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#394555 03/17/08 07:39 PM
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Does Wiccan author Silver RavenWolf know what she's talking about?

My first book on Wicca way back in my teen years was by Silver RavenWolf way . The book was a great starter, but as I grew in my Wiccan faith and read more on the topic, much of what I learned contradicted what I read in RavenWolf's book. This caused some concern because after learning about Wicca from her Teen Witch book, I purchased three of her other books and soaked the information up like a sponge. I was worried about my beliefs and what I had based my faith on. Thankfully I had books by Scott Cunningham to help me understand the situation.

After doing a search on the Internet, I came across numerous articles concerning to SilverWolf's work and the general disdain that the Wiccan community has towards her. This confirmed my thoughts that she is probably full of hot air.

Now that I am older, the strong "let's debunk Christianity and make Wiccans look better than everyone else" theme of her books is apparent to me. Her phrasing is a bit strange and she seems to contradict things shes said before. As one article said: "She sugar-coats and mocks Wicca and Witchcraft." She may like applying the term Witch to herself but is truly a Wiccan or is she all about the money?

Last edited by Heather - Chinese Culture; 03/17/08 07:46 PM.

Heather J. Hasan
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I don't think she is wrong, per se. And, if you read enough books on Wicca or Paganism, they all seem to contradict each other in some ways.

I enjoyed and learned a lot from the books I bought of hers. Early on, they provided a lot of great information. Anything that didn't fit my practice I didn't use (which is pretty much what I do for any religious book I read).

I did eventually feel like I grew out of her style of books though, and didn't go back and read anything else by her...

I think she gets a bad rap because she's a supposed "sell out," whatever that means. And supposedly, she's also very "fluffy."

I'm all about taking what works for you from any author, whether that be Silver Raven Wolf, Starhawk, Cunningham, Christ, Buddha, or any other religious figure. If someone teaches you something that makes you a better person, how can it be so bad?

#394685 03/17/08 11:32 PM
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I have read many books by many people and most wiccan-pagan books have a anti christian slant. some have a good point that is bluntly stated and others have no point or reason they are just anti christian period! I shy away from book and things that have no good point to bashing another religion and go out of there way to bash other religions. with that said if they have valid points and state there pov bluntly I have no problem with them. this is with any religious books no matter the faith.
I dont like books that tend to point somewhere else to the falts of others and misdirects or mis guides you about the Good religion that they are preaching about....

Ravenwolf runs somewhere in the middle she is not the best but not the worst either.

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i have read many books by "fluffy bunnies" as my roomie calls them. I think all books on religious thought need to be taken with grains of thought. We must realize that these books are this specific persons interpretation and slant on things. What is important is to seek out and find many different sources of information and draw your own conclusions


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Lady J #395660 03/19/08 08:31 PM
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I've only read her angel book, and I enjoyed it. That was years ago, but I do want to say I noticed a bit of her irritation towards christians. I do prefer when authors just keep out of religious debates all together.


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me too. It is one thing to point out this religion believes this way and this religion believes another but to out right say one is wrong or one is better then the other or to put them down all together is just not right. and it is more so with authurs that dont have there facts straight to began with! it is like in christian based books that educate you about how pagans worship satan and still do human sacrifies or how Buddhist worship Buddha or Catholics worship Saints and Mary or Mormons have many wifes....ect. none of this is true and it is used to keep curious christians from learning the truth about other religions. I think that is the goal of any book that slams another religion. Most people think that a book wrote by someone who believe the way they do will tell them the truth about what others believe. To bad that is not always the case!

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I am a Christian with a strong affinity and kinship to Native American beliefs. I am happy with who I am and what I am. I read something last night in "Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, that I would like to share with all who are interested:

Morgaine/Morgan Le Fay speaks:
"Even the Lady of the Lake, who hated a priest's robe as she would have hated a poisonous viper, and with good cause too, chid me once for speaking evil of their God. "For all the Gods are one God", she said to me then, as she had said many times before, and as I have said to my own novices many times, and as every priestess who comes after me will say again, "and all the Goddesses are one Goddess, and there is only one Initiator. And to every man his own truth, and the God within."

Now this is a fictional novel in the Arthurian legends, but I find the last sentence very powerful.


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I, too, read some of Silver's works when I was new to the path, and then grew out of many of the assumptions I made based on what I'd read. I think that people at different points in their paths need different things. At one point, I needed a pink-bunnies-and-crystals view of Wicca, and Silver gave me that. Some writers give the darkness-and-blood version, and we need that sometimes, too. But no one can live those extremes. It's our responsibility to form our own opinions. Does she know what she's talking about? I hope so, since she was one of the figures that succeeded in getting Wicca recognized by Congress in 1984, securing our religious rights. Is she the end-all, be-all source for Wiccan information? No one is.

I do bristle when someone promotes Paganism to the detriment of another path. But, we have to remember that for many of us, that bitterness, pain and fear exists. Perhaps our response should be to work together to heal whatever wounds remain.

Just my two cents...

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Phyllis, I LOVE that quote from Mists of Avalon (one of my very favorite books!!!).

That totally encompasses how I feel... I embrace the one great spirit that fills us, and surrounds us, and from whom all other aspects come from.


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I always viewed Silver as a pioneer and was glad that she made a stand for her beliefs, money or not. As we progressed past some of our earlier growth due to her earlier books she would be glad in our moving on. I compare her to Freud and Carl Jung. Freud started a revolutionary new concept in psychology years ago. Some thought he was out of his mind. Today many look at his thoughts as very primitive and old hat. I wonder if we have any idea how strong he must have been to stand against a world of non believers in his works. A few of his ideas are still helping humanity? Then take Carl Jung. He not only studied Freuds ideas but meshed the usuable ones with the spiritual. How much doubt must he have battled to move us ahead into that next level of consciousness. Silver had the guts to help birth a lot of people into a very feared and unknown world. Thank you Silver!!!!!!

Last edited by ancientflaxman; 05/15/08 01:27 PM.

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