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The Wiccan Mysteries: Ancient Origins & Teachings

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Wiccan Mysteries is an indepth examination of the similarities that exist between various aspects of ancient paganism and modern Wiccan beliefs and practices. Of the 17 chapters that appear in this book only 2 deal with history. The rest of the chapters present and explore the beliefs, practices, and spirituality of Wiccan religion.

It is clear that Grimassi believes that modern Wicca is the survival, fragmented though it may be, of an ancient pre-Christian European religion. Unlike a small minority of reviewers here on Amazon, I personally find nothing in this book to indicate that Grimassi is trying to pull anything off on the reader. He simply presents the historical evidence he believes supports his theory and makes a sincere argument for it. What good author does not? At least, unlike most modern Wiccan authors, Grimassi has clearly performed some pretty wide and extensive research before writing a book. And although we don't have to agree with all of his conclusions, I do think we have to respect the sincere effort.

There have been some negative comments about Grimassi using fragments to present his beliefs about ancient traditions. Don't archaeologists do the same when exploring the past? Sometimes fragments are all that is left, but to ignore them is to turn our back on the possibilities. No one with an honest open mind would do that. Although there are certain absolutes in historical research, some of it is left to speculation, and some of it is left to the victor's account.

Stepping outside of the historical debates (a relatively small portion of this book) the Wiccan Mysteries is an excellent and enlightening work on modern Wicca. It reveals a great deal of the inner meanings of ritual, symbolism, and magic. It is the first book, to my knowledge, to explore ritual text and poetry in modern Wicca, and to offer deep insights into the hidden meanings.

This is a book on the history and spiritual legacy of ancient pre-Christian religions and their impact on the evolution towards modern Wicca. It is written from the perspective of a long practicing Witch and artfully presents a fascinating micro-history. Modern scholars draw their conclusions concerning Witchcraft largely from material contained in trial transcripts and from writings by various monks and other Church agents who wrote about demonology and satanic worship. The problem with this "official" history of Witchcraft is that few if any people convicted of Witchcraft were actually witches. Therefore the information extracted from them cannot realistically be viewed as representative of the beliefs and practices of Witchcraft. And yet, this information is what scholars use to "prove" the non-existence of Witchcraft as having any credible relationship to the ways of modern Wicca.

As a contrast to the Judaic-Christian history of Witchcraft, Grimassi offers the views of those who actually practice the religion of Witchcraft. As Grimassi points out in the introduction he is an initiate of several Witchcraft traditions, and therefore draws from the common elements contained within all of them to reconstruct the tenets of the ancient Mystery Traditions that influenced the evolution of Witchcraft.

But the focus of this book is not on history, it's on the spiritual and religious beliefs in modern Wicca and the ancient concepts that contributed to them. Several reviewers have expressed serious questions about many of Grimassi's historical references while at the same time complaining that Grimassi offers no historical support at all. This seems to reflect some personal agenda rather than an authentic criticism of this author's work.

If you're genuinely interested in the magick, religion, and spiritually of modern Wiccans and Witches, then buy this book.

This book is a thoughtful and detailed examination of the basic themes one finds incorporated into modern Wicca. The focus of this work details how the various elements found in modern Wicca also appear in many ancient civilizations, particularly Greece, Etruria, and Rome. It is the author's opinion that many pagan elements associated with modern Wicca were introduced, or at the very least influenced, by the Romans as they expanded into lands formerly held by the Celts. This is not an unreasonable theory, especially when one considers that Celtic lands were held by Rome for over 200 years.

Unlike many modern writers, Grimassi does not avoid controversial material such as the theories of Margaret Murray. Despite those things worthy of discredit in Murray's thesis, there still remains a "core of truth" in her material, as was noted by the respected historian Carlo Ginzburg. Regarding Murray's claims, it is worthy of note to include a statement by historian Gustav Henningsen, in Early Modern European Witchcraft, that there existed in Sicily a "particularly archaic form of Witch-belief, almost identical with the 'witch-cult' that Margaret Murray attempted to demonstrate."

Some reviewers here, who apparently took little time other than to skim read this book, have tried to paint Grimassi as alternating between grasping at straws and demonstrating episodes of a self-congratulatory nature. Nothing could be further from the truth. This book is very well researched and supported by the quoted works of many highly respected historians and folklorists. Curiously the critics of this book have conveniently failed to mention these authorities but have instead elected to address only the controversial ones. One reviewer here claims that the Wiccan Mysteries is not the type of book the neo-pagan community wants. However, since this book is in its 5th printing and has won several awards, I think this speaks of the book's popularity and wide acceptance by the community.

If you're tired of poorly researched books, and the "traditions-of-the-month" variety, then you owe it to yourself to read this book. One word of caution though, this book needs to be read more than once to fully comprehend it. This is not the typical light and fluffy Wicca book.

This book contains everything you could ever want to know about the whys and wheres of Wiccan origins. If you are looking for cute spells and another book on doing Wicca your own way, this is not it. However, if you are open minded enough to realize that Wicca has been around for more than the last 50 years, you will find a rich and enlightening look at the origins and historical perspective behind the Craft. The Mysteries that this book reveals are nothing more than the origins of the basic tenets and beliefs that modern Wicca is built on. This book is a great companion to the lighter "handbook" style writings that were prevalent in the 80's. Many people seem to think that Grimassi is too preachy and is trying to reaffirm the Gardnerian and/or Alexandrian traditions. A careful read of this book will show that these traditions were structured more closely within the lines of the ancient beliefs and were not based on an eclectic gathering of permissive views. Grimassi is not trying to promote or denounce a particular traditional view, but show the origins of the belief system that became modern Wicca. As he puts it, "Wicca is like a tree,...the old Wiccan ways represent the roots. Neo-Wiccan traditions are like the blossoms...in the spring."

I have been a witch for 2 years now and am always looking for a book that gives more of an outside perspective...something that I can use to let cowans know what Witchcraft is and give them a reference to look at for themselves. This book was outstanding. Raven presented history of not only Witchcraft, but many religions and how they tie in. I enjoyed this book parially for myself and learning more of where my religion came from, and also for using it to teach those that dont understand.

Grimasi's apparent intention here is to put the Wiccan faith into historical context and draw some insights about Wiccan theology by exploring Wiccan history.

That's a laudable goal, and the Pagan community has been hungry for genuine scholarship for years. However, this book really doesn't add anything new. In fact, it muddies the waters considerably, churning up the murky pseudohistory that most Pagan scholars now dismiss as invention and guesswork.

Yes, it has a bibliography, and he does cite sources, including secular reference books. However, most of those sources are cited as the sources for obvious facts, such as the date of the fall of Rome. Unfortunately, because of the way the footnotes are placed, an unwary reader can get the impression that the secular reference books are also being cited as references for some pretty sweeping claims about historical Pagan religions.

Grimassi doesn't distinguish between historical Paganism and modern Wicca. "Paganism" is not a single faith -- the Siberian shamans, the civic religion of the Roman Republic, and the Aztecs are all non-Christian and either animist or polytheistic -- but they're all vastly different from one another and from modern NeoPagan Wicca. But Grimassi cites the existence of Pagan practices and then leaps from there to argue for the ancient origin of *Wiccan* practices -- which is *not* the same thing.

To hint at a continuous tradition from the Neolithic period to the Victorian one is an extraordinary claim for which no evidence whatsoever is provided. If he has good evidence for that, he ought to be citing it. If the evidence is locked up in oathbound secrecy, he shouldn't be writing this book for the popular press and just expecting people to take his word for it.

If you're interested in the history of Paganism, I'd recommend Ronald Hutton or Prudence Jones and Nigel Pennick instead.

This carefully crafted book (pun intended) is an awesome text that requires at least a second read through each chapter to fully understand its wonders. Some readers may miss the secrets revealed within this book, and for those people I would offer that no mystery is closed to an open mind.

Grimassi writes with the knowledge and experience accumulated during his practice, spanning over some 25 years. This book may be uncomfortable for readers who are insecure in their own understandings of Wicca and are afraid of anything that does not conform to their own personal views. It will be particularly difficult for those readers who are heavily saddled with their own personal agenda. Yes, Grimassi writings do expertly challenge our understandings, but without this it is all too easy for us to cling to our current understandings. But the way of the Mysteries is not to teach us what we already believe we know, but instead to point to the difficult path of rising above our own perceptions. Initiation itself is such a challenge. And this book, written by a well-respected award winning author, is the ideal text to carry with us as we enter the Labyrinth.

This book is a classic in its field and one that will stand the test of time. Grimassi has artfully blended together the agricultural mysteries of paganism along with the metaphysical principles of ancient occultism. In this book Grimassi ties all the essential elements of pre-Christian European religion into a splendid presentation of Wiccan religious beliefs and practices. He does the same with magical and ritual concepts. His historical research is sound, and is supported in the bibliography, listing over a dozen University press publications along with many other impressive reference works. This alone was a refreshing change of pace from many of the books we see written today on modern Wicca. The Wiccan Mysteries is not a book that you can skim, it requires even a second read in order to fully appreciate the secrets within, otherwise the casual reader is likely to miss what is ultimately revealed in this superb text.

Raven Grimassi would be the first to say that Wicca has no established sacred writings. Yet she makes a bold contribution to the field with this fascinating view of the history of the Craft from pre-history through the modern era. Nonjudgmental (or not much), and thoroughly researched, this book is a history of the "olde religion," its myths and archetypes, its myriad beliefs and practices, written with style and verve. This book is a history, a reference, and guide to the path of the Wiccan. Although the illustrations are a bit crude, they do not detract from Grimassi's witty prose and knowledgeable style. A must have for every student of the Craft and its history.

This book was awarded "BOOK OF THE YEAR" and "BEST SPIRITUALITY BOOK" by the Coalition of Visionary Retailers at the International New Age Trade Show in Denver, 1998. After reading Wiccan Mysteries it is easy to understand why.

The author goes into more depth in this single volume on Wicca, as a religion and a spirituality, than can be found in dozens of other Wicca books today. Grimassi covers the essential basics of Wicca, but unlike other Wiccan authors others who stop there, he goes on to introduce the reader to a vast store of pre-Christian European paganism. Grimassi excels at presenting the inner teachings of the Mystery Tradition as it appears in modern Wicca.

Grimassi devotes an entire chapter to exploring the inner meanings of such Wiccan texts as THE CHARGE OF THE GODDESS and THE LEGEND OF THE DESCENT. It is here, as in other parts of the book, that Grimassi demonstrates the rich spiritual tradition of modern Wicca.

Unlike the majority of Wicca books, this one does not fall into the "making up Wicca as you go along" variety. Instead, Grimassi uses reliable historical and ethnographical sources to back up his claims. The bibliography itself contains almost 100 reference works (many of which are University Press books) reflecting the views of such noted individuals as Joseph Campbell, Carlo Ginzberg, Georg Luck, Larissa Bonfante, and Bengt Ankarloo.

To sum up, Wiccan Mysteries is a pearl that has finally surfaced amidst the endless fluff and nonsense so prevalent in Wicca books today. If you're serious about understanding Wicca, from the basics to the advanced levels, then this is the book for you.