The Beginner's Guide to Wicca: How to Practice Earth-Centered Spirituality

by Starhawk

Starhawk is the bestselling author who introduced more than a million readers to Wicca, the earth-centered tradition that teaches us to seek wisdom from the cycles of life and the principles of nature itself. On The Beginner's Guide to Wicca , she invites a new audience of listeners to learn blessings, spells, and rituals to connect with the Goddess, deepen a personal spiritual practice, and create community ritual and celebration. This complete guide to Wiccan and Pagan spirituality offers practical exercises for using the essentials of this ancient wisdom in everyday life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Wicca, Spirituality, Religion, Paganism, Philosophy

70 pages, Audio CD

First published March 30, 2003

About the author

Starhawk is an author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and a prominent voice in modern Goddess religion and earth-based spirituality. She is the author or coauthor of thirteen books, including the classics The Spiral Dance and The Fifth Sacred Thing. Her latest is the newly published fiction novel City of Refuge, the long-awaited sequel to The Fifth Sacred Thing.

Starhawk directs Earth Activist Training, (www.earthactivisttraining.org), teaching permaculture design grounded in spirit and with a focus on organizing and activism. “Social permaculture”—the conscious design of regenerative human systems, is a particular focus of hers.

She lives on Golden Rabbit Ranch in Western Sonoma County, CA, where she is developing a model of carbon-sequestering land use incorporating food forests and savannahs, planned grazing, and regenerative forestry.

She travels internationally, lecturing and teaching on earth-based spirituality, permaculture, and the skills of activism. Her web site is www.starhawk.org.

Reviews

[Jason Koivu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not looking to convert and become a warlock...even though the title does sound tempting! I read a lot of stuff like this for research. I've been boning up on religions lately and this is yet another.

The Beginner's Guide to Wicca is a very basic intro to wicca. That's not a knock on it. After all, that's what it sets out to be. Just keep that in mind. You're not getting deep insights here, just the basics. I'm only just starting my research into wicca, so this one made sense to me at the time.

Another bonus was that I found it at the library on audiobook, so I was able to listen to the whole short thing while I did the dishes and cleaned the house. The narrator might have been the author herself, I'm not sure. Regardless, whoever read it had a nice casual-yet-knowledgeable approach. This was a good, bit-sized intro that spoon fed me the basics. Just what the shaman ordered!

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in an unabridged CD format. Starhawk narrates the audiobook in a calm, clear voice starting with a brief history of Wicca and outlining its structure, belief system, holidays, the importance of the moon cycles, the God and Goddess concept, the cycles of life and nature, and then briefly describes the ritual and tools a witch uses. She then moves along to active practice leading the listener through a grounding session which incorporates slow, yogic breathing to calm the mind of busy thoughts which gently leads one into a meditative state necessary for successful ritual work. The recording ends with a step-by-step ritual.

This is a good place to start for anyone interested in learning what Wicca is all about. However there is a lot of information packed into the first section that only briefly touches on subjects that will require further reading for anyone seriously interested in practicing Wicca. That’s not really a complaint as there are so many aspects of Wicca that they could never properly be detailed in one tome (well, it may be possible but the thing would weigh several tons and be impossible to lug around!). Still, I do wish this audio were longer than a little over one hour as I very much enjoyed Starhawk's narration and her informative writing skills.

[Bryan Borgers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Claptrap

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

It didn't blow my mind, but it gave me some insight into the practice and belief of Wicca. I can definitely appreciate the idea that dogma and strict rules can be discarded, while centering yourself and respecting nature is to be lauded. Also of note is that the audiobook is short, coming in at around an hour and a half. This isn't a pro or con, so much as something to be aware of. If you want something quick, this may be up your alley; if you want something in-depth, either with regards to the practice or history of Wicca, you may be better served elsewhere.

Pros of this book definitely included actual exercises / practices to try. There were no real cons to speak of, minus the narrator being monotone at times. Also, the book didn't convince me to convert, but few, if any books, could. Ultimately, I think the book does what it sets out to do, and provides a beginner's guide to Wicca. If that sounds interesting to you, this book is worth your time.

[Kristin Katsuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an audiobook that’s only an hour long. Easy to get through & has some good information but it’s basically just a crash course of what being Wiccan is. This will only give you the very basic terms & views. Like an introduction to the path, if you will. So if you just want an introduction then give this a listen. It will give many things to look further into. Anymore in-depth information can be read from so many other great books.

If the path is for you or you’re looking to research for a project then I would suggest looking somewhere else. If you only want a quick introduction then this will be all you need.

This is like a podcast of what Wicca is.

[Catherine McCollum · Rating 2 out of 5]

yawn. sorry. nothing new here, unfortunately. In a way I guess it's cool that something that once could get you burned at the stake and your property taken by the patriarchical system is now so everyday as to be obvious.

For a better understanding of the Wheel of the Year, read "The Wheel of the Year" by Waverly Fitzgerald, if you can.. it may be out of print. Contact the author and she may be able to scare up a copy for sale. Mine's ragged with use.

[Dax · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really quick listen that will warm your heart. It was great getting a quick breakdown and seeing some of the ties of Wicca with other religions. Honestly, the thing that has always drawn me to Wicca is the fact that the focus is on respecting and loving our Earth, ourselves, and others. There are just different ways to honor that.

[Alyssa Poulin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook and it provided a very basic intro to Wicca. I enjoyed walking through the grounding exercise and the other sample practices she shared. It has a warm, positive feeling and made me curious to do some deeper reading. Now, I am on to Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this to educate myself, as I've always been curious and felt connected to it. If you don't know something in its pure form, it is easy to assume and cause judgement towards it. To understand, however, is to see what it truly is, and to not cause false assumptions. I feel enlightened.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the wheel but most of this audiobook is guided meditation. I actually am alright with that, as I can always use ideas for grounding - but others may want more content. For an audiobook that is slightly longer than an hour, I think even those folks will enjoy this.

[Lacemaking Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very simple with covering the basics(obviously) but whooo boi, if you're working on something else while listening to the audiobook beware, the narrator has the most soothing and relaxing voice, I almost dozed off before I even reached the grounding exercise! 😂

[Lyndsey Asgard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a beautiful peek into the ways and practices of Wicca.

[Romy Tuggle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice but short

[Ahri · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5... I knew all the information already.

[Lisa Butterworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm gonna be honest, I read this book a month ago, I gave it 3 stars on my library app, but i can't remember a single thing about it. so . . . not memorable.

[Ilena Holder · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting

[Margarete Maneker · Rating 3 out of 5]

the Jewess-to-Witch/Goddess worshipper pipeline

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely, short audiobook. Starhawk’s reading of her writing was very calming and compelling - I listened to it 3x

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

short

[Christa Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice snippet of the beliefs of Wicca and a short history and intro.

[Jesse Ramsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

It seems to be a mix between yoga, meditation, and all the different religions.

[Priyanka Srinivasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

always lovely to hear from starhawk and her call to action through spiritual practice.

[sznn.plnk ☀️🌿]

enjoyed

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audio was really great (for me as a literal baby lol). I can see myself referring back to this a lot while I am just setting off on this.

I actually ended up buying the audio for this so I could have unfettered access to the meditations and grounding rituals she includes in this. Very helpful to me for sure.

[Emily Bily · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so short, soothing, and inspirational, I'm seriously considering taking an hour every week to listen to this again and again.
Of course, the purpose of this material is to offer beginners to Wicca a concise introduction to the path. Starhawk goes over basic principles like the wheel of the year, the elements, some simple rituals, and how to celebrate the Sabbats. She also leads the listener in a grounding session. As Wicca is mainly an active spirituality, this is extremely helpful in letting the audience really know what the path is about. Many of the topics require further reading, but this is a compelling start for the beginner.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read beginners' guides to Wicca before, but I wanted to hear Starhawk's take on the subject. It's a very slight audiobook - just over an hour long - but well worth the listening. Starhawk's practical take on the subject, combined with her calm, gentle voice, makes for an appealing introduction to earth-based spirituality. Additionally, during the last 25 minutes of the recording, she guides the listener in a basic ritual. Since Wicca is very much an experiential tradition, this is incredibly helpful in giving a newcomer a taste of what she's getting into. Merrily met.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good audio book for the Wicca novice

[Violeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Introductory manual to wicca. Perfect for self-exploration, deeper understanding of woman's role on earth and in spirituality.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting overview.