What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Review and recommend pagan, spiritual, Wicca, & witchcraft books.

What do you think about Silver Ravenwolf's books?

Very good
5
28%
Awesome
1
6%
The best book of magic
0
No votes
Very bad
1
6%
Fluff
10
56%
Extremely bad
1
6%
 
Total votes: 18

Selena Silverlynx
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What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Selena Silverlynx »

Titles says it all.
My experience was that I read ''To Ride a Silver Broomstick'' my first feeling about it, after reading a few pages, was disappointment. Mrs Ravenwolf tone and mood in the book was extremely bossy, and I disliked how she said what to write in your Book of Shadows. She hardly gave some good advice on how to get your magical name.

However, I managed to get some good info out of her book, even though I was irritated that she told you what to do. I looked at her book, ''Teen Witch'' and read the bad reviews as well as the good reviews, and decided not to buy it. My experience with ''To Ride a Silver Broomstick'' has told me enough.
Now, I've heard about that some people here really dislike her books. What are your opinions about it?

Greetings,
Selena Silverlynx
Why are black cats associated with witches?
Because black is an awesome colour, cats are awesome, and so are witches. People are actually linking awesomeness to awesomeness to awesomeness. ;)
AmethystRayne
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by AmethystRayne »

I found this book at the Salvation Army a few weeks ago, and out of all the Wicca books I've collected, this is one of them that I refer to the most. I have to say, though, that I haven't read the entire book....I tend to just skip around to read what I feel like reading, but it's got a lot of good info for beginners and it's easy to understand. I've read a lot of it, but I haven't noticed the bossiness. I also tend to kinda throw out the info that I don't agree with or I don't need, so maybe that's why I didn't notice?

It has the basics of a little bit of everything in it, which I really like. If I need more in depth info I look in another book, or online. Another book I get into a lot is "Spellbound: The Teenage Witches Wiccan Handbook" by Teresa Moorey (also found at the SA). I prefer these because they're quick, to the point, and it keeps my attention. They remind me that your life can be magical at any second, when ever you want....it feels less pressured.

The more "professional" Llewellyn books I have make Wicca feel more like a chore than anything and I end up skipping through a ton because it just gets boring. Sometimes it feels like these authors ramble just to take up space. They also make me feel as if things HAVE to be done a certain way, at a certain time, and you MUST have all the tools required.

Idk, maybe it's the cartoony covers that give me the laid back, just do your best, feel? Lol now that you mention the bossiness though I'll probably notice it now!
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Klia
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Klia »

I have her Solitary Witch book. While I do enjoy it and find a lot of things worth highlighting, it is all out of order and is more for teenagers than adults. She focuses more on spells and everything else before talking about what Wicca is, who we follow/worship, and what we believe. I might buy more of her books. I'd give this one a 3/5. It annoys me that I have to go to the appendix every time I need to look something up. If she put it in order it would be better. Some people say she is funny in her writings, but I disagree. She sort of bashes Christianity to prove her point, which I don't agree with because a lot of people who convert to Wicca were once Christians themselves. And it is not practicing the 'harm none' aspect.
"The will to do, the soul to dare is yours for the taking if you prepare."
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by charmecia5 »

I haven't read all of her books so far (The only ones I've completed so far is To Ride a Silver Broomstick and her Halloween book.) I'm still trying to read 2 of her books...To Stir a Magic Cauldron (which was recommended by one of my friends who is a Wiccan Priestess in Flint, Michigan), and To Light a Sacred Flame. I do recommend her To Ride a Silver Broomstick as it has some good information for those learning into the Craft (just read with an open mind and to do some research on The Burning Times as the info in To Ride a Silver Broomstick is questionable). And her tone will appear bossy and she seems to have a thing towards Christianity, but past aside, it does hold some information on Sabbats, Esbats, witchcraft, and meditation and divination.

I have read most of her Teen Witch book and there seems to be a lot of stuff in that book that I'm not quite feeling. And to me, it feels as if it's a mixture of Harry Potter meets Twilight and the Craft (which are movies from Hollywood). In my opinion it should of been a teen fiction book as it feels that way. I'm going to try to read it again (as I've read most) but I'll remember to have a grain of salt when reading this book (and to also keep an open mind). And yes I'm very brave.

So I don't really hold nothing against her, seeing as she is one of the first authors that got me into witchcraft. I'm just not particularly fond of Teen Witch, but I've read worse books (like most romance books from Harlequin back in the day.). What can I say..I love to read.
PaganSerpent

Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by PaganSerpent »

I have her Ultimate BOS for Solitary Practitioner. I've read a little bit and I like using it for reference but I don't like her "Christian bashing". I have not read her other books.
Lightbringer

Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Lightbringer »

I found To Ride a Silver Broomstick a LOT more helpful than I expected (and what I expected was fluffy drivel). I wouldn't recommend it to a total beginner, because of her loose definition of what Wicca is, but I would recommend it to a friend who had some experience in Paganism already. I really liked her approach--instead of just sharing information, it read like a workbook, with activities that you have to actually DO instead of just read about. I guess that may have been why it sounded bossy, but to me that was the best part.

I've heard that there are some people who hate her writing style. I do admit that it was a little annoying at times.

I also dislike her Christian bashing, but countless other authors have done it before her, so I can't really hold it against her alone.
Kyrie
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Kyrie »

The only book of her's that I actually found helpful (and surprising use the most out of all my other witchy books!) is Solitary Witch.

I'm not a fan of the rest of her stuff.
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Hildegard
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Hildegard »

I just recently bought Teen Witch and haven't finished it yet, and I haven't read any of her other books, but what I like most about it is its emphasis on doing what feels right to you rather than strict ritual, as well as her opinion (at least in this book) that it's okay to blend other religious traditions with the Craft. I feel like that could be very reassuring to many readers.

Additionally, one of my favorite quotes about religious tolerance and diversity comes from that book:
"I see God as a big, beautiful diamond with many facets. Each facet of God manifests as a positive religious belief. Witches see themselves as one of those facets on that diamond. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and hundreds of other positive religions make up that big diamond too. Together, we are all one."

The only complaint I have about her writing is that she seems to underestimate the vocabulary and intelligence of her reader, especially when writing for teens. The translation into "Teen Speak" of the Council of American Witches' 1974 document "Principles of Wiccan Belief" was wholly unnecessary.
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Hildegard
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Hildegard »

Well, I've finished Teen Witch now and my opinion is that it starts out good but goes downhill. The beginning's good, the section on ritual is all right, the spells are a mixed bag, and the very end section... well, anyway, I'd say that if the first half had been published on its own that would have been enough. Oh well.
loona wynd
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by loona wynd »

Overall I put her as an author on my gray list. There is valuable information in her books to be sure and they are helpfully written. However I personally think there are better authors out there with better written exercises and or more resources in their books. I started my practice with her. I only recently put those books in a donation bin for Good Will.

One of the reasons I don't tell people to avoid her is because of how widely available her books are compared to other authors out there. I typically recommend that people have read at least two other books by different authors before picking her books up. I'd say that yes she is defiantly a beginners author, however I would never have her be the first book I hand any one.

One of the reasons I say that is that she has a lot of veiled negative towards Christianity and encouraged teenagers to lie to their parents about the Gods they are working with in witchcraft. She advocates a mixing of Christianity and Wicca while one starts to explore the path and then simultaneously later on says that the two can't exist. So she lies and provides confusing and conflicting information. Which is why if you have read at least one or two other books on the subject she may be able to clarify a few things that were confusing in other texts.

Me I didn't have a choice. The book Teen witch came to me as a gift for my birthday one year. So it was meant for me to serve as a starting point. Now that I look back on it I would say that as a starting point not bad. As the only author and reference terrible. As a first book series confusing. Within the early stages read, but question and compare to everything else you have read.
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Queen of the Dead
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Queen of the Dead »

A lot of the information in her books is inaccurate, and she conflates Wicca with witchcraft, saying that witches can't believe in Satan. She's, in basic terms, a cultist. One of her quotes against Christianity/Judaism/Islam:

"If you intend to grovel before a God form, please stop here and throw this book away…The common act of sniveling at their feet is unacceptable. If you truly want that type of relationship with “higher-ups”, there are plenty of well-cultured religions that will gladly open their arms to you."

Basically wow rude. Also, she says that her terribly historically inaccurate story about how Christians turned a made up "old god" into Satan is a "good story for children." Also, she said that over nine million people were killed in the Burning Times, when it was most likely only around a hundred thousand.

Also, she tells you to deliberately mislead people and edge the conversation away from you being a witch by making the other person talk about themselves. She basically said 'Wicca and Witchcraft are the same thing, and anyone who tells you differently is stupid.' She also said that Mary Magdalene was a Pagan (which is VERY anti-semetic since Magdalene was a Jew) and that she was persecuted because she worshiped the Goddess.

Ugh.
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Xiao Rong
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Xiao Rong »

I went back and forth on this for a while, and here's what I think of Silver Ravenwolf for a while:

It is a perfectly fine account of one woman's idea of what witchcraft should look like.

It's very hard for ANY one book to be the definitive introduction to witchcraft, because that's just so broad, and eventually everyone winds up forging their own path anyways. And newbies are often in the mindset of, "Okay, just tell me what to do". When you start out, you just want some basic, simple introduction of someone telling you what to do, and Silver Ravenwolf's stuff is accessible and provides that sort of authoritative, "Here's what you do" voice for newbies (so does Scott Cunningham, although I do prefer his books over hers for this purpose).

So I think it's fine for what it is, with the expectation that most people will read other books too, which will inevitably balance out some of Silver Ravenwolf's less informed or more extreme opinions. I would have more of a problem with it if people were expected to treat it as some kind of holy book or THE most definitive book on witchcraft.
~ Xiao Rong ~ 小蓉 ~ Little Lotus ~
PaganCeltophile

Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by PaganCeltophile »

Well, I don't know if this is still relevant, but here's MY opinion (:

I actually DO like Silver RavenWolf's books. I also like what I have seen of Fiona Horne, so far. I'm aware that they are the most known fluffy bunny authors. Still, I think that maybe the Wiccan community needs - amongst other things - some "Pop personality". I'm by no means saying that Wicca or Paganism are not to be taken seriously or just as a trend, but sometimes I personally find that whenever my faith is wavering or everything's just a bit too... dry for me, then I turn to the above authors' works because especially Silver RavenWolf has those list-type sections in her books with practical things to do. And I mean, to each their own individual path, right? of course I don't like the bossy tone, either, but probably I have just turned my ears deaf to that, so I don't even notice it anymore. The only thing I don't like about Silver is the materials she sometimes uses in her spell. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I absolutely HATE using plastic things, for example tape, in my rituals. I'm more the... traditional type, so I would use ribbon instead of tape, for instance. But that's just my opinion :) And I'd rather have a Fluffy Bunny "celebrity" out there that offers at least a piece of insight of what Wicca is about than someone claiming to be Wiccan and not saying/doing ANYTHING remotely to do with Wicca.

Greetings xx
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Chalice
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Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Chalice »

I'm an initiated witch (done my first and second years) and never read one of her books. I'm also 39 years old.

So, life goes on without Ms RavenWolf.

I think threads like this create and send psychic energy to her, and so she thrives from all that notoriety energy.
Witchcraft & OBOD Druidry.
Sphere

Re: What Are Your Opinions on Silver RavenWolf's Books?

Post by Sphere »

Maybe times have changed but I have never seen anyone claim SRW's books are the ultimate guides to Wicca & Witchcraft. If anyone recommends them at all it's with large caveats such as those found on the Wicca for the Rest of Us website. I personally enjoy them very much, especially when I want to go back to the basics of Wicca. Maybe it's because they were some of the first Wiccan books I read when I started almost 20 years ago, but they're still some of my favourites.
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