Customer Reviews

21st Century Wicca: A Young Witch's Guide to Living the Magical Life (Citadel Library of the Mystic Arts)

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been a practising Witch for over 5 years now, and I've hada number of new Wiccans whom I've met over the Internet ask me tosuggest books - this is the first one that I suggest! This is NOT a how-to book. What this book provides is a starting point. It makes you question what you believe, and how strongly you believe it. It says "this is your potential - now find a way to get there". This book is wonderful to read, and written with intelligence. I read it after 4 years of practise, and it gave me insights into the Craft that I haven't gotten elsewhere. Scott Cunningham is still one of my favourites, especially for beginners, but Jennifer Hunter's 21st Century Wicca is so much better to start out with. It's a breath of fresh air, and nowhere in the book does she say "this is the way that you do such-and-such". She guides you into finding a way to do ritual, meditation, and worship in a way that suits you best... There are no preset rituals in the book, which I understand is a turnoff for a lot of new Wiccans, but the problem I found with printed rituals is that I had a hard time, in the beginning, composing my own rituals, because I never really learned to do it myself... Now, that's not so hard.

This is, quite simply, the best Wicca 101 book alongside Cunningham's "Wicca for the Solitary". While the latter book goes into more ritual detail, "21st Century Wicca" discusses everyday life as a Wiccan.

There are some ritual ideas and basic info in this book, but where it really shines is with the personal testimony and the attention Hunter gives to what it's like to be a Wiccan in the "real world". She goes over things that a lot of high school and college-aged Wiccans (who make up the bulk of the 101 crowd) are concerned with, such as whether or not to find a group, the virtues of self-initiation, and coming out of the broom closet.

It's an exceptionally realistic look, without going into persecution complexes. The added quotes from people who have been practicing pagan ways for varying amounts of time just makes the book that much more valuable, showing the reader that it really *is* a very individual path and there's no single "right" way to do things.

All in all, I think that if you have to give a book to a younger newbie (or if you are that younger newbie) this is it! Even if you aren't that young, you'll still find a LOT of good material in here. 5 of 5 stars!

This is a really good book. I am very suprised at how good of a writer Jennifer Hunter is. When I first ordered this book, I was just going by it's title and when I got it, I was dissapointed because it looked like another stupid beginner's book with the same old information as every other one. It got put to the side and then I packed up my room because we were redoing it. 6 months later I unpacked it and have been reading it and I am astonished at how good it is and mad at myself for not giving it a chance. I especially like the chapters on Magic and Everyday Magic (living as a Witch.)

The book is divided into three parts, Maiden, Mother and Crone. Chapters include: Energy Work, Diety, Magic, Sabbats, Ritual, Magical Tools and Altars, Initiation, The Other Side, Commmunity, Relationships, Teenage Trip and College Life and more. There are quotes from real witches scattered throughout the book and she provides exercises too. The exercises are fun!

I most definitely recommend this book to beginners but even if you aren't a beginner, this book is very informational. As the preface says:
"I wrote this book because I felt that most of the books on Wicca were giving us too much of what we didn't need: flowery rituals, tables of correspondances, complicated spells -- and yet, virtually no information about the reasons behind all that."

How true! Hunter does a superb job of fulfilling her goal.

This book is a good book to start with. Any human that can read can understand Wicca, and what we belive in. I've always had an interest in Wicca and the nature/spirtitual religions, and this one has givin me better insights than others I have read. I've been interested in The Craft for almost 2 years. I've never tried it, but I have read a lot of books. I have a friend, that gave me this book to read, and she's been practicing for almost 2 or 3 years. She told me to read this, so I can help her give some better insights to the Christian population. I hope to see another book like this one by Jennifer Hunter soon.

Ms. Hunter digs right into the heart of the Craft. Through her writing, you can feel her dedication and experience to the subject she is writing of. I'm a dedicated Wiccan and I agree with almost everything she says. For the last five years or so, so many of my peers (I'm in college) have been coming up to me asking me to refer them a good book on the Craft; I'm the only priestess of the Goddess that's come out of the broom closet in my area, so I guess I'm the only logical choice. Now, I have a wonderful book I can offer to others.

P.S. the people I've met who didn't like this book all seem to be 'Fad Witches'. My HPS and HP adore this lady's book- it's great for both beginners and the adept alike!! It's a must read for serious Crafters. Like I said, those who didn't like this book, in my experience, are those people who dabble then show off. How can you call yourself a Witch if you disagree with a book that discusses Wicca's core, basic tenets?

Anyway, I loved it and it's what I've been looking for. Keep up the good work, Jen! Goddess Bless!

I've been in the craft for a little while (about 7 yrs.) and I feel like every "beginner" book I pick up will be the same old thing with different pictures. This book had more of a personal feel to it; I felt more like it was someone talking directly to me rather than a professor in front of an auditorium full of people.

I liked that there werent any specific rituals. When I was just beginning, I got hung up on doing the spells exactly like the book said. By giving the basic ritual outline and leaving it at that, the readers are encouraged to explore what works best for them, which can be scary at first, but pays off in confidence and flexibility in one's workings.

So, I laughed (really did), I cried (that too), I love it.

More so than any book on the Craft since Starhawk's _The_Spiral_Dance_, Jennifer Hunter has eloquently expressed the joy, love, and inspiration that come with finding the Goddess. Skip all those books of pre-written spells and rituals; Jennifer helps you understand the true *spirit* of Wicca deep in your heart.

I happened upon _21st_Century_Wicca_ last monrh while searching for a different book, but bought it based on existing reader reviews. Ten minutes' reading convinced me I had a real find! I was already designing my self-dedication ritual, but improved it dramatically based on Jennifer's writing. She helped me *feel* Wicca on an intuitive level and thus take my dedication from ho-hum to wonderful, from an act merely of rote to an act of true love.

Jennifer writes with an appealingly informal and very personal style. I felt as if she were there with me while I read: nurturing and guiding me, sharing of herself with me, loving me. The approach of naming some of the people she interviewed, and sprinkling their quotes throughout the text, works especially well.

Writing this book was clearly an act of magic and of love; I felt the presence of the Goddess in Jennifer's work.

Although this could be listed as just another "Wicca 101" book, I found it surpringly refreshing. As a solitary longing for community, I enjoyed the personal accounts and interviews with others. If you're looking for spells you won't find them in here. Instead the spell fluff you'll find exercises (some basic and others preparing you for the journey) to enhance your experience of the God and the Goddess. This book is marketed towards "younger" (college or just out of high school) but I feel that it could be of worth to anyone looking at Wicca as their path.

As a practicing witch for approximately six years, I have gotten to the point where I skim most wiccan texts, searching for useful info, and generally never reading them cover to cover anymore. However, I found this a fresh new take on our old religion and read it cover to cover twice. You will find it written with a sense of humor, and many points of view and traditions are represented within its pages. I've reccomended it to others, and I now reccomend it to you. :) Blessed Be!

Raised as a christian with awareness of, and being sometimes participant in the religious diversity of the world, I have been seeking a way to feel I have personal permission to actively explore spirituality on a more personal level.
This book finally gave me me some basic concepts along with permission to non-committally explore what might work for me in the realm of wicca, neo-paganism or any other spiritually energy-connected kind of life one might find.
Additionally the book has several facets that make it satisfying on multiple levels.
1. Personal quotes from various people. I generally feel comforted to hear from a variety of voices and experiences. Makes the book well-rounded to see presentation of a shared reality.
2. Exercises, simple ways to experience some of the concepts beyond as text on the page or sheer philosophy.
3. The author's personal story about developing as a witch adds a stronger voice to the shared reality of the shorter quotes.
4. Encouragement to explore and try things out. So often I think people grab on to labels and when something is new and flexible and personal I think this advice is invaluable.