Philosophy of Wicca [Paperback]

Amber Laine Fisher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

Providing an overview of key religious concepts and exploring Wicca's place within a predominantly Christian society, this book details Wiccan beliefs and reveals the how and why of this burgeoning religion. Beginning with the nature of Deity and how it manifests itself, this book explores how practitioners of Wicca relate to the Divine. It investigates the evolution of the soul and discusses morality within the bounds of this loosely structured nondogmatic religion, as well as sexuality and gender roles, issues of identity and personal discovery, and the effects of Wicca-inspired transformations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The single greatest source of information for Pagan apologetics, [this book] is an instant classic." -- Pangaia

About the Author

Amber Laine Fisher has been a practicing Wiccan for nearly a decade. She runs MothersMagic, a popular online community where pagans and nonpagans come together for interfaith dialogue. She lives in Austin, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550224875
• ISBN-13: 978-1550224870
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,402,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some good points, some bad points., July 11, 2002

By 

Jarred L. Harris "pensive witch" (Rochester, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philosophy of Wicca (Paperback)

I read this book back in May. It took me this long to figure out how to write a review of it. Basically, I decided to just go with listing what I felt the good points and the bad points were. Those who do not share my own views of the topic will most likely disagree with my assessment.

Bad points:She focuses almost entirely on the ceremonial and other "left-brained" aspects of Wicca. To be honest, I can't say as I recall her mentioning anything about the more ecstatic side of things. In my mind, she all but comes out and says that Wicca is a "dumbed down form of ceremonial magic." She seems to focus on Mediterranean mythology and Jewish mysticism while blithely ignoring the other cultural and religious influences that touched the British Isles. She encourages a version of "Wicca" which boils down to "make it up as you go." And, just to tick off anyone who might still see value in keeping their Oaths, she sees "secrecy" as something that has outlived its usefulness. (The way I read it, she practically commands traditions to "let the cat out of the bag.)

Good points: You won't find a single spell anywhere in the book. You won't find pithy "rituals" anywhere in the book. What you will find is an individual sharing her personal views and her own struggles with various concepts. The author is fairly intelligent and insightful. And even if I don't agree with her ideas, I did find it a better read than most other books published in the last two years.

Overall, I'd say this makes good reading. I just wouldn't take what she says as "gospel."

58 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wicca is not "A Goddess Religion.", June 9, 2003

By 

The Old Philosopher "The Old Philosopher" (WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Philosophy of Wicca (Paperback)

Fisher begins by claiming that "It (Wicca) is a modern religion attempting to reinvent the spirit, the ideal of ancient Goddess worship without many of the downfalls." (Introduction, page 19) She continues to describe Wicca as Goddess worship and to liberally scatter common feminist misandry throughout the book. It soon becomes apparent that the "downfalls" she alludes to from "ancient Goddess worship" are the part where the ancient Goddess loved and honored Gods and men as well as women. "Wicca...is indeed a Goddess tradition.," page 32. The entire Chapter 3 is on the "Immanence of the Goddess." Although she mentions the God in passing once in a while, it is very limited and strictly second fiddle, when she isn't describing men with contempt. In the chapter on "Sexuality, Sacred Sex, and Gender Roles," we find "...sex is a unique celebration of the Goddess." (p-186) A page later she's talking about "the plague of pedophilia, rape, and incest." In contrast to Fisher's feminist Goddess only view, a Wiccan web site that says, "those beliefs are not a part of Wicca. Wicca is about balance and equality. Between God and Goddess there is no superior and inferior, and we are in need of both." Fisher's Chapter 5 is on "Balance," but duality is confused with polarity. Duality is inherently monotheistic, and throughout her chapter on Balance she talks almost exclusively about the Goddess. Wicca, on the other hand is about polarity, complementary attraction, and harmony, not countervailing forces each trying to fly apart. God and Goddess are equal, in balance and harmony in Wicca. From the web site, "Wicca is about equality and balance. Men and women are exactly equal before the God and Goddess." When God is forgotten or disregarded, when men are repeatedly bashed, the philosophy is not very Wiccan at all.

Wicca is not a Goddess religion, nor a God religion. Wicca is a religion of balance and harmony between Goddess and God, between men and women. Neither is above the other, and criticism of one by the other is out of harmony and contradictory to the philosophy of Wicca. I'm sure she means well, and I'm sure that there are others who believe as she does, but I was disappointed.

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Wicca as I know it!, December 3, 2002

By 

Zanetta Wilson "Sana Karine" (Knoxville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philosophy of Wicca (Paperback)

To start, Ms Fisher makes one point that all-too-many texts on Wicca do not - Wicca and Witchcraft are not synonymous. They are related, but they are far from the same thing. Unfortunately, that is the single accurate point made in the entire book.

Ms Fisher does state in her introduction "This book is my interpretation of Wicca". However, that is followed by 253 pages that state unequivocally "Wicca is" and "Wiccans believe". This would probably not be so bothersome if many of the things stated were actually in line with the principles of Wicca. Perhaps Ms Fisher should have spent more than 4 years in the religion before attempting to write this book. (She says "the Goddess made herself known" in 1995, and that she began this book in 1999.) There are certainly areas where a lack of research shows - most obviously when she states in a footnote for Chapter 7 "The actual Rede is a long poem with questionable roots, as the author is unknown." The history of the Rede, and a significant amount of the material that influenced its authors is easily available with a simple web search. There are two areas where I have significant disagreement with the author, and these fundamental areas greatly influence the entire tone and scope of the book. The most far-reaching difference is the role of spirituality and the nature of Divinity. Ms Fisher states that "the purpose of any spiritual path is to compel the individual to ascent to Heaven" and "in truth, even in Wicca there is a chasm between the individual and the ultimate first creator". This is NOT a common view in Wicca - very few Wiccans "hope and pray that the Goddess has a plan, and that all of these things somehow fit into that plan" or believe that our entire purpose for existence is "to carry out the will of the Goddess." Wicca is not about "Jehovah in skirts"! I find Ms Fisher's view of divinity quite disturbing in the context of statements full of "Wicca as a whole" and "most Wiccans believe".

The second significant difference is in the role of Traditions, and in the nature of Wicca itself. Ms Fisher states "Certainly there will be tenets of Wicca that we do not accept - throw those out!" While there is definitely room to personalize your path in Wicca, can you still be said to practice a religion if you throw out several of the basic tenets of that religion? There are many ways to approach the core tenets of Wicca, but all differences and traditions aside there are a few core concepts that make Wicca what it is. Without those core concepts, it does not matter what you label something, it does not make it Wicca.

Ms Fisher calls many Traditional practices "childish tendencies" and "unabashed immaturity", and believes that "Wicca has a lot of growing to do" to be a real religion. Considering these statements, and the many misrepresentations in her book, I have come to the conclusion that Ms Fisher really does not understand "the Philosophy of Wicca". From where I stand, it appears that the one "creating an unnecessary chasm between the seeker and true knowledge" is Ms Fischer herself.

I strongly recommend Ellen Cannon Reed's "The Heart of Wicca" for those who would like to explore the philosophies of the Wiccan path.