> Is this really offensive? If it is, please explain it to me. It's not enough to tell me it is, I've got to know why.

For some it will be, for others not so much.

If you asked me if you could approach paganism, but dropping the "supernatural" stuff from it, I'd say "Hell yeah!" because I do just that. I don't really have much use for divination or crystals or anything like that, so I just don't use them in my practice. I can see why some would use it and I understand how some use them practically, but I just don't feel the need for it.

For me, Paganism is really about the Natural world. The Earth is my Mother (My goddess, if you might like to say so), and the Sun is my Father (My god, if you will). I know a lot of other pagans do this do, but not all. Some pagans use pantheons for deity, but deity is not a necessity in paganism.

I still like ritual, though I don't do much pagan ritual in my personal practice, because the symbols used in it represent natural forces and things going on in the world. A "supernatural non-believer" could find use and spiritual meaning in ritual (as well as gods and crystals and magic), because to me (and surely others out there) they're just symbols, but symbols have a lot of personal power. They can help you change your mindset, help you understand things better.

Some will find calling things "supernatural" offensive, because some pagans do believe "supernatural" things exist, and don't view them as "supernatural." This is perfectly okay, to me, it's just not my way of approaching things.

TL;DR It will vary from person to person, and can be a sensitive topic for some. Not for all, though.

As for books without too much of a supernatural inclination about Paganism, I'd try out Ronald Hutton. His Triumph of the Moon is more about the history and roots of paganism, but he's very detailed and descriptive, as well as academic.

Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon is of the same vein as Triumph of the Moon. Both are pretty heavy and tome-like, but are filled with invaluable information.

If you're looking into Wicca theology, I found Bryan Lankford's Wicca Demystified to be a great in depth explanation, especially for an "outsider." A lot of the "beginners" books on Wicca you'll find are heavy on ritual and magic, and seeing how you don't have much fondness for it, I think Lankford's book might be better suited for you.

And I haven't read it, but Dana Eiler's Practical Pagan might be of interest to you. It seems to have the less "magicy-supernatural" and more of a mundane, practical approach to paganism. Not sure about it, though. You might find some good info in the amazon's review section of the book.

I feel like there's another book or two that I've read that taps into what you're looking for, but I just can't think of it. There are some cool anthologies full of essays of paganism in the real world, which I find are invaluable for their information, and not so heavy on the "supernatural side," like Pagan Visions for a Sustainable Future and Celebrating the Pagan Soul.

PS

>I'm use to kinda being primed to attack fundamentalism in Christianity and I've got little good to say about Islam at all.

I wouldn't be so dismissive of Christianity and Islam in general. Interfaith can be a very important. You don't have to agree with what they believe, but personally I know a few Muslims who are very kind and generous, and if they give credit to their religion for their kindness and generosity, I wouldn't say there's nothing good to say about Islam. But that's neither here nor there.

There's a sub called holysummoners on the sidebar that you might like to be aware of. It has links in its sidebar to some specifically christian occult subs you should explore as well. Probably they can give you leads. Meditations on Tarot


I'm just going to spitball here. I would say that the important thing for you to explore if you want to explore this is looking beyond language. What are the words in your specific tradition pointing at. Probably not the same things that another tradition is even if it uses the same words.


God's universe is closer to an act of Magic than anything else and by emulating that act of creation we can come to know and love God more. (I typically wouldn't use that language )


The way I see it, Jesus was a magician. Soloman is explicitly a magician. As is Moses.


Popular Christianity as practiced today looks very little like historical christianity in many many ways.



The bible has many levels within it. The exoteric which is taking the book either literally or as stories to strive to live by. Then underneath the surface there are several esoteric, hidden, or occult(means hidden) levels. The bible is about You. Just You. It's also about everyone else but I mean read it as an allegory for your life and development as a soul. It is a retelling of the ancient star myths which also point at the microcosmic story of You. In the old testament the entire text is numerological(not sure about the new testament). It teaches magic. It shows the evolution of a particular lineage of human consciousness. It reveals the code behind creation and the Thoughts of God. Many more levels besides that. It trains you to see the many levels operating in every moment of your experience.


There are demon armies all over. Have been for a while. They just don't look how you imagine they look and demons aren't what you think they are. Neither are angels. No one posts pictures of them doing magic because that would be no proof. Magic directly effects the non-physical. The change that occurs in the physical is typically a string of the oddest coincidences. I'm afraid the barrier between our realities might be too great for me to communicate here. Have you considered that you know nothing? Not saying that your belief in the Bible is wrong, just putting out the possibility that you might be only seeing .0001% of reality and basing your assumptions on that tiny sliver.


In my experience, God wants us to become more and more conscious so that we can give service and aid in creation. And to generally enjoy creation. which is more and more possible the more conscious you are.



Do you think there has ever been a moment when you have been seperate from God?



David Mathisen has a book called the Undying Stars that is an interesting esoteric take on the bible. There's plenty of youtube videos he's made and a recent interview on The higherside Chats podcast that you might be interested in.



Witchcraft isn't inherently evil. It was competition so it was demonized by The Church. Do you mean why do people do so-called "low magic"? If the nature of the universe allows for magic, then making use of magic is just another way of getting things done. Most biblical characters do magic.


You have seen magic I'm sure. If you're looking for Harry Potter you're going to miss it. People all around you are doing it unconsciously if they aren't doing it consciously. This includes you. So it isn't possible to be a Christian and not do magic. It's not possible to be a human and not do magic. Sure you can never do it consciously but by existing you are operating on that plane to some degree.


The easiest magic to point at over the internet is advertising. Some dark black magic there.


Magic is probably both more and less than you think it is. It will boggle your mind if you ever actually see it.


I hear [https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618](this book) is a key esoteric christian text.


There is a world more subtle than the physical that you can learn to see. It effects you whether or not you're aware of it. That's why watching a video of someone summoning wouldn't work. They aren't conjuring up a physical manifestation, though they and others might "see" it if they can.


Would you believe Heaven and Hell are within you?



God is the Source. The First Shaman, the Ancient Wizard, The Primal Magician. The Sorcerer. The Source-rer.


I really enjoy the book The Sacred and the Profane by Mircae Eliade atm.



God Bless you.

Wow haha! I didn't expect seeing a post like this on r/atheism. Like you, Joan of Arc has always been one of my heroes. She was an incredible woman - virtuous and intelligent. Of course, as a Catholic, I believe she was the real deal but anyway...from one Joan of Arc fan to another, I suggest reading Mark Twain's Joan of Arc (yes, Mark Twain) and Regine Pernoud's Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses (which also includes transcripts from her trial). These books are widely regarded to be the best books on Joan. They are both very well-written and researched; the authors even travelled to France to look into the archives and study the actual documents we have about her. Another book by Pernoud, The Retrial of Joan of Arc: The Evidence for her Vindication also covers her retrial. Also, if you do end up using that medal, I suggest getting it blessed even if you're a non-believer. If Catholicism is true, then you'll be under her care and who wouldn't want that? You have nothing to lose.

EDIT: Your friend should have given you a book instead. It's an obvious choice and makes much more sense!

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
http://www.amazon.com/Siddhartha-Hermann-Hesse/dp/081120068X/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377155668&sr=1-8&keywords=Siddhartha

Fictional life story of Siddhartha, a contemporary of Guatama Buddha. This is a story of a man seeking spiritual truth through sensual and worldly experience, ultimately achieving similar spiritual heights to the Buddha, yet by a path that many of us might find much more familiar and relatable than a life of renunciation. Beautifully written, poetic, mystical and almost fairy-tale-like in tone. Some of Herman Hesse's finest work.


Be Here Now by Ram Dass
http://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377155603&sr=1-1&keywords=be+here+now

Autobiographical, blissed-out, art-infused, eloquent and insightful rant about a journey that begins with the Harvard psychology department's early LSD research and culminates in a journey through the Himalayas leading to deep transformation with the help of a wandering mystic and an epic guru. Ram Dass beautifully weds the best parts of hippy and psychedelic culture with the ancient truths of hinduism, vedanta and yoga. The annotated reading list at the back is a treasure trove of eastern awesomeness.


The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels/dp/1590308352

Honestly the best introduction/summary I've read of several schools of Eastern Thought. The book is intended to show parallels between ancient spiritual truths and scientific principles discovered in quantum physics. Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Zen (and I think a couple more) get meaty, well written and well researched treatments by Capra, and curious minds benefit from having all this info in one spot. Capra gives in-depth focus to each tradition and highlights the similarities and differences of each path. Awesome graphics too. Highly recommend to any western mind wanting to encounter eastern thought.

Namaste!

edit: grammar

I was racking my brain for good suggestions for secondary sources (having studied the period for four years, I should have some, right?) when it dawned on me that... I don't have (m)any, because we read primary texts in most of my courses. That being the case, I would most heartily recommend:

• The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer: Smart and funny stories that will make you think and can be read little by little. Along with that is Boccaccio's Decameron: similar in many respects, but I didn't like it as much! Also, um... I've never read all of Dante's Divine Comedy but that's obviously a classic.
  
• The Lais of Marie de France: These will give you a good idea of 'chivalry' in the High Middle Ages; there are 12 lais total, if I recall correctly, all relatively short. See also: Chrétien de Troyes' Arthurian romances; I'd recommend getting a verse translation.
  
• The letters of Abelard and Heloise: This is one of those rare circumstances in which you can really see the voice of a medieval woman. I find their romance rather heartbreaking and fantastic. The letters & writings themselves can sometimes get bogged down in theology and philosophy, but underlying that are two very real, desperate people who had some real nasty shit go down.
  
• Thomas Aquinas: Baller philosopher shutting bitches down with reason. I can see how this might not be your cup of tea, but if you're interested in theology or political philosophy, check him out.
  
• The Book of Margery Kempe: She is hilarious. Eccentric, late medieval English saint.
  
• Plus, if you're interested, there are tons of hagiographies and chronicles to be read, but I find most of those rather dull.
  
  As for modern nonfiction books, I've found it most helpful to find something specific that you want to learn about and look into that. Read about politics in late medieval England, or a biography of Louis IX, or a survey of monastic life--that will get you further than reading a broad history that is necessarily reductionist. If you're truly starting from scratch, I'm sure others can recommend good background books to help you get off your feet, but I find primary sources are the best way to really grasp the 'feel' of a time period.

Alright, hold onto your seat, there are quite a few haha

Some ecology books, good for your approach to nature itself

• Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth
  
  
• Original Wisdom: Stories of an Ancient Way of Knowing
  
  
• Mystery Teachings from the Living Earth: An Introduction to Spiritual Ecology
  
  These are more Druid-centric books
  
  
• The Path of Druidry: Walking the Ancient Green Way
  
  
• Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism
  
  
• The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth
  
  
• The Solitary Druid: Walking the Path of Wisdom and Spirit
  
  These are more historical and culture books about the ancient Celtics, very good for context. Anything by Ronald Hutton I'm going to suggest, though he does tend to have a very dry, academic style. Reading his stuff is more like reading a text book than anything else. So if you do get any of these, pace yourself. I would still suggest getting and reading one Celtic historical book, it's important to know the history.
  
  
• The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy
  
  
• Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain
  
  
• Pagan Celtic Britain
  
  
• Celtic Heritage
  
  
• Celtic Myth and Religion: A Study of Traditional Belief, with Newly Translated Prayers, Poems and Songs
  
  As you go, you'll figure out what works for you and what doesn't, you might end up mixing in shamanism or witchcraft, even wicca, or buddhism, druidry works with a number of other approaches. Keep an open mind, try things, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Paganism in general can be pretty overwhelming, and Druidry has even fewer guidelines than most. Good luck with your coursework!

I would look into what is called "The Prayer of Recollection" You don't really say anything interiorly, but just focus on the presence of the Trinity within your soul. Two good books to understand this type of prayer are:
The Spiritual Doctrine of Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity

and The Third Spiritual Alphabet The Peers translation is better if you can find it, but it is rare.

I would focus on the Carmelite methods of prayer and Carthusian spirituality. The focus is more on the interior dwelling of the Trinity in silence rather than long laborious repetitious prayers, although those are useful too. What is most important is you focus on mental prayer, the prayer of quiet, the prayer of recollection, and the practice of the presence of God, this is the quickest way to make strides in the spiritual life, that, and frequenting the sacraments, and daily rosary.

The Practice of the Presence of God also an excellent book.

> There is still something a bit off about your sentence. Why feel so compelled to point out that Buddhist and Hindu scriptures are full of superstitious nonsense, when no one in this conversation thinks otherwise? The only reason you would want to do that is if you are trying to paint Harris as being uncritical of such dogma, or irrationally biased toward the Eastern traditions.

I accept it could be viewed as unfairly portraying Harris's position, but that wasn't my intention. I pointed it out because Harris was generally lauding Eastern religions while trashing Abrahamic religions, so I felt the point needed to be emphasised. It's not like a great deal of thought went into what I wrote: it was a post I made on reddit.

> This isn't a fair reading of what Harris has argued in his books and articles.

My response was based on reading the first chapter of his new book. I haven't got a banana in my pocket for the man, so I think it's unreasonable to expect me to have read his views extensively.

> 1) those traditions have spiritual practices that can, in principle, be separated from the religious context in which they were born

That can be done with many Christian practices. Contemplative prayer is one such example, and I view it as practically identical to meditation.

> 2) there isn't much comparable wisdom to be taken from the Abrahamic faiths. What nondual spiritual understanding that can be found in the Abrahamic faiths (e.g. Kabbalah meditation) are encumbered by metaphysics and other dogmas that make them of little use.

Like Harris, I expect you've little exposure to texts from Abrahamic religions, and it is your ignorance about what those texts say that lead to such blatantly false claims. Thich Nhat Nanh is a well-known Buddhist who has also found the wisdom of Buddhism and Christianity so comparable that he wrote several books about it. I think there is much wisdom in the writings of people like St. John of the Cross and Thomas Aquinas, for example, that is comparable to the Buddha's teachings.

> Harris says this because the Abrahamic religions are incorrigibly dualistic.

If you believe Harris only says things that are correct, then you're worshipping an idol. Is he not human? Can he not err?

> You're off the rails here. If some Christian mystic, writing centuries after Christianity's founding dogmas were established, arrives at a nondual understanding of consciousness in a Christian context, this does not change Christianity's basic dogmas

Let me get this straight. Christianity is incorrigibly dualistic because you've appointed yourself the supreme arbiter of what the founding dogmas of Christianity really mean, and those Christians who believe in union with God don't meet your standard. They're not real Christians, and therefore Christianity remains incorrigibly dualistic and Harris the hero remains triumphant.

What Christianity's founding dogmas mean isn't solely determined by what you consider to be the correct interpretation of them. Many Christians have different views about what they mean. The Bible explicitly states that obfuscation is part of their tradition -- "they may be ever seeing but never periceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding" -- so your idea that only your interpretation can be correct is nonsense.

I can easily take the same specious reasoning and claim that Buddhism is incorrigibly dualistic: The Buddha told many stories about reincarnation. I'm closing my eyes to all other interpretations of reincarnation and anything else the Buddha said that disagrees with me, and I'm going to assume it implies people have a soul. Therefore Buddhism is incorrigibly dualistic.

i was thinking too; you might want to read “the triumph of the moon.” which is a history of modern paganism. it’s a very good way to understand the origins of wicca, versus ancient earth based religions. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0192854496/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_0192854496

my father and grandfather were freemasons and after i was initiated into a wiccan tradition that originated in the UK, i grasped how much Gardner had been influenced by masonry in his creation of original wiccan liturgy. of course, Gardner said he was divinely inspired, but all prophets say that and then share what they already know. (maybe Akhenaten was different? idk) my first trad was a mishmash of Alexandrian wicca, irish and british lore and “fairy folk tradition” that didnt make more experience in that “grove” any less significant or authentic. i learned a hell of a lot and my HPS and HP were very skilled with group energy work and drawing in the goddess energy. unfortunately, there was also a strong aspect of “this is an ancient lineage that you need to be 100% obedient to” that ultimately drove me away. of course it wasnt! i could find in books the parts that the ritual liturgy was pieced together from! and the whole “the goddess speaks through me so you have to do whatever i say” is just plain bullshit and why i reject organized religion anyway.

anyway, then i discovered reclaiming and the faeri tradition. even though starhawk calls her trad wiccan, and there are aspects of TBW in her original liturgy in “the spiral dance,” the HEART of reclaiming is NOT TBW or “wiccan.” i strongly recommend, if you havent read “spiral dance” “truth or dare” “dreaming the dark” “the earth path” etc, please do. and thorn coyle’s book, “evolutionary witchcraft” too.

you can also find info on reclaiming’s, starhawk and thorn coyle’s websites. even though there is a very strong component of social activism in both these trads, dont let that deter you... activist or not, the non-dogmatic, non-wiccan approach to neo-paganism and witchcraft is invaluable.

EDIT

/u/k0np as promised

History

[Compasses and the Cross](Compasses and the Cross https://www.amazon.com/dp/0853182981/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zD2XBbRYDSW6A)

For the money this is the best introductory text on the actual and legendary history of Masonic Templary from it's origins France through its manifestations in the chivalric degrees of the 18th century, the Strict Observance, the Rectified Rite, Royal Order of Scotland, St. James Place, and the various iterations in America before and including the GEKT.

Freemasonry and Templarism

Pierre Moillere's essay is a near perfect exploration of the Masonic Templary and a wonderful companion to Dafoe's book above.

Ritual

Grand Encampment Rituals
Good or bad, master one's on work - then move on to advanced topics.

Reprints of the Old Rituals

Includes the oldest forms of Webb Work and the Higgins KT Rituals as well as old French Workings.

Chivalry

What is Manly Honor

Brother Brett McKay's 7 part treatise on honor in the America.

Hermeticism v. Illuminism

There is nothing wrong with Hermeticism. I invite you to consider that KT better aligns with illuminism, vis-a-vis warrior monks, versus warrior magicians.

To put it crudely - D&D - KT are paladins (dual classed fighter-clerics) not war mages (dual classes fighter-wizards).

The spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola

The historical and spiritual foundation of the the modern tradition of Christian Illuminism.

[Meditations on the Tarot](Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism https://www.amazon.com/dp/1585421618/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8c3XBbQWQ3NC3)

If I had to pick between this book and the Bible, I'd pick this book.

Activities

Historical European Martial Arts. Someone near by, even the SCA, most have some demos or classes

Heraldry. Our MW Brother, the Lord Lyon, has a wonderful presentation on the topic. Talk to /u/cookslc

Christian Mysticism. Odd as it may sound, there are ecumenical Orders of Monasticism who may be willing to talk about incorporating spiritual exercises in the life of laymen.

Hey, in regards to our conversation, I'd highly recommend reading "Partakers of the Divine" by Jacob Holsinger Sherman. It's not strictly about wisdom or the term's history, though it definitely touches upon it. It's (basically and generally and characterized by me as being ) about whether or not contemplation and philosophy can be separated from one another. And if they that is the case, then wisdom has always had that connotation as being more than about cumulating "knowledge".

I've been on mobile (and still am) this whole time, so I just can't write as much as I would like. I've honestly enjoyed our dialogue and would love to continue it!

Edit: the characterization is by me, not others.

I came across this book a few years ago, and it had I think an entire section devoted to how the letters of Arabic are seen as having meaning in themselves. For example, some of the Quran uses letters (not phonemes, but just letters like FBI), and their meaning, until now is completely unknown (Eg. Alif lam meem, Ya seen). In some varieties of Arabic, these phonemes have been lost, and I'm trying to find a link between policy and phonology (Most Arab countries have MSA as the official language). It's kind of in contrast to the US, which has no official language, but simply being able to effortlessly and consistently produce the alveolar approximant /r/ is highly desirable. Another example is the U'. I know this last possibility is unlikely to be supported, but just a thought.t to go off on a tangent about accents, but the examples help make a point, I think.

I'm still trying to work out how I'm going to write this paper. It's more of an Education than a linguistics class, so that's why I'm focusing on language policy (because that influences language education). There's definitely language policy in classrooms in the Arab world, and I've heard a lot about it, mainly from my parents, but I don't really have the experience first-hand to see how MSA and national vernaculars co-exist eg. in a classroom setting. The qaf is a really salient point because it is both historically very favored, yet in certain geographic areas these days it has all but disappeared.

It would be interesting to understand why it was so preferred in the first place. Not just that, but if there's any other interaction with how it changes other parts of the language (eg. word lengthening/shortening, fewer/more syllables. Another thing is that it's possible that the /q/ sound is not completely arbitrary as most linguistic shifts seem to be, and I know this idea is probably not popular, but the gutteral sounds of Arabic could even be linked with some climate thing as this (Though more likely it was just a linguistic feature of a particular group). There's some evidence for this here although it seems to relate mostly to vowels and tones 'https://www.pnas.org/content/112/5/1322.short'. I know this last possibility is unlikely to be supported, but just a thought. most probably I'll have nothing to say about it besides that historically, it was a source of a lot of superstition, and that it is lost from most arabic dialects (except the maghreb ones).

You've expressed concern about two 'big problems'. 1. Divine inspiration differs greatly, and 2. The skeptic perspective that divine inspiration = delusion.

Actually divine inspiration does not differ greatly because mystical experiences do not differ greatly. Comparative mysticism shows that there is cross-cultural ontological resonance.

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Unspeakable-God-Comparative-Interpretations/dp/027107079X

The skeptic perspective, which regards all that as delusion, only exists because of ignorance of such scholarship and mystical inexperience. And there is a LOT of comparativist scholarship. The skeptic perspective is based on a one-sided, heavily conditioned approach regarding such phenomena.

"So, apart from just commending these phenomena to your attention, I’d like to point out that, as atheists, our neglect of this area of human experience puts us at a rhetorical disadvantage. Because millions of people have had these experiences, and many millions more have had glimmers of them, and we, as atheists, ignore such phenomena, almost in principle, because of their religious associations—and yet these experiences often constitute the most important and transformative moments in a person’s life. Not recognizing that such experiences are possible or important can make us appear less wise even than our craziest religious opponents." -Sam Harris

Skeptics could be killing two birds with one stone by studying comparative mysticism. They could begin to sense the ontological resonance, and they could elicit their own mystical experiences and divine inspiration. The critical study of comparativism is practically a modern mystical discipline of its own.

"The origins of the discipline of religious studies in nineteenth-century Europe are not primary mystical or even religious. A highly developed secular sense is a sine qua non of the discipline and its social sustainability anywhere on the planet (hence its virtual absense outside the Western academy). I would like, though, to make a restricted and heterodox case that regarding the discipline as a modern mystical tradition could be useful in approaching the constructive tasks being explored in these reflections. In this, I am not suggesting that the discipline must or even should be read in this way.

Rather, I wish only to make the much more restricted, but no less unorthodox, case that some of the discipline's practices and practitioners (that is, those capable of forging a tensive mystical-critical practice out of the discipline's dual Romantic/Enlightenment heritage) can be read in such a way, and that, moreover, such a mystical-critical rereading of the discipline might be useful for the constructive tasks under discussion here, namely, the cross-cultural influence of religious systems toward a safer, more humane, and more religiously satisfying world.

Scholars of religion, it turns out, often have profound religious experiences reading and interpreting the texts they critically study, and these events have consequences for the methods and models they develop, the conclusions they come to, and even for the traditions they study." -Jeffrey Kripal

The AH books and resources list is your friend, but as its recommendations are scattered through a mainly geographical listing, I will compile some of the key cites for you here.

Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas (1971): One of the pioneering works on how anthropology can help our study of history focusing on superstition in the late medieval/early modern period, this is a fantastic read and a real insight into a still-young school of historical analysis.

Thinking with Demons by Stuart Clark (1999): this is one of two mandatory books on Early Modern Witchcraft (the other is Keith Thomas' Religion and the Decline of Magic). It's hard to summarize what is a monumental piece of work, but examines the idea of witches and how that idea functions through different intellectual sections of life. It has a bibliography that will make you weep with inadequacy and throw your work into the nearest witch-bonfire.

The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton (1999). A study of the history and development of modern Pagan Witchcraft.

Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain by Ronald Hutton (2009). A history of the intertwined development of modern Celtic scholarship and religious revivalism in Britain.

The Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe by Brian Levack: Levack gives important background and context to his discussion of the witch-hunt. The work's value as an introduction to the topic is evident, as the book is now in its third edition.

Theology and the Scientific Imagination: From the Middle Ages to the Seventeenth Century Funkenstein, Amos. 1986. An interesting read detailing the various views of emerging scientific thought and the prevalence of religious faith. The book takes time to work from a sociological as well as historical viewpoint to allow for a broader take.

There are, contained within, so many paradigm shattering, reality-shifting ideas ... well, let's just say you made a great choice! And wait till you read the intro page. Talbot wasn't playing around. It reads like a who's who of bigwig uni/independent PhDs, MsCs, scientists, MDs and researchers. Not that that means shit [see recent study on peer-review FAIL] but in these ... "fringe" areas of study, sometimes the validation is satisfying. Ya gotta admit, its good to have some heavyweights in your corner sometimes! Either way, pull the pieces from all corners; the final puzzle is yours to assemble.

It was this book that introduced to me the concepts of quantum physics, bilocation, quantum entanglement, holography as a reality-model, collective consciousness, etc. etc. Wait till you get to the stuff about Fourier transforms and ballet dancers, the optic nerve and the eyeball and its connection to perception and the brain, multiple personality disorder and its shocking proof of 'mind over matter' ... + myriad other interesting tidbits!

I was familiar with some of those concepts, as you well may be, perhaps likely more advanced in these area of study then I was a few years ago, but still, I can hardly see you not enjoying it. Especially the way you found it! It's as if that thought bubbled to the surface [and was instated in action!] for a reason.

Another interesting one ya might like: http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels/dp/1590308352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383029661&sr=8-1&keywords=tao+physics

What appeals to you about Daoism and Zen? What do you mean by "an eastern spiritual compass"?

It should be noted that Christianity has a rich history of mysticism within the bounds of orthodox belief, in the Eastern and Western churches alike. Although Christian theology proceeds from much different terms and assumptions than those of Daoism and Zen, there are interesting areas of overlap that can make the Gospel appealing to adherents of those philosophies.

I've personally found these books helpful for developing a deeper understanding of Christianity's mystical dimension:

• Roots of Christian Mysticism by Olivier Clement
  
  
• The Cloud of Unknowing
  
  
• Mystics and Zen Masters by Thomas Merton (Merton, a Catholic monk, was one of the most popular writers of Christian spirituality in the 20th century. Zen and Daoism fascinated him and he wrote much on the topic.)
  
  EDIT: Also check out William Harmless' excellent introduction: Mystics.

I just found out this subreddit existed today. Your nice ad drew me here. I have a treasure trove for those who seriously want to learn how to travel in the astral plane. However, I must say that there is a doctrine attached to this knowledge. I know reddit is a very secular place in which dogma is often questioned subjectively. I like the site for this and I fully endorse the scientific method as well. However, there is no real benefit to understanding techniques on how to 'lucid dream' if it doesn't involve a deeper understanding of our ego, our consciousness and ourselves. More often than not, many who devote much time to develop the skills to leave the physical body and retain consciousness will find themselves stuck; with no progress or control over the experience. This is because they have not prepared their higher vehicles properly. The development of the higher vehicles depends fully on spiritual growth. I am talking about Gnosis.

The Wiccans have some simple methods which are successful, however I have found from my own experience that reading, understanding and practicing the work of G.I Gurdjieff, P.D Ouspensky, Samael Aun Weor, Mario Roso de Luna and Arnold Krumm-Heller, you can get a much more concise, detailed and effective method in practice. It is not easy, since it is quite a LOT to take in, but it works. It really does.

I have to go and run some errands, but will be back later on to post more information for those who might be interested. If there is a good place to start: read this book, and proceed from there. Djinnestan is not far away for those who want to seek the truth.

>Very few people know that Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important but also his best work. He spent twelve years in research and many months in France doing archival work and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides, the French and the English.

Because of Mark Twain's antipathy to institutional religion, one might expect an anti-Catholic bias toward Joan or at least toward the bishops and theologians who condemned her. Instead one finds a remarkably accurate biography of the life and mission of Joan of Arc told by one of this country's greatest storytellers. The very fact that Mark Twain wrote this book and wrote it the way he did is a powerful testimony to the attractive power of the Catholic Church's saints. This is a book that really will inform and inspire.


http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Arc-Mark-Twain/dp/0898702682/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421281959&sr=8-2&keywords=joan+of+arc


>Using historical documents and translated by Régine Pernoud, Joan of Arc seeks to answer the questions asked by Joan's contemporaries as well as us: Who was she? Whence came she? What had been her life and exploits? First published in the United States in 1966 by Stein and Day, this book reveals the historical Joan, described in contemporary documents by her allies as well as her enemies.


http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Arc-Herself-Her-Witnesses/dp/0812812603/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421282282&sr=1-6&keywords=joan+of+arc+biography

Looks like a flower to me. Upon reading, it seems like a flower thats shooting snakes.
Better explanation:
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Dendera_lamp

AS much as I would LOVE for ancient egypt to have invented the cathode ray lightbulb, there isn't any evidence beyond a wall carving that can be better explained by egyptian mythology.

Is there any evidence for egyptians electroplating stuff? That would be something that could be stumbled upon using mixed metal batteries and acid that could lead to other things. There are cultures (baghdad battery I think) that used primitive batteries for electroplating that date to WAY before western battery usage. I think. I read this quite a while ago, and it was fascinating: https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Engineers-Astonishing-Wonders-Creators/dp/0345482875/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ancient+engineers&qid=1565409855&s=gateway&sr=8-1
But as near I can tell there is nothing in egyptian culture or finds that point to them having any knowledge of electricity, never mind having enough knowledge and current to be able to make a cathode ray tube bulb thing.

Feynman's Six Easy Pieces is a great introduction to quantum mechanics. Gary Zukov's book The Dancing Wu Li Masters doesn't have a great reputation among physicists because it strays a bit into mysticism, but I think it's a pretty good read. Capra's Tao of Physics is in the same category. For an easy-to-understand discussion of the weirdness of quantum mechanics, Fred Kuttner and Bruce Rosenblum's Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness is excellent.

This is an Amazon list of books on the subject that I found helpful:

Robert Kroese, author of Schrödinger's Gat

> i will look into those blogs, you seem to have some really interesting topics going.

Thank you very much!

Like I mentioned before, I'd highly recommend you check out Thomas Merton at some point, especially "New Seeds of Contemplation". You will love him, I promise. Also, if you have checked these out, I bet you'd appreciate "Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings", and "Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings".

That sounds like a fascinating research topic! I'd love to read your writing down the road.

I have a chapter on Benjamin, esotericism, and the birth of critical theory that you might find useful given your broader research interests. If you can't get my whole book let me know and I could email you a pdf of just that chapter.

Otherwise, for your research project. Sedgwick is great. I'd also recommend Clarke, Black Sun. You might also get something out of Wasserstrom, Religion after Religion. His attitude toward esotericism is purely negative. So it is good to counterbalance it with Hakl, Eranos, which errors the other way. Finally, although not squarely in your research, you might also find useful Pasi, Aleister Crowley and the Temptation of Politics.

I know it's not quite what you're asking for but this book is great and I always recommend it to my spiritually-minded friends. It gave me inspiration at a hard time in my life.

https://www.amazon.com/There-River-Story-Edgar-Cayce-ebook/dp/B00L9AXX1I

for me there's never been only one that stood out, but here's a few of the best:

by far one of the easiest to understand and best interpretations of the classic 7000 year old yoga text of Patanjali:

[The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Satchidananda] (http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Sutras-Patanjali-Swami-Satchidananda/dp/1938477073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407625341&sr=8-1&keywords=patanjali+yoga+sutras)


The father of modern yoga and the Guruji of B.K.S. Iyengar and Patabi Jois:

Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings

Also a must read:




The Hatha Yoga Pradipika

I am assuming you mean pagan origins for christianity. This what I remember from Catholic school.

When the Roman Catholic Church came to Britain and Ireland, Gaul had already brought Druidism over to the islands. So they had many holidays. In order to convert people they added a ton of "saints" to the canon. These included St. Bridgid and other females because they were such popular goddesses that the church could not stop the heathens from worshiping them.

Likewise, as /u/cheesehead144 pointed out, many holidays in the new christian faith were placed to overlap with druidic holidays. They also built the churches in the sacred groves and other nature sites holy to the older faith(s). These acts were done to promote the new religion of the land by crushing the old one.

It is also partly to blame for the way women were treated in those countries. A Patriarchal religion cannot have strong female leaders.

Wikipedia has some good articles about the early history of the catholic church in regards to Gaul, Britain & Ireland.Wikipedia: Catholicism

Also the druid page talks about it.

There are several books talking about the transitional period [Druids] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Druids-Celtic-Priests-Nature/dp/0892817038/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1404615377&sr=8-3&keywords=druids) for instance.

Also some good primer books include Paganism: An Introduction to Earth Based Religions and it's sister book Pagan Spirituality. They are both a workbook type book designed to help you grow your chosen path.

As far as did pagan faiths around the globe affect other religions, I am less able to answer. When I think pagan I tend to not include faiths that remain steady from before christ's time. Such religions as Tao, Buddhism and Norse.

I do believe that all the faiths from early recorded history play a major part in our development intellectually, artistically and spiritually as a world. Each new religion must build upon the one they conquered, or else face resistance.

As for the connection astrologically, Wikipedia describes the Age of Aquarius pretty clearly.

> The Age of Aquarius is an astrological term denoting either the current or forthcoming astrological age, depending on the method of calculation. Astrologers maintain that an astrological age is a product of the earth's slow precessional rotation and lasts for 2,160 years, on average

> In 1929 the International Astronomical Union defined the edges of the 88 official constellations. The edge established between Pisces and Aquarius technically locates the beginning of the Aquarian Age around 2600 AD.

There seems to be no real link with Christianity and the astrological ages at all, let alone the [Age of Aquarius]
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrological_age#The_Age_of_Aquarius_.28The_Aquarian_age.29) Astrology was used by Islamic, Greek, Egyptian, Indian & Japanese cultures, but seems to be more of a scientific pursuit (astronomy) in christian cultures through the world.

TL;DR: Religions build upon the one they conquered, or else face resistance and astrology does not appear to have christian connections.

Religion isn't about logic. It's about how it makes people feel. Some people have faith, or they have a religious experience that makes all the illogical stuff make much more sense. It's not something you're going to be able to fully understand unless you experience it yourself. Wicca is largely experiential - it's about doing it and feeling it, it's not about knowing the theology. Frankly, Wicca includes a lot of "woo" stuff that isn't 100% logical and doesn't line up with how the majority of people perceive reality.

As an agnostic, I accept that I don't have faith, and so I am never going to be able to fully understand the religious beliefs of people that truly have faith.

Have you read any books on this stuff? I don't mean spell books or Wicca 101. You might like reading some of the more dry, academic books about the evolution of neopaganism, like the Triumph of the Moon by Hutton.

I can't speak for all of those books, but you cant go wrong with The Path of Druidry, Druidry Handbook, Druid Magic Handbook, and From the Cauldron Born. I would also recommend:
The Druid Way by Phillip Carr-Gomm
The Mysteeries of Druidry by Brendan Myers
Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism by Isaac Bonewits
Principles of Druidry by Emma Restall Orr
The Solitary Druid by Robert Ellison


And please, steer clear of Druid Power and the 21 Lessons of Merlin. If you feel you must, read some of the others ones first before delving into those 2. They rely heavily on fantasy (not mythology) and don't have the good graces to tell you so.

The Tarot is an entire spiritual path in itself, a superb tool to understand your sub-conscious and the world around you.

Can I suggest you look at Meditations on the Tarot by Anonymous, and, [The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Tarot-Key-Wisdom-Ages/dp/1585424919) by Paul Foster Case.

Both will give you an enormous amount of wisdom. None of them are incompatible with your faith, in fact will reinforce and broaden it.

No offense taken. :) Sure, It's not something I'd rely on for a doctoral dissertation, and the heady conclusions of a new paradigm caused my cynical alarm to go off, but took it as entertaining. I would not consider any parallels he draws as neat or clean by any stretch.

I'm also aware of books like the Tao of Physics and The Quantum and The Lotus...

First place I would send anyone is Sacredtexts.com since it's free and has all the old books there. Apart from that it depends on what branch of paganism you want to go into.

It's weird because England has this huge underground magical movement going on that hardly anyone really knows about. From pagan/wiccan groups to druids to golden dawn goetic magical schools to imported voodoo/shaman type practices to native cunning men and wise woman from Cornwall. It's fascinating which is why I got into it in the first place.

If you want a good background about all of paganism though you could do worse than The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton. He's a professor who has specialized in paganism and witchcraft in England.

Neither. They all ultimately originate from the Marseille deck which has a much older richer history than any other deck. Specifically, I like the Camion Marseille deck that Alejandro Jodorowsky restored. The Arcana are much subtler than the Waite deck.

http://en.camoin.com/tarot/Tarot-Marseille-Camoin-Jodorowsky-en.html

There are also a lot of great books written about the Marseille deck.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Way-Tarot-Spiritual-Teacher/dp/1594772630

http://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot/dp/1585421618/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373642673&sr=1-1&keywords=meditations+on+the+tarot

Recent Zen realization:

The sound of one hand clapping is a longitudinal displacement wave.

It explains BAO (baryon acoustic oscillation).

Zen explains quantum mechanics, superposition and entanglement.

Another Zen koan that is enlightening every day:

Infinity lies in a flower petal.

The best synthesis of mathematics and Zen is "The Tao of Physics". Capra needs to write a new book to consolidate the findings of the past few decades.
https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352

The Zen koan, "First there was a mountain, then there was no mountain, then there was" is like a mini-review of "A Universe from Nothing".
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Nothing-There-Something-Rather/dp/1451624468

It is also a synopsis of Schrodinger's Cat.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/05/27/schrodingers-cat-just-got-even-weirder-and-even-more-confusing/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.31a786e1acd5

Physics is finding everything is nothing and nothing is everything, matter plus anti-matter equals nothing. Physics and Zen are on the same perfect circle path, a perfect circle with no beginning or end, with a center with no center.
A center with no center

The Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton is a good academic but readable history of neopagan Witchcraft.

Talks a lot about the inspiration being the Romantic poets and Victorian attitudes to the occult and nature, gradually leading to Gerald Gardner and Wicca since then.

The best information comes from personal experience. That said, there is significantly more useful information in printed books than on the internet: Try books by Marian Green, Ronald Hutton, and others (disregard pretty much anything published by Llewellyn unless it was written by Scott Cunningham [who despite "fluffy bunny" leanings knows his stuff, herbally] or another author you know to trust).

You might also want to hang around the magical blogosphere at places like Runesoup, Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, Witch of Forest Grove, etc. The Lucky Mojo Curio Co. site is tacky as all hell (deliberately so) but an incredible resource, just bear in mind that Cat Yronwode (though very well-informed) is not the end-all be-all to conjure.

[Edited for Lucky Mojo typo and to add links]

A physics-guru friend of mine recommends this three-pronged punch: In Search of Schrödinger's Cat, The Tao of Physics, and Autobiography of a Yogi. Haven't gotten to the third one yet myself, but the first two were quite excellent.

]Wicca differs from mainstream notions of religion. Traditionally, it's more of a religious order with no laity, an initiatory pagan priesthood that maintains a body of knowledge and rites that is kept intact and handed down from initiate to initiate. It also differs in that it's not an orthodoxy but an orthopraxy.

Eclectic practices influenced by Wicca tend to be orthodox ("I'm a Wiccan because I believe ___") and tend to differ from one to the other as they're most often individual practices unique to the person.

Some suggestions:

Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton

Wicca: A comprehensive guide to the Old Religion in the modern world by Vivienne Crowley

Modern Wicca: A History From Gerald Gardner to the Present by Michael Howard

Witching Culture, Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America, by Sabina Magliocco

Drawing Down the Moon, by Margot Adler (the late NPR journalist)

This book is like an unofficial follow-up to Adler's DDTM:

Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Witches and Neo-Pagans in the United States, by Helen A. Berger

Books from the mid-20th century:

Witchcraft Today by Gerald Gardner

The Meaning of Witchcraft by Gerald Gardner

Mine is more of an awareness the spiritual side of existence than a religion. It is an appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and an essential oneness of existence. It is Indra's Web and all science wrapped into one.

If you'd like to learn more, I can recommend this book

Also, since you'll encounter a lot of people claiming a lot of things I recommend:

Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler
and
Triumph of the Moon

These two are more "impartial" treatments of the various groups within paganism. They provide a nice perspective on the faith path.

The Tao of Physics is great book written a theoretical physicist. In the first part of the book he does an amazing job explaining particle physics. Then, he explains some of the higher ideas behind Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Next, he proceeds to point out in mind-blowing ways how they're the same.

The parallels between Eastern Thought and modern physics is intriguing. You'll learn a huge amount about both subjects, and if this book doesn't set you to thinking, you're probably dead. ;-)

Among the most relevant references that we have about tarots there is a book titled Meditations on the Tarot written by a clever Christian mystic, that comes with a preface by a Cardinal, Hans Urs von Balthasar. I strongly recommend to read this book even if you are not Catholic Christian (I am not) because it's a real in-depth ermetic analysis about the tarots. If your parents will ever ask you something on this subject, talk them about this amazing literary work. You can buy it on Amazon .

There's not much unity within paganism. We're a constellation of different faiths, each with their own sometimes very different branches. If you really want to boil it down, then arguably the "Big Three" pagan religions are Wicca, Druidry, and Heathenry, the latter of them being sort of the flagship of the "reconstructionist" movement which is an umbrella of pagan faiths which includes non-Germanic cultures as well.

While I haven't read either of these books myself, I have heard that Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism and Drawing Down the Moon are reputable surveys of Druidry and Wicca, respectively, though they are probably a bit dated at this point (especially Drawing Down the Moon). I'm not sure if an equivalent overview of Heathenry has been published.

I am a heretic my self, here is the hand book for taking your buddy down; http://www.amazon.com/The-Ancient-Engineers-Sprague-Camp/dp/0345482875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345589205&sr=8-1&keywords=ancient+engineers

we pretty much know the name of the engineer who built the pyramid. we have his tomb and some of his tools.

My respect for Rajnath Singh went up since it looks like he has read Fritzof Capra's book - Tao of Physics.
http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1416200472&sr=8-6&keywords=fritjof+capra

This is the best one on Wicca, by a real historian who actually grew up in a pagan family:

Triumph of the Moon

I don't know any decent history of the pagan revival in the broader sense. I have three books on Hellenism, none of which mention that the revival started 200 years ago, and one on Asatru which mentions 1970s Icelanders but not 1930 Australians!

This is a fine book and one to lend to people who ask "why paganism?"

Million and one Gods

For your reading pleasure: (pdf's I and II of) Stcherbatsky's translation of Vasubandhu's appendix to his Abhidharma-kosa {2} , {oh, Louis} : The @Soul Theory of the Buddhists@ hosted by some Russians.

Here's Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh's answer to your question (5th question in link).
He has written two books on this topic called "Living Buddha, Living Christ" and "Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers".
He sometimes mentions Christianity in his dharma talks, some of those are available here.

I also found Eckhart Tolle's book ["The Power of Now"] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Now-Spiritual-Enlightenment-ebook/dp/B002361MLA) helpful which is about the common "essence of all religions" and is strongly influenced by Buddhism.

1. They are primarily located in LA, as such you get mailings to read
   
   
2. The literature they do send is similar to what you are going to find in AMORC, OTO, etc (and you can find their stuff to read without ever being a member)
   
   
3. I find this book to be a better exploration of the tarot as far as symbolism goes (https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618/ref=pd_sim_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1585421618&pd_rd_r=AJT8A5A189DBHHKY321Q&pd_rd_w=PTxEB&pd_rd_wg=jtrY0&psc=1&refRID=AJT8A5A189DBHHKY321Q)

The Tarot does not have to be used for divination. Indeed, that is a later "use" of them, a later creation, which is a poor one at that. But there are other ways to use them which can be good. This is the book to look into: https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618

The standard work on the subject is Ron Hutton's The Triumph of the Moon. If you want biographies of Gardner and 2 and Valiente, Philip Heselton has written them. Someone needs to write a history of the Eclectic Wiccan movement since the mid-1980's, but I don't know of one.

You may be interested in [Meditations on the Tarot] (https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3O35TMR80N5FZ&keywords=meditations+on+the+tarot&qid=1573677811&sprefix=Meditations+on+the+T%2Caps%2C225&sr=8-3) . It is one authors understanding of how the Tarot teaches a Christian spiritual path. It is pretty heavy reading, but very deep and insightful. It is also, of course, just one person's perspective, on both the Tarot and Christianity.

Gurdjieff was a Sufi mystic who has a book written by one of his students, Ouspensky, called In Search of the Miraculous. You may find some profound and useful material of Gurdjieff in this book.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Search-Miraculous-Harvest-Book/dp/0156007460

For an interesting fusion of Catholicism and occult, check out Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism.

I strongly recommend the book "the tao of physics". Written almost 40 years ago, it remains extremely current and poignant in its comparison of modern physics and eastern mysticism

http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352

My two cents: it is all conected, but you have to find your own path

http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324588598&sr=8-1

Kinda reflects both of her interests. It's a classic and this is the 35th anniversary edition.

I've never read it so I can't endorse it personally, but you might want to look into "The Tao of Physics".

https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels-Mysticism/dp/1590308352

https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618

https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466237064&sr=1-1

The Tao of Pooh

The Tao of Physics

The Book

https://www.amazon.com/Meditations-Tarot-Journey-Christian-Hermeticism/dp/1585421618

The book you are looking for is Hutton's Triumph of the Moon.

Ever read Meditations on the Tarot?

Okay this is something I wrote that explains some of the origins of Wicca and British paganism in general that you might find interesting.

The only 'beginners' book that I would recommend is Where to Park your Broomstick by Lauren Mannoy. This is actually an excellent book written in a very accessible style.

After that, then you should try Doreen Valiente's stuff. She's the most important figure in Wicca and modern witchcraft, as she wrote much of its material and despite wanting to find ancient sources, was completely honest about what she did and didn't find. I'd start with Witchcraft for Tomorrow which is a massively interesting book even if you're not Wiccan.

If you want something that's really in depth about Wicca and what it is and where it came from, the only thing worth looking at - and something that's utterly essential is Professor Ronald Hutton's Triumph of the Moon. This is a very academic book, however, so maybe you can leave it for a while. If you want to take Wicca seriously though, it's absolutely essential. There are some people who claim to be Wiccans who don't like it and can't accept what it says, but I'd stay away from them, as they tend to prefer the fantasy of it being an ancient religion rather than being willing to be open minded about where it really came from and what it is.

Avoid Silver Ravenwolf's books completely. They're rubbish and contain some very bad advice, especially for young people. Despite what she might claim, she's not highly regarded by actual Wiccans at all.

Other advice - well... don't believe anyone who promises you anything or says they can sort out problems for you using Wicca or Witchcraft. If they claim to be part of a group of a High Priest or Priestess or anything like that, then ask what their lineage is or for proof of this and to talk to other people who can back it up. If they're genuine, they won't mind in the slightest. If they're a bullshitter, they'll take offence, but that's when you walk away. If they know who Doreen Valiente and Ron Hutton are and can get into a conversation with you about their books, they've probably got a clue. If they dismiss them or don't know who they are, then they probably don't.

The other thing to say is that even though it's secretive and private, there's a massive difference between privacy and secrecy. You can and should tell someone else whereabouts roughly you're going, if you're going to meet up with groups, or people.

In the main, Wiccans and pagans are pretty nerdy, pretty friendly, but occasionally somewhat damaged, which can lead to interpersonal issues within groups that aren't much fun to deal with. The Wiccan and pagan scene can be a playground for attention seeking folk with ego issues and the problems relating to that are far more likely to cause difficulties than the chances of running into any dangerous animal-sacrificing sex-cult that'll put your soul and life in danger.

So - do a lot of reading, and make sure you establish some boundaries of your own before getting involved with anything or anyone else.

I have a friend who became a christian, and was looking between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. He was about to be baptized Tridentine Mass Catholic, but then he started going East. But then he did some mediation thing with the hierophant Tarot card (he was into this previously) and he wound up Roman. Moral of the story: don't mess with the Tarot or you'll end up a Papist.

Seriously though, while the modern use of Tarot is some new age nonsense at best and spiritually dangerous at worse, the card set actually originates from a Roman Catholic tradition. The cards have meanings related quite closely to Christianity. Check out this video for more details. There's also a deck from Russia that uses more Byzantine images, so there's even an Orthodox version (I'm curious what the hierophant card is on this deck!).

But yeah, the more you know. There's also this book that expands on the link between Christianity and the Tarot.

Anyway, practical advice, for your uncertain times; Christ is unchanging. Do not find rest in circumstances, but in Christ, and then the uncertainty will have no meaning. And the Tarot probably won't help with your future anyway. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.