Customer Reviews

Of Witches: Celebrating the Goddess as a Solitary Pagan

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
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I should start out by saying that I knew before hand that this is another wicca 101 book. Even though I have been practising for 12 years, I love reading basic books on the craft. Being a solitary ecclectic--I find my religious practice is deeply enriched by reading many people's takes on wicca. I find bits of jewells inside these books for beginners, that I incorporate into my own work.My main problem with this book is that it does not deliver what the sub-title promises. "Celebrating the Goddess as a Solitary Pagan" implies this book is written as an instruction to solitaries. It is not. It talks about coven work and group work at least as much as it talkes about solitary work.I am not sure who this book was actually targeted towards. I would not reccomend it to those already on the path because some of the explanition of things like tools are so basic as to be boring. But neither can I reccomend it for begginers because most of the book assumes prior knowledge; when giving a ritual or spell the author writes that you should use your normal way of casting a circle. but no where in this book does she tell you how to do so. Most of the book talks about different topics in the way you would to some one who has no prior knowledge of the topic but doesn't want to learn to practice as a witch either. She glosses over the surface of many topics without going into detail. The book suffers from not having a clear thesis, it is scattered and leaves you feeling as if the book was just thrown together.Another thing I do not like about this book is a personal pet peeve of mine--an annoying way of writing that is very much like the writings of laurie cabot. What i am talking about here is the inncessant use of "Witches believe.." "Witches feel." etc. As if the author is talking for all witches, as if we all have the same beliefs and feelings, and as if she is in this private club of "witches" that the reader doesn't belong to. Don't tell me what "witches believe" I am a witch and i will decide for myself what i believe.The author also gives eronious information that could be dangerous. She tells us that the power raised in magic comes from inside us and that we will be exaughsted afterwards. Nothing could be further from the truth. The energy is raised from the universe around us and that most witches feel more energetic after a ritual than the did before. There is also some false information about specific deities.The one saving grace of this book is something i find unique to this author. This is her enlightened view of ecological concerns. How many books by supposed nature worshippers have i read that you should dump left over stuff from spells in a stream or the ocean? the author goes farther than just speaking against littering. She also gives us a way that we can use spell bags over again, and even how to recycle water that was used for purifying tools.I really can't reccomend this book, even though i did find some important information hidden with in. The rest of the book will just confuse people.Bb.

Several years ago, in a quest to find *something* on solitary practice that *wasn't* published by Llewellyn, I found Janet Thompson's "Of Witches". I was quite impressed: here was a testimonial of solitary practice that gave some detail of the beliefs behind the practice, instead of merely detailing the practice itself.

I've yet to find one book that was sufficient for the solitary who learns primarily from books, as so many of us are these days. However, I do recommend this one in addition to the usual titles (Cunningham, Ravenwolf, Starhawk, etc.) as a slightly different take on the subject. Although it's brief, it's all substance.

Another fine book for the Wiccan. Touches on the basics as most books do, but she does a great job with info on Wicca in everyday life. She points out that it is not all rituals and Sabbats. Wicca everyday in the "mundane" is just as important.

"Of Witches" is a very user friendly book for the solitary pagan. Ms. Thompson uses personal experience and conventional mythology and tradition to guide the reader through the uses of The Craft in ritual, as well as in modern, everyday life. She could explain some of her terminology a little better, but uthe warm feeling and passion with which the book reaches out to the reader more than makes up for this. Highly suggested for the curious as well as the devout pagan.

Janet has a wonderful way of making you believe that she is right there in the room teaching you as you read. As a beginner in the craft, I found this book easy to understand and would reccommend to anyother first timers.

Unfortunately, this was my first book in entering Wicca. As a begginer I thought that this book was extremely confusing. It has no useful info for the begginer. It has no historical background and does not define things as well as I would have liked them to be. As I look back upon it, it has some nice rites but I would not reccomend it on the whole. I just want to say that I do not mean to put the author down. Blessed Be.

This is a very simple basic book, it doesn't bother to go deep into the philosophy or history behind the Craft, and I've seen better books for begginers.

And Wicca is just one of the Pagan paths. This is the main thing I wish to point out in this review. Obviously, the author practices a different type of Witchcraft, this does not make it any less valid. This is more similar to Dianic Wicca, in that it focuses on the Goddess. You can see this by the title, so don't get a shock. Though this is not my form of paganism, I respect her, and other Goddess orientated Witches & Pagans. ...The Goddess is a powerful force... She is the Earth, she is the Universe, she is the Mother of All. The Goddess can include the male, in a way that the male cannot include the female. Why is it less valid to refer to a neuter force as female, than male? Especially considering the creative principle involved? With cells that reproduce asexually, we refer to Daughter cells, even if they have no 'sex' as such. My last paragraph is part my own beliefs, and part an explanation of Goddess centric Paganism. Live in peace, Keladras.

good book for beginners but boring if you already know the stuf