What Witches Do

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Summary: My Introduction to British Traditional Witchcraft
Review: After reading Starhawk, some non-descript stuff on "family wicca," and some other new-agey-witchy stuff, I asked somebody a "real" witch to teach me about Wicca. He demurred, but gave me a reading list, with this book at the top. I started reading WHAT WITCHES DO on a cross-country business trip. Within the first chapter I was hooked. This had the ring of authenticity that I was seeking.

Farrar's book provides a good introduction to the British Traditional Craft. It presents an overview without assuming that the reader already knows anything about Wicca. A great book to give to somebody open-minded who wants to understand the traditional craft. If reading this book leaves you salivating for more, Stewart & his wife Janet have written THE WITCHES WAY and EIGHT SABBATS FOR WITCHES. These contain more than enough information to satisfy those interested in more details.

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Summary: Looking Back
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was originally recommended to my by my mentor as a look back to the roots of my coven.

This is a great resource to any budding Wiccan out there, who'd like to take a closer look at some of the history surrounding our faith.

Rating:
Summary: Looking Back
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It was originally recommended to my by my mentor as a look back to the roots of my coven.

This is a great resource to any budding Wiccan out there, who'd like to take a closer look at some of the history surrounding our faith.

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Summary: A Great Book That Is A Must!
Review: Look into the eyes of Mr. Farrar and see how moderen witchcraft was in the Alexandrian tradition (before he discovered Alex's lies). In the book you can see how a moderen coven is working. Mr. Farrar lets all the readers know what truly happened after every chapter and tells the readers what witches truly do through his eyes. This book is well worth the money and time.

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Summary: a good book on the alexandrian trad
Review: this book covers alot of ground on the alexandrian tradition and alex and maxine sanders' coven. it talks about healing,magick,astral projection, and much more.

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Summary: What some witches did...
Review: This is an account of British traditionalist Wicca as it was practiced thirty to forty years ago; the 1983 revision is a fairly minor update to a book published in the 70s.

_What Witches Do_ is written predominantly in the first person plural -- "Here is how we do it... Here is what we believe" -- rather than in the second person; it's obviously a self-description rather than a how-to. It's a fairly in-depth presentation of the beliefs and practices of the Alexandrian tradition, and it's presented as information, not instruction.

However, many of the beliefs and practices here are specific to British traditionalist Wicca, which is very, very different from the eclectic and feminist traditions that have evolved in the years since this book was first published. It's almost as though a book on the theology and liturgy of the Russian Orthodox Church were published under the title _What Christians Do_.

That being said, I'd recommend this to folks who are curious about British traditions or about the portrayal of the Wiccan faith in the 70s -- and I'd recommend it to folks who are looking for the broadest possible picture of the Pagan community.

Rating:
Summary: British Traditional Wicca
Review: This is the most comprehensive, detailed, and informative book I have ever read and will probably ever read about the British Tradional Wiccan traditons of Wicca. I would guess this will be the most anyone who reads this book will ever know about these oathbound traditions short of joining a British Traditional Coven themselves.

Rating:
Summary: British Traditional Wicca
Review: This is the most comprehensive, detailed, and informative book I have ever read and will probably ever read about the British Tradional Wiccan traditons of Wicca. I would guess this will be the most anyone who reads this book will ever know about these oathbound traditions short of joining a British Traditional Coven themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Introduction
Review: This was one of the first books to accurately show how Traditional Wicca operates. Farrar, at the time, was an Alexandrian initiate. While admittedly the work of a stary-eyed newbie initiate who believed Alex Sanders was almost perfect (something many of us downline from Sanders have learned wasn't the case. Alex was brilliant, talented, and flawed), it gives one a good view of the feel of structured Traditional Wicca. Even today, 30 plus years later, it's still a good intro, and much better than much of the eclectic ... put out by Llewellyn. If after reading this you're intrigued by how Wicca is portrayed, then you should look into British Traditional Wicca, i.e. Alexandrian or Gardnerian Wicca.