Appendix 4A

The Library - Adult's Section

There is something so pleasant, decadent and delightful about curling up with a good book. Especially one that changes your perspective in some way, opening up new pathways of understanding and joy. Here is a selection of books beloved by many of us. If your personal favourites are missing, please let us know so we can include them.

   To add your books, please send an email with the title, author, and a brief 3-5 sentence description of why it's so important to you. A link to the book via amazon.com would be great too!

   Energy Work, Healing, Meditation

"Reiki and the Healing Buddha" by Maureen J. Kelly
This book can be found on Amazon.com - Reiki is an ancient study of the Asiatic peoples. Rediscovered and brought back to awareness by the Japanese master, Usui, it has a distinct Asiatic flavour to its thought and application - one filtered through the Buddhist mind. This book is invaluable in helping the student to understand and absorb the Buddhist way of thinking and applying Reiki.

"Reiki: Universal Life Energy" by Bodo & Sharamon, Shalila Baginski
This book can be found on Amazon.com - I think this may have been the first book written about Reiki - in the Western world anyway. It may feel a bit "New Age" and "80's" in tone, but is an incredible journey none-the-less. My introduction to Reiki was through this book, and I thoroughly recommend it both to those starting and those already travelling the path of Reiki. There is much to be gained for all.

   Books on Specific Festivals

"Beltane: Springtime Rituals, Lore and Celebration" by Raven Grimassi
This book can be found on Amazon.com

   Fiction that Resonates

   Herbalism & Aromatherapy

"Alternative Health: Aromatherapy (Alternative Health)" by Vivian Lunny
This book can be found on Amazon.com - A must have book - simple and detailed at the same time, this book covers the basics of using aromatherapy medicinally as well as for pleasure. The section on the oils is comprehensive and easy to read. There is also a section (with good photographs) on using the oils in massage.

"A-Z of Traditional Herbal Remedies" by Michael Howard
This book can be found on Amazon.com - This is a nice reference book for using herbal remedies. Strong focus upon teas as opposed to oils, poultices, etc, but still a sound basic addition to a herbal library.

"The Essence of Incense : Bringing Fragrance into the Home" by Diana Rosen
This book can be found on Amazon.com - A simple look at using incense within the home. Written from a New Age perspective, the book uses aromatherapy-based theories for the usage of various scents. It also touches upon scent from as a spiritual aid.

"Essential Oils & Essences" by Shirley Whitton
This book can be found on Amazon.com - Don't be deceived by the appearance of this book - although small and basic, it is a very nice introduction to utilising essential oils.

"Eyewitness Garden Handbooks: Garden Herbs" by Deni Bown
This book can be found on Amazon.com - A nice basic Herbal from the perspective of the gardener's eye. Solid practical advice for cultivating plants with decent photographs.

"The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual" by James Green, Ajana Green (Illustrator)
This book can be found on Amazon.com.

"The Master Book of Herbalism" by Paul Beyerl
This book can be found on Amazon.com.

"Medical Herbalism: The Science Principles and Practices Of Herbal Medicine" by David Hoffmann
This book can be found on Amazon.com.

   History

"Ancient Iraq" by Georges Roux
This book can be found on Amazon.com - A detailed look at the ancient world of Iraq using textual and archaeological evidence. Daily life, religion, literature - all the aspects of life are covered. For anyone interested in the historical setting of the religion, this is a good, somewhat dry, text.

"Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood" by Merlin Stone
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"The Crone: Woman of Age, Wisdom and Power" by Barbara Walker
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Everyday Life in Ancient Mesopotamia" by Jean Bottero, Andre Finet, Bertrand Lafont, Georges Roux, Antonia Nevill
This book can be found on Amazon.com - A detailed look at the ancient world of Mesopotamia using textual and archaeological evidence. Aside from daily life, religion, literature, etc, this book also looks at women - what they could and couldn't do. This alone makes it an interesting read. I found that this was a very good source book to gain a solid understanding of the context from which the various Mesopotamian religions developed.

"The Language of the Goddess" by Marija Gimbutas, Joseph Campbell
This book can be found on Amazon.com

   Inspirational Writing

"Goddess Initiation : A Practical Celtic Program for Soul-Healing, Self-Fulfillment & Wild Wisdom" by Francesca DeGrandis
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Goddesses in Every Woman" by Jean Shinoda Bolen
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Pagan Ways: Finding Your Spirituality in Nature" by Gwydiion O'Hara
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"She: Understanding Feminine Psychology" by Robert A. Johnson
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Who Are You?: 101 Ways of Seeing Yourself" by Malcolm Godwin
This book can be found on Amazon.com - This book is filled with ways to understand, explain, search and explore your psyche. It is a useful tool to help you decide what resonates with you and what doesn't - something that may be helpful in deciding what path suits you best. After all, how can we decide what we believe if we do not understand who we are?

   Kitchen Witchery

"A Kitchen Witches Cookbook" by Patricia Telesco
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"The Oxford Companion to Food" by Alan Davidson
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Pagan Feasts: Seasonal Food for the Eight Festivals" by Anna Franklin and Sue Phillips
This book can be found on Amazon.com

   Magic

"Clan of the Goddess" by C. C. Brondwin
This book can be found on Amazon.com - Inspired by Celtic mythology and magic, this book lacks a little in its historical accuracy, but is more than adequate in its inspirational and magical offerings. Feminine-based, it explores ways to connect with the Great Goddess within ourselves.

   Paths & Belief Systems

"The Book of Druidry" Ross Nichols, John Matthews (Editor), Philip Carr-Gomm (Editor)
This book can be found on Amazon.com - The rebirth of Druidism saw intensive study into the origins of the path. Although many of the theories put forward by the author are now seen as influenced by Christian thought and thus less than accurate, this is still a pivotal book in the reawakening of the Druids.

"Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today" by Margot Adler
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"The Druid Renaissance: The Voice of Druidry Today" by Philip Carr-Gomm
This book can be found on Amazon.com - For those interested in Druidry, Carr-Gorman's books are an invaluable guide. Whether you ultimately decide to follow the same path, or strike out to find/carve a new Druidic way, as one of the keystones of the modern Druidic movement, Carr-Gorman and his predecessor Ross Nicol are important to a true understanding of what Druidism is today.

"The Golden Bough" by James George Frazer
This book can be found on Amazon.com - A early look at comparative mythology, 'The Golden Bough' is more a study in older ways of thought on rediscovered Paganism than a guide to Paganism itself. Many aspects of the book are flawed or shaky, however, "its historical significance and the eloquence with which Frazer attempts to develop what one might call a unifying theory of anthropology cannot be denied" (Ron Hogan, Editorial Review on Amazon.com).

"Witch Crafting : A Spiritual Guide to Making Magic" by Phyllis Curott
This book can be found on Amazon.com - A guide to the Wiccan/Shamanistic path from a spiritual perspective with a strong focus on the "whys" of the rules of Wicca. As someone not following a Wiccan path, I found this book non-exclusive in many ways, with a lot of material about ethics, spell-crafting and the divine that appealed to me.

   The Great God/dess

"The Civilization of the Goddess: The World of Old Europe" by Marija Gimbutas
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Inanna" by Diane Wolkstein
This book can be found on Amazon.com - Within this text are scholarly translations of the Hymns to Inanna, the great Mesopotamian Goddess. There are also commentaries on the hymns, with the cultural context applied alongside detailed archaeological evidence. Occasionally a little dry, it manages for the most part to be a solid and interesting book.

"When God was a Woman" by Merlin Stone
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"The White Goddess : A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth" by Robert Graves
This book can be found on Amazon.com

   Stories, Myths, and Legends

   Tools, Symbols, and Icons

"Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem, and Metal Magic" by Scott Cunningham
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Goddess Runes: A comprehensive guide to casting and divination with one of the oldest known rune sets" by PMH Atwater
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Love Is in the Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals" by A. Melody
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Moon Magick: Myth & Magick, Crafts & Recipes, Rituals & Spells (Llewellyn's Practical Magick)" by DJ Conway
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"Sacred Animals" by Kris Waldherr
This book can be found on Amazon.com

"The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects" by Barbara G. Walker
This book can be found on Amazon.com

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