Customer Reviews

Wicca A To Z: A Modern Witch's Encyclopedia (Library of the Mystic Arts)

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

 

 

Whether you are new to the Craft or have been practicing for awhile, you are sure to find this book highly informative. Well-researched, it covers nearly every aspect of Wicca and Paganism imaginable. I was especially impressed with the section on goddesses from around the world, and I found the detailed information on the various Wiccan traditions to be enlightening. I have been a practicing Pagan for well over 30 years and did not really expect to find anything new in this book that I hadn't already read elsewhere, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I learned from it. However, the title is a bit misleading, as the book covers much more than just Wicca. Astrology, ceremonial magick, hexcraft, Satanism, and other paths are also included. It is nicely illustrated with old black and white drawings and woodcuts. It is one of Gerina Dunwich's better books to be sure. However, it is an alphabetically-arranged mini-encyclopedia. It is not a book of Wiccan rituals or spells. If you are looking for rituals and spells, look elsewhere. But if you are looking for an excellent guide to the many facets of the magickal world, be sure to add this book to your collection!

Gerina Dunwich, an authority on the ways of Wicca, is a highly-respected spokesperson for the Wiccan/Pagan community. She is deeply concerned about the negative stereotypes connected to Witches and the many misconceptions the general population has about the Craft. In an effort to educate and to help foster religious tolerance for Wicca and other earth-oriented spiritual paths, Dunwich has impressively combined her many years of experience with in-depth research to create this unique encyclopedia that strips away the myths and mystery to reveal the true beliefs and practices of both Wiccans and contemporary Pagans. No aspect of the Craft, from ancient times to present day, is overlooked in this remarkably comprehensive book. Featuring well over 500 alphabetically-arranged entries and a good number of black and white illustrations, no stones (not even the ones of Stonehenge) are left unturned here. Students of the magical arts (esp. beginners) will be enriched by the wisdom contained within this compendium, and most readers will find refreshing the author's down-to-earth style (she is a Capricorn after all), straight-forward honesty, and occasional hint of wry humor. This book is divided into 2 parts. The first one explores "Magick, Myth, and Mysticism." Alot of territory is covered here, including Sabbats, Wiccan traditions, sacred rituals, spellcasting, and Pagan jargon. As Wicca is primarily "a Goddess-oriented religion and craft," it is appropriate that the second part of the book, "Goddesses From Around the World", covers in detail the countless female deities who collectively represent the power, beauty, and magick of the divine feminine. Every major goddess appears to be represented, with each entry explaining how that particular deity has influenced contemporary Paganism. (Many of the popular male deities are listed in the first section of the book.) The honesty and insight provided by WICCA A TO Z make this one-of-a-kind encyclopedia an excellent guide for all who take a sincere interest in Goddess worship, folklore, the New Age movement, the metaphysical sciences, and the Wiccan Craft as a positive spiritual path and way of life.

WICCA A TO Z is very enlightening. It is much more detailed and Witchcraft/Wicca-focused than Gerina's earlier work, THE CONCISE LEXICON OF THE OCCULT, which may be somewhat helpful to a beginner but is not incredibly informative for many occultists who have been into the scene for awhile. WICCA A TO Z, which covers many esoteric subjects in addition to Wicca, is educational but not boring, like so many encyclopedia-format books tend to be. The author talks honestly about Wiccan beliefs, traditions, ethics, etc without being preachy or fluffy the way many contemporary authors of this genre come across in their writing styles. At times Gerina's views on certain aspects of Wicca differ a bit from the majority, but there is nothing wrong with being different. Some reviewers tend to criticise her for this, but if everyone in the Craft was identical what a sad, boring this world this would surely be! Gerina has written a number of books on Wicca, and, on a personal note, I credit her with helping me to find my present path. {I had never heard of Wicca until I found a copy of her WICCA CRAFT at a local bookstore.} Thank you Gerina for your splendid contributions to the Craft.

I saw this book in the library, and I decided to pick it up and leaf through it. It was...dissapointing. I don't know how she made a glossary of pretty basic Wiccan terms into a book, but that's all it is. The info was pretty limited, and it didn't really talk about the religion, rituals, etc. This is something you can find in nearly ever Wicca 101 book in the back, save your money, this just isn't worth it.

However, I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because this is a great book to give to frinds and family who are curious about Wicca and won't get too freaked out. (Just skip the Skyclad definition) lol

The book is split into tow parts - tye first part, about 140 pages, is devoted to an alphabetical definition/summary of many magickal, Wiccan and occult terms. The list is pretty comprehensive, but is very cursory. You certainly will not find a "complete guide to the magickal world" here, though you will maybe find a few snippets and interesting tidbits. The second part of the book, about 30 pages, gives a pretty lengthy list of goddesses in multiple cultures, along with their characteristics and attributes. Again, very cursory, but somewhat useful.

All in all, not a bad reference for the curious or the beginner. Not a must have for anyone who has more than passing familiarity.

Oh My why didnt someone tell me not to buy this book? It is the same old-same old basic Wicca glossary you find in the back of every book we read.

This is one of the very few Dunwich books that I would consider recommending. It does have useful information, and can be helpful to someone starting out and struggling with terms found in other material. However, I would definitely rate it lower than a similar work by Doreen Valiente, "An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present."

Gerina Dunwich's book Wicca A-Z is a well, just a plain book that makes the religion of wicca even more hyped up. Books like these make Wicca the religion seem well stupid instead of special which it really is. This book lists many things but still not quite worth the cover price.

This book is excellent for reference work,if you don't know a word look it up in this book. Plus you can read this book to learn more about wicca too.

I thought this was a great book. I've used it for quite a while now, and it hasnt gotten old. It's great to look through if you're just caught up in a mess like some books. the author deserves bragging rights