Customer Reviews

The Pagan Book of Halloween: A Complete Guide to the Magick, Incantations, Recipes, Spells, and Lore

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Published by Penguin Compass in 2000, this book follows the same kind of format as the Halloween book by Silver Ravenwolf published by Llewellyn in 1999. The research for the history differs a little as is from some different sources, and focuses on the Celts in Briton and Ireland to the present. Ms. Dunwich then examines the symbolism of Halloween, Divination, magic spells, rituals and recipes.

In the history section, the retelling of the myths, legends and actual historical background of the holiday we know as Halloween is much more cut and dry than other volumes previously presented. There is, however, some spin placed on events. I did find some questionable conclusions and some errors in facts. The mention of a pagan deity "Muck-Olla" is not accurate, as this is a bull from Welsh legend, not a pagan god. Just one of many examples.

The bibliography that Ms. Dunwich draws from appears to be quite extensive, and covers much folklore, some pagan sources and some actual historical sources. Again, some questionable conclusions are drawn, in my opinion, as well as confusing or misrelating some facts.

She covers some of the traditions of this Holiday and how they became incorporated in today's modern celebration. She looks at Trick or Treating, Day of the Dead and shows the incorporation into today's customs. She then goes into the modern practices of Wicca and how this holiday has some mistaken associations, none of which are associated with Wicca, and gives her brief accounting of where this misinformation may have originated.

These areas are covered briefly, not delving into much detail and gives an overview of the topic. Ms. Dunwich refrains from spinning too much of this into an issue, which is, in my opinion, good but could have been better.

The Symbols part of the book covers the usual: bats, skeletons, jack-o'-lanterns, cats and cauldrons and more.

Ms. Dunwich includes more in a section entitled Legend and Lore, focusing on the fire, astrological and fairy associations as well as others. Irish and Briton lore is included, making for some interesting stories and reading.

She then takes a brief look at some herbs. She examines some herbal associations to flying ointments, as well as magical properties of some herbs associated with the holiday.

We come to some Superstitions and Omens, which covers such items as weather, candles, blood, cats, venturing off into old wives tales. "If the moon at Halloween is new, this indicates that the coming year will be fertile ground for new beginnings to take place, such as the start of a new project, a new career, or even a new way of thinking." Further examples are given.

She also covers Divinations and Incantations, or magic, such as crystal balls, love spells, apple magic, fire scrying, nut divination (the food) and much, much more.

Ms. Dunwich also includes a ritual which can be adapted by both covens and solitaries and offers a list of Gods and Goddesses connected with Halloween.

She offers some actual spells, for everything from keeping evil spirits at bay with garlic to blessings for the dead. And finally some recipes for food for that day's celebrations including Colcannon, mulled cider and soul cakes, to mention a few.

The book is a small one, pocket size, approximately 5 inches by 7 inches. The paper is typical paperback paper used commonly by Penguin books, and the cover is coated, giving it texture and making the lovely print of John Waterhouses "The Crystal Ball" stand out. The book is peppered with some small woodcut prints in black and white which have associations to the chapter contents. And it has an index for easy referencing.

The book makes a fair presentation of the holiday of Halloween but does not generally offend. Ms. Dunwich tells her stories in an easy to read fashion.

The fact that it mirrors the same kind of content as the Halloween book by Llewellyn from a year earlier makes this book almost redundant, except for the fact that Ms. Dunwich does add some of her own material here and there. But she covers similar ground, and the appeal here would be if you were a Gerina Dunwich fan rather than a Silver Ravenwolf fan you would find this book more appealing.

This book offers a simple overview on the various topics. A good book overall, but nothing to get excited about here unless you are a Gerina Dunwich fan. boudica

The title of this book is misleading in that it causes the reader to believe that it is aimed at 'pagans' and is a 'complete guide to incantations, spells and recipes and lore". The 'lore' is at many times innacurate, to say the least; there are only one or two token food 'recipes' to speak of (and those for historical, not nutrional value); the spells and incantations are geared towards wiccans, with a flair for the dramatic and no historical context whatsoever provided. As a laymen's introduction to halloween this book is harmless, and would most probably appeal only to curious non-pagans as a novelty.

Gosh, I was a little disappointed with this book. I spent most of the time writing corrections in the margins of the "history" chapter, and got a little bored with the rest. It isn't an awful book by any means having a nice hodge-podge of spells, recipes, and lore, but I found even the more authentic sections to be uninspired. Printed in a fairly small-sized book, the lay-out is cluttered and hard to read. When I got my hands on "Halloween" by Silver Ravenwolf, I said "Oh, THIS is the book I was looking for." Sorry Gerina.

I found this book to be extremely well-researched and educational, however, written in a style that is neither confusing nor intimidating to the reader. The Halloween folklore and divinations were fascinating, and I found the author's Samhain ritual to be beautiful and lovingly-crafted. This book has become a treasured addition to my witchcraft library. I would further like to comment about the previous review of this book left by "Wade White." Sounds to me like this individual wants desperately to rewrite history to suit his ideals. Like it or not, it remains a known fact that both human and animal sacrifices were common among many ancient pagan cultures, such as the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Babylonians, Aztecs, and Celts. Mr. White, you cannot change or deny historical facts simply because you find them to be unpleasant. I suggest that you read an encyclopedia or and educate yourself. Our pagan ancestors were any thing but "fluffy bunnies" as you would like for us all to believe.

On my path through Wicca I have read many books that make me feel like an outsider even though I ascribe to the same belief system the author is outlining. It has been as if unless I had x amount of training under my belt there was still the veil that separated a humble believer between the Wiccan spokesperson. Finally this book comes along and introduces ideologies in a way that make it easy to incorporate into everyday living while it honors all paths to the same light. Gerina has given us a great gift.

This is by far the best book ever written about Halloween and its history, customs, lore, and religious significance to NeoPagans throughout the world. Silver Ravenwolf's Halloween book was good, however (and with all due respect to Ms. Ravenwolf) Dunwich's book far surpasses it in style and content. From the ancient Druids to modern day witchcraft ceremonies and everything in between, this book is a must read for all NeoPagans and anyone interested in the true meaning connected to Halloween's symbols and traditions.

This well-researched book traces the roots of Halloween (Samhain) and dispels the negative myths and stereotypes that have long been associated with this holiday/witches' sabbat. I found the traditional Halloween cookery and the Halloween divination methods especially interesting. As a Pagan who makes my living as a high school teacher, I found no historical inaccuracies within this fine book. (To Kristen, whose review appears below, it may interest you to know that there was indeed a Pagan deity known in Ireland as "Muck Olla". You should do a bit more research before making such statements to the contrary!) I found The Pagan Book of Halloween to be enlightening and enjoyable reading, and I'm confident that most others will as well.

Even though it does not jump into the nitty-gritty of the holiday as deeply as anticipated, you will realize one startling fact: this "holiday" has some close connection with a observed Christian holiday.

Interesting...

I do question WHY it isn't The Pagan Book of Samhain, but I presume she has her reasons

I did though really enjoyed this little book. You can expect to find the following...
Origin of Halloween and Lore, Rituals and Celebrations, Herbs and Omens, Symbols, Superstions, Halloween Divinations, Recipes, and a Pagan Perspective, and more.

I find anything on Samhain delightful and interesting, a very nice additon to my Ravenwolf book.

I love her choice of covers, using a John Wm Waterhouse painting once again. She has a nice thorough Bibliography which I love to scan for more sources for my own library.

Not a bad investment

Halloween is my favorite holliday and I found this book to be interesting and enjoyed the different way to do the rituals that I hold dear.