Robert Anderson has been working at Edge of the Circle Books since the early ‘90s. Back then, it had just transitioned from a “shack” on 14th and Union staffed by volunteers to a brick-and-mortar business; he bought it in 1995 and moved it from its old Capitol Hill location to the University District a decade ago. Through all of that, the shop’s mission has stayed the same — it sells the biggest array of items related to “paganism and the occult” that you’re likely to find in the city. That means books, tarot cards, candles, figurines, even witch-centric day planners.
It’s as good a place as any to go to if you’re interested in magic or pagan practices, maybe out of interest in the religious practices of your long-ago ancestors or an inspiration you caught from WitchTok. So on a recent visit to Edge of the Circle, I asked Anderson what advice he’d give to a burgeoning witch or would-be druid.
He said that first he’d ask what specific tradition this hypothetical person was interested in. There’s a difference between getting into magic based on West African Yoruba practices, say, or wanting to learn about Norse mythology and rituals.
For anyone interested in neopaganism — the revival of pre-Christian religious traditions — he’d tell them to read “Drawing Down the Moon,” Margot Adler’s classic history of the movement. Beyond that, Facebook groups can be a great starting point. Anderson suggested Washington Witches and Washington State Pagans as places where newcomers can post and get advice about events to attend and resources to seek out. From there, tomes like “Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft” and “True Magick: A Beginner's Guide” can be jumping-off points.
But with so many traditions and so many different paths to walk, it’s really up to the individual what they want to get into, Anderson pointed out. “I'm not here to tell people what they should want,” he said. “If somebody is especially interested in some magical tradition or some spiritual path, I will try to accommodate them.”
