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Title: The Heart of Wicca: Wise Words from a Crone on the Path by Ellen Cannon Reed ISBN: 1-57863-174-2 Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser Pub. Date: November, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.23 (22 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Words of Wisdom from one of our Elders
Comment: For those who know Ellen Cannon Reed, she is the author of "The Witches Qabala" and "The Witches Tarot". She has also done a book on pagan music.
For those who really know Ellen Cannon Reed, they have learned that she is a fiercely Traditional Wiccan and and a die hard traditionalist at that. That is why she is so valuable to the community at large. She keeps the flame of the original, unwatered down Wicca for all to see.
Her book, "The Heart of Wicca" attempts to explain why she is such a Traditionalist, explores Traditional Wicca and shows the pure roots of the original foundation of Wicca. She looks at initiation, symbology, Deities and all the other elements that comprise Wicca.
The Wicca Ms. Reed practices is not for everyone, and this book does explain why. Ms. Reed brings up very valid points worth reading and exploring.
Her call for standardized initiations is probably her best suggestion. Initiation used to be something to be proud of. However this, sadly, is not the case anymore. Ms. Reed approaches the subject with intelligence and presents her facts accordingly.
She also makes a good argument that all who choose the Wiccan Path should spend some time in a Coven, learning the basics of Wicca. If you are going to do something, do it right.
If you want to see where we came from, create a good solid foundation in your own life and learn this from someone who knows her business well then this book makes a great starting point.
Ms. Reed is a good teacher, with a solid, no nonsense background. And though not all will agree with everything she says within her book, she does give you a good background of what Traditional Wicca is. Understanding leads to tolerance and that is something that we all need within this diverse community known as Paganism.
Rating: 5
Summary: Superb celebration of traditional Wicca
Comment: One of my gripes with the rapidly-expanding literature of Wicca is how so many books are either re-hashes of introductory material, or else "cookbooks" for spells. As far as the introductory material goes, I've yet to see a book published after 1985 that added anything to the masterpieces by Starhawk ("The Spiral Dance") or Janet and Stewart Farrar ("The Witches' Bible"). As for spell books, they're a joke, in my opinion. Wicca is not about lighting a green candle to get more money or a red candle to find a lover -- it is a mystical path of interior transformation grounded in reverence for nature and for the Divine as Goddess and God. Magic is not about "getting what you want" so much as it is about interior transformation and self-empowerment.
So, imagine my delight to find Ellen Cannon Reed's thoughtful new book, "The Heart of Wicca." The subtitle says it all: this slender volume is a wise commentary on the current state of affairs in the Goddess community, written not for the beginner or the curious onlooker, but for those who have made a commitment to pursue Wicca as their chosen spiritual path. Let me warn the reader: this book takes a clear stand for Wicca in its traditional form as an initiatory mystery religion, and as such may not appeal to the do-it-yourself, make-it-up-as-you-go-along varieties of "Wicca" promulgated by the likes of Scott Cunningham and Silver Ravenwolf. It even attacks the Starhawkian politicization of Wicca, arguing that as a mystical path, Wicca does not need to be involved in the temporal affairs of state (I disagree with Reed on this point, but that's a minor quibble compared to the overall positive message in this book). Basically, Reed affirms and celebrates Wicca as a mystical path of interior transformation, of personal growth through the mysteries of the Goddess and God as revealed through ritual, through community life, and through the process of initiation. This may not be the sexiest or most glamorous portrayal of nature religion, but I think it is honest and true; furthermore, it's a message that needs to be proclaimed -- loudly -- as a corrective to all the books that seek to pervert Wicca into some sort of spiritual fashion statement.
So this is not a book for beginners. If you're new to the craft, stick to the aforementioned "Witches' Bible" (to give you the traditional perspective) or "Spiral Dance" (to give you the eco-feminist perspective). But if you've already practiced the old ways for more than a year or two, don't waste your money on yet another "Wicca 101" book from Llewellyn Publishers: buy and read this book instead.
Rating: 5
Summary: Timeless Wisdom for Beginner and Elder
Comment: "The Heart of Wicca" is one of those little books that takes a very wide and diverse topic and sums it up in a very few words. Ellen Cannon Reed's last volume is perhaps her best. She is now gone from this plane, and her passing was something of a shock to those of us who had the privilege of meeting her. Before passing from this life she left us with her wisdom of the Wiccan path that she had learned through years of hard work, years of dedication to her religion and spiritual path, and years of helping others to find the true Heart of Wicca. In Heart of Wicca, Ellen talked about what it means to follow an initiatory mystery path, rather than just another religion. She explains why coven study is so important to those who sincerely want to follow in her footsteps and be initiated into the mysteries of Wicca. Sure, she says, you can learn it by yourself, but very few manage to do so. The initiation comes from the Gods, not from the elders who help you to find your way. The mystery is that which can not be explained but must be experienced for yourself, and few will find it without a guide. In a few pages Ellen explains what Wicca is and why it is so powerful to those who are initiates. We now recommend Heart of Wicca to everyone who wants to follow a Wiccan path, but doesn't know where to begin, or how to filter out all the many "how to" books now on the market. She writes about covens, about teachers, about religion, about mysteries, about magick, about students, about initiation, and about Wicca. She tells beginners what they need to know to start on the path, and she explains to Wiccan Elders how to think about teaching the beginners. Ellen's wisdom is timeless, and we are grateful for this book of Crone's wisdom that she left for us.
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Title: Advanced Wicca: Exploring Deeper Levels of Spiritual Skills and Masterful Magick by Patricia Telesco ISBN: 0806521376 Publisher: Citadel Trade Pub. Date: October, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Elements of Ritual: Air, Fire, Water & Earth in the Wiccan Circle by Deborah Lipp ISBN: 073870301X Publisher: Llewellyn Publications Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: The Witches Qabalah by Ellen Cannon Reed ISBN: 0877288801 Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser Pub. Date: September, 1997 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Deepening Witchcraft: Advancing Skills and Knowledge by Grey Cat, Grey Cat, Lady Sintana ISBN: 1550224956 Publisher: ECW Press Pub. Date: April, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Circle Within: Creating a Wiccan Spiritual Tradition by Dianne Sylvan ISBN: 0738703486 Publisher: Llewellyn Publications Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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