The Witches' Way

by Janet Farrar

The most comprehensive and revealing work on the practices, rituals and beliefs of modern witchcraft since Gerald Gardner's influential but unpublished 'Book of Shadows' triggered the revival movement in the 1950s. The authors explain what Gardner's text actually was, how he used it, and, as far as possible, what his sources were. The book goes on to give in full the first, second and third degree initiation rites, the consecration rites, and the many non-ritual passages of the 'Book of Shadows'. The rest of the book explains what the Craft is all about, covering everything from the rationale of witchcraft to reincarnation; from ethics to sex; from symbolism to spells; from astral projection to psychic healing; from clairvoyance to witchcraft's place in today's world.

Genres: Witchcraft, Paganism, Wicca, Magic, Spirituality, Mythology

Hardcover

First published June 1, 1984

About the author

Janet Farrar, along with Stewart, is author of many books on witchcraft, and a well known witch who has appeared frequently in the media. She currently lives in Ireland and regularly tours the U.S.A. giving lectures and workshops.

Reviews

[Kiera Gerety · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed how I viewed the world

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to Wicca. Yes, it was written during the eighties and can seem a bit dated when compared to many of the modern books on Wicca, but is that necessarily a bad thing? Its approach is thoughtful, thorough and scholarly, complete with footnotes and annotations. "The Witches' Way" challenged me as it taught me and it made me spend some serious time contemplating things that I might not otherwise have given much thought. I will gladly take that over the spoon-fed approach that newer books take.
It serves as a suitable guide to beginning either a solitary practice or coven work. I have seen it listed as recommended or required reading by several groups. The section "More Wiccan Rituals" is written specifically for group work, and the solo witch would be hard-pressed to adapt any of these for solitary practice without losing the core experience the rites are designed to give. That doesn't mean that the majority of the book is useless to solitaries! This is a relatively small part of the book. The same principle applies to the three initiation rites.
A note about those: I don't believe for a second that these are the actual rites used by Gardnerian covens for the initiation of Seekers and advancement of degrees. That material is Oathbound (not revealed to non-Initiates) and it would certainly never be published by reputable authors. This doesn't necessarily mean that these rituals are inferior, just different. The Farrars did solitary witches interested in group work everywhere a tremendous favor in providing workable rites that have the potential to deliver meaningful and profound experiences. Echoes of their work and that of Doreen Valiente, who co-authored these parts quietly from behind the scenes, is found in almost every mass market book on Wicca crowding the shelves today.
Of especial interest is the last section of the book "The Wiccan Path." This is a collection of several thought-provoking essays and explorations of Wiccan belief and practice. I think that individuals interested in Wicca as a religious path could very likely read just this one section of this one book and be able to determine for sure whether or not Wicca is the right path for them. Oh, and the bibliography/recommended reading list in the back has several gems listed!

[A.J. Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written book that takes some of the fear and mystery out of what witchcraft is and who are its tenants. I found it best to start the book on page 105 however to get an overview before going into the rituals at the beginning

[TailFeather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the Farrar's books, although I am not a Witch. For someone just wanting the information about Witchcraft(NOT WICCA), their books are worth reading.