Wicca's Charm: Understanding the Spiritual Hunger Behind the Rise of Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality [Paperback]

Catherine Sanders (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2005

How Wiccan Spirituality Is Filling a Spiritual Hunger in America

Hundreds of thousands of people practice Wicca and other forms of modern Pagan spirituality in America today, and journalist Catherine Edwards Sanders wanted to understand why such belief systems are rapidly attracting followers. When a routine magazine assignment led her to realize that her stereotype of Wiccans as eccentric spiritual outsiders was embarrassingly misinformed, her curiosity compelled her to understand the Wiccan mystique. With the support of a journalism fellowship, Sanders spent a year interviewing neo-Pagans and witches and found that the lure of this emerging spirituality was not the occult, but rather a search for meaning in an increasingly fragmented and materialistic culture.

With keen observation, challenging insight, and compassionate critique, Sanders produces a lively narrative about what she experienced and discovered during her travels: Halloween rituals in Salem, anti-globalization protests in New York, and the contrasts between what seekers find in neo-Paganism that they perceive as lacking in Christian tradition. In Wicca’s Charm, Sanders explains the powerful attraction of an increasingly mainstream spirituality that celebrates the wonder of creation and the life-giving energy of women while also exploring why Christian churches often fail to engage these seekers, but how they can learn to tap into the deep roots of Christianity to nourish the hunger of so many who seek a holistic and authentic worship experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Wicca’s Charm...is intended for adults trying to understand why others practice Wicca. Sanders was a journalist on assignment when she was forced to examine her own stereotypical views of Wicca; subsequently, she secured a journalism fellowship to spend a year learning about Wicca and what makes it so appealing to its practitioners; an objective view of the tradition results. Discussion questions at the end of the book correspond to each of the chapters. The result is a good, basic overview of the origins and theories of the religion as well as plenty of firsthand accounts from current and former practitioners of Wicca..—Library Journal

“Wicca’s Charm is one of those books that charms and beguiles you even as it informs you. The reporting is seamless and the writing effortless. Catherine Sanders has made a brilliant debut as a writer on a spiritual matter that should be of deep interest to all thinking Americans.”
–David Aikman, former senior correspondent for Time magazine, and author of Jesus in Beijing, A Man of Faith: The Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush, and the novel Qi

“For Christians who want to understand the culture our own failures have sown and are now reaping, and for those who want to reach out persuasively to this emerging culture, Sanders’s warm, clear, and helpful introduction to Wicca is essential reading.”
–Os Guinness, author of The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life

“Catherine Sanders’s work in this book is careful, thoughtful, and respectful. It will enable many outside Wicca to understand it better, and it will also allow practitioners of Wicca and other similar ways to gain a deeper insight into the best of Christianity.”
–Frederica Mathewes-Green, author of The Illumined Heart: The Ancient Christian Path of Transformation

“Catherine Sanders has provided an eye-opening, sensitive, and honest journey into the heart of Wicca. Ringing no false alarms, she has made an erudite contribution to understanding this contemporary movement.”
–Lilian Calles Barger, author of Eve’s Revenge: Women and a Spirituality of the Body, and founder of the Damaris Project

“Wicca’s Charm is a must-read for parents! A fascinating account full of stories and personal interviews, Catherine Sanders’s book provides wonderful insights into why young people seek alternative spiritualities and what Christians should know about it!”
–Susan Alexander Yates, best-selling author of several books, including, And Then I Had Teenagers: Encouragement for Parents of Teens and Preteens

“Wicca’s Charm is a fine demonstration of a rare Christian virtue: attentive listening. With a clear conviction that authentic Christian belief is a valid response to Wiccan yearnings, Sanders holds, in tension, a humble recognition that Christian compromise with materialistic rationalism and individualism in Western culture has driven many to take up dangerous alternatives.”
–Peter Harris, director of A Rocha International

“Wicca’s Charm provides an accessible, thorough, and sensitive guide to understanding contemporary interest in Wicca and neo-Paganism. It will be of help to anyone interested in understanding how nature worship under various names is reasserting itself in the Western world.”
–James A. Herrick, professor of communication at Hope College, and author of The Making of the New Spirituality: The Eclipse of the Western Religious Tradition

“Catherine Sanders spent more than a year listening to Wiccans in an attempt to understand the growth and appeal of Wicca today. She encourages Christians to dialogue with neo-Pagans, clarifying points of common ground while simultaneously pointing out with compassion and sensitivity the inadequacies of Paganism to fulfill their deep and legitimate longings.”
–Mardi Keyes, codirector of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, and author of Feminism and the Bible

Review

Wicca’s Charm...is intended for adults trying to understand why others practice Wicca. Sanders was a journalist on assignment when she was forced to examine her own stereotypical views of Wicca; subsequently, she secured a journalism fellowship to spend a year learning about Wicca and what makes it so appealing to its practitioners; an objective view of the tradition results. Discussion questions at the end of the book correspond to each of the chapters. The result is a good, basic overview of the origins and theories of the religion as well as plenty of firsthand accounts from current and former practitioners of Wicca..—Library Journal

“Wicca’s Charm is one of those books that charms and beguiles you even as it informs you. The reporting is seamless and the writing effortless. Catherine Sanders has made a brilliant debut as a writer on a spiritual matter that should be of deep interest to all thinking Americans.”
–David Aikman, former senior correspondent for Time magazine, and author of Jesus in Beijing, A Man of Faith: The Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush, and the novel Qi

“For Christians who want to understand the culture our own failures have sown and are now reaping, and for those who want to reach out persuasively to this emerging culture, Sanders’s warm, clear, and helpful introduction to Wicca is essential reading.”
–Os Guinness, author of The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life

“Catherine Sanders’s work in this book is careful, thoughtful, and respectful. It will enable many outside Wicca to understand it better, and it will also allow practitioners of Wicca and other similar ways to gain a deeper insight into the best of Christianity.”
–Frederica Mathewes-Green, author of The Illumined Heart: The Ancient Christian Path of Transformation

“Catherine Sanders has provided an eye-opening, sensitive, and honest journey into the heart of Wicca. Ringing no false alarms, she has made an erudite contribution to understanding this contemporary movement.”
–Lilian Calles Barger, author of Eve’s Revenge: Women and a Spirituality of the Body, and founder of the Damaris Project

“Wicca’s Charm is a must-read for parents! A fascinating account full of stories and personal interviews, Catherine Sanders’s book provides wonderful insights into why young people seek alternative spiritualities and what Christians should know about it!”
–Susan Alexander Yates, best-selling author of several books, including, And Then I Had Teenagers: Encouragement for Parents of Teens and Preteens

“Wicca’s Charm is a fine demonstration of a rare Christian virtue: attentive listening. With a clear conviction that authentic Christian belief is a valid response to Wiccan yearnings, Sanders holds, in tension, a humble recognition that Christian compromise with materialistic rationalism and individualism in Western culture has driven many to take up dangerous alternatives.”
–Peter Harris, director of A Rocha International

“Wicca’s Charm provides an accessible, thorough, and sensitive guide to understanding contemporary interest in Wicca and neo-Paganism. It will be of help to anyone interested in understanding how nature worship under various names is reasserting itself in the Western world.”
–James A. Herrick, professor of communication at Hope College, and author of The Making of the New Spirituality: The Eclipse of the Western Religious Tradition

“Catherine Sanders spent more than a year listening to Wiccans in an attempt to understand the growth and appeal of Wicca today. She encourages Christians to dialogue with neo-Pagans, clarifying points of common ground while simultaneously pointing out with compassion and sensitivity the inadequacies of Paganism to fulfill their deep and legitimate longings.”
–Mardi Keyes, codirector of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts, and author of Feminism and the Bible
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Shaw Books; First Edition, Ex-Library edition (September 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877881987
• ISBN-13: 978-0877881988
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.7 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,513,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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59 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not so charming, October 22, 2005

By 

Jason Pitzl "Jason Pitzl-Waters" (Urbana, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wicca's Charm: Understanding the Spiritual Hunger Behind the Rise of Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality (Paperback)

"I wrote this book in order to foster better dialogue between Pagans and Christians." - Catherine Edwards Sanders

Dialogue (from the Merriam-Webster dictionary)

1 : a written composition in which two or more characters are represented as conversing

2 a : a conversation between two or more persons; also : a similar exchange between a person and something else (as a computer) b : an exchange of ideas and opinions c : a discussion between representatives of parties to a conflict that is aimed at resolution

Catherine Edwards Sanders' new book "Wicca's Charm" succeeds as a dialogue between Christians and modern Pagans if you use the first definition (indeed, much of the book hinges on the conversations she has with Wiccans and Goddess worshippers) but fails, and is deeply flawed as a work that will heal rifts between conflicted parties, if you consider the second defintion.

It is somewhat sad to see so earnest an author come so close to understanding our culture and ideas, but missing the mark. I have no quarrel with the author's love of Christ, but her impression of our faith(s) is so removed from the context in which we understand them, that it is almost like reading about some alternate-reality version of Wicca. It makes me wonder if a full and rich dialogue about each other's faith can ever be engaged between a modern Pagan and a Christian, even a Christian as liberal as Sanders.

The bias in this book is subtle, but ever-present. She reminds us over and over again that she admires the strong personalities of the Pagan adherents she meets, while at the same time reiterating how flimsy she believes the worth of Wicca to be. She quotes Pagan writers and scholars, but picks and chooses what she wants them to say. She seems as obsessed with drug use within our community (and this is brought up often enough that I wonder if it was a stock interview question), as she is obsessed with the "spiritual" danger the use of magic(k) represents.

Surprisingly, one of her main criticisms of Wicca is that it isn't "ancient" (as many Witches and Wiccans believe) - even though she claims to have read, and quotes from, Ronald Hutton's "Triumph of the Moon," which makes the case for Wicca being a dynamic, vital, unique, and deep faith without any need for it to be ancient.

Sanders states that that pagan feminists seek reassurance in the myth of a primordial matriarchy because Christian churches, which Sanders presumes they've turned away from, do not present a theology made in their own image. Ironically, she goes on to assert that myths don't have to hold literal truth to be meaningful - failing to admit how problematic this idea is within her own spiritual tradition. Altogether, Sanders seems to believe that if she simply points out that the Emperor is skyclad, we will find Paganism hollow, and the myths of Christianity solid as a rock.

Sanders goes on to make bold, ahistorical claims about ancient Paganism (as distinct from non-ancient Wicca). She misrepresents the theology and history of Paganism both ancient and modern, regularly making claims that we place no more importance on our fellow humans than we do on rocks or grass. She claims that notions of charity and the "culture of care" developed only with the establishment of Christianity, and that an authentically traditional Paganism would strip itself of altruistic "Christian" notions and embrace a fatalistic worldview devoid of all morality. In this argument more than any other, Sanders' tolerant attitude washes clean away and we get to see her unvarnished Christian triumphalism shine through.

In this "dialogue," Sanders' few criticisms of Christianity are superficial ones. She confesses that Christians have acted intolerantly towards other faiths, but fails to discuss the scriptural and structural underpinnings of that intolerance. When she discusses the Christian spiritual world, it is with nothing but the glowing naivite of a believer.

Finally I feel I must address the "dangers" of the spirit world that Sanders brings up again and again in her book. She takes great pains to point out that every Wiccan she has talked to speaks of the dangers of working with the world of spirit if you are untrained or unprepared. She hammers home how our circle-castings and quarter-calls are done to "protect" us from a dangerous world beyond this plane. She doesn't mention that many of these beliefs are part of the Christian heritage she feels we would cast away if we were "true" Pagans. Many of the ritualistic "protections" we have incorporated were written by Christian men with a Christian sense of fear of the world of spirit. The problems the inexperienced adept encounters when working with magick is the same problem that fervent Christian converts have when they ask a loving God to grant them the destruction of enemies or great material wealth. They experience an ego death when they realize these wishes will never be granted. You can call this the "three-fold law" or "God's grace," but the results are quite similar. Either the convert or the adept will grow up, or they will remain delusional and jump to the next spiritual path they feel will grant them their wishes.

I can't in good faith say that this book will bridge any gaps betwen Pagans and Christians. Compassionate triumphalism is little better than overt hatred. While the first is prettier, they both branch from the same plant. If you prefer the rose to the thorn, this book might please you, but it isn't a dialogue. "Wicca's Charm" is a tool to win souls for Christ. Catherine Sanders has cast quite a spell, but I can spot a charm of concealment a mile away.

ADDENDUM: For the record author Aidan Kelly who Sanders records as having left modern Paganism for Catholicism is still Pagan and in fact says that "I never stopped being a witch. I just didn't practice for a while."

39 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wicca's Charm, May 10, 2006

By 

Jocelyn "Jocelyn" (Fairfax, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wicca's Charm: Understanding the Spiritual Hunger Behind the Rise of Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality (Paperback)

I picked this book up at my local library and started reading it because the cover art and categorization on the back of "Occult/Witchcraft" made it appear to be pagan-friendly. Unfortunately it turned out to be a Christian primer on how to understand and convert pagans.

Despite the author's year-long immersion in pagan culture and stated intention to be unbiased and non-condescending, her writing style and arguments are both. She is frightened by the rituals she observed. She describes practitioners as "shouting" during rituals, and former catholic priest Matthew Fox as "bellowing". She also says that she experienced such a "dark and oppressive" atmosphere during Matthew Fox's meeting that she had to leave. I've never met Matthew Fox, but I've read some of his stuff and he seems really mild in his efforts to unite pagans and Christians. Perhaps it was making too much sense?

I could go on and on about my problems with this book, but they boil down to these points: Ms. Sanders main beef with paganism seems to be that without Christian beliefs such as people being created in god's image (and more valuable than the rest of the cosmos), and Christian morality, that humans would quickly devolve into unrestrained sexuality and murder. She believes that this was the state of the world for all of prehistory, and that pagans believed then (and now) that people were not worth more than rocks or trees, which led to human sacrifice and pretty much anything else bad you can think of as perpetuated by the Greeks and Romans.

Ms. Sanders then trots out everything kooky about the contemporary Wiccan movement to prove her point - that Wicca is recently made up rather than historical, that some founders were nudists and into drugs and sex magic, that it's been exploited by retailers, etc, etc. She misses the essence of current pagan beliefs and her arguments are weak - how exactly did humanity survive for the 30,000 years before Christianity according to her? No-one ever helped each other? Life was nasty, brutish, and short? No works of art or architecture - no meaningful philosophies or religions were created? Archaeology indicates otherwise - Crete, Egypt, India, Prehistoric Britain, Native American and South-East Asian cultures for example.

I've been a mostly solitary practitioner for 20 years. I've also never participated in sex or drug magic, or anything hurtful. The essence of magic is personal responsibility - I believe I am god in the sense that everything in existence is, and that I can personally access or channel the divine, and that everything I do comes back on me 3 times (at least). How then could I consciously hurt another (divine) person or creature? I don't need external morals, because I'm intrinsically moral. But I'm also humble, since being part of a huge and divine universe is inherently humbling. I know that I'm small in the larger scheme of things. I know I'll make mistakes and sometimes need help from others to forgive myself for them. Ms. Sanders descriptions of pagan practitioners as motivated by pride are mistaken. Of course there are some big egos, as there are in Christianity or any other religion (think Billy Graham). But these people are not representative of the larger pagan movement.

To illustrate the problems with pride, Ms. Sanders goes so far as to say that what she perceives as paganism's "focus on self" and desire for enjoyment can lead to violent acts such as rape. "A woman knows that unchecked pride and unbridled desire for enjoyment from a man can result in rape. "(p. 183) Hello-o-o what century is this? Doesn't everyone pretty much agree now that rape is an act motivated by violence rather than normal sexual pleasure? Again, the assumption is that without Christian morality we would all kill each other tomorrow. This reliance on morality outside of the self weakens a person - it lets the possibility of evil actions become more real, since control is not assumed to be within the individual, but in some outside force which they can either "follow" (God or Jesus), or "be tempted by" (Satan). The concept of something like Satan has no meaning in the pagan world view because there's no evil except what's created in the human mind, and humans are held ultimately responsible for their thoughts and actions, rather than blaming an outside force.

The other weak argument against pagans used by Ms. Sanders is that practicing pagan rituals is "occult", and "dangerous". She never really explains what this means, but uses the idea as the final word in many discussions, especially as to why young people should not practice paganism. The only danger I see in witchcraft is that many potential practitioners have mistaken ideas - as unfortunately perpetuated by Ms. Sanders - about witchcraft being evil. Any meditative practice is powerful - if you meditate on evil, wish bad things to happen to others, read horror movies or watch a lot of violence on TV, and then bring that energy to your practice, you will attract bad happenings because you are willing them into existence. None of those things are part of my life or my practice, or part of any real pagan practitioner's practice. The true power of magic is to use meditation and ritual to help make positive changes in one's own life and in the world. Is it real in a supernatural sense, or only the power of positive thinking? It doesn't matter to me - it works.

And finally, the be-all and end-all argument against pagans for Ms. Sanders is the acceptance and love of Jesus. I've studied lots of religions and think that they're all variations of the same thing - paganism/animism just happens to work best for me. So I'm happy for her that she's experienced the feeling described in all religions as enlightenment - when you feel connected to everything else, feel love for all, and loved by a higher power. But I'm sorry that she can't see that the concept of accepting Jesus is not the only way to experience this. I'm sorry that she's so afraid of other ideas. I'm left with the impression that Ms. Sanders was a bit more intrigued than she would like by her study of pagan ideas and culture, and that her interest is what she's really afraid of.

The only positive thing I got from this book was an interesting (if frightening) overview of what Christians think of pagans, and some tips on pagan websites. Unless you're a former anthropology student like me, don't bother reading this book to find out about the history of modern pagans.

26 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars So close...yet so wrong, October 3, 2005

By 

Woodbine (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wicca's Charm: Understanding the Spiritual Hunger Behind the Rise of Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality (Paperback)

So close...yet so wrong...
Ms Sanders really tried hard, but she failed to really understand Wiccan beliefs. Everything she says about Wicca is only partially true. She says and believes that Wicca is an escape from conventional religion rather than an entire belief in itself. Sorry, but I spent many years studying & meditating to find what I truly believed and it wasn't an escape.
DON'T read this book to understand Wicca or Wiccans.
Most Wiccans believe that God gave us each a religion, so Christians should be respected because that is the religion God give them. We do wish Christians reciprocated.
--This book probably should be required reading at seminaries and by all clergy, as it does accurately (I believe) discuss failings of the church (not Christianity). I believe that Christians should get as much from their beliefs as I do mine. --
I do share (as do many of my Wiccan friends) distress that many teens are jumping on the bandwagon without real understanding & belief
Pretty much, I was impressed that Ms Sanders did seem to really try to research and write a good, honest and balanced book. Her failing was that she failed to understand the real core of Wicca. Perhaps that's impossible unless you really believe it.