Product Description

"Goth Craft is a sexy and serious A-Z of dark culture's collective tribal identity. More than just a demented 'Preppy Handbook' for a different era, Goth Craft goes beyond  mere fashion, taking readers deep into the magical currents of this emerging subculture. Fascinating."
—Richard Metzger, host of Disinformation and editor of Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide To Magick & The Occult

Darkly Magickally Goth
When Paganism and Goth culture collide, prepare for a powerful blend of independent thought and magickal tranformation.

Learn how to channel dark emotions, express yourself magickally through the dark arts of clothing, hair, makeup, body modifications, and choose appropriate Goth music for ritual. Try some spellcasting on the dance floor.  Discover the workings of shadow magick, death energy, and blood magick.

Find out what draws us to the dark side.

"Don't let your assumptions fool you — Goth Craft is a lovingly written and carefully researched piece of work. It covers the intersection of Gothic subculture and Pagan spirituality from every conceivable angle, and manages to be both fun and eye-catching along
the way."
—Michelle Belanger, author of The Psychic Vampire Codex and editor of Vampires In Their Own Words

"An insightful, honest, and spiritual exploration of the intersection of Witchcraft and Goth."
—Christopher Penczak, author of the Temple of Witchcraft series

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #236542 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-01
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 316 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Many people associate Goth with either the Columbine massacre or Marilyn Manson. But Digitalis, a neo-pagan priest, provides readers an opportunity to expand their horizons about Goth culture by starting with the basics: What is a Goth? Digitalis not only provides a history of Goth culture, but also includes a cheeky, fun catalogue of Goth types (complete with corresponding photographs) that span the spectrum—from CorporateGoths and Fetishists to MopeyGoths and PerkyGoths. Goths are dark witches, Digitalis explains, who practice the magick of the Middle Path, the balanced path between light and dark that includes intense, sometimes unpleasant magickal workings, but should not be confused with black magic. The remainder of this handbook is devoted to witchcraft—from rituals to a glossary of tools—Goth-style. Digitalis also spends a good deal of time advising readers how to handle sadness, suicidal thoughts and frequent crying, even suggesting traditional therapy as a way through Dark Emotionalism. Perhaps most fun for the uninitiated is Digitalis's thorough guide to obtaining Goth style with advice on clothing, the all-important makeup and piercings, among other things. Primarily, Digitalis wants readers to understand that Contrary to popular belief, doom and gloom does not penetrate every aspect of Goth culture. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"An insightful, honest, and spiritual exploration of the intersection of witchcraft and goth culture not only for those who have a foot in each of these worlds, but also for those explorers on one side, seeking to know the ways of the other." ???Christopher Penczak, author of the Temple of Witchcraft series -- Christopher Penczak "book blurb"

About the Author

Raven Digitalis (Missoula, MT) is the author of Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality and Goth Craft: The Magickal Side of Dark Culture (Llewellyn). He is a Neopagan Priest and cofounder of the "disciplined eclectic" shadow magick tradition and training coven Opus Aima Obscuræ, and a radio and club DJ of Gothic and industrial music. Also trained in Georgian Witchcraft and Buddhist philosophy, Raven has been a Witch since 1999 and a Priest since 2003.

Raven holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Montana and is also an animal rights activist, black-and-white photographic artist, and is the co-owner of Twigs & Brews Herbs, specializing in bath salts, herbal blends, essential oils, and incenses. He has appeared on the cover of newWitch magazine, is a regular contributor to The Ninth Gate magazine, and has been featured on MTV News and the ‘X' Zone Radio program.

Customer Reviews

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
When I first heard of this book, I was a little leary. Over the past few years, there has been a spike in interest in all things dark as it pertains to magick, and there are some books out there that seem to have been cranked out sheerly to fill that marketing need. Not so with Goth Craft. Raven is writing from the perspective of someone who loves both magick and the Gothic subculture. He is steeped in the music, the aesthetics, and the philosophies of Goth, and this clearly comes through in his treatment of the subject of how and where Goth intersects with magickal practice. The book is genuine and well-researched, with a wide range of information. The very visual presentation of the book is an added bonus, and it really serves to underscore the fact that Goth has a strong aesthetic component. If you've ever wondered what those somber, black-clad souls were doing at your Pagan Pride Day, this is the book to help you understand.

A wonderful first publication from a promising new author
This is one of those books that had the potential to be either really good, or abysmal. Fortunately, Raven managed to stick to the former, avoiding a trainwreck of trendiness and black-dyed fluff.

If you're unfamiliar with the Goth subculture beyond a few outward trappings, this book will give you a solid introduction to the whys, hows, and manifestations of what it is to be Goth. However, like the introductory material on witchcraft that he presents, Raven manages to avoid dogma and snarkiness. This will make Goth Craft a particularly good guide for teens and early twenty-somethings who are just getting into both the Goth subculture and witchcraft, though people who are more established in one community or the other shouldn't turn away, either.

What I really liked about this book was the fact that it doesn't shy away from potentially controversial material. The ritual use of drugs, sex (vanilla and otherwise) and gender issues are some of the topics that are covered in a respectful, intelligent manner. Raven also includes a good collection of rituals and spells aimed at the appreciation of the darker end of the spectrum of life, and provides some refreshing ideas to work with. He also shows the magic in "everyday" elements of Gothic culture, including conscious application of makeup and clothing, and the use of dance for reaching altered states of consciousness.

I would consider Goth Craft to be primarily 101 level material, but it's on the higher end of 101-there are explanations of common pagan symbols and correspondences filtered through a Gothic worldview, but there's also a good collection of further resources. And I learned quite a bit about the Gothic subculture that I hadn't known before. So while the target audience seems to be younger folks in the Goth community who are interested in witchcraft, I suggest giving this book a chance if you're interested in a darker approach to magic that is well beyond the ooga-booga spookiness and sensationalism that some prior texts have fallen prey to.

Not fluffy in the least
Raven has done it! This is one of the books that will make modern magickal practitioners think.

The Gothic subculture, and the pagan community have been related and yet so far apart for a long time. Many Goths identify with pagan beliefs, yet many pagans are pushing Goths away for fear that we will become less accepted if the "modern world" finds that we are exactly as they have portrayed us to be, no matter how untrue that would actually be.

Raven have finally wrote a book from the perspective of an initiated Witch and Priest, who is also a Goth, who knows what he is talking about regarding both communities. Plus, he covers controversial topics such as sex, drugs, and body modification. It is time for us as pagans and Witches to start evolving our Craft, and to do that requires new thinking. I believe Raven has given us that opportunity.