Witch book, The: The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wicca, and Neo-paganism

this book has helped me so much in my wiccan course work . full of information i just flick through it to find many interesting things and facts. a briliant ref book .

Good

I am impressed with all the large bodies of work that have been taken on by the authors in the pagan community as of late. There have been a few who have tried to collect in one place all the information regarding the birthing and growth of the pagan community.Each of them has its own flavor, which is what makes them different from each other. They contain various bits of information that the author found to be of significance to the pagan community.Raymond Buckland has now placed his collection of facts and fiction before the pagan community with his encyclopedia. This has the "Buckland" flavor throughout and is the Pagan world as he sees it.The entries are comprised of biographies, descriptions of tools and words, short synopsis of movies and television programs, traditions, history and much more. Many entries are accompanied by his sources, which also includes Raymond Buckland.So, presented here, for the reader, is the world according to many different authors, with diverse opinions on many of the topics. This can give varied opinions on the many topics covered here, but it also gives us the insights and opinions of Mr. Buckland as well. In some instances there are direct contradictions, but if you check the source, you will find it is because Mr. Buckland has presented the viewpoint of two different persons, which gives this book a contrast not seen in other works of this kind.The material is cross referenced in the index which allows for quick access to the material within, as well as it being alphabetically referenced.There are also photos and illustrations of different aspects, symbols and persons including some from the Fortean Picture Library, which is Raymond Buckland's own collection.I found this to be an interesting collection of material. From movies to magic, Mr. Buckland included it all in one very nicely presented volume which would enhance any coffee table or library. And while I would really have liked to have seen Mr. Buckland's reviews of more movies than the few he did review, for the most part it is an eclectic collection of references, persons, events and things that comprise our way of life.

Took me 2 weeks to read from cover to cover. I then read it again and now use it as a reference guide. Interesting while still giving you the information that you need. Doesn't overtly push someone's opinions of a particular branch of the faith down your throat like some books can. There are a couple of books on the market that are similar to this and I own about three of them. This is by far the best.

It's an extremely well book, however, it took one and a half month for me to get it, and four spreads are completely unreadable. To clarify, I bought it used from Atlanta book company. I'm never doing that again.If you want the book, make sure to buy it from someone who knows what they are doing.Can't complain about the book besides the bad print, which is most likely the sellers fault.It contains everything from history to films.Worth a shot.