6/29/2021:

originally rated 4 stars. bumped down to 3 stars with time.

I liked the beginning when it was more about the philosophy. I’m less interested in the actual practice but that’s not a knock against the quality of the book, just the limitations of finding what I was looking for.

Interesting introduction into Wicca aimed at anyone lacking any background in the subject. Since encountering mentions of ancient pagan religions in other anthropological books I’ve read, I’ve always felt curious about how paganism and polytheistic religions differ (in teachings) from those of large monotheistic religions. While I’ve had the opportunity to study or at least have a broad understanding of organized religions such as Islam and Christianity, I knew next to nothing about religions such as Wicca. This book was easy to read and well-written and I do feel I’ve learned many things about Wicca I did not know before. I do find many of the teachings appealing and am keen to read more about them.

Very good introduction.

Livre très intéressant !

Scott Cunningham's love of nature is contagious, and I love his quiet insistence that a solitary and innovative practice is a valid approach to Wicca. The book contains a lot of good and practical advice.

3.5 stars, rounded up

This was a very informative book. It laid out a lot of information that is often disparate in online searches and contained a little bit of the author's personal flair for the reader's inspiration. The book does take a little too much time talking about how it's not like other books, but it also adequately describes ideas that are not held by the author. I will note that some of the information here is tragically outdated, but the ideas behind it are still applicable.

All in all, this doesn't look like a book that you'd read in one sitting, but I found myself unable to put it down. There were so many ideas presented and questions to answer that I felt propelled through the book...Then again, I am a person who reads textbooks for fun, so I may not be the best gauge of the boringness of an informational book.