A Wiccan Bible: Exploring the Mysteries of the Craft from Birth to Summerland [Paperback]

A. J. Drew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2003

If you have ever wondered if there is more to religion than ancient rituals, then this book is for you. If you have already come to the realization that Wicca is the religion for you, then this book will help fill in those many blanks that have been left by other books. Making no attempt to dictate religious dogma or routine, the author illustrates the many issues a person's religion should address and shows how he has found answers to those issues through the practice of a modern religion, which has, in part, been structured on some of the oldest principles of the ancient world. He examines the four stages of life from this perspective. o Maiden and Master - Birth, Wiccaning, and Self-Dedication. o Mother and Father - Initiation, Mating Customs, and Pregnancy. o Crone and Sage - Grandchildren, Suicide, and Death. o Middle Ground - Reincarnation, Summerland, and Winterland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 430 pages
• Publisher: New Page Books; Original edition (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564146669
• ISBN-13: 978-1564146663
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #809,965 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Pompous, Didactic, Idiosyncratic and Inaccurate in Places, February 22, 2007

By 

Artemesia - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wiccan Bible: Exploring the Mysteries of the Craft from Birth to Summerland (Paperback)

No matter what the author says, a book that is idiosyncratic and off mainstream Wiccan thinking, not in of itself necessarily a bad thing, should never be entitled "Bible". The book is innovative, and we need the religion of Wicca to evolve if it is to survive. However, this is innovation painted as a standard work by its title.

The author has strong opinions, but tends to be patronizing, didactic, and pompous in presenting them and uses hyperbole.

There are quite a few innaccuracies and mistakes - the consort of Asherah is apparently Ball (as opposed to Baal or Ba'al?).

I think the grandiose titles of the chapters are supposed to be Latin. If so, it is laughable - "ab" does not generally mean "of" or "concerning" (root meaning is "away from"); and even if it did, "ab" ("a" before consonants) does not govern the nominative case but the ablative case form. His chapter titles (Liber ab....) are the Latin equivalent of saying "Me loves he" instead of "I love him". All this would be more forgivable if Latin weren't being used to make the whole work seem more grandiose, like a sacred work of literature. In the event, it makes it hilarious to anyone who has had more than a few weeks of Latin instruction.

It is a shame, because a lot of work went into this book. There are what seem to be really good sections of Ancient Greek and Roman festivals and calendars. The inclusion of classical pagan information into a Wiccan framework is to be welcomed - we know more about the Graeco-Roman pantheon than we do about the Celtic or Germanic panthea (incidentally, the author appears in places to have conflated Germanic and Celtic festivals).

Spiritual works don't necessarily need to be scholarly, but if you are going to try to wax grandiloquent, you need to try to get the basic subject matter correct.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Tradition of A. J. Drew, March 3, 2004

By 

Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Wiccan Bible: Exploring the Mysteries of the Craft from Birth to Summerland (Paperback)

A. J. Drew starts in his introduction by stating the following: "You will note that the title of this book begins with the word A. This is because I in no way consider this The Bible. It belongs to me; I wrote it, gave it to someone to share it with you. They didn't think it would be a very popular book if we called it A. J. Drew's Wiccan Bible, so they shortened my name a bit and just called it A Wiccan Bible."

Yes, it did make me smile, but I think I would have gone with "A. J. Drew's Grimoire" or "A. J. Drew's Book of Shadows" because this book is more akin to the Wiccan version of a teaching book than a Bible.

Yes, he did lay out his 'Bible' in books, and yes, there is his version of Creation, Exodus, and other such chapters that make it resemble a 'Bible'. However, the content is strictly Wicca according to A. J. Drew, and it should not be confused with any other path.

A. J. shares with us his researches and his conclusions based on this research. It includes his famous "Rants" on different topics and provides some insights and some head scratches. It has some very complete concordances, some of the most extensive I've seen, and he covers a very wide range of topics: from Ritual, numbers, rites of passage, holidays, his specific path to the studying for Degrees. There is the unmistaken mark of A.J. in this book.

Make no mistake; this IS A. J. Drew's path. This is not everyone's Wicca, nor is it meant to be. Which is why I thought Grimoire or Book of Shadow would be more appropriate. Grimoire and Book of Shadow suggest a specific personal Tradition and A. J. has presented his idea of his family or Coven Tradition.

A. J has presented us with food for thought as well. His food will stir up controversy, discussion and even brew-ha-ha from many different corners of Wicca. There are going to be those who bash this book and there will be those who will praise it.

Personally, I found some material I skipped over after the initial introduction as it was not speaking to me. That does not mean it is wrong, it just means I did not seem to think it was for me. There is also some good material here for discussion and debate and I read it and gave it much thought. There is nothing here that I agree with, nor disagree with. How can I make a judgment on what another holds as a Truth for them. It may not be my truth but it is valid for the person who holds it as truth.

Which is what all these books are about... personal truths. For each reader will find something that will speak to them and cause them to think, rethink or consider the possibility. It does not mean that the reader will change their own personal truth! That is not what these books are about. These books are about 'food for thought' and not 'my way is the only right way'. And any author who states that should be run away from as quickly as possible.

If you are looking for a contemplative work and the view point of yet another person who has found his way along his own spiritual path, this book is for you. A. J. focuses on balance, provides us with some very in-depth correspondence lists and some entertaining rants. There are pearls of wisdom mixed in with the seaweed that are worth searching for. A good choice for those who are open minded and willing to explore other paths. boudica

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a book about balance., September 21, 2008

By 

Meagan M. Adams (Louisiana USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Wiccan Bible: Exploring the Mysteries of the Craft from Birth to Summerland (Paperback)

The hardest part about being a struggling and solitary student of the Craft has most certainly been the lack of material that focuses on the deity. Too many books are only about the Goddess or only about the God. This book spoke in a way that so few do: the deity is one, is equal. I won't go into detail about what the book covers, other reviewers have done that already. Instead, let me just say, if you are as I am and wonder about Wiccan deity more than you do spells, this is the book for you.