Customer Reviews

The Second Circle: Tools for a

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Do you feel like there's nothing left on the New Age shelf that can challenge you? Are your favorite pagan books not "pagan books" at all, but mythology and history books? Are you wondering what sort of role you'd like to play in the pagan community?

Venecia Rauls says she wrote this book because she wants to save other advancing pagans the aggravation that comes from thinking they're all alone out there. She does this so wonderfully that I wish I'd had this book two years ago. Reading this book was like reading the story of the past few years of my own life--and as much as the "treasure hunt" for challenging material has helped me grow, it was validating to find that others were on the same search.

This book covers where to find books that aid your path in places other than the New Age/Metaphysical shelf; ideas for gaining a rapport with Nature; one of the most thoughtful chapters I've ever read about how to get closer to your deities; and an examination of different "specializations" one can choose. I saw myself in the "Scribe" archetype; could you be a "Bard" or a "Healer"?

You're not going to find spells or rituals here, but if you've been a pagan for a few years and want to know how to keep yourself on your toes, don't hesitate to buy this book. It will be a challenging guide--and a sympathetic friend--on your continuing journey.

A gem standing out among the vast collection of generic books on Wicca and Paganism.

The Second Circle is perfect for anyone who is past the basics and ready to move on to new and more advanced teachings. Even if you are already experienced, this book will still provide you with new ways to look at Pagan practices and plenty of things to consider as you advance further along your chosen path.

Unlike other advanced books that are often too specialized or may only contain one or two chapters of new and useful information. The Second Circle offers suggestions and techniques to search out your own information and expand your knowledge base. There are great exercises designed to make the reader think about the basics in creative ways and explore new ways of thinking that broaden your understanding of Magic and Religion.

Venecia Rauls write about advanced subjects such as forming a deeper relationship with your chosen deities, getting down to earth and working with nature, and exploring ways to help bring magic into your everyday life.

This book also includes tips and ideas to help the reader get the more from what they have already learned as a beginner, giving advice and guidance to the advancing Pagan as they try to find a path that fulfills their spiritual needs and goals.

This is not a simple step by step instruction manual. The Second Circle is a book about learning to explore Paganism on your own, as well as taking the steps needed to expand and refine your beliefs and practices.

It's a must read for any serious Pagan.

You've read a lot of books. You have all the basics down. You pick up more books because you are thirsting for more knowledge only to be disappointed by repetition of more basics on how to be a witch. Never fear, there is a book out there that picks up where the `Wicca 101' books stop.

With a gentle yet firm touch, Ms. Rauls takes the beginner beyond the basics into real sufficiency. She shows the novice witch, the one with a basic understanding of the Pagan Path, how to become more proficient at their spirituality. Through her knowledgeable tutorage, a seeker learns that there is more to being a Pagan than owning a few spell books and candles. In fact, the student moves beyond the need for spell books and becomes, in the author's words, a journeyman or apprentice moving toward mastery.

This book moves the reader past basic principles, building on what you have already learned. It guides the reader into expanding knowledge of the worlds within, without and even beyond. Through a simple four-step process laid out in each chapter, the beginner moves forward by reading, thinking, questioning and finally doing.

There are more places to find spiritual knowledge than the metaphysical section at your local bookstore. Ms. Rauls encourages exploration beyond what you already know into new avenues of study. She states that the occult knowledge really isn't as hidden as we are lead to believe we just have to learn how to see beyond our assumptions and ingrained behaviors to achieve mastery of our chosen Paths.

I enjoyed this book, but found little of it useful for me personally. I do recommend it for the person who has moved beyond their newbie status and wants more than the basics so many books seem to be reiterating over and over again. This book is a fresh look and really is what it claims to be - tools for the advancing Pagan.

W. Lyon Martin Author/Illustrator of "An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child"

I finished this book not too long ago, and I was pleasantly surprised by how helpful it was. Unlike most books that focus on the "this is how it is...now do it" mindset, Rauls puts the brakes on and goes "hey, wait a minute, why are we doing this? Why did we ever do this?"

If you're feeling at all cynical about Wicca or Paganism in general, definately pick this one up. I know from experience that combing through the same BS over and over again - with no explanation to ease my overly rational mind - can make you frustrated and annoyed with Pagan concepts. "Second Circle" gives you some commonsense examples and those explanations to let you know that, yeah, there is a reason we are doing this. Somebody didn't just make it up.

"Advancing" is a good term for this work. It isn't "Advanced" at all - these aren't cryptic, specialized concepts she's presenting. This is perfect for those who are...well, advancing, and on their own. You've read all the "...for beginners" titles, looked at every website imaginable...and you like this. You want to know more, but don't know where to start. For those who don't have teachers, guides, or a nice friendly coven just around the corner to turn to, "Second Circle" helps fill in those annoying little gaps of wisdom all "101" books forget to mention.

Rauls doesn't go too in depth about anything - she doesn't mean to. This is a springing board to doing research on your own. While experienced elders are the key for good information, this is definately something all newly serious, solitary pagans should definately pick up.

Contrary to the other reviews, I was very disappointed in this book. From her own web site Venecia states that she has been a Pagan for some 19 years (which is longer than me) but if this is the case, why couldn't I find anything but the obvious in this book?

Reading other texts apart from Pagan ones (such as Hawkings, Joseph Campbell and Jung), recycling and treating the land with respect, using the Magickal Pyramid, writing your own rituals etc etc was all part of my BASIC training - however Venecia considers this to be "advanced" workings???

Maybe these techniques might be considered "advanced" to the eclectics or those who haven't been exposed to a more structured training pattern, but I am stumped to understand why they would be the necessary tools to master in order to become as "Master" Pagan.

For those who haven't been taught such techniques, then yes, I would say that this book is a very good read - however the title is misleading and the material, in my opinion, extremely lacking in substance for someone claiming to have 19 years experience.

If you're Pagan and past the newbie stage, but aren't quite ready to be calling yourself an "elder" and are looking for a non-beginners book to get you going, definitely pick up a copy of The Second Circle. I'll be honest and admit that the author is a good friend of mine, but I don't think I'm being (too) biased when I say that her book covers some material I haven't seen in other "Wicca 201"-type books such as Patricia Telesco's Advanced Wicca (which is available from the same publisher; in fact, the two books seem to complement each other in terms of using different approaches to non-beginner Paganism.)

Lots of people might look at a book like this and think, "Cool! This is going to initiate me into the Secret Mysteries of Advanced Paganism and I can just skip all that beginner's stuff!" Well, no. To get the most out of it you should already have a good grasp on how magic works, and a fairly solid understanding of the basics of Wicca or whatever flavor of Neo-Paganism you practice. The book isn't focused on one tradition or Pagan path, and it is mostly geared toward the solitary Pagan (though those belonging to a group or coven can also benefit from it), but it doesn't waste time explaining all that stuff every book for newbies already covers.

The Second Circle discusses how the model of apprentice/journeyman/master can be used as an approach to one's own Pagan path. It examines how applying Jung's concept of the "hero's journey" to your own life can produce some surprising insights. There's a chapter on oracles and divination -- not the same old stuff about Tarot layouts and the inaccurate rune information you'll encounter in other books, but how to make oracles like the Tarot and I Ching meaningful to you *personally* and how to view events in your surroundings and in the natural world as oracles. The end of the book offers suggestions for Pagan "specializations" such as priest/ess, oracle, bard, healer, etc., based on one's own inclinations and abilities. There are no spells or rituals in The Second Circle. This book will not hold your hand or walk you through your next stages of learning and development, but will give you food for thought and help you decide how and where your road will take you next.

This might sound dry, boring or even intimidating to people who're used to reading Cunningham or RavenWolf (two authors I personally feel are not very useful for non-beginners), but there are many personal anecdotes and some interesting "side" material included here that keeps the book very readable. Nearly everything in this book comes from the author's own experiences as a Pagan for over fifteen years. Rauls is a professional technical writer, and knows how to present complex material clearly and in a way that the reader should find useful and easy to understand.

As I mentioned before, people looking for quick and easy techniques that will turn them into An Instant Advanced Pagan are going to be disappointed; the suggestions given here won't do anything for you unless you're willing to work on your own self-improvement. However, The Second Circle should inspire you to further augment your basic knowledge and practice and set you on the way to deepening your spirituality and finding your niche.

I bought this book based almost exclusively on the the rave reviews it received here at Amazon and on the fact that it claimed to be a book for the advancing pagan.

For whatever reason, and perhaps this is a misunderstanding on my part, I thought this book was going to be about spiritual development. In other words, rather than a book that was going to teach me more about divination and what books to read, I was expecting a book that would discuss spiritual unfolding, and the ways we deepen our relationship to the sacred, and the ways we manifest the sacred in the ways we live. I had expected it to be something that said, "Now that you're past the basics (of knowing how and what to do) let's talk about the why and the where and address some of the difficulties you may face along the way."

In that respect, then, I was disappointed. The book is, in a lot of ways, the culmination of information and dragged-out debates one can find at any quasi-intelligent pagan message board or mailing list. This book suffers the same problem so many other books in the genre face--a basic lack of spirituality, a basic lack of an understanding of faith, and a lack of focus on the individual as a spiritual being and not just as a *pagan* operating under the traps of *paganism*. I think pagans would be better served by understanding how to enrich and deepen their spiritual selves as non-Abrahamic followers than being told where to go study and what to go study next. Any intelligent person with a minimum of research skills can figure that out.

It wasn't a bad book, hence the three stars. It just fell so far short of what I had hoped it to be. I ended up keeping it for about three days and then I gave it to a friend, a newish pagan, who I thought could use the direction the book offered.

The author asked me to review this book, and I was very favorably impressed.

The author first discusses how you know when you're ready to progress, the apprentice/journeyman/master system as a model for the pagan community. Then she systematically explores the steps that are needed to move from one level to the next. In her final chapters, she discusses how to choose your focus or focci.

My favorite three sections were the chapter on how to find advanced pagan books (her approach closely mirrors my own), the chapter on new ways of thinking, and the final chapter on how to choose your focus.

As a pagan, Rauls is somewhat conservative in what she suggests, and there aren't a lot of brand-new ideas to be found. Also, I think the book is lacking a chapter that truly focuses on mastery, rather than the journeyman/woman level, as well as ideas of "where to go when you're past the scope of this book." This is why I gave it four stars instead of five.

This is a must for pagans who are ready not to be beginners anymore! Those who have already moved to an advanced level will be familiar with much of what Rauls discusses, but I found that it made explicit a number of ideas that had been germinating intuitively in my consciousness. There are also some interesting metaphors, tips, and book suggestions you won't want to miss. Definitely the latest in a new trend towards serious advanced pagan books. Publishers and authors, keep them coming!

This is one of several books on Paganism 201 that have come out recently. It's definitely recomended!

The comparison of the pagan path to the progression of apprentice - journeyman - master is aptly utilized. I'm also very impressed by the book chapter, wherein Rauls shows the reader the many different avenues that can be travelled outside of the metaphysical section. That';s where paganism 201 can really be found!

I'm also fond of all the Jungian imagery she brings in. She talks particularly about his concept of synchronicity, and how it relates to magical practice. Definitely another good lead for the intermediate seeker.

And I do have to give her two thumbs up for explaining the differences between pets and familiars. Her discussions on magic, particularly how deities aren't always necessary, and the ethics of magic, are also highly recomended reading!

I do have a few complaints. On p. 24, she says that all alchemical texts were really just referring to sex--in actualoty, sex is just one way alchemy can be interpreted; the original alchemists were speaking both of the literal physical components as well as personal enlightenment. Also, I think her chapter on omens and synchronicity shpuld have warned that people very easily can create self-fulfilling prophecies, *looking* for ways to prove what they *think* (subconsciously) will happen and ignoring other signs (ie, anything long and cylindrical being called a cigar).

In her section on visiting magical spaces created by others, either ancient or modern, she neglected to tell people not to mess with others' ritual areas--ie, if you see a sand painting by a modern Native, don't add things to it just because you think you should! And, on p. 134, she says that animal sacrifice is illegal. It is, in fact, legal, according to the 1993 US Supreme Court ruling 508 US 520, the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye vs. City of Hialeah. Also, she harps on the "evils" of illegal drugs (and some legal, such as salvia), but then advocates the use of legal drugs for magic--including alcohol. A drug is a drug, and all drugs can cause a useful state of consciousness, depending on dosage. The reason so many people overdose or have bad trips is because of misinformation, which perpetuates the bad stereotypes.

Finally, I really didn't like the final chapter. She talks about "roles" within paganism, such as healer, warrior, bard, oracle, etc. I think this gives the idea that you *have* to specialize in something--I tend to agree with Robert Heinlen: "Specialization is for insects". We are all healers, warrior, scribes, and oracles--and whatever else we need to be.

However, overall, I would recommend this book to someone looking to branch out. I've been a pagan and a magician for a decade, and I really could have used this book about 7 years ago. This is an incredibly realistic look at what options are available to the intermediate pagan, without a ton of fluff and filler. It even got me thinking some about where I am now--and that says to me that it's a worthwhile read for anyone, just to get you thinking about your path and where you are on it. I'd especially pick it up if I was feeling stuck or discouraged--there are some really good ideas in here!

When I started reading this book I often wondered why some of the excellent material wasn't ever presented in Wicca 101. As I read on and really started to understand what the author was saying, I realized it was because you really do need to be a bit farther down the Path to understand what was being said. But more importantly, why these things are part of advanced training and growth and especially how to apply them.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for advanced material. But don't just read it, really take in what the author is saying.