Pagan Living

Pauline Campanelli (illustrated by Dan Campanelli), Ancient Ways: Reclaiming Pagan Traditions.

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Provides practical ideas--handcrafts, charms, spells, and rituals--for bringing spirituality into your life, organized by Pagan holiday.
Commentary:	Very similar to the author's earlier Wheel of the Year, this book is organized by holiday. Though the information is different, the strengths and weaknesses of the book the same, so I'll just say if you like one of these two books you'll certainly like the other!
	Recommended

Pauline Campanelli (illustrated by Dan Campanelli), Wheel of the Year: Living the Magical Life.

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Provides practical ideas--handcrafts, charms, spells, and rituals--for bringing spirituality into your life, organized by month.
Commentary:	Reading through Wheel of the Year (as is the case with all the Campanellis' books) gives one a sense of an idyllic Pagan existence. While for most of us this ideal is far from reality, it's still a wonderful sourcebook of ideas for doing hands-on spiritual work--everything from December's Yule log through March's pysanky eggs through September's harvest rites, all liberally illustrated with drawings and photographs. Brief directions for many crafts are given, something I have found most useful. My only complaint is that it is so hard to find anything in here (and to remember which activities are featured here and which in their Ancient Ways.
	Recommended

Pauline Campanelli (illustrated by Dan Campanelli), Rites of Passage: The Pagan Wheel of Life.

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Provides rituals, spells, and other activities for pregnancy, birth, and naming; for coming of age; for initiation and priesthood; for handfasting; for midlife issues; and for becoming an elder.
Commentary:	Similar in tone and type of information to her other books, this book presents ideas for celebrating the different times of our lives. It's a great source of ideas and a fun read, and will make you think about all the different transitions we go through in our lives, particularly while reading the section on Midlife, a time I know I never would have thought of marking in any way. As with all her books, I would have appreciated an index, but it's less of an issue here than in her year-oriented books.
	Recommended

Edain McCoy, The Sabbats: A New Approach to Living the Old Ways

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Discusses the history and practice of seasonal celebrations (including a chart showing which of the eight modern holidays were celebrated in some way by a variety of cultures); provides for each Sabbat an extensive discussion of customs and lore, recipes and activities, and Sabbat rituals for groups and solitaries.
Commentary:	A useful book, complete with enough information to celebrate any holiday either with a formal ritual or with an informal gathering of friends. It isn't really a beginner book--although it provides some information on Wicca, this isn't its emphasis and you probably couldn't build a ritual using it as your sole resource; however, any Pagan or Wiccan with even a little experience will get a lot of use out of this book. The rituals are quite nice--the group rites would be usable by either a traditional coven or an eclectic circle--and the recipes seem to be quite good (the ones I have tried, at least :)). This is the book I refer to first when planning a Sabbat, and that's because of the balance between folk custom and ritual form it provides.
	Strongly recommended

Patricia Telesco, The Urban Pagan: Magical Living in a 9-to-5 World

Most useful for:	Intermediate students
Content:	Includes information on promoting a Pagan world-view within oneself, including meditations, communication exercises, techniques for relating to the mundane world, and creating a Pagan "feel" in your home;; discusses herbalism, ecology, and how to acquire tools without spending a lot of money; provides a list of symbols and correspondences that may be more appropriate to life in the modern world; suggests simple ways to bring Pagan spirituality into your daily life.
Commentary:	The title of this book is slightly misleading, as I find that most of the information is applicable to anyone living in the modern world, not only city-dwellers. But it's certainly true that many Pagan rituals, spells and so forth seem intended for an earlier time, and adapting them for a more modern, less rural existence is certainly useful. And particularly useful is the way the author illustrates that this often takes very little additional time and effort. A good idea-book.

Patricia Telesco, A Victorian Grimoire: Enchantment, Romance, Magic.

Most useful for:	Beginning and intermediate students
Content:	Too much to describe in great detail: some brief mention is made of Wiccan practices and the Wheel of the Year, but the overwhelming majority of the book is filled with handcrafts, traditions, and spells directed at making the home a beautiful and pleasant place; includes information on gardening, herbs, divination, and family.
Commentary:	An enjoyable read, A Victorian Grimoire has more different folk magic practices than just about any book I've read. I do find it difficult to find things in it sometimes, although that may be because I tend to get lost and start reading about something other than what I went in looking for. I know that the Victorian age has been romanticized in recent years, and I have to admit it is not a period of history I am particularly fond of, but the overall theme of the book--bringing a little beauty, romance, and magic into your home--transcends that image, and I like the book anyway! :)
	Recommended