Customer Reviews

Sons of the Goddess: A Young Man's Guide to Wicca

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Christopher Penczak approaches Wicca from the standpoint of the young man first finding his footing on this spiritual path. As he states in his opening introduction, Wicca is a religion with images of women and learned Sages for teachers and sometimes the younger man may find it hard to relate or find imagery with which he can relate.

Christopher Penczak is very well equipped to tackle this job as well. He is a young man with many book credits to his name on the topic of Wicca. His series on the Inner and Outer Temples of Witchcraft is well known and admired, as well as his books on various types of Magick.

The book is divided in to nine chapters covering a variety of beginners topics on Wicca, including starting on your path, stories Mothers and Sons from mythology, and Men's Mysteries. Each of these chapters focuses on the young man approaching Wicca for the first time. From basic Wiccan beliefs to mythologies that focus on the relationship between the Goddess and her sons, to the man's place in Wicca, the topics focus on the young man, giving him place in a religion that can sometimes seem very Divine Feminine.

There is a chapter on Meditation Magick, something Mr. Penczak is very expert on and it focuses on basic meditation practices and once you have mastered this you can use this practice to work some of his basic magick exercises, such as his "Protection Shield", a very good shielding practice, and also opening up yourself to speak with spirits of all kinds.

Throughout the book, there are little "dialogue boxes" scattered in the margins of the book. These boxes discuss some questions you may have when reading the various chapters. From "The Burning Times" to questions about different Deities or stone properties or "Voodoo Dolls" Mr. Penczak anticipates questions the reader may have and very expertly and directly answers them in a clear and concise manner.

The book also provides illustrations on various topics discussed in the book. The Chakra system is illustrated, poppets, wands, various symbols and tarot cards, all laid out as examples to compliment the discussions.

Further reading will provide you with "Roles and Responsibility", a discussion on the "Wiccan Rede" and a "Code of Honor" that Mr. Penczak includes as a basic guide to personal ethics. There is a
discussion on taking your choice of religion public, how to approach your family with this decision you have made, and what is right for you! This is an excellent chapter and I found it to be very clear and some very good, solid advice for any beginner starting on this path.

There are also chapters on performing rituals, spellcrafting, and the Wheel of the year, which all give some very good information about tools you will need, elements and their relations to our workings.

There is basic ritual construction, which he does elaborate on further making this a great introduction to ritual and personal adaptation of it to be your own. Spellcrafting covers the basics of spells, what they are, different kinds, times to work and how to do your own spells. Some very easy to do and very essential spells are included. And no beginners book would be complete without a very good overview of the Wheel of the Year and the celebrations that are the heart of Wicca.

The final chapter is on personal dedication to Wicca and the Craft. Mr. Penczak discusses what it means to being a witch, making the decision to walk this path and once you have truly made the decision that this is the right path for you, he has provided a simple yet elegant "Self-Dedication Ritual" to celebrate and mark the choice you have made.

The book has a good bibliography with some excellent sources for those who wish to read further.

If you are a young man who is looking for a book that addresses the path of Wicca from the perspective of a young man and is written specifically with the young man in mind, this book is a great starting place and a good reference tool. I feel Mr. Penczak has done an excellent job covering an aspect of Wicca that has not been directly addressed before. It is clearly written, well illustrated and the focus is excellent. This would also be a good choice for any parent whose young man is looking for the first time at the path of Wicca and wants something that specifically addresses his needs. boudica

I bought this book for my 15-year-old son and recently discovered that my 9-year-old daughter has been reading it. This is a great relief to me because there are NO books on witchcraft that specifically target children, and although this is written with young men in mind, Christopher's clear-as-crystal language is well understood even by my daughter.

Teaching children the path has been something that I have struggled with. How do you explain so many things, and where do you begin? Well, this book was the answer for me. My son was able to read it on his own and ask questions or make comments as usual. But this is a WONDERFUL outline for my young daughter as well! Christopher really out-did himself in the simplicity of his language in this book. It is so easy to understand, but that is the norm for all of Christopher's books.

Highly recommended for teens, and also as a guide for teaching your younger children. What a blessing!

At last someone as finally written a book on Wicca just for men. I have always felt left out in the past because of the stigma associated with Wicca and some of its anti-male witches. Christopher has done a wonderful job explaining everything a beginner needs to know from a male perspective. He goes into his own experience which helps to relate to this subject, which is sometimes in the clouds. He takes on a role of a mentor and teacher and carefully touches on each area that should be set as a foundation to any witch, male or female. I have recently purchased 3 of his other books and can't wait to dive in. Thank you Christopher!

I bought this book because I have a son and there just isn't much out there for boys or men in the craft. I read it myself as well. He does a great job explaining many things that kids and younger adults can go through with their choice of spritual path. I like the fact that he doesn't use any language that is out of the ordinary. I hate when authors use every word they can think of to explain something simple, something that this book does NOT do. This book has many ideas that can be used for more than just boys and geared toward the younger readers. I also like that he chose to use some of his personal experiences within the book to show that things that may seem strange, really aren't that strange. I would recommend this book in a heartbeat. Or any of his other books as well.

I recently started the path to exploring magick, witchcraft and Wicca. A series of recent encounters and events led me to this, which I will not go into here, because this is a review specific to Christopher's book. One thing I will mention is that, in the midst of these unexplained events taking place, I found this book right in front of my face within an hour of deciding I needed to explore the unseen world, and at a bookstore I just happend to walk into for another purpose (that rarely carries books such as this).

Being a young man, growing up a liberal Christian, and having a ongoing, personal relationship with God, this book has helped me go inward; to find where that which I already know and believe fits into this world that I feel, have experienced, but as of yet, know very little about. Chris' tone throughout the book is not one that tells you how things are, but encourages you to discover what you will, on your own path. He communicates how he got in touch with the male portion (God) as part of the God/Goddess balance.

I have not made a decision to follow a certain path, such as Wicca and/or accepting multiple gods/deities; I feel that there is one universal energy with male and female (Yin/Yang) states. This may not be exactly in line what the author believes, but the book is written in such a way that I can still use it as a guide to help me meditate on, and bring clarity to the particular path that is right for me.

Not being male, i am aware i am spoiled with a plethera of books and sources focused on women, the Goddess, and our relationship to Her. Even multiple books on a woman relating, making peace with and loving the God.


And then... there is this lovely, yummy book. This book is written with a clear and graceful style that is open, honest, and emotional but never over the top or excessive. This is a basic book, it is a beginner's book - but it covers those basics from a perspective much needed, and in what is very clearly a man's voice. A voice i would like to hear more of, and a voice i hope inspires other male voices to rise in song or verse when they, too, have found their own place.

Great introductory guide to Wicca and Witchcraft. Especially refreshing becasue of its unique focus from a gay man's perspective - though not really focused on gay themes - a definite exception in the field where many - if not most- books on this subject are written and reflect women's or heterosexual men's uexperiences and baggage. Useful reading for anyone on the subject, however since Christopher's writing style is personable while clear and easily understandable. Highly recomended.

This is the perfect basic writing for a young man that may be somewhat lost within his spiritual upbringings. Whether in a solitary or a coven environment this book could be a great asset. I purchased this book to read and see if it would be a good addition to those I've instructed in the past and I diffidently would recommend this to any young man at any part in his journey through any craft tradition.

The mythologies told inspire those reading to delve farther into the mysteries, which is the way it's meant to be done! I have found unexplainable amounts of inspiration from all of the author's books and recommend them to anyone interested in learning about the many branches present on our world tree of witches.

In perfect love and perfect trust, we are one. Blessed be.

Wow! Christopher Penczak has painted a wonderful primer with delicate yet deliberate brush strokes of understanding, knowledge and love. Thank you for writing this. This is a primer, a first look into Wicca, but a very good one. At all times, treating each subject with love, offering understanding, basic ritual, and astute guidance to the young man needing and intelligent and compassionate voice. It is broad enough in its scope and yet detailed enough.

This is the first book of Mr. Penczak that I have read and he has earned my respect. I will be reading his other works.

I am not a Wiccan, but enjoy studying comparative religions. The Sons of the Goddess is a good introduction to Wicca - very approachable and written from a male point of view for males.

Christopher Penczak is perhaps one of the most approachable and enjoyable authors on the subject, and has written numerous books on this and related subjects. His simple but profound approach makes the Wiccan pathway seem both approachable and powerful.

While traditionalists may scoff at his approachable emphasis, and Christians may recoil in horror at Wicca in general, I can assure you that the magick Penczak espouses is white, and it addresses the psychological and psychosocial needs of the young man in a much more positive way than many of the current "gang" type initiations. A good read and strongly recommended for the curious or the practitioner.