These are some of my favorite books, podcasts, and blogs that can help you develop your spiritual practice even if you have zero previous knowledge. All of these resources are approachable enough for total beginners, but I also recommend them for more advanced practitioners who want to brush up on the basics. Some books are listed in multiple categories because they cover multiple topics.
This list will be updated continuously as I find new resources that I want to recommend.
Secular Witchcraft (witchcraft that is not part of an established religious or spiritual tradition)
- Witchcraft for Everyone by Sam Wise
- A Witch’s Guide to Spellcraft by Althaea Sebastiani
- “Witchcraft for Skeptics | Science and Theory Behind Magick” by Jessi Huntenburg on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42z8VOBtDGE)
- A Green Witch’s Cupboard by Deborah J. Martin
- By Rust of Nail & Prick of Thorn by Althaea Sebastiani (this book is about protection magic specifically)
Witchcraft Traditions (witchcraft that is part of an established religion or spiritual path)
- Wicca For Beginners by Thea Sabin
- Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
- Reclaiming Witchcraft by Irisanya Moon
- The Spiral Dance by Starhawk (written by a founder of Reclaiming, but also contains elements of Wicca and Feri)
- Betwixt & Between by Storm Faerywolf (about the Feri tradition)
Witchcraft in History and Culture
- Waking the Witch by Pam Grossman
- Witches, Sluts, Feminists by Kristen J. Sollee
- Witches, Midwives, and Nurses by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deidre English
Paganism
- Wicca For Beginners by Thea Sabin
- Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham
- The Spiral Dance by Starhawk (written by a founder of Reclaiming, but also contains elements of Wicca and Feri)
- Irish Paganism: Reconstructing Irish Polytheism by Morgan Daimler
- Morgan Daimler’s YouTube channel (Irish paganism and Fairy lore)
- Lora O’Brien’s YouTube channel (Irish paganism)
- The Irish Pagan School
- Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler, Ph.D. (Kemetic paganism)
- The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith (Norse Heathenry)
- On Black Wings: A Site for Fire & Ice Heathen spirituality and practice: https://www.onblackwings.com/
- Skald’s Keep: https://skaldskeep.com/ (Norse Heathenry)
- North of Annwyn: https://northofannwn.wixsite.com/home (author is Heathen but posts about magic and paganism more generally; author is currently on hiatus)
American Folk Magic
- New World Witchery podcast
- Southern Cunning by Aaron Oberon (Southern folkloric witchcraft)
- Roots, Branches & Spirits by H. Byron Ballard (Appalachian folk magic)
- Sticks, Stones, Roots, and Bones by Stephanie Rose Bird (Hoodoo, African-American magic)
- Jambalaya by Luisah Teish (New Orleans Voodoo and African-American women’s spirituality)
Divination
- Kitchen Table Tarot by Melissa Cynova
- Astrology for Real Life by Theresa Reed
- Fifty-four Devils: The Art & Folklore of Fortune-telling with Playing Cards by Cory Thomas Hutcheson
Religion, Spirituality, and Politics
- “Rethinking How Paganism Engages Culture” by Sam Wise (blog post: https://www.samwisethewitch.com/post/rethinking-how-paganism-engages-culture)
- Bringing Race to the Table edited by Crystal Blanton, Taylor Ellwood, and Brandy Williams
- “Witchcraft PSA: The Chakras & Cultural Appropriation” by Anthony the Witch on Tumblr (https://anthonythewitch.tumblr.com/post/187293358858/witchcraft-psa-the-chakras-cultural)
- Bright-sided by Barbara Ehrenreich (deals with toxic positivity)
- McMindfulness by Ronald Purser (this one is a little bit dense but has a very important message about how American mindfulness culture misappropriates Buddhist practices)
Sam Wise 