Customer Reviews

Philosophy of Wicca

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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."

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.

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.

I got this book as a Yule gift and finished it in a few days. The writing is fluid and engaging, as another reviewer said, and even the ideas presented that I didn't agree with were thoughtful and interesting.

Some reviewers seem to take issue with the author's youth. I have been Wiccan for some twenty years, and frankly, I'm glad to see more young people writing with such gusto about this faith. I personally found the author's voice refreshing, and where her ideas diverged from mine, that was okay, because it reminded me that the religion is changing and growing with the new generation of Wiccans. This gives me heart. This means my religion may last another fifty years, and another fifty beyond that! I liked that this writer wasn't afraid to voice ideas and opinions that are contrary to some accepted . . . dare I say dogma, for lack of a better word? Maybe it was her youth that gave her new insights--and yes, many of her insights were new, or at the very least new to Wicca. (The Rede compared to the concept of tikkun olam? I like that!)

Whether you're an eclectic Wiccan like that writer herself or a more old school biddy like me, if you can read this book with an open mind and not read it as a dictum for what all Wiccans do or should think and believe, you will probably find it a very endearing unearthing of some of the more often taken-for-granted pearls of Wicca. Don't take this book as gospel, as others have said. Don't take it as the final word--don't ever take anything as that! But do have a look. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I like seeing that this book has generated controversy--what I don't like is that it seems to have brought out some of the worst in my fellow Wiccans. People have used a difference of opinion to attack the author's personal life, which is inexcusable in a community of people who are supposed to be adults.

The fact is, I don't agree with a number of things Ms. Fisher says in her book. That isn't the point--if you want a book you can completely agree with, go back to 101 and stay there. The intent of a book like Philosophy of Wicca isn't to tell you what to believe, it's to make you think about what you believe. Ms. Fisher says at the very beginning that this is her interpretation of Wiccan philosophy, not gospel--expecting her to continue to say that on every single page is ridiculous; the reader should be intelligent enough to know that "this is my interpretation" applies to the whole book, not just the introduction. Ms. Fisher also explains why she only says "Goddess" when talking about Deity in general, but apparently a number of people either skipped that part, or disregarded it completely, which is a shame. To miss anything in this book is a pity--even the parts that my own beliefs diverge from are thoughtful and well-written, and most assuredly *not* Wicca 101 material.

Whatever your tradition, whatever your personal opinion, a book like this is a supreme act of courage in a genre dominated by more of the same old "this is an athame, these are herbs" nonsense. At heart, no two people practice the exact same Wicca--you'll notice the title isn't THE Philosophy of Wicca, because there isn't one. No author can speak for everyone in a spiritual context, because spirituality is highly personal; what an author can do, and what Ms. Fisher has done admirably, is explore common threads and invite us to do our own digging, which is more than I can say for a good 80% of authors out there these days. But never mind my opinion or that of any of the people here--don't just swallow what I or Ms. Fisher or someone with a childish vendetta has to say. Read it for yourself and decide.

I was dissapointed with this book. I expected an in-depth examination of the philosophy underlying Wicca, but what I got was a superficial and at times innacurate treatment of why Wicca is so lovely. Fluff-bunnies will love this book. It was not in any way challenging, and it said nothing new or thought provoking. Fisher skates over the surface of Wicca pointing out what she loves, but seems afraid to dig into it with researh and rational thought to discover any actual philosophy. If you're looking for a book that will challenge you to think about what you beleive in, try "Wicca 333," but don't waste your money on this book. It will bore you. It's a Wicca 101 book that leaves out the section on tools.

Philosophy of Wicca is not like most of the books in the genre. Rather than try to do an overview of some common ideas found in eclectic Wiccan circles, the author presents her own theology as a Wiccan. Anyone who has studied Wicca any length of time has surely noticed that Wicca is a little light on orthodoxy--that may even be on of its charms. But it leaves ample room for interpretation, and presenting us with her interpretation is something the author has done very well.

This book will not tell you how to cast spell. It will not tell you how to run a coven or host a ritual, nor does it offer any advice on how to be a Wiccan. Rather, it is this woman's expression of her Wiccan faith, what she believes and why, and why these philosophies work well within a Wiccan structure. Reading this book was like being a fly on the wall during some deep spiritual introspection and exegesis. I'd love to see more books like this, written from a personal perspective.

I purchased this book in the hope that it would deliver what the introduction promised: a well-written text on some of the deeper aspects of the Wiccan religion. Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed to find that Ms. Fisher provides a view about Wicca that has little or nothing to do with my personal philosophy and understanding of the religion or with the majority of others I am familiar with.
It seems obvious from the text that she takes issue with the concept of a well-trained clergy in leadership positions, something many in the community are striving to become and many believe we need. It's also unfortunate that Ms. Fisher presents a monotheistic view of the Wiccan deity structure--this denies the beauty of the balance most of us seek in Wicca and find there.
My hope is that readers will *not* use this book as a starting point to gain a grasp of what Wicca is or how most Wiccans view their own religion. It's use to me has been as a way to further solidify my own philosophy against a backdrop of beliefs I definitely do not share, I intend to use it as a tool to help my students do the same.

This is one of the best nonfictions I have ever read. The book details some of the more profound things encountered by the Wiccan belief system. Each chapter is wonderfully thought out by the author and is led by selections from poems or songs. This book is beautiful and can help explain misconceptions of this religion as well as help Wiccan practitioners journey past the "beginner" phase. Great reading for Wiccans and non-Wiccans alike, this book gets my absolute highest rating. Kudos to Amber Laine Fisher for displaying such passion and sharing it with us.

I've been a Wiccan for a good long while now, and stopped reading books on Wicca a few years ago when I realized there wasn't anything being published anymore that seemed to speak to me. Then a few weeks ago at the request of a coven mate I picked up this book, and couldn't put it down.

I found this book challenging, not because it was hard to get through (in fact, quite the opposite--I found the author's style exceedingly fluid and at time downright lyrical), but rather because it caused me to question what Wicca actually is, where it is going, and who is taking it there. The author is definitely not a Traditional, but her love for her religion and her passion for Divinity is obvious. She is clearly a woman dedicated to serving her Goddess.

However, I do question whether or not this book is truly about Wiccan theology. I think that is both what I loved so much about it and what made it a challenge. I found myself asking, "What is Wicca, and who gets to decide?" as well as questioning how far outside the box one has to get before they can no longer be considered Wiccan. Fisher clearly presents ideas and notions that I had never heard explored in a Wiccan context before (notably her discourse on forgiveness and the relationships to other religions) but ideas which nevertheless don't seem to fall outside the boundaries of what most people (save a few Fundamentalist Traditionals) believe Wiccan theology to be. In other words, Ms. Fisher seems to be pushing the envelope with this books--which, judging from some of the reviews here, seems to make some people very uncomfortable! Nevertheless, I think it is an envelope that needs to be pushed.

I rated this book 5 stars because I have not ever read anything like it within the context of Wicca. This book is a poetic, intoxicating, and yet exceedingly readable venture into Wiccan theology and beyond, exploring territory other Wiccan authors have either chosen not to write about or publishers have chosen not to publish. Whether or not one agrees with Ms. Fisher's conclusions, one has to give her credit for challenging some basic assumptions within Wicca, and for making it clear--finally--that the religion of Wicca can stand alone without the trappings of magic and New Age foolery.