Book recommendations please.

[illykitty]

I'm looking for pagan related books, I wonder if you have anything to recommend.

It doesn't need to be necessarily Pagan, I'm open to books related to nature, to connect to it better. I don't believe in gods as beings though I do sometimes connect with certain trees, rivers and such. I also love the moon. I don't know why. Oh and I'm also a pantheist... Though perhaps that matters less.

Either way... I'm looking for some books I could read. I know some of the basics already, but I don't mind novice/intermediate books.

Also, I've been considering the Ovates, Bards and Druids course for over a year. I think @Quintessence might have taken some of it? Should I at least get their starter package? I'm curious but also I don't know if it's for me.

 

[Sunstone]

Ooops! Posted in the wrong directory -- so I deleted my earlier post.

 

[Quintessence]

A few in particular I would suggest as a religious naturalist (which is the root of my Paganism and Druidry, really):

• Connie Barlow's "Green Space, Green Time: The Way of Science." It's been a while since I've read this one, but it was a breath of fresh air when cultural dialogues insist science can't be religious. The sciences can be a foundation of religion as much as anything else. There are probably similar books that present that argument, but this is the one I'm aware of and read many years ago.
• David Suzuki's "The Sacred Balance." This is one of my favorites of all time, but that's because the Way of the Four is central to my particular path. It's an exploration of various earth systems using the model of the Four Elements, and a beautiful blend of science and religion (though I'm not sure the author would describe it that way).
• Keepers of the Earth series. There are actually several books in this series, but these are other works along the vein of "yes, science can be (and is) religious." While aimed at children, the truth is the tales and activities in these books make for great exercises to connect with the gods for any age group. Especially pertinent for Pagans living in North America, as unlike so much of what is out there, it focuses on lore that is actually local to us.
• Study the natural history of your state. Speaking of local, while I can't give specific book recommendations for this, there should be a solid book or few on the natural history of your state. Local public libraries typically have a special section for state-focused books, so scope it out. Find one on the geological history, local biodiversity, and so on. University extension publications might be another good place to start with this.

There is a book specifically on Moon lore, but the title is so generic I'm having a hell of a time finding it on Goodreads right now. There is this one (Moon Lore) - a compilation of moon mythos from across the globe with stories short enough to work really well for ritual. Not the one I was thinking of, though...

As for the Bardic grade of OBOD, I would mainly make sure that you have the time to and dedication to put into it. The narrative that starts flowing through your life when you embark on the journey will only flow if you help keep the current running. What the course does is provide a framework and some signposts for your own journey. There will be some traditional exercises presented, but you're encouraged to adapt it to your own tradition. On the whole, it's basically inspirational material to help you own your own path rather than try and steer you towards someone else's. Were there any specific questions you had?

 

[RedDragon94]

What about books as far as Wicca? I've already got Raymond Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft & Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Are they good?

 

[Quintessence]

It's been a long time since I looked into the literature for Wicca, though that is where I started. There wasn't any particular book that stood out to me as a really good place to start. The two you name there, @RedDragon94, are certainly seminal classics, but it is important when reading them to consider the era in which they were written. Both of those works came out on the cusp of Wicca becoming less of an initiatory-only and coven-based tradition and more open for solitary practice. Ravenwolf's first works came out of that time too, though she often gets left off the reading list. For historical context, I'd read one work from Buckland, one from Cunningham, and one from Ravenwolf. They represent a range of styles, some of which might grab you, some of which might not. I remember really liking this book - Wicca 333: Advanced Topics in Wiccan Belief by Kaatryn MacMorgan - but it is heavy on the philosophy and not so much on the practice.