Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
A Controversial But Important Book, 12 Jan 2008
I would recommend this book to anyone without hesitation but some caution must be exuded when initially reading this book as the author does make many claims that come off as rather unfounded, and at worst elitist. Having said that I agreed with much of what the late Ellen Cannon Reed wrote about in 'The Heart of Wicca' in terms of preserving Wicca as an initiatory path. As far as I'm concerned everyone studying Wicca should read this book whether or not they emerge from the book having disagreed with much of it. Reed wrote with much passion and concern for the preservation of her path and it can come off as pompous to the reader; yet I find the devotion she had for her craft to be inspiring and rather refreshing given some other authors I have read. If you find yourself nodding away to this book as you read then quite possibly you will come away having bared witness to another fork in the road in terms of your spiritual path. Perhaps,you will then feel enthusiastic enough to reassess your path; I know I did, albeit for unusual reasons. My further contemplation of my spiritual journey was not born out of that which I agreed with in this book, but rather what I did not. Reed presents in this book a very basic guide to 'her' Wicca and it was not for me.
Equally, Reed said many things in the 'Heart of Wicca' that I felt were questionable and verging on the old somewhat fundy 'my way is the only true way'. You will have to decide for yourself what you agree or disagree with but I cannot tout this book enough -- in fact when you are done reading it pass it along to someone else who would find the content, good or bad, of interest.
One thing that did get my goat was Reed proclaiming that it didn't matter whether one believed in multiple deities or whether one believed in all the Pantheons as various aspects of a single God and Goddess, all fine and dandy so far. But then she rather hypocritically, goes onto to imply that believing in multiple deities as single beings unto themselves is actually the correct way and anyone who believes that these are just aspects of one God or Goddess have not sufficiently experienced them... and are therefore wrong to assume such an idea. I'm a hard Polytheist like Reed (I see the deities as separate beings) but I found this dogmatic approach tiring. I also disagreed with her views on The Rede (I'm one of those people she complains about who sees the Rede as a far too narrow concept to live by) and the Three Fold Law (which I think is rubbish). So as I said in the title, it's a controversial but significant piece that is not a Wicca handbook as such, but gives one an insight into a more formal coven based system. For me it opened my eyes a great deal and precipitated a small spiritual epiphany of sorts where I realized that a freer more Traditional form of Witchcraft (like that of Cochrane) with a slight Wiccan influence was indeed for me, and not what Ms Reed described in this book. For that I thank her! This book helped me to find my true path by showing me something I would never be comfortable with.
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6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
The Heart Of Wicca-Well worth it, 5 Oct 2001
By A Customer
"The Heart Of Wicca" is the ideal book for those who wish to further their Wiccan knowledge & skills. It reveals some interesting points & in doing so that makes it one of those books you can't put down & which you keep going back to time & time again. Handy hints & tips can be picked out along the way. A Must for any serious Wiccan!
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
One of my favorites, 27 Sep 2005
This is an wonderful book, one of the best on the market. I would recommend it without reservation.
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£8.44
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