Wicca Demystified: A Guide for Practitioners, Family, and Friends

This book eschews commercialized versions of Wicca to deliver frank and truthful information to the audiences needing it the most. It is useful for individuals who are investigating Wicca as a religion, but it is especially helpful for the potentially confused (and scared) friends and family. An avalanche of stereotypes and misinformation in this society about what Wicca is and who Wiccans are subsequently leaves the friends and families of the practitioners in a bind. They might want to be supportive, but those family members and friends do not necessarily know where to turn for affirming information. Despite Wicca being recognized as a religion (by institutions such as the United States military!) accurate information about Wicca remains to find. The tone of this book is open-minded, Lankford is able to empathize with his readers own path. He is an advanced witch but does not forget that potential readers and readers are entering with a dearth of information about this religion. Pulling rank on them would have been easy but he is instead empathetic to their own journey towards acceptance of friends, family, and themselves.

Bryan Lankford has given us a gem. "Wicca Demystified" is a well-written, insightful and very reader-friendly book. It explains the religion of Wicca in a very down-to-earth and straightforward manner minus all the hype and sensationalism all too often present in many books on the subject. This is a book I would be proud to give my friends and family who wanted to understand what Wicca is all about.

What a book! Finally! It is stated that this book is not a Wicca 101 book and they could not have been more correct. It is 1000 times better than a Wicca 101 book. This book not only explains this religion to our friends and family but it also explains what this religion is to those investigating it as a possible religion of their own. I have read many books on Wicca and they explain what the holidays are, who the Goddess and God are and how to do a ritual. Wicca Demystified tells us the "why's" behind the practical application, it tells us the ramifications of our actions and much, much more. Any new student should read this book first. Wicca Demystified will clear up many misunderstandings of the Wiccan religion. Way to go Bryan.

Oh my, this is the book about Wicca that I've been waiting for. I have been Wiccan for twenty years and I have needed this book for at least the last fifteen. Finally, I have a book that I would be willing to hand to my mother or co-workers without having to apologize for some of the things it says. This book gives you an honest look at what Wicca is and why people choose to be Wiccan without trying to convert you or make you run screaming. For Christians this book gives you an insight into the Wiccan world, helping you understand why someone would choose to be Wiccan, while letting you interpret the information for yourself and draw your own conclusions. For Wiccans this book is the best resource I've found for helping others understand our beliefs. It gives a great description of all the basic Wiccan beliefs and misconceptions as well as delving into the types of questions people ask us about our religion. I didn't agree with everything in this book but Mr. Lankford went out of his way to tell people he doesn't expect everyone to agree with everything he says. However, the things I disagreed with challenged me to examine my own beliefs, deepening my own connection to spirit. It's like your having a conversation with the author where he seems to say, "This is how I see the world, now how do you see it." This is the best and most helpful Wiccan book that I have seen in years. It is insightful, humorous and fun to read. I bought this book on my way home from work and thought I would read the introduction at bedtime, but when I looked up again it was 2:00 in the morning. Not only do you need this book, you will want several copies so you can loan it to friends or donate a copy to the library.

I found Mr. Lankford's work clear, concise, and an enjoyable read with the title accurately reflecting the premise of the book. The layout of the book is unique among other books of its genre. The first half covers six major topics including Deity, Ethics, and Misconceptions with the second half delving into each topic more indepth for those that want to know more. Each topic is covered, not only, from an academic point of view, but from a philosophical one. Mr. Lankford not only explains, indepth, what Wiccans believe or think, but why and often does so humorously. While authors Raymond Buckland and Scott Cunningham have written books of this type, this book goes far beyond either of these offerings. All in all, Wicca Demystified is an excellent book for Wiccans, those who are curious about the Wiccan faith, or those that have a family member of friend who is curious. Well done, Mr. Lankford.