Rating: Summary: Take that broomstick and shoove it (just kidding) Review: Silver is the center of many debates in the Wiccan community. Many feel her writing is fluff and for people who don't want to learn "real witchcraft". Others feel she is a great steeping stone to start with and progress with because of her different publications. My thoughts are this: her book is filled with good information. She goes through and touches on many different topics like most Wicca 101 books do. by reading you feel you know the author because of how she puts her own personality in so often. Her writing is good, easy to read, and has information that is useful. There are better "Wicca 101" books out there, but I don't think any are as easy to read. I recommend only for beginners and younger readers
Rating: Summary: Fluff and Marshmallow Cream Review: Attention. If you are interested in Paganism but are Diabetic, do not, under any circumstances, purchase this book. There is not enough insulin in the world to assist you with the sugary contents. She has some decent information, but this isn't a book you read to learn about wicca, this is a book you give to your parents to keep them from being afraid, because "anything this fluffy shouldn't be taken seriously."
Rating: Summary: ride a silver broomstick brings wicca home! Review: Today's market is glutted with books on Wicca, and quite honestly, you reach the point where each writer seems to be paraphrasing the information shared by others. There seems to be nothing new. Or at least very little. Silver has taken the shroud of mystery and deep secrecy from the craft and has shown us that Wicca is in truth, a living religion. Like many of the folk practitioners of old, she takes us away from dark rooms with lit candles, grimoires written in archaic languages and mysterious rites into the 21st century. She shows us that you don't need to buy thousands of dollars worth of books and paraphenalia, or learn long complicated invocations to practice the craft. It is alive. And it is as simple as life itself. It can be practiced using those things normally found around the home. And she ultimately reveals one of Wicca's greatest secrets. That the true tools of the Witch are their heart, their mind and their hands. An exceptional book for the seeker and advanced student alike. It helps us bring our faith "home" and make it something that relates to our world today.
Rating: Summary: Scares Your Parents and Enlighning! LoL Review: Ive found this book very helpfull. The only thing I dont agree with is that there is no such thing as a Satanic Witch. But all is forgiven since this is a very commen wiccan misconception. I think Silver does try to aim at the teens a bit... or perhaps she just still feels like a teen herself! It is a little on the fluffy bunny side but I certainly give her tons of respect and credit for the chapter "theres no such thing as a white witch". God and goddess know its true! Above all else there is DEFFINITLY better work out there on wicca and paganism (that is why I gave it only 3 stars) but seems how its one of the most popular wiccan series its good to read up on it.
Rating: Summary: Follow Silver RavenWolf with caution! Review: I dislike writing negative reviews because the author spent many many hours in writing, editing, and rewriting. However; this is another one of those times. ;-( Can one learn to practise magick from this book? Yes. Then what is the problem? The problem is that she teaches the principles of magick, but not the "ethics" of magick. This is why I am unable to recommend her books with a clear conscience. All magick has a boomerang effect, and the abbreviated version of the Rede (pronounced Reed) below says it far better than I. ----- Bide the Wiccan law ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust. Eight words the Rede fulfill, "And ye harm none. do what ye will." What ye send out comes back to thee, so ever mind the rule of three." Practise this with mind and heart, and merry ye meet and merry ye part. ----- I DO recommend "Wicca: A Guide For the Solitary Practitioner" by Scott Cunningham with a clear conscience because Scott repeatedly stresses the ethics of magick, and explains that magick is in the macickan instead of the words or tools the magickan uses. Please E-mail me if you have questions or comments. Two Bears. Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)
Rating: Summary: Great book for beginners and the curious Review: To Ride a Silver Broomstick is a good, fun book for beginners on the path. I would definitely recommend it for your pagan reading list - it eases you in a bit, so it's good to read before (or while) you get into the serious, dry stuff. It's not one of those awful fluffy-bunny books, either.
Rating: Summary: Not bad at all... Review: If you glanced at the trashy cover-art and title and found that they put you off, or if you simply didn't like the idea of buying a book by somebody called Silver RavenWolf (a name reminiscent of a bad night playing AD&D) then you might be quite surprised - "To Ride..." is a well conceived and thoughtfully presented title on Witchcraft, paganism and the occult that is worth the money and actually deserves to be read. Beyond the cover and the title already mentioned, which is more or less Llewellyn's fault as the masters of gaudy sensationalism, "To Ride..." is a comprehensive study of what it takes to practice solitary, and refreshingly non-dogmatic Witchcraft. RavenWolf really knows her stuff and writes in a clear and friendly fashion, often boiling difficult content down to the level of the non-specialised reader (which is why people say she has a childish style - an accusation they probably wouldn't level at Donald Michael Kraig for doing exactly the same thing). Beyond that, however, what RavenWolf excels in is enthusiasm, and it is certainly contagious as you itch to get started with her book. From page one, admittedly after skipping the dreadful fairytale account of The Charge (which really IS bad AD&D - yuck), the text pulls you in and motivates you to think carefully about Witchcraft and the occult, while encouraging you to get your feet wet by trying the practices out. In that sense, RavenWolf ranks among the very best occult authors from whatever field, as getting people motivated enough to claw their way out of the armchair is two thirds of the battle. The other third, of course, is to then get people to think beyond their limits but we can only expect so much here - it is Mr Crowley, after all, who still has the market cornered on that one. What I would suggest is that if Witchcraft has caught your fancy and you are looking for a good introduction to it then you should start right here. Personally, I would rather do that than begin with a title by the late Scott Cunningham, who despite his growing status as a neo-pagan saint, actually wrote introductory books about Wicca/witchcraft and natural magic that do only half as well as this one. I mean, at least Raven Wolf doesn't chuck slushy greeting card sentiments across every page (only some of them) while also recognising that gush and content aren't really the same thing at all. On the whole this is a very neat little book but it still suffers from the trend of seeing nature as 'nice' and 'fwuffy' (sic), which is present in a lot of neo-pagan texts. To balance it out, I would try working with something harder and more holistic, like the Shamanic magick of Jan Fries (which doesn't sugar-coat the natural world at all) or maybe even by reading "Last of the Medicine Men" by Benedict Allen to get a fuller idea of what working with nature really means to people who CAN trace their lineage back across dozens of generations. If you still think the forests and the wilds are 'pleasant' after that then good luck to you! If, on the other hand, you see something that people cut from RavenWolf's cloth have missed then welcome aboard - the bus heading for a firmer spiritual contact with the natural world is loading now and getting ready to leave the station before sundown.
Rating: Summary: An actual 4-1/2 stars out of 5 Review: I would have preferred to give this book a rating of 4 1/2 stars, but I wasn't given the option. This is an excellent book for those beginning their journey in the Craft--for those seeking to satisfy curiosity, Cunningham's WICCA: A GUIDE FOR THE SOLITARY PRACTITIONER gives more of an overview. Silver's approach here is more of a workbook, with exercies at the end of the chapters to help reinforce the concepts taught in the chapter. One thing to always remember is that each author is writing with a bias. In some cases--like Cunningham's--the bias is minimal and can be difficult to see. Perhaps because I started with Cunningham first, it seems that Silver has a very strong leaning toward a particular way of practicing the Craft, and it comes out through the book. While one may not agree with everything she says, I sitll feel that it's important to try to see her viewpoint, and take the many excellent lessons provided throughout the book.
Rating: Summary: Well-written, informative, and fun! Review: Considering Wicca as a religious path is a tough decision to make. Ms. Ravenwolf guides you along with simple exercises to remind you that the journey you are about to embark on is not to be taken lightly. With her help, I learned about tarot cards, candle magick, moon phases, herbs, crystals, color meaning, and so much more! This is definately a must have for anyone considering Wicca as their religion!
Rating: Summary: One of the first I read, and the best. Review: Silver has a way of writing that puts the reader at ease, without making them feel that the mysteries are out of reach of anyone who wasn't born a "witch". She has a direct writing style, that uses humor and stories to teach the lessons at hand. I recommend her books to anyone just starting out in the craft..
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