- Research the history of Paganism. However you want to do it, you need to know the history of how Paganism began, who practiced it, how it is practiced now.
- Meditation and Spell work. At one point after looking around the internet and reading all these books and eBooks you will discover that in Paganism in general there is magic around and you will need to be able to understand how to channel your energies and form spell work
- Philosophy. Okay this is boring to most and not to others. But there are some kind of "rules" depending on how you look at it. You have the Charge of the Goddess, Invocations, The Rule of Three. What do all these mean and how do they affect you personally? Well you need to read up on the Wiccan Rede and see what it means. And also to know the holidays (well we call the Sabbats).
- Gods and Goddess. Now as a polytheistic religion you will see different types of pantheons of gods and goddesses. Egypt, Greek, African, Italian, Celtic, etc gods and goddess all have different names and functions and whichever pantheon you chose (mine's Greek) you should read up on their functions and stories and find Gods and Goddesses you identify with the most.
- Tools, Correspondences: See things like chalice, wand, and athame sometimes in books. These are tools that we use that help us channel or energies during our spell work or rituals. Knowing how to use these are really important for us to know and how they correlate to our work.
Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler: Every site I have seemed to visit recommend this book and I couldn't, at the beginning of my path, figure out why until I decided to pick up the book and buy it. It was basically a collection of evaluations of modern Pagan religions including Wicca from people who actually practice them. It is an informative read highly recommended which is why it is the top of my list.
Wicca: A Year & a Day: 366 Days of Spiritual Practice in the Craft of the Wise by Timothy Roderick: Now this a top recommendation. It helps one discover whether the path is correct for them. Provides them with daily topics, spell work, meditations, etc. that is very essential.
Wiccan Spell a Day: 365 Spells, Charms, and Potions for the Whole Year by Sirona Knight: This book is great for the first year. It provides spell work for the beginner. It is also a great tool for those who are already familiar with the path.
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham: I can't begin to express as a Solitary Witch that this book is great. There are not that many covens that exist in the area where I live so I took up the Solitary path this book is full of valuable information. I do recommend most of Cunningham's texts.
Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice by Thea Sabin: This is one of the first books I picked up dealing with Wicca or Paganism. This book gives history along with fundamental practices of the Craft.
The Wicca Handbook by Eileen Holland: I first found a book by Eileen Holland named A Witches' Book of Answers which I randomly found in a book store and first drew me to Paganism, Witchcraft, and Wicca. Though there is no bible or doctrines in Wicca this is a great read. Many of my notes during my teenage years came from this book.
Encyclopedia of Wicca & Withcraft by Raven Grimassi: Full of terminology and even people to know in this guide. Think of it as a Wicca-ionary
Wicca Naturally for Children by Gypsy Garcia: This is great to introduce young children into the world of being Wiccan by discussing karma and basics.
Wicca Spellcraft for Men: A Spellbook for Male Pagans by A.J. Drew: Overwhelmed by the "Goddess" and "female" overtone a bit? Well Wicca is and does welcome males. This is a great book for beginners that are male in the craft.
Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches by Charles Leland: Charles Leland is an important man, in my opinion, and writer to Wicca and Paganism. I recommend most of his books but this one takes top of his. Aradia is one of the most important books because you will see it on almost every site dealing with Witches, Pagans, Wicca. It is the foundation for the Charge of the Goddess. Definitely read.
