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Wicca's Charm: Understanding the Spiritual Hunger Behind the Rise of Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality
How Wiccan Spirituality Is Filling a Spiritual Hunger in America
Hundreds of thousands of people practice Wicca and other forms of modern Pagan spirituality in America today, and journalist Catherine Edwards Sanders wanted to understand why such belief systems are rapidly attracting followers. When a routine magazine assignment led her to realize that her stereotype of Wiccans as eccentric spiritual outsiders was embarrassingly misinformed, her curiosity compelled her to understand the Wiccan mystique. With the support of a journalism fellowship, Sanders spent a year interviewing neo-Pagans and witches and found that the lure of this emerging spirituality was not the occult, but rather a search for meaning in an increasingly fragmented and materialistic culture.
With keen observation, challenging insight, and compassionate critique, Sanders produces a lively narrative about what she experienced and discovered during her Halloween rituals in Salem, anti-globalization protests in New York, and the contrasts between what seekers find in neo-Paganism that they perceive as lacking in Christian tradition. In Wicca’s Charm, Sanders explains the powerful attraction of an increasingly mainstream spirituality that celebrates the wonder of creation and the life-giving energy of women while also exploring why Christian churches often fail to engage these seekers, but how they can learn to tap into the deep roots of Christianity to nourish the hunger of so many who seek a holistic and authentic worship experience.
Hundreds of thousands of people practice Wicca and other forms of modern Pagan spirituality in America today, and journalist Catherine Edwards Sanders wanted to understand why such belief systems are rapidly attracting followers. When a routine magazine assignment led her to realize that her stereotype of Wiccans as eccentric spiritual outsiders was embarrassingly misinformed, her curiosity compelled her to understand the Wiccan mystique. With the support of a journalism fellowship, Sanders spent a year interviewing neo-Pagans and witches and found that the lure of this emerging spirituality was not the occult, but rather a search for meaning in an increasingly fragmented and materialistic culture.
With keen observation, challenging insight, and compassionate critique, Sanders produces a lively narrative about what she experienced and discovered during her Halloween rituals in Salem, anti-globalization protests in New York, and the contrasts between what seekers find in neo-Paganism that they perceive as lacking in Christian tradition. In Wicca’s Charm, Sanders explains the powerful attraction of an increasingly mainstream spirituality that celebrates the wonder of creation and the life-giving energy of women while also exploring why Christian churches often fail to engage these seekers, but how they can learn to tap into the deep roots of Christianity to nourish the hunger of so many who seek a holistic and authentic worship experience.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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April 8, 2016
I picked up Catherine Sanders’s book Wicca’s Charm when I saw the subtitle, Understanding the Spiritual Hunger Behind the Rise of Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality. That’s an interesting line of inquiry! And when I opened it, I was bolstered by the fact that there were footnotes and what appeared to be actual research done. However, I was dismayed when I actually began reading.
Sanders should have begun her book with this: “This background may be of help to you as you look for a way to respond to a Wiccan friend or as you compare Wiccan and Christianity for yourself” (78). Because that’s what this book is. It isn’t an unbiased account of Wicca. It’s not even an editorial into why Wicca is popular. It’s not well-researched, or thoughtful, or anything other than a missionary’s pamphlet dressed up with footnotes. What Sanders has written is for precisely those two audiences: questioning teens and Christians looking to convert their poor, misguided friends. Fine. If she wanted to write that book, she can. But dressing it up as supposedly some neutral look into Wicca and hiding her true purpose (you’ll note that quote comes from page 78) is deceitful and misleading. It would be like writing a book called, Gay and Confused? The Teens Guide to Coming Out and Being Your True Self and then filling it with all the ways that being gay is sinful and wrong. Her tone is supposedly neutral, but she manages to be offensive, patronizing, and downright idiotic at points – and I consider myself to be Christian. The important part, however, is that I consider myself to be a Christian with critical thinking skills rather than just agreeing with everything said by someone I align myself with.
She argues that Christians should be understanding and reach out to Wiccans and try to understand where they’re coming from, but then is so offensive and patronizing, that I question her idea of “understanding”. Telling someone, “I know you’re questioning and searching for something, but this stuff is idiotic,” is not understanding. It’s not going to convert anyone. It’s going to turn them even more away from you. So even for one of her target audience, she does a terrible job. I guess she can make the other group feel better about themselves, however, and pat themselves on the back for both being able to condemn someone else and label themselves as understanding. Win-win!
Her patronizing demeanor is especially ironic considering she herself quotes Christian author John Stott when he says that Christians “cannot sweep away all… cherished convictions with a brash, unfeeling dismissal” (128). And yet, that’s what Sanders does continually.
She talks about how women are drawn to Wicca because of their feminism and discusses the rise of feminism coffee klatches, where women could talk about their opinions without interruption or criticism, then immediately says, “Christians who believed in the supernatural and might have had some interesting things to share with these women about grace and the power of God’s love largely steered clear of such feminist gatherings” (52). She says that, “…without knowing it, the gospel message is what Margot Adler longed for as she clutched the microphone in Seattle” (94). How would Sanders feel, I wonder, if I said that this book – without her knowing it – was a deep-seated longing for Wicca and a religion which doesn’t disenfranchise her to the point that she has to justify it and ignore the parts she doesn’t like in order to convince herself it’s real? I imagine she would be angered by how dismissive I was at her cherished convictions. Yet this book echoes over and over again that these women are poor, misled people who just need to hear God’s Word to be saved.
I joked in a progress update on GoodReads that reading this book was turning into a “spot the logical fallacy” game, but it wasn’t really a joke. On page 69, Sanders notes a “maidening” ceremony wherein a seventeen-year-old girl was whipped by members of a coven. Though she does admit that “All maidening ceremonies are different, and not all involve whipping”, the implication is clear: How barbaric! How horrific! Look at these backwards Wiccans and their child-abuse ways!
I would argue that the Wiccans/neo-Pagans who whip their own daughters in such a ceremony are very much the exception, rather than the rule – most of the Wiccans I know would be horrified even to learn that such a thing exists. Sanders here creates the classic strawman argument: putting an average, everyday Christian against a fundamentalist Wiccan and finding fault. I wonder how the comparison would go if she put an average, everyday Wiccan against a fundamentalist Christian. I doubt the Christian would fare well in the comparison.
Sanders has a bad habit of making very good points, then destroying them with her own commentary. She argues that women feel marginalized and disenfranchised within modern Christianity, which I agree with. Unfortunately, she then destroys her good points by adding her own commentary. On the whipping, she comments that, “some covens would go so far as to whip participants to mark life’s passage shows how desperate many women are to be noticed” (70). She also brings up the point that not just the church, but advertising has led to women feeling objectified and marginalized. She repeatedly, however, notes that women are responsible for this. I agree with that – women have had a part in contributing to their own disenfranchisement. However, the sheer number of times she reiterates and emphasizes this point points to an almost internalized misogyny. She notes that, “Women’s bodies are often treated only as eye candy for men, and women are complicit in much of this” (81) and “Women are right to mourn over this mistreatment. This type of patriarchal behavior is sinful. We cannot blame only the men, however, as such behavior has been encouraged by women, too(66), emphasis mine.
But Sanders critiques Wiccans for not holding themselves up to the same standards they hold other religions (and, let’s be honest, this isn’t a failing of Wiccans, or Christians, but a basic human one). Adler, a prominent Wiccan discussed in the book, “….was typical of other neo-Pagans I met who could hold monotheistic religions to a standard of truth when they displayed no concern for truth in their own spirituality” (72). Really? For fun, let’s apply Sanders own idea of truth – as she applies it to Wiccans in her book – to Christianity. For instance, she claims that she finds “the fallen, sinful human condition, which leads to the cultural objectification of women, seemed to be the real culprit rather than the message of the gospel” (80). She claims that the Bible condemns rape and incest – which it does, in a sense. But clearly she doesn’t know her own gospel as well as she thinks she does.
Deuteronomy 22:25:
“But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:
But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter” (Deut. 22:25-26).
That’s pretty progressive, right?
But let’s read on:
“If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found:
Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shek’-els of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days” (Deut. 22:27-29).
Or, a few chapters later in Deuteronomy 25, we see that if a woman’s husband dies and they have no children, then “her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her” (Deut. 25:5).
Finally, she claims that the patriarchal culture of Christianity, where “women over the years have been taught to take a backseat to the men, to get their self-worth from their husbands alone, to give boys the best of life’s opportunities” is a “type of patriarchal behavior [that] is sinful” (66). No, it’s not. It’s taught in that same Bible that Sanders is using to condemn Wicca with. Open that Bible up and read a little. Just a few chapters, say just until Genesis 3:16: “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, he shall rule over thee” (Gen. 3:16). Or there’s all the times that women should submit themselves to their husbands, as in Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:4-5, and I Peter 3:1. I could name more, but I think it’s fairly obvious that this isn’t the product of a sinful culture… this is the product of what the Bible teaches. Women should be seen and not heard. Women should subject and submit themselves to their husbands. Saying that women turn to Wicca because they feel disenfranchised within the mainstream Christian religion is fine, but to claim that they shouldn’t feel is idiotic. If Sanders truly believes that women should submit themselves to the men, then fine. She has that right. But if she wants to claim that Christianity doesn’t teach that, then she’s picking and choosing what she wants to from Christianity.
And if you don’t believe me, see the chapter “Jesus’s Unusual Treatment of Women”. Here she claims that, “In Athens, women were usually forced to marry either before or at puberty, and they received little or no education” (87). I wonder what she thinks ancient Christians did, because that was common throughout the ancient world. Yes, even Christians. Oh, and Christians “condemned divorce” and “rejected the double standard that allowed men more sexual license than women” (87). Condemning divorce isn’t always a good thing. In fact, back in the ancient days, it was very much a bad thing. It meant that women were often trapped in abusive or awful marriages and unable to get out of them through any means but death. Full disclosure, I was a Classics student in college – if she thinks that Stark was right when he wrote that “Christian women enjoyed substantially higher status within the Christian subculture than pagan women did in the world at large” (87), she’s crazy. But again, she dismisses Christian sexism as “the gospel message has been distorted over the years” (87). Again, read above. No, it hasn’t. If anything, it’s gotten better because people don’t ascribe to the worst of it.
She even holds up a woman named Catherine of Siena as a show that Jesus “liberates women” (88) and says that Catherine “founded a monastery at age thirty and devoted her life to peacemaking and preaching” (89). Good for her, but she’s in direct contradiction to the Bible: “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church” (I Corinth. 14:34-36). Or I Timothy, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (I Tim. 2:12). You don’t get to pick Mother Theresa to show how great Islam is, so you don’t get to use a woman’s accomplishments to show how progressive Christianity was when the Bible directly told her not to do those things.
Later, she even argues that the Indian practice of sati (a widow throwing herself onto the pyre of her husband) was directly linked to their religion. “Because of the pantheistic worldview of the goddess-worship culture, the Indians saw nothing wrong with this – the woman was no more important than an inanimate object” (85). Okay, so in Christianity, that same sexism is not because of the Bible – even though, yes, as I believe I’ve demonstrated, it’s clearly there – but because of the culture. But in Indian religion(s), sexism is directly related to their faith and not the culture. How about those double-standards now, Sanders?
Obviously most Christians don’t believe – or at least don’t practice – these laws anymore, but since Sanders is so concerned with truth in the Wiccan faith, I only thought it fair that Christianity be examined with the same standards that she holds to Wicca. Physician Sanders, heal thyself.
Sanders brings up some good points, which is what makes this book especially infuriating. There is a very fine line to walk when investigating an inquiry of this kind: one must identify the sources while withholding judgment on the results. Sanders (correctly, I think) identifies the lack of care about the Earth and nature, the disenfranchisement of women in mainstream Christianity, the need for ritual and the occult, and a desire for spirituality as the main reasons that people turn to Wicca. And if she had stopped there, I think this could have been a fascinating book. Instead, she chooses to use those results and point out that these could all be solved if they just understood that Christianity encompasses all those things – even though it clearly doesn’t.
If you’re a person questioning their religion and seeking answers, don’t pick up this book. Pick up books on Eastern religions and Christianity (I especially recommend Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis) and Wicca and think for yourself to decide what you believe. Don’t rely on someone else – Sanders, in this case – telling you you’re wrong and what you should believe.
If you’re a Christian with Wiccan friends, don’t pick up this book. Talk to them. Try to understand them. And admit that maybe you don’t have the right answer, or that the church isn’t perfect. If you listen to Sanders and her sanctimonious tone, you’ll only wind up driving them further away.
If you’re looking for a well-reasoned, neutral, unbiased book that explores an intriguing line of thought, don’t pick up this book. It’s not any of those things. It’s a thinly veiled proselytization written by a sanctimonious woman who wanted to write a missionary pamphlet that people would actually read (mistakenly).
If you’re a Christian who likes to pick and choose what you believe, condemn others without looking at yourself first, and likes feeling good about themselves by telling other people to go to hell, then sure, pick up this book. It should be right up your alley.
Sanders should have begun her book with this: “This background may be of help to you as you look for a way to respond to a Wiccan friend or as you compare Wiccan and Christianity for yourself” (78). Because that’s what this book is. It isn’t an unbiased account of Wicca. It’s not even an editorial into why Wicca is popular. It’s not well-researched, or thoughtful, or anything other than a missionary’s pamphlet dressed up with footnotes. What Sanders has written is for precisely those two audiences: questioning teens and Christians looking to convert their poor, misguided friends. Fine. If she wanted to write that book, she can. But dressing it up as supposedly some neutral look into Wicca and hiding her true purpose (you’ll note that quote comes from page 78) is deceitful and misleading. It would be like writing a book called, Gay and Confused? The Teens Guide to Coming Out and Being Your True Self and then filling it with all the ways that being gay is sinful and wrong. Her tone is supposedly neutral, but she manages to be offensive, patronizing, and downright idiotic at points – and I consider myself to be Christian. The important part, however, is that I consider myself to be a Christian with critical thinking skills rather than just agreeing with everything said by someone I align myself with.
She argues that Christians should be understanding and reach out to Wiccans and try to understand where they’re coming from, but then is so offensive and patronizing, that I question her idea of “understanding”. Telling someone, “I know you’re questioning and searching for something, but this stuff is idiotic,” is not understanding. It’s not going to convert anyone. It’s going to turn them even more away from you. So even for one of her target audience, she does a terrible job. I guess she can make the other group feel better about themselves, however, and pat themselves on the back for both being able to condemn someone else and label themselves as understanding. Win-win!
Her patronizing demeanor is especially ironic considering she herself quotes Christian author John Stott when he says that Christians “cannot sweep away all… cherished convictions with a brash, unfeeling dismissal” (128). And yet, that’s what Sanders does continually.
She talks about how women are drawn to Wicca because of their feminism and discusses the rise of feminism coffee klatches, where women could talk about their opinions without interruption or criticism, then immediately says, “Christians who believed in the supernatural and might have had some interesting things to share with these women about grace and the power of God’s love largely steered clear of such feminist gatherings” (52). She says that, “…without knowing it, the gospel message is what Margot Adler longed for as she clutched the microphone in Seattle” (94). How would Sanders feel, I wonder, if I said that this book – without her knowing it – was a deep-seated longing for Wicca and a religion which doesn’t disenfranchise her to the point that she has to justify it and ignore the parts she doesn’t like in order to convince herself it’s real? I imagine she would be angered by how dismissive I was at her cherished convictions. Yet this book echoes over and over again that these women are poor, misled people who just need to hear God’s Word to be saved.
I joked in a progress update on GoodReads that reading this book was turning into a “spot the logical fallacy” game, but it wasn’t really a joke. On page 69, Sanders notes a “maidening” ceremony wherein a seventeen-year-old girl was whipped by members of a coven. Though she does admit that “All maidening ceremonies are different, and not all involve whipping”, the implication is clear: How barbaric! How horrific! Look at these backwards Wiccans and their child-abuse ways!
I would argue that the Wiccans/neo-Pagans who whip their own daughters in such a ceremony are very much the exception, rather than the rule – most of the Wiccans I know would be horrified even to learn that such a thing exists. Sanders here creates the classic strawman argument: putting an average, everyday Christian against a fundamentalist Wiccan and finding fault. I wonder how the comparison would go if she put an average, everyday Wiccan against a fundamentalist Christian. I doubt the Christian would fare well in the comparison.
Sanders has a bad habit of making very good points, then destroying them with her own commentary. She argues that women feel marginalized and disenfranchised within modern Christianity, which I agree with. Unfortunately, she then destroys her good points by adding her own commentary. On the whipping, she comments that, “some covens would go so far as to whip participants to mark life’s passage shows how desperate many women are to be noticed” (70). She also brings up the point that not just the church, but advertising has led to women feeling objectified and marginalized. She repeatedly, however, notes that women are responsible for this. I agree with that – women have had a part in contributing to their own disenfranchisement. However, the sheer number of times she reiterates and emphasizes this point points to an almost internalized misogyny. She notes that, “Women’s bodies are often treated only as eye candy for men, and women are complicit in much of this” (81) and “Women are right to mourn over this mistreatment. This type of patriarchal behavior is sinful. We cannot blame only the men, however, as such behavior has been encouraged by women, too(66), emphasis mine.
But Sanders critiques Wiccans for not holding themselves up to the same standards they hold other religions (and, let’s be honest, this isn’t a failing of Wiccans, or Christians, but a basic human one). Adler, a prominent Wiccan discussed in the book, “….was typical of other neo-Pagans I met who could hold monotheistic religions to a standard of truth when they displayed no concern for truth in their own spirituality” (72). Really? For fun, let’s apply Sanders own idea of truth – as she applies it to Wiccans in her book – to Christianity. For instance, she claims that she finds “the fallen, sinful human condition, which leads to the cultural objectification of women, seemed to be the real culprit rather than the message of the gospel” (80). She claims that the Bible condemns rape and incest – which it does, in a sense. But clearly she doesn’t know her own gospel as well as she thinks she does.
Deuteronomy 22:25:
“But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:
But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter” (Deut. 22:25-26).
That’s pretty progressive, right?
But let’s read on:
“If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found:
Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shek’-els of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days” (Deut. 22:27-29).
Or, a few chapters later in Deuteronomy 25, we see that if a woman’s husband dies and they have no children, then “her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her” (Deut. 25:5).
Finally, she claims that the patriarchal culture of Christianity, where “women over the years have been taught to take a backseat to the men, to get their self-worth from their husbands alone, to give boys the best of life’s opportunities” is a “type of patriarchal behavior [that] is sinful” (66). No, it’s not. It’s taught in that same Bible that Sanders is using to condemn Wicca with. Open that Bible up and read a little. Just a few chapters, say just until Genesis 3:16: “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, he shall rule over thee” (Gen. 3:16). Or there’s all the times that women should submit themselves to their husbands, as in Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:4-5, and I Peter 3:1. I could name more, but I think it’s fairly obvious that this isn’t the product of a sinful culture… this is the product of what the Bible teaches. Women should be seen and not heard. Women should subject and submit themselves to their husbands. Saying that women turn to Wicca because they feel disenfranchised within the mainstream Christian religion is fine, but to claim that they shouldn’t feel is idiotic. If Sanders truly believes that women should submit themselves to the men, then fine. She has that right. But if she wants to claim that Christianity doesn’t teach that, then she’s picking and choosing what she wants to from Christianity.
And if you don’t believe me, see the chapter “Jesus’s Unusual Treatment of Women”. Here she claims that, “In Athens, women were usually forced to marry either before or at puberty, and they received little or no education” (87). I wonder what she thinks ancient Christians did, because that was common throughout the ancient world. Yes, even Christians. Oh, and Christians “condemned divorce” and “rejected the double standard that allowed men more sexual license than women” (87). Condemning divorce isn’t always a good thing. In fact, back in the ancient days, it was very much a bad thing. It meant that women were often trapped in abusive or awful marriages and unable to get out of them through any means but death. Full disclosure, I was a Classics student in college – if she thinks that Stark was right when he wrote that “Christian women enjoyed substantially higher status within the Christian subculture than pagan women did in the world at large” (87), she’s crazy. But again, she dismisses Christian sexism as “the gospel message has been distorted over the years” (87). Again, read above. No, it hasn’t. If anything, it’s gotten better because people don’t ascribe to the worst of it.
She even holds up a woman named Catherine of Siena as a show that Jesus “liberates women” (88) and says that Catherine “founded a monastery at age thirty and devoted her life to peacemaking and preaching” (89). Good for her, but she’s in direct contradiction to the Bible: “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church” (I Corinth. 14:34-36). Or I Timothy, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (I Tim. 2:12). You don’t get to pick Mother Theresa to show how great Islam is, so you don’t get to use a woman’s accomplishments to show how progressive Christianity was when the Bible directly told her not to do those things.
Later, she even argues that the Indian practice of sati (a widow throwing herself onto the pyre of her husband) was directly linked to their religion. “Because of the pantheistic worldview of the goddess-worship culture, the Indians saw nothing wrong with this – the woman was no more important than an inanimate object” (85). Okay, so in Christianity, that same sexism is not because of the Bible – even though, yes, as I believe I’ve demonstrated, it’s clearly there – but because of the culture. But in Indian religion(s), sexism is directly related to their faith and not the culture. How about those double-standards now, Sanders?
Obviously most Christians don’t believe – or at least don’t practice – these laws anymore, but since Sanders is so concerned with truth in the Wiccan faith, I only thought it fair that Christianity be examined with the same standards that she holds to Wicca. Physician Sanders, heal thyself.
Sanders brings up some good points, which is what makes this book especially infuriating. There is a very fine line to walk when investigating an inquiry of this kind: one must identify the sources while withholding judgment on the results. Sanders (correctly, I think) identifies the lack of care about the Earth and nature, the disenfranchisement of women in mainstream Christianity, the need for ritual and the occult, and a desire for spirituality as the main reasons that people turn to Wicca. And if she had stopped there, I think this could have been a fascinating book. Instead, she chooses to use those results and point out that these could all be solved if they just understood that Christianity encompasses all those things – even though it clearly doesn’t.
If you’re a person questioning their religion and seeking answers, don’t pick up this book. Pick up books on Eastern religions and Christianity (I especially recommend Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis) and Wicca and think for yourself to decide what you believe. Don’t rely on someone else – Sanders, in this case – telling you you’re wrong and what you should believe.
If you’re a Christian with Wiccan friends, don’t pick up this book. Talk to them. Try to understand them. And admit that maybe you don’t have the right answer, or that the church isn’t perfect. If you listen to Sanders and her sanctimonious tone, you’ll only wind up driving them further away.
If you’re looking for a well-reasoned, neutral, unbiased book that explores an intriguing line of thought, don’t pick up this book. It’s not any of those things. It’s a thinly veiled proselytization written by a sanctimonious woman who wanted to write a missionary pamphlet that people would actually read (mistakenly).
If you’re a Christian who likes to pick and choose what you believe, condemn others without looking at yourself first, and likes feeling good about themselves by telling other people to go to hell, then sure, pick up this book. It should be right up your alley.
April 11, 2017
Literally factually inaccurate in a provable way. Fails to actually engage with the issues the author herself cites as reasons people leave Christianity, despite claiming to do so. Seems to forget that people come to paganism from non-Christian backgrounds. Seems to forget non-Christian backgrounds exist. Does not realize paganism, Wicca, and witches are three different things. Poor research not just on modern neo-pagans and witches but on ancient ones and also her own religion. Is very condescending about the much-better-educated Margot Adler. Confuses modernity with Christianity, ignores long history of non-Western advanced peaceful civilizations.
Heavily not recommended unless you enjoy being angry first thing on your morning commute for a week.
Heavily not recommended unless you enjoy being angry first thing on your morning commute for a week.
March 7, 2022
I could not finish this book. The blurbs in the first page should have been the huge red flag that I wouldn’t enjoy it. I really did wanted to give it a fair shake to see a outsiders perspective. This felt more like someone painting in very broad strokes and over simplifying. I feel the author already had there mind made up and was just writing a book to sell. This seemed driven towards parents. I would not recommend this book.
I would recommend instead “Not in Kansas anymore: a curious tale of how magic is transforming America” by Christine Wicker over this.
I would recommend instead “Not in Kansas anymore: a curious tale of how magic is transforming America” by Christine Wicker over this.
August 26, 2008
Absolute crap. Poor scholarship, bad interviews, and bigotry.
January 17, 2015
A good look at wicca from a well rounded christian
I know that this is the kind of book for Christians that will give them a perspective not common among them. As a atheist and a scientist I give this book three stars for its voice,style and well roundness. I did not expect heavy Christian tones when I picked it up and was hoping for some feeling of true interest from the author. Sadly I felt as if she pitted the pagan believers. The view of the pagans seemed as though these people where 'lost' and those who turned to Christianity seemed 'saved'. For those reasons, a two star deduction. In defense of wicca, it may be new but so was christianity at one point. I can say I have studied both vigorously and found my love in science, technology and anthropology. Kudos to the book for its intent to change the view of witches, but it states that they obtain morality from Christianity not acknowledging that Christianity obtained it from Judaism who obtained it from years of trial and error. Sorry, but this fish won't bite.
I know that this is the kind of book for Christians that will give them a perspective not common among them. As a atheist and a scientist I give this book three stars for its voice,style and well roundness. I did not expect heavy Christian tones when I picked it up and was hoping for some feeling of true interest from the author. Sadly I felt as if she pitted the pagan believers. The view of the pagans seemed as though these people where 'lost' and those who turned to Christianity seemed 'saved'. For those reasons, a two star deduction. In defense of wicca, it may be new but so was christianity at one point. I can say I have studied both vigorously and found my love in science, technology and anthropology. Kudos to the book for its intent to change the view of witches, but it states that they obtain morality from Christianity not acknowledging that Christianity obtained it from Judaism who obtained it from years of trial and error. Sorry, but this fish won't bite.
June 25, 2011
This books was okay until I reached the part where the author was preaching why Christianity is the better of the religions. This book is supposed to be about the history of Wicca and why it has so much negative stigma in society and why people have converted to it, not say "Oh, well, because Christians are making a bad representation of the religion but that's not how the actual religion is, so come back." That is not how a person, regardless of whether or not they're writing a book should go. And they definately shouldn't start out on a neutral path through the book and then suddenly switch. It doesn't feel authentic or sympathetic to me, and this coming from a Christian. But I digress. Other than that, what I read was helpful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2008
I saw this book reviewed in Christianity Today, and thought it might be worth my time. Since I have friends who are Wiccans, this topic is nothing new to me. Even so, I was educated by Sanders’ work. She spends time studying Wicca and those who practice it by reading its literature, examining major themes, and interviews. It is a thoughtful, well-written journalistic work that happens to engage Wicca from a Christian perspective.
The most interesting thing about this book to me is that it is catalogued under “occult/witchcraft” rather than “Christian/inspirational” or whatever topic these sorts of books usually get. This in and of itself is a great step, being as the book could be found by people disillusioned with Christianity and looking to Wicca for fulfillment. Highly recommended for those who would like to dialogue with Wiccan friends, or for those who would seek to discover why Wicca is so successful in drawing people - especially women - away from Christianity.
The most interesting thing about this book to me is that it is catalogued under “occult/witchcraft” rather than “Christian/inspirational” or whatever topic these sorts of books usually get. This in and of itself is a great step, being as the book could be found by people disillusioned with Christianity and looking to Wicca for fulfillment. Highly recommended for those who would like to dialogue with Wiccan friends, or for those who would seek to discover why Wicca is so successful in drawing people - especially women - away from Christianity.
June 30, 2021
I was hoping this book would be an educational,
unbiased exploration between Christianity and Wicca. It saddens me that Sanders chose to write in a judgemental tone, especially when it seemed those who are a part of the neo-pagan community were so open to sharing their world with her. To her credit she does explore why Wicca would be more appealing to women while simultaneously acknowledging the churches failings in equality. This book had so much potential to tear down misconceptions about Christianity and Wicca but instead created a further divide.
unbiased exploration between Christianity and Wicca. It saddens me that Sanders chose to write in a judgemental tone, especially when it seemed those who are a part of the neo-pagan community were so open to sharing their world with her. To her credit she does explore why Wicca would be more appealing to women while simultaneously acknowledging the churches failings in equality. This book had so much potential to tear down misconceptions about Christianity and Wicca but instead created a further divide.
April 27, 2020
Personal rating: 5 stars
Objective rating: 3 stars
Averaged to: 4 stars
Previous comments and reviews reveal that this book is clearly divisive. I personally found it to be quite profound. Although it is of course not without its biases. Alas that inescapable deficiency of human thought - that we interpret the world around us through a lens shaped by our worldview. How boring might the world be otherwise, though?
While I believe that the author did not cover every aspect and do full justice to the topic matter - as in all honesty that would require a lifetime's work at least - for the purposes with which she set out to write this book I believe she achieved her goal and more. At least where a target audience of curious Christians is concerned.
Well-researched and sincerely written. This book does what many others fail to do and asks and ponders and reflects rather than simply lecturing. It asks not only 'what' but 'why' people are drawn to certain beliefs and ideas, and takes a self-critical look at the church to see where it falls short in these respects. Many of the topics that the author covered were issues that I have grappled and pondered with myself. Care and love for the environment, womanhood, motherhood, coming-of-age and the loss of the unborn. Topics which are often underplayed or entirely overlooked by churches and yet which are so very central to life and a full understanding of God and the gospel.
She ties up the book beautifully by highlighting the lives and ministries of Daniel and Paul and looking at a brief summary of what the church can and should do to better address some of the fundamental issues that neo-pagan and Wiccan spirituality are intrinsically concerned with.
Objective rating: 3 stars
Averaged to: 4 stars
Previous comments and reviews reveal that this book is clearly divisive. I personally found it to be quite profound. Although it is of course not without its biases. Alas that inescapable deficiency of human thought - that we interpret the world around us through a lens shaped by our worldview. How boring might the world be otherwise, though?
While I believe that the author did not cover every aspect and do full justice to the topic matter - as in all honesty that would require a lifetime's work at least - for the purposes with which she set out to write this book I believe she achieved her goal and more. At least where a target audience of curious Christians is concerned.
Well-researched and sincerely written. This book does what many others fail to do and asks and ponders and reflects rather than simply lecturing. It asks not only 'what' but 'why' people are drawn to certain beliefs and ideas, and takes a self-critical look at the church to see where it falls short in these respects. Many of the topics that the author covered were issues that I have grappled and pondered with myself. Care and love for the environment, womanhood, motherhood, coming-of-age and the loss of the unborn. Topics which are often underplayed or entirely overlooked by churches and yet which are so very central to life and a full understanding of God and the gospel.
She ties up the book beautifully by highlighting the lives and ministries of Daniel and Paul and looking at a brief summary of what the church can and should do to better address some of the fundamental issues that neo-pagan and Wiccan spirituality are intrinsically concerned with.
October 10, 2015
Honestly, I got the book because of the cover. It's simple, yet beautiful. It draws your attention to the circle, the gem, and then the title.
And this has been a topic I was interested in, don't get me wrong. This is a Christian journalist's account of her research into the particular rites and rituals - and does include that it can be done by individuals. So there's a community component and an individualistic component.
The book has 10 chapters, including What is Wicca? The individual chapters have particular focus, such as the dignity in womanhood, the rites and rituals that people search for, why high schoolers and college students may stop practicing something that isn't seen as authentic and go searching for something that is, and the desire to take care of this planet. The chapters indicate the lack of authenticity, the antagonism, and the elevation of one gender over the other as places where the institutional church (or the people, in authority or not, inside it) have not portrayed Jesus' love or example. Most, not all, of the accounts indicated a sympathy/empathy reaction from the author because she has seen the same problems in the church - as well as done as SMH to the antagonism shown to those outside the church.
I would like to have a Wiccan or Pagan perspective after reading the book to find out if the tone I felt reflected (understanding and empathy) is the same tone they feel reflected.
And this has been a topic I was interested in, don't get me wrong. This is a Christian journalist's account of her research into the particular rites and rituals - and does include that it can be done by individuals. So there's a community component and an individualistic component.
The book has 10 chapters, including What is Wicca? The individual chapters have particular focus, such as the dignity in womanhood, the rites and rituals that people search for, why high schoolers and college students may stop practicing something that isn't seen as authentic and go searching for something that is, and the desire to take care of this planet. The chapters indicate the lack of authenticity, the antagonism, and the elevation of one gender over the other as places where the institutional church (or the people, in authority or not, inside it) have not portrayed Jesus' love or example. Most, not all, of the accounts indicated a sympathy/empathy reaction from the author because she has seen the same problems in the church - as well as done as SMH to the antagonism shown to those outside the church.
I would like to have a Wiccan or Pagan perspective after reading the book to find out if the tone I felt reflected (understanding and empathy) is the same tone they feel reflected.
April 20, 2022
I read this for a research project where I was exploring a similar phenomenon to Sanders - what is it that is drawing people toward pagan religions? Do they offer more empowerment? While I found a few brief moments where she gave a second of validity to other people's experiences, it was always followed by explaining why they were wrong. I realize the irony in me feeling like her calling other people wrong is wrong...but honestly, I have stood in her shoes and it was that line in the sand preventing empathy that drew me away from a lot of the same beliefs she had.
September 7, 2014
I picked up this book thinking it would be an interesting conversation on why people are seeking other faiths (Wicca in particular). What I got instead was a book that explained a little about Wicca and a lot about how Jesus is the answer, skip Wicca, you obviously haven't tried hard enough at Christianity.
Skip this book.
Skip this book.
September 3, 2011
I'm not a Christian so I didn't agree with everything the author said but I think this book explains Wicca perfectly.Although it bothered me that the author ignores the pagan roots of Christianity.
September 5, 2020
I initially thought this book was an exploration of the history of paganism as a whole and why Wicca, a denomination of paganism, especially is growing. What a surprise to learn that this is yet another Christian who can't handle people not liking Jesus! I feel as though the author would get so close to understanding that there are much older and equally valid religions other than Judaism and Christianity, but she would pull herself away for fear of her world view changing. It is a frightening thing, to realize that the bible is a violent, hateful book about a man-god who could care less about others, who claims that he can make a sacrifice and yet demands payment in return (thereby ruining the meaning of sacrifice), who blames people for being exactly how he allegedly made them, who runs around calling himself a father, a male force, and is surprised that women (and men, I see ya'll even if Sanders doesn't) aren't interested in worshiping a lone, male entity.
A god is nothing without worshipers. Sanders came very close to realizing this is her book. She noted that many Wiccans left Christianity because of the practitioners, not Jesus. This is true to an extent, because a religion without participants is a dead one. However, there are many of us who dislike the character of Jesus/God and see him as an antagonist, instead of the hero. He is rather like Voldemort, with a nose, but with followers who call him lord, see as him as the next best thing since oxygen, and tolerate no negative talk against him. Sanders has ignored the score of verses in which Jesus, if he is truly God too, calls for murder, rape, abortion of fetuses (funny, given that Christians claim God is against abortion), family against family, women must serve their husbands and want to be ruled by men, throws fits at fruit trees not being in season when he wants them, doesn't denounce pedophilia, the deaths of homosexuals, genocide in the name of "taking the promised land", male genitalia mutilation without consent, slavery (and how hard to beat them), considering a woman's body unclean if it performs naturally (menstruation and childbirth, with birthing a girl the most unclean thing), the list goes on! Only a few times has he done something nice, like preventing someone from being stoned (the bad kind) to death. If he was a true liberator of the poor and outcast, he wouldn't claim to be the same god who wants to play favorites with his creations (Jews vs. the rest of the world), okays polygamy (look to Solomon, Abraham, Jacob, and David for god allowing men to collect wives), incest, violence, wanting us gays dead, punishing people for being people (and calling it sin), punishing non-believers for not repaying him for his "sacrifice" with absolute and eternal servitude, and all the other points I mentioned above that can be cited in the bible. God himself even claims to create evil (Isaiah 45:7), and he also claims that everything that happens is allowed by him, even the most obscene acts are by his will. And Jesus said that he came to fulfill all of these horrible actions in Matthew 5:17-20 and that he didn't come to bring peace in Matthew 10:34. Is Sanders so blind to the bulk of the bible that she is shocked by women noping away from this middle eastern religion to one close to what their ancestors worshiped? That Jesus isn't someone women want to believe in, devote their lives, sexuality and bodies to? It's what caused me to run away a few years back and seek out my ancestral religions, Norse and Celtic. I sincerely dislike Jesus as a character and wish Sanders would read the bible without ignoring every point I mentioned.
Sanders sees Jesus and Christianity as infallible, women friendly, and the irrevocably true religion. But she is wrong. At most, Judaism and Christianity is a couple thousand years old and comes from a small part of wide world. There have been and will be many religions, different points of view that will either limit the strengths of women and children, or will allow men, women, and children to flourish. Not to mention, versions of paganism are evident world wide. Reading the bible without cherry picking will show just how much it favors men above all, despite what the female practitioners will tell you. But that is the lesson the author failed to accept. To be a Christian is someone's right to choose, but so is leaving it for another religion that makes them happier without Christians taking it personally.
A god is nothing without worshipers. Sanders came very close to realizing this is her book. She noted that many Wiccans left Christianity because of the practitioners, not Jesus. This is true to an extent, because a religion without participants is a dead one. However, there are many of us who dislike the character of Jesus/God and see him as an antagonist, instead of the hero. He is rather like Voldemort, with a nose, but with followers who call him lord, see as him as the next best thing since oxygen, and tolerate no negative talk against him. Sanders has ignored the score of verses in which Jesus, if he is truly God too, calls for murder, rape, abortion of fetuses (funny, given that Christians claim God is against abortion), family against family, women must serve their husbands and want to be ruled by men, throws fits at fruit trees not being in season when he wants them, doesn't denounce pedophilia, the deaths of homosexuals, genocide in the name of "taking the promised land", male genitalia mutilation without consent, slavery (and how hard to beat them), considering a woman's body unclean if it performs naturally (menstruation and childbirth, with birthing a girl the most unclean thing), the list goes on! Only a few times has he done something nice, like preventing someone from being stoned (the bad kind) to death. If he was a true liberator of the poor and outcast, he wouldn't claim to be the same god who wants to play favorites with his creations (Jews vs. the rest of the world), okays polygamy (look to Solomon, Abraham, Jacob, and David for god allowing men to collect wives), incest, violence, wanting us gays dead, punishing people for being people (and calling it sin), punishing non-believers for not repaying him for his "sacrifice" with absolute and eternal servitude, and all the other points I mentioned above that can be cited in the bible. God himself even claims to create evil (Isaiah 45:7), and he also claims that everything that happens is allowed by him, even the most obscene acts are by his will. And Jesus said that he came to fulfill all of these horrible actions in Matthew 5:17-20 and that he didn't come to bring peace in Matthew 10:34. Is Sanders so blind to the bulk of the bible that she is shocked by women noping away from this middle eastern religion to one close to what their ancestors worshiped? That Jesus isn't someone women want to believe in, devote their lives, sexuality and bodies to? It's what caused me to run away a few years back and seek out my ancestral religions, Norse and Celtic. I sincerely dislike Jesus as a character and wish Sanders would read the bible without ignoring every point I mentioned.
Sanders sees Jesus and Christianity as infallible, women friendly, and the irrevocably true religion. But she is wrong. At most, Judaism and Christianity is a couple thousand years old and comes from a small part of wide world. There have been and will be many religions, different points of view that will either limit the strengths of women and children, or will allow men, women, and children to flourish. Not to mention, versions of paganism are evident world wide. Reading the bible without cherry picking will show just how much it favors men above all, despite what the female practitioners will tell you. But that is the lesson the author failed to accept. To be a Christian is someone's right to choose, but so is leaving it for another religion that makes them happier without Christians taking it personally.
June 26, 2019
I felt like the jacket of this book and what was actually in it were two different things. Wicca's Charm has such a great idea behind it and it seems the author even means well. However, the execution and delivery of the information is so opinionated and skewed its hard to read. Sanders even says in her introduction that she's trying to be as objective as possible, and sometimes this works out, but oftentimes her religious opinions are glaringly obvious and detrimental to her discussions (read: arguments).
I think the intentions of this book are good. It's obvious that Sanders did a massive amount of research into the subject while she writing it. But again, her views can eke through her writing and can distort the message absolutely. Sometimes to the point where its even shockingly offensive. On page 70, Sanders is discussing rites of passage and we're blessed with the following conclusion: "the fact that some covens would go so far as to whip participants to mark life's passage shows how desperate many are to be noticed." ... What??? To be quite honest this statement was so shocking to me I had to put the book down. The vast majority of practicing Wiccans don't go anywhere near whipping for one thing (which, Sanders does acknowledge). But even for those who do, attributing that action to a need for attention is so disparaging and offensive I couldn't even believe it. The thought of reducing someone's religious actions to wanting attention (even if you don't agree with it) is disgusting.
There was one other aspect of Wicca's Charm that I was...I guess confused about. Further in, Sanders is discussing Wiccans love for nature and she throws out this sentence: "how can we compel people to care for the earth and nature if there is no higher moral authority to which humans must answer?" Again, what? I found this to be offensive towards Wiccans, but also to Christians! Sanders seems to be saying that the only reason Christians do good things is because they have to answer to God when they die. Does that mean all Christians refrain from murdering others because God is watching them? It's not because that just seems inhumane or horrible in its entirety?
There were plenty of other problems with this book, but to be honest it would take forever to list them all. And again, I think the idea of this book is phenomenal, if it's done the way it should be. Sanders product is too opinionated and too skewed in order to help Christians or Wiccans find an understanding between one another. Sanders makes some great points throughout these pages, but I felt they were outweighed by some of the more negative and judgmental statements she made along the way.
I think the intentions of this book are good. It's obvious that Sanders did a massive amount of research into the subject while she writing it. But again, her views can eke through her writing and can distort the message absolutely. Sometimes to the point where its even shockingly offensive. On page 70, Sanders is discussing rites of passage and we're blessed with the following conclusion: "the fact that some covens would go so far as to whip participants to mark life's passage shows how desperate many are to be noticed." ... What??? To be quite honest this statement was so shocking to me I had to put the book down. The vast majority of practicing Wiccans don't go anywhere near whipping for one thing (which, Sanders does acknowledge). But even for those who do, attributing that action to a need for attention is so disparaging and offensive I couldn't even believe it. The thought of reducing someone's religious actions to wanting attention (even if you don't agree with it) is disgusting.
There was one other aspect of Wicca's Charm that I was...I guess confused about. Further in, Sanders is discussing Wiccans love for nature and she throws out this sentence: "how can we compel people to care for the earth and nature if there is no higher moral authority to which humans must answer?" Again, what? I found this to be offensive towards Wiccans, but also to Christians! Sanders seems to be saying that the only reason Christians do good things is because they have to answer to God when they die. Does that mean all Christians refrain from murdering others because God is watching them? It's not because that just seems inhumane or horrible in its entirety?
There were plenty of other problems with this book, but to be honest it would take forever to list them all. And again, I think the idea of this book is phenomenal, if it's done the way it should be. Sanders product is too opinionated and too skewed in order to help Christians or Wiccans find an understanding between one another. Sanders makes some great points throughout these pages, but I felt they were outweighed by some of the more negative and judgmental statements she made along the way.
July 27, 2019
While considerably less condescending than the last book I read on the subject I still felt as if Christianity was being shoved down my throat at every turn. In fact I had to pick up “God is not Great” by Christopher Hitchens to cleanse my palate after.
Not only did the author cherry pick facts from the Wiccan religion but she did it to her own Christian faith as well. I can’t respect anyone who is willfully blind, picking and choosing facts based on what they wish was true rather than what truly is.
If you are Christian and enjoy being spoon-fed information as opposed to researching a subject yourself AND need the smug satisfaction of knowing that you and only you have the one true religion; then this book is for you.
Not only did the author cherry pick facts from the Wiccan religion but she did it to her own Christian faith as well. I can’t respect anyone who is willfully blind, picking and choosing facts based on what they wish was true rather than what truly is.
If you are Christian and enjoy being spoon-fed information as opposed to researching a subject yourself AND need the smug satisfaction of knowing that you and only you have the one true religion; then this book is for you.
September 6, 2017
This book has a specific audience, and it can be hard to tell if you're a part of it. From the perspective of the confused Christian, it's a great resource. Sanders does an excellent job of describing why people are leaving Christianity for Neo-Pagan religions. She turns a critical eye on her own faith and holds it up to Wicca to figure out the appeal. Where she fails, though, is in thinking she's going to convert anyone. Her proselytizing takes up only so much of the book. I would definitely recommend it for the bewildered Christian, but it certainly isn't an "Occult/Witchcraft" book, as the back claims.
June 4, 2020
Absolutely amazing, 100000% recommend. Not only is it well written and well done but the author took it upon themselves to ask well thought out questions while interviewing people on how they came to be where they are on their paths. It is completely unbiased which I absolutely love because it’s not saying one is better than the other and it’s not gone about in a hateful way. My favorite part was the interview where the girl said she dabbled in Wicca for a bit before choosing Christianity ( I was raised in a Catholic household and am now practitioner or witchcraft).
January 21, 2023
I struggled to get through this one, almost abandoning it altogether a few times. For the majority of the book it felt like reading from a nosey neighbour who befriended some Wiccan’s to gather information so she could spill her guts to her Christian friends. Her findings were immature and her disapproval was felt in the tone of the book. Although, I give her credit for admitting her initial scoffing and disapproval when writing previous articles on the topic of Wicca. She has since become more aware of her prejudices.
December 3, 2022
The book is written for a very specific audience. Though the author does attempt to be unbiased towards Wiccans, her tone is "holier than thou" and the book does have an entire chapter talking about trying to convert Wiccans to/back to Christianity. If someone is curious about Wicca or Paganism, it would be better to check out a book written for and by actual wiccans or pagans.
May 14, 2021
This book and author are extremely problematic.
August 10, 2011
The author of this book is a Christian. Although she tries to be objective and explain to non-pagans what the tenets of the Wiccan religion and other pagan religions are and why Pre-Christian religion is becoming popular, she still has a bias tone in this book. As a Celtic pagan reading this book I noticed that she was using the tenets of the Wiccan religion and comparing it to Christianity, as a way for Christians to understand and possibly use this knowledge to convert pagans to Christianity. This really ticked me off because helping Christians to understand pagan religions is one thing, but using that knowledge of Pre-Christian religion to hopefully convert pagans to Christianity is wrong. I liked how the author tried to be objective, but unfortunately I noticed some bias in this book. I noticed that this book was based on interviews with pagans and ex pagans who had left the Christian religion at some point in their lives . According to the author they all left Christianity for similiar reasons. I do not like this book because it can be used by Christians as a way to convert people of Wiccan or other pagan religions, but on the other hand at least Christians can at least get some understanding about the Wiccan faith.
April 21, 2010
It was a good book considering who wrote it with some good points and you can really see how the author, despite her mistrust in the beginning, tries to understand the Pagan community. However, most of it is about Christianity. The interviews she decided to use for examples in the book felt like they were trying to show that Pagans are just amateurs that don't know what their doing despite that being totally wrong. As I read the whole book it felt like she was trying to convert me rather than helping me understand Wicca more and saying the Christianity is the only path to happiness really ticked me off.
Again, only a little bit of the book is about Wicca. The rest is just pretty much seven chapters of saying how great Christianity is, why pagans should switch back, and saying that the Pagan religion will never last and that it will not make you happy in the end. Not really good if you're seeking information on understanding Wicca. Somewhat helpful but not much.
Again, only a little bit of the book is about Wicca. The rest is just pretty much seven chapters of saying how great Christianity is, why pagans should switch back, and saying that the Pagan religion will never last and that it will not make you happy in the end. Not really good if you're seeking information on understanding Wicca. Somewhat helpful but not much.
June 2, 2016
The book is presented as a study on Wicca by an outsider. It starts off this way, but by the middle it is openly preaching about the rightness of Christianity and that Wiccans and other neo-Pagans are confused, misled, or even hypocritical. Phrases like "What Christians know differs from what neo-Pagans believe..." set a clear bias, which has no place in an academic text. The author seems especially biased against young people who practice Wicca, frequently insinuating that they are unable of making an informed, thoughtful decision about their spirituality due to their age.
The tone is often smug and sometimes even preachy.
It starts off strong as a respectful study of a culture and religion but quickly devolves into a person working to debunk and discredit a religion she does not agree with.
The tone is often smug and sometimes even preachy.
It starts off strong as a respectful study of a culture and religion but quickly devolves into a person working to debunk and discredit a religion she does not agree with.
May 25, 2013
The title of this book is not only misleading but it is quite a maze to struggle through. The author has interviewed people interested in Wicca and Neo-Paganism. She claims what is practiced is not the old religions of Europe but were started by three men. She also writes that she has witnessed their rites and spells and come to the conclusion that too many teens are attracted to this. As Christians we should all try to bring them back to the arms of a loving Jesus Christ.
My opinion:
Teens will experiment and all a parent can hope is that they come out intact and a law abiding citizen on the other side.
As for older people, if they do no harm, make no war and are law abiding citizens, they can believe whatever they please!
In other words, I got nothing out of this book.
My opinion:
Teens will experiment and all a parent can hope is that they come out intact and a law abiding citizen on the other side.
As for older people, if they do no harm, make no war and are law abiding citizens, they can believe whatever they please!
In other words, I got nothing out of this book.
July 2, 2009
So, without getting too too personal, I obviously got interested in Wicca and set out to see what it was about. I found this book, which I really only read because of the library's lack of wicca books. It was actually something different then what I had expected. The first chapter explained, in a basic nature, what Wicca was, then the remaining chapters were devoted to WHY people choose this religion. So, I guess it was kind of what I was looking for (the first chapter at least). So, I'm still rather intrigued by it, and on my way on learn more.
Read
June 10, 2021This book is a personal journey into the realm of Wicca based on the author's research on the topic.
I don't believe all of what the author has to say, I believe the author's opinions are justified from her Southern religious upbringing. Although, she interviews wiccans as well as pagans, the author has tendency to forcibly make her opinions known as overtones toward disregarding the interviewees belief system.
I believe this book should be read with an open mind in regards to mainstream Christian undertones.
I don't believe all of what the author has to say, I believe the author's opinions are justified from her Southern religious upbringing. Although, she interviews wiccans as well as pagans, the author has tendency to forcibly make her opinions known as overtones toward disregarding the interviewees belief system.
I believe this book should be read with an open mind in regards to mainstream Christian undertones.
January 27, 2010
This book was better than I expected. Of course some people will be insulted by the idea that anyone would have the audacity to point out the failures of any religion other than Christianity. This books biggest strength I think is in proving a primer on Wicca for those who know nothing about it. It also does an excellent job and pointing to area where the church has failed and left an opening for this sort of spirituality.
September 14, 2012
I picked this up because a loved one is researching Wicca. It was written by a Christian journalist and what began as an assignment evolved into a book. It was well researched, fair and presented several views of wicca. What I enjoyed most was how she was able to bring it back to a search for Christ and how we all need to be better Christians and practice what the Savior taught and not be judgmental of others who are seeking for truth.
July 27, 2015
Clearly written as a tool to teach Christians how they might convince neo-pagans that they just didn't give Christianity enough of a chance. Lots of talking about what the bible says about the complaints of Wiccans, but doesn't deal with the realities they are facing. The author is very dismissive and imagines everyone is a little lost lamb who doesn't know what they're doing.
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