Rating: Summary: I am not sure if I like this book Review: This was book was ok but I felt like she kind of ignored the Goddess and her importance in the craft. I didn't like all of her spells either because some of them seemed like bad karma to me. I've been studying/practicing Wicca for over twenty years and for some reason I am not crazy about this book.
Rating: Summary: Preachy and condescending but useful Review: The tone of this book grated on my nerves. Felt too preachy and somewhat condescending to me. It does have some useful info though. I agree with the person who said the rituals featured here are overly detail-oriented. A "script" for rituals is useful to beginners, but for that reason, it should be a simple script. Silver Ravenwolf also seems to aspire to be the Martha Stewart of witchcraft, with her black-cat stenciled kitchen boarders. In any case, I have been a solitary for 11 years, and tend to find most Llewellyn texts to be good very basic introductions. This book is no exception, and I would recommend that a beginner at least look over it.
Rating: Summary: Detail oriented Review: Silver Ravenwolf introduces Wicca in a way that is never boring, however, she does tend to get "preachy" at times. If you enjoy detailed rituals, this is the book for you. What I did like about the book is at the end of each chapter, there are exercises for you to do...I made myself take the time to do them & I'm glad I did. If you're looking for an introduction to Wicca, check out Scott Cunningham, then read Silver Ravenwolf, either to implement your studies or just for the comparison.
Rating: Summary: If you are Solitary, pick this book up and practice it! Review: For 30 years now, magick has been my guide in life. 1991 came along and I discovered Wicca. In 1994 I felt strong enough in the Wiccan belief, dedication of my life to Wicca was performed. This book is one which has helped me grow at accelerated rates, which sometimes is hard for a long term solitary like myself. Blessed be unto Silver RavenWolf for her efforts
Rating: Summary: If you are new to wicca, this is the best place to start. Review: To Ride a Silver Broomstick by Silver Ravenwolf
Rating: Summary: A realistic introduction to Witchcraft. Review: Having read many of the reviews, you can tell which reviewers of "To Ride a Silver Broomstick" are coven-based Witches. Having seen a recent survey on the Witches Voice web site, I can say with certainty that the great majority of practicing witches in the U.S. today are NOT in Covens, but solitary practitioners who have no teachers, and no guidance as they begin. This sort of "this-is-such-a-schmucky-book-because-it's-not-written-by-Raymond-Buckland-and-doesn't-revolve-around-a-coven" talk should really be left to the more mainstream religions. In the Craft, all paths are paths to the Goddess. It's also not realistic; most of us can't find people willing to teach us, and may not feel comfortable even if we could. Buckland's books are great, but they don't speak to Witches who are outside the coven group. (I also didn't know there were such things as "real" rituals...are my rituals less real because they're written by me and not by Buckland or Gerald Garner? That sounds remarkably Medieval Roman Catholic Church-like to me....) For those of us who are not lucky enough or choose not to be in a Coven, this book is a strong foundation, provided it's used correctly. If you simply read through it quickly, it will be informative, but it won't function as a basic course in Witchcraft. If you choose this as your main text (and there are other books that will be equally good depending on who you are), then you should really follow it closely to get the full effects: buy your notebook, take your time, do your exercises, and most importantly...READ the supplementary texts suggested at the end of most chapters. Read them between your chapters in "Broomstick". They will give you more insight and enhance your study, and will also give you ideas of the directions you want to take as you grow.
If you do this, you will find yourself better prepared to tackle the mountain of information available on the Craft. I know I sure did.
Rating: Summary: Great book! Review: This is a wonderful book for those just starting in the craft. I've been a solitary practioner for 2 years now, and found it to have practical, down to earth suggestions for anyone who is interested in learning more.
Rating: Summary: Exciting and refreshing Review: I loved reading this book and refer to it time and time again. It has given me much knowledge of the craft. Not only does it present the good side, but it also presents warnings and issues that the solitary witch may need to deal with. It does not present the craft in a glamorous manor, but in a down to earth easy to read fashion. I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the craft .
Rating: Summary: Funny, Informative, great for beginner and intermediate both Review: This is a great book for a beginner and intermediate both. It combines humor(lots of it) with VERY helpful instructions. I also liked the chapter it had on coming out of the closet! But there was only one bad thing about it for me: The lists Silver RavenWolf had in it were LONG. But it covered everything. The ritual sheet in it was helpful also. :)
Rating: Summary: Good for beginners, but somewhat simplistic Review: In many ways, this book was very useful to me when I was just starting out. RavenWolf's practical, no-nonsense style is refreshing, especially to someone bewildered by the huge number of books on this subject that are currently available, some of which are worth less than the paper they're printed on.As an introduction, this book has quite a few things to recommend it, including the recommended-reading lists at the end of each chapter, advice and caution on networking with other practitioners (especially valuable to a solitary), suggestions for formulating your own rituals and some very useful visualization techniques. However, in some ways this very simplicity is a drawback; a lot of what I hoped to learn RavenWolf didn't address at all or addressed in a brief manner that left a great deal unexplained. In a way, this may have been a good thing, as it encouraged me to explore other sources and do some additional research, definitely a necessity in a religion that has as many forms as there are adherents. In short, I would not recommend that anyone base his/her practice on this book alone; a great deal is left out. However, it does make a halfway decent starting point for the beginner, and if you're a solitary who is unable or hesitant to begin networking or seeking a coven just yet, you could do worse than read this book and apply some of the contents to your own practice.
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