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Overview
This is a collection of books for folks interested in paganism and witchcraft through a secular and/or atheist lens. If you take a psychological view of magic and find deep joy and wonder in the natural world but don't believe in gods/higher powers/etc, this list is for you.
I've provided notes for a number of these titles; click the little i at the top of each book card to see them. Many of these books come from recommendations found in r/SASSWitches (SASS stands for skeptical, atheist/agnostic, and science-seeking). That subreddit is an excellent resource in its own right, as well!
This list is not intended as a challenge but a jumping-off point, so read as few or as many as you'd like. Happy seeking!
I've provided notes for a number of these titles; click the little i at the top of each book card to see them. Many of these books come from recommendations found in r/SASSWitches (SASS stands for skeptical, atheist/agnostic, and science-seeking). That subreddit is an excellent resource in its own right, as well!
This list is not intended as a challenge but a jumping-off point, so read as few or as many as you'd like. Happy seeking!
Secular Pagan Reading List
12 participants (14 books)
Overview
This is a collection of books for folks interested in paganism and witchcraft through a secular and/or atheist lens. If you take a psychological view of magic and find deep joy and wonder in the natural world but don't believe in gods/higher powers/etc, this list is for you.
I've provided notes for a number of these titles; click the little i at the top of each book card to see them. Many of these books come from recommendations found in r/SASSWitches (SASS stands for skeptical, atheist/agnostic, and science-seeking). That subreddit is an excellent resource in its own right, as well!
This list is not intended as a challenge but a jumping-off point, so read as few or as many as you'd like. Happy seeking!
I've provided notes for a number of these titles; click the little i at the top of each book card to see them. Many of these books come from recommendations found in r/SASSWitches (SASS stands for skeptical, atheist/agnostic, and science-seeking). That subreddit is an excellent resource in its own right, as well!
This list is not intended as a challenge but a jumping-off point, so read as few or as many as you'd like. Happy seeking!
Challenge Books
The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft: Seeking an Intentional Magical Path
Fire Lyte
An excellent introduction for the new seeker, while also a good resource for the long-time practitioner who wants to reinforce the roots of their practice. Very down-to-earth and personable.
The Green Witch: Your Complete Guide to the Natural Magic of Herbs, Flowers, Essential Oils, and More
Arin Murphy-Hiscock
The basics of green witchcraft - defined here as "a nature-based expression of spirituality that focuses on the individual's interaction with his or her natural environment" - with a deities-optional approach and an engaging, welcoming writing style.
The Power of Ritual: How to Create Meaning and Connection in Everything You Do
Casper ter Kuile
A fascinating look at how modern society has recreated the traditional functions of the church (community building and support networks, marking important life milestones, drawing personal inspiration from the deep reading of a text) in completely secular ways like CrossFit and book clubs, and how you can craft your own rituals and intentions to create meaning in your day-to-day life.
Everyday Witchcraft: Making Time for Spirit in a Too-Busy World
Deborah Blake
This book is definitely Wiccan and includes some deity worship, but is also full of practical advice for integrating your practice and 'walking the talk' in your daily life instead of only pulling it out on full moons.
Seasonal Guide to the Natural Year: A Month by Month Guide to Natural Events : Oregon, Washington and British Columbia
James Luther Davis
An excellent guidebook to seasonal happenings like bird migrations, elk/deer/moose breeding seasons, wildflower blooms, etc, providing ways to connect with the natural rhythms of your local biosphere. There are guides for a number of different geographical areas, both in this series and otherwise, so find one local to you - search for "seasonal guide" + your area.
For Small Creatures Such As We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World
Sasha Sagan
Written by Carl Sagan's daughter, this book is not pagan but is full of secular joy, celebrating the natural rhythms of humanity and the universe around us and providing ideas on how to create your own secular rituals to build meaning and connection in your life.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a Potawatomi botanist and brings these two lenses, science and indigenous knowledge, together to show how we can learn from our planet and live in harmony with the rest of the living world.
The Witch's Path: Advancing Your Path at Every Level
Thorn Mooney
With exercises for every level of witch from the absolute novice to the long-time coven leader flirting with burnout, this book makes a wonderful resource for building or rebuilding your practice with deep intent, guiding you in inspecting every aspect and making it more you the whole way. The author is a Gardnerian Wiccan high priestess, but the content is easily applied to secular paths.
Punk Magick: a DIY guide to creating your own magickal system
Tom Swiss
The nuts and bolts of how to craft your own spells and rituals, without religion, given with a very DIY ethos. Tom Swiss opens the book with a classic cartoon from a punk zine in the '80s, showing the fingering diagrams of three guitar chords: "This is a chord. This is another. This is a third. Now go form a band."
The entirety of this short book is available online for free on this webpage. (Very punk of him.)
The entirety of this short book is available online for free on this webpage. (Very punk of him.)