One of our most frequently asked questions in the Irish Pagan School Tuath (community) is about books and reading – what’s reliable, trustworthy, and worth your time?
We have a few basic Recommended Reading blog posts for Irish History and Irish Gods and Goddesses through those links, but thought it might be useful to give a more personal insight into what is interesting us currently.
So here’s what we are reading right now (November 2021)… you can take it that we’ve done our homework before we commit to a book and it’s got a great chance of being good, or that it’s been recommended to us by an equally reliable and trusted source.
(The following are affiliate links, to be clear; as Amazon Associates we earn a few cents from qualifying purchases you make, which doesn’t cost you anything extra but comes through in vouchers for IPS HQ. This goes towards more research books… so everybody wins!)
Jon’s Current Reading
An Scealaí Beag is working on his latest course currently – Dagda Fact or Dagda Fiction, exploring what is known about the Good God of the Tuatha Dé Danann and trying to separate fact from fiction, which you can Find Here.
He’ll be referencing many books and original lore sources in the class, but one of the staples he’ll be consulting while creating it is:
The Sacred Isle: Pre-Christian Religions in Ireland, by Dáithí Ó hÓgain – See it Here.
As authors, we feel it’s important to always be developing our writing and publishing craft. Jon is revisiting another classic as he works out some novel outlines:
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody – See it Here.
For a mix of personal relaxation reading, as well as familiarisation with a publisher that he’d love to write for someday, he’s been diving into loads of Warhammer: Age of Sigmar books from Black Library. If you’re not familiar with the worldview, here’s a great start.
Games Workshop Warhammer Age of Sigmar Core Book – See it Here.
Lora’s Current Reading
As part of her Masters Programme in Irish Regional History, Lora has a recommended reading list as long as your arm, with most of it being highly specialised and maybe not relevant for your average Irish Pagan.
But, we know that our Irish Pagan School students are a smart and curious lot, so if you’re interested in that sort of thing, maybe start with this one:
A Practical Guide to Studying History: Skills and Approaches, by Tracey Loughran – See it Here.
Lora is endlessly fascinated with entrepreneurship and marketing, and always has a business audio book in process as well as piles of paper books building up around wherever she spends any time in the house. The current listen while she walks is:
The Membership Economy, by Robbie Kellman Baxter – See it Here.
For relaxation reading, you can’t beat a bit of fantasy, as far as Lora is concerned. An absolute favourite is Terry Pratchett, and having cherry picked some well loved characters to follow through in mini series stints, she is now working through the entire Discworld collection. On the kindle right now is:
Moving Pictures, by Terry Pratchett – See it Here.
What are you reading this month, and would you recommend it?
Comment below and maybe you’ll inspire us to pick your favourite books up for future posts!
GRMA! Looking forward to checking out some of these! Its great that you are sharing what you are both currently reading!
I highly recommend Becky Chambers for some sci-fi. I’m a mental health therapist and my current reading in that realm is Getting Past Your Past by Francine Shapiro. She is the person who discovered Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) it is a good read as well!
Looking forward to the next IPS class!
“White Magic” by Elissa Washuta https://tinhouse.com/book/white-magic/
“Becoming Dangerous” edited by Katie West and Jasmine Elliott https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781578636709
“Do Better” by Rachel Ricketts https://bookshop.org/books/do-better-spiritual-activism-for-fighting-and-healing-from-white-supremacy/9781982151270
As a professional cook, there is usually at least one cookbook I’m skimming through; currently that would be the 1948(?) edition of Escoffier’s masterwork- which was originally put up in 1903. I also agree that nothing is more relaxing than a good work of fantasy. Which is usually an anything goes random grab.
Neither is entirely relevant to the Irish Pagan School, but good reads IMO:
Decoding Andean Mythology – Margarita B. Marín-Dale
Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration- Kristoffer Hughes
As for relaxation, I will pick up whatever book strikes my fancy that I’ve read before and sometimes open to the middle of the book, or to a part I especially enjoyed.
I love to see that Jon (y’all?) is a TTRPG gamer! I used the AoS cosmology as a model for one of my world-building projects. As for reading:
Collins Irish Grammar
The Kingdom of Galloway: https://www.britannica.com/place/Galloway-Scotland
White Howlers Tribebook
Fairy & Folk Tales of Ireland by WB Yeats
Jon has a long, long history with Games Workshop, having worked for them in his youth. We are good friends with many of the authors and employees still, so it makes sense that he’d want to combine that world with his writing skill! I could NEVER get into the 40k stuff, mega sausage fest universe that has NO place for me as a female presenting person, plus the misunderstanding of a colonial empire as the ‘good guys’ by pretty much the entire fan base makes me vom on a very personal level. The Age of Sigmar stuff though, seems to be moving in the right directions, from what I can see so far. Plus, it’s fantasy rather than sci fi based, which is always where my heart lies!
Esotericism and the Academy: Rejected Knowledge in Western Culture by Wouter J. Hanegraaff
The Evil of Banality: on Life and the Importance of Thinking by Elizabeth Minnich
(One of Lora’s books, I won’t say which)
Authors of the Impossible: the Paranormal and the Sacred by Jeffrey J. Kripal
For fun, though truthfully these are all fun, Winter’s Heart by Robert Jordan.
I’ve got a few more scattered about that I’m making slower progress on, but I’m one who will pick up 5 new books every week if I’m not restrained.
Happy Reading, and Blessings on Thee.
I’m reading The Book of the Great Queen: The Many Faces of the Morrigan by Morpheus Ravenna. And proofreading the sequel to my pagan-centered novel Wyldwood (but that’s more hunting for formatting errors, so does that count as reading? 🙂
I tried to add my email address as I think I stopped receiving emails and when I entered my info it says it’s blocked, I hope that’s not the case, apologies if somehow it is.
For studying Ogham:
-The Poet’s Ogham A Living Magical Tradition by John-Paul Patton
– Ogham by David Stifter
– Ogham Weaving Word Wisdom by Erynn Rowan Laurie
– Ireland’s Wild Plants Myths, Legends, and Folklore by Nial Mac Coitir
– Ireland’s Animals Myths, Legends, and Folklore by Nial Mac Coitir
For studying the Irish Gods:
– The Mórrígan Meeting the Great Queens by Morgan Daimler
– Brigid Meeting the Celtic Goddess of Poetry, Forge, and Healing Well by Morgan Daimler
– Tales of a Dagda Bard vol. 1 by Jon O’Sullivan
– Tales of Old Ireland: Retold by Lora O’Brien
– The Dagda Meeting the Good God of Ireland by Morgan Daimler
– God’s and Goddesses of Ireland A Guide to Irish Deities by Morgan Daimler
Books to inform and inspire my path:
– Rathcroghan A Journey by Lora O’Brien
– Irish Witchcraft From an Irish Witch by Lora O’Brien
Books for fun
– Seduced by Moonlight by Laurel K. Hamilton
– The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
Abandoned in Death by J.D. Robb
Is the author Kathryn Hinds a decently respectable one when it comes to her books on Celtic mythology and such? Before I came across The Irish Pagan School and Ogham Academy, a book she co-authored called The Spirit of the Celtic Gods and Goddeses Their History, Magical Power, and Healing Energies, was one of the best options I had come across before learning that a lot of authors might not be authentic or good sources of information about general things Celtic. I wish to know if this book and some others like Celtic Magic by D.J. Conway need to be thrown out or not. I sadly don’t currently have the money to purchase more books but of course wish to once I can so I can finally make sure the sources of information for learning are all aligned with the truth of the history that I desire to learn from.
Kathryn Hinds is not an author we could recommend. DJ Conway absolutely needs to get in the bin.