Customer Reviews

Magic Power of White Witchcraft Revised

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

This is the dumbest book I have read on Witchcraft so far. There is nothing in it about the spiritual aspects; all it talks about is how to dress for success at the office, how to impress your boss by wearing clothes you can't really afford, and how several of their anonymous "students" bought pig farms or invested in stocks because their spirit guides told them to. I know this book has been "updated for the new millenium;" this basically amounts to an introduction that tries to tie this old style mumbo jumbo stuff into the current pagan revival.

I do think it deserves one star because it does have some historical value -- the "non-millenium" version was written 30 years ago so it shows you how far the Craft has come and how not all forms of witchcraft were intelligent and spiritual. Also, I appreciate some of their advice about how to have a positive mental attitude and achieve material success. But mainly this book is idiotic. Don't waste your time, unless you're a Craft historian.

I read the online reviews of this book about half way through it, and I honestly had no idea why so many people disliked the book. I was really enjoying it, and I was fully prepared to come online and give it 5 stars.

Now that I have finished the book though, I have had to reconsider my original plan.

Yes, the book is very good. I really enjoyed the first 200 pages or so. With short chapters on a vairety of topics such as spells, energy work, psychic healing, manifesting what you want in life, etc. the book reminded me of a 'new age' version of some of the popular self-help titles that are currently popular (power of your subconscious mind - Murphy; and Wayne Dyer titles come to mind).

However, I was completely unprepared for the last chapter, where wife-swapping as an act of spiritual salvation is espoused. This ideology was too much of a stretch for me, and it definately tainted my impression of the book.

In all, I would recommend this book, and I did enjoy reading most of it, but I would want to caution conservative readers that they may want to avoid reading the last part of the book.

The Frosts' original book was the impetus for many people who became Witches in past decades. As such, it is of interest to students of the growth of Wicca and Paganism.

However, its reliance on hard-to-find ingredients such as "raw linseed oil" is off-putting to today's beginner, who has many more options in finding a starter Witchcraft book. (Lilith McClelland's "Spell Craft" and Scott Cunningham's "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" come to mind.)

In addition, at least one ritual calls for burning sulfur, which is highly dangerous indoors.

The Frosts' version of Wicca is atheistic and almost Satanic (LaVey version) in its utter selfishness. Use Wicca (by which they really mean witchcraft, since they provide no belief system or ethics) to do any damned thing you please! Why not? After all, it's all about you. And them, and their School, which they call a "church" for no discernible reason.

However, if you can't give over an entire room of your house to practice, and decorate said room with a permanent symbol drawn to specifications on the floor according to an exact ink recipe that includes your own blood, then "you can't do Wicca". Awwwwww.

At least this one doesn't include instructions for ritual child rape. Sheeeeeesh!!

This book has few (if any) redeemable qualities. It is not much more then a cheap attempt at knocking off a rewrite of an all ready flawed book in an attempt to cash in on the current popularity of modern Witchcraft (Pagan or otherwise).

When I received an advanced copy from the publisher last June, (so it was possible for the other reviewer to have read it before it came out....as I did.) I tried to approach the book with an open mind....however....the title is as misleading as the `words' inside.

If some is looking for information about Modern Pagan Witchcraft they will not find it here....what they will find is ways to cheat hotels, get free air travel and other wise be a pain until someone gives you something.

If that is your goal...by all means buy the book...however if you have a set of ethical standards higher then the slug (with apologies to any terrestrial, gastropd mollusks reading this) ...spend your money on something worth reading.

Yeeeeesh.

When I was a wee li'l pagan newbie, I had someone tell me rather vigorously that the Frost's work was ah, basically, really, really bad.
I was a little taken aback - surely everything has some value?
And besides, I'd seen a lot of vitriol against authors who had a lot of good stuff in their work.

Then I read this.

Oh gods. It really is that bad. Still, handy rule of thumb - anything mentioning 'white witchcraft' tends to have something that really isn't, ie manipulative magic etc, and this one has it in spades. The connection in theology to other strands of 'Wicca' is... very tenuous. The magic is drab.
But y'know what really made me hate it?

It reads like an infomercial.
Argh! It's filled with heaps of fake-looking first-name-only accounts/stories of what will happen for *you* if you do witchcraft! Money, sex, power, etc etc...
It's been years but 'Sue's enemies died' was kinda memorable.

Awful. What was worse, is our local library accidentally ordered two copies of this. First time I was ever tempted to burn a book, let alone a *library* book (partly just annoyance that they could have gotten something GOOD for that money).
:P

I found I needed a shower after finishing this book as it left me feeing slimy. I wouldn't call what is presented here as white witchcraft and I really believe that the advise here crosses the line. There are lots of justifications for doing these things (in your best interest and noone elses) but controlling someone and justifying it as giving them a learning experience is still ignoring the rede "An ye harm none, do as thy will." There is some great information here, but I feel that you could get that elsewhere's. I don't agree with the Frost's here, but again, that is my right and their oppinion is there's. I did come away with a better understanding after reading the book and it also showed me a path I'd rather not follow. If your looking for the knowledge of Wicca and how to apply magick, I'd stay clear of this title. If your sure of your path and want more information maybe get it from a library to be sure this is what your after. Remember we are all responsible for our actions, and the effect that they have on others.

My main interest in any Wiccan or Occult volume is its ideology, its link to the spiritual. I generally don't like books of spells that read like recipe books. But the Frosts go a step FURTHER....this book is much less about Wicca than it is advice on how to live life practically. Despite its seeming "for beginners" aura, this book kind of assumes the reader has already figured out how to channel his own supernatural powers so the Frosts can tell him what to do with them. Nowhere is there an explanation of where these powers might come from. This lends the book an air of complete unbelievability to the uninitiated--hardly the impression you'd want to make on someone just starting to discover their spiritual power. Nevertheless, to divorce oneself completely from the book's ideology, there are practical pearls of wisdom and insightful real-world meditations on saving and making money (mind you, there are also lots of silly meditations...).

This book is full of stories of people that improved their lives with witchcraft but offers no explanations of how to do it yourself. It seems to be a way for the authors to self-promote their school. There is no reason to buy this book when there are so many truely helpful books about magick out there.

I must admit I am only about half way through this book, but it does seem to be a while between drinks. I am in agreeance with other reviewers and find that this book is not really for the beginner, but it does have some interesting points. It is not the best book I have read on the subject but I am going to persevere anyway. Not really a book I would recommend for learning, but worth a look.