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A review by megatsunami
The Elements of Ritual: Air, Fire, Water & Earth in the Wiccan Circle by Deborah Lipp
3.0
I read this book many years ago, but here's my review from the time:
A very interesting and worthwhile book, albeit with a few flaws. This book is an in-depth examination of the four elements and the structure of Wiccan ritual. It could interest readers on many levels, from "beginner" to "advanced," and I really appreciated its thoroughness and depth. My main caveat is that, as indicated by the subtitle, this book is written from a specifically Wiccan perspective and may be a little frustrating for non-Wiccan Witches and Pagans (like me). Lipp clearly explains her reasoning, and her opinions are generally labelled as such, but I still found the book's attitude toward ritual a little narrow-minded. I've been to many powerful and moving rituals which did not follow the rules laid out in this book. (And don't even get me started on the athame and the chalice.) Nonetheless, this book definitely brings up a lot of questions about why we do ritual the way we do it; and even if you disagree with Lipp about a particular point, her questions and insights are still valid and intriguing.
A very interesting and worthwhile book, albeit with a few flaws. This book is an in-depth examination of the four elements and the structure of Wiccan ritual. It could interest readers on many levels, from "beginner" to "advanced," and I really appreciated its thoroughness and depth. My main caveat is that, as indicated by the subtitle, this book is written from a specifically Wiccan perspective and may be a little frustrating for non-Wiccan Witches and Pagans (like me). Lipp clearly explains her reasoning, and her opinions are generally labelled as such, but I still found the book's attitude toward ritual a little narrow-minded. I've been to many powerful and moving rituals which did not follow the rules laid out in this book. (And don't even get me started on the athame and the chalice.) Nonetheless, this book definitely brings up a lot of questions about why we do ritual the way we do it; and even if you disagree with Lipp about a particular point, her questions and insights are still valid and intriguing.