Wicca (English)

A shamanistic tradition connected with the earth and sky, Wicca involves communing with a spirit or spirits through naturally produced alternate states of consciousness, such as dancing, fasting, and chanting. For those Wiccans with no fellow practitioners within a reasonable distance, it becomes necessary to adapt these practices for solitary use. Many of the spells can function with the same amount of power if done correctly, and Cunningham--considered one of the key authors on the subject--here lays out the do's and don'ts. Everything from Sabbath days, spell etiquette, ceremonial costumes, and days of power are included, as is information on where to go to get in touch with other Wiccans. Cunningham is an intelligent writer whose descriptions of magic and the power of ritual fits nicely in with accepted theories from minds like Jung and Joseph Campbell. His writing does much to dispel the notions of magic and witchcraft as a bunch of hocus pocus; instead he makes a convincing case for this ancient system of knowledge as being something which our out-of-control technological world has shunned and derided at its own eco- and psychological peril. minimize