Customer Reviews

To Light A Sacred Flame: Practical Witchcraft for the Millenium (RavenWolf To Series)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

I am not new to Paganism and I have not bought any of this author's books before. The blurred naked woman and mentioning the millenium (Christian dating system) on the cover are tacky, but that doesn't damage the rest of the book. Ravenwolf's "Barbie Wicca" covers have been problematic before, after all.

In this book, Silver Ravenwolf explains some things about the Pagan/Wiccan religion clearly, and without the political baggage that some people these days find hard to deal with in some of the older Pagan books. She avoids unlikely claims about her own qualifications, and even manages a gentle and charming sense of humor. It's an easy and pleasant read, in a conversational style, full of interesting things to think about. A teenager would also be able to understand it.

Is this book fiction? I think the author believes what she writes. This text should be understood as religion, not engineering. Not everything here will work all the time or for everyone. If you don't believe in the religion, you won't believe this, and the book doesn't spend much space trying to persuade skeptics. There are disclaimers, and putting more of them would make for unreadable prose, so it's good there aren't more.

Likewise, if you only accept a particular kind of Paganism, and if this falls outside it, you won't like it. This book has one of the best discussions of how Pagan practice differs among individuals. No surprise that some people like meditating with slinkies, and some find it silly to use tools that weren't designed as religious articles. Since this book deals with integrating magic into everyday life, it's no surprise to find everyday objects.

Someone interested in this book might also want to read Marion Weinstein's _Positive_Magic,_ and Isaac Bonewitz's _Real_Magic_, and (most important as a supplement) Robin Wood's _When,_Why_..._If_, which give slightly different points of view on related topics - not only how you CAN do but also what you SHOULD do.

This third installment to Mama Silver's New Generation Witchcraft series does not disappoint. Not so much about the Magick of the Craft and more about bringing personal healing into your life, at times this one reads more like a New Age self-help book than Craft text...but that's okay...RavenWolf is once again playing mother hen and reminding us that Magick is far more successful when we know who we are and where we want to be. Lady Silver reminds us that Magick is EVERYWHERE, not just in ritual, but that there can be Magick in everything from daydreaming to cleaning your house! That we can use techniques like self-fascination (which I've been doing since childhood, I just never realized it had a name), and self-hypnosis to attain specific goals in our lives. This one is all about healing, making your life better, and looking for Magick in the mundane! What a wonderful way to look at everyday life!

Thank you Silver!

For the benefit of those new to witchcraft reading these reviews: this book, and the others in the series, present powerful and serious ways to assert your will on reality.

Silver Ravenwolf has, for many years, given us in her books ways to come in line with Spirit and stay there while making manifest our own wishes. She has the Gift, to be sure.

As you follow the text she writes, make sure you fully understand the consequences of your actions. These magickal exercises will produce results- maybe more than you bargained for. Pay special attention to binding the baser aspect of your spells. It may sound silly now, but ask your friends versed in magick (if you have them). Your invocations will yield results; maybe they will be much more than you expect. Ravenwolf doesn't stress this enough: you are influencing Divine Will, which is much more powerful than you can hope to be.

The best metaphor is the Western witch's credo: Three times three times three, what you send out comes thrice to thee.

If there is doubt, consult an oracle such as tarot or I Ching. Then take responsibility for your own action.

It is amazing what she has said in this book. Unlike some poeple she can turn anything in the house even a slinky into a part of magick and she is right that once you pick up a slinky it is hard to put down it gets mme right into the alpha state. Witch is much cheeper then buying 5 more books about going into alpha state. Thanks SIlver for anther great book. I tryed the Angel thing out and it has done wonders for me and my life.

I am a solitary Wiccan, and I was looking for books out there that focused more on security, spirituality, and environmental harmony than spells and rituals. I can make my own spells and rituals; I don't need to recycle them from other people. Here, Silver gives a wonderful step by step process which you can use to enhance your own spirituality and connection to the Divine. This book's focus is inner peace. There aren't many books out there that take this exact focus (except for my favorite Scott Cunningham, etc.). I enjoyed her other books, but this is by far, my favorite, with the Angel book running up in a close second.

Having studied/experienced a wide variety of spiritual and religious paths in depth, I am most impressed with Silver Ravenwolf's additions to the field. I find myself amazed at the reviews which claim "this is not Paganism/Witchcraft" -- excuse me, perhaps it's not YOUR system, but I find it arrogant for one to assume they "know" the be-all and end-all of any system of belief. The more I study, the more I know how little I truly know...and I have been actively studying for over 25 years now. I believe Ravenwolf offers a lot of valuable and interesting information, as well as amusing anecdotes. I am impressed with her attention to what I believe is the foundation of ALL practice - the experience of the Self. Invariably I find self-awareness at the core of every major group into which I have delved. Silver offers several valuable techniques and guidelines to assist in experienceing the inner silence. Nice effort, I look forward to her next book!

Hello there. I wouldn't be a Witch if it weren't for Silver's wonderful books. I proceeded through her "New Generation" books in order, and I completely agree with the author in that "Sacred Flame" has more difficult and complicated material. Those who don't think so, well, kudos to you for being so extremely advanced! (sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm.) No, wait, sorry about that. But please, look at this in perspective. The book does contain some more advanced magickal techniques, and should follow reading "Broomstick" and "Cauldron" by the same author. Love, love, love it!

Silver's first two books, "To Stir.." and "To Ride.." were fairly decent, although there are better books available. I enjoyed reading them both, and still recommend them to beginners along with other material. This book, however, is where she starts to go downhill. Throughout the book I felt as if she were saying "Well, I know I said do things this way in the first two books, but actually you need to ....." Everything from this book onward that I've seen by this author is a waste of money and paper.

I loved Ravenwolf's previous books (Stir a Magick Cauldron and Ride a Silver Broomstick). However, I didn't get anything new out of this book. This book does not encourage the reader to think deeper about the Wiccan/witch/pagan path. Rather, it provides exercises which, while fun and not completely devoid of use, distract one from putting in (HARD) thought and personal effort into the development of one's path. If you want someone to spoonfeed you religion/spirituality, then don't consider paganism.

If you want a Ravenwolf book, go with "To Stir ..." or "To Ride ..." -- these books are much better value, and I enjoy and use my copies (unlike my copy of this book, which I've traded away). Better yet, hold off on the Ravenwolf books until after you've read Marian Green's "A Witch Alone" and followed its advice.

The main extent of my RavenWolf exposure--up until this book--was Silver's fluff-bunny teen Witch nonesense. This book has made me have a greater respect for her. It is a thorough and practical book discussing a more mental side of WitchCraft than most books. It deals with personal power and potential, which is a definite plus. Silver's style is also very warm and she has a better sense of humour than most WitchCraft authors. Still, I find her sometimes getting a little condescending. There is no one right right way to practise WitchCraft, and RavenWolf tends to write as if her way is the only way sometimes. I recommend this book, but keep in mind that not everything she (or anyone else) says is the final Truth.