Michael Howard (3) (1948–2015)

Probably a significant contribution to the history of Wicca. However a confusing style, jumping from period to period with no clear transitions make this a difficult read. I have heard from fellow Wiccans that the book is inaccurate in some respects. I myself spotted an error in referring to Isaac Bonewits as Dr., So far as I know Isaac never earned an advanced degree. An index and a timeline would also improve the work. Honestly folks, indexes are not that difficult to produce. Some charts or lists of who initiated whom and in which coven and which area might help as well.… (mais)

Pagan, Neo-Pagan, and Witch(craft) are NOT capitalized throughout this book. Although physically beautifully made, Three Hands Press books are not well edited. There is no index, a severe deficiency in a work on historical Witchcraft. There are a number of obvious errors: p.92 the eight-fold calendar is stated as being borrowed from the Druids, when it was in fact developed by the Brickett Wood Coven around 1957; There are also some errors in the coverage of the Feri tradition, and so perhaps other areas I know less about are equally flawed... however, it is a fascinating read, and does cover an area of the Craft that is difficult to learn much about. Elements that tie these traditions together include: Robed rites, communion with Earth energies and sacred sites, communion with the realm of Faerie and the spirit world, contact with land spirits and elemental energies, a turgid and obfuscatory writing style, emphasis on dark energies, an origin story from the Book of Enoch, and occasional use of animal sacrifice.… (mais)

Howard has produced quite a good book that will be welcomed by anyone with an interest in the birth and development of Wicca. In a time when shelves are bursting with a plethora of Wicca 101 and how-to books on the subject, this book that deals with the history of this belief is a breath of fresh air. Within its pages, the author deals in detail with important figures and events from Gerald Gardner’s pre-Wicca days right through to the evolution of today’s varied incarnations of Wicca.

My only criticism of the book is the two-edged sword of detail given in the work. While the profuse facts, dates, names, and places given add to the accuracy and historical value of Modern Wicca, the sheer quantity of these bogs down the book in places, wrecks narrative cohesion, and in some instances can lose the reader down rabbit trails that do not advance the individual chapter, or the book as a whole.

Beyond that, I recommend this book to anyone with a real interest in the history of Wicca.… (mais)