Customer Reviews

Deepening Witchcraft: Advancing Skills & Knowledge

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There are four good advanced books out right now, and three or four bad books that have advanced in the title. These good ones are Deeping Witchcraft, Advanced Wicca, Wicca 333 and Elements of Ritual.

Of these four, it is difficult to say which is best, because each of them provides a different set of advanced information.

Of them, Deepening Witchcraft is probably the most intermediate book... the one for the student just ascending to the 200 level.

It contains much more than any 101 book, and makes assumptions about what you know, but people WILL be disappointed by the lack of "higher" advanced material in the book.

I, myself, am probably above the target age and level for this book, but my 18 year old daughter, Wiccan for 2 years, loved it, inhaled it even.

If possible, glance over it before you buy it and judge if it's below your perceived level of studies... that way, you won't be disappointed and complain that it's not advanced.

It fills a niche, though, that's for sure.

Grey Cat shares her knowledge gained through years of experience as a Pagan/Wiccan clergy and leader. It's practical, easy to read, unpretentious, and full of common sense. It goes beyond the hundreds of beginning Wicca books that have been published over the past decade and into practical, spiritual, philosophical, moral and religious issues of Witchcraft as a religion. Other chapters deal with organizing large events, teaching students of our religion, and building our communities. Just the chapter on morals and ethics is worth the price. Grey Cat's Eight Commandments are, in my opinion, lots better than those other Ten Commandments of other religions. ... It begins where so many of today's beginner books end. It is must reading for pagan clergy.

With this book, Grey Cat takes a keen look at many of our attitudes and assumptions. While we may not agree with everything she says -- which is as it should be -- this book takes us one more giant step towards maturity as a movement, and as spiritually satisfying faith tradition(s). She then reflects them back to us in a way that calls for us to look at ourselves and our ways with a clear eye and a sharp mind. And she does so with her unmistakable Southern 'tude. As we move out of the shadows of the broom closet and into the bright light of our wider communities, each of us can benefit from reading the thoughts, experiences, observations and wisdom of this Crone.

-- M. Macha NightMare, author of Witchcraft and the Web

I purchased this book hoping to find some new insights that go beyond the normal Wicca 101 books. I'm about halfway through and I've found it to be very informative and thoughtful.

As Witches I believe that we are all responsible for being ambassadors to the non-pagan community. When someone asks us, "But what does it mean to be a pagan?" We should be able to tell them in a concise manner. This book provides a well-researched history as a well as a refreshingly simple perspective on that question. It reminded me that when I chose to follow my spiritutal path, not only did I chose to worship different God/desses, but that I also changed the way I see the world and my place in it.

Even if you don't plan on joining a coven or becoming a member of the pagan clergy, this book is a good resource to have on your shelf.

Great practical information, a wonderful, dry sense of humor and a crisp writing style made this book a very easy read. The information is well organized and succinct, laid out in self-contained chapters. I am very glad to see someone finally deal with the issue of analytical thinking and magic! She shares her "A Priestess's Litany for a New Day", which is an inspiring dedication. The only issue I have with this book is that I do not agree with some of her opinions on the history of Wicca/Neo-Paganism. However, as the history on the Western Mystery Tradition is one of my passions, I usually do not agree 100% with any author on this subject. I highly recommend this book to anyone tired of basic "Wicca 101" books.

I am so glad this book is available. It gives those of us who have moved past the Wicca 101 phase a place to look for similar experiences. This is a place to look for advice for expanding one's knowledge of self, how to be aware of the many major pitfalls advanced practitioners face, and lots of other useful, thought provoking information.

I especially loved the chapter names in this book. Even if you don't have time to read the whole book at one sitting (a daunting prospect!!) you can look through the book for relevant material for your place in the Craft world. Superbly referenced, there is a lot of painstaking and time consumming effort in this book. That's more than I can say for most of the cookie-cutter publications available today. There's a chapter on Teaching Our Religion that should be a requirement for ANY student seeking their advancement in teaching what they know to others.

I would also like to add that it is my great privilege to know this author and I wish to add that we must cherish our older resources in the Craft. They are the bridge builders, paving the way for the rest of us to follow. Each of us has something to offer, to leave behind, this woman has done the Craft as proudly as Gardner, Valiente or Buckland. Founder of the NorthWind Tradition of American Wicca, Grey Cat epitomizes the dedication and attention to detail required to truly give those who wish to learn a meaningful and life changing experience. She is truly a treasure!

This book is not really for beginners. It is advanced knowledge and mostly for teachers and coven leaders. I am neither a teacher nor a leader but this was still an important book for me. Grey Cat sometimes resorts to using minor cuss words to get her point across and she does a great job of getting her point across in that way. She writes in a way that is easy to understand and, at times, is very humorous.

The first half of this book is deeper knowledge, which I was hungering for, and the second half is for organizing and leading rituals. I am not at that point yet but it is still good material to know because who knows when you may become a high priestess? It may be alot sooner than you think.

Grey Cat keeps alot of general how to out of this book and I really appriciated that. I am at the stage where I am no longer a beginner but not really advanced yet and alot of the stuff that she writes was easy for me to understand. Overall,I would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of reading the same beginner material over and over and wants a little bit deeper knowledge.

If you've ever thought, "I've got all the herbal salve recipes, every version of the Rede memorized and seen all that woodcut clipart before, so what else is new?"

Deepening Witchcraft is! It is written for an audience above average (11th grade high school) in literacy. It is intended for those with more practical experience in the Craft. Brightly intellectual yet seasoned with serious (not solemn) humor, the author's lively personality comes through. Although the book is focused on advanced studies in the Craft, it's a worthy addition to ANYone's library wherever they may be for now in their pathwork.

Unfortunately this book fails to deliver what it promises, as there is nothing "advancing" in the book whatsoever. Now that being said, it is still not a bad book. Primarily this book is a basic introduction and would be good for beginners. It contains useful ideas but presents nothing we have not seen a hundred times over in published works to date.

I rated the book two stars because it misleads the reader into thinking he or she will find something of greater substance than the fluffy nonsense that has become the standard in Witchcraft/Wiccan books today.

It's about time that someone took the time and energy to produce a book that was not the same old 'rehash' of Wicca 101. This is definitely not for the fluffy! GreyCat's insight is fresh, relevant and to the point!