Wicca: A Guide for the solitary practitioner; Scott Cunningham

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The moon right now

Review by Dream Weaver

Synposis: Wicca A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, and how to live magically, spiritually, and wholly attuned with Nature. It is a book of sense and common sense, not only about Magick, but about religion and one of the most critical issues of today: how to achieve the much needed and wholesome relationship with our Earth. Cunningham presents Wicca as it is today: a gentle, Earth-oriented religion dedicated to the Goddess and God.

I have only been walking the Pagan/Wiccan path for a few months. The first book I read was Wicca A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham. It provides you with a lot of information about the Sabbats, the wheel of the year, and some basic history on Wicca. He doesn't overwhelm you with so much information that you become intimidated by the whole concept. Cunningham acknowledges from the beginning that "his way" is not the "only" or "right" way, which is what many new practitioners are escaping from….so he provides a starting point for thinking for yourself - not as easy as you might think after years of brainwashing! He believes the way you practice Wicca is an individual and personal decision. Although he provides step by step instruction for rituals and spells and states that you can use them, he also encourages you to use them more as a guide or example to create your own. I especially liked the section on Self Dedication and the ritual he provided. It walks you through preparing yourself for the ritual, what tools you need, and how to do it. It is a simple ritual that is preformed outside, which really appealed to me. His Book of Shadows is also included in this book. It is loaded with good ideas, helpful hints and starting points for people who don't know where to begin. I like Cunningham because he provides a basic foundation without talking down to the reader. I would recommend this book to anyone new to the craft. I will use this book as a reference for years to come.