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Book
Review - Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft |
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Back cover synopsis: Now along comes Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft; one volume that brings it all together. In it Ray Buckland teaches the history, practice, composition, formulae, the mechanics of magick, herbology, divination...in short, each and every aspect of the practice of Wicca. And he doesn't just present one tradition. He takes a nonsectarian approach, and he also shows how you can structure the religion to suit your particular needs. He instructs on the composition of rituals, the establishing of a coven (group), the putting together of a system to suit you personally. He also addresses Solitaries--those who would rather work alone--and encourages and instructs them in the practice of the Old Religion. This is a workbook. It is presented in the form of lessons, each culminating in participatory exercise that are fun and informative; ideal for self-study or for a group. It is the perfect book for the serious student, the newly-forming coven, the Solitary Witch, or simply the curious. Such a book is long overdue. |
Rhaevyn's Synopsis |
| The first sentence of the last paragraph of the back cover says it all: This is a workbook. It is set up in lessons with various things to learn and do. You can skip around, and you're encouraged to write in the book. Sometimes the content gets rather dry, and occasionally it becomes a soapbox for the tradition he invented, Seax-Wicca, but otherwise, considering what books were out there when this was written, there's enough content that, while it might only scratch the surface of what a Wiccan should learn, it is a good basic to have on the shelf of your library. |
Entertainment Factor  |
| It gets dry. I'll admit that right up front. Then again, I don't expect a book of lessons to necessarily be "fun." He is engaging enough of a writer that you continue to read the book, plus the added bonus of actually having information on things to do and learn makes the reader willing to plow through. The best part of this book is not so much his style, but the content within... |
Content and Information  |
| As a workbook, Buckland provides oodles of information and hints that you can't find in other books. Sometimes I like weeding through chapters to understand the lesson at hand, but for those times when you just want the information up front, Buckland is clear and to the point. I do have issues with him on the history sections, and I understand that his herbal needs some help, but otherwise, for a good light read to get you started, this is probably one of the most useful for the beginner. |
Usefulness |
| Even Pagans who have been practicing for a while will often refer back to this book simply because it's pretty concise. There are other books that are far more useful when it comes to finding more in-depth information, but you won't find any book that covers all the basics in a small volume. It's a useful reference without being too overwhelming. |
Longevity |
Most people I know have a copy of Uncle Bucky's Big Blue Book on their shelves for a reason...it works. As far as a good basic reference goes, it is a very helpful book. Not many other books work as lesson plans and actually succeed, and that seems to be a style that is lacking in the bookstore. Until there's a glut of "lesson" books and one out-does Buckland's book, this will probably set the standard for a while longer. For the most part, it doesn't suffer from becoming too outdated because it does cover solitaries and covens pretty well. The one issue I take with this book becoming outdated to today's culture is its stance towards homosexuality. As far as that subject is concerned, I think it's up to the practitioner and Buckland commits a major faux-pas by saying homosexuality has no place in Wicca. The times, they are a-changin', to be cliché. Otherwise, the book stands the test of time pretty well. |
Final Analysis  |
| I do like this book very much, though there are a few issues that it needs to overcome. Again, the information is often excellent, though it tends to fall short in presentation and style. I prefer to think of this book as being an effective reference, not a heart-warming book of personal enlightenment. |
Author: Raymond Buckland| BOOKS
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I'll admit a bias...I don't like a lot of the books that Pagan authors are putting out now. I try to give fair and honest reviews, but I really think that if we want the standards of Pagan reference and literature raised, we have to be incredibly critical of what is already on the market. Just wanted to warn you ahead of time... *grin*
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