Product Description

Selling more than 300,000 copies, this popular guide to the Craft has been helping a new generation of Witches-those practicing or wishing to practice the Craft on their own-for over a decade. Filled with Silver RavenWolf's warmth, humor, and personal anecdotes, To Ride a Silver Broomstick introduces the science and religion of the craft.
• New cover • New interior design • New edit • Updated artwork

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37208 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

Amazon.com
Silver RavenWolf is one of the most widely recognized names in circles of witchcraft, and with good reason; she has written some of the best guides to contemporary Witchcraft available. To Ride a Silver Broomstick is a handbook aimed at the beginner, and doesn't get bogged down in history, dogma, or gender roles. It is a workbook for the individual, whether one is a solitary practitioner or part of a coven, that covers the basics of the craft--from useful vocabulary to setting up an altar--and briefly delves into more advanced concepts such as astral projection and telepathy. To Ride a Silver Broomstick may not be the most comprehensive single volume on the subject of witchcraft, but RavenWolf focuses on the aspects most important to a beginner, and keeps her introduction to the craft approachable and easy to follow. --Brian Patterson

From the Publisher
        Every so often, a book has a special spark. That is the case with To Ride a Silver Broomstick by Silver RavenWolf. Sure, it is an excellent source of information on Witchcraft, but it's also much more. It is a personal book that shares RavenWolf's heart and soul. And that is one of the reasons I believe this book has become so popular.
        RavenWolf tells some amazing stories in here. Her description of her first experience at a clothing-optional festival is hilarious. Her frustrations during childhood while searching for her spiritual path are touching. Her tale of a woman who assumed that the help she received from RavenWolf may have been the cause of a health problem (it wasn't) leads to thinking about modes of healing and the importance of the mindset of the person being healed.
       What an incredible delight this book is! Not only is it personal and fun to read, but it also presents its facts so effortlessly that I was surprised at just how much information there really is in this book. She covers all of the basic theology, including the God and Goddess and the celebratory Wheel of the Year. Most of the book, however, is focused on magick. She gives numerous rituals and rites, and shows how to design your own. She also gives many spells that anyone can work. Other topics include healing, the Tarot (including timing, a rarely discussed subject), color and candle magick, and much more. I especially liked her lexicon of Witchcraft words. Knowing these terms would make a person more comfortable at any Pagan gathering.
      I really hope you will consider getting this book. I have no doubt that you will find it enchanting and entertaining as well as astute and wise. I know you'll love it!

About the Author

Silver RavenWolf (Pennsylvania) is a nationally recognized leader and elder of Wicca, and through her writing has been instrumental in guiding the future of one of the fastest-growing faiths in America today. The author of seventeen books, she has been interviewed by The New York Times, Newsweek Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal, and her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Bust Magazine, the Baltimore Sun, the St. Petersburg Times, the National Review, Publishers Weekly, Body & Soul Magazine, and Teen Lit Magazine. Her many titles include the bestselling Solitary Witch, Teen Witch, To Ride A Silver Broomstick, To Stir A Magick Cauldron, To Light A Sacred Flame, American Folk Magick, Angels: Companions in Magick, Silver’s Spells for Prosperity, Silver's Spells for Protection, Silver's Spells for Love, Halloween, and the Witches’ Night Out teen fiction series. Her new book Hedge Witch is forthcoming from Llewellyn in September 2008.

Customer Reviews

Save yourself the trouble.
Silver Ravenwolf (and many other with her publisher) are complete dribble. Biggoted ideas and her own rules according to the craft. If I had to retitle this book it would be "Witch Sterotypes: Silver Ravenwolf's version of Wicca." For real magical information believe me when I tell you to go elsewhere!

Trite and cheesy
I do not practice Wicca, or any other religion for that matter, but I try to read about as many different religions as I can out of intellectual curiosity and the desire to understand the beliefs of others. I understand the term "fluffy bunny"...and I don't think it's sticky-sweet enough to really describe this book. Frankly, I found this book mostly laughable. I read it quite some time ago while I was a teenager and it was actually some time before I was able to consider Wicca as a religion without rolling my eyes and not just picturing silly high school and college kids who had seen The Craft one too many times. I understand that this book is not representative of Wicca and it's practitioners. I also understand why many Wiccans dislike Ravenwolf and her misrepresentation of their beliefs.
It was also annoying in the way she extols the virtue of tolerance, then constantly slams Christianity-a hypocrisy I have encountered far too often with "unconventional" faiths. Someone else in these comments mentioned that hating Christianity is the wrong reason to get into Wicca. He or she was wise in saying so.

Not Recommended for Beginners
There will be no fancy introductions here, so I'm going to cut right to the chase...

The reasons that Ms. Silverwolf is not a good resource are many, starting with the fact that she is quite bigoted. She says that she promotes peace and tolerance of all religions, but I don't see any tolerance anywhere in this entire book -- all I see are constant put-downs about those who do not follow the Pagan path, her main target being those who choose to practice Christianity.

Her advice for teenagers looking into practicing the craft is just as disturbing as the incessant Christian bashing. The fact that she advocates that young people should LIE to their parents is something that I find repugnant. She also advocate the use of mind games and lying to other people as well...

From reading this book it's obvious that she lacks rudimentary understanding Wicca/Witchcraft, as well as the different practices within Witchcraft and/or Wicca, especially dealing with the definitions of different kinds of practices within the Craft.

I won't even go into the historical inaccuracies that are found in her book, as there is too much to mention...

Regardless, Ms. Ravenwolf is definitely not a good resource for anyone studying the Craft.

If you honestly feel the need to read this book, I suggest that you get it at a discount, or borrow it from somebody so you don't feel so ripped off after reading it.