Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully deep, but narrowly focused
Review: This is a book that will make you think about your practice as a pagan. Are your rituals consistent with themselves? Are your rituals consistent with the goals you are trying to accomplish? Are your rituals consistent with your beliefs about the universe? Are you worshipping your deity as She or He would want to be worshipped? Really wonderful and thought-provoking questions. If you're willing to give them deep consideration, your practice will change for the better, I guarantee it. And exploring the different pieces of ritual using an elemental focus (covering theological, mythological, psychological, and practical aspects for each) was a truly inspired approach.The book uses the word "Wiccan" rather than "pagan" in the title, and I think that's appropriate. The focus of the book is very Wiccan. Pagans who, like me, are not Wiccan, may find themselves a bit frustrated by Lipp's emphasis on polarity and hierarchy. The ritual examples given are mostly led by a High Priestess and High Priest, with polarity-symbolic role assignments for other ritual participants. Lipp does write that you don't have to use polarity if it's not an emphasis for you, but it still remains a strong focus in the book. (I was especially disappointed that when she explained that [some] pagans often use the union of God and Goddess as a metaphor for love rather than a symbol of polarity, she didn't follow her explanation with an example of how a single-sex...oriented coven would do things, but still stuck to a traditional model with a High Priestess and High Priest.) Lipp also seems to feel strongly that there is a "right way" and a "wrong way" to do things. She tells you why she thinks her ways are correct, and the reasons are usually good, but nonetheless, this approach doesn't fit very well with the pagan idea of tolerance for many paths. I feel that it's the only serious downside of the book. For example, she writes that the "correct" order of circle casting is to cast the circle, then purify it (so you have something to purify), then consecrate it (so that we bring the sacred into what has been cleansed.) That's one theory. The theory that I use, which I would suggest is equally valid, is that you purify and consecrate your space _before_ casting a circle, so that the circle has a cleansed and holy place to come into existence. I'm not saying that my way is better or even that Lipp should have written about it, and it's just one example. However, in my opinion the book would have benefited from an exploration of the rationales of more varied approaches to magickal practice, both in terms of completeness and interest factor. To sum up, I enjoyed the book a lot, but I would have enjoyed it more if it had had more breadth. I would have enjoyed reading about perspectives from some other traditions, Wiccan or not. The concepts in this book could be applied a lot more broadly than they were. Nonetheless, it's a very thoughtful and serious offering that pagans wishing to deepen their understanding of ritual should consider reading. Perhaps this marks an upswing in Lwellyn titles?
Rating: 
Summary: Danger Will Robinson Danger!!!
Review: We are presently using this book as an example of how not to teach ritual. This book is highly opinionated and you can easily see the influence of her ex-husband (a Druid) throughout the book. There are many books that are much better guides including Simms Circle of the Cosmic Muse, Harrows Book and Currott's, WitchCrafting. Each is more detailed and more enlightening than this ponderous tome. The regrettable thing is someone new to the Path may pick this book up and use it for a guide. Fortunately my co-teacher and I have the experience (each over 30 years) to see the fallacies in this book. Enter with skepticism and verify everything with other sources.
SageOne
Rating: 
Summary: A delightful read
Review: With all of the Wicca 101 and spell books out there, it's nice to read a book that doesn't just cover the basics, actually explains the why's and doesn't resemble a cookbook.
Deborah Lipp, in addition to publishing under a name that can be taken seriously, not only gives a more detailed description of the typical ritual formate, but gives the why?'s and explains the steps and how they relate to different aspects of a person's faith, the air, or intellectual, the water, or emotional, the earth, or practical, and the fire, or mystical. If you have a serious interest in Wicca or rituals, this book is for you. If you are looking to get revenge on your ex or make a certain cute member of the opposite sex fall in love with you, don't let this book slow you down on your quest.
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