An excellent starting point for an interested soul (WICCA: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner - Scott Cunningham)

Member Name: loulou6

Product:	WICCA: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner - Scott Cunningham
Date:	28/09/01 (171 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It’s a gentle guide to Wicca.

Disadvantages: a lot was written for women.

This book is a great introduction into the world of Wicca or for someone who is looking for an alternative religion. It gives clear information of the craft without being too condescending, including Sabbat and Esbat rituals, Rune Magick, chants and invocations and it even has herbal information.

It’s written in a way that explains Wicca in depth and lets you draw your own conclusions about the way thousands of people in the present day deal with the day to day running of their lives, or to put it more succinctly - Witchcraft (yuk, I do dislike that word). It breaks the tradition of other ‘Wicca Way’ books, but it points out that there is no set way of doing things and that it’s different for each person.

It points you in the right direction and gives you the confidence to adapt things as you see fit (or can afford). It leaves you feeling inspired and with a feeling that you can change your life for the better, (or if you don’t want to become a Wiccan how to be a bit nicer to the planet) - I know I’m an old hippy, but hey, each to their own?

For people who know a little about Wicca might find the first couple of chapters a little unnecessary, but they’re still worth reading, you never know what extra information you might gain. It’s definitely a ‘bare bones’ book, but it does encourage you to delve deeper for information, giving the titles of other books to investigate. It also allows you to bring your own inspiration into chants and rituals, something that others don’t.

I recommend reading as many Wicca and pagan books as possible (including the sequel to this book ‘Living Wicca - A further guide for the solitary practitioner‘ and ‘A Witch Alone by Marian Green‘) for the solitary or ‘Hedge witch’. But this is certainly an essential for all beginners.

Summary: