Wicca: The Complete Craft [Paperback]

D.J. Conway (Author), Jeanne Mclarney (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

This is the ultimate guide to the ancient religion of Wicca by best-selling Pagan author, D. J. Conway. WICCA: THE COMPLETE CRAFT offers a comprehensive overview of Wiccan philosophy, dispels the common misconceptions, and is a useful primer for practicing Wicca as a spiritual lifestyle. Included are chapters on sacred space, ritual tools, holy days, meditations and visualizations, spells and the art of spell casting, as well as terminology.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's hard to imagine a more comprehensive or well-written resource for students of Wicca than Wicca: The Complete Craft. D.J. Conway, whose earlier books include Moon Magick and The Celtic Dragon Tarot, speaks about the Wicca religion with seasoned authority, making this one of the best guidebooks on the market. She begins with an overview of Wicca, explaining its historical roots and dispelling common assumptions. For example, the practice of magic is not the focus of Wiccan religion, just a sideline, she notes. Conway also possesses a strong voice of integrity. Unlike some fad-feeding authors, she discourages teens from becoming involved in Wiccan magic without the explicit approval of their parents. In fact, even advises teens to avoid the practice of magic altogether, since "the vast majority of teenagers lack the life experience or emotional maturity to deal correctly with the ethics involved with magic." This sort of ethical vigilance is carried throughout the book. Conway offers over 500 pages worth of lessons and rituals, including the making of a witch (expect to study at least a year and a day), developing psychic abilities, protection and self-defense, puberty rites, breaking spells, astral projection, magical herbs, and ritual tools. This is the book for beginners, and is certainly a respectable resource for more mature witches. --Gail Hudson

About the Author

D. J. CONWAY is the best-selling author of more than 20 nonfiction books and three fantasy novels. Her books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Czechoslovakian, Hungarian, and several other languages. An honorary member of the Council of Elders of the Society of Celtic Shamans, she has studied many spiritual paths, including New Age religions, Eastern philosophy, and Wicca, for more than 40 years. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 460 pages
• Publisher: Crossing Press (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580910920
• ISBN-13: 978-1580910927
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 1.3 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #284,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Wicca Reference, March 26, 2002

By 

Todd Hawley (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wicca: The Complete Craft (Paperback)

While this book certainly is not "the definitive" Wiccan book (as if there was such a thing), it certainly offers a wealth of information about this ancient religion. This book was mentioned to me as a great place to learn more about "the Craft," in fact the person who first told me about it called it a "Wiccan textbook." While someone not new to Wicca may find this book covers a lot of material mentioned elsewhere, someone new to this as I am will find this book fascinating.

What I liked about this book was that it provides a very nice overall reference to Wicca, which as someone new to this religion is something very important to me. There is a tremendous amount of information in this book, in fact at times it was almost overwhelming. Among areas covered are examples of rituals for various Sabats, handfasting, and Drawing Down the Moon and Sun, herbs, essential oils, candles, words and terms used in Wicca, pantheons of Gods and Goddesses of different cultures, nature spirits, and so on. Reading through this book gave me a sense that the information contained within it can be a source of "great power" if used correctly.

As I said before, this may not be "the one true Wiccan book," and those with some knowledge may already know most of what in here, but still I found it to be an excellent guide to Wicca.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raves, Raves, Raves, October 18, 2001

By 

"wolfmagik" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wicca: The Complete Craft (Paperback)

I can't say enough about this super informative writing. Never before have I encountered all of the information that he has packed into one solid book before. It dispels myths and legends in all aspects, defines Wicca and Pagan Pantheons, and gives us new and incredible ideas to "conjure" into our own practices! It's written so it is easy to understand for those new to the subject, yet has the "Elders" of us riveted so we can't put the book down!!!! ...

43 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Just as bad as her other books?, November 20, 2002

By 

Zanetta Wilson "Sana Karine" (Knoxville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Wicca: The Complete Craft (Paperback)

I picked up a copy of this because of the number of people telling me that this was so much better than Conway's other poorly-done books. After reading it, I strongly disagree!!

Beginning in the introduction, when she incorrectly states that "the words Wicca, Witchcraft and the Craft are actually interchangeable", there is very little here that can't be found in dozens of other phoney McWicca-lite introductory texts.

Her history is based on the myth that there was once a peaceful matriarchy, and everyone worshipped "the Goddess" until evil patriarchy came along and spoiled everything. She would do well to actually read some of the accurate archeological works listed in her bibliography!

She then proceeds to confuse the term "Paganism". In spite of the way she misuses the word, "Paganism" is actually a large group of related, but highly dissimilar religious. It is not a single path "based on a specific pantheon of deities", and there are certainly more than "only a few differences between Wicca and Paganism, besides the difference in their ages". (And NO religion can be dated back to the Stone Age! NO ONE knows what beliefs existed then, what their 'religious' practices were, or even if they HAD any religious beliefs!) She also defines many Traditions within Wicca inaccurately, and shows little understanding of the history of Wicca, or the various practices that define it's many branches.

When speaking of Deities, she first states that Wicca is polytheistic, then proceeds to "explain" that all Gods are a reflection of a single God archetype, and even the Gods are subservient to the Goddess. (That's not polytheism.) She also speaks of Triple aspects of Goddess, saying that this is a universal concept, and that it has been recognized "from the beginning of religion". This is untrue. (She has quite a habit of stating historical "facts" that are contrary to the archeological evidence, without saying where she is obtaining her "information". She also frequently speaks of conclusions of how found items were used or what they signify that are very different from what the scholars who are trained to interpret such finds conclude. Especially when the archeologists determine that NO conclusions can be made from the evidence available.)

In my opinion, Ms Conway's version of "wicca" is a blend of New Age thought, Ceremonial Magic influence, and poor research. While I don't doubt that it could be used to create a viable and valid spiritual path, it bears little relation to actual Wicca. If one wishes to learn about Wicca, I would strongly suggest starting with A Witch Alone by Marian Green, then moving to books such as Gerald Gardner's recently republished classics. No, it won't be as easy as what Ms. Conway has written... but *real* Wicca cannot be condensed into a 400-page how-to manual.