For the book-seeking pagan....

It's easy to go into a bookstore and find the New Age section. Picking out the right book is, however, another matter entirely. If you're like me, limited by funds and unaligned with a particular pantheon, it can be even harder. So many of the books out there tell you that you need all these different items to be able to get anything done and they make it seem like you have to adher to a particular group of gods/goddesses. But this isn't true: there's no need for you to stick to one set. I know many pagans who mix and match and some who don't follow anyone. As for what they tell you to buy, those are just tools you can use to focus your mind and energy.

My recommendation here is to be careful. Try not to spend too much on the books in the first place and give anything you pick up a good look-through before purchasing. Odds are, if you can't find anything helpful on the first run, you won't once you get it home either. It's always a good idea to pick up a book that gives you tips and tricks for energy work, instead of a book geared solely towards casting spells, this will help give you a good basis for creating your own practices that require no items for focus. And for the items themselves, a trip to your local Wal-mart or Target can produce candles, bowls, and many of the other typical items you might need. However, I do not recommend buying your incense from these kinds of places, as the smells and content can be quite different from the real, hand-rolled stuff. If you can't find a store in your area that sells good incense, try some of the online places (I'll be giving store reviews in other posts).

If you do happen to buy a book that doesn't suit, you can always return it and try again. Sometimes trial and error is necessary, just don't go overboard with the returns or you might make the bookstores a little unhappy. A few suggested readings so far: "True Magick" by Amber K and, for the aspiring shaman, "The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft" by Christopher Penczak. These are just to get you started; I've read both myself and found quite a lot of useful information. "True Magick" does have some spells, but it's main focus is to teach the reader the basics of the craft, such as history, how to cast a circle, and even figuring out the type of magick the reader may excel at. For now, these are all I have to offer, but I'll be providing reviews of more books as I come to them myself.