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simazhi 's review for:
The Witches' Bible: The Complete Witches' Handbook
by Stewart Farrar
An essential witchcraft classic. Yes, some of the ideas presented here are outdated, such as the idea that they couldn't see a gay coven work. But also, yes, Janet (and Stewart) have openly revised their stance on this. And even now the Craft is evolving with the times.
I find it sad that some people were apparently put off by some of the language in the beginning, such as the "as a man loveth a woman by mastering her" that is mentioned a few times here on Goodreads. I can't find this phrasing so perhaps it has been left out in subsequent prints? It would have been helpful if the other reviewers had left the page number as is customary when citing. But on the other hand, even a cursory familiarity with what people now call British Traditional Witchcraft involves knowing that the High Priestess is at the top of hierarchy in a coven, so yeah, if only those reviewers had actually read the book and contextualized it...
On the book itself, I find the rituals quite wordy and lengthy. I don't know if that's for me, but there is enough other meat in this book to feed one's religious appetite for quite some time. Will definitely return to this classic in the future. I'm also equally interested in seeing how Janet's ideas have evolved in conjunction with Gavin Bone after Stewart's death.
I find it sad that some people were apparently put off by some of the language in the beginning, such as the "as a man loveth a woman by mastering her" that is mentioned a few times here on Goodreads. I can't find this phrasing so perhaps it has been left out in subsequent prints? It would have been helpful if the other reviewers had left the page number as is customary when citing. But on the other hand, even a cursory familiarity with what people now call British Traditional Witchcraft involves knowing that the High Priestess is at the top of hierarchy in a coven, so yeah, if only those reviewers had actually read the book and contextualized it...
On the book itself, I find the rituals quite wordy and lengthy. I don't know if that's for me, but there is enough other meat in this book to feed one's religious appetite for quite some time. Will definitely return to this classic in the future. I'm also equally interested in seeing how Janet's ideas have evolved in conjunction with Gavin Bone after Stewart's death.