shows how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success.

Read read read. When I started my journey four years ago, I started finding books on witchy topics that resonated with me: cat magic, herb magic, native American deities, Egyptology, Elder Futhark runes, general books on Wicca and witchcraft, etc. I also hit the Internet to learn more about the goddess aspect, Hindu gods, chakras, and spirit guides. I added each bit of knowledge that jumped out at me to a notebook that evolved into my first book of shadows. I made connections between ideas and formed a path that resonates well with me, but I’m constantly changing, just like nature.

Two books I would suggest off hand are The Goddess is in the Details and Everyday Witchcraft, both by Deborah Blake.

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=the+goddess+is+in+the+details&sprefix=the+goddess+i&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_13

The very first book that set me on my path, however, was a good staple on any witch’s shelf, Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. I’ve heard mixed reviews on Cunningham from various witches, but the truth to me is that he’s just a little more traditional, and most of the rituals in his book on Magical Herbalism don’t have to be taken so literally.

https://smile.amazon.com/Cunninghams-Encyclopedia-Magical-Llewellyns-Sourcebook/dp/0875421229/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=encyclopedia+of+magical+herbs&qid=1558376960&s=gateway&sr=8-1

https://smile.amazon.com/Magical-Herbalism-Secret-Llewellyns-Practical/dp/0875421202/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=Cunningham+herbal+magic&qid=1558377220&s=gateway&sr=8-2

As far as Tarot goes, the best advice I ever got from another practitioner is to throw away the rule book. Divining tools are meant to distract the left brain so that the right brain and third eye can open to the universal consciousness. Don’t always just read by the textbook definition of a card, but also by what you “see” and feel, and by its placement in the pattern. Some people (like me) are only able to read well for others, so if you’re not feeling it reading for yourself, practice on willing friends and strangers. Maybe avoid family right now. That can open some dark doors.

I went on way too long, but I’ve done so much research and continue to learn. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have if you want to message me. Merrily met and Blessed be.

When I started I was closeted too, but I didn't even have the courage to post anything so you're awesome!

I used this book alot when I got started. Its smaller so easier to hide, and I really liked how it taught me things that were inconspicuous.

https://www.amazon.com/Wiccapedia-Modern-Day-White-Witchs-Guide/dp/1454913746/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=wiccapedia&qid=1566538597&s=gateway&sr=8-1

If you can manage a bigger book this one is amazing!!! It walks you through exercises and educates about holidays and traditions. It gave me alot to go off of when creating my own spells.

https://www.amazon.com/Wicca-Year-Spiritual-Practice-Craft/dp/0738706213

Don't be afraid to trust your instincts and forge your own path. Blessed be!

I don't use this, but I know friends who do, it comes HIGHLY recommended
http://learningherbs.com/ I DO have the Wildcraft game, and it is quite fun!
I also have a friend who does soap making, and myself and others make our own bath products
https://www.brambleberry.com/ (soap making supplies)
http://crunchybetty.com/ (DIY cosmetic stuffs from food)
https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ (Herbs, and teas and all in between)

ALL of these have some recipes, and other content associated with them, but you will have to do a little digging. And yes, they want you to buy their stuff, but you have to from somewhere right?
Hope that helps and is what you are looking for.

ETA: https://www.amazon.com/Enchantments-Spells-Bath-Beauty-Enhancement/dp/0738701688/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473051633&sr=8-1&keywords=Enchantments+Edain+Mccoy Author isn't a fave for some, but this book is just recipes and goodies for the bath and stuff.

Usually, for every magickal endeavor you want to make incense for, there is a household correspondence that you can use to make it. We wouldn't be Witches if we weren't crafty, right?

Some texts that will help you find correspondences (If you can't buy them yourself, you can always browse them at a bookstore and take notes. Places like Barnes and Nobles carries these kinds of books. They are worth buying secretly and sneaking home, imho.) :

• Cunningham's Magickal Herbs
  
  
• Cunningham's Incense, Oils, and Brews
  
  
• Cunningham's Magical Herbalism: The Secret Craft of the Wise
  
  and while you're at it, for extra sneakyness:
  
  
• Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen
  
  There are other books out there about herbalism, but Cunningham's books are simple and effective primers to get you started down the road towards Herbalism. Just remember, there is WAY more advanced stuff out there, and if you care to learn it, you can.
  
  For more immediate help regarding making incense, A video about Herbalism from Cunningham: [Herb Magick] (http://youtu.be/Mn6B2m1pLoE). The video may not have an extensive correspondence list, but it'll get you down the road.
  
  PLEASE DON'T POISON YOURSELF.

I've tried various decks for various things. The one I like to work with most is The New Mythic Tarot. I love Greek mythology, and so this deck is easier for me to relate to meanings and just connect with.

The one I use to decorate my altar with is Tarot: Complete Set it's very 'gifty' and you can find it in most bookstores as a somewhat gimmick gift. When I first started out though, this is what I had. The cards are weirdly shaped compared to most decks. However, the one thing I like is that this deck distinguishes each suit with colors. For me, the colors used corresponded to the elements, which allowed me a travel altar... or a discreet altar overall. :D

However I also recommend anything John Matthews related. There are various decks and oracles, in which the imagery is just stunning. The one downside is I don't want the cards to wear... so I rarely use them. If anything, I want to frame them and put them on a wall... which is no good either! But, I find they're great for a blending of paths.

The Goodly Spellbook is a good one because it talks about magical theory, not just the spells. I have Judika Iiles' Encyclopedia of Spells, though I don't use it often, it's a good starting point.

I just recently purchased a correspondence book. It's pretty interesting, though I haven't had much need of it just yet. Something like this might help you write your own spells. IME those work much better.

We have (and we're a coven of two, just figuring this stuff out as we go):

• Declarations (basically like an ethos of what we want to achieve, along with the Rede)
  
• Programme of Study
  
• Gardening calendar
  
• Sabbats - including information about Wheel of the Year (and God and Goddess mythos throughout the year), and each Sabbat invidivually - Sabbat pages have spells, traditions, recipes, correspondences, etc.
  
• Esbats - including a description of each moon (from the Celtic tree lunar calendar), containing the same things mentioned for Sabbats,
  
• Spellwork & Rituals
  
  Then we add information about the subjects listed in the Programme of Study (a list of things to study in the future), by either adding information onto existing chapters, or making a new chapter or sub-chapter. So for example, we might add a chapter on Tarot, and add Tarot spreads specific to certain Sabbats pages in the Sabbats chapter. Here's the list of things we wanted to/want to study:
  
  
• Circle casting
  
  
• Traditional rituals, including drawing down the moon
  
  
• Meditations and meditation techniques
  
  
• Channelling - psychic abilities
  
  
• Building intutiton
  
  
• Entering trances
  
  
• Chanting, dance, music
  
  
• Sabbats
  
  
• Esbats / different cultures’ interpretations of moon phases
  
  
• Astronomy
  
  
• Sigils
  
  
• Crystals
  
  
• Herbs
  
  
• Essential oils
  
  
• Divination, e.g., scrying, Tarot, runes
  
  
• Spirit animals / spirit guides
  
  
• History of pagan religions in the UK
  
  
• Lancashire traditional craft
  
  
• History of Wicca
  
  
• “The Little People” / faeries / faerie magick
  
  
• Egyptian mythology
  
  
• Greek mythology
  
  
• Celtic mythology
  
  
• Norse mythology
  
  
• Japanese mythology
  
  
• Native American mythology
  
  
• Hindu gods
  
  
• Reiki
  
  
• Yoga
  
  
• Shamanism
  
  
• Chakras
  
  
• Qabala
  
  
• Sacred geometry
  
  
• Theories about the universe: how it was formed, what it consists of, how it works, how it might end
  
  
• Jungian archetypes
  
  I'd also suggest having a copy of Complete Book of Correspondences on hand as you build it.
  

I love your dreams. They both seem very feminine to me. I think you might find a more general pagan approach helpful. The symbolism carries on through out all beliefs in slightly different ways but similar core understanding. There's a book I find really helpful, it might be a bit much for a novice but then again it might be helpful too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0738732532/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527082760&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=correspondences&dpPl=1&dpID=51-FRJV-cGL&ref=plSrch

crystals that have strands of arsenic or antimony, lead or mercury or even cobalt as part of their chemical makeup are bad to disolve in water if your going to drink them. Here's a rough guide, although I apologise for the website, they really need to sort it out becouse it is a bit in your face!

salt crystals stones will just disolve if your not careful. We have a couple of salt crystal tea light holders which are great for ionising the air but get the slightest bit of moisture near them and you have salt run off all over!

If you can get it Crystal power, crystal healing is very good as it combines the geology and scientific aspects. It is however very very expensive. For a starter guide collins gem or DK do a good one.

For a good overview of our Religion, I recommend:

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Wicca-Witchcraft/dp/0028639456

As silly as it may sound it really is a very good book. It gives you the basics in a easy to understand manner.

I am a huge fan of this book: http://www.amazon.com/Witchs-Magical-Handbook-Gavin-Frost/dp/0735202001/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324576372&sr=1-3

Instead of telling you what to do, it explains how it works. It talks about how our memories and energies are triggered by objects used in magic which stir our 5 senses. For example, using a pine log to remind us of camping as a child in order to feel safe and pure because it smells, looks, feels, sounds and tastes like we remember.

Doing Wiccan rituals as a non-Wiccan could be done, but there would be little chance of successful magic. The magic is in the witch, not in the spell. But do not give up. There is a really good book for just your situation. Its written for non-Wiccans and people of other religions.

The Magick of Chant-O-Matics: Change Your Life Through Chanting by Raymond Buckland

Bufinch's Mythology
http://www.amazon.com/Bulfinchs-Mythology-Modern-Library-Classics/dp/0375751475

The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures
http://www.amazon.com/The-Element-Encyclopedia-Magical-Creatures/dp/140273543X

Mythology.wikia
http://mythology.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Mythical_creatures

A Complete Guide to Faeries & Magical Beings
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Faeries-Magical-Beings/dp

Good luck, be safe. Don't say thank you.

I recommend Barbara Walker's book. Old but good.

There is a book about this actually if you want to be sure you're doing it right. It's called Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self by Sandra Ingerman. I highly recommend this book as a resource.

I love this book. I consult it all the time.

http://www.amazon.com/Llewellyns-Complete-Book-Correspondences-Cross-Referenced-ebook/dp/B00AWQ2NUC/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1382052895&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=llewellyn+complete+magical+correspond

There is a book about a Christian Wiccan.. Let me see if I can find it...

The Path of a Christian Witch This was the book I recalled. This may help.

If you're looking for a simple step by step guide to get you started in a non-overwhelming way, I recommend Wicca: A Year and a Day by Timothy Roderick It's the book I refer all my Wicca 101 students to, and is required reading in my coven. Its a year long workbook, that divides the basic knowledge Wiccans use out along a full 366 day time frame.

I think a primary issue is not that they don't exist but are often subject to socio-political debate and even ridicule due to male dominance in society. There was a well known (and highly satirized, certainly in the US) mythopoetic movement that was popular throughout the 1980s and 90s,

"The movement avoided political and social advocacy in favor of therapeutic workshops and wilderness retreats, often appropriating Native American rituals such as drumming, chanting, and sweat lodges, in which the mostly middle-class, middle-aged male participants sought to connect spiritually with a lost, 'deep' masculine essence." -wikipedia

The most noted elements being the poet Robert Bly and the influence of his [in]famous "Iron John: A Book About Men", and for its various New Agey spiritual retreats which were often simultaneouslyseriously written about and parodied in pop culture.

According to recent articles (2016, 2017), the movement is experiencing a resurgence, complete with detractors:

The Trouble with Gender in the Mythopoetic Men’s Movement.

Why The ‘New Masculine’ Movement Is Just As Toxic As The Old One by Erin Innes


Related reading:

• New York Magazine: How Poet Robert Bly Unleashed ‘Iron John’ and Started the Drum-Thumping Men’s Movement of the ’90s
  
  
• "Male Spirituality": A Feminist Evaluation by Elizabeth T. Knuth
  
  
• Unlocking the Iron Cage: The Men's Movement, Gender Politics, and American Culture by Michael Schwalbe
  
  

The book I recommend is The Path of a Christian Witch.

https://www.amazon.com/Path-Christian-Witch-Adelina-Clair/dp/073871982X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Lol I took the picture from a bad angle. That is my dragon back flow burner.

https://www.amazon.com/MyGift-Purple-BackFlow-Dragon-Incense/dp/B07TSFPJZZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=asian+dragon+backflow+burner&qid=1569961678&s=gateway&sr=8-2