Customer Reviews

The Cyber Spellbook: Magick in the Virtual World

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Billed as "Magick in the Virtual World" Sirona Knight and Patricia Telesco have tried to repackage Wicca so it relates to the hard core Geeks who follow paganism. Sorry, but it didn't work. It's a book on basic Wicca, with some terms changed to seem like it is technologically spun.

While trying to take Wicca and be innovative about it's application, and by including Ethics and Integrity (which is a good move, btw), instead the attempt was thwarted by the fact that the terminology is a bit antiquated and their updated correspondences quite strange.

For instance trying to update "Charms, Amulets, Talismans, and Fetishes" they mentions AAA batteries. Well, a techno savvy environmentally concerned geek would use rechargables. Just a thought.

The "Just for Fun" insert is right off an email that has been running around the internet for a while "You might be a Cyber Witch if...".

The book has an extensive list of "Cyber Magick Deities" and their cyber-updated attributions. While I could see Zeus as the "Stock Market God", by no means is Merlin a "Deity" (IMO)but he could be the modern day Cyber Wizard as she mentions. And Juno seemed a bit "tongue in cheek" with the "Goddess of Email" attribution. I have some friends who use Juno, and I think they would disagree.

There is another whole section of "Techno-Mechanical and Household Items/Tools" which boiled down to appliance correspondences. While the logic used in attributing these things may be correct, the idea that my breadmaker should be "Fire and Earth" or my dishwasher "A modern hotsprings for implements of the Goddess...." or my hot tub "The cauldron of the Goddess..." well.... see what I mean?

There is a section on stones and on herbs, which is just the same material rehashed again. Ditto with the rituals, same basic rituals, but I was a bit skeptical about using my "mouse as a modern wand". (Visual with the cordless laser mouse in my power hand held up to north as I welcome Earth to my circle, laser light comes on red... and it just doesn't seem as impressive as a Wand or an athame...).

The spell section, again, is nothing but updated old workings that are common sense spells. Anyone who has done spell work before recognizes the rehashed spells, and it is funny to see what is substituted for what to update the material.
"The Color of Money.... Then turn on the (green) flashlight, pointing it in all directions, North, East, South, and West (in that order). Say, Lamp of money, light of prosperity, Bring fortune and wealth to me, Blessed be! So shall it be!"
While it is a grand attempt to update old traditions, it lost something in the translation.

Which is what I think happened to the whole book. While it may have been attempt to update our old practices to correspond with the modern times, some of the charm of the practice is lost. While I do use a "Bic Stick" to light a candle outdoors, substituting an electric candle kind of takes away the simplicity of the practice. I have performed "on -line rituals" with others in cyberspace, but we light candles, we use cauldrons, and we try to be as updated as possible without losing the sense of the Old. We do retire to the hot tub after and our "wallpaper" does reflect some place we would like to be.

The attempt was noble, but it lost a lot in the translation. This is one that you may want to borrow from the library, but not something I want to substitute for a good solid, well grounded (three-prong kind) book on Wicca.

This book is certain to delight New Age...As a New Age Witch who truly appreciates innovative ideas, I loved this book!!! For the first time in Pagan history, these two Witches have finally put together a book that speaks to our times. It's up to date. We all use electronics and techno-tools in our magic today--I'm keying this review on my computer, which is one of my main cyber witch tools. All witches with fully functioning and open minds will want this book handy in their libraries to refer to--after all, we live in a techno-world, not the Dark Ages. Half-brained Witches will hate it because it threatens their comfy little niche and beliefs. I'm sure there will be a lot of Old Guard, narrow minded Witches that will freak out and complain at the boldness of these authors. I SALUTE these two authors for pushing the envelope and going beyond the insipid little spellbooks with this wonderful New Age book. These authors are ahead of their times and are breaking new ground--way to go Women! Blessed be Patricia Telesco and Sirona Knight!!! May they continue writing more innovative and leading edge books for Witches like me for a long time to come.

I got this hoping I'd find a source of inspiration for being more of a Cyber Shaman or Witch and embracing the new with the old.

While I applaud the idea of Innovation, this book just felt too tongue-in-cheek for my tastes. There's a lot of correspondaces that are rehashed from other books, trying to say which Deities translate to modern times and what a more modern approach to them would be, making this come off as another Wicca 101 with an attempt at a Technological Flair or Twist.

And some of the ideas for modern tools and appliances as magickal tools or correspondances for use in magic is just way too hokey.

Did I get anything out of it? I got a few vague ideas and whole lot, not for me. Perhaps with some strong scrutiny, I'd use some of the spells.

The book reads like the joke is on the reader who takes the whole thing seriously. Like the authors wanted to get a book out there to fill a niche, but didn't take the sincere time to do it properly.

I enjoyed some of both of these author's earlier works, but in the "Cyber Spellbook" they have hit new heights of excellence. This book forages new ground by integrating electronics and technology into Wiccan spells, thus giving a more modern, up-to-date feel to them. The concepts presented by Sirona Knight and Patricia Telesco are very progressive, and traditional witches will probably have a hard time with it, but this is standard everytime something new and innovative comes along. Some people just can't handle things changing, but in the words of Jim Morrison, "The old get older and the young get stronger. It may take a week, and it may take longer." Pick up a copy of this book and be part of the future.

The Cyber Spellbook is a "user friendly" reference for witches who use modern gadgets to harness the spells of the Internet tells how to use humor, creativity, and insights to work magic in the virtual world. From cyber sabbats to cyber tools, this is packed with spells and special links.

GAG. Cyber Spellbook? This is ridiculous. I picked this up briefly at a bookstore to flip through for laughs and it wasn't even laughable just downright idiotic. The authors tell us we can "create" new deities, goddess and gods of computers, etc. OH PLEASE!!! How insulting is that? If Wiccans call these ladies "experts" in their traditions then I feel sorry for the mislead. I am appalled at the crap that is being churned out today. What is next - "An Outline in Chocolate Magic"? Fluffy Bunny to the extreme and a waste of good trees.