Be A Teen Goddess!; Francesca deGrandis

www.weavings.co.uk

The moon right now

Review by Wyldwytch

Synopsis: Being a teen is tough, and it's even tougher if you find yourself marching to a different beat, especially if that beat is the belief of Wicca. No matter where you are on the journey to Wicca, this warm, wise and friendly guide will help you discover the goddess already within you. Be A Teen Goddess is the best guide in the world to experience the power of magic.

This is a teen instalment of deGrandis’ several popular books available. I will be honest and upfront with you, Francesca is a friend of mine and I have over the years seen her churn out some delightful reads for the Pagan public. This book was her first attempt at really nailing it to a teen audience, and she did a great job. She put a great deal of effort into this work and trying to tackle hard-hitting issues, while providing resources for teens to get the help and information they need, all while trying to convey the Wiccan philosophy – that’s a tall order to stand up to, lets see how she did.

I think the word philosophy in the above paragraph is key, this book is one on Wiccan philosophy. It does provide you with some common practices, spells, and rituals you can do, but I walked away from it with a less informative more self-assured feeling. What do I mean? Ok, say you wanted to read a book on Wicca, one might look for facts, history, and standardized practices – deGrandis does not offer you those, and that is in accordance with her other works, she teaches you her views on Wicca more as a way of life. A live, then learn – a different method of teaching then most are used to, perhaps why she is so appealing to the general masses, she makes you pick up on it as you live it. This being said it could hinder some teens development, it may not initially answer all of your questions.

The book does provide many topics which have been left out in other books of the same genre, you find sexuality, abuse, and lessons on life running through the book – all of which are of extreme importance to the developing teen, yet are left out for their off-limits material.

The nitty gritty – the spells! Everyone wants a spell that will solve all their problems, trust me teens you aren’t alone. The book offers a wonderful resource for self improvement spells, how to perform them, and how to practice at them – most importantly it also conveys the necessity of responsible and ethical practice. Most of her spells are great daily affirmations that can be found in self-help books, she really drives it home that you should love yourself, and that’s key with Teens (and everyone for that matter).

Lets wrap it up, would I recommend this book? Yes, in company of another. I enjoyed her writing style (people who have never read her before may think she is trying to talk to “hip” but I assure you, this is her style), I enjoyed the lessons and self-love she encouraged, and I think her ways of daily practice and affirmations are outstanding. So why do I recommend reading this with another book, because I think this title would stand better with another similar one that offers a more fact-base for the reader. A teen new to the religion may have general questions that frankly, need general answers, which you cannot find here. Francesca has provided a great second-step book for Teens interested in Wicca, one that can really let them get their feet wet with a daily practice. My suggestion: read this as book number two.