Weird Ways of Witchcraft

by Leo Louis Martello, Lori Bruno (Foreword)

Weird Ways of Witchcraft is the story of the radical Leo Louis Martello,founder of the Witches' AntiDefamation League. A pioneer in the Witches' Liberation Movement of the 1960's, Martello was one of the most controversial members of the pagan community. Martello was an outspoken witch who raged against the Catholic Church with his infamous Witch Manifesto. He made history organizing the first WitchIn in Central Park. In his own distinct voice, Martello enlightens, entices, and enchants readers with spells, incantations, and folklore, along with the historic events in contemporary Witch history. Weird Ways of Witchcraft provides a snapshot in time, when the seeds of the Neopagan movement and the teachings of witchcraft began to spread and become popular with the generation that variously called itself hippies, flower children, and the counterculture. These were heady days of women's liberation, gay liberation--a revolt against church, state, and the way things were. Includes a foreword by renowned psychic Lori Bruno.

Genres: Witchcraft, History

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

Reviews

[Sheryl]

Crazy, fascinating, this guy is on the edge and I loved every minute of it. His inditement of the Catholic Church was on the money. There is a lot of actual solid information in here but there is also some pretty loose logic. This guy was a gay rights activist, a feminist, and a proponent of animal rights and civil rights. One of the original New York Wiccans he agitated and advocated for the rights of witches. He formed and led so many organizations it's an alphabet soup. The original paperback published in 1969 was something I found by chance in a jumbled forgotten used bookstore in Southern California. It was reprinted in 2011 I believe but seems to be pretty rare. Your library can probably help you track a copy down, it's worth the trouble for the graphics and bibliography if nothing else. This guy is definitely on my list of dead people I'd like to invite to a dinner party. Probably the only one who could find a way to show up.

[Gwydion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely agree with Mydyen's review--dated, sensationalized, uneven. However, 5 stars because we always love our "first". Bought this (with lurid cover) in '69 from Fate magazine at a tender age and it opened my mind and rocked my world. After reading this book, I knew what I was.

[Erin]

I would love to be able to give negative stars.

[Ryan Barton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sexist and racist. Author has an overblown sense of self and repeatedly quotes and cites his own works. Absolute trash.

[Mydyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complete with sensationalized newspaper clippings, interviews with prominent witches both named and anonymous, and detailed Medieval Spellwork (get your eye of Newt people), Weird ways of witchcraft is a snapshot of the emerging Neopagan movement during the counterculture 60's before it's mysterious veins were touched by the women's Liberation movement or the Ecological Green movement.
as such, it's viewpoint is somewhat dated, but the entertaining and unusual tales, newspaper, clippings and interviews with Real Live Witches counteract what otherwise might be a little boring reaffirmation of various nebulous bloodlines. There's the token Christmas-is-Pagan-holiday Argument and the We-don't-believe-in-hell-or-Satan-so-we're-not-Satanists plea. The darker note of this is many of those interviewed condemn and actively hex the Catholic Church, performing the black mass as private act of rebellion and revenge for persecuted ancestors. I can definitely understand then why this book is not on the core reading list for the exploring seeker. Heck, I wouldn't want anyone to read it without taking the majority with a grain of salt. I'm a little surprised the leader of an anti-defamation league for pagans who firmly believed in the power of ritual would condone such bad PR, but it makes for a varied and interesting read.
If you can get beyond the black masses it is highly entertaining. The juxtaposition between the upright gardenarians, headhunters and the witchcraft of WWII explores a wonderful range of personal and cultural magickal exploration. Martello's charisma and well traveled educations shines through in this brief survey of world magick, speckled with poetry and autobiographical anecdotes.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very much a product of its time, but makes for quick and interesting reading.