Customer Reviews

The Real Witches Handbook

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am new to the practice of Witchcraft. I have been reading and studying for many months now and so far this has to be the most infomative book I have read so far. It is very spiritual without the fluff. I have found that there is a lot of intro to witch type books out there that are missing much of the point of witchcraft. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE BOOKS. If you are looking for a true introduction to the craft this is a must read. Thank You Kate West.

This book is a refreshing insight into the practice of witchcraft, and exceptionally easy to read and understand. It is well presented and details magical and herbal spells, folk law, the changing seasons and festivals of the year. Kate West is the High Priestess of the Hearth of Hecate; she has been a practising Witch for over thirty years. Her extensive experience becomes apparent in this book, which contains sensible and practical information that is aimed at both the newcomer and experienced practitioner of the craft. The author's claim that this is a book for real people with real lives is well founded; it is very rare to find a book suitable for those in shared accommodation or living with their parents. This book shows you how to practice Witchcraft with a minimum of fuss and props, perfect for the busy student with no private space. In conclusion this is an excellent book and great value for money, I highly recommend anyone to read it.

Merlyn
Children of Artemis

...

This was the 3rd book I read on Witchcraft, and frankly I wish it would've been the 1st. Being new to the craft, I had a lot of questions and didn't understand some of the principles I'd read in other books. The author does not try to be pretentious or talk over the reader's head, but comes across in a very direct and down to earth style. This strategy makes The Real Witches Handbook the perfect beginner's primer. Those looking for more advanced study will be sorely disappointed. The Real Witches Handbook outlines the basic beliefs systems held by most witches, which is not an easy task because there are so many different traditions in witchcraft, which all have different practices and beliefs, it's difficult to define the craft for the novice even in a general way. As they say....'If you ask 10 different Wiccans what Wicca is, you'll get 12 different answers'.

Ms. West, a British High Priestess, does a wonderful job of tackling the many myths and stereotypes that surround our religion right from the get go. The words "witch" and "pagan" carry with them many negative connotations. It is the responsibility of every Witch to help others realize we are not the evil, sacrificial, card-carrying satanists they might assume we are. It's very important that witches work together to help show our inherent goodness to the rest of the world so that witches everywhere will not be feared or treated like 2nd class citizens. Unfortunately, we live in a world where most witches are still in the broom closet because they fear retribution in their personal lives, careers, and towards their families. West does a good job dispelling myth from fact, after which she dives right in the nuts and bolts of Witchcraft.

This book covers all the basics including the Wheel of the Year, an introduction to the Gods, and basic principles and beliefs of Wicca. I particularly benefited from the explanation of the God and Goddess. Ms. West explains we all wear different hats in our lives: we can be a parent, a sibling, a child, a career-oriented person, an artist, a musician, and so forth. Although we all play these different roles in our lives, we are all still 1 being. Such is the Spirit. West uses the example of a disco ball in explaining the Gods, while each individual square of glass might equal a different god with different specialties, they are all together one Great Spirit. This is the duality of the God and Goddess, and this descriptive example really led to my beginning to understand some of the most basic concepts in Wicca. West also introduces the reader to the Summerlands and the Wiccan belief of death and rebirth, a subject some books tend to overlook.

Included are a few rituals and spells to help the beginner get their feet wet. West, understanding many Witches aren't able to openly practice the Craft or use certain elements due to allergy or physical restrictions (such as using fire in spell & ritual), is clever enough to provide alternatives to overcome these obstacles. I enjoyed reading about many different & simple ways to celebrate the God & Goddess as well as the Sabbats/Esbats, even when traveling. This is helpful because we all get busy and pulled in a million directions, and there will be occasions when it's simply not practical to perform a complex ritual. It's nice to have ideas for simpler ways of honoring the Gods.

Another wonderful aspect of this book is dealt with in the "Coming Out of the Broom Closet" chapter. Not all books cover this very real life issue we all must face at some point, and West gives the reader some valuable advice and ways in which to deal with this issue, including having your loved one read your copy of The Real Witches Handbook. This is yet another brilliant example of why West's down to earth writing style works so well.....she writes for the aspiring novice as well as for the curious Christian who simply wants to learn more about our religion without being confused by highly technical aspects geared towards advanced students.

The chapters will include:
~ Myth and Reality : what being a witch is all about & destroying the stereotypes
~ What Witchcraft is : the beliefs and practices
~ Moon worship, the elements, Gods and Goddesses, the cycles of death and rebirth
~ The Sabbats and the Wheel of the Year
~ Becoming a Witch - what it can involve
~ Magic - the responsibilities involved, avoiding potential danger
~ Spellcraft - attract partners, improve family relationships
~ Herbal work - herbs for skin, hair, scents, traditional recipes
~ How to tell your family, contacting groups and other Wiccans.
~ Networking & Book Resources for furthering your studies.

One of the books that is very well written. It has an "open arms embrace" to the reader and has some laughter here and there...this tells me that the person can be serious and have a sense of humor right along with her readers..i recommend this book..you thank yourself later.

...because I expected a lot more based on the reviews here, especially the ones touting this book for more experienced practitioners et al. Or perhaps I already have a lot of the sense or "methods" the author does for lack of better words (the KISS theory, among other things) because I didn't find anything in the Real Witches' Handbook that really stood out or made me want to keep going back to it. There were great down-to-earth sentiments, information and how-to's...but on the other hand, for me, it was nothing I didn't already know, almost to the point I was bored. (In fact, I didn't even finish the whole book at that point because it just didn't compel me to for whatever reason.) I guess this book was simply more beginner and basic than I expected, and I don't see myself referring to it again for anything, so it must just be me :-)

Don't get me wrong though, it is a wonderful book for beginners or those interested in the Craft, especially those who don't have the space to practice as I do (another reason it didn't appeal to me - it seems geared for a younger audience, maybe college or high school age, or simply those who live in dorms or with parents or roommates, etc., which I don't). This book has no fluff, is extremely practical, covers the basics well, and was pleasant enough to read (but didn't grab me like I expected) and it is WAY better than a lot of the fluffy airy-fairy or Llewellyn nonsense out there that I have seen. (And yes, it is all Wicca like another review said so don't expect anything else regardless of the titles and terms the author uses.) However, I would recommend it freely -- the only caveat is the level of experience, other reading, and personal practice the reader has already done; otherwise, it might not be as new or enlightening as they might expect.

This is one of the best Wicca 101 books out there. Kate West is a very down-to-earth Witch, and her writing is the same. If you want to give this book to your parents so they could understand that Wicca/Witchcraft is not evil, then please do.

The one of the best and interesting chapters was the one about the Sabbats. All in all, this is a great begginers book.

Kate West has done a wonderful job with this one. I have been researching the craft for a couple of years in books and on-line and have found most of it too ceremonial and over-the-top at worst and impractical at best. This book is different. It is the basics, no frills, no fluff. Instead of feeling bogged down and uninspired after reading this book, I feel excited and energized.
I certainly hope Ms. West writes again, because I would love to hear more from her point of view. Newcomers should definitely read this one! Bright Blessings!

I was looking for a sort of "Pagan/Wiccan 101" book, and picked this up in the hopes that it might answer some of my questions-- which it did, and quite well. "Handbook" goes through some of the background of The Craft, and explains the differences between some of the varieties of practice and traditions. Major holidays are explained. Kate West imbues "Handbook" with a healthy dose of good humor, which I very much enjoyed. She offers a good selection of sample rituals and spells, things that could be used (or adapted for use) by practitioners at any level, or from any tradition.

Much of what West discusses is really pretty basic, and I had a good time learning more about the origins of holidays, and thinking about the various social ramifications she presented. Part of what I liked best about "Handbook" was the sensible and plausible approach West takes; no need for fuss or fancy-fancy props or tools, you can practice with what you've got, because it's the *intent* that matters most. I've shared this book with others; and recommended it to several. Bought a co-worker her own copy, so I could get mine back. ;)

...this book may be small but it is one of the most concise books available on the craft. you will get an introduction to wicca, what wicca truly is, a breakdown of all the sabats and esbats, rituals, casting of the circle, how the goddess and the god fit into wicca and also a breakdown of magick.

i recommend this book for all wiccan newbies who want to learn what exactly the craft is and how things work. everything is presented clearly and without self-righteous posturing. a very humble little book for a very humble beginner!

Kate West impresses me because of her practical "real life" approach. This paarticular book had that quality. She dealt with outside influence and secrecy, and emphasized the importance of state of mind over tools. These sorts of information are in short supply in books on witchcraft.

One of her greatest strenghths is also one of her weaknesses as an author: She has a tremendous amount of practical experiance. Her writing is from her own experiance rather than reseach. In a lot of ways this is good. It's certainly refreshing. But a seasoned practitioner, or at least researcher, isn't going to get a lot out of this book.

She gives some useful information on the elements and how to deal with them, and a very basic introduction to Gods and Goddesses. The sample rituals are great. Some of the best beginner rituals I've seen because they are simple, the meanings of the actions are clear, and they can be built on easily as you become more experianced. The rituals are the only thing in this book I might use for reference.

As beginner books go, it's not the best, and is certainly lacking in a few areas, but the intent is positive. If you've already read a few beginner books, I'd pass this one up, but I'd definitely recommend reading SOMETHING by Kate West. Her perspective is certainly helpful, even if every word she writes isn't.