Wicca and Witchcraft for Dummies

by Diane Smith

Examines Wiccan magic, rituals, traditions, and code of conduct

Get the scoop on this ancient spiritual path

Wondering what it takes to be a Wiccan? This plain-English guide introduces you to the vibrant world of Wicca and the practices of Witchcraft, describing its ancient origins, dispelling stereotypes, and explaining Wiccan beliefs, ethics, rituals, and holidays. You'll see what it means to live as a contemporary Wiccan -- and how to worship alone or with a group.

Discover how to
* Worship alone or join a coven
* Perform charms, blessings, and spells
* Obtain necessary tools and supplies
* Spot spiritual scams and inappropriate behavior
* Explore a spiritual path guided by nature

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

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2005

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Jennifer Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this as a conversation book as I have plenty of spell books and other informative books on the Craft. Flipping through this one on a boring day actually turned out to be kinda cool. As with all the "dummies" books it of course oversimplifies things but it turned out to be a decent beginners guide. It goes through the purpose and meaning of the different candles and herbs used in spellcrafting, even informing the reader of the exact reasons to use certain colors and herbs in different spells. It also explains the different "holy" days and the activities that fit each one in detail. It has some history of witchcraft as well and the basic "rules" of practicing the Craft. It also includes some simple spells and rituals. I still have the book and I recommend it to those with an open mind that want to learn at least the basics before moving on to more complicated works. I also recommend it for those that are just interested in this particular spiritual path, even if they have no urge or calling to become a practitioner of the Art of Spellcrafting

[Renee Bradshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book years ago, and decided to reread now. A lot is redundant to me at this point, but it is well written and great for a new comer.

[Tardisgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting book. Provides a lot of information.
It's the first book on witchcraft where I heard quantum physics mentioned. And in a way, the law of attraction (fully explained in the book "The Secret"). I like that they did this.
I think, in a way, it has always felt like that for me.
However, there were also things in the book I didn't fully agree with.
No matter how often she says it doesn't have dogma, and it's a free believe to shape as you want, it still has too many limits and rules (a.k.a. dogma) for me. (As it always had, in my opinion).

I am very relieved it's not mainly based on just the Gardnerian & Alexandrian practises anymore. Back when I got into Wicca (so long ago), books were mainly based on these 2 practises, and I really dislike them.

Also a bit of a shame the Netherlands weren't mentioned in the list of countries where they held witch trials.

Personally I find the book overly dramatic on wether to tell people or not that your practise Wicca / Witchcraft, and all the secrecy around it.
But I may be "too Dutch" for this. We are very open & honest about these things and don't shock easily. At least, not that I ever noticed. Especially not in the 21st century.

So, to wrap it up : Very good, informative book. Especially for someone new to the craft, it contains all the basics you need to know. And to them, I definitely recommend it.

[Craig Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like Wicca & Witchcraft, one could believe that the subject matter delves into the occult and, perhaps, specifically Satanism or some other sort of dark worship. However, this is not the case and the author goes into great pains to explain to the reader that Wicca & Witchcraft, for the purposes of the book, deals with old Pagan rituals blended with a modern flair of feminism, environmentalism, and a touch of New Age/Hippy philosophy.

This religion is setup as a Matriarchy with the Goddess as the only and/or supreme deity. While it is true there can be other Gods, elements, and spirits that a Wiccan can summon for help/support, these otherworldly helpers pale in comparison to that of the Goddess.

Wiccans believe in an interconnection between all things within the universe and as such, they do not practice harmful major or rituals as they believe what force/energy they project into the world, will come back to the Wiccan in threefold intensity. The general philosophy is to "Live and Let Live" and "Do No Harm"

Unlike other religion, Wicca does not have a set dogma and each Wiccan or Coven is free to practice as they will. This make Wicca unique when compared to other religions. Wiccans do not agree on a setup of standards or practices however; most do agree in a form of re-incarnation with the possibility of returning to the this plane of existence or merging with the Goddess and she is the source of everything.

The book also goes into many of the rituals and spells performed by some in Wicca as well as the notion of worshiping in "Skyclad" or naked. The author points out that this is not a common way of worshiping and that most Wiccans preform to leave their clothes on. She also dispels the notion of orgies or wild sex acts when practicing Wicca as a negative stereotype.

There are plenty of information of how Wiccans choose stones, herbs, candles, etc. for use in the rituals and magic and what the properties of each are best used for.

All in all, it was an informative read especially since I did not know a great deal about Wicca aside from what is portrayed in the movies and on television. I certainly cannot say that I would ever to choose to a Wiccan however; should I come across someone who does practice this particular religion, I will have a good understanding of their belief and how that may directly affect how they are as an individual.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not terrible but is quite stereotypical/biased. A lot of the concepts have not aged well.

[Salamanderinspace · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I consider myself a pop culture pagan. I believe spirits live in the realm of fiction, that they can be transferred by media and engaged with. I was also raised in a pagan household. Still, I didn't have a really strong background in how wiccans and witches, as a whole, practice; what unites all of them/us, since we are varied and multifarious. After starting to practice with a local New Moon Circle I realized I really needed a primer in basic witchcraft. This book is that.

I wouldn't take too much of this book as gospel. Some of the information is contradictory or reductive, and the author does this thing where she reduces a science thing or a historical/mythological thing to something numinous and abstract and totally unintended by the original context of the thing. Like when she talks about string theory or "ancient shamans;" I don't really trust her as a source on those topics. Also, the book was published in 2005, so some of the information--such as that about the online Wiccan community--is probably outdated. I can't help but wish some of the information in here was cited to sources; where does the idea that invoking circles are drawn clockwise and dissolving circles go counterclockwise COME FROM? Was it just some guy? Why is North associated with the earth, east with the air, etc? What are the origins of that information?

The section on holidays is an excellent reference, particularly for the eight sabbats. The astrology section is extremely sparse, so you may want to pick up another source on that topic specifically.

In summary: easy to read and informative, but not a sacred text.

[Sabrina Owens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, couldn't even finish it.
The misinformation and contradictions were just too much for me, not to mention the unnecessarily huge section at the beginning trying to tie quantum mechanics and a spiritual belief system together. Pro tip: If you're not educated formally in quantum physics, you DO NOT know enough to go spouting woo woo connections about it. Most laymen do not understand even the basics of quantum theory enough to do it justice, let alone use it to try and prove a faith based system. It's not cool.

I give this 2 stars as it helped me really start thinking about how I held some of these ideas in my own philosophy and practice, but I absolutely do not recommend it for educational purposes, especially since it insists on conflating witchcraft and Wicca. Maybe an exercise in cross referencing and critical thinking, so one can learn how to sift through information and know when something isn't valuable or straight up bunk, but otherwise? Besides maybe some of the very copy-paste practical material towards the end, there's not much here I'd recommend to someone new to the practice or just wanting to open their minds and learn. You'd be better off going straight to primary source books or newer authors that can more credibly give better historical information and won't try to use science to prove faith (it doesn't need to do that).

[Gerdine Behrmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly wasnt sure what rating to give this. This is my fist time reading a “for dummies” book. Its accessible, and not in depth. But I think that is the point. So it does that well. It did make me interested in picking up more specialized books on some of the topics she brought up. And she definitely debunked many of the misconceptions about wicca that stem from christianity.

With that being said, I don’t think I will pick up the practice. Im not sure many of the practices make sense yet to me logically.

But i think that speaks to the integrity of the writing. She wasn’t trying to sell anyone. This book is just an accumulation of knowledge on the topic, as a stepping stone.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admittedly have basically zero background here, so I can't say if this is truly a good resource.

However... the writing is straightforward. Important concepts are repeated in key sections throughout the book, so you can skip to the sections you're most interested in. The Tens lists and the FAQ offer a sort of 'quick start' guide. Smith does actively try to recognize how definitions, beliefs, etc. change depending who you ask.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great foundational book

Exactly what I've been looking for! Simple explanations, definitions, and how-to's as well as in depth explanations and histories. I now feel I have the foundation needed to Read some of the more in-depth literature I've picked up.

[Anchor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, good source of material for research and information that I didn't know before hand and information that I needed !! Will definitely continue to use this book for referencing information for my practice !!

[Peggi Warner-Lalonde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good resource.

[Andre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to Wicca, gives you just enough info about various topics to point you in the way of learning even more.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good basic review for baby Wiccans and the curious as well.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative

I found this book to be very informative but I still have so many questions. This book helped spark the want to learn more

[Rainy Artworks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for beginners or those who want to refresh on any topic discussed within this book. It has helped me very much on my path over the years

[Jason B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative in all aspects of Wicca and Witchcraft. I'll use this book as a reference in the future.

[Debbys Witchy Vlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great jumping off point for those beginning thier journey in witchcraft and don't even know where to start.

[carina]

this helped me hex people

[Sheriene · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that covers the basics and gives you information that you feel is reliable. Much of the information in here is quite light as it is an introductory sort of guide, though there are pointers for where to get more information.

However, there is a lot of repetition in this book, many places were I was like- "I've read this before". I guess this is because it is a book that you can easily dip into and out of and not everyone will read it in order. But for someone like me who does, the repetition slowed down the reading and was a little irritating.

Aside from that, a good introductory book.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very helpful with the history, different beliefs, and the myths surrounding Wicca. I love how the author is open with the topics and does not try to make you believing everything she says. I like how she gave the facts about the history of Wicca, and then the myths many people still believe today. She tells you the pros and cons of what has happened to people who have worshiped this belief. Near the end of the book I like how she lists the celebrations and holidays Wiccans celebrate, and how there are different meanings for crystals. What a well written book thank you Diane Smith.

[Alia Makki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm quoting this because it really needs to get straightened when practicing any kind of ritual:

"When doing magick for someone else keep in mind that it is never okay to accept money for your magickal work. People will want to pay you, but you cannot take their money. First of all, moneymaking is not what magick is for. If you do accept money for your magick, your magick will start to lose its spiritual value. Taking money for your magick can also create greed within you. You also need to know that charging someone for magickal work is illegal."

Replace "magick" with any kind of charity: Ain't nobody poorer than those who value r over mastery and service and honest-to-God acts of love.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight to Wicca

This was a fantastic book for the curious to learn about the history and meaning of Wicca. I learned so much and have gained a great respect for Wiccans. This author made it easy to read and understand. Although, she did repeat herself a lot. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering a spiritual path to Wicca or even just the curious. It's really sad that society has given the Craft such a bad name. I'm very glad I bought this book and will likely read it again.

[Cherese A. Vines · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good informational book about Wicca and Witchcraft and what it's all really about. Wicca seems to be a spiritual journey that helps one become closer to their deity of choice. There are very few rules and/or ruling body. But followers of Wicca do believe that whatever we do in life comes back to us so that we must do what is right because we are all connected. Good starter book for those who have absolutely no idea about what Wicca really is. I was surprised.

[Bladestryke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to think about this one. I had the idea it might be written with all the stereotypes in mind. boy was I happily surprised! very in depth and written in a way that makes you feel at least as a newbie respected for trying to understand the concept. it even goes into depth about the ethics and reasons to do things within the craft. for anyone studying wicca, paganism or religion this is a must have!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great introduction to Wicca. As someone who has not studied this area of spirituality before, it really opened my eyes to what Wicca and witchcraft is all about. This really was an introduction and I am sure there could be more details on various areas of witchcraft. I would have liked to learn more about witchcraft before its recent resurgence and also some of the deeper occult teachings/philosophies/practices but I suppose that would be covered in other books.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went through a phase where I was looking for a new path in life and I thought Wicca would be that way. I studied this book day and night and thought I'd found it. Although I found it insightful it wasn't the way for me. An interesting enough read though.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the Dummies series. Wiccan and Witchcraft is something I've been fascinated by for a long time and this gave me a lot of information, plus other writers and ideas/traditions to research. Excellent work.

[Madison Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative! A bit repetitive, but that's because I read it cover to cover which isn't the format the book is necessarily intended for. Certaintly intended for beginners or those just curious to learn about Wicca, so it was perfect for me.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this one as a joke from my Best Friend.
it's not too bad though. it gives you heaps of tid bits and info.