Of Green and Glass:
Where Down to Earth Solutions and a
Glass Edge Meet
By Goewin GreenWitch
Dear Goewin,
I
feel like I’m drowning. I go to the
bookstore and all I see are Wicca 101 books!
I’ve read most of them and own about half. I get it already. Earth is green, Air in the East, think before
you cast a spell. Where are the books
for the “next step”? I think I’m
interested in Green Magic, but how do I know what’s good and what’s crap? Seeing as you use GreenWitch as your last
name, I figured I could ask you. How do I know if this is really for me if I
can’t find the right books?
-Next Not New
Dear Next,
It’s
okay, it’s not just you. I’m pretty sure
many people have a bone to pick with the publishing industry. Authors get paid squat, and publishing
companies can only produce what has already sold. This is especially true when you are talking
about a “specialty” topic like a non-mainstream religion. They need to publish books on advanced
topics, but they have to concentrate on what sells to make money. Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism are a small
enough minority, and when you factor the number of newbies versus the number of
experienced practitioners of any given form or Tradition, the seekers are going
to outnumber us at any given point. Is
it fair? No, but I never promised things
would be fair, just correct.
So, how do you know if a book is right for
you? Just because a book calls itself
“everything you could ever want to know”, doesn’t mean it is. Progressing past “101” to individual paths,
practices and traditions is just natural.
Some great Authors of Green Magic themed books are Ann Murphy–Hiscock, Judika Illes (Judika doesn’t get billed as
“green magic” but she has a fantastic connection with plants and their uses, Ellen
Dugan (who also happens to be a Master Gardener, by the way), Scott Cunningham, Lexa Rosean, and Poppy
Palin also have several books on Herb uses, in spell work.
Keep in mind, that no
matter how much you read, nothing will take the place of real world experience. Jump online and see if there are any shops
around you, check out some Open circles!
If you’re out in the middle of nowhere, there are plenty of
correspondence courses for things you can learn from home. Susun Weed offers correspondence courses as
do many other famous, ‘green’ authors. I
would however caution you against joining ‘online schools’ because there is no
real way of checking credentials, much of that information is available in
books. You need to be able to see what
you’re paying for.
I
know it can be hard to find the next step in your faith and your practice, but
please don’t let this frustration take you away from your true purpose. Besides, let’s face it. If you can be pulled away from a religion by
one bump in the road, it must not really be for you.
