Customer Reviews

Witchin': A Handbook for Teen Witches

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

 

 

Witchin' by Fiona Horne

When I signed up to review Witchin' I didn't know what to expect. The publicist hadn't told me much about the book at all, but I agreed to review it anyway. I had heard of Fiona before, and I figured it would be worth reading one of her books.

When Witchin' arrived, I was started laughing at the pink cover. Looking at the cover art, and seeing some of the art used inside, it's somewhat difficult to take the work seriously as an adult male. It has a cotton-candy appeal, clearly aimed at teenage girls. By the color alone, Finona has almost guaranteed that no male would read it. Frankly, they might as well perfume it and retitle it "Wicca: A blossoming young woman's guide to self-empowerment". Thankfully, I feel I'm under an obligation to review the book since they sent me a free copy. What was inside was a pleasant surprise.

Going through the book, I find that it really is targeted toward teenage girls. At the same time, it does a really good job of putting information in a clear and accessible manner. It's easy to read, and talks about all of the really important aspects of Wicca. Not only that, but instead of talking down to her target audience, Fiona has a realistic view of what teens are like and the kind of environment that they're living in.

Witchin' doesn't go into a lot of philosophical detail. This is both a good and bad aspect. Witchin' does not expose the target audience of deeper philosophical insight. On the other hand, considering that many teenage girls haven't been exposed to philosophy before, a thorough discussion of the topic would both confuse them, and loose their interest. Fiona does a good job of covering the basics, so that readers can get comfortable with a lot of the concepts, so that they're better prepared for more advanced texts.

One of the really nice things I noticed about this book is that there are no really far-fetched theories. Nothing about bizzarre phenomenon, or concepts that have huge flaws in them. The information provided is straightforward, comprehensible, well written, and sane. Sometimes this leads to concepts being a bit over-simplified, which can be a problem. However, oversimplification in a few areas is a small price to pay for having a clear reference that makes sense to its readership.

All in all this book is a good first reference, especially for teenage girls. Though sometimes in spots it tries a too little hard to be youthful ("Yummy"? Who, aside from 9 year olds say "Yummy"?), Witchin' manages to be a clear, thoughtful, and useful resource for those who are new to the craft.

Going passed Ms. Horne's history and reputation, this book itself isn't too bad- it was the first one I read. However, after looking into the subject more, the text is too light and does not teach the concepts of Wicca adequately (it goes straight to the spells). I recommend to anyone, young or old, seriously looking into this path to read something from Scott Cunningham or Dorothy Morrison's "The Craft".

I liked the fact of the book that it was an easy read and that the author is quite affable throughout the whole thing. The thing I did not like about it is that it really didn't aim on important things. It basically is a good supplement but I don't think it should be something that a person interested in the craft starts out with. I liked the fact that the author told about her teen years but also, was a bad thing because she became so distracted about telling us about her teen years that missed some aspects of the craft.

This book was very fluffy and comprised mostly of spells. I'd say if you are debating, then get the other book. Most likely it would be better.

This is a rather good book for teenagers and for those that are just starting. Because it goes into the basics without saying it in words that make it hard for the reader to understand. She also gives examples for her own teen years; which I found very helpful. There are a few of things I wish she had gone more into but I believe she just went into what she believed was more important.

I also liked the fact that she didn't limit it to just Wiccans but others following magickal paths has well. She also doesn't limit it to just one sect of the Wiccan religion. Which I found very nice since a few books I have read over seem to focus on one Wiccan sect instead of a more boarder population.

Anyone with an interest in the Craft should first read one of the classic texts by Scott Cunningham (Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner) or Silver RavenWolf (To Ride A Magic Broomstick) for the basics, which aren't really covered here. Horne has some ideas that don't comply with those of many other Wiccan authors, but she is very fresh and incredibly fun to read. This book does a nice job of addressing the specific concerns of the teenaged witch (social issues/intolerance, family). It's a nice supplement for teens.

I was very pleased with Witchin. I was young once, and I had read books targeted at adults that were strange and didn't make sense to me. Witchin taught me that it was okay to be young, and simplified Wicca in a way where I could begin to practice it without feeling foolish. I loved Fiona's stories about her childhood, because it proves that she is a human being that makes mistakes, just like the rest of us. I was pleased with her message, and the only thing I thought was wierd was the pricking the finger thing. Other than that, she gave good tips for spells and rituals, designed specifically so young Witches could take them and use her ideas to make their own. Although it is targeted at teenage girls, I reccomed Witchin to any new, young Witches, male or female!

I bought this book as a gift, and frankly, I was dissappointed. The book deals exceedingly in those things which have totally and excessively dominated modern wicca; summoning and divination/charms. Suprised and disturbed by this (the gift was for my younger sister), I sought out other books by the author, and by contemporary writers. This book is quite typical of what I found. Instead of a concise, broad introduction to all the magical disciplines (e.g., mysticism, evocation, transmutation), I found these 'beginners' titles rife with rituals and summonings, charms and scrying. Perhaps, in its way, this is a problem with modern wicca in general, but I believe that far too many witches and wizards are forgetting the base of knowledge that made our practice great in years past. A better book (or, I should say, an acceptable book) on young girls' magic I have not found.

This is excellent book for anyone interested in witchcraft. Although it is geared toward teens, it is great for adults too. It is easy to read and understand.

This book is very good!!! It has everything you need to know about becoming a Witch. It even has some spells, and in the back, it has an index of Wicca supplies/terms. I DEFINITELY reccomend this book to any teen interested in becoming a Witch!!! It's truely amazing, and worth EVERY penny!!!

this book is a brilliant book for teenagers who are thinking about becoming a witch as it tells you about the consequences ad about all the fun stuff.

this was my first witch book and it helped me very much with my choice of becomming a witch

The author is an amazing woman who works on tv and radio, works as modernized witch

author fiona horne

KATIE CARPENTER