Customer Reviews

A Witch's 10 Commandments: Magickal Guidelines for Everyday Life

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

 

 

I didn't like the ragged edged paper. I guess it's an attempt to be "pagan" or something, but I found it difficult to flip pages.

Marian Singer provides a pretty good discussion of pagan moral values. After a couple of decades where all the pagan books seemed to be some version of spells for beginner witches, it is a welcome change to see moral and philosophical writing from a pagan perspective. Moral values are the heart of a religion, any religion. Just as their commandments proscribe and define the day to day practice of christians, pagan moral values define the day to day lives of practicing pagans.

The format attempts to line up pagan values side by side with christian commandments for comparison and contrast. While it's a good thought, the two different moral systems are so different that there is really no clear one-to-one correspondence between Christian commandments and pagan values. Even so, Singer selects ten general categories of pagan moral values that can be listed. It says a lot that there isn't a one-to-one correspondence. Pagan values are markedly different from those of christians. There is no universal, cross-cultural set of morals. Where christian commandment 7 says "Thou shalt not commit adultery," pagan values say, "All acts of love and pleasure are sacred." This is a valuable book for anyone beginning a pagan path or who is thinking about becoming a pagan. It provides real food for thought about the values that most people raised in a christian dominated culture assume to be universal, but which are really religious teaching from one particular religion.

I gave it a 4 because Singer describes her religion in terms of another religion and because the publishing format makes the book difficult to read or refer to. Witches really don't have ten commandments.

A Witch's 10 Commandments: Magickal Guidelines for Everyday Life

This is my personal review on "A Witch's 10 Commandments" by Marian Singer.

First of all, I can understand the reviews of the previous posters and their personal preferences when compared/contrasted with this book.

However, I recommend this to every student/teacher/elder of the Craft. Why? It gives a refreshing review in the "how/why/what" of our personal beliefs and ethics as Witches/Pagans.

I can understand the fact that Ms. Singer compares/contrasts in some form the Witch/Pagan perspective and the Christian perspective. Rest assured, however, she does not force any of these ethics on any individual but aides the individual in finding his/her own particular ethics/moral codes.

Overall, this book earned a 5/5 star rating from me.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone, Witch/Pagan or not!

I love how it goes over different religions and how our goal is the same, no matter how or who we worship to reach that goal. I love the information and the passages at the beginning of each commandment. Even though we Wiccans/Witches don't have commandments, they are mainly listed as morals or beliefs that Wiccans should or do have. I just think this book is awesome!

Blessed be )O(

I found the book to be an interesting comparison between the biblical ten commandments, and ten principles that those who walk the Pagan path tend to express as important. Even though there is no set of "commandments" for the Pagan religion, the book offered many ethical guidelines that are good not only for the magickal person but for everyday living as well.

The one thing that I did not enjoy however is the fact that they way that the book is binded together. The pages are tattered and with the way they are cut is makes the pages hard to turn and they tend to stick together.

This book really makes you think. It also gives you nice little exercises and questions to kinda think about. She has this really cool Maat Meditation, and also ways to incorporate spirituality into your day to day life. I recommend anyone and everyone buy this book. It simply is one of those classics in which I will always keep on my book shelf and refer back to when I need a little refresher. Must have for any serious pagan. :)
Blessed Be!!

it's overall a good book a little dry
It gives a comparison of the judeo-Christian 10 commandments and neo pagan values and beliefs. Although I feel she missed the mark on some of them, and felt maybe different comparisons would have been better. But overall a good book and one worth picking up.
It's a good book for the seeker but should not be taken as this is not how all pagans view things, but just one person's perspective on things

This is a very good book.I found it easy to understand and follw.Plus it made sense!I would recommend this!

Yet another attempt to "Christianize" and tame Wicca, and to dumb it down for people who are interested but don't want to give up their Christian background. Just one little problem: Wiccans aren't Christian, and trying to impose "10 commandments" on a non-Christian system is both condescending and ridiculous.

If you want rules to follow, look at what Gardner, the Farrars, and other respected Elders have written. I assure you, it's much more rewarding that plodding through watered-down Judeo-Christian nonsense.

The author may actually have good things to say, but when she exposes her ignorance right in the Table of Contents, it does not bode well. Specifically, "an" is an old English word meaning "if." It is NOT an abbreviation, so the author's use of "an'" is wrong - and it tells me she has not done her homework.

A nit? Of course; but a telling one. I remember Stewart Farrar talking about exactly that sort of mistake - that it identified its perpetrator as ... well, let's just say as needing more study, of English, as well as Wicca.

OK, a couple more; why not? The word is "threefold," not "three fold." What does she think the Rule of Three, is a trifold brochure? And her phrasing of the Rede misses the point entirely: where is the Will? And don't tell me the Strega don't consider it.

I won't be buying this one; thank you anyway.

MY WITCHES TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. You Are God/dess. As Above, So Below; As Within, So Without.

First off you may notice that I am numbering them according to Catholic tradition rather than Jewish and Protestant. Catholics combine the first and second commandments, where as Jews and Protestants separate them. To end up with ten commandments, Catholics separate the last commandment into two rather than the single tenth commandment in the Jewish and Protestant decalogue. The reason for this, is because Jews and Protestants are more sensitive about the proscription against graven images, where as Catholics, as any fundamentalist Christian will tell you, worship statues, especially statues of Mary. Also, Catholics like to stick in a second warning about sex, towards the end.

2. Spirit Abides In All Things; Names And Words Have Power.

No Comment. i.e. I agree.

3. Remember The Esbats And Sabbats.

According to Phaedra B. (Isaac Bonewits' wife) "The 'attitude of gratitude' statement is a mainstay of motivational speakers, but I confess this is the first time I've heard it was obligatory for Witches." So I thought I would leave the "attitude of gratitude" for Oprah Winfrey, and change the commandment to something that is more in tune with the original ten commandments as well as Wiccan and Pagan spirituality.

4. Honor Your Ancestors, Teachers, Elders, (And Leaders?)

Ancestors, those who have gone before us, Teachers, those we have actually learned something from, Elders, those who are older than us, I agree with. However, I hesitate to include Leaders, as I personally have trouble relating to authority, especially as it has been misused and abused within churchianity, and other totalitarian institutions like fascism and communism. I believe in the democratic heritage of questioning, critiquing, and censoring our leaders, and giving honor where honor is due.

5. All Life Is Sacred.

No Comment. i.e. I agree.

6. All Acts Of Love And Pleasure Are Sacred.

I would add here, "between consenting adults," or some such limitation.

7. Whatever You Send Out, Returns Threefold.

Christian's use the term "You reap what you sow." I like what someone wrote on the wall of a local bar I visited: "Karma is a bigger bitch than I choose to be."

8. Never Cry "Witch!" Respect Personal Privacy and Anonymity.

As with my third commandment above, I'm surprised the author missed this one also.

9. Do What You Will Shall Be The Whole Of The Law; Love Is The law, Love Under Will.

This quotation is from Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) the favorite muse of my main man Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. I also included the first part, that the author left out. I admit, that in honor of Page (See the fourth commandment above) I tried reading the "Book of The Law" which sounded like a bunch of gobbledy goop to me, but I think I get the main point, which I will elaborate on more below.

10. Eight Words The Wiccan Rede Fulfill: And It Harm None, Do What You Will.

Here I quoted the last verse of the Wiccan Rede in it's entirety, and skipped the authors preface: "For the greatest good."

The point of these last two commandments which, are repetitious, in similarity to the Catholic decalogue is, IMHO, Don't waste your life chasing the willow-the-wisp of perfection. Ask yourself, "What do I want?" and if you don't have to step on anyone's toes to get it, than just go for it.

Oh yes, and don't forget to love your Mother, because she loves you sooooooooooooo much!

THE END

APPENDIX 1: THE ORINGINAL TEN COMMANDMENTS: (Exodus 20:2-17 & Deut. 5:6-21)

1. I am the Lord thy God, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

3. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work.

4. Honour thy father and thy mother.

5. Thou shalt not kill.

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

7. Thou shalt not steal.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Note: The precise division of these precepts into "ten commandments" is somewhat uncertain. Traditionally among Catholics vv 1-6 are considered as only one commandment, and v 17 as two

APPENDIX 2: A WITCH'S 10 COMMANDMENTS

From: "A Witches 10 Commandments: Magickal Guidelines For Everyday Life," Marian Singer (2006)

1. Thou Art God/dess.

2. As Above, So Below; As Within, So Without.

3. Spirit Abides In All Things; Names And Words Have Power.

4. Maintain An Attitude Of Gratitude (Walk The Talk).

5. Honor Thy Ancestors, Teachers, Elders, And Leaders.

6. All Life Is Sacred.

7. All Acts Of Love And Pleasure Are Sacred.

8. Whatever You Send Out, Returns Threefold.

9. Love Is The law; Love Under Will.

10. For The Greatest Good, an' it harm none.

P.S. I gave it five stars because it obviously made me think.