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Wiccan Mysteries: Ancient Origins and Teachings (Paperback)

by Raven Grimassi (Author) "We cannot consider the Wiccan Mysteries without looking to the Celts, and to the Druids of the British Isles ..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Llewellyn Publications,U.S. (31 Aug 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1567182542
  • ISBN-13: 978-1567182545
  • Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 14.7 x 2.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 639,707 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

From the Author

An Alternative View
I was greatly honored in 1998 to have the Wiccan Mysteries receive two awards from the Coalition of Visionary Retailers at the New Age Convention in Denver. Here the book received "Best Spirituality Book" and "Book of the Year".

My purpose in writing the Wiccan Mysteries was to present various aspects of ancient pre-Christian religion that also appear in modern Wiccan beliefs and practices. The book also traces various common elements of the ancient mystery religions of Egypt, Greece and Rome, and their influence throughout Europe.

It is my personal belief that the ancient Mystery Cults of Old Europe influenced pre-Christian religion throughout continental Europe and much of the British Isles. Wicca, whether one considers it ancient or entirely modern, houses the essential elements of the ancient Mystery Tradition itself.

Historical examples of such Mystery Traditions include the cult of Dionysos in ancient Greece, the rites of Eleusis centered around Demeter and Persephone, the cult of Mithras and many others. The Mystery Tradition itself focuses largely on spiritual transformation and employs metaphorical relationships between the human experience and planting, harvesting, and the brewing of grain.

In the Wiccan Mysteries book, I have drawn largely upon the works of Joseph Campbell, Carlo Ginzburg, and Marija Gimbutas for the modern interpretation of mythology, paganism, and human spirituality. As a balance the book also draws upon the writings of ancient historians such as Hesiod, Homer, Diodorus, Polybius, Strabo and others. Added to this is my own experience as a practitioner of the Old Religion for over 25 years.

Unfortunately some reviewers have elected to focus on my book as a presentation of questionable history. In doing so they have missed what is most important in the work itself: the Wiccan Mysteries is a work focusing on the spirituality of modern Wicca, as well as an overview of its beliefs and practices.

Wiccan Mysteries also contains separate chapters on Women's Mysteries and Men's Mysteries from ancient to modern times. Essentially the Wiccan Mysteries is a book about ancient wisdom and how modern Wicca employs it as a viable and vital tool for personal spiritual evolution in modern times.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
We cannot consider the Wiccan Mysteries without looking to the Celts, and to the Druids of the British Isles. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great work on spiritual legacy of Wicca, 15 Dec 1999
By A Customer
This is a book on the history and spiritual legacy of ancient pre-Christian religions and their impact on the evolution towards modern Wicca. It is written from the perspective of a long practicing Witch and artfully presents a fascinating micro-history. Modern scholars draw their conclusions concerning Witchcraft largely from material contained in trial transcripts and from writings by various monks and other Church agents who wrote about demonology and satanic worship. The problem with this "official" history of Witchcraft is that few if any people convicted of Witchcraft were actually witches. Therefore the information extracted from them cannot realistically be viewed as representative of the beliefs and practices of Witchcraft. And yet, this information is what scholars use to "prove" the non-existence of Witchcraft as having any credible relationship to the ways of modern Wicca.

As a contrast to the Judaic-Christian history of Witchcraft, Grimassi offers the views of those who actually practice the religion of Witchcraft. As Grimassi points out in the introduction he is an initiate of several Witchcraft traditions, and therefore draws from the common elements contained within all of them to reconstruct the tenets of the ancient Mystery Traditions that influenced the evolution of Witchcraft.

But the focus of this book is not on history, it's on the spiritual and religious beliefs in modern Wicca and the ancient concepts that contributed to them. A few reviewers here have expressed serious questions about many of Grimassi's historical references while at the same time complaining that Grimassi offers no historical support at all. This seems to reflect some personal agenda on their part rather than an authentic criticism of this author's work.

If you're genuinely interested in the magick, religion, and spirituality of modern Wiccans and Witches, then buy this book.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars A badly researched retelling of long-debunked pseudohistory, 23 Aug 1999
By A Customer
The Pagan community is hungry for sound and genuine historical scholarship, but this just isn't it.

Grimassi makes the claims that have been floating around the Pagan community for years, and none of them are documented. The historical works that show up on the extensive bibliography are mostly tertiary sources -- the sort of things readily accessible in public libraries to any high school student writing a term paper -- or sources mired in deep academic controversy.

Most of the "history" in this book is the Sacred History of Wicca -- the myth of ancient origins, long-hidden traditions, and Inquisitorial persecution. The problem is that it's not true.

There are a few good sources on the history of Pagan religion (Ronald Hutton's _Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles_ is a good book.

But this book simply rehashes stories that have no evidence behind them. That may be acceptable for theology, but history is a matter of facts, not faith.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book!!!, 23 Aug 1999
By A Customer
Buy this book, read it, and have a highlighter ready!! This is an excellent text, and it really helped me to understand the Mysteries.....Grimassi knows what he is talking about. Get this book!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Scholarship, at last!!
What I enjoyed most about this book is that Grimassi draws heavily upon University Press books, and the works of some of the most respected authors of our time. Read more
Published on 16 Jul 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars highly recommended
Although I rely on many different "how-to" books, this book is almost like a Bible to me. It doesn't present any tradition in particular, and tells you the history and... Read more
Published on 3 Jun 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book!
"Wiccan Mysteries" was a great book on the foundation and history of the Old Religion. I learned a lot about where Wicca originated from and the way our elders... Read more
Published on 8 April 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Masterpiece
This book is a classic in its field and one that will stand the test of time. Grimassi has artfully blended together the agricultural mysteries of paganism along with the... Read more
Published on 24 Feb 1999

2.0 out of 5 stars too bad detail doesn't mean quality
On the back of this book Raven Grimassi states that most of the information within this book has never been exposed to most practitioners. Hmmm... Read more
Published on 13 Feb 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for any Wiccan!
After reading "The Wiccan Mysteries", I walked away with more knowledge about Wicca then scores of other books COMBINED had been able to give me. Read more
Published on 11 Feb 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is not fluff
I must agree with the reviews I have read so far that this is one of the best books covering the real theology of Wicca. Read more
Published on 24 Jan 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholary Yet Readable! Buy With Confidence.
Raven Grimassi would be the first to say that Wicca has no established sacred writings. Yet she makes a bold contribution to the field with this fascinating view of the history... Read more
Published on 23 Jan 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars By far the best!!
I've read many books on Wicca and most I felt were rather shallow, this book goes into great detail about the Wiccan philosophy, this book by far the best I've read yet on the... Read more
Published on 18 Dec 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars Wiccan Mysteries wins Awards!!
It is curious to me that the publisher, Llewellyn, hasn't seen fit to advertise that this wonderous book, Wiccan Mysteries.. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 1998

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