Scottish Witchcraft: The History and Magick of the Picts

by Raymond Buckland

From the ancient misty Highlands of Scotland come the secrets of the solitary Witchcraft practice of the mysterious early Keltic people. PectiWita emphasizes living and blending of magick into everyday life. Here, for the first time, are full details of this solitary branch of the Old Ways, their celebrations, talismans, song and dance, herbal lore, runes and glyphs, and recipes.

Genres: Witchcraft, Wicca, History, Paganism, Nonfiction, Scotland, Magic

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 1991

About the author

Raymond Buckland was a highly influential figure in the development of modern Wicca and the occult in the United States. Born in London, he became interested in the supernatural at an early age and was initiated into the Gardnerian Wiccan tradition in 1963 by Monique Wilson, a high priestess appointed by Gerald Gardner. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1962, Buckland introduced Gardnerian Wicca to the country, founding its first coven in New York in 1964. He later developed his own tradition, Seax-Wica, inspired by Anglo-Saxon paganism, and published The Tree: Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft to make it accessible to all.
In 1968, he established the first Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in the U.S., which helped normalize and educate the public about Wicca. Over the course of his career, Buckland wrote more than sixty books on Wicca, divination, and the occult, including Witchcraft from the Inside and Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft, both regarded as essential texts in Neopaganism.
Throughout his life, Buckland remained a prolific teacher, writer, and practitioner. He continued to write and teach until his death in 2017, leaving behind a lasting legacy that shaped the spiritual practices of countless Wiccans and Pagans worldwide.

Reviews

[David]

I read this as a young teenager and thought it all sounded neat, even if getting a whole new set of working tools was too impractical for me. However, I would now implore anyone interested in this to first read some scholarly books on Scottish history, especially what is actually known about the Picts. Then you can adequately judge this volume for yourself.

[Rebecca_harley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I don't think much of this book is historically accurate and perhaps the author's opinion encroaches a little too much, I still found it a relatively interesting read. Most of this interesting information was found in the final appendix at the end of the book, which I feel would have been better placed in the first chapter.

[Kat Coffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A goofy, loose-with-the-facts treatise on "Pictish witchcraft". Unsourced, because...the Picts didn't have written language. (But somehow Buckland knows better than academic scholars). Some interesting survivalist tips, though.

[J.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicca with a Highlands slant. There are a few new ideas here, and I like the idea of a keekstane - I'm still looking for mine - and the presentation is well done by one of the perennial grand masters of the metaphysical library. Very enjoyable.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buckland is NOT one of my favorite authors but this was actually not bad. A good overall look at the tradtions of Scotland.

[Heather turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

slow read but ok

[Alyssa Dearborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it very enjoyable as well as a good introduction to the history of witchcraft in Scottish culture. I would say, though, that the author is a bit pretentious in his description of magic and the craft. Despite this, I found many interesting and useful points in this book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in expanding their own craft or to those simply interested in learning about Scottish paganism.

[Indigo Crow · Rating 3 out of 5]

My witchy, very Scottish self got excited when I saw the title for this. Buuut, then I saw it was by Buckland and published by Llewellyn, so a lot of the excitement bubbled away. I read it anyway, because I'm still a witch and a Scot and my many-greats granddad was Kenneth MacAlpine (so sayeth an extensive genealogy my grandfather and uncle collected during the 70's and 80's), so I have an interest in the Picts, too.

The book itself, overall, isn't bad. It has some decent information about the Picts and their traditions, for as much as anybody really knows about them. Or what they'd have known at the time of this publication, at the least. Buckland seemed genuinely interested in the history of the people and their practices and wasn't too fast to jump to the God and Goddess thing with them, as I'm thinking they wouldn't have had any particularly strong ties to that concept. But, Buckland IS a Wiccan, so it stands to reason that he would squeeze the God and Goddess in there somehow.

There is a decent amount of information on how to connect with Nature and to create tools for your Craft in a way that may have been more true to how the old Scots would have done it. My grandfather, for example, had a staff that he created in much the way that Buckland describes. So for the most part, I have no issues with that sort of thing.

Buckland DOES seem to want to place emphasis on ceremony, and I have a feeling the old Scots wouldn't have cared much about some of the things he tries to put "glitz" on. Again, it felt like that was the Wiccan in him trying to push into a place where such things weren't necessary.*

Still, even though he has a tendency in all his books to make it sound like you have to do it a very specific way or it isn't going to work, the book is pretty good and I do feel like the information in it is well presented. While books by this author and by this publisher do often get a bad rep, this is one I think that anybody with interest in witchcraft should read. It's a FAST read, too, so it won't take long to get through it.

*I know not all Wiccans are hung up on glitz and pageantry, but Buckland has always struck me as such. So the comments I'm making here are aimed more to him in particular and not Wiccans as a whole.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting read. He presents some different ideas about Scottish witchcraft, such as using one's dirk for both magickal and mundane works (whereas, in modern day Wicca most people have their ceremonial knife aka the athame and use it primarily for magickal workings) - which actually made sense to me as I read it. If one thinks back to previous centuries, how many of the common folk in rural communities could afford to buy or make an athame and never use it for everyday tasks? If I was living in the 16th century and could only afford one knife in my household, it would have to serve multiple purposes for both magickal and every day usage. Anyways, he discusses various aspects of Scottish Witchcraft but I do think the title is a tad misleading "The History and Magick of the Picts"....not much is known about the Picts or their magickal workings from ages long past since nothing was recorded by them. There are accounts of their warriors being either tattooed or painted which was thought to hold magickal meaning. Anyways, take this book with a grain of salt. Gleam what you can that you feel is relevant and leave the rest. People either love or hate Raymond Buckland but one thing is clear, he made a substantial impact on modern day witchcraft.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some interesting information in it, but for the most part it was the same stuff worded differently. I was hoping for more information on the Druid society in Scottish witchcraft but there was only a tiny amount on them.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book here. It was more historical/sociological in scope, and that really appealed to me. Good book on the subject!!!

[Cerisse]

good book on history

[Anastacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the history is indeed questionable in Buckland's book, the topics and the exploration of the Picti is very interesting. I enjoyed reading it and found it inspiring for my own writing.

[Audra (ouija.reads)]

I picked this up in a used bookstore as I just couldn’t leave behind something claiming to have some knowledge about Scottish witchcraft, something I’ve been trying to find. Though an amusing little read, this isn’t a book I’d suggest anyone seek out. I don’t really see a good way to rate this book, so I’m not going to, lol.

Buckland is definitely playing fast and loose with historical fact, as in, you’d be better off finding a real history book if that’s what you’re interested in. Most of the witchy knowledge and ritual he offers here are things he learned from some Scottish guy who claims connection to Pictish craft traditions that he calls PectiWita. While I have no authority in the slightest to confirm or deny that guy’s teachings, it is definitely suspect to get most of your info from just one dude.

The information is pretty hodgepodge which is nice in that it touches on a lot of different areas, but also weird in that it includes a whole chapter on survival (like building a tent and starting a fire) that seems like it’s just filler. I wouldn’t trust the information about herbal correspondences without checking them elsewhere. The runes were interesting, though!

My main complaint though is that the book is clearly written with a specific perspective, which is Buckland’s Wiccan perspective. He references Wicca a lot and seems to fill in the blanks with Wiccan ideas, as if that makes any sense since Wicca was only invented around the 1950s. Ah, to have the confidence of a white man writing a book. Buckland also cannibalizes a couple of his other books for material in the back matter, as I have seen before that he is wont to do.

In Buckland’s defense (kind of, not really sure why I’m bothering to defend him as I find him to be a bit of a hack) this could be because there just really isn’t that much info about witchcraft in Scotland as it was historically practiced. It probably was not ever written down, only passed along by family members until it was mostly stamped out.

This book isn’t all crap, and I am a firm believer in witchcraft being a very personal practice where you can use what works and leave the rest behind. As I’ve been looking for more info about my heritage and connections to Celtic witchcraft practices, there are definitely some things in here I will consider at the very least doing some more research on.

I’m interested in what sources practitioners with Celtic heritage have found useful!

[Heather Forensky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great knowledge of herbs and survival tips if you are not a Scout or Brownie person. But also interesting on the history of the Picts because you can't find a lot of history on the Picts, but you can certainly find a lot on the Celts.

[Kelly Allen-Kujawski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Information on the Picts, their history, and some of their practices is great. Bucklands typical snobbery and religious beliefs come out a bit in this which is unnecessary since this is to do with the Picts, not Wicca.

[Vivienne Sayers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read, but more about general magick and witchcraft than Pictish craft, of which there is very little information.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

While there was some good information in the book and I learned some good stuff. I think I’ll be more interested in the books in the bibliography in the back of the book.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated, but still interesting.

[Dark Luna Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is going to be a great book for others but as a non animal eater I just can not align with the message inside.

[Thalla Rothach · Rating 1 out of 5]

Completely made up. Never came across this when studying folklore.

[Anna Kathryn Baxter · Rating 3 out of 5]

not sure how true any of this is … but interesting nonetheless

[Andriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take what you get from this book with a pinch of salt

[Jennb_9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

[Cody · Rating 2 out of 5]

The loose historical “facts” was a big turn off for me. The book just seemed like yet another introduction to Wicca. Very basic stuff.

[Willa Guadalupe Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not wild about the author but from what I have learned over the years this is the real info.