Customer Reviews

The Wiccan Prayer Book: Daily Meditations, Inspirations, Rituals, and Incantations

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I did my research. Other authors casually promote this book in their reading lists. It has four stars here on Amazon, with 42 reviews!

I was hoping for something like the book Earth Prayers, with a Pagan / Goddess-oriented theme. Or, I thought, if it were more formal, I might find written prayers for those times I'm asked to comfort the dying, or the sick or bereaved. The author, after all, is an ordained minister who has reportedly studied many religions.

The prayers in this book, almost all written by Ventimiglia, are trite, soulless, and boring, beyond the ability of those words to convey, and I would never dishonor the Gods or myself with them. He even "Adapted" the much-loved Charge of the Goddess to the point of making it unrecognizable, editing out everything that makes the Charge beautiful and True and leaving the reader with dross. It's like a bad practical joke. It's just - unbelievable.

And where is his head? He prefaces the book with a sick little parable about a ten-year-old getting hit by a car while playing ball, and hearing the voices of the God and Goddess as he DIES, presumably as a reward for telling them every day that he loves them! Religious sadomasochism much? It reminds me of the kind of made-up morality tales I heard as a Christian kid! And this description makes it sound better than it is, because the man can't even write a parable! Let alone a prayer!

Here's a taste of the philosophy of the book: "The first thing you should do to create a lasting bode between yourself and the God and Goddess is to set up a daily schedule of prayer." Again it's like bad Christianity - mouth these words at your deity at nine o'clock every morning and you'll experience true spirituality. His prayers themselves show a similar sad shallowness (after awhile the revealed prejudices in such prayers as the one written to pray for parents-in-law, or before housekeeping, get kind of funny, they're so unbelievable) and no feel at all of Wicca's basic idea of immanent deity. This man is somebody's high priest? You have GOT to be kidding me!

I've read every word of it, and this book has no, zero, redeeming characteristics. I'm not going to re-sell it, pass it on, or give it to charity - I'm going to rip out the pages for recycling and give the rest to the dumpster.

There are 42 reviews of this thing out there already - mostly favorable enough. I put this out in the hope that someone, doing better research than I did, will come across these unflattering words and NOT BUY THIS BOOK. I'll repeat it: please, friend, fellow-traveller: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. I understand the desire for Pagan prayers, but this particular well is bitter and polluted. Rider, pass by.

I came onto Amazon after reading (as much as I could handle of) it, and honestly, I was quite surprised that it had gotten even 3 1/2 stars.

Mostly it just seemed like someone had gotten a trite, poorly written book of Christian prayers (which are usually better than this) and done a find & replace on the word "God". But don't take my opinion, just use the 'search inside' feature to read the excerpt before you buy it, maybe you'll like that style.
Oh, and definitely search on the word "Larry". *shudder*. That was a shocker.
It's a pity, because the 'idea' was nice. As an alternative, I'd recommend the two "Book of Hours" : Prayers to the Gods/Goddesses by Galen Gillotte. I've also heard A Book of Pagan Prayer by Ceisiwr Serith is good.


But onto something *much* worse, and a *much* more serious problem with this book. On Amazon anyway.

Once I'd gotten over the shock that it'd even managed 3 1/2 stars, I noticed it had gotten *42* reviews. What?!?
Take a look at other, even more popular wiccan books published at around the same time. That's a *lot* of reviews for this book to be getting.

I started reading them.

And the ones for his other books.

And I know this is a horrible allegation to make, but someone's been ballot stuffing. On *all* of his books.
There's many very similar (positive) reviews for his books which say very similar things, with very similar gushing praise as to personal attributes of the author, and even similar spelling/grammar mistakes.

Just for this book, there are at least 8 *named* reviewers who have *only* reviewed Ventimiglias books - Lady Sabrina, Jimmy Durgan, mary zues, kathy McMillian, Moab, Greg, Lord Goth, and Joy Bennett.

One of two may be legit, but I doubt all of them are.

I'll be contacting Amazon staff to inform them of this, and ask that *something* be done about it, because it's pretty shoddy ethics and moral principles on the part of "whoever" is doing this.
:(

I have no idea where this author gets his ideas but they smack more of fundamentalism than wicca. His personal outlooks on "sin" and "morality" alone set off warning signals with me. I'm sure you can find a much better book suited to your Path than this one.

Mr. Ventimiglia started Catholic, spent a few years dabbling in other religions and when people in those other religions disagreed with him he returned to Catholicism. Read his own opinions on his personal web page at:
http://www.geocities.com/mark71565/

For a book on Wicca I would look for something written by someone serious about it and not some charismatic dabbler who was taking a few years off from Catholicism. For a Prayer Book, pick up Ceisiwr Serith's while it's still in print.

While the title of my review is a complimentary comment for a horror novel, it is not so for a prayer book. I bought this book when I became one of the heads of the pagan group on my campus, thinking it might be of help. However, upon receiving it, I found it to be like a very fundamentalist children's prayer book with the names switched! While I certainly won't deny anyone the right to their beliefs, I would be hard pressed to say that the prayers in this book are Wiccan in spirit in any way, shape, or form. The most disturbing aspect to me was the introduction, which told the story of "Little Larry", which reminded me more of a twisted horror movie then of a story about faith. If Cunningham, Amber K, Telesco, Valiente, McCain, Buckland, heck even Silver Ravenwolf...if that's your type of thing, then avoid this book like the plague. If you're a beginner to Wiccanism, I personally would suggest other titles such as Amber K's "True Magick" [for those looking at their wallets while trying to buy books] or Starhawk's "The Spiral Dance" or Cunningham's "Earth Magick" series. Even Silver Ravenwolf (who is very hit-or-miss for me) is a better choice if you must. Honestly, I got rid of the book. I didn't feel right in selling it online to someone unknowing of it's contents (as I did when buying it) but I didn't want it around me. If I may say, it had the worse vibes of any such piece of literature I've ever seen. As I said, my opinion is to avoid it like the plague.

And even if you like the content, the actual writing and the poetry for the prayers is doggerel.

I have been a witch for many years, and was very excited to see a new prayer book being offered. However, The Wiccan Prayer Book was deeply disappointing in that it is very simplistic, unimaginative,and offers very little that is original, or particularly moving. A better choice is Caitlin Matthews' Celtic Devotional : Daily Prayers and Blessings, a beutifully written book that is much more true to the pratice of the Craft, and is a source of inspiration for novice and advanced practitioners alike. I have not written a review before, but felt compelled to do so because the Wiccan Prayer Book is such a disappointment that it feels like a rip-off.

Reading through the table of contents shows a wide variety of prayers on topics from Prayer to the Dawn to Prayer to Save the Rain Forests. Unfortunately, the prayers themselves are dry and contrite. They state the spirtual need in a matter of fact, textbook way. No sense of artistic flow. For the Star Trek fans out there a good example of a poem Data might write.

This is the worst wicca book I have ever read. Trite, uninspiring prayers based on sentiments which come straight from the worst of popular Christianity. The most badly butchered version of the Charge I know. As for the story of little Larry, who is run over by a car while making a spectacular catch during a baseball match but dies with the voices of the Lord and Lady in his head, so that's alright...(how does Mark Ventimiglia KNOW?) the Victorians couldn't have done worse.
If you want a prayer book, try A Book of Pagan Prayer by Ceisiwr Serith, or Caitlin Matthews's Celtic Devotional. Or come into the presence of the gods and speak in your own words - you'll do better than Mark Ventimiglia.

Rev. Ventimiglia seems to be confusing Wicca with Christianity. He seems to have no concept of the kind of relationship we, as Wiccans, have with our Gods, nor of who They are.

Of course, his credentials through the Universal Life Church are easily purchased by anyone and are no proof of any training, and it is readily apparent that, if he has any Wiccan training at all, it is shoddy.

He has been shunned by Seax-Wicca, the one organization that did have formal ties to him. They no longer acknowledge him.

This is not someone we should look to for our devotions or service to our Gods. He doesn't have a clue.

With great anticipation I picked up this book, only to be sorely disappointed.

This author's stance as a spiritualist (i.e. Reverend Mark) is as phony as it comes. Universal Life Church ordination? Who doesn't have one of those? My cat has one...

His prose is without grace, inspiration or a true appreciation for Wicca or the Gods. Not only has this man been a disgrace to Seax Wicca (whom has now denounced him), he is a disgrace to Wicca as he espouses hatred, discrimination and intolerance towards homosexuals and those he sees as being 'corrupt'.

A more disgraceful faux-Wiccan author I've yet to read....and I've read a lot of these.

Save your money, buy a Wiccan text that teaches the Path of love and acceptance.