The Heart of Wicca: Wise Words from a Crone on the Path

Rating:
Summary: Timeless Wisdom for Beginner and Elder
Review: "The Heart of Wicca" is one of those little books that takes a very wide and diverse topic and sums it up in a very few words. Ellen Cannon Reed's last volume is perhaps her best. She is now gone from this plane, and her passing was something of a shock to those of us who had the privilege of meeting her. Before passing from this life she left us with her wisdom of the Wiccan path that she had learned through years of hard work, years of dedication to her religion and spiritual path, and years of helping others to find the true Heart of Wicca. In Heart of Wicca, Ellen talked about what it means to follow an initiatory mystery path, rather than just another religion. She explains why coven study is so important to those who sincerely want to follow in her footsteps and be initiated into the mysteries of Wicca. Sure, she says, you can learn it by yourself, but very few manage to do so. The initiation comes from the Gods, not from the elders who help you to find your way. The mystery is that which can not be explained but must be experienced for yourself, and few will find it without a guide. In a few pages Ellen explains what Wicca is and why it is so powerful to those who are initiates. We now recommend Heart of Wicca to everyone who wants to follow a Wiccan path, but doesn't know where to begin, or how to filter out all the many "how to" books now on the market. She writes about covens, about teachers, about religion, about mysteries, about magick, about students, about initiation, and about Wicca. She tells beginners what they need to know to start on the path, and she explains to Wiccan Elders how to think about teaching the beginners. Ellen's wisdom is timeless, and we are grateful for this book of Crone's wisdom that she left for us.

Rating:
Summary: Words of Wisdom from one of our Elders
Review: For those who know Ellen Cannon Reed, she is the author of "The Witches Qabala" and "The Witches Tarot". She has also done a book on pagan music.

For those who really know Ellen Cannon Reed, they have learned that she is a fiercely Traditional Wiccan and and a die hard traditionalist at that. That is why she is so valuable to the community at large. She keeps the flame of the original, unwatered down Wicca for all to see.

Her book, "The Heart of Wicca" attempts to explain why she is such a Traditionalist, explores Traditional Wicca and shows the pure roots of the original foundation of Wicca. She looks at initiation, symbology, Deities and all the other elements that comprise Wicca.

The Wicca Ms. Reed practices is not for everyone, and this book does explain why. Ms. Reed brings up very valid points worth reading and exploring.

Her call for standardized initiations is probably her best suggestion. Initiation used to be something to be proud of. However this, sadly, is not the case anymore. Ms. Reed approaches the subject with intelligence and presents her facts accordingly.

She also makes a good argument that all who choose the Wiccan Path should spend some time in a Coven, learning the basics of Wicca. If you are going to do something, do it right.

If you want to see where we came from, create a good solid foundation in your own life and learn this from someone who knows her business well then this book makes a great starting point.

Ms. Reed is a good teacher, with a solid, no nonsense background. And though not all will agree with everything she says within her book, she does give you a good background of what Traditional Wicca is. Understanding leads to tolerance and that is something that we all need within this diverse community known as Paganism.

Rating:
Summary: Informative
Review: Wicca is an initiatory mystery tradition founded in the South of England by Gerald Gardener in the 1950s. Because there are so many other kinds of what is often called Wicca (but which are really forms of Neo-Paganism based on Wicca) in the United States today, the original Wicca is now known as "British Traditional Wicca" in this country. There is no other kind of Wicca that is recognized in the UK.
There are various opinions on what Wicca is and what it is not in the United States, but one thing is clear: Many people who are not British Traditional Wicca (and some who claim they are) and who lead various covens and study groups in either country are in it for: 1) the money, and/or 2) the ego boost they get out of it. Beware of these people: Very often they have no idea of what they are teaching, and sometimes they do not care. Also remember that anyone who charges money for training is not truly BTW.
Ellen Cannon Reed takes the mystery out of what Wicca really is (and while she is not British Traditional, she is Traditional) and puts it out there for all of us see. If you are really interested in Wicca as a path (not just in Neo-Paganism in general), then you may want to read this book.