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A Witch Alone: Thirteen Moons to Master Natural Magic
This book carries on the tradition of the solo village witch emphasizing white rather than black magic. It is a practical manual of instruction for those who choose the solo path of study and particularly stresses the importance of being in tune with nature. As there are approximately 13 moons each year – the book is divided into 13 parts. Each section is aimed at lasting from the new moon to the dark to make the student fully aware of the changing power in the tides of the sea and the tides of the self. The moon-long sections deal with a variety of taditional arts, skills and mental exercises which enables the aspiring witch to discover the inner world of magic inside him/herself.
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 30, 1991
210 people are currently reading
3596 people want to read
About the author
Marian Green
45 books78 followersMarian Green is an author who has been working in the field of ceremonial and folk magic since the early 1960s. She has also organized a conference every March since 1968 to bring together writers and their readers, the Quest Conference. She has written more than a dozen books on ceremonial magic and aspects of witchcraft as well as editing QUEST magazine since 1970. She is a council member of the Pagan Federation and has also been editor of Pagan Dawn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
January 12, 2018
I'm giving this book five stars out of sheer nostalgia :) Maybe it's not the best book out there now, but when I read it - as a teenager about to leave home and family and start a new life in Wales - it was inspirational. (no real internet back then, that was any use, by the way...) I'd been bumping up against pagan ideas for a while and then this book kept appearing as recommendations in the strangest places.
So I ordered it and bought it and read it so often the spine disintegrated.
I worked through most of the exercises. As someone new to the craft, it was ideal. She has an open and questioning way that I really appreciated at the time - no dogma, just suggestions. What do YOU think, she urges.
If you want "the right way" to do something, this book won't tell you that.
If you want to be nudged in some new directions, this book might do that.
I am almost scared to re-read it in case it's not as good as my memory suggests.
Basically: for a new quester in search of the paths - any paths - just wanting to be led to the start of one - it's great.
So I ordered it and bought it and read it so often the spine disintegrated.
I worked through most of the exercises. As someone new to the craft, it was ideal. She has an open and questioning way that I really appreciated at the time - no dogma, just suggestions. What do YOU think, she urges.
If you want "the right way" to do something, this book won't tell you that.
If you want to be nudged in some new directions, this book might do that.
I am almost scared to re-read it in case it's not as good as my memory suggests.
Basically: for a new quester in search of the paths - any paths - just wanting to be led to the start of one - it's great.
June 11, 2014
The thing I loved about this book was the bare bones approach to magick.
Doing away completely with all the ceremony, fancy tools and words, and just connecting to the natural rhythms of the earth.
I like this way of thinking and it has made me think more closely about my own direction.
The author seems to really take aim at wiccans and modern practitioners, a lot of the time, I thought, rather unfairly.
We are all the products of our time, and as much as the author seems to will it, we are not simple villagers living in the 18th century.
Though there are many things to be taken and learnt from earlier times, we also need to be able to adapt to our modern world.
Apart from this, I did enjoy this book.
It is quite basic, but it was good to read something different from the usual strict high ceremony approach.
This is a book I would recommend that all solitary practitioners read at least once.
It serves as a reminder of our true aims and encourages a down to earth approach.
Doing away completely with all the ceremony, fancy tools and words, and just connecting to the natural rhythms of the earth.
I like this way of thinking and it has made me think more closely about my own direction.
The author seems to really take aim at wiccans and modern practitioners, a lot of the time, I thought, rather unfairly.
We are all the products of our time, and as much as the author seems to will it, we are not simple villagers living in the 18th century.
Though there are many things to be taken and learnt from earlier times, we also need to be able to adapt to our modern world.
Apart from this, I did enjoy this book.
It is quite basic, but it was good to read something different from the usual strict high ceremony approach.
This is a book I would recommend that all solitary practitioners read at least once.
It serves as a reminder of our true aims and encourages a down to earth approach.
June 28, 2021
As with most books on Neopaganism I had to DNF this one or risk throwing it at the wall; turns out it's chock full of the exact same problems as literally every other "Pagan" book on the market. Shocking, I know.
Barely into the introduction and the author's already playing up the Neopagan pseudohistory of the "burning times"- including conflating wisewomen and cunningfolk with Witches; in case anyone needs a reminder: Village healers, cunningfolk, wisewomen, and the like, were not only not considered Witches by their communities, but were largely spared from the events of the true burning times in most regions except in incredibly rare circumstances; the modern connotations of a Witch are, surprisingly, far different that the historical employment and meaning of the word (which is shocking to exactly no one who understands how to actually read and interpret history properly). It's well past time for Neopagans to stop perpetuating well-debunked lies and get over the need to hyper-romanticize and coopt the nonexistent persecution of a group that was never (or at least incredibly rarely) persecuted in the first place.
In light of this, their spiel about truth laid bare ("The inner worlds are not an escape, but a harsh training school where the will is forged, the soul laid bare to the light of Truth, and any weaknesses shown clearly by the wisdom of the ages") is quite funny given so much of Neopaganism is, in fact steeped in a heap of lies, misinformation, and pseudohistory so deep we've been trying to trudge out of it for well over 2 decades now.
And of course there's the ever frustrating and all too pervasive Neopagan obsession with conflating "Pagan / Neopagan" and "Witch" with one another- acting as if all Pagans are Witches, and that all of Witchcraft is itself a religion... There is, in fact, a very large difference, however; the practice of magic and Witchcraft is not in and of itself a religion simply because Witch Cults (such as the one formed by Gerald Gardner) practice it within a religious context. Neopaganism desperately needs to do far better at properly distinguishing the two instead of continuing to insist they're the same things when they're not.
Furthermore is her assertion that Witchcraft is specifically an ecocentric, earth worshipping religion is nonsense which ignores the fact that most pagan faiths are not actually ecocentric despite holding natural elements of import... Oh, but of course she goes on to directly contradict these statements by asserting that Witchcraft has "no dogma or priesthood" (despite the fact that there are plenty which do, in fact, have established dogmas and priesthoods).
And there is a certain kind of special irony in acknowledging that there are Christian Witches and the like which claiming Witchcraft as itself religious is precious. Oh, and the irony of claiming in one breath that the mythology of Witchcraft includes all Gods, then in the very next paragraph saying that Witches do not have any gods --- but yet they worship "Mother Earth and her Consort, the Lord of the Wilds" (don't worry, though, after that she claims there is no "have to believe" doctrine which states you must believe in or worship them) is also not lost on me.
It's like Pagan authors genuinely don't understand the hypocrisy and nonsense they regularly throw out into the world as if it makes perfect sense. But it doesn't. It makes zero sense. It's contradictory and flat out ahistorical at nearly every turn. And if Pagan media is constantly contradictory and full of lies and misinformation at every turn, then it's not worth the paper it's printed on; we need to do better, because I'm genuinely sick of having to repeatedly read this nonsense.
Frankly I gave up before even completing the introduction, though I did vaguely skim the rest of the book; it's not much better than the intro, honestly. And for the record, recommending your own books as "additional sources" is tacky.
Barely into the introduction and the author's already playing up the Neopagan pseudohistory of the "burning times"- including conflating wisewomen and cunningfolk with Witches; in case anyone needs a reminder: Village healers, cunningfolk, wisewomen, and the like, were not only not considered Witches by their communities, but were largely spared from the events of the true burning times in most regions except in incredibly rare circumstances; the modern connotations of a Witch are, surprisingly, far different that the historical employment and meaning of the word (which is shocking to exactly no one who understands how to actually read and interpret history properly). It's well past time for Neopagans to stop perpetuating well-debunked lies and get over the need to hyper-romanticize and coopt the nonexistent persecution of a group that was never (or at least incredibly rarely) persecuted in the first place.
In light of this, their spiel about truth laid bare ("The inner worlds are not an escape, but a harsh training school where the will is forged, the soul laid bare to the light of Truth, and any weaknesses shown clearly by the wisdom of the ages") is quite funny given so much of Neopaganism is, in fact steeped in a heap of lies, misinformation, and pseudohistory so deep we've been trying to trudge out of it for well over 2 decades now.
And of course there's the ever frustrating and all too pervasive Neopagan obsession with conflating "Pagan / Neopagan" and "Witch" with one another- acting as if all Pagans are Witches, and that all of Witchcraft is itself a religion... There is, in fact, a very large difference, however; the practice of magic and Witchcraft is not in and of itself a religion simply because Witch Cults (such as the one formed by Gerald Gardner) practice it within a religious context. Neopaganism desperately needs to do far better at properly distinguishing the two instead of continuing to insist they're the same things when they're not.
Furthermore is her assertion that Witchcraft is specifically an ecocentric, earth worshipping religion is nonsense which ignores the fact that most pagan faiths are not actually ecocentric despite holding natural elements of import... Oh, but of course she goes on to directly contradict these statements by asserting that Witchcraft has "no dogma or priesthood" (despite the fact that there are plenty which do, in fact, have established dogmas and priesthoods).
And there is a certain kind of special irony in acknowledging that there are Christian Witches and the like which claiming Witchcraft as itself religious is precious. Oh, and the irony of claiming in one breath that the mythology of Witchcraft includes all Gods, then in the very next paragraph saying that Witches do not have any gods --- but yet they worship "Mother Earth and her Consort, the Lord of the Wilds" (don't worry, though, after that she claims there is no "have to believe" doctrine which states you must believe in or worship them) is also not lost on me.
Which is it, Green... Witchcraft is either a religion in its own right with its own Gods and beliefs, or it's a dogma-less, godless practice combinable with other faiths... Make up your mind, because you can't have it both ways. It just doesn't work like that; at some point you have to open your eyes and see the idiocy of constantly contradicting yourself like this.
It's like Pagan authors genuinely don't understand the hypocrisy and nonsense they regularly throw out into the world as if it makes perfect sense. But it doesn't. It makes zero sense. It's contradictory and flat out ahistorical at nearly every turn. And if Pagan media is constantly contradictory and full of lies and misinformation at every turn, then it's not worth the paper it's printed on; we need to do better, because I'm genuinely sick of having to repeatedly read this nonsense.
Frankly I gave up before even completing the introduction, though I did vaguely skim the rest of the book; it's not much better than the intro, honestly. And for the record, recommending your own books as "additional sources" is tacky.
August 11, 2014
A very practical, down-to-earth (and not pretentious!) guide to witchcraft for seekers and beginners. While not everything about Witchcraft appeals to me, I do love that the author of this book emphasizes that magic is simple and can be practised by anyone who is willing to listen to deeper whispers within themselves. Magic comes from that mysterious, non-linear part of our minds, that unconscious place that is often left untapped. The potential to heal yourself, heal others and gain greater direction and meaning for your life in such simple, earthy ways is what I love the most about this book.
February 21, 2021
After swallowing a couple of books by Scott Cunningham, I felt the urge to expand my knowledge about the Moon cycles and got this book recommended for this purpose. However, I did not find the much-needed information that I was looking for in this book. Nevertheless, the book was a pleasant and short read. I like the concept of 13 moons presented in this book. While I felt that this book did not consist of new information for me, I could use it for setting the mood. You can open it randomly on any page and enjoy the light narrative of Marian Green.
May 16, 2010
Loved this book & live my life by it )0( sgt
Want to read
September 7, 2011Along with Rae Beth's "Hedgewitch" I believe this is one of the best resources for those on a solitary path.
November 12, 2022
i started reading this book at the beginning of the year, following the structure of reading a chapter per moon cycle. I really loved the first 2 or so chapters but after awhile it just started feeling like a chore to me, and i felt more disconnected from what i was reading. now i finished it just to get it over with and i found it was severely underwhelming... i don't know what else to say
June 30, 2018
Heavily Wiccan, and I don't agree with everything but still relevant.
2018 Discarded: I'm going through my witchy books slowly and culling them. To the library book sale this one goes lol
2018 Discarded: I'm going through my witchy books slowly and culling them. To the library book sale this one goes lol
July 13, 2025
Not for me, personally. A lot of information in this was pretty opinionated yet presented as fact.
November 15, 2015
This is really a magical book! It is beautifully written and if I had my way anyone that was considering the path of witchcraft would have to read this book! I bought this book a while ago and when I first started reading it I could not put it down. It was as if the author knew my mind and was essentially allowing me to take it to another level. It will start you on a path that will change your life. It is not necessarily an easy read, as it is not written in the simplest of words, but this simply adds to an incredible book.
"A Witch Alone" stands out from the others for two reasons. Firstly, it is written in thirteen chapters, each a lesson. At the end of each Ms. Greene gives you a project and a reading list. These have specific goals that open the student up to the mysteries of this ancient religion in an easy, gentle way. While guidance is always preferable, if you have no teacher near you, this is nearly a substitute. Secondly, there is a flexibility about each chapter/lesson that teaches something else - the ability to use your own intuition, a very important resource to any Wiccan. It helps the person develop a sense of spiritual self, and does so in the most effective way.
I really feel that her words have a resonance to me and I can honestly say I learned a lot from her.
"A Witch Alone" is a beautiful gift from Marian Greene to those seeking to walk the path of the Wicca.
I would give it more stars if I could.
"A Witch Alone" stands out from the others for two reasons. Firstly, it is written in thirteen chapters, each a lesson. At the end of each Ms. Greene gives you a project and a reading list. These have specific goals that open the student up to the mysteries of this ancient religion in an easy, gentle way. While guidance is always preferable, if you have no teacher near you, this is nearly a substitute. Secondly, there is a flexibility about each chapter/lesson that teaches something else - the ability to use your own intuition, a very important resource to any Wiccan. It helps the person develop a sense of spiritual self, and does so in the most effective way.
I really feel that her words have a resonance to me and I can honestly say I learned a lot from her.
"A Witch Alone" is a beautiful gift from Marian Greene to those seeking to walk the path of the Wicca.
I would give it more stars if I could.
December 5, 2015
I like Green's style of writing and I think this book is a great source of ideas as well as a nice guide for a solitary witch without the overly ritualistic approach that I dislike. I do find the book quite Wiccan centered and I would take what she writes with a grain of salt. She seems to put a lot of weight on pointing out historical inaccuracies but fails to mention that her own theories cannot be proven either. In this light I find it a bit odd that one of the books she recommends is Margaret Murray's The Witch Cult in Western Europe. I personally like to use the book as an encouragement to use your own imagination and look past what you read in books.
August 21, 2015
I was lucky enough to pick up this book in my teenage years, when I knew I wasn't Christian but was looking into a wide variety of spiritual paths. This is the book that made me decide/realize I was Neo-Pagan. I don't consider myself Wiccan or a Witch, but I definitely consider myself Neo-Pagan and down the line I found modern Druidry. It's been a while, but I did re-read it in my early 20s, and both times I was struck with how beautiful and poetic the prose is in many parts.
October 8, 2012
I felt like this book was incredibly Euro-centric and very, very basic. It dealt with a lot of common sense that was not necessarily just applicable to a magickal practitioner. It unfortunately was really a let down and Green's rambling writing style did little to hold my attention.
February 15, 2013
It's been so long since I read this that I can't give much detail. However I've been recommending it for years. Excellent book, well written, and a more grounded view of Wicca than many others I've read.
October 10, 2023
So where are we just yet? Many are drawn to ‘witchcraft’ since the traditional form of prayer, the church, and their dogma are not meeting their need…seeking religious freedom and reawakening the ancient link with our Mother Earth. Yet, others have heard wilder music, playing to an older beat, and wishing to reunite with Mother Nature, out of doors, under the light of the stars and changing moonlight more simply.
History shows that each community had its own wise woman, calling them by many names; one of which was an herbalist or comforter… some of them were accused of crimes, tried, and executed while most were innocent, for those with the true knowledge kept their secrets, knew the future and took care to be hidden if inquisitors came along.
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I perused this book not to learn or to practice; I am ignorant of it all and perhaps there’s danger in that as well…grabbing what I could of it; as it read well; instructionally sound but does not make me want to practice being what I am; ignorant of Mother Earth because it is for home owners who wants to prosper with the selling of fruits, vegetables, honey-making, salves, potions etc. There is more, always more to be learn and it takes time. It can begin as a hobby for wanting to learn how to make soap, or salves; using herbs as spice for cooking and ultimately for healing and divinity, purity. Chaste!
History shows that each community had its own wise woman, calling them by many names; one of which was an herbalist or comforter… some of them were accused of crimes, tried, and executed while most were innocent, for those with the true knowledge kept their secrets, knew the future and took care to be hidden if inquisitors came along.
-------------------
I perused this book not to learn or to practice; I am ignorant of it all and perhaps there’s danger in that as well…grabbing what I could of it; as it read well; instructionally sound but does not make me want to practice being what I am; ignorant of Mother Earth because it is for home owners who wants to prosper with the selling of fruits, vegetables, honey-making, salves, potions etc. There is more, always more to be learn and it takes time. It can begin as a hobby for wanting to learn how to make soap, or salves; using herbs as spice for cooking and ultimately for healing and divinity, purity. Chaste!
December 17, 2017
The thing with magic is that nobody is going to ever master EVERYTHING. So there’s never going to be one book that will cover all the aspects completely. This beginner’s book acknowledges the above fact with a practical approach.
That a beginner’s book will show you the broad strokes in the craft, the major schools and faculties in the arts of magick. The novice practitioner can glean through those aspects. While the more experienced mages can enjoy the refreshing reminder of elements that they might have been neglecting in their practices.
The bonus point particular to this book is that, whether curious, beginner or jaded, that it’s always nice to be reminded of what’s constant in the arts: that it’s a spiritual practice. That meeting with the ancient ones can take as short as 5 minutes of dedicated solitude. That a spiritual practice does not require the mediation of others to be attained. That the kernel of Spirit can be accessed in plant seeds, day/night transitions, an exchange of a kind touch.
That the point to reading books is to put them away and practice what's been learned.
That a beginner’s book will show you the broad strokes in the craft, the major schools and faculties in the arts of magick. The novice practitioner can glean through those aspects. While the more experienced mages can enjoy the refreshing reminder of elements that they might have been neglecting in their practices.
The bonus point particular to this book is that, whether curious, beginner or jaded, that it’s always nice to be reminded of what’s constant in the arts: that it’s a spiritual practice. That meeting with the ancient ones can take as short as 5 minutes of dedicated solitude. That a spiritual practice does not require the mediation of others to be attained. That the kernel of Spirit can be accessed in plant seeds, day/night transitions, an exchange of a kind touch.
That the point to reading books is to put them away and practice what's been learned.
November 19, 2017
Low on information, the authoress instead chooses to give her readers a list of 4+ books at the end of each chapter or lesson.
What I find somewhat dishonest is that she wrote some of those same books and could have included the relevant portions instead of trying to milk further sales.
Ms Green also gives the impression that she feels 'Traditional' Wicca is superior to other forms, so anyone on an eclectic path or who follows a non-European type of Paganism will probably find little to relate to.
Overall this book may fascinate someone with zero knowledge of Paganism who wants a bare bones introduction to European-based Wicca, but if you are a serious and seasoned practitioner you have probably heard it all before.
What I find somewhat dishonest is that she wrote some of those same books and could have included the relevant portions instead of trying to milk further sales.
Ms Green also gives the impression that she feels 'Traditional' Wicca is superior to other forms, so anyone on an eclectic path or who follows a non-European type of Paganism will probably find little to relate to.
Overall this book may fascinate someone with zero knowledge of Paganism who wants a bare bones introduction to European-based Wicca, but if you are a serious and seasoned practitioner you have probably heard it all before.
February 13, 2020
Overall, really enjoyed this book and I got a lot out of it. My one issue is that I felt as though the author looks down on people who shop at metaphysical stores for crystals, sage, and other tools. I don’t disagree that making your own tools and using your own herbs is powerful. I grow many of my own plants and prefer to use them if I can. The concept that crystals are blown out of the Earth causing severe damage to the planet is straight up bologna. If miners did that, the crystals wouldn’t be whole. I just felt like the author was exaggerating quite a bit on that, but otherwise four stars.
October 14, 2025
DON’T READ IF YOU ARE INTO WITCHCRAFT
Reading this book felt like I’m 32 years old being put into first grade listening to 1+1 equals 2! This book being written in the 90s does not excuse the absolute nonsense it kept talking about. At some point I wondered if Martha Steward wrote this book and not someone involved in witchcraft.
If i could give 0 stars I would.
Reading this book felt like I’m 32 years old being put into first grade listening to 1+1 equals 2! This book being written in the 90s does not excuse the absolute nonsense it kept talking about. At some point I wondered if Martha Steward wrote this book and not someone involved in witchcraft.
If i could give 0 stars I would.
September 5, 2018
Too fairy tale-ish.
December 9, 2018
Will need a reread. Not for me at this time.
October 29, 2019
I like that it doesn't have rituals and spells. Just some advice and you can take what you want from it. Definitely dated now, but still a good read.
April 30, 2020
This book has lit the fire in me. I think a lot of the reviews are correct in that it is basic , but it pulls you to the path with the author’s passion and knowledge. Such a beautiful book.
September 28, 2020
Unfortunately found a fair bit of ableism in this book and have given up in chapter 5.
November 24, 2020
Must have book for all Wiccan's, you will find great information which you can chose to follow or adapt to yourself . This book and the others She has written are great source for all Witches.
January 21, 2021
A little hard to follow at times but a great read, especially if you're A solitary witch like myself.
April 30, 2022
Lots of interesting historical tie-ins and general information of similarities between many major religions' dieties and celebrations.
March 7, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed working through this book.
March 13, 2023
A complete and pratical beginner's guide, in which the author actually explains why she chose Wicca - an unusual effort.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews