The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism

by Carl McColman

You might already be attracted to paganism, but considering the variety of traditions and paths that fall in this category, you may need a spiritual guide. Seek no further!

Whether you're interested in following the pagan path or just curious to know more, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism audiobook will enlighten you on this fascinating array of nature-based beliefs and practices.

In this Complete Idiot's Guide, you'll learn

The basic principles of shamanism, druidism, Wicca and more. How to deepen your connection to the Goddess, God and nature. The fundamentals of meditation, magic, divination and spiritual healing. Tips on incorporating pagan rituals into your modern lifestyle.

Genres: Paganism, Religion, Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Occult, Spirituality, Reference

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Carl McColman writes about the spiritual life, covering topics like mysticism (The Big Book of Christian Mysticism), contemplative prayer (Answering the Contemplative Call), monastic spirituality (Befriending Silence), Celtic traditions (An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom), Paganism (The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism), and Wicca (When Someone You Love is Wiccan).

He is also a blogger (www.patheos.com/blogs/carlmccolman) and podcaster(www.encounteringsilence.com) .

Why did Carl McColman, a Catholic author, write books about Paganism? Read the answer here: www.patheos.com/blogs/carlmccolman/20...

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent 101 introduction to a religion that has always fascinated me from a distance. I'm looking forward to diving deeper into atheopaganism in particular. This book didn't address that particular hybrid at all and it's intriguing.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

While interesting at times, the book can be a little dry at times as well. If you are someone who does not know much about paganism and how it lives on today, then this book provides a pretty good start. Rather than reading it through, like I did, I think readers would be better off just reading the first chapter or two, then skimming and browsing through the parts that interest them. A strength of this book is that it provides a very good bibliography for further reading as well as a pretty good list of resources and organizations where you can get further information on various types of pagan beliefs. I picked this book up mostly out of curiosity, and as I read it, I found that I had a lot of things that I could relate to. Many pagans are intellectually curious; they tend to be pretty liberal and open-minded, and yet, contrary to what many who are ignorant believe, pagans do live by pretty strong codes of ethics and morals. In a lot of ways, they are way more ethical than people who claim to be religious (as in mainstream religious). Another strength of the book is that it does not try to convert you. The author maintains a tone of informing the reader, providing some guidance if the reader wishes to consider pursuing a pagan way of spirituality, and no pressure. It even addresses issues such as whether to practice alone (solitaries is the term) or in a group and whether or not to tell others that you are a pagan or not (given the many prejudices and ignorance in society against pagans, often silence is the best option). The book outlines three major paths (wicca, druidism, and shamanism), but it also looks at other alternatives. There is just enough to give you an overview if you are just seeking to learn more, all in a very respectful tone, and enough to help you find out more if you wish to pursue it. I did not rate it higher because it really is a book that lends itself more to browsing than reading through, but if you want to learn more on this topic, this is a good start.

[✵ Kas · Rating 3 out of 5]

*has pagan phase*
*declares self as pagan on census*
*phase ends*
*is a complete idiot*

It is a good book though.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a book on Paganism, it's pretty Wicca-centric. It does a decent job of giving the broad strokes of Wicca and its related witchcraft oriented groups. It gives a very basic overview of extremely broad categorizations of "Shamanism" and "Druidry" with a vague poke at Asatru. I was expecting more focus on modern recreations of ancient Paganism, as there is an Idiots book focused on Wicca and witchcraft.

[Reginna Lopiccola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LEARNED ALOT. I SUGGEST THAT YOU READ THIS . ITS FULL OF INFOMATION.

[Carla Boner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of what paganism is, how it’s practiced, and gives brief introductions to various paths. Excellent for anyone who is curious for educational or personal reasons. Very easy to read.

[Juicy_Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked the first version of this book out from the library almost a week ago and haven't put it down since! I knew a lot about Paganism before I read this,but it opened my mind to many other things.I just wish he explained all the differen't European pagan groups in more detail.Most of that chapter is Dedicated to Druidism.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title is a fantastic introduction to paganism. It covers pretty much everything about pagan spirituality in a fun, informative way, with big tips on dos and don'ts. It's an enlightening, non-biased text set to explain without lecturing.

[Bad Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

i felt kind of silly for buying this book, but i'm glad i did. it would have been nice to have at the beginning of my search for my path.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good place to start.

[Lilly Rosemeade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good introductory book to Paganism. Everything is very well explained.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first parts of the book give a nice overview of paganism, but it loses steam as it goes along and by the end it's pretty redundant and gets pretty dry.

[Anthony Seaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a person looking to increase their knowledge I found this book very helpful. It helped separate some of the major practices under the "pagan" umbrella.