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I'm having a huge dilemma right now. I'm still trying to learn about neo paganism belief and practices, but I'm having such a hard time finding books about it that aren't all fluff. I've heard people say before that I can still read them, but just replace "wicca" with "neo paganism" but it goes so much deeper than that. It seems like every book I pick up is filled with misinformation about the history of witchcraft and Wicca. They misuse names and things like that. And even the subject matter I don't know how much I agree with anymore. For example, I believe in the mother goddess/lady of the moon and the horned god/lord of the sun, but it seems like a lot of books lump them together with other gods and goddesses like Diana and Artemis, etc. I don't really feel comfortable taking other cultures deities and parading them off like my own, you know? If a book has so much wrong with it, how can I take anything as good true information? And how do you tell what's right and what's not? I mean, I'm just now learning that all these things I thought were right aren't.

But I'm still not totally solid in my own beliefs and I'm trying to find deeper religion, and I still need some guidance so....I don't really know where to turn. Anyone have any advice?

i can give you a quick guide to judge a book in two seconds. this does not mean that you will know a good book right away, but you can eliminate a lot of bad books with these two rules i go by.

if the author feels the need to write under their craft name, then i see no reason to take them seriously. silver ravenwolf is a good example. anyone that sounds like that, willow peacedrinker or rainbow awesomepants or vampyre mcbadass are all examples of what a bad book's author sounds like. Joe Normalname and Susan Straightforward are good authors, by this simplified rule of thumb.

the second rule: sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover. not all the time, but... if a book has art that would look appropriate on a horror book or the davinci's code 2: pagan boogaloo then odds are its meant to make money, and nothing more. books with very picturesque and scenic art arent bad. The Last Sin Eater has some sunlight filtering through some trees, that kind of thing. the best ones usually have straightforward covers. on manly p hall's Secret Teachings of All Ages, there is a sliver of a large painting which was an alchemists equation. on The Crystal Bible, there are pictures of stones just scattered about.

AFTER a book passes these two tests, then by all means, check their resources and go as renken root suggested.

Another really good thing to do, is actually research the author a bit. Do they actually have the credentials needed to be considered experts on the subject, if it says "self-taught" and the book is about something that you know requires some sort of certification, initiation, etc... then odds are they probably aren't the best person to be learning about it from.

Being self-taught in general isn't always a bad thing (especially they aren't claiming to be a part of any specific tradition or path that has specific requirements), but it's still a good idea to look into what sort of experience they have, that makes them knowledgeable enough to teach it to others.

Scott Cunningham has some good ones. I have read some of them. I enjoyed Pagan Ways even though some of the info was kinda wrong. One Im reading right now is Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by Joyce and River Higginbottem. I like it so far. It is more of a explanation of alot of the religions out there. What I enjoy the most about that book is the journal entries and exercises at the end of each section. I think it helps a lot.

I have gone through alot of books though. I buy them through a discount book store. Alot of returning and moving on to the next bunch of books on my list. it is hard to find books on the stuff since everyone has a different idea about it.

ahahaha so many ravens rofl guess fake wiccans really like teen titans.
robin artisson sounds like a real name tho ninja

This pickled vegetable...

It's a real name, it's just not his real name. He nicked it off a historical person associated with witchcraft. Because he's an arrogant dickweed.