The Virtual Pagan: Exploring Wicca and Paganism through the Internet [Paperback]

Lisa McSherry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2002

The World Wide Web. Its power rests in its ability to build communities, share information, and transcend great distances. And as practitioners of the craft have discovered, its cutting-edge technology has the ability to weave centuries' old magick with hyperlinks and fiber optics. For individuals interested in Wicca, The Virtual Pagan offers practical tools for getting connected via the Internet. As author Lisa McSherry writes, "Where once we were prevented from reaching out, for fear of prosecution, we are now free to worship in the safety and privacy of cyberspace. No longer are we bound by geography in our search for like-minded Pagans." Divided into three helpful sections, The Virtual Pagan explains to readers how to get online and find a group that meets their needs. The founder of her own online coven, JaguarMoon, McSherry also shares her insights into keeping the circle vital, techniques for proper email etiquette, suggestions for how to build a cyber altar, as well as steps to prepare for and conduct meaningful rituals online. From privacy to practice, software to Sabbat rituals, McSherry offers a wealth of resources, including organizational tips, and a glossary of more than 200 pagan and technological terms.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lisa McSherry has practiced witchcraft and paganism for two decades, first in New York, now in Washington, and in cyberspace for more than five years. Having discovered computers soon after witchcraft, she has been a pioneer in using the Internet to practice and teach. She leads several classes on-line and writes for several on-line and print publications, including Sage Woman. She lives and works in the Seattle area. This is her first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Samuel Weiser (April 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578632536
• ISBN-13: 978-1578632534
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,202,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Only Guide to Paganism on the Net You Will Need, June 27, 2002

By 

Barbara A. Fisher (Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Virtual Pagan: Exploring Wicca and Paganism through the Internet (Paperback)

This unassuming looking little book is a gem. As a twenty-one year veteran Witch, I have read and reviewed many books on the subject of Wicca, Witchcraft and Paganism. Out of the three books out there on this particular subject, this one is the most concise, useful and practical book I have found.

McSherry gives perfectly sensible guidelines for how to get on the Net, how to find Pagans once you are there and what to do with them after you find them. Her chapters that discuss what a coven is and is not is useful for anyone who is thinking of joining one, whether in cyberspace or in the "real world," and her dos and don'ts for online communication should be emblazoned upon the hearts of everyone on the net. She accurately portrays various positive and negative Pagan archetypal personalities one may find on the Internet, and in doing so, gives the practitioner a taste for what the virtual Pagan community is like in an accurate, consise format.

If you only want one book about Paganism and the net, this is the one; the others, which I have also read are vastly inferior.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Reference and Guide, December 2, 2002

By 

Rhoni Lee "Mehta" (Reno Nv) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Virtual Pagan: Exploring Wicca and Paganism through the Internet (Paperback)

I was a computer illiterate! After exploreing the PC with the help of friends and family I felt better about my skill. I read this book and now, I am a 'thoroughly modern witch'. Not too bad for an old Crone. Thanks for writing this book so that even I can understand.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creating an online Pagan group, and keeping it vital, July 8, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Virtual Pagan: Exploring Wicca and Paganism through the Internet (Paperback)

Lisa McSherry's Virtual Pagan provides a virtual map for getting online, creating a Pagan group, and keeping it vital. The basics of computer user, from email etiquette to building a cyber altar, are here to appeal to a mixed audience of beginners and those with some experience who want to translate the computer world to a meaningful spiritual environment.