Customer Reviews

The Witch Book: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-paganism

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Buckland's new title would make a nice "My first Witchcraft/Wicca book" as it covers many topics in a light introductive manner. As such, it would make a nice gift for a teen or young adult that has expressed an interest in investigating Witchcraft.

However, as a Community Elder who has taught the Craft for over 20 years, I cannot recommend this book for the serious researcher as it does not go into much depth and omits much of the material that would have made this book a good community resource. My comment is in no way intended as a put-down of Buckland's book, but simply a personal observation. Personally I enjoy all of Buckland's works.

I think this particualr book would make a good companion volume to other Wicca and Witchcraft encyclopedias that go into much more depth and cover a wider scope of topics.

I am impressed with all the large bodies of work that have been taken on by the authors in the pagan community as of late. There have been a few who have tried to collect in one place all the information regarding the birthing and growth of the pagan community.

Each of them has its own flavor, which is what makes them different from each other. They contain various bits of information that the author found to be of significance to the pagan community.

Raymond Buckland has now placed his collection of facts and fiction before the pagan community with his encyclopedia. This has the "Buckland" flavor throughout and is the Pagan world as he sees it.

The entries are comprised of biographies, descriptions of tools and words, short synopsis of movies and television programs, traditions, history and much more. Many entries are accompanied by his sources, which also includes Raymond Buckland.

So, presented here, for the reader, is the world according to many different authors, with diverse opinions on many of the topics. This can give varied opinions on the many topics covered here, but it also gives us the insights and opinions of Mr. Buckland as well. In some instances there are direct contradictions, but if you check the source, you will find it is because Mr. Buckland has presented the viewpoint of two different persons, which gives this book a contrast not seen in other works of this kind.

The material is cross referenced in the index which allows for quick access to the material within, as well as it being alphabetically referenced.

There are also photos and illustrations of different aspects, symbols and persons including some from the Fortean Picture Library, which is Raymond Buckland's own collection.

I found this to be an interesting collection of material. From movies to magic, Mr. Buckland included it all in one very nicely presented volume which would enhance any coffee table or library. And while I would really have liked to have seen Mr. Buckland's reviews of more movies than the few he did review, for the most part it is an eclectic collection of references, persons, events and things that comprise our way of life. boudica

Mr. Buckland has certainly done extensive research to put this book together. The encyclopedia includes terms associated with modern Wicca, the mythological witch, movies, and books. It is an all-around thorough book. So, if your curious about the use of mandrake root or you've seen a strange silent film called Hexan or your curious about Aradia the goddess of the witches, this book is probably a good choice for you.

Buckland's encyclopedia is an attractive "coffee table" style book on Witchcraft. The entries don't go into much depth and remain pretty much surface level, some entries more sketchy than others. So this is a good book for flipping through on a cold winter's night, some light entertainment when there is little else to do.

Regretfully, many of the entries don't agree with one another, and there are very few biographies (with most of the well-known contemporary Witches missing completely). So for beginners this might not be the best book, and as a research book it is lacking the essentials. For a serious Witchcraft encyclopedia that deals in depth with a wide variety of topics I would suggest the Encyclopedia of Wicca and Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi.

Although this book is clearly not as complete nor as thorough as other encyclopedias on Witchcraft and Wicca, it is still an enjoyable book in its own right. Buckland's book is a good light reading for beginners that are currently unfamiliar with the topics he includes. The advantage for beginners is that Buckland does not go into much depth (which allows for easier reading) and greatly limits the amount of topics on the subject of Witchcraft/Wicca (which serves not to overwhelm the beginning reader).

Perhaps my disappointment with this book stems more from expecting greater things from such a well-known author. Unfortunately the book is full of contradictions, which will confuse and misdirect new seekers and researchers. Buckland goes back and forth in the entries stating that the Craft is ancient, then strictly modern. He speaks of witches during the period of persecution, of witch priests and priestesses from days of Old, and then in other entries states that everything came from Gerald Gardner.

Buckland states that the oldest/first "Book of Shadows" to appear in public was most likely Leland's Aradia material (1899) and then elsewhere states that no Book of Shadows is older than Gardner's, which Buckland claims was the orignal source from which all Craft traditions are descended today. Buckland also attributes Kisma Stephanavich with the founding of the Fairy Tradition, which is a huge error, and one of many in this encyclopedia.

While on the one hand Buckland speaks of the Old Religion surviving through various ages, he elsewhere states that hereditary witches are essentially mythical, and that the only true hereditary witches are those born after Gardnerian Wicca took root. This is one very confusing book.

Maybe it's just me, but this book seems put together in a hasty and half-hearted attempt. Maybe the author had little time or something, I don't know. It just seems tossed together with little to really say in any real depth.

The topics are far too brief and don't contain much real information (plus there are a lot of contradictions throughout the book). The biographies are very limited and it seems like the author only included a handful of people (friends only?).

There are other and better Encyclopedias out there. Try Rosemary Guiley or Raven Grimassi if you want your money's worth.

If a book wants to be encyclopedic on an in-depth subject it really needs to focus on the meat of the issue and not the trivial. There are so many reviews of movies in this book that I thought it was overdone. With so much of the book being entry level knowledge (information on the sabbats and the holidays) there really shouldn't have been room to spare for movie reviews.

Also, the index wasn't fully functional. I remembered reading a fact I found interesting on the name Malkin or Malking being popular for cats during the witch-craze and wanted to review it and add it to my personal notes. The index referred to Malkin but failed to include the page with the information I was looking for, making me flip through the book on my own looking for the information (it was under the Sabbat entry, not Familiar).

All in all, not the best general knowledge book on (modern) Witchcraft, but not the worst. I can't say this is a bad book, but I can't say that it is good or that there is even a "best" to recommend either. If you are looking for such a book for your library for some reason this one is passing enough, I guess, but lacking too (as all in this genre seem to be).

I really wanted to enjoy this encyclopedia of modern wicca and neo-paganism.Yet,it's full of questionable sources and no page numbers.For example,Aleister Crowley is listed as being the son of a wealthy brewer,named Edward.Also listed is Emily,as his meek mother.Most sources list Crowley's parents as the abstemious reverend John Crowley and the goodwife Sarah Bishop,no mentioning of a family beer business whatsoever.It's hard to believe that a fiery theologian,would also be a beer-master ,to boot.Buckland has so many interesting tidbits of wiccan information,that it really makes it interesting reading though.However,i would recommend that you stay wise to the fact,that Buckland fills in questionable ideas,where the truth maybe lacking.Whether he does this to embellish or poor proof-reading,is beyond my understanding and control.There are some unique sketches and pictures throughout the book.The stories on Monique Wilson and Leo Martello are interesting,yet i hope it's fact not fiction.The witch-finder General ,Cotton Mathers is mentioned,as well as his father,Increase Mathers.Yet,no mentioning of Samuel Mathers,ironically a latter-day high priest of the Golden Dawn.It's hard to give this book,a passing thumb's up of approval.A much better wiccan encyclopedia around is the ,'The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Witchcraft & Practical Magic',by Susan Greenwood and Raje Airey. Yet, that too has some errors and myth-making.Such as ,stating that Anton LeVay was a former SFPD crime-scene photographer and also played the 'Devil' in the 'Rosemary's Baby' film.Both claims have been refuted and discredited upon inspection.If you can obtain a cheap copy of ,The Witch Book,it's an entertaining resource on the various wiccan-pagan people and the many amusing gothic films associated with christianised witchraft.Yet,when you asperge your altar stone,for some late night antidotes, please take Ray Buckland's enchanting tales with a few dashes of salt.

I really have enjoyed this book. From A-Z you should be able to find it in there. Very nice easy to read/look up kinda book.