Wiccan Beliefs & Practices [Paperback]

Gary Cantrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

Modern Wicca is a vibrant, uplifting nature religion practiced by hundreds of thousands of people in the United States alone. But wearing "witchy" jewelry and casting a few spells does not make one a witch, for Wicca is a lifestyle and those who walk its path have solemnly dedicated themselves to the service of the Goddess and God.

Wiccan Beliefs and Practices was written for the solitary witch or non-traditional small coven. Written by a Wiccan High Priest and retired aerospace engineer, Wiccan Beliefs & Practices includes crucial information not found in other introductory Wiccan books, including:

• Ethics of a Witch, including the Code of Chivalry
• How to write and develop your own spells and rituals;
• The physically-challenged Witch
• Out of the broom closet: is it right for you?
• Know your rights: the legal protection of Wicca as a
   legitimate religion

Author Gary Cantrell speaks from personal experience with Wiccans of all ages and degrees of physical ability, bringing you an earnest examination of modern Wiccan beliefs and a practical guide to the Craft of the Wise.

In the following excerpt, the author explains why he chose to "come out of the broom closet."

I elected to reveal my practice of witchcraft publicly simply because I personally feel that the time for intentionally hiding ourselves has come to an end. We are practitioners of a kind, gentle, and peace-loving religion. We are not the bloodthirsty or depraved, orgiastic fanatics all too often portrayed by the entertainment and news media. The general public has been misled about witchcraft for over a thousand years, and now with our numbers reaching an all-time high, possibly in excess of one million people worldwide, we need to stand up and set that record straight.

We are out there by the hundreds upon hundreds of thousands. We are in the arts, the sciences, and the humanities. We are law enforcement officers, engineers, builders, doctors, and farmers. We are a legally recognized religion under the protection of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and our isolation from the rest of the religious community should and must come to an end. With the phenomenal growth of witchcraft since the 1970s and with the free and easy interchange of information afforded to us by things like the Internet, that time will come to pass and it will happen soon. It may be happening now.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Those who are just starting out in the craft may find this how-to book on Wiccan rituals, spells, and tools useful. Gary Cantrell, author of Out of the Broom Closet?, is the first to admit that this book is geared for beginners and may be redundant for long-time practitioners. That said, Cantrell has done a masterful job of defining the roots of Wicca and helping readers establish their own approach to a diverse and ancient craft. For instance, some may be drawn to the more nature-oriented Celtic traditions, while others may be attracted to the more feminist Dianic approach. He also offers a strong chapter on ethics and purpose, debunking the depraved devil-worshipping, blood-sacrificing, black-magic stereotypes attached to witches. Mostly, Cantrell emphasizes how to get started (suggesting essential tools, such as altar cloths and candles), techniques for purifying an area, and how to conduct an assortment of rites and spells. "The art of working a spell, or casting a spell, or making magick is serious work," he cautions. "It is not something that can be approached lightly, casually, or flippantly ... You will be bending and shaping energies that will, without question, have an impact on the world around you...." Passages such as this one prove Cantrell to be a responsible narrator, someone who is dedicated to offering accurate knowledge while also encouraging newcomers to carefully monitor their Wiccan ethics and intentions. A welcome addition to the voices of Wiccan wisdom.

From Publishers Weekly

Despite the growing number of covens and magickal circles, there is still truth in the sociologist mile Durkheim's famous 1912 statement that "there is no Church of magic." This is due partly to the idiosyncratic nature of paganism. As Cantrell notes, "Your chosen path in the Old Religion must be one that is uniquely suited to you as an individual and one that lets you speak to the Lord and Lady in your own fashion." A Wiccan high priest, Cantrell offers this volume as a general introduction to the Craft, aimed especially at people working individually ("solitaries") or in small groups. He covers a great deal of ground, from the basics the ritual calendar and standard spells to more specialized topics, such as the uncertain practicality of replacing the traditional bound grimoire with a Floppy Disk of Shadows. One chapter offers tips for the physically disabled pagan. Another draws upon the conclusions of his earlier book, Out of the Broom Closet?: A Guide to Revealing Your Practice of Witchcraft to Others, pondering that being identified as a witch "was a death sentence only 200 years ago." As the author himself notes, his work relies heavily on classic texts, and old-timers will find little here that is fresh. But Cantrell's engaging style and good sense make this a fine starting place for the novice practitioner.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 1st edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567181120
• ISBN-13: 978-1567181128
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #292,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #64 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Celtic

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What the heck is THIS!?, August 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Wiccan Beliefs & Practices (Paperback)

There are a lot of problems with this book. The author spends a great deal of time assuring the reader that "no one has the right to tell other practitioners that they are doing it all wrong" and then goes on to say that if you're not practicing a Celtic based system that you're not practicing Wicca. In one example the author writes: "I personally feel that it is impossible to have a Wiccan Tradition such as Egyptian Wicca."

In chapter one, Cantrell states that if you "change the basics" of Wiccan practice then you "step outside of that philosophy and develop a path of worship that fails to address those basics or subverts the old methods, you are no longer practicing Wicca." Then in chapter 3 he goes on to discuss how he doesn't use the basic ritual tools of Wiccan practice. Of the wand, Cantrell writes: "Like the besom and the sword. the wand is something I have never used." His comment on the chalice reads: "The chalice...is another of those tools for which I personally have found very little applications." While I admire the courage of this "High Priest" to admit that he is essentially clueless about how to use the basic ritual tools of the religion he practices, I found myself wondering many times how he ever rose to the level of High Priest to begin with.

Among those authors that Cantrell says were most influential on his thinking, he lists Edain McCoy. McCoy is the author that wrote about how the ancient Druids used the potato as a mother symbol, with its many eyes. Of course, the potato is a New World plant and was entirely unknown to the Druids, since it was not brought to Ireland until after the discovery of America. However, Cantrell's admiration for McCoy does help to explain the poor and incorrect historical data he provides in his own book. It was difficult to wade through the text because the author continually goes on and on reminding the reader on almost every page that everything is simply his own personal view. He also apologizes a great deal throughout the book in an attempt to please everyone in every tradition, which became very boring. In addition to the inaccurate historical information, the author also gives incorrect information on various deities and provides inaccurate overviews of several Craft traditions.

In my opinion Cantrell's book is an extremely poor book on Wicca, filled with misinformation and misdirection, and should be avoided as it undermines the integrity of the Craft and will confuse new seekers.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginners and curious non-wiccans, too, December 15, 2003

By 

River (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wiccan Beliefs & Practices (Paperback)

This was my first book on Wicca or paganism as a modern spiritual practice. I was doing religious research when I picked it up; I was not Wiccan and did not become one for quite a while, but this was the book that answered my initial questions and got me started on the path I walk today.

The book covers definitions of Wicca and of Diety and then talks about Wiccan ethics, then ritual preparation, then rituals and holy days themselves, all before a single mention is made of spellcasting. This is the way it should be: Wicca is first and foremost a way of life. Magic(k) is always secondary.

The author shares some personal stories and devotes an entire chapter to "the humorous side," reminding us never to take ourselves too seriously. He also includes a chapter on "coming out of the broom closet," which, though not applicable for everyone, does cover the pros and cons of telling people who you are, and some of the basic legal aspects as well (opposition to pagans, pagan alliances in various communities such as the military, legal protection of Wicca as a religion in the U.S.) These chapters seem to get criticized a lot, but I was grateful for their inclusion (especially when I chose the Wiccan path and needed to worry about those subjects.)

Appendices at the back include two versions of the Rede, the Charges of Goddess and God, some nice examples of ritual invocations (the author encourages writing your own if you can), and a (very) "general dictionary of gods and goddesses." The bibliography includes some good websites (and great books) that can help you network with other pagans.

All in all this book is a great resource (and a very modern one -- 2001), whether you're looking for the right path, already following the Wiccan one, or interested in finding out what it is Wiccans do. It's necessarily more focused on the author's tradition (which is a sort of eclectic), but he stresses that there is no single correct path and encourages experimentation and further reading.

A big plus: the cover and the title aren't annoying or completely stupid like so many of the Pagan/Wiccan books I see. I love to read, but I'm embarrassed to be seen with some of those titles! With this one, no worries.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginners and curious non-wiccans, too, March 17, 2003

By 

River (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wiccan Beliefs & Practices (Paperback)

This was my first book on Wicca or paganism as a modern spiritual practice. I was doing religious research when I picked it up; I was not Wiccan and did not become one until I had done further research and meditation, but this was the book that answered my initial questions and got me started on the path I walk today.

The book covers definitions of Wicca and of Diety and then talks about Wiccan ethics, then ritual preparation, then rituals and holy days themselves, all before a single mention is made of spellcasting. This is the way it should be: Wicca is first and foremost a way of life. Magic(k) is always secondary.

The author shares some personal stories and devotes an entire chapter to "the humorous side," reminding us never to take ourselves too seriously. He also includes a chapter on "coming out of the broom closet," which, though not applicable for everyone, does cover the pros and cons of telling people who you are, and some of the basic legal aspects as well (opposition to pagans, pagan alliances in various communities such as the military, legal protection of Wicca as a religion in the U.S.) These chapters seem to get criticized a lot, but I was grateful for their inclusion (especially when I chose the Wiccan path and needed to worry about those subjects.)

Appendices at the back include two versions of the Rede, the Charges of Goddess and God, some nice examples of ritual invocations (the author encourages writing your own if you can), and a (very) "general dictionary of gods and goddesses." The bibliography includes some good websites (and great books) that can help you network with other pagans.

All in all this book is a great resource (and a very modern one -- 2001), whether you're looking for the right path, already following the Wiccan one, or interested in finding out what it is Wiccans do. It's necessarily more focused on the author's tradition (which is a sort of eclectic), but he stresses that there is no single correct path and encourages experimentation and further reading.

A big plus: the cover and the title aren't annoying or completely stupid like so many of the Pagan/Wiccan books I see. I love to read, but I'm embarrassed to be seen with some of those titles! With this one, no worries.