I read Wicca For Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy and Practice by Thea Sabin to gain a better understanding of Wiccan philosophy. While the books I’d read previously did a good job explaining what Wiccans do, but most did not explain the “why” very well.
Sabin does a lot of good explanations of the “why.”
I found Sabin’s style particularly easy to read – conversational, friendly. I appreciated that, particularly after reading Scott Cunningham, whose style I found rather dull. Really dull. Informational, but dull.
Sabin also goes further into depth about topics that helped me gain a real understanding of what goes on during a Wiccan ritual, both for groups and for individuals. She also described a process of visualization that reminded me of Sherlock Holmes’s ‘mind palace’ technique on BBC’s ‘Sherlock.’ Basically, you build a path for yourself to follow in your mind, detailed, to take you to a certain place. While Sherlock’s mind palace is for storing information that he can recall at any time, Sabin’s is for spiritually growing and meditation.
I love ‘Sherlock,’ so to discover that these things were similar was a huge bonus for me.
Sabin also talks a great deal about how to find a practice right for you. One of my favorite things ever is when someone tells you what to avoid. That way, I can work backwards. If you meet a “teacher” who wants sex as payment, get the hell out of there. If you are uncomfortable with the group you join, leave it. It can be like any group – gossipy and they can snipe at each other, and not get along. Leave it.
Another bonus that I haven’t had the fortune to read before: the best known “orders” of Wicca. Even though Wicca isn’t a centralized religion with one all powerful church, there are a number of different traditions to choose from when choosing a path that is right for you. For example, any thing where members practice skyclad – naked – wouldn’t be for me. Aside from the fact that I don’t want to force my being naked on anyone – nor do I want anyone to force their being naked on me – I’m someone who is cold a lot. I’m fairly certain I would be cold the entire time. How could you effectively do anything? Ever.
Anyway, if looking for a more in-depth look at neo-pagan and Wiccan practices, I’d highly recommend this Thea Sabin’s book. Her conversational tone and personal anecdotes make what is very foreign to a lot of people friendly, inviting, and easier to understand.
words in scarlet ink 