[.ca] Mastering Witchcraft (ISBN 0399504427)

Why do these "Real Witch" reviews seem hateful to "Wiccans"?:
Many of the reviews for this book from "real witchcraft" people (as they refer to themselves) seem to revel in a "yeah, sock it to 'em!" attitude against Wicca--because it's such a "nice religion". Well, I'm Wiccan, and I like the positive nature of what I believe. However, I understand it's not for everybody. I like to think that the whole point of finding something to believe in is discovering what works for YOU. So, I don't rail against people who have a different take on witchy beliefs, even if it's definately something I don't subscribe to. Just because somebody doesn't embrace the dark, manipulative (yes, look at some of Huson's spells) side of spellcasting and spirit communication, doesn't mean they are stupid human beings. Being Wiccan works really well for some people. I don't like the "fluffbunny" labels that fill reviews for upbeat magick books--because while "postive magick" may not be the most dramatic, earth-shattering belief system ever, it doesn't seem to hurt anybody and it promotes a peaceful attitude. Does that really make the world a terrible place?

White Meat, or Dark?:
If I had had to pay for this book, I may have been a little annoyed. It's not that it's the worst book in the world. Actually it has some very good, authentic lore in it (such as the dumb supper) which is why I considered giving it three stars. The problem I have with this book is that it portrays some of the antinomian aspects of witchcraft in a sophomoric way. While I think that antinomian practices can be magically valid, and in fact this is something I am very interested in, I think there is a fine line between true antinomianism and roving packs of bored teenagers who go out to parks and spraypaint pentagrams on things in order to scare themselves, or rebel against mom & dad. Not that Huson tells you to go and do that, but either some of the material in this book, or the way it is portrayed (such as reciting the Lord's Prayer backwards) is almost hysterically funny. If this is the cure to white-light occultism that is too fluffy, then I am concerned that the cure may be as bad or worse than the disease. No, I really don't think the witches of yore really thought about whether they were white, or dark. I don't think they would hesitate to curse someone if it was ethically justified, but on the other hand I don't think they would go around in a state of paranoia, cursing people just to prove that they weren't white light. Frankly, I don't think the idea of making a "light" or "dark" fashion statement really entered the lexicon of their magic. This is overcomplicating the real moral simplicity of magic, and I think it's just another product of the fact that the old religion was demonized and now pagans and occultists either have to prove that what they do is a Good Thing which isn't a threat to christianity, or conversely, that it is a Dark Thing which needs to be taken seriously because it is not fluffy like those darn white lighters. If the antinomian practices in this book had truly released the author's own pent-up energy regarding Christianity, then I doubt he would have come off this way. Then again, maybe it was intended to make you laugh and that's part of the antinomianism and I just missed that.

Must have for any occultist:
Mastering witchcraft is an excellent book on many different aspects of witchcraft. There's a few disclaimers, however. As has been said *many* times before by other reviewers, this is not really a book on wicca, or spirituality/religion. Period. It *is* a book on pragmatic magical work. It's not precisely anti-wiccan, it's simply non-wiccan, and says precisely what it means. Also the book neglects a few popular types of spells: healing, success, money, and generic spell format. I would have also enjoyed it much more if it included more pragmatic information on summoning various types of entities (outside of vassago). I also found the history section to border between interesting and amusing. However, not many books can compete with this book. It covers a lot of topics lightly, and in laymen's terms. It plainly lays open a lot of valuable/thought provoking subjects (albeit, if one is truly interested in a type of magic, nothing can replace hardcore research into said subject). However, it's an excellent starter book for magic/k, as it doesn't try to force one to swallow a set of beliefs and ethics, and covers a wide range of material in a thoughtful, concise, and interesting, albeit dated, way. I would suggest that any occultist read this book. Regardless of one's religion, spirtuality, or ethical code, it is still a worthwhile book to read.

Great Book:
"Mastering Witchcraft" is one of the comparatively few books out there that deals with witchcraft without being explicitly Wiccan (this is probably due to the fact that this book was published before Wicca became a fad). Still, it is based partly on Wiccan practice--Huson cites Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente (the first known Wiccans) among his sources. The book is well-researched, drawing from Wicca, medieval magical practices, and mythology. Ethical debates aside, the magical theory is sound (for example, reciting the lord's prayer backwards helps the deep mind to shed any remaining religious and moral codes that might prevent the witch from getting 100% involved in the practice of magic). If you just ignore the history in the introduction, and make note of the "hows" and "whys" of the spells instead of just the spells themselves, I think you'll find this book incredible useful and valuable. I know I have.

A True Book:
To all who wish to persue something more than fluffy bunny wicca and scott cunninghams nonsence this book is for you. This is a book which touches the core of what witchcraft is as far as a ritual practice. It has spells of all kinds, not just silly little happy spells. It is written for the neutral witch, one who dosent seperat black and white, good and evil...but for one who works with the energy in a neutral way.