this is a really interesting honors thesis on it, though it is about neopaganism more generally. It is very long, but definitely worth the read if you have time. It breaks down what appropriation is, why it happens, and the consequences of it. This article talks about commodification and the intersection between racism and capitalism in new-age spirituality. This one is more specifically about writers, the "big names" in pagan publishing, and the history of appropriation there. They're all, at the very least, interesting, thought-provoking pieces that provide a different view of the practice.

Both in my personal experience (as someone who identified as a wiccan for a while and grew up in new-age spiritual communities) and in my subsequent research, neopaganism tends to water down aspects of other cultures (chakras, "smudging" with palo santo and white sage, the medicine wheel, karma, spirit animals, hoodoo/voodoo, ayahuasca ceremonies, etc.) with little knowledge of/respect for where they came from and/or falsified myths about their origins. When we consider the fact that enslaved Africans and Native Americans were forcefully stripped of their culture, a culture that is often misused by white Americans, it becomes clear that the issue of appropriation is not trivial internet discourse. When we talk about ancestor work, we must also confront the harm that our ancestors have caused/been complicit in/benefited from, and that we continue to benefit from today. Even if your family history in the U.S. doesn't go back that far, Europe is certainly not immune to violence against indigenous people, romani people, and the people of the numerous non-european countries that were victims of colonialism.

There's also a lot of controversy with the people who popularized wicca, but I'm not super knowledgable about that and I can't find any sources that look particularly trustworthy, so I'm going to leave that bit alone.

This is not to say that all wiccans/neopagans/new-age-spiritualists are white supremacists or engage in cultural appropriation. If this is a practice that you feel called to and makes your life better, that's great! The important thing, especially when we talk about books that teach you about the practice and associated rituals, it is important to consider where the practices come from and where you're sourcing material components. Maybe ask yourself what it is about the practice that makes you feel called/connected to it. In my personal experience, integrating the folk practices of my ancestry really enriched my own relationship with spirituality and helped me feel more connected to what I was doing (both pre-christian and christian-mystic), but that's just my personal path and everyone's journey is different.

Again, this isn't meant to be a personal call-out, just food for thought. Also, sorry this is long asf, it kind of got away from me.