Resources



There is a common joke among Pagans that if you get 10 Pagans together in a room, you'll have at least 11 different viewpoints on what Paganism is. It can be very difficult to know where to begin when you are just beginning to do research on Paganism. It can be hard, especially on the internet to find reliable information. Even in bookstores it can be hard to seperate the nonsense from the useful. However, despite all the difference in opinion that exists among Pagans, there are some generally accepted texts and well known authors. I've tried here to compile a list of reliable resources for the beginner.


The Biggies

These two books are the main texts read by serious practioners of Neo-Paganism today. They are now in anniversary editions, both were key to the movement when it first began in the 60ies and 70ies. Basically 'required reading,' for anyone interested in starting down a Pagan path.


Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler


The Spiral Dance by Starhawk


Starhawk and Adler are both columists on Beliefnet.org, their columns are also good places to go for reliable information and intelligent insights:

Margot Adler's Column
Starhawk's Column

Another well known author is Scott Cunnigham who has published many books on Wicca and Paganism. One that I enjoyed was "Earth, Air, Fire, Water." Something you are going to run into a lot when you research Paganism is the difficulty of finding generic texts. Many, many texts (including most of Cunningham's) are specific to Wicca, which is a particular sect of Paganism. It can be difficult to find texts that are more general. The best thing of course, is to realize that most texts will have a certain bent one way or the other and keep an open mind. Take everything you read with a grain of salt and decide what parts of what traditions you feel comfortable with and you'll be off to a good start. If you are looking for a great general overview of what Paganism is, check out the BBC's website:

BBC-Religion & Ethics - Paganism

The BBC does a wonderful job of giving an "encyclopedia-style" analysis of the Pagan movement.

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