Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential for the beginner, 13 Feb 2002
By A Customer
The author of this book, Raymond Buckland, is much criticised in certain areas of the wiccan community. Quite why is not known, but there is a train of thought that suggests that he sold the craft secrets by writing in depth "how to's" way before most of today's wiccan authors decided there was lots of money to be made.Bitchcraft aside, Buckland's "Complete Book Of Witchcraft" is a title I recommend to all newcomers to the craft. Why? Firstly, instead of bogging the reader down with hundreds of pages of elaborate and complex theory, Buckland writes in a simplistic manner, encouraging the reader to actually start doing things rather than just reading about them. It is not an authoritative book, and you will not become an all-powerful witch by reading it. What you will get is a taste for wicca, and a basic knowledge of many of the rituals and magickal practices of the craft. When people set out on the wiccan path, the amount of books available is overwhelming. Wiccans are also not the most sociable people, and it is very difficult for newcomers to find covens or training. This book bypasses those frustrations, and the basic guides to the many craft interests should help newcomers decide on whether they wish to progress to further in-depth studies, and to find where they may have interests or talents. Recommended.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good reference book, but poorly titled... Complete? Bah!!, 1 Dec 2000
By A Customer
This book is neither the greatest book on Wicca, nor the worst. Every person interested in the Craft should read this at one point or another and judge for him/herself.At it's best, this book is a great practical reference. It touches on each subject any Witch should be knowledgeable in... a bit of our history, ritual structure, meditation techniques, color magic, different forms of divination, etc...At it's worst, it is dry, misleading, and frustrating to read. Some of the information is inaccurate... Mr. Buckland is neither a historian nor an herbalist, although he writes as if he were an authority on both of these subjects. The ritual scripts are rather cheesy, if I ever performed one I would feel compelled to use a melodramatic British accent.I do like the way it is set up in workbook form, but this only appeals to someone who is able to study this way. Someone who hates the structure of the classroom will hate this book.The sexist undertones are unignorable as is the lack of spirituality. I don't get the impression from this or any of Mr.Buckland's books that he's very Goddess oriented.If you are overwhelmed by the overabundance of knowledge at the beginning of your studies and need a source to get you started, this would be a great book to start with... (Just remember, if you find you are interested in any of the subjects touched upon DO MORE RESEARCH!!!! This book is NOT the authority on Witchcraft and should not be veiwed as such!) If, on the other hand, you are looking for a deeply spiritual and empowering book, save your money. Starhawk's The Spiral Dance would be a better choice for you.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy it - you wont be disappointed., 14 Jan 2002
This was the first "real" book on witchcraft that I ever bought, before I even knew that the Horned God had nothing to do with the Devil! I read the first lesson on the history of witchcraft, and suddenly all my scrambled beliefs and ideas slotted into place.It may be true that it wont have everything for everyone contained in its pages, but if you are wanting a good, thorough overview of basics in the Craft, this is what the book intends to do, and it does it!! Some people may expect spells etc, but that is not what this book is about. Witchcraft is about bulding on basics and creating your own unique way of working, that's why its called the "Craft of the Wise"! If you want spells, Titania Hardie writes excellent books stuffed with loads of spells for every occassion, and her book Enchanted takes you through the Witches Year, with a master ritual (and lots of variations) for every month. Ray Buckland is an excellent teacher in the Craft, and I am so grateful to him for sharing his vast knowledge with the rest of us. Thanks, Ray!
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