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To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft

To Ride a Silver Broomstick: New Generation Witchcraft

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $10.17
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An amusing introduction to eclectic witchcraft.
Review: This is a lightweight introduction to modern witchcraft. Ravenwolf introduces the basics in a light and amusing style, but tends to lack substance. Not a bad introduction to neopaganism, for rank beginners

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Accurate, Enjoyable, and Funny book on Wicca/Witchcraft...
Review: Silver Ravenwolf's *To Ride A Silver Broomstick* is one of the best beginner's Wicca/Witchcraft books on the market today. Interjecting humor, how-to and practical information, and balancing it with serious discussion is a specialty for RavenWolf. Mixing personal experiences in with facts and history, she creates a hands-on book that even the most impatient learner is apt to finish and enjoy. The rituals are practical, the information breaks misconceptions of Wicca and Paganism that society is filled with. The origins of myths are explained; Wicca's holidays (Sabbats) and work days (Esbats) are detailed, and after no time at all a serious reader can be practicing with ease.

This work is one of Ravenwolf's best. All ages can understand and appreciate it. Even if you are not planning on practicing Wicca, or are simply researching, this is a great introduction and explanation of most of Wicca's concepts. Highly recommended. If I (a 15 year old with hardly *any* time to read books outside school) can devote much time to this book, I think that probably everyone can.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This is the greatest book on the subject!!!
Review: Silver Ravenwolf has absolutely outdone herself. Llewellyn books always have had a place dear to my heart, and her book is one of the best I've found It is clear, humourous, factual, easy to understand. It won't tell you everything on the subject of witchcraft, but it will be one of the greatest books you could ever own on the subject!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: a serious spiritual choice...
Review: Ever wonder why Witchcraft is not taken as a serious spiritual choice? Because one of the best selling books about it is one of the least credible.

Ask any serious practitioner that has been studying seriously for a few years and they will tell you that this is one book that everyone should save their money on. And especially thie is NOT a book for begginers.

So you may ask what is wrong with this book?
Well,
1. It traces Witchcraft back ti cavemen. Wicca was started by Gardner in the form that it is practiced today. Magic was practiced in earlier times in a way such as knowing th earth and how it works, knowing how to plant crops, being in tune with nature, etc.
2. She bashes Christiany as well as other religions. Pagans believe that the path you choose is right for you, then why bash any spiritual path? That sends negative energy.
3. She teaches poor ethics such as for teens to sneak behind their parents backs and stucy witchcraft.
4. She uses a voice of superiority that tells you that what you think is wrong unless you agree with her.
5. The book is shallow and rarely touches upon anything with any substance.
6. This book reads more like a self-help to teens that don't belong in school and want to make themselves feel better about themselves because they belong to some special and unique clique. If you want to raise your self-esteem, join a sports team, a club at school, or attend couseling sessions.

With all this said, I regret I ever bought this book, it almost turned me off from Paganism. Save your money, please. Maybe if the sales of this book go down then some serious authors will represent witchcraft and the Pagan paths.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Okay, stone me but I kind of liked this book
Review: This was the first book I bought for myself about Wicca. The first book I read was Amber K's True Magick. I liked the lessons and the writing exercises. I still have the journal writing I did from it, and it's interesting to look back and see what my thoughts were 6 years ago vs. now. I enjoy the stories and anecdotes about Silver's experiences in the Craft.
I don't think Silver puts it forward as being anything other than a general workbook for beginners. It is not supposed to a book specifically on deities of any pantheon or any method of divination. I found it much more approachable than Buckland's Big Blue Book, and much more informative than Cunningham's Guide for the Solitary Practitioner.

As far as her claiming that Wicca as a religion descended directly from ancient times, I didn't get that impression at all. And if that is implied in the book somewhere one needs to remember that this book was published in 1993. Silver wasn't the only one making that claim at that point. Other authors who get a lot more respect than Silver does were proponents of that theory for years, like Marija Gimbutas and Margaret Murray.

As always, I don't think any one Wiccan author be your sole guide, but I think this book as a lot to offer to beginners in Wicca, especially people starting young. Older readers should start with The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk.

** this review in no way is meant to defend any of Silver's other works, like $ilver's Little Book of Prosperity/Protection/Love Spells, Teen Witch or the Teen Witch Kit**

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: LOL
Review: The five or so reviews below (not the fourth) illustrate well the sort of magically unskilled, non-thinker who would pick up a book like this. And here I thought it was only for children!

Silver Ravenwolf Witchcraft is generic witchcraft- the kind of stuff they sweep up off of the floors in factories and put in unmarked boxes to sell to the unsuspecting populace- there is no other way to put it. Unfortunately these books sometimes fall into the hands of a talented individual who is still in the beginner's stage, making it necessary to unlearn all the nonsense that was picked up before moving on.

If you need to make qualifications and judgments on nakedness, bondage and scourging without understanding the symbolism behind these things (much like someone from another culture might judge Christ being tortured on a cross without knowing the significance behind it), then you are not only not Wicca, you are scarcely even pagan. The best thing you can do is to quit fooling yourself with your mainstream morality and go back to church.

I'm also highly amused at the "medicine" man's comments below- anyone with an AmerInd name who is commenting on, quoting from, or recommending any books on Wicca is a person who has no true knowledge of either path. Be especially careful NOT to contact this person by email, as he could be dangerous!

And the reviewer who calls himself a seeker is a scream! This is a term, used by British Witches who follow a very conservative hierarchical tradition, for the uninitiated who wish to learn, not for an eclectic who reads all the latest popular books on paganism (take a look-see at his wish list) and addresses himself to beginners as if he was High Degree. People, if you don't know what you are saying, don't say it.

This book belongs in the trashpile. $ilver is a $ham, understand? Say it with me. Because after that, there is nothing more to be said.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not Entirely Bad.....
Review: I think it is important to remember to take any book on the Craft with a grain of salt. Silver did have some decent things to teach, though she could have gone about it in maybe a more in-depth way. For me, she did leave a few things unexplained, though it only lent to my further studies.

*A NOTE TO BEGINNERS: Please do NOT make this the first book you read on the Craft. Read Cunningham or Starhawk or a few other authors first if you are truly interested in this book. Remember that no one's word is set in stone. There really is no true 'gospel' of Wicca or Witchcraft. In the end, it is all about you and the choices you make.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply Wonderful
Review: I adore Silver Ravenwolf. This was one of my FIRST major reads into Witchcraft and I fell in love with the way she writes instantly.
It is informative, exciting, gripping, written with humour and creativity.
I have since bought all of her books and recomend her to any witch, brand-new or not.
She made me smile all the way through this book and she also made me feel very proud to be a witch.
*Blessed Be*

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good
Review: This book is a good start for anyone who is interested in learning the craft as it helped me find a place to start.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A beginner's guide
Review: I am presently enjoying this book. If you're a beginner to the craft, this book is great, I already have a Cunningham book, but this one has way more flesh to it. I have only had it for half a day, and have already breezed through half of it. She not only gives you insight about what kind of witch you may think about becoming, but she also give you practical advice about daily life and dealing with other's views of witchcraft. If I were to describe this book in one word it would be wholesome. She also covers the aspects of spellcraft and religion fairly thouroughly. I highly recommend it!


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