Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book for beginners and those with some experience.
Review: A WITCH ALONE, by Marian Green is an excellent place to begin studying the oldest religion on Earth. Green is an English witch who does not appear to follow any particular tradition - a solitary or hedge witch. Because many individuals follow the solitary path, material from others, especially one as experienced as Green is quite welcome. A WITCH ALONE is comparable to works by Rae Beth (Hedge Witch), who is also English, and the late Scott Cunningham (Solitary Witch), and addresses the needs of those who follow an more or less eclectic path of their own making.
Green covers basics such as descriptions of the Lord and Lady as well as the Sacred Cycles (pretty much determined by seasonal change in the Northern Hemisphere) and she also explains the circle between the worlds and the journey to the other world which dwell more on the spiritual aspects of witchcraft..
Green demonstrates that if you search for it, you will find plenty of evidence concerning the old ways - or Pagan traces. Sections of her book explore the cumulative knowledge of other witches covering such topics as the healing arts, Moon magic, divination and dowsing, and the ancient wisdom passed along from the elders. She also provides good references at the end of every section.
Although I've been studying this material for sometime, I found Green's book truly inspiring and filled with good suggestions. She lays out the steps one needs to take to learn the basics of Witchcraft one month at a time - over the 13 Moons that occur in any Solar year.
Rating:
Summary: Great book - difficult exercises
Review: A wonderful book. The exercises are great. I have read it several times. It is a must for the solitary practitioner.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent source for the solitary.
Review: As one who is very familiar with the Charge of the Goddess, I can attest that nowhere does it contain the phrase 'ye cannot be a witch alone'. I find it upsetting that something so erroneous is attributed to a text that is as sacred to Pagans and Wiccans as the Lord's Prayer is to Christians. Having said that, I can highly recommend this book to anyone following the solitary path. I found this book shortly before I left the coven of which I was a member and found it not only helpful but comforting. While the energy of a coven can be a great shared experience, the quiet freedom of the solitary can be just as rewarding. The book is full of good advice and suggestions and is a great memory refresher with regard to spells and chants. The author lives in England and so some of the natural sites she describes are unfamiliar to American witches. One thing that I have never seen in any other book of this kind is her admonition to not rape the earth any more than is necessary in order to obtain one's tools. For example, taking one crystal from nature is enough, leave the rest be. A most refreshing viewpoint especially for one who lives in a place where occult and New Age shops sell crystals by the hundreds.
Rating:
Summary: Take the time to savor this book
Review: Careful reading, re-reading, and application of the information and suggested exercises in this book will prove invaluable, no matter if you call yourself Wiccan, Witch, or anything else. With a deliciously relaxed pace to the writing, just reading this book can help you slow down and realize what beauty and serenity--and of course magic!--is to be found in the natural world. This would be the perfect companion for those who prefer to take gentle steps into a new philosophy, as well as those who are rather stressed and burnt out by their current practice and wish to renew their centeredness and love of the Craft.
Rating:
Summary: A slight step up...
Review: Green attempts not to define witchraft in this book, but rather to help the reader explore it. She covers almost every aspect of the religion imaginable, drawing on both very old and new ideas. This may be slightly too difficult for a reader who is very new to the craft, but one who already knows the basics and wishes to go a bit deeper will greatly beneift from this read. Green takes a non-divinational approach that both traditional and "neo-pagans" can enjoy and grow from. Highly reccomended for someone looking for a fresh perspecitive that any witch can enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: there are better books
Review: I have to agree with some of the other reviewers. This really is a type of witchcraft not many can follow. I've been reading many different books about the Craft and I found this the least helpful. She recommends all rituals be done outside and that a staff be used instead of an altar. For many, especially in urban areas, this is difficult. Her way of practicing is a very beautiful one but it is not for everyone. There are some good points to draw from it though, beginners often get wrapped up in the technical and proceedural aspects of the Craft and not in it's connection with nature and the Earth. It presents a wonderful Nature-centered practice for those willing to try it.
Rating: 
Summary: Painful to Read
Review: I purchased this book along with Marion's "Natural Witchcraft" and was so disappointed in both. I felt as if I could have written it myself (after just reading about 4 101-type books). Marion writes in a such a flowery and general manner. Good for poetry, but not very informative. Too many, "In the days of old" comments. It's like your sitting by the campfire listening to tall tales. I also found it difficult as most of the text reads like "You should do this or that". I'd pass.
Rating:
Summary: A thoughtful no-nonsense guide for the solitary
Review: Marian Green's language is straightforward, practical and wise, and "A Witch Alone" reflects her approach to the old ways: grounded and clear. Green's structure of thirteen lessons for thirteen moons takes the reader on a journey of self discovery. As readers work through the thirteen lessons offered there is an awakening sense of reconnection to the natural world, a sense of belonging and rediscovering the lost parts of the self. The sensation is akin to coming home, that brightening moment of: "I knew this!" Not everyone has the inclination or opportunity to join a circle of likeminded seekers or learn directly from a wisewoman; many readers are solitaries edging out their own personal path. For such solitaries (and anyone interested in the true craft of the wise (not Hollywood's version)) this book is a welcome treat, perhaps even a treasure.
Rating:
Summary: Her way of being a witch...
Review: She teaches how to be a witch in 13 moon which is a good idea and she has some great excersizes and ideas but she teaches her way of being a witch. There is nothing wrong with that but the reader has to realize that there are many other ways to practice witchcraft and her way is not THE way to do it. Sometime I get the feeling that she feels like her way is the only way. I enjoyed the book because it had some new ideas in it and some of the excersizes helped me along my way but I would not reccommend this book to a begginer. At least read 5 or 6 other books from good authors (not Silver Ravenwolf, please because she will mislead a begginer more than any other author I can think of) before tackeling this one. I would recommend it to anyone that has been studying for a year or so because it helps understand just how different the practice of magic can be.
Rating:
Summary: What it says it is; Probably not for Southwest US Witches
Review: This book *is* written for "A Witch Alone". It presents a different view of Witchcraft for solitary practitioners. Many Americans won't care for her style of writing, and those who live in places that are environmentally different from England might find some of her 'simple cost-effective supplies' a bit daunting (many of the trees and herbs she lists in her book do not grow in southern Arizona, for instance. And here it is quite illegal to go out and cut a staff from a tree (at least not without paying for a permit, if the state even decides to issue one for that purpose in the first place) unless it is on your property and is not a 'protected species') she is a strong proponent of not paying for magickal supplies, which makes sense, but it doesn't make sense if you can't get something she suggests getting yourself in the woods, if you don't have woods (or if it takes 2 hours of driving time at least to reach 'woods'. Most wild areas in this state are state parks, and there are rules regarding cutting of trees). Her suggestions are wonderful for those in England or places with four definable seasons, and for those who don't live in cities. (I don't have a garden. I wish I did. Gardens are hard to maintain in the desert - I know folks who do, but they have their own houses, and can afford the water bills.) There *is* a lot of useful information in here. The section explaining the tools makes a lot of sense. She's not a proponent of lots of fancy Ceremonial magick tools (neither am I), and suggests a staff, cup and serviceable knife (like a Swiss Army knife). No pentacles, athames, swords, altars, or anything else. Note that she does tend to criticize the modern Craft movement, esp. that in the US, but it may be deserved, and she doesn't 'bash' anyone. Her history is a bit skewed, but a lot of Witch/Wiccan authors have their own version of Witchcraft history. (History, cultural or otherwise should be gleaned from history books and scholars, not from religious authors IMHO) *I* can't use the book (There isn't much in here I haven't already been doing by myself, so I don't have much use for it, and at $16, it's too expensive to sit on my shelf gathering dust), so I'm reselling it. That doesn't mean you might not be able to. ;) Blessings
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