Wicca and Witchcraft For Dummies

Diane Smith, a writer and editor for more than 20 years, is also an eclectic Witch.

Introduction 1

Part I: Seeing the World through Wiccan Eyes: What Wiccans Believe 9

Chapter 1: Believing That Everything’s Connected 11

Chapter 2: Believing in Deity 17

Chapter 3: Believing in Magic: Where Science Meets the Craft 25

Chapter 4: Believing in Ethics, Responsibility, and Personal Relationship with Deity 31

Part II: Looking at the Past, Present, and Future: How Wiccans Live 39

Chapter 5: Digging into the Past 41

Chapter 6: Living Wiccan Today 61

Chapter 7: Looking Back to the Future: The Rebirth of the Goddess 73

Part III: Coming Home: How Wiccans Become Wiccans 85

Chapter 8: Considering the Wiccan Path 87

Chapter 9: Going Solo or Joining a Coven: Wiccan Options 95

Chapter 10: Making Room for Everyone: Craft Traditions 107

Part IV: Following the Sun and the Moon: How Wiccans Worship 127

Chapter 11: Setting Up an Altar and Choosing Tools 129

Chapter 12: Designing and Performing Rituals: The Heart of Wicca 151

Chapter 13: Waxing and Waning with the Moon: The Esbats 183

Chapter 14: Turning the Wheel of the Year: The Sabbats 195

Part V: Practicing the Craft: What Wiccans Do 217

Chapter 15: Making Magic Happen 219

Chapter 16: Spellcasting: The Poetry of Wicca 231

Chapter 17: Boosting Magic with Fire, Stones, and Herbs 241

Chapter 18: Working with Trance and Dreams 261

Chapter 19: Daring to Divine 283

Chapter 20: Keeping a Book of Shadows, a Sacred Record 297

Part VI: The Part of Tens 305

Chapter 21: Ten Habits of Effective Wiccans 307

Chapter 22: Ten Wiccan Principles of Behavior 313

Chapter 23: Ten Warning Signs of a Scam or Inappropriate Behavior 317

Appendix A: Wicca FAQ 323

Appendix B: Magical Properties of Colors, Herbs, and Stones 343

Index 349