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Doreen
Valiente
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(Click
on a book to buy on-line)
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AN ABC OF WITCHCRAFT
PAST AND PRESENT
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This is the only book
of its kind on witchcraft that has been written by a practising witch.
It is intended to be not merely a history, but a guide to the many
strange byways of a vast and fascinating subject. Witchcraft is as
old as the human race, and it is actively practised today, by people
of all classes. To its devotees, witchcraft is more than spells and
charms, or even secret meetings and rituals; it is a philosophy and
a way of life. It claims to be the oldest form of religion, that of
nature-worship and magic.
The author has studied
the occult for more than twenty years. She has been initiated into
four different branches of the witch cult that flourishes in Britain
today. Since the
last Witchcraft Act was repealed in 1951, the revival of public interest
in witchcraft has been the subject of continuous controversy. This
book seeks to be a serious contribution to the study of a subject
too long obscured by prejudice and sensationalism.
Magic is all around
us. All we need is the ability to see and understand. This book tells
how to practise the age-old white magic that village wise-women have
used for centuries.
It deals with the magic
of herbs and flowers, of the four elements, of numbers and colours,
amulets and talismans, how to read cards, how to interpret dreams,
and much more. There are chapters on the secrets of sex-magic, and
on the use of traditional spells. If you want to learn to charm warts,
to cast a love-spell,
or to plant a magical garden, this book will tell you how. It will
also instruct you how to protect yourself against black magic and the evil eye. An
essentially practical treatise, which sets out
to show how, in this new Age of Aquarius, magic
can be for everyone; how, indeed, it has always been inherent in human
life and nature.
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THE REBIRTH OF WITCHCRAFT
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The Rebirth
of Witchcraft traces the history of contemporary Wicca from it's shadowy
roots at the turn of the century to the present day. Doreen Valiente
presents details never before published, some of them very revealing
and surprising, on:
• The leading figures in this rebirth from
Gerald Gardner to Starhawk, and many others
• Her own participation in rituals and
involvement with the Craft
• Her personal psychic experiences
Until now no one has told the real story of
witchcraft from the inside as frankly as it is revealed here. In these
pages Doreen Valiente presents fascinating reading for both the novice
and experienced practitioner alike.
(Sadly this book is no longer in print,
but if you click on it you may be able to order it from a second hand
book dealer)
Since
the publication of her previous books on witchcraft, Doreen Valiente
has received many letters asking can 1 find a witches' coven ? How
can 1 become a witch This book gives the answers.
It tells you what the old religion of witchcraft
has to offer the new age of Aquarius; how the age-old Craft of the
Wise can be practised in the modern world; how to initiate yourself
as a witch and found your own coven. The author has been a practising
witch since 1953, and in this book she gives a new Book of Shadows
(the witches' handbook of rituals and instructions) based upon ancient
magical tradition but geared to the age of the future. Included are
witch songs, spells, incantations and practical advice on how to run
a coven and how to acquire your own collection of magical implements;
as well as methods of divination and other witch lore that has never
before been published.
The author tells how the oral traditions of
witchcraft throw light not only upon the origins of the present-day
witch cult and the activities of the witch leader George Pickingill
and his nine covens, but also upon the mystery of the founding of
the famous magical order, the Golden Dawn. Also discussed is the relationship
between the witchcraft of Britain and
Europe and the magical beliefs of the Far East. Do both traditions
hark back to the legendary city of Shamballah and to the shamanistic
practices of Asia ? And why do the secret
circles of the witches resemble those of the Tantric
sex-magic of India ? This
book does not fear to be controversial
and outspoken, addressed as it is to the outlook of the new age.
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WITCHCRAFT A Tradition Renewed
Evan John Jones with Doreen Valiente, Preface by Doreen Valiente
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A very personal account that reveals the ancient rituals and philosophy
of witchcraft. Once a part of Robert Cochrane's coven, the authors
delve deep into modern witchcraft, exploring its very ancient roots.
The rudiments of the craft and the nature of the rites are shown to
revolve around traditional witchcraft passed down through families
from earliest times rather than the modern Gardnerian and Alexandrian
versions.
The authors give revelatory
information on the members and oaths of the coven, its working tools
and regalia from the stangs to the skull, rituals for the great sabbats,
handfasting, purification and the royal cairn. The age-old rites are
recalled and reworked for today, as the authors show how witchcraft
can indeed be a practical working faith.
