New Age, Alternative,
|
|
Previous Page Next Page More Articles |
Wicca|
The
Well-Read Witch
By Carl McColman From
Harry Potter to Sabrina the Teenage
Witch, popular acceptance of Witchcraft
continues to grow rapidly. More
and more people recognize that
Witchcraft is simply an in-your-face
name for Goddess-centered, European-based
shamanism. Call it Wicca, call
it Goddess spirituality or Paganism,
call it the Old Religion or simply
the Craft - the spirituality of
the Earth and the Goddess is quickly
becoming one of the most important
elements of today's spiritual
landscape. It's no surprise
that numerous new Witchcraft books
appear every month. Here are a
few recent titles that explore
this mysterious and too-often-misunderstood
path:
Morgan
Le Fay's Book of Spells and
Wiccan Rites by Jennifer
Reif (Citadel Press)
presents Wicca from the perspective
of one of its most attractive
entry-points: the rich tradition
of Arthurian Lore. King Arthur's
half-sister Morgan Le Fay embodied
the spirit of deep native pagan
and Goddess traditions. As a Witch
and priestess, Morgan represents
female authority and power (and
has been unfairly depicted as
a schemer). Now Jennifer Reif
has gathered a variety of Goddess
prayers, invocations and spells,
from a variety of cultures, to
help the modern seeker in a variety
of ways. She's included an
invocation to Diana (for new beginnings),
to the Sumerian Goddess Inanna
(for healing love), and to Athena
(for inner strength and power).
In other words, this is Wicca
in its most universal sense, not
just a book of Arthurian lore
- although a section on the sacred
trees of the British Isles does
give the book at least something
of a Celtic feel.
Witch
Crafting: A Spiritual Guide to
Making Magic by Phyllis
Curott (Broadway) is
a follow-up to the author's
bestselling memoir, Book
of Shadows. While her
first book told Curott's own
story of moving from agnostic
young lawyer to dedicated Wiccan
priestess, this present offering
is more of a hands-on, do-it-yourself
guide to the Old Ways. Granted,
there are plenty such books on
the market, so what makes this
expensive ($25) hardback worth
reading? The key word in the title
is “spiritual” - yes,
Curott delivers the goods on how
to cast a spell, but she insists
on keeping Wicca in its rightful
place as a spiritual system first
and foremost. She challenges readers
to examine their hidden assumptions
about spirituality, ethics, and
power. Her view of magic is steeped
in mysticism: magic flows out
of realizing our oneness with
the Goddess. As such, this book's
message is unique and valuable
for the followers of any path.
Wicca article continued next page, click here! |
#EXEC calls have been disabled for this virtual path