alexiasophii's review against another edition
5.0
“I can only ever teach what I know and offer what experience I have. What I wouldn’t do, I told them, was be their mother, their foreman, or their therapist. I’m not any of those things. As a third degree, I had made a commitment to my gods and to my community, and all I could do was show them how and why I did those things. If other people felt called to this as I did, I could show them the way as it was shown to me. I wouldn’t be a mediator between them and the gods; I would simply model the techniques for reaching those gods so that they could do so themselves. In turn, they would respect that experience. If they had felt they could do it on their own, presumably they wouldn’t have asked me to begin with. Should they change their minds, they could leave at any time. If anything, my real position in the hierarchy is the one of service. My initiates don’t serve me; I serve them. I may be the high priestess, and I may call most of the shots, but I’m also the one cleaning the toilets.”
““Orthopraxy” derives from Greek and means “right practice.” In usage, it stands in contrast to “orthodoxy,” which means “right belief.” Traditional Wicca tends toward orthopraxy. Belief is not enough. You cannot simply think or feel a certain way. It’s not a matter of reading about certain ideas and holding them to be true in your heart. An orthopraxic perspective demands that adherents take action. For traditional Wicca, that means performing the rites of the tradition. (...) There’s something about the Mysteries that transcends language, or so practitioners often insist. In short, traditional Wicca isn’t something you can simply read about. It’s not just something you believe in. It’s something that you do”
I loved this book. This became one of my favourite books about Wicca. I already loved the author, so I had that in my favour. But her writing is simply amazing. So... this is not a book to teach you Wicca!. This is a book for those who already know they want to be part of a Wiccan coven and it's a guide to those seeking said covens. How it works, how to apply to the groups, advices, reflections, etc. It's fantastic really. It's fantastic to see Wicca through the eyes of a Gardnerian Priestess. It completely changed my views on Gardnerian Wicca and it helped me deal with a lot of uncomfortable stuff I had inside regarding group work.
I highly HIGHLY recommend this book, it's the best I've read this year!
““Orthopraxy” derives from Greek and means “right practice.” In usage, it stands in contrast to “orthodoxy,” which means “right belief.” Traditional Wicca tends toward orthopraxy. Belief is not enough. You cannot simply think or feel a certain way. It’s not a matter of reading about certain ideas and holding them to be true in your heart. An orthopraxic perspective demands that adherents take action. For traditional Wicca, that means performing the rites of the tradition. (...) There’s something about the Mysteries that transcends language, or so practitioners often insist. In short, traditional Wicca isn’t something you can simply read about. It’s not just something you believe in. It’s something that you do”
I loved this book. This became one of my favourite books about Wicca. I already loved the author, so I had that in my favour. But her writing is simply amazing. So... this is not a book to teach you Wicca!. This is a book for those who already know they want to be part of a Wiccan coven and it's a guide to those seeking said covens. How it works, how to apply to the groups, advices, reflections, etc. It's fantastic really. It's fantastic to see Wicca through the eyes of a Gardnerian Priestess. It completely changed my views on Gardnerian Wicca and it helped me deal with a lot of uncomfortable stuff I had inside regarding group work.
I highly HIGHLY recommend this book, it's the best I've read this year!
yaburrow's review
5.0
If you are looking for a clear explanation of lineaged, initiatory witchcraft, this is it. If you are looking for a coven, thinking of joining a coven, or merely curious, I would recommend reading this book. Even if you are an experienced Wiccan initiate, you could benefit from the perspectives offered in this book.
If your coven is open to seekers, this book should go straight to the top of your recommended reading list, for seekers, new initiates, and even old hands. It's clearly written, engaging, well-structured, and scholarly. The reference to traditional Wicca in the title refers to lineaged, initiatory Wiccan traditions with a degree system and a shared body of lore and rituals.
The book first of all describes what traditional Wicca is, what distinguishes it from non-lineaged and non-initiatory forms of Wicca and witchcraft, and a bit about its history.
Mooney does an excellent job of clearing up some of the major misconceptions about Wicca. One of these is the purpose of the degree system (I and several others also liken it to the guild system of apprentice, journeyman, master). She tackles the concept of hierarchy in this system very well indeed. I've always shied away from the word hierarchy, but she tackles it head-on, and does a great job of rehabilitating it.
Another source of angst and misunderstanding is the practice of working skyclad. The section discussing this is excellent, indeed one of the best I have read, and explains it really well.
I also liked the section on initiation and what makes it different from self-initiation (again, similar to my own ideas on the subject). My take is that self-initiation may confer psychological transformation and an encounter with the gods, but by definition, it cannot confer group membership, lineage, or access to the knowledge of a specific tradition. Mooney does an excellent job of explaining the academic theory around the concept of initiation, too.
There's an important section about red flags and safety, many of which are similar to the red flags and safety checks for online dating.
There are some things that I would have given more emphasis to, and other things that I would have given less emphasis to, but that's why more than one book about the Craft exists!
It must also be stated that this book is about seeking and joining a coven in the USA, where there are numerous other witchcraft and Wiccan traditions besides the ones that are available in the UK. There are also slight differences of practice and emphasis between Wicca in Britain, Canada, the USA, and Europe. As this book is written by an American, the emphasis is primarily on the Craft in the USA.
However, the key points, such as the distinguishing features of traditional Wicca, what makes a good coven, which seekers are likely to be successful at finding a coven, and the etiquette of seeking and being in a coven, are all commonalities across cultures.
One bit that made me laugh out loud in sympathy was the observation that the best asset of every seeker is good manners - this is so, so true. Lazy and entitled people don't make good initiates.
There are so many great things about this book (and I'm not just saying all these nice things because my book is listed in the recommended reading - I genuinely think this is a super helpful book).
There are also some beautiful poetic evocations of being in a Wiccan circle, and some really helpful magical and life advice, including a lovely section on the Witches' Pyramid for new initiates.
The checklist of questions for seekers to ask themselves, and the outline of what to put in an initial inquiry email, are also really good.
If all coven leaders, seekers, trainees, and initiates took the advice in this book to heart, it would save a lot of hassle.
Buy it, read it, recommend it to your friends!
If your coven is open to seekers, this book should go straight to the top of your recommended reading list, for seekers, new initiates, and even old hands. It's clearly written, engaging, well-structured, and scholarly. The reference to traditional Wicca in the title refers to lineaged, initiatory Wiccan traditions with a degree system and a shared body of lore and rituals.
The book first of all describes what traditional Wicca is, what distinguishes it from non-lineaged and non-initiatory forms of Wicca and witchcraft, and a bit about its history.
Mooney does an excellent job of clearing up some of the major misconceptions about Wicca. One of these is the purpose of the degree system (I and several others also liken it to the guild system of apprentice, journeyman, master). She tackles the concept of hierarchy in this system very well indeed. I've always shied away from the word hierarchy, but she tackles it head-on, and does a great job of rehabilitating it.
Another source of angst and misunderstanding is the practice of working skyclad. The section discussing this is excellent, indeed one of the best I have read, and explains it really well.
I also liked the section on initiation and what makes it different from self-initiation (again, similar to my own ideas on the subject). My take is that self-initiation may confer psychological transformation and an encounter with the gods, but by definition, it cannot confer group membership, lineage, or access to the knowledge of a specific tradition. Mooney does an excellent job of explaining the academic theory around the concept of initiation, too.
There's an important section about red flags and safety, many of which are similar to the red flags and safety checks for online dating.
There are some things that I would have given more emphasis to, and other things that I would have given less emphasis to, but that's why more than one book about the Craft exists!
It must also be stated that this book is about seeking and joining a coven in the USA, where there are numerous other witchcraft and Wiccan traditions besides the ones that are available in the UK. There are also slight differences of practice and emphasis between Wicca in Britain, Canada, the USA, and Europe. As this book is written by an American, the emphasis is primarily on the Craft in the USA.
However, the key points, such as the distinguishing features of traditional Wicca, what makes a good coven, which seekers are likely to be successful at finding a coven, and the etiquette of seeking and being in a coven, are all commonalities across cultures.
One bit that made me laugh out loud in sympathy was the observation that the best asset of every seeker is good manners - this is so, so true. Lazy and entitled people don't make good initiates.
There are so many great things about this book (and I'm not just saying all these nice things because my book is listed in the recommended reading - I genuinely think this is a super helpful book).
There are also some beautiful poetic evocations of being in a Wiccan circle, and some really helpful magical and life advice, including a lovely section on the Witches' Pyramid for new initiates.
The checklist of questions for seekers to ask themselves, and the outline of what to put in an initial inquiry email, are also really good.
If all coven leaders, seekers, trainees, and initiates took the advice in this book to heart, it would save a lot of hassle.
Buy it, read it, recommend it to your friends!
agudenburr's review
3.0
Very detailed book that has showed me I am definitely not a traditonal Wiccan.
slenkic's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
occultivatedbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This book will go on my recommended reading list for seekers. The tone is clear, conversational and accessible. The book does exactly what it sets out to do: give you information about traditional Wicca and what to consider/expect when looking for a traditional Wiccan coven. It doesn’t pretend to be a handbook on how to practice Wicca and let’s face it there are enough of those out there. I deeply appreciated reading a book that showed where some of the differences lay between eclectic solitary Wicca and a lineaged traditional coven in a respectful, straightforward manner.
bookforestsprite's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0