Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful read
Review: Ms. Sylvan has written a very personable, enjoyable book. It is a great resource for pagans who are looking to develop a more personal relationship with the Divine. I loved the "Things to think on" at the end of each chapter in which she ask some questions pertaining to how you felt about the information covered in the chapter. I think this would be a great book for covens (or solitaries) to use for discussion and Part 2 "The Book of Moonlight" containing daily prayers and rituals has inspired me to create my own "book of moonlight". I have begun to incorporate several of her suggestions (morning and evening devotionals) into my daily life and I must say that I have really made a difference to me.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful read
Review: Ms. Sylvan has written a very personable, enjoyable book. It is a great resource for pagans who are looking to develop a more personal relationship with the Divine. I loved the "Things to think on" at the end of each chapter in which she ask some questions pertaining to how you felt about the information covered in the chapter. I think this would be a great book for covens (or solitaries) to use for discussion and Part 2 "The Book of Moonlight" containing daily prayers and rituals has inspired me to create my own "book of moonlight". I have begun to incorporate several of her suggestions (morning and evening devotionals) into my daily life and I must say that I have really made a difference to me.
Rating:
Summary: Exactly what I needed at the right time
Review: The day I found this book, I was in the middle of needing to reconnect with my Goddess and God. I was browsing a stand w/different types of books when a book slid down and uncovered The Circle Within. And it was the only book of its kind. When I read it I was inspired and excited as Sylvan wrote straight to my heart and mind with traditions to bring me closer to my beliefs and helping me live it daily, not just practice it. Easy to read, concise and precise Diane Sylvan's book is truly a blessing.
Rating:
Summary: Just what I was looking for
Review: This book came along at just the right time. It is a mix of spiritual guidance, clarity and humor. The author writes beautifully and intelligently without being condescending. It is an excellent book if you are open to a shift in view and a resource for an understanding you may be seeking. Highly recomend it to all.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME READ!!!!
Review: This book came along at the perfect time, This is the best book about living the Wiccan life everyday that has been written!!!
I recommend it to everyone that has been on the path and is beyond the Wicca 101 type books.
Thanks Sylvan for the awesome book, keep them coming!!
Blessed Be
)0(
Rating:
Summary: This is a wonderful book
Review: This book has changed the way I feel about Wicca, in a good way. In her introduction she she said she wanted to help people discover a better relationship with the spirit. She wanted to help all those divoced from spirit to find there way home. Ms. Sylvan has a wonderful sence of hummor that made the book so enjoyable. At the end of her chapters she offers us three things to think about. And does she give you so questions, WOW. I am currently searching for my own spiritual tradition with the lead questions. I really love the second half of the book, the book of moonlight. Sylvan writes beautiful poetry. I an looking forward to using her muse to make my own rituals. A must for those lost Wiccans who are looking for a way back to that at home feeling.
Rating:
Summary: I'd like to see another edition in a couple decades
Review: This book is, as far as I'm aware, the first to address an important area of Wicca that had previously largely been left alone. We're fortunate that this first real effort hits one out of the park. The author writes in a very down-to earth manner, and you'll find yourself laughing out loud from time to time. She includes numerous solid exercises for the student. Some are introspective, while others have you working directly with Goddess and God. She helps you build your spiritual practice slowly; she notes that some people will want to dive right in, but that building your practice a bit at a time is a lot more realistic. I admire her willingness to learn from other spiritual traditions and adapt what works from those to Wicca.
There's a section on virtues, which the author calls 'graces' (and frankly, I prefer her term), complete with exercises. The section on immanence vs. transcendence will be immensely helpful to folks who have never taken a religious studies course, and I agree with the author that Goddess and God are both immanent and trascendent. Apparently unaware that terms for this already exist, she chooses to call this relationship to the world 'manifest' presence (which, honestly, is a much nicer sounding term than 'panentheism'.) The book also includes a MARVELOUS chapter titled "The Temple Hearth", which is about creating sacred space at home.
However, there are some weak spots. For example, contrast:
"The love of the God and Goddess is unconditional and without limit, which is probably the most important aspect of Their existence."
with text from the next page:
"One of my favorite names for the Goddess is 'Star of Lght, Abyss of Darkness.' For every Bright Mother there must be a Dark Mother; for every Lord of the Living there must be one of Death. The God and Goddess encompass all of nature, not just the parts we like. Wiccans get a lot of flak over our tendency to ignore the darker aspects of Divinity in favor of the pretty ones."
These certainly seem to be contradictions in terms, yet no effort is made to reconcile them.
A few other problems I would like to bring up: "...the God and Goddess...are essentially the natural world. As such, to maintain the order of the universe, They do not often bend its rules." Anyone of any talent who has worked with magic for very long knows They happily bend the rules and create change all the time. This isn't a major objection to this book, as magic is not central to Wicca.
The following sentence: "Everything, even the Lord and Lady, acts according to nature." seems to reflect a belief that They are controlled by Nature.
Many people will disagree with me here. I feel that there are occasional spots in the book, including most of the section "The Turning Wheel," that seem to me to have been written by someone very young, with more poetic ability than life experience, and with little experience with real, wild Nature.
Nevertheless I rate this book five stars; I'd rate it higher yet, if I could. It is a very solid effort, a very fine how-to book. I would like to think this book is only a first draft, and that the author will publish the definitive version in twenty, thirty, or forty years.
Rating:
Summary: A Nice Change
Review: This is a book for the spiritually thirsty person who is disillusioned by the growing number of fluffy bunnies. It is very educational, designed to enlighten and present an advanced, non-fluffy alternative to the more popular readers. After reading this book and a few anti-fluff rants, I am surprised how my outlook has changed where some authors, such as RavenWolf, are concerned. I love this book and I have little doubt that it will become one of the central books of my practice. It is designed to help cultivate a spiritual Wiccan lifestlye, and I believe many of the topics discussed are essential. I hope Dianne Sylvan creates more works like this in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Witchcraft EVERY MOMENT
Review: This is a WONDERFUL book. I had the pleasure of meeting Dianne at the International New Age Trade Show in Denver this year; she gave me a very confirming runic reading, and we talked about the importance of living Craft every moment. This book is not geared at ritualism and ceremony, which are a priceless part of the Craft, but rather living the Path EVERY MOMENT; that is, in extreme spiritual Awareness, not just reserving such perception for ritualism alone. This book is about the important truth of Craft not being seperate from every breath, movement & action. This is essential to anyone who is coming to understand that the Craft is a Life deal. Buy this book, trust me. ; ) For further information on Living Craft, I would also recommend "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Christopher Penczak, along with "A Witches' Guide To Life" by Kala Trobe.
Thanks for reading and may you walk in Clarity every moment.
~Colin Smith (OakRaven)~
Rating: 
Summary: Packed with great ideas...
Review: This is not yet another Wicca 101 book. Instead, this book focuses on helping Wiccans to fill their lives with their spirituality rather than just being Wiccan for sabbats and esbats. For a relatively small book, this one is packed with great ideas on how to deepen your Wiccan/pagan spiritual practice. Added to that, the tips are actually solid practical things that anyone can do, nothing airy-fairy or impossibly complicated. In fact, I felt that many of the points were fairly obvious, but these are definitely things that need to be pointed out. For example, she suggests that the reader go out into nature (in whatever form it's available) and attune to his/her local environment. Seems pretty evident for a nature-based religion, but it's easy to forget to commune with nature and deity when you're working full time and juggling a jillion other things too.Another thing I found very useful was the section of 3 things to think about at the end of each chapter. Mostly, these are questions that relate to personal practice and make you think about things you can do to integrate it into your daily life and make it more meaningful. I like that she didn't just spout out information and leave you hanging; she gives you the beginning steps to help you digest and use the concepts. Finally, at the end of the book is "The Book of Moonlight" which contains some prayers and rituals to jump start you into daily practice. The prayers and invocations are beautifully written and useful. Dianne Sylvan is not at all pompous and doesn't pretend to be the ultimate authority. She writes with humor and practicality, and best of all, she wants the reader to not get stuck on her words alone. Several times, she tells the reader to adjust her material to suit their own lives and spirituality. This is a very nice and refreshing change from the endless slew of Wicca 101 books. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be a Wiccan, even while at work, school, etc.
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