Books of Gerald Gardner

Gerald Gardner was the central figure in the Wiccan renaissance of the 1950s and 1960s. He wrote several key texts of modern Wicca, including the Gardnerian Book of Shadows.

For copyright reasons, Gardners' books cannot be posted on the Internet for free distribution. However, they can be purchased through Amazon.com:

• High Magic's Aid (1949). This is a novel which is set in Medieval England, based very closely on Margaret Murray's works and the magical system described in The Key of Solomon. Gardner sold copies of this book at his Witchcraft Museum on the Isle of Man. The fictional setting was necessitated by the harsh laws against witchcraft which were still on the books as of 1949, and (reputedly) secrecy requirements placed on him by the traditionalist coven which he had joined. Although High Magic's Aid may not quite succeed as a historical novel, it is quite readble and is a significant document in the evolution of modern Wicca.

• Witchcraft Today (1951) and the Meaning of Witchcraft (1959) (Note: these books are currently out of print, but should be obtainable on the used book market). These books are non-fictional, popularized recitations of Gardners' evolving views on Wicca. After the repeal of the witchcraft laws in England in 1951, Gardner finally convinced his traditionalist coven to allow him to publish some of the details of their previously secret beliefs and practices. Or so the story goes; in any case, these are transitional books in which Gardner is weaving together the various strands of modern Wicca. These books created a sensation and Gardner became what amounted to the first Wiccan media star.