Pagan Bibliophiles A Buddhist, a Christian and a Pagan are walking down the street when they see a bookstore. The Buddhist meditates in the shade of the bookstore's awning. The Christian buys all the Bibles and religious literature. The Pagan buys the rest of the books. One of the commonest clichés regarding Pagans of all persuasions (especially Wiccans) is that they are bookaholics. The above little story is, of course, a joke, but there is some truth to it. Most Pagans I know have extensive libraries. The hottest topics of conversation are the new books out on various subjects (some of the ones currently being discussed are Doreen Valiente's The Rebirth of Witchcraft and T. M. Luhrmann's Persuasions of the Witch's Craft [see The Other Editorial, NMR 2:1]). Books are purchased, read, annotated, lost, reread, borrowed, stolen, returned and finally placed on the self. A large portion of many a Pagan's monthly budget is earmarked for books. There certainly are Pagans who don't read, and there are illiterate Pagans. But, in general, we consume books. It's almost a religious devotion. To be a Pagan bibliophile is not to worship books. It is to collect them; to love them as manifested bits of information that we accumulate. Being a Pagan bibliophile may also consist of appreciating rare volumes, fine bindings, intricate illustrations and first editions signed by occult authors both past and present. Books are passports into the souls of their writers. They are tickets to exotic locales (Avebury, Stonehenge, Peru, the New Forest, Easter Island) and to fabled but mythical places (Atlantis, Lemuria). Through books we are exposed to new ideas and techniques which, we're promised, can be used to improve our lives. Books present information—but they cannot create wisdom. Information is not wisdom. Wisdom is the capacity to properly use and manipulate information. Books are tools which can lead to wisdom—or to folly, depending on how their readers use the information they contain. There are many reasons why Pagans become bibliophiles. A lack of friends with similar interests may compel a person to use books to fill the gap. There are never enough teachers of mystic knowledge, magickal techniques, and religious practices to satisfy students. Students must content themselves with reading books written by the teachers. Even once a person has mastered a technique or embraced a religion, there is often the need to know more about it—hence, another trip to the bookstore. But for many of us, the sheer joy of learning leads us to become Pagan bibliophiles. The thought that there are people living in our (fairly) literate country who have never read a book elicits disbelief and horror. There are many ways to learn. We should be learning every moment of every day. The consequences of our decisions are lessons. So too are our daily encounters with other humans. Investigation into the man made trappings around us is a journey in itself, and physical teachers can share their insights and wisdom with those lucky enough to find them. Nature Herself is the greatest teacher. Spending fifteen minutes watching leaves fall from trees; studying the patterns created by raindrops on the bare Earth; listening to the wind, all are learning experiences. By contemplating Nature, we open the book of the Goddess and She teaches us. But we can directly learn only from our surroundings. Techniques such as astral travel and channeling are fraught with the danger of learning and seeing only what we wish. We can't always trust the conscious mind when it comes to mystically garnered information. To learn of far-off lore, of vanished peoples and religions that now lie shattered amidst obelisks or standing stones, we must turn to the printed word. The quest for knowledge leads many Pagans far from their apartments, condominiums and houses. They reserve no seats, don't turn off their utilities or put a vacation hold on their mail delivery. All they do is settle down with a good book. Books are excellent adjuncts to the other forms of learning. After watching a sunrise, we can turn to a book to discover civilizations that worshipped the sun as a god or goddess. A chance remark by a teacher may lead to a 100-year-old work that we might have missed before. Realizing that red is the most common and most effective color used in print advertising and packaging may impel us into an investigation of the mythological background of color—through books. The Pagan bibliophile continues the ancient tradition of turning to the written word for information. The still-told tales of secret books of magick and ritual (grimoires and ancient Books of Shadows) usually emphasize that those who have access to these writings will instantly receive all wisdom and power. This isn't true, but those that wish to impress others spread the tales. Our alphabet consists of symbols. Words are symbols as well, which we use for communication. Without words, gestures or other symbols, all communication would necessarily be telepathic. The written word itself has often been thought to possess energies. When writing was new, those with the ability to write were held in awe. The new system was magickal; written words were powerful. The energy, the illiterate believed, lived within the strange markings and could be used. Even today, many folk magick spells direct the performer to write or carve words linked with the magickal change that he seeks. This is not a new idea. A recent book (Merrifield, Ralph, The Archaeology of Ritual and magick. New Amsterdam Books, 1988, pg. 144) contains a photograph of this famous word square: R O T A S
O P E R A
T E N E T
A R E P O
S A T O R This was inscribed on a plaster wall in the Roman town of Corinium (present-day Cirencester) between 100 and 300 C.E. The use of the written word as a tool of magick extends even further back in time. The Sumerians, the ancient, pre-Judaic people who invented writing, placed plaques inscribed with exorcisms in their homes. Written words are powerful only from their ability to affect humans, to stir emotions and to produce the state of ritual consciousness so necessary for the proper performance of magick and religion. The mere possession of certain written words won't guard us from evil any more than a secret book will unlock the forces of the universe for us. To the Pagan bibliophile, books aren't amulets or talismans. They are keys to knowledge, and within knowledge is all the power we can ever need: Knowledge of the Earth
(both metaphysical and physical)
knowledge of the Goddess and God
(through mythology)
knowledge of energy moving techniques (magick)
knowledge of the energies with natural objects
(herbs, stones, colors)
knowledge of spiritual techniques
(meditation, invocation) With such knowledge as this, gleaned from the books on the Pagan bibliophile's shelves, personal involvement in religious and magickal activities blossoms and deepens. Reading usually demands reflection; reflection leads to remembrance of related information previously received. Some of this may mesh with the new lore presented in the book; thus, recognition of a truth may occur. It is through this series of the four R’s that true learning occurs: Reading, Reflection, Remembrance, and Recognition. Books are not infallible. They are filled with inaccuracies, misleading information and downright lies. Authors aren't holy; they needn't pass lie detector tests before writing a book. Much besides truth exists between the covers of a book. So the Pagan bibliophile reads carefully. Information isn't accepted as fact without good reason. The metaphysical, magickal and religious realms have suffered through hundreds of years of shabbily researched books. Many books still in print today fall into this category, and the bibliophile buys with care. Expensive packaging and full color photographs do not ensure that the information contained within the book is accurate. At first, the way is hard. Such a welter of information is available on once secret subjects. Various authors present their own theories as fact, and often don't mention other authors with opposing viewpoints. How do you choose good books? Those that contain bibliographies are, generally speaking, good choices. At least you can check the author's sources. Books that lack an index are difficult to use for later reference. Books that purport to contain channeled information are best read with several grains of salt, especially if the topic concerns ancient civilizations. Any archaeological and mythological books written before 1960 are out of date. Books printed before 1920 are usually full of speculation and wild assertion passed off as fact. Be careful. Additionally, do read books which present information contrary to your beliefs, if only to see what the other side is saying. You needn't agree, but check the books out from the library and read them to reaffirm your own convictions. The Pagan bibliophile can become bedazzled by books to the point of shutting out the world. This isn't healthy. Remember that books are adjuncts to other methods of learning. Use them with meditation, investigation of the natural world, classes and discussions with others of like mind. Books aren't the icons of Pagans. They are guides into new territories, passports to undreamed of knowledge. Many of us deepen our worship and magickal practices through the travels we take between the covers of books. This is why there are so many Pagan bibliophiles. 1989 by Scot Cunningham. All Rights Reserved. | 
