Product Description
magic, magick, witchcraft, witchcraft theology, wicca, wiccan, thealogy, goddess, goddess theology, goddess magick, goddess religion, wicca religion, wicca 101, pagan, paganism, neopagan, neo-pagan, neopaganism, neo-paganism, serious wicca, real witchcraf ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Nice try, but not a good reference
I believe Wicca needs more authors dealing with the philosophy of the religion.That said, this kind of book is not helpful: rather than presenting the issues with a spectrum of approaches, then considering them side by side, Free presents her personal viewpoints without context.

She falls into a number of what I would consider huge errors.Especially noticeable is the fact that the God gets only lip service in spite of her having devoted a chapter to scolding others for doing this.Otherwise, when she discusses Deity she ONLY uses language relating to the Goddess.

Worse, she takes up a lot of space in this short book making acrimonious remarks about Abrahamic faiths and their perceived atrocities against Man and Earth.

All in all, this is a shortsighted and shallow exploration of topics that need better authors to address them.

Most Insightful Wiccan Book Availible
I've been studying Wicca for well over a year now, reading most any book that I can find in hopes of finding a new perspective. I've been drawn to Wicca for a long time, but through my studies have rarely found anything with enough substance to convince me of true depth. This book was a huge inspiration and proved my hypothesis that there are other Wiccans out there who can read and think about a Jr. High level.

A Start
There are a number of helpful reviews here of this book, so I'll just add a few notes of my own. This is a good start. The author refreshingly admits that she isn't primarily a writer, but that the need is so strong for this type of book that she felt the need to write one. Good for her! It is a good book and not badly written (although there are numerous misspellings and typos - it needed a good proofreader). The book is slim and for anyone who is already familiar with Wicca, a quick and easy read. It is partly a manifesto, like some other books coming out now, but without departing from the spirit of Wicca, just building on it. She makes the point that any Wiccan Thealogy needs to agree with latest in scientific discoveries. I couldn't agree more. Literalist Christianity and similar literalist religions have smashed on the rocks of scientific truth.

This book is a good start. It is more advanced than 101 books but I wouldn't say it is a 404 so much as a 202. If you're looking for an advanced Thealogy I'd also recommend "She Who Changes" by Carol Christ and of course Starhawk's books. There are also some good tidbits of Thealogy in Vivianne Crowley's Books.

organic, wholistic cosmic pantheism - wow!
I believe Esra Free's "Wicca 404: Advanced Goddess Thealogy" is an important book in the evolution of Wicca. To the extent that other reviewers have labeled it "not orthodox," I can only agree, and pray to the Goddess that Wiccan orthodoxy catches up soon to Ms. Free's stunning cosmic vision of what Wicca clearly is to her, and what it could be for us all. "Wicca 404" is Goddess religion elevated to the level of organic, wholistic cosmic pantheism. I can only say "wow," and suggest that those who find something in that universal vision and our natural place as human beings within it repugnant either missed the author's point or have their own axes to grind. I cannot imagine any serious Wiccan or pagan failing to gain from reading this book. Even if you don't embrace every idea Ms. Free puts forth, you will be stronger in your own views for having tested them against such a well thought out and eloquently delivered presentation. Five stars for sure.

An earnest effort, but...
Let me start with the good: Ms. Free is right on in her criticism of the dearth of advanced Wiccan theology books available (or as she terms it, thealogy). I share her frustration with the fixation of publishers who seem bent on promoting a spell-a-day mentality with little attention paid to the deeper aspects of Wiccan spirituality. There are far too many books out there that claim to explore the more advanced aspects of Wicca, but are in reality just a re-hashing of the same old very basic material. After while, it leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. I also happen to agree with the author's opinion that Wicca must be relevant to today's world, the world of the year 2008, not just an escapist exercise of romanticizing the past.So, big kudos to Ms. Free for addressing both of these very important issues. Also, I did not find, contrary to a few statements by other reviewers, that this book is particularly hard to read.

And that is about where my love affair with this book ends. The problem is that although the authors states at the beginning of the book that this is her understanding of how things work, the actual material itself comes across as an authoritative source of how all Wiccans perceive Deity and the metaphysical workings of the universe.There are far, far too few statements such as: "I believe..." "In MY coven, we believe that...""This is MY understanding of the Goddess/God..." "It is MY belief that..." As one reviewer has already stated, you need to apply a substantial ego-filter to this book. And even then, you may find, as I did, that you are in serious disagreement with much of the metaphysical conclusions reached by Ms. Free.

Were I in a teaching situation in a coven, I might present this book as ONE view of the spiritual workings of Wicca, but certainly not the only view, and certainly not as an authoritative voice for all Wiccans. I cannot recommend this book for a solitary neophyte, who might mistakenly think that this is how *all* Wiccans perceive things.

Still, I give this book 2 stars for the earnest effort. It is a big step in the right direction, one that I will hope will spur other Elders in the community to truly address the deeper issues. A person just beginning to explore Wicca may find the leap from a monotheistic, patriarchal religious tradition to Paganism bewildering at times. As it stands, Wicca is creating its own spiritual void by leaving newcomers to the religion without meaningful spiritual guidance. ... Read more

Product Description
"Wicca for Men" calls for a return to the basics of Wiccan belief--a positive, affirming, and spiritual religion that helps its members to grow in harmony with the Earth and with each other. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

same old book different cover
The author attempts give much needed attention to the male aspect of the religion. Some good points are made, but too much of the book is ritual, which I did not honestly get much out of. It focuses on the authors own tradition of wicca.Even though this is adaptable to anyone, it also smelled too much like a beginner book,which I did not expect.I already have too many 101 books in my library.I only read it once and donated it. Sorry..

Insightful
A.J. Drew is a wonderful author and by his writtings is very knowledgeable on the subject of Wicca.This is a great book for the male's point of view, and I encourage all men and women to read it!

Very good source but
I truely enjoyed this book and was quite happy with the matterial and the explanation that it is not just for men. The book does a good job of reminding you that both the male and female are required and have beauty in them one cannot exist without the other, contrary to may peoples belief today. we look at nature and find the magic of life and this book does bring that magic to a compeling view that the male force must not be shut out but niether can you not recognize the great importance of the female.

Now for the but part the book is easy to read and well writen perhaps abit more intune with the needs of a beginner or as a sorce book if you have experience it is still and excelent choice of matterial but definately seemed more aimed at the begginer.

Reconciliation of Goddess and God
I find myself trying to break away from the unforgiving, intolerant religion of my fathers, only to be shunned by the largest, fastest growing pagan religion in the U.S. It seems that after several millennia of abuse from the "patriarchal" religions, women have taken the only religion that does not oppress them or make them look like Jezebels and tried to make it their own.Thing is, they made it almost exclusively their own, projecting the same attitude toward men as has been shown to them for so long. Well, this book sets the record straight by pointing out that there is a room a plenty at Gods (esses) table. This book embraces all that is male (The Horned God) and introduces HOW TO EMBRACE THE GODESS AS WELL. This book is a true reconciliation between the two sexes. I started reading this book to affirm my place in the Wiccan religion. Only to find out it had already been done, and now know the real difference between a REAL witch, and these scissor-happy, man hating, neo-feminist "earth mothers" I always seem to run into. This book not only points out the incorrect way many Wiccan covens practice this religion, but also assures the curious and spiritually destitute man that Wicca, in fact, means MALE WITCH. (Sorry, ladies) However, this book takes it one-step further. I now realize the true beauty in seeing a gender duality in divinity because I found out that the Goddess (portion of Divinity seen as female) has never hated me nearly as much as I feared her.

Guys, I am happy to report thatSHE IS NOT A THREAT and will welcome you with arms open, not closed. She loves and cares for our father and the reverse is true. THEY ARE THE SAME. I feel the Gods rage in this book as he explains through the author the hurt and outrage he feels to this day when it came to be that man had forsaken his wife, his partner. His best friend, his soul mate. OUR MOTHER.

Now that I have digested and assimilated this new philosophy and religion, I see God and myself in a very different light. In doing so, certain things have happened almost literally overnight.

I have come to know a peace I have never known before and it is through tears of joy that I can now release a lifetime of bigotry, sexism, rage, hate and pain. Simply put:

The Goddess has helped me heal.

Now I understand the conceptual philosophy of gender duality attributed to all things divine and profane, I feel that I know now who my mother is.

And she is so...very...beautiful.

I have been shown that to accept my mother DOES NOT MEAN I MUST FORSAKE MY FATHER. It is the piece missing from the myriad of one-side confusion myself and others have been raised to believe. I now see women in a completely different light as a result of seeing myself differently the product of seeing The Almighty differently. This book IS NOT MEANT as an affirmation for men to reassure them that their conception of divinity must be REPLACED, but EXPANDED. Things began to click with me instantly while Ishtar smiled. All she wanted was for me to know who she was. Moreover, to know that although I may have never known WHO or WHAT she was, she has never forgotten who I AM. More is the pity. Better late than never I suppose.

This book is a calling to all male pagans Wiccan and non-Wiccan alike, to now join our sisters in reuniting the planet as a family and not strangers. Though I would venture to say that a reference to the Goddess as the "consort" to the God would be met with equal disdain from the True Wiccan Womanand earth-mother alike, it also serves to show them how equally distasteful it is to us to have the God referred to by the same title. Unless of course, you mean consort as "partner," that is.

That IS what you meant, right?

THIS BOOK IS FOR MEN AND WOMEN BOTH. To enlighten the man about the Ways of the Wood, while setting the record straight with our fairer counterparts as to equality and "practice what you preach." Ladies, I love you all. Please know that we (men) are coming from the same battle torn, madhouse that is modern religion and we are just as bruised, bloody and hurting as you were when you left. We are glad you have capitalized on a little known secret and exposing it to the world, but please remember that those who started this ball rolling in the 20th century meant to re surface something beautiful and a LOT of those pioneers...

WERE MEN. Buckland and Gardener to name but a few. Remember the witch who helped repeal the anti-witchcraft laws of England in 1951? O.K. that, my dearest sisters was a MAN. Quite a few of these guys were in fact, freemasons, like myself. And it is by no means a coincidence that our initiation rituals are so similar. No coincidence at all, ladies. So when you see one of us staggering toward your camp, hungry, beaten and torn, understand that a kind word, a hot meal and a warm bed can do more for a person in that condition (male or female) than a closed door ever could. See what I have come to understand is that the God (or the conception thereof) did not do this to all of us. HIS INSANE FOLLWERS DID. They took off his horns and replaced them with guns. THIS IS NOT THE GOD. This wrongful conception of masculinity must stop and this book subtly points that out. Even if you are a soldier and have been to war, you want to show me how brave you are?

Try changing a diaper tough guy. Lets see how bad you REALLY are.

We are not just soldiers and conquerors. We are husbands, fathers, lovers and protectors. We are the hunter, the farmer and the Holy Man. When did we loose sight of our roles and responsibilities AS MEN?

When did the farmer become the executive, the warrior a soldier? When did the hunter become a poacher, and the father a deadbeat dad? When did the husband become a tyrant and the father become just a picture on somebody's wall. But most importantly:

What about Mom?

WHEN DID WE KICK HER OUT OF THE HOUSE?

When we did that, we kicked out our wives and mothers as well, tossing out the baby with the bathwater, turning our women into slaves and thus begun the Ruination of the World.

Read this book. Because it can change yours.

Blessed Be :-}

Misleading...Where's the Male Stuff???
The book's title leads you to think that the book is geared towards Men. As you read through, you quickly realize that it would be better titled Creation's Covenant's View of Wicca.

I'll agree that the book is great for those uninformed about the Craft, and looking for information. Unfortuately, someone looking to break away from the female dominated stereotype of Witches will not find much help here. It rarely seperates the genders and focus' on coven-work, as opposed to something a male solitary would find helpful.

I was looking for a book to take to my male friends to help explain what I believe.That would have proven to be a mistake because as I am not part of the author's group, and he doesn't stray from their beliefs very often. ... Read more

Product Description
Más de 500,000 libros vendidos
Un libro clásico escrito por el famoso autor Scott Cunningham.  Esta obra presenta a la Wicca como lo que es: una bella religión que ama la naturaleza y venera deidades masculinas y femeninas.

Aprenda los rituales Esbats y Sabats para la práctica individual de la Wicca, ideales para quienes no tienen acceso a un convenio.  Obtenga ejercicios para desarrollar la magia con hierbas, cristales y runas mágicas así como recetas para las festividades Sabats.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excelente fuente de informacion para el neofito Wiccano.
Este es uno de los mejores libros para principiantes en la Wicca de habla hispana que se pueden adquirir en Estados Unidos. Fue el primer libro que compre anos atrás y atravez de Amazon llego a tiempo y en buenas condiciones. El libro explica todo lo básico que hay que saber sobre la Wicca y como un bono adicional contiene el libro de las sombras del propio autor. Si estas buscando un libro para iniciar tus estudios en la Wicca recomiendo este libro.

wicca
yes your book arrived in good order. why do you sent your post via switzerland ?? it took a long time, it will now go on to Cuba, thanks to your stupid blockade of that country.

miles of smiles,

paul. ... Read more

Product Description
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

A hotshot, Martha’s Vineyard, Deputy D.A. becomes embroiled in a web of lies, murder, and puritan New England politics when he’s assigned to prosecute two modern day witches accused of ritual sacrifice.

REVISED EDITION

Newly revised (10/10/10), edited and expanded e-book edition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.T. Cummins is a fiction author and screenwriter, primarily in the thriller, horror, and fantasy genres. He is perhaps best known as the author of the mystery/thriller COBBLESTONES, and the screenwriter and director of the horror movie classic THE BONEYARD. Early in his film career, J.T. provided special effects for such notable films as HOUSE, SSTRANGE INVADERS, ENEMY MINE, THE THING, and many others.

As a writer, J.T.’s diverse creative background manifests itself in an aggressive narrative style that merges the immediacy of the screenplay and the intimacy of the novel. Utilizing an active voice and minimal exposition, J.T. creates lean, mean, mind’s eye movies geared to a busy, modern audience that enjoys reading smart, exciting, fast paced fiction—all in about the time it takes to watch a feature length motion picture.

Visit J.T. at: www.jtcummins.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Twists, Turns and Small Town Antics
This is a quick read, and an enjoyable one. You have small town shenanigans, mystery, occults, with a little romance thrown in.
My favorite line from the book is "Just like wolves, the ignorant run in packs".
I enjoyed the way the story was written, short and to the point, not alot of "fluff" I like my stories to get to the point, and this one does!

Recommended
Has the way witches and witchcraft isviewed changed from the days of Salem is the theme of courtroom thriller.Cobblestones moves at a fast pace building to a satsifying climax.Recommended.

Fast, compelling and suspenseful!
In COBBLESTONES, modern day Martha's Vineyard comes off looking more like colonial Salem when a couple is accused of murder in connection with witchcraft. The story revolves around a hapless deputy district attorney, tasked with prosecuting a case that's light on evidence, but heavily weighed with island politics and prejudice. With lean writing and cinematic style, JT Cummins has created a fast-moving, suspenseful story that makes compulsive reading, right up to its climactic finish.

twists and interesting legal questions
Cobblestones combines courtroom intrigue with bedroom shenanigans and small-town suspense to deliver a satisfying tale. The characters are intriguing and keep you hooked as the various plot twists untwine. Cummins is a writer to watch and brings that visual, fast-paced "screenwriter" feel to his fiction.

Scott Nicholson
The Skull Ring
The Red Church

swept along
The Author painted people you could care about effortlessly.I got swept up in thier lives immediately.A fast ride to a colorful place.I enjoyed my time there! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Light on Substance
The book is light on specifics, quite superficial,and not all that enlightening. I certainly would not recommend the book for an introduction to Wicca, and it is probably so simplistic that a practitioner would not find it of much use.

Having said that, it does have some good references, bibliography, tables of correspondences, and dates to remember.

Happy to own
Happy to own, good rituals and look for insperation in it when I get "spell block"

Waste of Time...
This is the first Dunwich book I've ever read, and I'm not sure I'll be picking up another one. My main problem with this book is the bibliography. She cites her own works and very few others. Where does she get her info? I have no idea. The spells were silly and a lot of her writing was very fluffy and not that original. Save your money on this one, if you have to spend more than a buck, it's too much!

...well, it could be worse.
Not bad. A little fluffy, but a good 5th or 6th book for a beginner.
Don't read it alone, though.

Not Impressed.
I am not impressed with the way she is constantly talking about "white light" and "white magick". We all know that magick is neither white nor black nor grey, it just *is*. She mentions several names of deities who are very unfamiliar, and never once explains who they are, where they come from, etc. Confusing, that. And the illustrations seem to be straight out of the Malleus Maleficarum! She gives rituals to do throughout the year, but doesn't make a distinction between actual Sabbats and days that are important to "many witches". These "many witches" are never given names or traditions, and these extra days are nothing I have ever heard of, and I have read many many books on Wicca that should have included these days, if they were so all-fired important. The "poetry" is lacking something to me, it seems mechanical, almost. She says that "traditionally" this is used, or that is said or that happens, but never mentions what tradition, and most of these "traditional" things are again, things I have never heard of! I just don't understand this book... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

I think this book explains it all!
I have known Ms Pittman for many, many years now, in fact, she is one of the very first people that I came in contact with when I began my journey back in 2002.

This book, in my humble opinion, is complete, concise and honest in what it has to say on Christian Wicca.

I am a Christian AND a Witch and I wear BOTH titles proudly.

Thank you so much, Nancy, you are indeed my beloved hero!

RENAME THIS BOOK!!!
I am sorry, while I agree with the ideas the author puts forth, being both very open minded and calm when hearing other ideas, I just cant get over the fact that perhaps the author has confused PAGANISM with WICCA!Wicca is an established religion, albiet rather new in the borad scheme of things, but the beliefs and practices of wicca are not up for debate, or go-as-you-please.*PAGANISM* is however, as varied as the rainbow.To confuse Wicca and Paganism once is fine, but to write a whole book saying that Wicca is synonomous with paganism is just disrespectful.

Im all for people saying they are Pagan Christians, the idea of a holy trinity works well into an earthbased religious system, even one using ceremonial magic.This could be a beautiful spiritual system.

A "Wiccan Christian," however, just can not exist. That is disrespectful of the accepted rules of *both* those religions.

Please, dont confuse eclectic earth based god-and-goddess paganism with Wicca.

A Rare Hidden Treasure!
I have held off writing a review for this book for almost a year now because I wasn't sure if my view would be unbiased enough to be of any benefit to other readers.You see I know the author, in fact I consider Nancy to be a very dear friend of mine.But after reading some of the negative reviews on here I have decided to break my silence.
First I doubt that most of the people giving this book a bad review have even read past the front cover.Or maybe they are just such fundamentalist that any idea outside their box threatens them.The title, like all book titles, is there to get your attention.Anyone who has read the book knows that Nancy is not trying to blend the two religions.She is offering an alternative way of looking at and working with both.
Second, about the grammatical errors, I will just say it people.Getting a book published and out to the masses is costly, and the more corrections and revisions that you elect to do before print raises that cost greatly.This book was a vision she had.It was a work of love and she wanted to get the information out there.Spend less time reading with the red pen in your hand and more time thinking about the ideas she is sharing.
About the book itself, if you have any interest or curiosity about this subject, you need to read this book!It is not the end all or final answer to anything, but is a jumping off point.It is meant to get you thinking and asking questions.Nancy has a brilliant mind and a deep love for the subject.I have had many conversations with her about this and similar subjects and I always leave feeling more enlightened than before.
This book has a large and very devoted following of people who are very passionate about this subject.As for me, I bought this book the first day I meet Nancy and it has been one of my most prized books ever since.I highly recommend this book and believe if you have an open mind you will love it every bit as much as I do.

-JaySun

Filled my emptying faith with new fuel
Nancy is a wonderful woman with a passion unlike any i have seen.

I used to be a fundamentalist until i lost my faith a few years ago. i felt empty and in need of help. I began to follow my interests in Wicca, but felt Jesus still calling me. I then began to pray to a Goddess, i didn't know who she was, i just knew she was here with me. Later i found her site www.christianwicca.org and was instantly at peace. after much researching and soul searching i decided to act upon my instincts and i just now have bought her book and cannot put it down. It has guidelines for anything you are curious about (sabbats, esbats etc.)

I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels empty in the mainstream religious world, who feels drawn to a higher purpose and does not know how to follow it.

Also, Nancy is a very kind person, her AIM account is on her page and she will talk to you like a life-long friend. Or answer any questions you may have. I owe her my life for her work on this book and i hope you give her a chance as i have.

Blessed Be.

-Dustin

Good Reading
Christian Wicca: The Trinitarian Tradition

Wonderful and very informative..It includes all the Solar Rituals and explains it so it is easy to follow. It clearly explains the Trinitity
Lord/Lady and Son and how it blends with Wicca..
I highly recommend this book..I give it a A+++++ ... Read more

Product Description

The evolution of Wicca is as dynamic and colorful as the Witches who helped shape it. One of the most enigmatic and progressive practitioners of his time, Gerald Gardner was arguably the most instrumental Witch in spreading the Craft around the world.

Drawing on his decades of personal involvement with Wicca, Michael Howard offers an intimate portrait of Gerald Gardner's life and traces the history and development of modern neo-pagan Witchcraft. Howard reveals little-known facts and stories surrounding the men and women who shaped Wicca over the past sixty years, including Aleister Crowley, Alex Sanders, and influential initiates such as Doreen Valiente.

From the Museum of Magic and Witchcraft on the Isle of Man to the origins of the Book of Shadows, Modern Wicca tracks the expansion of Wicca as it spread from the United Kingdom to the United States and beyond-and takes you inside the political controversies, behind-the-scenes rivalries, and once-guarded secrets of pagan ritual, Wiccan spells, and the Craft of the Wise.

"This is an extremely important book, representing an account of Wiccan history from somebody who has himself been a major actor in it."—Ronald Hutton, author of The Triumph of the Moon 

Customer Reviews (4)

A confusing book
I just read this book.I found the book interesting but hard to follow.For one thing, it lacks an index.If it ever gets to a second edition, I think an index would be helpful to follow all the names in Wicca's history that Howard gives us.I also found that it jumped around a bit chronologically.Aside from these points, I was glad to see a history of Modern Wicca out there.

Fascinating History of Modern Witchcraft
Anyone who has read any of Mike Howard's other books -- anything with his name on it, as writer or editor, is pure gold, as far as I'm concerned -- or any of the issues of his magazine The Cauldron, published since 1976 and well worth seeking out, will know he is a great writer with a rich history of involvement in the British witchcraft movement (and by extension the American); this book is that history. It goes from Gerald Gardner on, and is full of the kind of social in's and out's, the rise and fall of covens, their evolution, that make such books enjoyable for those who love these things, myself included. It *is* a history, as opposed to yet another book of Wicca 101 basic ritual or whatever, but I can't imagine anyone interested in the subject reading this and not being delighted. It was, incidentally, one of my first Kindle purchases, and so far is both the best and least expensive purchase I've made w/ my new little gadget. Highly recommended!

A detailed and useful history
Howard has produced quite a good book that will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in the birth and development of Wicca.In a time when shelves are bursting with a plethora of Wicca 101 and how-to books on the subject, this book that deals with the history of this belief is a breath of fresh air.Within its pages, the author deals in detail with important figures and events from Gerald Gardner's pre-Wicca days right through to the evolution of today's varied incarnations of Wicca.

My only criticism of the book is the two-edged sword of detail given in the work.While the profuse facts, dates, names, and places given add to the accuracy and historical value of Modern Wicca, the sheer quantity of these bogs down the book in places, wrecks narrative cohesion, and in some instances can lose the reader down rabbit trails that do not advance the individual chapter, or the book as a whole.

Beyond that, I recommend this book to anyone with a real interest in the history of Wicca.

Modern Wicca
I was pleasantly surprised with Michael Howard's 'Modern Wicca'. It is a must have for anyone interested in the history of the modern witchcraft movement. His history is honest and direct telling about his own experiences and insights over the year's he known well.
I could say more but a simple a job well done should be enough .

Dave Finnin ... Read more

Product Description
Teens are in search of spiritual answers, but adults can’t make them believe in God—teens today want to discover their own answers. Protecting Your Teens From Today’s Witchcraft gives parents the hard facts about Wicca, tips on recognizing its influence in a teen’s life, and solid, practical advice for guiding their kids in the right direction while still allowing them to come to their own conclusions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Terrible
It is a bad sign when people want to "protect" others from someone else's legitimate religious faith.Cults generally fear their members finding faiths other than their own.If your religion is good and right, members would gravitate toward it and not leave it on that merit alone.Cults try to actively prevent their members from finding spirituality in other ways or from other sources.The act of spreading lies about other faiths in an attempt to keep people from inquiring about it is shameful and a form of brain washing.

An honest, open-minded, well documented look into the occult. A must read
Steve Russo' scholarly approach to the study of Wicca compares the inconsistencies of this new age religion to the timeless truths of the Bible. Is Wicca dangerously deceptive or just an innocent pursuit? Let this open-minded, honest approach help you make an informed decision. This is a must-read for every parent who has a teenager.

Steve Russo - check your facts!
Dear Steve Russo -

Please check your facts and information before you write yet ANOTHER book slandering Wicca and Witchcraft. Obviously you do not know what you are talking about, and are simply writing these books without factual claims just to make a dollar. Shame on you.

To anyone who is considering buying this book, do not waste your money on it. All he is doing with this book is trying to take your money with lies and trying to bring back the idea into society that burning people at the stake is okay. If you are closed-minded though and buy into utter nonsense like this, then it is a perfect book for you.

Horrible
What this Russo guy probably didn't tell you is that Wicca is nothing to fear! There is witchcraft, yes, but Wicca isn't as so. It's a harm none belief that isn't anything to do with saton or other Christian no no's. Many don't agree with Wicca, all because they don't know what it really is. This book is only continuing the sterotype and is not what we need right now, with it giving the wrong impression.

" Confronting" not " understanding"
First, I think I should tell you that this book and another of Steve Russo's " What's the Deal with Wicca" is The SAME BOOK but with passages rearranged.

Secondly as a Wiccan for over two decades, presumably I would know all about my religion. Russo does not diffentiate between the various Pagan groups, Wicca and " witchcraft". I think he makes no distinction deliberately.On the surface the book(s) looks semi- well researched, but a more informed reader can see that is a mask for the same old " all other religions are decepttions of satan" stuff that books attacking Wicca and the occult in the 1980s spewed out from Christian publishing houses.The sanctimonious arguments that Wicca has no real values, we worship the creation not the creator, ad nauseum shows a pretense of knowledge but more of the author's own biases than anything objective.

Russo's biases and Bible-'rationalized" intolerance shows through no matter how much he tries to sweeten it. And, like in many " arguments" for comversion, Russo cheats. If you are a parent cocnerned about your teen involed in Wicca, this book is NOT the one you should read. " When Someone You Love is Wiccan" by Carl McColman is far more informantive, unbiased, and the author is not trying to decieve you to uphold his own biases. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

It's not crap!
I didn't come in with very high expectations, being unaware of the author, but very aware of the horrible inaccuracies and random flights of fancy stated as fact, generally associated with anything claiming to be 'Celtic Wicca'.

So, my first words when shoving this book under a friends nose when I read it last year, were:
"Look! And it's not crap!"

I really need to read it again, and give a better review, but I just had to put *something* down here.

This is very nearly Celtic Reconstructionism, as it seems like the author does include what is known of Celtic mythology and ritual practice, but as she puts it, Wicca provides a foundation for the practice - because there's so much we don't know about Celtic religion and spiritual practice. Better to be honest about it.

In reference to an earlier reviewers critique, the book actually has a section on Historical accuracy (which is excerpted on the authors website - [...]), which deals with maintaining historical accuracy, and dicusses the fact that opinions in academic works change constantly.

In fact - the previous reviewers critiques really only deal with points over which many historians have strong, and contradictory opinions, so if anything, the only fault is in not stating that the issues are still controversial (and there's few historical 'facts' that aren't!).
E.g. personally I do believe the Celts practiced human sacrifice at some point, if only because *everyone's* ancestors probably practiced it at some point, not to mention some people attempt to make slightly arbitrary distinctions between say 'killing domestic animals for food' and 'animal sacrifice' and between 'criminal justice' and 'human sacrifice', when the distinction isn't so clear (or there at all!) in the culture concerned, nor should the abhorrence of our culture for such practice be used to evaluate our understanding of another cultures views. Take a further look at the Lindow and Tollund bog men.
I think the previous reviewer would have an apoplexy if they actually read any of the other, so called, 'Celtic Wicca' books. But, that's an aside.

I'd give this book 5 stars for anyone actually interested in practicing a form of Celtic Wicca, and 4 stars (highly recommended) for people practicing Wicca in general, because it has some great content on connecting with Deities, ritual in general, not to mention great little tips such as its suggestions on how to conduct a trance/guided meditation for two people (it can be really hard making sure you're both 'on the same page' as it were, not to mention helping keep the other person close if one person starts experiencing something that deviates from the script).

Inept At Best...
While this book did have it's good points (albeit few & far between), they were off set by much of her historical inaccuracies.In fact, I found them to be worrisom enough to detract one star for each fallacy.So, I would like to take the time and correct those 3 prevaliant issues.However, it is truly sad to see that pagans believe they will not be taken seriously (even by many pagans) if you do not toe-the-line (as suspicious as those "lines" may be).Otherwise, you risk being labled the dreaded "fluffy bunny"!

The first thing which struck me as odd, is that she claimed that we DO know some very controversial claims regarding "the Celts".However, this is not a safe comment to make, due to the basic reason that the Celts left no written records.In other weords, we can't really claim to "know" what we do about the Iron Age tribes.She views historey and scholarship as black and white.However, as any historian will tell you, history consists less of facts, than it does of theories, interpretations, and even innuendo!Until otherwise, I choose to remain open minded.Much of my schoalrly knowledge comes from the works of Miranda Green.Who's books were recommended to me by prof. Ronald Hutton (whom Jane Raeburn seems to fauns over, again & again).Yet, it's clear that Raeburn has read Prof. Green's work (as well as that of Dr. Anne Ross), however, she dismisses most of it as facy!The best description for Hutton's work, who is not an expert in Archaeology, is "Jack of all trades and master of none".Both Max Dashu (a historian) and Asphodel Long have published well researched articles regarding his sometimes sloppy research (and other times narrow or limited, even biased, remembering what I've already said about history).

The first flaw I noticed is her discussion that the Celts DID engaged in ritual human sacrifice as a means of appeasing the Gods.For a variety of reasons, this is a highly suspect claim (always has been).Even prof. Ronald Hutton has been quoted as saying, "The Druids are people who are experts in magick and religion in North West Europe about 2,000 years ago.And, they are very big in what now is the British Isles, France, and the Netherlands.They impressed the heck out of the Greeks and Romans as people of great power & wisdom.Unfortunately, they impressed the heck out of them in different ways.Some Greek and Roman writers said that they are very wise and gentle, deeply in touch with nature and the human soul.And, others said they were blood-thirsty barbarians dyed up to the elbows in human blood, and, experts in sacrifice and all manner of savage and horrible religious rites."So, we have two very contradictory stories, here, already!And, Raeburn further exemplifies these contradictions further, in picking and choosing (badly) certain research to appease modern Pagans at large, rather than stating "We don't know" that they committed ritual human sacrifice for a fact (which we don't)!

Dr. Green goes on to say, which bears one's respect and consideration, that, 4 of the Classical writers (including Ceasar) whom protrayted them as "blood-thirsty barbarians dyed up to the elbows in human blood," are known to have based this "evidence" upon the earlier, but lost, writings of Posidonius.Which is clear, enough, a mark against such actions by any scholarly reasoning.After all, many scholars would dismiss such accounts as "hear-say".Which, even in a court of law, is inadmissible.

However, we also know that Ceasar's motives were certainly a smear campaigne of propaganda!(Heck, the word "Celt" was created by the Clasical writers as a blanket term for a "barbarian").Because we know that the Romans saught to demonize their opponents as enemies (a common practice).We also know that the Celts once siezed control of Rome for a total of 7 months.I would be mad enough to demonize them and prove what "savages" they were, too!What also bears consideration is that if sacrifice was, in fact, part of their culture, one would expect many references in their literature.There is only one, which apepars to scholars in the field, to be a Christian forgery.However, some remains of executions have been found in the archeological record, but it is not clear whether the victims were executed after a court trial or killed during religious rituals.Given what we DO know (which I have outlined, above), I am betting on the prior belief...However, many try to bring in Tollund Man (a bog mummy) as proof positive.But, Dr. Linnda Caporael has a fascinating new theory for this, and showns repeatible evidence throughout history, and is quite plausible!It all begins with ergot (a fungi which grows on spoiled rye) which was found within the remaining contents of his stomach.And, it has been used to successfully explain much of the Salem trials, & even "The Burning Times".Which all boils down to a bad acid (LSD) trip!She was able to trace break outs of ergot in both the areas of Salem and throughout Europe and the UK.Historian, Mary Matossian, supports her theory, and has shown evidence for it as, perhaps, the leading cause of "Witch" persecutions throughout Europe.However, many of the peat bog bodies, dating from the Iron Age had been found that their last meal had been contamonated by ergot.So, this could strongly link it to the Witch trials, as many historians assert.Perhaps he was murdered because they were thought to gave been possessed.Some exhibit a strong sense of over-kill & have been bound.What better way to "bind" a spirit from ever rising & causing further harm than!It is perfectly plausible, in the words of another Dr., an expert in ergotism, from Switzerland.

She further alleges that Cerridwen was not a Goddess.And, supports her views with no real evidence, other than citing Hutton.However, Celtic scholars, Dr. Miranda Green and Anne Ross (amongst others), believes She was...and supports her views with plenty of evidence.What was so odd is Hutton had Green review his book "The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles" to which Raeburn turns, yet forgets that Huttons' theory, here, is way off, and Green obviously didn't read Hutton's views of Cerridwen.In fact, Raeburn (who was trained in a Welsh coven) forgot that Hutton does not accept the historic existence of any Welsh Gods and Goddesses.

Also, no Celtic scholar whose works I've ever read had translated her name as meaning "Crooked Woman" (this stems from "Korrigan" which Hutton contends protrays Her as a stereotypical witch, despite the fact that it refers to drawfism, rather than personal temperment).But, according to several Celtic scholars, her name is firmly believed to come from the following words: "Cerdd" or "Cariad", which mean "song, poetry" and "beloved", respectfully, and "Gwen", which most often, "White", or in other cases, "fair," "shining," or "holy".Celtic scholar, James Mackillop, has also come to this conclusion, as he had his works reviewed by specialists in the Welsh language.Green asserts that "She [Cerridwen] was almost certainly a goddess, a prophet and a creator.The dualism of Her role as a divinity associated with life, death an regeneration is symbolized by Her children Crearwy and Afagddu who, perhaps, represented day and night, light and darkness, and perhaps also the sky and the underworld, summer and winter."Taliasin, Her regenerated son, describes himself as having been present at the Creation and was older than Mabon, described as both the youngest and oldest of beings.In fact, Raeburn seems to dismiss a lot of what very well regarded scholars have to say, throughout her book.

She also alleges that the Goddess, Bridgit, was never a Goddess, but...an actual woman.Now, this may be.But...tell that to the Catholic Church which successfully decannonized Her back in 1996, because there was not enough evidence for Her historical existance.Thus, putting to rest, that She might have been an actual woman/saint, essentially.In fact, there is far more evidence, which points to Her having been a divinity, according to Celtic scholars, than not!

In conclusion, it seems curious that she seems to ommit any contributions to her book, from her "Bibliography" by noted Celtic scholars, whom disagree with her prime theories.Indeed, based on the books in her "recommended reading list" and her "statement" that "Celtic Wicca has history as its foundation," one can easily deduce that it may, in actuallity, be a book concerning Celtic Reconstructionism rather than "Wicca."In fact, she is overtly harsh and uncompassionate when it coms to the works of earlier scholars which made Wicca, as a world religion, what it has been from the very beginning!I have never understood this sad attitude amongsty modern Pagan Witches-- they should give credit to their religion, where it is due: Murray, Leland & Frazier, etrc.!THEY are an INDELIBLE and INTRINSIC part of our religion (period) and deserve our due respect (regardless of the politics involved)!!!

If you are exploring Wicca as an option...
This book is great for someone who is just exploring the possibility of Wicca or the Celtic tradition. However, for someone at the intermediate level, I would recomend something less "generalized" such as one of Fitch's or McCoy's many works. Again, Raeburn's "Celtic Wicca" is a comprehensive, easy to read overview of Celtic Wicca. The author was very good at giving a general sense of the principles of Wicca with a touch of humor on the side. But what I found extremely useful about the book, was that it is a great book to share with someone who is..."uneasy" with the concept of Witchcraft as a religion, but is willing to learn more. Blessed be!

Celtic Wicca
Very well-written and informative.I enjoyed the book very much, and found the history of the Celtic gods and goddesses, with their complimentary rituals, to be especially good.Also, Ms. Raeburn describes the way the Celtic deities and the Roman deities became intermingled as did the cultures in a way that can help one follow the sometimes tangled web of changing names of various gods, goddesses, and demi-deities.

Real history and real religion!
At last, a book that takes both Wicca and history seriously. You see so many Wiccan books that just mangle historical facts. This one is the real thing. Raeburn is honest about what is and isn't Celtic, and about the fact that Wicca is a modern religion.

I also liked the writing in here very much. Raeburn offers some basic Wicca information for newcomers, but this is more like Wicca 102 - she quickly gets into deeper material and really encourages the reader to explore history and art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

This book it for certain people...for me it changed my life!
This is one of my favorite books. I have read it many times and enjoy it more and more every time. I like how relate-able this book is, you can sit down read it and you feel like you've done something, you've gone on a journey. I try to take the time to read myself one of these stories on each of the sabbats. This book gave me a direction to go on that I felt good and comfortable with. I highly recommend it!

Step Aside, Scott Cunningham....
I've collected many books on Paganism and Wicca over the past nine years, but this is the only one I have read that mirrors my personal feelings and beliefs; it's almost like the author was reading my mind while he was writing it.Michael Thomas Ford has written a wonderful book dealing with gay mens' spirituality, and I would recommend it to any Witch or Pagan.It currently resides on my Favorites bookshelf, and travels with me wherever I go.

Gay friendly but nothing new
I bought this book trying to be a little more non-judgemental with the Wiccan trival that is out there. I've been dissappointed with the few "Gay" Wiccan oriented books that have made it to bookstores. I've scanned them on the book shelves but never bought any because they all seem to be just Wicca 101 rehash trying to have a gay bent. This one is the same. It seems no one understands the gay spirit or at least is afraid to take the first step. These books needs to stop trying to put a gay cloak over "straight" spirituality. The gay spirit is unique and needs to be explored on its own turf.

Why I gave this book 3 stars is for the pathworking chapters. I liked those and will use them.

Orpheus (descending)

Lacking, but not without value
Now, being somewhat new to Wicca as well as a gay man, I nearly jumped out of my boots when I found this book.I was eager to read it, but sad to say I was unable to bring myself to finish it.In the end, this book was mainly a Wicca 101 directed at the gay man.What's more, it does deliver an excessive amount of bashing at Traditionalist and Reconstructionist Wiccans/Pagans, which left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.That being said, it's interesting to see Ford's ecclectic outlook, and most of what he writes is just because of who he is - he tells you what he feels, how it is, without the sugar-coating.
Now some of the redeeming values.Each chapter gives a story about the "Myth of the Green Man."These stories tell of the first Green Man, and his journey with the Celtic gods and goddesses through the Wheel of the Year, and in my opinion these stories are sheer poetry, something of great value for the Sabbats.Second, he provides various activities for the Sabbats, so if you're planning a Sabbat party, please take a look.He also gives a great deal of common sense ideas about a Pagan life, such as not getting caught up in buying up fancy Pagan items and just working with your finances.
This book is okay for the gay man who's completely new to Wicca, provided they continue to read other Wiccan/Pagan texts. To those who are more experienced, it's not really that necessary of a read.Still, there are better books that a gay man can start with, such as Christopher Penczak's Sons of the Goddess/Gay Witchcraft or Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practicioner.

Keeping Wicca Simple
I looked forward to thsi book as Michael Thomas Ford is a great writer and because I am interested in Wicca.He really focuses on the spiritual side rather than the ritualistic side that most authors lean toward.If you are looking for how to call a circle, elememntal guides, etc look elsewhere.Here he is more concerned with conecting with the divine and nature, reminding the reader that Wicca is a religion about living and love.

The gay male slant was also a bonus as we gay men really don't have much of a spiritual home to call our own in Wicca.Most books focus on the feminine side and women, here The God is figured promenently.

Some have complained this is nothing more than a Wicca 101 book.I feel that it instead is a great read for the jaded Wiccan who may have amassed thousands of dollars in tools and trinkets and wondering why no matter how slavishly they follow each ritual and spell still wonder why their life hasn't changed for the better.Wicca comes from the heart, not the wallet.

Travel the path of the Green Man if you dare, Silver Raven Wolf won't be there to hold your hand through the icky parts of life, but you'll be better for it. ... Read more

Product Description
Fun, illustrated projects for those who believe in magick.

From sewing, gardening, and jewelry-making, to calligraphy and lotion-concocting, here are Wicca craft projects for everyone. And with the ritual tools, altars, amulets, candles, mirrors, cauldrons, and a deeper understanding of their meanings, new and veteran Wiccans can enrich their ceremonies, from Esbats and Shabats to magical circles, and from kitchen magick to ritual baths.
• For readers of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Wicca and Witchcraft and The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Spells and Spellcraft
• According to FoxNews.com, Wicca is hugely popular on college campuses, and at least two colleges excuse believers from class on Wiccan holidays
• Ideal for both "sole practitioners" and groups of Wiccans
• Only "make-your-own" book on Wicca crafts ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Love the Book !
Love the book.Very easy to understand, and lots of insights into the Wicca world.

Any idiot can follow this.
This book is excellent. It is full of creative craft projects for the wiccan practicing person. It is a great way to create items for rituals and altars and it also has recipes for many different items to be made for rituals and the celebrated holidays.

Great for Starters
I have read other reviews about this book, and I have to say that I may disagree with some of what was said. I loved the book and couldn't put it down. No, many of the crafts call for equipment we all don't have laying around, but I was actually surprised at how much I did have in my own home and what I had that could be used as a substitute.

This book is a great starting point for Wiccans looking for simple to in depth craft ideas or just a little boost in your own creativity. No the book is not a complete encyclopedia of everything a Wiccan might want to craft, but it definitely gives you a starting point, some great ideas, and is very easy to understand for the most part.

I would recommend it to anyone with the curiousity to explore Wiccan crafts, but I do admit I will definitely be searching for a more detailed and intese book of crafts, recipes, etc.

Covers a little bit of everything... but only a little bit.
Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca Craft / 1-59257-262-6

To date, I have found (after exhaustive searching) about three guides on Wiccan craft projects. This is pretty disappointing, since Wiccans are people, too, and we like to make things as much as the next person. Unfortunately, the guides themselves are also somewhat disappointing.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca Craft tries to do a little bit of everything - cooking, brewing, sewing, miscellaneous crafting, and so on. Sadly, each topic is remarkably shallow - in this case "a little bit of everything" means, apparently, a VERY little bit.

The section on sewing a ritual robe basically involves buying a really big bolt of cloth, cutting a robe out of the bolt, and then sewing the two sides together and wearing the result. I'm no professional seamstress, but I do know how to sew a robe and I know how to sew a potato sack. The instructions here are far closer to a potato sack. For the record, if you want to sew a ritual robe, I personally recommend buying a "Christmas Pagentry" pattern for 99 cents and sewing up the ubiquitous "Angel Robe". If you want a hooded robe, check out the Halloween patterns - there's always a good "Elven Cloak" pattern available. These patterns are professional but not too hard, and you'll have actual sleeves and a proper neckline and maybe even a back zipper, rather than a potato sack to slip over your head.

Everything else is superficial as well. The full moon cookies are a basic sugar cookie recipe my mom has used for years. The goddess libation is a common non-alcoholic drink mix. The majority of the other crafts utilize children's craft material - white glue, glitter, paper plates, and so forth. I think this would be a GREAT resource for pagan parenting, but since I don't have children it doesn't do much for me.

I think the biggest problem is that a lot of these authors assume that if a person is new to the Craft (i.e. Wicca) then they must also be new to crafting. I'm still looking for a good Wiccan crafting book that is really in-depth and professional, but if you're looking for a book to involve children in Wiccan crafting, this is probably a decent resource.

~ Ana Mardoll

Literal Title
Most people will read the title and think it's a 101 book on Wicca or Witchcraft or both. However it's NOT either. Taking the title literally it's a book on CRAFTS. Basically a how-to book on making robes, candles, brooms, wands, crosses, pendulums, smudges, books, athames!!!, holiday related, etc.
So if you really want to learn how to do it yourself for pretty much ANYthing that deals with working magic, ritual and what to do for the holidays this is it.

The only part I found...bad was the athame part. It's almost copy and paste from Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. Not only that, the book makes it out that every craft is simple and easy to do and everybody can make these out of stuff lying around. I'm sorry I don't have a metal cutter and metal grinder just lying around my house. White glue and newspapers...maybe. ... Read more

Product Description
With more than 75,000 copies sold, this book has become the classic, introductory to one of the oldest--and fastest growing--religions in the world. The new edition explains the way of the Witch and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Hardcover edition, waste of paper
This review is based on the hardcover edition of "Wicca". First, I think its important to note that approx. 90 pages is not nearly enough to give any person the very basics of what Wicca is about. I found the information so vague at points that I dont think any beginner would have any idea of what Crowley was talking about. I understand that this book is supposed to be a very brief introduction, but it defeats the point of being an introduction when the material is so short. I should also point out that calling it approx. 90 pages of material is a generous statement considering half of the pages are filled with photos rather than information.

Despite the size of the book itself, there is some errors in here as well. Take, for example, the very short section about the planets. There is a table with the planets and the signs, but half the signs for the planets are wrong. Again, if someone is completely new they wont notice this and will eventually have to relearn the material later. Also, the author uses a concept of a five-phased God and Goddess. While I cant be a judge of someone elses ideas and say shes incorrect for her beliefs, I think its a bit of a disservice when Crowley is trying to do a very minimum introduction and then basically comes off as if this five-phased theory is common in Wicca, which its not. The biggest error in the book, and this bugs me no matter the book or author, is the continuing myth that Wicca is some ancient religion that was hiding in the shadows up until Gerald Gardner came about. With the research done these days why is any author still claiming this as fact when its clearly not true?

With this said, I will continue to recommend people who are closer to the beginner level to pick up something like Cunningham's "Wicca" instead of this. This book was a big disappointment and I wont be recommending it to anyone anytime soon.

Replacement
The book is a quick overview of Wicca.It has just enough info, to let the reader know if Wicca is somethingthat fits with them. I do reccommend it for those who want to what Wicca is and those who are trying to find their way.

One of the best introductions. And a very good idea to read before a lot of the others out there.
This is the first book I ever read specifically about a form of witchcraft, rather than having a small amount on that subject along with other matters, and it was a long time and a large amount of bookshelf space before I read a better.
The best thing about this book is that it is biased to a particular perspective and doesn't pretend otherwise. Ironically, the result is a much less biased book than many others on the topic: Crowley is writing as someone who is a High Priestess and also a Jungian and therefore does a good job of looking at Wicca from a Jungian perspective. While I personally think the Jungian point of view is overly represented in much Wiccan writing, and even more so in Neo-Wiccan writing, and often find that it grates on me (and when presented as the ONLY thing the gods are, irritates me greatly), this is not how I experience it with this book. Partly, this is because it doesn't pretend otherwise, unlike many books out there are there that treat Jungian archetypes as either undisputed fact or as if they were some sort of Wiccan dogma (which they aren't) or Neo-Wiccan dogma (which I suppose they quite possibly are). Partly also at least the author can actually write well about the Jungian perspective, rather than third-hand regurgitations of the idea of the gods as archetypes that doesn't really explore what that actually means.
The book also benefits from being focused largely on one way of looking at the Craft; in terms of the advantages it brings to it's practitioners (it's worth noting that the first edition was subtitled "The Old Religion in the New Age", and of course the New Age Movement differs from Wicca in being particularly concerned with what their practices can do for their practitioners' mental, physical and financial health). I'm not particularly interested in this view of what we do (for one thing, I think working the Craft solely for such benefits rather than in Their service would be a good way to lessen those incidental benefits) but for all that, I'm still much happier to read this book that tries to do one thing and does it well, than the libraries full of "the only book you'll ever need" that do so very little.
It's also why despite its wordier style than many books on witchcraft, this one has a lot more emotional resonance than most. It's rare to read a description of a ritual in a book on witchcraft, and to actually get any sense of why anyone would bother! Thankfully, this book is an exception to this.
I'd particularly recommend this to someone who had yet to read anything on witchcraft, and even more so to anyone who'd read about neo-Wicca and was interested in learning a bit about Wicca. I'd probably still put Gardner ahead in the list, but this would come in after that.

Quality & service
This item arrived on time and in excellent condition. I am glad to add it to my library. It is an excellent book about the Pagan experience "back then" and now.Very well written. This was an easy shoppling experience from Amazon.

basic 101
being from such a leader in wicca, i was expecting more info. this is basic 101 that you can get anywhere. it is short and there are pictures. i was expecting an adult book, not one for children. i'd give this to my 11 yr old to read. ... Read more

Product Description
Starhawk is the bestselling author who introduced over a million readers to Wicca – the earth-centered tradition that teaches us to seek wisdom from the cycles of life and the principles of nature itself. On The Beginner’s Guide to Wicca, she invites a new audience of listeners to learn blessings, spells, and rituals to connect with the Goddess, deepen a personal spiritual practice, and create community ritual and celebration. This complete guide to Wiccan and Pagan spirituality offers practical exercises to use the essentials of this ancient wisdom in everyday life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good introduction to wicca
This is a great introduction to wicca. I have had the basic principles explained to me by practicing wiccans, have breezed through some of Starhawk's introductory works previously, but I think listening to this really helped me understand. I'm glad that she recorded this in her own voice and did not add music to the background. Even after having lived in Santa Cruz for a couple years, I really did not understand the correlation between wicca, the counterculture movement, and feminism -- but now I think I do.

Got just what I was looking for
I got the book before the estimated date of arrival and that was very unexpected, and a nice surprice

I thought this was great
I'm not a Wicca and have no desire to be one. But I was curious about what Wicca was about. This audio book was very helpful. Starhawk voice is very easy to listen to. She has another audio called "Wiccan Rituals & Blessings" which I also found interesting.

Informative but kinda cut and dry
It's a wonderful CD. Myabe if she had some soft music playing or something in the background so it's not just a voice. It was informative but cut andd dry. And I about fell asleep listening to the first 20 minutes. Which is unusual cause I really like Starhawk's writing I just think it's better on paper.

Ah, if only it were a little longer!
I read this in an unabridged CD format.Starhawk narrates the audiobook in a calm, clear voice starting with a brief history of Wicca and outlining its structure, belief system, holidays, the importance of the moon cycles, the God and Goddess concept, the cycles of life and nature, and then briefly describes the ritual and tools a witch uses.She then moves along to active practice leading the listener through a grounding session which incorporates slow, yogic breathing to calm the mind of busy thoughts which gently leads one into a meditative state necessary for successful ritual work.The recording ends with a step-by-step ritual.

This is a good place to start for anyone interested in learning what Wicca is all about.However there is a lot of information packed into the first section that only briefly touches on subjects that will require further reading for anyone seriously interested in practicing Wicca.That's not really a complaint as there are so many aspects of Wicca that they could never properly be detailed in one tome (well, it may be possible but the thing would weigh several tons and be impossible to lug around!).Still, I do wish this audio were longer than a little over one hour as I very much enjoyed Starhawk's narration and her informative writing skills. ... Read more

Product Description
Paganism is one of the fastest-growing belief systems in the world, and titles on the topic are literally flying off the shelves. But these guides, written by European and North American authors, are for northern hemisphere readers; in the southern hemisphere the seasons which form the basis of Pagan practice - are the other way around. In this title it explains Pagan practice in the context of Southern Africa and the southern hemisphere. She addresses issues that are of interest to Pagans and non-Pagans alike: definitions of Paganism and Wicca; the historical origins of Paganism; the link between Paganism and traditional African beliefs; and the opposition between Paganism and Satanism. There are also interviews with practicing Pagans, who outline their beliefs and practices, and respond to the myths that have led to discrimination against them. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide offers the reader a comprehensive understanding of the beliefs, history and practice of Irish Faery Wicca. The first part explores the Celtic pantheon. The second describes in detail Faery Wicca ceremonies, magical Faery tools, symbols and creating a sacred space. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

Faery Wicca Tarot
I have studied andpracticed tarot professionally for many years.Mary Greer being one of my teachers.
After reading the harsh reviews above, I feel there is too much personal agenda
at hand in regard to the very biased opinions and reviews, that are so critical, of the decks and books of K. Stepanich.
Anyone who is not so "in their head" all of the time, would not be so concerned about such nonsense.The author is bringing their reader into a land of "no time", "no space", and of Faery Fantasy. You could pretty much take ANY author of any work and say that what they are talking about belongs to another tradition!The work of the shaman overlaps into many different cultures.
Stapanich's work sells itself, and she is to be commended for that.I have used her mini tarot deck/kit for years and it is my very favorite among a collection of over 100 decks.

Keep up the good work Kisma!Pay no attention to those who'd like to drag you down to their level of thinking.That's really just it, in reading those reviews, they JUST think, and don't feel.

I give this deck 5 stars.Great work!
Protected by The Goddess

Faery Wicca Review
This was among some of the first books on Wicca that I read when I first started and it was a bit of a shock to hear that shortly after I got her books, that they'd been pulled from print due to plagerism.

So I find myself sitting back and reevaluating what I read.

Not knowing it was plagerized, the book seems a good introduction on the study of fairy lore and how the belief and views of them have changed through the years of history.

The rest of the book seems pretty standard for presenting Wicca, Wita with a slant on Fairy Faith.

And I mostly keep the books out of curiosity and hey I got out of print books!

An objective glance...
I came across this title used while looking for resources on Irish mythology. I remember when the title was published by in the 1990s with much fanfare from the publisher. Llewellyn had an odd habit of promoting titles from its subjective view. In other words, if the author says so, it must have been true! Look back at many titles from the earlier offerings from previous decades. Many of them are laughable!

They have grown up somewhat in the meantime, yet many of these titles remain and endure. This one seems to hang around. Frankly, its not so bad. The cover art is questionable, yet attractive. Its the title that frightens me. Anytime the word Wicca comes into play, I laugh. The very name suggest "pop-witchcraft". In this case the title kills the messenger for many.

I read most of it and liked what I found. There is very little material concerning Celtic mythology in print. This has some good information within. Half of the problem comes from the source-channeled information. There is nothing wrong with this, as long as it is not passed off as historic fact. The author tells about her material being "whispered to her from the faery realm". It is not an "ancient oral tradition". The faeries may speak to individuals, yet not just in Ireland, the world over. The legends are potent. So is the magic.

The author should revise the work with some honesty and integrity, not to say it was her fault-Llewellyn hype. A second edition is needed, with the word Wicca taken out of the title. "Faery Magic, Legend and Lore" would do it justice. Otherwise this is a great study guide and resource book for those with a connection to this path.

Not even worth 1 star
I'd have given it 0 stars if that was an option, it's not even worth the money to buy used. Her information is so inaccurate it makes me wonder if she read half the sources she lists in her bibliography. She relies on several authors which have been largely discredited, such as R A S MacAlister whose theories on Ogham being thousands of years old are baseless, or Seamus McManus's archeologically inaccurate idea that the Fomorians were Scythian or the Fir Bolg Greek. Beyond the shaky references, there are the accusations of plagerism covered in other reviews, as well as the author's rampant self contradictions - in one section she states that Cu Chulainn is Lugh reincarnated then two paragraphs later refers to Lugh coming to Cu Chulainn's aid, without ever explaining how that could be possible if they were the same person. She also inaccurately refers to the Fianna as members of the Tuatha de Danann. Her text is full of Kabbalistic references which have no place in the fairy faith. And for someone claiming the title of Ollamh - the highest rank among the Fili, or poets of Ireland - her Irish Gaelic is atrocious. She mangles the language mercilessly, both in spelling and her pronounciation guide reducing it to meaningless gibberish, making it very plain that she does not speak the language at all - it seems to be included for no other reason than to make her book look more "Irish" and authentic, when it is in fact neither. Anyone who reads this at the least needs to be aware that it is not genuinely Irish in any way, and should skip right over any Irish Gaelic included in the text. The information about the gods and faeries is blatantly wrong and often contradictory. In short I would never recommend this book as it only spreads a lot of misinformation. There are much better books on Celtic Wicca such as Celtic Wicca: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century by Jane Raeburn, or Lora O'Brien's book Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch

WOW!!!
If you liked Witta this book is for you!!
I would have had a alot less problem with this book if Wicca were not in the books title.So much has been thrown into Wicca over the yearspeople really have come to belive that Wicca really is Celtic.I think mostly becuase the word Celtic is a good way to sell you something Runes,Chinese art anything from England and Germany is fair game. The list goes on and on.As long as you are buying they will be selling.This book falls in with the above.I know this is lost of most of you, I really do.I could not get through most of it .This is a Ancient Tradition ?? just becuase you wish it to be will not make it true.If it were called a New Faery Tradition or a Modern Tradition of Ireland that may have been different. ... Read more

Product Description
The origins of the Wiccan Tradition have long been a subject of debateamongst practitioners and scholars alike. Did Gerald Gardner invent the tradition?Is Wicca a survival of a British folk magick system?Could it be acontinuation of a European tradition of Pagan Witchcraft?Might it be that it evolved from Victorian ceremonial magick, or perhaps it is the modernmanifestation of the medieval Grimoire Tradition?In this book the authors explore the possible beginnings of the traditionby examining the practices in the context of magickal and spiritual thought spanning thousands of years.Through setting asidethe endless debates about initiatory lineages, they look beyond the personalities of the people and instead focus on what they consider to be at the heart of the tradition- the practices. Evidence from many previously uncredited and unconsideredsources is examined. This clearly shows how all the significant componentparts of Wiccan ritual and practice have roots reaching back, in someinstancesthousands of years, before its public emergence at the handsof Gerald Gardner in 1950's England. They explore the sometimes surprisingantecedents for key practices such as initiation, magick circles, ritual tools,the invocation of the Guardians of the Watchtowers, Drawing Downthe Moon and The Great Rite. The precedentsfor the Book of Shadows,Wiccan Rede and Charge of the Goddess are also considered as part of thisgroundbreaking work.Wicca Magickal Beginnings may well answer as many questions as it createsabout the true origins and nature of what is probably the most influential of the Western Esoteric Traditions today. Through combining scholarly research with practical knowledge, the authors clearly illustrate that the future of the tradition lies in utilising the rich diversity of its past, through the appreciation of its magickal origins and the untapped potential inherent in it.This book will be invaluable to anyone with an interest in the history, practices and beliefs of the Wiccan Tradition - and its links to Paganism, Witchcraft,the British Folk Traditions and Ceremonial Magick. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Book
This book is really good. Great having all that info in one book, great read for any witch just starting or just looking for something new to read.

Looks at what is most important, and looks at it well.
What makes the Wicca, the Wicca?

It isn't the personalities. It isn't the subculture that has grown around it. It isn't any particular interpretation as to why we do what we do. What links the Wicca is in our practices. This is where commonality is found among us.

They are also the steadiest part of Craft. While a plethora of Wicca-derived practices are flourishing, the practices mentioned in this book are still part of the practice of many.

It's important that people have looked, and continue to look, at the personalities and cultural effects in the history of the Wicca, but it is timely to have a book looking at the history of what is core to the Craft itself.

If you are of the Wicca yourself, or if the practices of the Wicca has been an influence upon your practice, then this is may well be the most important book on our history, yet written. If you have an outsider's interest in our history, then the approach taken here should be more than novel enough to have plenty of interest.

There will be some threading over old ground for quite a few readers, but apart from bringing in fresh items of interest as well, even those bits that you may think there is little more to say about, contains plenty of new insight and thorough and close reading.

I don't agree with all their conclusions. One that comes to mind is the examples of use of the word "Wicca" prior to Gardner--to my mind these are all clearly looking at the word as an historical artefact and so not really comparable to bringing the word into modern usage. Also, rather than state that the Craft was not religious, I would take the same practice-based nature of the Craft and say that this is a way of understanding religion in terms of praxis rather than doctrine that is important to our Craft, but not unique to it. As such, I would say that we are not a "faith" or a "creed", but we do still have a religion.

This disagreement doesn't make me hesitate to give this book any less than 5 stars. Rather, I'm grateful for the source material they offer here that helps disagreements like this be debated intelligently from informed positions.

An Open Exploration of the Possible Sources of Wiccan Rituals & Practices
This book was a project of love: a shared love between the authors for the tradition.I didn't know what to expect and, while reading, found myself surprised on more than one occasion.I own and reference more than a few books related to Witchcraft and Wicca, including Russell's A History of Witchcraft, Hutton's The Triumph of the Moon, and even Bonewits's Essential Guide to Witchcraft and Wicca.Although these books are recommended, even as introductions to outsiders, this book is an act of devotion from within.It will be appreciated more from actual practitioners, although those who practice outside of the Wiccan tradition can also benefit (since it borrows from esoteric sources outside of itself - one of the things that makes this book so fascinating!).The key here is the comparison of current rituals and practices with historical precedents, including parallels.The authors are humble in their approach, even as they gently point out errors or inconsistencies of transmission.They are open-minded in their exploration, and it is shown that some sources are more probable, if not certain, than others.They also make the point that "the further back in time we go, the less evidence there is for direct lines of descent for practices and beliefs" (page 239), even if there are parallels from the ancient world.

The book is divided into two parts: Beginnings (comprised of 16 chapters) and Peripheral Visions (comprised of 4 chapters), before ending with their "Conclusions" and five appendices along with a bibliography and index.In the first part, one is introduced to the magical and literary culture within which Wicca emerged via Gerald Gardner, and sources for the terms "Wicca" and "Wiccan" are explored before delving into the bloodstream of contemporary ritual and practice.The Book of Shadows is shown to be rooted in prior grimoires, and initiation ceremonies are shown to have derivatives from sources such as Freemasonry, the Ordo Templi Orientis & the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.Sources are also explored for the following: the Wiccan Rede, ritual nudity, the athame, the magick circle, the guardians of the watchtowers, the drawing-down-the-moon invocation, the Charge of the Goddess, the ceremony of Cakes and Wine, the Great Rite (as part of the Third Degree initiation ceremony), chants such as the Witches Rune and the Healing Rune, the eight Sabbats, and the pentagram.The second part looks at Cernunnos as the horned god of Wicca, the origins of the elements (earth, air, fire, water), the Theban Script (sometimes referred to as the Witches Alphabet), and the relevance of grimoires to the Wiccan tradition.If that wasn't enough, one is graced with five appendices which cover topics such as the use of "magick" instead of "magic", magickal philosophy, use of the phrases "So Mote it Be!" and "Perfect Love and Perfect Trust", and the magick circles used by Alex Sanders.

Based on the information provided, five different conclusions are given as to the POSSIBLE beginnings of Wicca.It seems clear that each conclusion may have some relative role to play in the development of the eclectic rituals and practices of the Wiccan tradition, although one trumps the others in terms of greater influence and it is NOT the one popularized by some contemporary authors and researchers which is that Wicca is the creation of Gerald Gardner and his associates.As the book's preface indicates, the book was born from a discussion with students as to the origins of the Wiccan tradition in late 2001 and it was apparent that "all the evidence being presented was focused on the people who were the early public face of the tradition and their contemporaries".But the Craft is an experiential tradition, not one focusing on personalities.This is one book that I will be referring back to throughout my esoteric studies and, like I said before, one does not have to embrace the Wiccan tradition to benefit from it.

Leads the door open for intelligent discussion
These days it is always a delight to read something about the history of Wicca that is appears to be actually researched (and thoroughly at that) and without the usual assumptions and "bitch wars" resulting from hidden agendas and basically sour grapes that unfortunately seems to appear in such books.

Instead of pre-judging Gardner as simply "a silly old man", or even as a bit of a perv, the authors of ths book set about analysing various key aspects within the Wicca belief in an attempt to determine not only possible sources but also connections and reason why - moving beyond the standard "dismissing" everything cos "old Gardner was a bit of a fraud".

As a result of this mature and indepth study, they conclude with not one but THREE possible conclusions, and whilst summarising with their own, leaving it open for the reader to make up their own mind. At the end of day, I guess no one can be 100% sure what Gardner's inspiration, motives etc were .. but the conclusions given are extremely pulsable and offers much thought.

But that is only one aspect of this book - what the authors have also managed to achieve is to offer possibly sources and reasoning behind the inclusion of many aspects of Wicca rituals - such as:
- Where the Drawing Down of Moon came from and its accruate history
- Where Alex Sanders may have gained his inspiration for his circle that contains migher magickal names and symbols
- Where the concept of "Perfect Love and Perfect Trust" came from
- Meanings behind terms such as "watchtowers", the elemental pentagrams, the athame ...

This book was a delight to read as it was not preachy, even at the end.It was apparent that the authors had given much research and thought into this project and presented all the evidence they discovered without forcing their own conclusion down the reader's throat - a conclusion, I should add, that might actually surprise a lot of the "Gardner-bashers".

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, beginner or advanced, interested in Wicca and its possible origins.

A Reference Book for all those Great Wicca Discussions
What if there was a book that referenced many of the sources for our modern day Wiccan practices that we could reference whenever a conversation came up as to why we do this and that in Wicca?What if it offered documentation for possible explanations for why we do what we do?What if this book does not suppose to offer "the" answer but rather offers many possible answers, giving various sources, citing references and documenting historical documents for each of the instances that are discussed?Wouldn't this book be an ideal element to augment your studies, or to add to the discussion of your group?Would you find this an essential tome for your studies and library?

From the text, Sorita d'Este and David Rankine stared this work based on their own group discussions and questions.They researched the material for rituals, practices and more in Traditional Wicca and pulled it all together in one volume as a reference.The material discusses British Traditional Witchcraft only, so it looks at the basis of the Wicca Traditions, which is the basis for much of our own traditional material today.

Covered in this book are the Books of Shadow, Drawing Down the Moon, the Rede, circle casting, chants, the Sabbats and more.There are also discussions on Cernunnos, magical grimoires, and elements origins.Each section discusses what was originally included in Gardner's practice of Wicca and explores possible origins.d'Este and Rankine include document names, authorsand quotes. The Appendices include some brief
discussions, such as "magic or magick" and"Perfect Love and Perfect Trust".The Bibliography is impressive and extensive, to say the least.

The book includes a very detailed index for reference, and a good table of contents.Overall, this is an exceptional book of references and one which I was hard pressed to find fault with.The material here will spark some interesting discussions, to say the least.But that is what this book is all about, and I found it to be exciting in it's content and there were many "Ah, ha!" moments for me.

OK, it's obvious.I love this book.I've been talking to some friends about this, recommending this book even before I finished reading it. Currently it is an English publication and is available in the US.A "must have" for anyone's library and one that you will find essential to your studies. It's a darn good read.boudica ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

A Re-Hash of Big Blue
I found this book to be nothing more than a re-hash of what was in his most popular book, "Raymond Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft." To say that it presented NO new material would be a lie, but the new material presented is nothing more than spells for every-day situations such as finding new love, doing good on tests in school, sex magick, magicks for pets, etc.

His history, knowledge, and wisdom of The Craft are certainly high on the totem pole when it comes to Wiccan authors. However, how he presents it in this book is extremely brief, almost to the point of being nothing more than a paragraph worth of summary information. My opinion is that he could have used this book to expand upon "Big Blue" and give the reader more of a guide than a loosely put together reference manual.

The largest thing to bear in mind is that Mr. Buckland - at least in this book - writes from the perspective of a coven. All of his rituals are written coven-style and tells you that they can be adopted to solitary work. Perhaps there is some benefit from taking his pre-written rituals and making your own, but if you already own his "Complete Book of Witchcraft," then you may as well save your time and money and NOT purchase this book.

All in all, I'm not a fan of this book nor would I recommend it for the reasons I've mentioned above.

short and sweet
he gets right to the point with this one, just like all his other books. you'd think he was getting charged by the word, not paid for them. the info is easy to take in and use in my own life.

Another Great Buckey Book
This was a gift for my 18 yr old son , he liked it much better than the old big blue book. I would purchase this again.

Buckland Garderian Book
This book repeats a lot of things presented in Buckland's "Complete Book of Witchcraft." If you have that book, you don't need this one. Buckland is Gardnerian and if you don't follow that path, this isn't the book for you, either. However, Buckland is a great man and has done so much for Wicca in the US that at least ONE of his books deserve a place on your reference shelf.

Excellent Resource
Raymond Buckland continues to be one of our leaders, bringing us another gem. I enjoyed Wicca for life, it filled in a few gaps "Big Blue"left, primarily the additional spell works. As a resource it's par excel-lance' but I personally missed the study guides. Highly recommend this book!

Durk Simmons author of Strings of Connection: Book One of the Witches in America Series ... Read more

Product Description
The little village of Hill dale, in the Foothill Forest of Ireland holds many secrets. Magic is not uncommon and most of the villagers have one or more powers that they wield freely. Although Melinda Fairling has never been able to master any powers of her own, she still has hope that she will have a magical future. This, The first story of Melinda Fairling, is one of a great journey to find her home, family, and magic of her own. Since she was three years old Melinda has lived in the village of Hill Dale after getting separated from her mother deep within the forest on all Hallows Eve, Her birthday. Melinda never knew the truth of her parentage until her thirty-third birthday, She was most surprised! The truth of her past has led Melinda on a long and tediousness journey to find her mother, and to learn of her magic abilities that have arrived so suddenly. What will Melinda find at the end of her Journey? Just read and see... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Great advanced Wiccan book
This is a great book on advanced Wicca.Patricia Telesco discusses how to know if a person is an adept and what to do to get there, and various aspects of serving the community.I highly recommend this book to intermediate and advanced Wiccans.

Not advanced at all
Firstly, I think people should realize that Wicca is a mystery religion, it is not a revealed religion.Everythingabout the Western culture is geared towards revealed religion, and, even for the pagan with a secular background, it is a very hard jump to make.People want books to GIVE it to them.It doesn't come from a book though - books are great to get you started,and the ONE good thing about this book is it does point you to some excellent books you should read.But the real shift that takes you into advanced Wicca, that has to come from within.

Aha!Eureka!Shazaam!That's where it is.

However, all the books she suggests are fairly modern.I've advanced my own practice the most by going back to the OLD books - Agippa, Blatvasky,Bardon, Crowley.

I would have liked to see this book expand on the mythology and symbolism that magickal practice uses.She does discuss the pentacle and the circle, but I did not feel that her explanations were particularly deep.I found the same when she discussed the tarot - very superficial.I personally did not understand why an adept should be able to meditate for 20 minutes?That's an assumption in my opinion.Everyone may be different, but when I could meditate for 20 minutes I didn't feel any particular change in my consciousness.It was actually when I found myself needing to set an alarm clock that I started making progress.Of course it all helped.Meditation is very important.I didn't like the time limit there.In several places there are assumed goals - assuming the reader has went down the path ofWicca for this or that, when in fact, none of those may have applied.

One thing I did like about the book is that she did touch on several concepts that could be explored by those looking to extend their magickal practice.Of course each such thing - IE elementals - could have books written on them by themselves, but at least they were touched on.Vocabulary is important to any endeavor, and this book might extend that for some.

The advice to live a magickal life is stellar advice, which is why I gave this one a 2.I would have liked to have seen more practices to put people in touch with a more animistic viewpoint, which for myself and others I know was VITAL in the pivotal mindset that takes hold before the Aha!s begin.IE nurturing plants, such as growing a magickal plant such as the mandrake BY the old prescribed methods.It is a very hard thing to do, but quite transformative.

So, from my perspective, this might be Wicca 102, but it is not really advanced.

Very helpful in helping me figure out how "advanced" I am and am not!
This book was very helpful to me.It gave a lot of information on how to figure out if you're ready for "advanced" practices or not.According to her checklist, I am.However, I don't totally agree with that!

I've been a Witch for seven years, and even though I've read lots and lots of books on Witchcraft, I have yet to study even one book in depth!To make a long story short, every single time I set out to study, something pulls me away!I find it incredibly frustrating!Latest thing, our son is trying to sell his house.Since his ex-wife left him ny husband and I spent five months going to his house every single weekend to help him get his house ready!We finally finished at the beginning of March.And at this moment in time, I have two womyn who want to form a group with me, and since to be part of a Femminist Spirituality Group, a Sacred Sisterhood, has been a long cherished dream which I had pretty much given up on, I've gone with it!

Yet, I know that some of my practices are quite advanced, but I feel as if the only reason they are is that I already had above average ability in that area.An example of that is the fact that I write all my own rituals.I have always written my own stuff, from the very first circle I cast.It just so happens I'm a good writer.

And I guess I do know a fair amount, but that's only because I've been a voracious reader since I learned how to read, and I happen to remember what I read really, really, well.

So the question I ask myself is, can I actually claim to be an Advanced Practioner in areas where my practice is advanced, not becasue I've studied a particular subject, but because it was something I was good at before I even knew Wicca existed!Can't quite make up my mind about that one!Added to that is the fact that I feel somewhat uneasy about ever, no matter how good I get, calling myself a "High Priestess," because I consider that term pretentious!

These womyn have much less experience than I do, and even though I have been totally upfront about what I do and do not know, they want me to teach them.I actually do feel fairly confident in my Magickal Abilities, so I feel I am qualified to teach them about Magick, but as all of us know, Magick is, at least for me, not the most important thing about Witchcraft.Not only that, one of them needs Magickal help with a survival obligation that is time dependent.

So not only do I have do my best to teach them the Magickal Skills needed to cast a successful spell, I have to do it quickly.And, as I'm sure anyone who has group experience knows, jumping into doing Magick together when you don't know each other very well is not the best plan.And certainly not the best way, perhaps even the worst way, to start a group!How in the heck are we ever going to be able to form that Coven essential, the group mind, basically almost instantly?

Here's a bit of Wiccan humor.One of the things she writes about is the fact that we don't "tithe" in traditional way!As I was reading that I kind of chuckled a little bit, and said that in my opinion those zillion and one books I have about Witchcraft and related subjects are tithing!My Goddess, I have tithed big-time to the only publisher in the whole wide world!Yep, that would be Llewellyn!And what about the billion candles I have, not to mention the trillion Tarot decks, and the incense I buy in bulk!Hmmm...let's see what else, crystals, essential oils, NOW essential oils are costly tithing!And then there the CD's by various Pagan artists!How many CD's with chants on them does one Witch need?Well, at least in my case, pretty much any I can get my hands on!

Then there are those items which aren't neccessarily Pagan, just kind of New-Agey, like my $300.00 crystal singing bowl!Not to mention the several drums I have, and what about all the looseleaf binders I buy and the paper to fill them for any and all Witchly purposes!And of course the cloth I buy to cover the binders with, so they look attractive, and the various craft paints I use to decorate things!Not to mention my bellydancing stuff!And what about the five bookcases I have bought to hold all gazillion and one of my books!

It appears that compared at least to me, the Abrahamic Faiths are rank ametuers at tithing!LOL!

What is advanced?
There are many types of people in the world but there are two distinctive types that I watch out for. One is a lover of life and the world and the other is hungry for power, attention and in fact, love.

It seems that the book does give suggestions and guidelines -knowing several authors myself I can attest to how much a work get changed before print- which seems correct. I am sure that there is more that could have been given.

That said, it seems to me that people are to invovled with looking for "Spells" to "Shapeshift" or something to this affect. YOU who are looking for these things... YOU know about as much about Wicca, the craft or paganism as my dad does about knitting which is ZILCH.

If you are seeking power, go back to your mind games, if you want an interesting read, some thoughts to ponder and to enjoy a borderline unique perspective (ADVANCED work is community/service work, pathworking, inner journeys and deeper self realizations) then read this book.

The craft is about getting in touch with Nature, our nature and the natural world. It is not about spells, or power or your bad atttitude.

Were I your priestess I'd spank you're little butts right out of the coven for being so power hungry (See comments section).

Not Advanced!!! Beware of title...
I bought this book in hopes of reading advanced material.It mentions things that are told in most beginner 101 books, then gives a brief summary of what glamoury, shapeshifting, ect. are, but never goes into depth on how to do it, has no material worth learning from, you probly heard it anyway, dont waste your money!!! its not advanced in the least bit! ... Read more

Product Description
Bill Schnoebelen thought Wicca was a harmless nature-worshipping religion. But once he got on the inside and began climbing to higher and higher levels, he learned that it is nothing more than one of Satan's most clever recruiting tools, designed to lead many into actual Satan worship. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

What a load of falsehoods!
I cannot believe how easily it is to write a book of lies and have it published.
There are many groups who 'say' they are Wiccans but have no idea of what Wicca is. SO many join so they can be "Fluffy Bunnies". Those are people who like to have all the items in the Azure Green Catalog for their homes and altars and wear clothes straight from Holy Clothing.
Those are Wiccans who play with the Craft, they may do a candle spell or try their hands at herblore but for the most part this is what they are doing for the moment, a pop hobby.
When the TV series "Charmed" was at the height of its popularity, Fluffy Bunnies were all over the place. They wore symbology they did not understand and were basically harmless. But there are others who feel that Wicca has power, some kind of power they could use. It is those types that scare people like the author.

No true Wiccan is satanic. Satan has nothing to do with Wicca because we do not believe in the Devil. We believe that there is good and evil in the world, but the evil is done by people.
Wiccans try to make the world a better place. We work for our communities, we help others, we volunteer for charities and we honor our particular beliefs.

My group of "sisters" got as much money together as we could afford (from our own pockets) and took 5 gift requests from the Salvation Army tree. We bought 5 bikes for kids who would not have had any gifts for Yule. We will try to do it again this year.
We celebrate holiday differently from most but we hurt no one. Do I care what is going on in your home on Christmas day? No. Should you care what goes on in my home on Yule? I wouldn't think so. But so many people are frightened of Wicca. We celebrate Yule (Winter Solstice) instead of Christmas.
We put up Yule trees. The decorated Christmas tree only caught on in the mid-19th century. We exchange gifts, but they are usually handmade or meant to be of a special request or desire of the person receiving it. Yule isn't about exchanging thousands of dollars worth of useless presents, it is about honoring the Goddess during her time of bringing forth the new year's sun.

The author confuses modern-day Wiccan (a.k.a. Paganism) with the Paganism mentioned in the Bible. The latter worshiped what the Jews considered to be idols, and allegedly engaged in child sacrifice. These practices are totally unrelated to modern-day Neopaganism.

The author confuses Wicca with the imaginary Satan-worshiping religion which was created by the Christian church in the late Middle Ages in order to justify the burning times -- the era from about 1450 CE to 1792 CE when secular courts and the church condemned witches, other heretics, midwives, etc. to be burned at the stake. The people burned at the stake were innocents, the church was showing how fear can keep the masses in line. It can also make the church very rich due to the fact many family members of thsoe accused would give over their estates if the family member was set free.

The author has a fear of retribution from God. He appears to believe that if he demonstrated religious tolerance by recognizing Neopagan traditions as actual religions, that he would somehow become a Neopagan and would be attacked by God.

This book is full of propaganda against a group of people who are gentle and loving, selfless and strong enough to stand against the closed minds of those who dislike us.

seriously?
Epic FAIL!! Total crap. Each page filled with complete rubbish. Don't waste good money on such garbage!

No Stars.... that definitely needs to be an option!
I wouldn't buy this, so I didn't waste my money, but we Wiccans-and other Pagans and Witches-are NOT SATANISTS!We don't even believe in Satan.Satan is a Christian concoction.Since we don't believe in Satan, it would be impossible to worship such an entity.We revere the cycles and forces of Nature, even, as some might say---as your Christian god "made them" to be... (Although "ours" was/were here first, as most are pre-Christian dieties, we still respect your right to prefer yours and believe what you wish:)

Ironically, we seem to worship that which the Christian god "made" (Christian belief, not ours), more than most Christians do.These things deserve our respect and protection-things such as the sun, air, trees, animals, rivers, streams and oceans, all things in their natural state, and the spirit---including the FREEDOM that each spirit has to express him or her self (without harming others, and without telling others how to live their lives; we trust people can listen to their own inner guide and find their own path... and when they truly want or need direction, they will seek it on their own... what a novel idea!!!) We try to live our lives in alignment with the rest of the natual world.

So, um, this guy either got taken in by fakers big-time, or he made it all up-probably whilst possessed by his Satan.... I personally wouldn't go around creating such negative energies...they would make my home feel icky!I keep my sacred space (my home) full of love and light:) May yours also stay that way by avoiding the purchase of this book...

Ignorance Knows No Bounds
To say that this book is based on ignorance is like saying the Crusades were based on ignorance...anyone with any inkling of intellect and common sense should be able to see through the half-truths and out-right fallacious arguments that the author used to support this book to his ultimate goal: hate. The book is poorly written, based on information that has long been rendered irrelevant (since, say the 1800s), and is mostly just propaganda and hate mongering.Much like the Young Earth Creationists, this author and the individuals he represents should be viewed as the Christian equivalent of Al Qaeda...dangerous extremists who sole purpose in life is to hurt others. If you buy this book, make sure you get a couple extra matches, the cover is particularly resistant to flames.

Schnoebelens' Big Black Lies
Perhaps a more appropriate title for this book should be, "From the Mixed Up Files of Mr. William Schnoebelen?" I have read several of Mr. Schnoebelens' books & articles (the books were a gift from someone) and I can honestly say that everything that this person writes is nothing but half-truths and out right fabrications. As a practicing Wiccan for several years, I can tell you this man has a very shrewd imagination! According to Schnoebelen, even Catholics are Satanist, as well as anyone else who doesn't follow whatever faith he "claims" to be into at the time. As for Wicca, unfortunately, he has twisted the facts just enough to make his lies sound credible to anyone who isn't educated enough on the subject as it fits his agenda. Schnoebelen is definate proof that ANYONE can write a book, even someone as delusional as he obviously seems to be. ... Read more