đź“– Spells8 Book Club I (Oct 16 - Nov 6)

Hello book enthusiasts and lovers of learning! :books:

The reading period for the first session of the Spells8 Book Club has now begun!

For all those who would like to participate, please review the guidelines and FAQ here:

Spells8 Book Club FAQ and Introduction

To get started:

  1. Announce your book!
    The first post below is an editable wiki post- add your book title and name to the list! (instructions below)

  2. The reading period is open for 3 weeks.
    While it is great if you can finish your book during this time, it is okay if you break it into chapters or sections- do as much as you can and know that doing your best is always good enough!

  3. Share your thoughts!
    You are very welcome to share any thoughts or tidbits while you read in the comments below or in a new post in the forums. But save the best parts for the final discussion at the end of the reading period!

  4. Final Discussion
    On Friday, November 6th a discussion post will open encouraging all readers to share a review of their book and any personal thoughts they have about it. A mini-review is perfectly fine, and there will be a suggested format for anyone who would like to write a longer review.

A note about sharing books:

While everyone is free to choose their own book, you may consider reading along with someone else! It is fun to share thoughts and insights about different books and even more exciting to do in-depth about a book with fellow readers :handshake:

If the book you plan to read is already on the list below, add your name to the list of others reading that book! For books with multiple readers, a separate discussion just for you will open for you to swap thoughts and share insights.

Please keep in mind that everyone will reconvene for the final discussion, regardless of which book you read :books:

If you have any questions about Book Club, be sure to check the Book Club FAQ and/or ask in the comments.

And remember- there is a list of free online witchy ebooks in the previous challenge for anyone unsure what to read! :grin:

Blessed be and happy reading! :books::sparkles:

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~~ ~~ ~~ This post is a WIKI POST- it is editable by everyone! ~~ ~~ ~~

Please announce your books here! Anyone who had previously announced their book has already been added to this list- please double check to make sure the details are correct! :laughing:

Out of respect to others, please only add/edit your own entry


(((Please add your book above! :arrow_up: Thank you! :blush:)))

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Looking at videos on YouTube, I accidentally stumbled upon several book sources I never heard of before. The YouTube channel is Lipstick Legion. She is Wiccan, and in a coven but has been a solitary witch for many years before that. She is loving, engaging, and has many qualities I see in her person I admire. She had a book recommendation list for new witches. One was The Inner Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak. She met the author several times, read his books, and was impressed by him. I noticed this author believes in developing the individual, teaching critical skills such as meditation, working on Hermetic Principles, and personal healing before jumping into spellwork. His books are a series that correspond with degrees (not sure what that means yet.) He has guided meditations in a CD format. And his method is to teach by lessons over a year-and-a-day. One book he contributed to is, Laurie Cabot’s Book of Shadows. She practices a Kent-Cabot Tradition of Witchcraft. Has anyone heard of this?
I looked over Laurie’s and Christopher’s work and I like their progression. Witchcraft as a Science, Witchcraft as an Art, Witchcraft as a Religion, Finally, introducing the mysteries and Myths about the Wheel of the Year. PS. I just read that the Cabot tradition is witchcraft, not Wiccan.
Anyway, I am looking at these books and will report on what I find.
By the way, I just finished The Spiral Dance! It is a wonderful book that has a strong spiritual basis. I enjoyed it immensely.
Good reading!

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Hello hello! I am at a loss for where to begin as far as craft books are concerned. Reading @wendy4 's post, I’m intrigued and inclined to read The Inner Temple of Witchcraft. This shall be my first endeavor unless someone can recommend something else I must read first? Happy and good reading!

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The Inner Temple of Witchcraft is on my list to read, as well as several other of Christopher’s book. He is a wonderful person (haven’t met him irl, just follow him on Twitter) and he shares some insightful information. I believe he was Mat Auryn’s mentor, too, and Mat Auryn just wrote The Psychic Witch, which is also on my list of books to read…lol

I think you can’t go wrong with one of Penzack’s books!

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@karla Christopher Penczak’s Inner Temple of Witchcraft is a great place to start, as Wendy stated above, and it has some good exercises in it too!

Cunningham is probably the best author for those just getting started to learn about Wicca/Neopaganism.

Here are some more book suggestions that I made in the Forum: :books:

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It sounds like you found many interesting books, @wendy4! Thanks for sharing your discoveries- The Inner Temple of Witchcraft sounds intriguing :books: I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to hearing what you think about it!

Welcome, @karla! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: Francisco shared some great places to look around and check out recommendations for books. I say go for any that seem interesting! If you get a few chapters in and decide it’s not for you, no worries. You can always switch books! :books:

When you are ready to choose a book, feel free to add it and your name to the editable post above :arrow_up: . If you have any trouble, just let me know! I’m happy to help :blush:

I know this feeling too well! :joy: And wow, it seems like everyone has read/is reading The Spiral Dance! I’ll have to put it on my to-read list too it seems :grin: I’m not a fast reader though, so just one book at a time for me :laughing:

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Honestly, I just picked this one so that I would have people to discuss my reading with :rofl: although, even though I’ve been practicing for a while, I still haven’t read it so it will be a nice addition to my collection!

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Hello @crystal8! From your note in The Spiral Dance Discussion, I hope you don’t mind that I’ve added you to the official reading list here :open_book: Happy reading- enjoy!

And that’s a great point, @MeganB! :joy: It can be a lot of fun to read and discuss with others. I hope you enjoy The Spiral Dance too! :blue_book:

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Hey all! I am a baby witch! Joined 2 days ago! Been researching all my life it seems and finally decided to take the step to practice. I can’t wait to read:

@Limeberry recommended it!

Can’t wait to get started!

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Sure thing, @Amavi! You have been adding to the reading list with your book. And @wendy4 has been added to the list for The Spiral Dance, as requested!

Happy Reading, everyone! :books::blush:

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Thank you for adding me to the list!

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You’re very welcome, @Amavi! :blush:

And a potential challenge has appeared for me… in the form of another book! :laughing:

Book

This one is a fantasy book about magic, although it doesn’t look like it will be particularly “witchy”. I ordered it a while back when I finished my other book and forgot about it until it arrived :sweat_smile:

It’s pretty tempting, but I’ve already started The Philosophy of Dreams and I can only handle one book at a time- so this one will have to wait! :books:

Anyone else struggling under the weight of “too many books, not enough time”? :joy:

Hope everyone’s reading is going well! :open_book:

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Always!! I think I’m going to start getting digital versions of every book I’m reading so I can read them my phone instead. Sometimes I’m staring blankly at my screen wishing it was one of the books I left in the other room! :laughing:

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Too funny, Francisco :laughing: I know the feeling- reading one book but thinking about another one on the to-read list!

More and more books seem to be in a digital-only format, and it certainly cuts back on costs- not to mention digital books are more environmentally friendly :evergreen_tree::truck: I left my Kindle back in the USA when I moved to Europe (what was I thinking!? lol) and it seems to be time to get another one :grin:

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I am currently struggling with this affliction. I have a shelf of books and I haven’t been able to finish the one I started in September. So I have to get back to it, it’s a good book and every time I go back to it, I wonder why I stopped because I enjoy reading it. I am reading the Celtic Gods and Goddesses book though, I already 2 by Scott Cunningham and the Spiral Dance by Starthawk I got more than halfway through and had to put it down. It just took a lot out of me to read it.

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Wow, you do indeed have a lot of books on your to-read/ currently-reading list, @Susurrus! :books: There’s so many good books out there and people keep sharing their favorites as recommendations in the forums- my list keeps growing and growing too :laughing:

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The list is never ending. I have a few books on Brigid, a few on crystals, another one by Scott Cunningham… those are waiting to be read, so I need to get through this one or at least put a dent in it!

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That’s the spirit, @Susurrus! :grin: You’ve got some fun ones lined up- good luck with your books :books: I am sure they are full of interesting knowledge for you to learn and enjoy- if you come across anything interesting, feel free to share! :heart:

Happy reading! :open_book:

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Oh man… :sweat_smile: I cannot get into Spiral Dance. I know that’s the one that I’ve picked but sheesh I think I’m going to have to pick something else. I think if I had a physical copy it would be different so I could actually mark it up and write in it but yikes :cry:

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