A Little Bit of Wicca: An Introduction to Witchcraft

by Cassandra Eason

From an acclaimed author on witchcraft, an easy-to-use, informative introduction to Wicca.

Wicca is growing in popularity, and Cassandra Eason—much admired for her writing on spiritual subjects—takes a look at its origins, its uses in everyday life, and its gods and goddesses. She explains how magick functions; how to create an altar and what tools you’ll need; how to make your own spells, rituals, and chants; how to find a coven, and so much more!

A contemporary guide to practicing Wicca

Written by an acclaimed author on spiritual subjects, this book is an easy-to-understand introduction to Wicca and its origins, as well as an overview of how magick functions and how to use it in everyday life. You’ll learn how to set up a Wiccan altar, collect and dedicate magickal tools, create and cast spells, and more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Wicca, Spirituality, Religion, Paganism, Reference

128 pages, Hardcover

Published September 12, 2017

Reviews

[Lateef Amodu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is well presented. Easy to go through and read. It’s packed with a lot of useful information and advice in a concise format. It serves as an applied book for anyone who wants to become a Wiccan practitioner. The book covers Wiccan altar and Magickal tools, creating a Magick circle, Magickal elements, creating spells and rituals, the definition of the goddess and god in Wicca, the wheel of the year and general advice about joining covens and practicing witchcraft solo. I thought this book was useful, as someone who simply wanted to know what witchcraft was and it’s mechanics, but without the hyperbole or fantasy.

[Alina Karapandzich · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short introduction to practicing Wicca. This book seemed almost too short...it flew through complex concepts in very little time/space and so I felt like it left a lot unexplained. I think the author sacrificed the quality of the depth of discussion for the sake of brevity. This book could be useful however as quick reference guide. The best sections for reference later are those explaining how to set up the altar and those that explain the main Wiccan holidays.

[Alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

i would say steps more into traditional witchcraft, for example it stated the you need a cauldron and other magical tools which are not needed in today's modern Wicca. however i am just a baby witch but from what I've learned most of the stuff is not needed. as you go more into the book it becomes less and less of a boring read. there was some useful stuff that i highlighted but overall i was not impressed and didn't learn as much as the book promised.

[أسرا · Rating 1 out of 5]

It focuses on the practice rather than the theory, this might suit some but it wasn't for me.

[Sam Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been curious to learn more about Wicca, witchcraft, and the like so this felt like a good introduction. It seems to act more as a guide than explanation but still gave insight into Wicca as a whole. Upon reading some other reviews it seems that the information may be a little unspecific and that Wicca and witchcraft are conflated more than they maybe should be though.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading all these books about the history of occultism, paganism, and Wicca, but after all that, I found I still didn't actually know what the basic characteristics of the religion were. This book is a helpful little primer that will tell you the basics.

[Brittany Krug · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good how-to guide. Definitely not the best full introduction for someone who knows nothing about Wicca (I was hoping for more history and reasoning for why Wicca is practiced the way it is) but more of a good book for Wiccans to keep on hand at all times.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

simple and practical, great for beginners

[Rod · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a little like witchcraft as a cooking show! Unfortunately going through the rituals step by step without a lot of background as to the spiritual significance of them at times can make this kind of a dry read. Still, it was really nice to have some of the important aspects laid out in one place to research without having to do a lot of on-line searching for them. Now I know where to look for what quarter we're in!

[Maria Luiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ele não é muito eficiente para quem caiu na wicca! ele é bem assim... inicial mesmo, mas ele fala de coisas muito complexas sem antes mesmo explicar sobre aquilo ou ao mesmo realizar a completude de um livro. Ele é muito direto. Não é muito explicativo. Não é o primeiro livro pra se ler da Wicca, como acabei fazendo. Foca em algumas coisas principais, mas ele não é aquele livro único que alguém que esteja querendo ler mais sobre a Wicca e aprender mais tenha como principal no meio dos estudos. Mas ele com certeza abriu minha mente e me fez entender um pouco mais de forma inicial, já que foi o primeiro livro da Wicca que li. Ele só não é aquele livro "corrente", que vai explicando as coisas, ele é muito mais explícito e pronto. Além de que muitas coisas dele podem, em pessoas que estão iniciando a magia, ajudar a entender, porém a magia é o relacionado a cada pessoa e o que ela se sente confortável a fazer aquilo. Não tem uma regra específica. Mas gostei do livro, de certa forma. Apesar de não ser algo que você vai abrir e ler de forma continua. É como se cada parte importasse.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

My big issue with this book -
The author uses Wicca and Witchcraft synonymously, which they are not. Wicca is a religion, Witchcraft is just that, a craft. While often used together, they are not the same thing. Not all Witches are Wiccan, and not all Wiccans are Witches!

In the introduction, under the header of Who are Wiccans? We have this "Wiccans may be Christian, Buddhist, belong to any other religion, or belong to none", which isn't true. You can have a Christian Witch, but you can't have a Christian Wiccan!

With that aside, this book is kind of meh. It's not bad, but it's not good either. I wouldn't recommend it to someone starting out, but I may suggest it to someone a little further on their path as extra reading (reading 'good' books and 'bad' books all help you discover your path). It's very formal/traditional, and very group orientated.

[Fi · Rating 2 out of 5]

There isn't necessarily anything wrong with this book, it just seems kind of pointless to me. It is definitely an introduction, so much so that it doesn't really offer any useful or in depth information. It glances over a variety of topics, and I suppose it gets the gist of some main points of wicca across... but honestly, if you're actually interested in wicca there are so many other books that you would be much better off reading. Cassandra Eason is a good writer, and has many other books on witchcraft that are more worth your time.

So overall, this book isn't bad. It's just so basic that if you are actually interested in wicca, you'd be so much better off reading something else. If you're just reading it for fun I could see that it would be more enjoyable.

[Shandril · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. Important to keep in mind that Eason portrays a more traditional practice of Wicca that is as not as common as it once was, especially in the US. Someone new to Wicca will indeed get the basics of Wiccan ritual, tools, and the holidays, but without the context of how Wicca is practiced in the modem era. Eclectic Wiccans will read this book and find themselves editing in their head, but a new Wiccan will not know to do this. I have recommended this book to my experienced Wiccan students so that they may see another perspective. Two items that I really do appreciate: the explanatory breakdown of the Charge of the Goddess, and the correspondence pages.

[Inge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't know where I put this book but I think non-fiction is the way to go.
It is religion so it looks like fantasy but they aren't kidding and it is written as non-fiction.
So it was all about Wicca and I learned still a bit. I didn't learn that much because I have already red nearly the entire series of WICCA.
But all the feasts and minerals that where used are very interesting. Definitely worth your while if you want to discover a new religion or what WICCA is about.

[Celine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected. It drives straight into setting up for rituals in a very detailed way from directions to items to things to say, where to stand etc. For that part I would have loved some visuals to bring it to life more. As such, and as a total newbie to the topic, I found the descriptions a bit overwhelming.

The last 10-15 pages were much more accessible with some simple ways to explore spells, details on symbology, days of the week, moon/ sun phases, colors for candles etc

[Tyler Kuhn · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you are a beginner looking to get into Wicca of witchcraft absolutely skip this book. From the very first few pages the author completely disregards the difference between Wiccans and Witches. Additionally it seems that she is taking her own personal practice and is preaching it as the ONE true way to practice witchcraft, which is a terrible way to bring people in. Definitely skip this book.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book to start learning about the craft. I think it is some sort of summarized book with general ideas and I need to get better books to better immerse myself.

I am glad I picked this book and there are many important information in this that I will be getting back to and also look into them more so I fully grasp everything.

[Alex Gruenenfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and informative read, which tells much about the traditions of Wicca. Very detail-oriented, informing with a great many details about a variety of topics. A great primer for those unfamiliar with the Craft.

[Loren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it in one go, kinda skimming it as it was a lot of bulk information to go through. Great beginner information but it’s heavily on the traditional side of Wicca. Still a go read when beginning to research

[Ariadna Arredondo · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I’m well-versed in the subject, I’ve just read this for research and helping my clients out. It’s very basic, some points to highlight and give you a sense of Wicca. I’d like there to be more and a bit deeper but yet again we know these books are small and try to be to the point.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really easy to read, gives basic information but felt too short this book can be finished in less than a couple of hours. Great for people interested in Wicca but there’s nothing much to gain if you wanted to learn something new for anyone who knows Wicca already.

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muito informativo, apesar de simples e de certa forma resumido. Mas como o título diz, é um manual "prático" e quanto a isso não há o que reclamar. Caso haja interesse em se aprofundar é necessário pesquisar em mais fontes, caso já se tenha uma base esse livro é ótimo.

[Alex Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good lose and fast crash course on Wiccan beliefs and practices. It is very easy to create a personalized set or rituals to practice or know how to approach further research on the subject to learn more if one desires.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

An accessible little book about witches, alters, spells, covens.

[Selena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, short-but-sweet overview of Wicca. Provides a lot of information about things you wouldn't think about and might have questions about as a beginner.

[Bella Blinderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative!

[Lizzy Seitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 out of 5 stars

Lots of information in a small book. However a few sections need more explanation than is given in the book

[Candice Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent intro to magick and Wicca. Love it

[Morticia Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really nice easy introduction, looking forward to applying things.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much to say on this book as it just wasn't what I was looking for.