Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Paganism, witchcraft, and Wicca as portrayed on TV, movies, and popular culture. Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Practical Magic, etc. If you know of a good show or movie, you can recommend it here or discuss it with others.
Mary-Greenman

Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Post by Mary-Greenman »

I recently read a post in a blog a while ago discounting Silver's information, especially in her book Solitary Witch. Hunting around google and Amazon I find a lot of people share the same views. What do you think?

Essay Here

I personally, found a lot of errors as far as research and fact goes, but Solitary Witch does hold value as far as creating spells and reference points goes. Then again, as a friend pointed out to me, you can find a lot of those online for free.
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Post by shadowx »

*Projectile Vomits*

I am not a lover of wicca anyway but she just takes the biscuit. She is like a really annoying hippy woman that never shuts up about how amazing she is and how magick solves all of her little problems "Like this one time it was a bit dry and hot so i got my magick rattles and went out and done a rain dance and precisely 3.7 seconds later it rained! I really am awesome :) "

Pull the other one!

"Oh and kids, dont tell ANYONE you are a wiccan because this is an uber secret fanclub and all the time witches get hurt and hunted by all those christians out there"

I hate christians, i really do, but it isnt like that... Not unless you live in texas, and perhaps she does, in which case i can discount most of her words anyway! (not all texans are retards but 90% are! Its a proven fact*)

*This is not a proven fact
Mary-Greenman

Post by Mary-Greenman »

Hi again. :)

Even starting, I knew most of her stuff was wrong. First of all, 'nine billion Wiccans' were not burned at the stake. Um, hello! Wicca wasn't even founded until the 1950's (or some where around there)! Those persecuted during the Salem witch trials were radicals, minors and individualists who refused to conform to the church, and were thus seen as a threat. Witches were an easy scape goat, because priests read the bible to uneducated followers. 'judge ye not' was conveniently forgotten.

I don't hate Christians as a whole, mostly because the people who committed the crimes of the dark ages are all dead, and I've not personally met a Christian who has done me or mine harm other than giving me dirty looks (mind you, this is my grandmother, who is very worried that I'm going to hell).

But Silver's whole book seemed to be about jabbing at the Christian religion in its entirety.
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Post by shadowx »

i dislike christians purely because they follow a flawed system of hatred and yet refuse to accept it and regularly break their own rules all the time. But thats a different topic :D

The whole "witches were burned" thing got me too, more likely the free thinking women were actually hung until dead and had their bodies burned to cleanse them. I think it was very rare for anyone to be burned while alive, though it did happen i dont think it was as common as she would love to think. And here in the UK at least almost all of those accused were let off anyway and nothing happened to them at all!
Mary-Greenman

Post by Mary-Greenman »

XD I think poeple of christian faith hold too high of an expectations, making it nearly impossible to follow. I also think that they are not fit for an evolving society.

THe witches were burned gets me every time. It irritaites me to no end, because it discredits the people who were burned at the stake and deserve some credit for standing by their values!

I didn't know that about the uk, though! Lucky them! XD I think in America's case it was more about a group of people fighting for power they newly discovered.

Alright, so I'm going to dissapear for a while. I must sleep. XD At six in the morning. Yup. lol.

Any who, it was a pleasure talking to you and I look forward to more conversations in the future!
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Post by shadowx »

Perhaps you are right about christians. What gets me is the whole "You cant be gay or practise witchcraft because the bible says so and the bible is always right and it is the word of god"

Erm... What about the part where it says you cant were clothes of mixed fibre? Isnt your shirt made of cotton and polyester?

"Dont be such an idiot, the bible is a guide you arent meant to follow it exactly, also it was written by man and man can make mistakes"

Riiiiiiiight.... GTFO!

I didnt know about the uk witch trials either until i saw it on QI on TV. (its a uk comedy panel show where they quiz the guests with what seem like easy questions but actually the true answer is different to the generally accepted one)

Essentially the UK, in particular the countryside was, and still is, very witchy and pagan. Obviously things like the celts and the druids were strong here and the various invasions over the years from the vikings and other europeans meant i suppose that a whole load of different gods were thrust upon us, if you think about it norse mythology is somewhat pagan with its various deities and embodiments of the elements and conditions on earth so when the romans came along we said "no thanks!" and that was that. I believe the UK, or more precisely England, was the only place Rome invaded that had, and needed, a constant roman army just to keep us in line :D

Even today in places like the New forest national park in the south of England (beautiful place!) is really witchy, it is known for its covens and witches and almost every village has a witchy shop. One place we drove through and stopped at had about 10 buildings and 3 of those were witchcraft shops!

In the bigger towns and cities any religion is christianity but it isnt massive here. Mainly black africans who bring their gospel type stuff over here have massive congregations and there are plenty of those in east london (my neck of the woods) but other than that there are a few smaller churches around. Most people i would say arent that religious at all here! Certainly no religious nutters like the southern states of america!
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Post by snowyowl »

I'm not sure if I agree with the wiccans versus Christian argument. Not all Christians are alike and the majority I've interacted with are just as sane as we are. Believing that all Christians are like evangelical Christians or southern baptist is just as ignorant as believing all wiccans/pagans are satanists. Not all of them break "the rules" and different dominations will interpret the bible differently. While some believe that homosexuals are evil and should be punished for their sins, others believe in gods unconditional love and will be much more tolerant and friendly of a gay lifestyle. I actually know quite a few gay Christians and they seem happy to be gay and attend services. We are all trying to find the divine in a way that is right for us and there will always be those who misrepresent faiths.
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Re: Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Post by 13Lotuses »

Frankly, even reading the Table of contents and the first 2 chapters of her book Teen Witch, it was pretty obvious. A shoe could have written something better. It seemed that she was talking down to the reader(s) throughout most of the first chapters. I can't really talk about the rest because, well, I didn't read it all. Anyway...

Just my opinion.
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Re: Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Post by Echo_of_shadows »

I personally view Silver Ravenwolf's books as just a learning tool. I don't really love or hate them. I have read several of them & I own "Solitary Witch," but it's more of a reference book for me.
I think we should read books by every author we can get our hands on so that we can learn to distinguish the bad from the good. We should also keep in mind that some information needs to be taken with the proverbial grain of salt because finding truth in information these days becomes harder.
......especially in Wicca/Witchcraft/Paganism due to fluffies, pretenders, Hollywood, some Christians, and some beginners all doing their part to contribute to the blind leading the blind.

* I use the word "some" because I don't want to paint all Christians or all beginners with the same brush.
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Re: Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Post by Vigdisdotter »

First of all, while getting people's opinions on a book is a good thing, at the end of the day I think everyone should do their own reading an make up their own mind.

I've seen a LOT of parroting online when it comes to $RW by people who have never once cracked open any of her books. And that's as bad as what $RW publishes, to be honest.

There are a LOT of reasons I don't like her. IN a nutshell, she's a money grubbing idiot that passes off whatever false/ill-researched information she thinks will sell as "Wicca" or "Pow-Wow" or "Hedgecraft" or whatever other subject she's glommed onto this week.

She tells teens to lie to their parents, and to call on dangerous beings that have no love of humans as part of spells. That right there is enough for me to mark all her books as "Read with CAUTION". But there is more. Her anti-Christian attitudes even as she uses the bible to "prove" the ancient uses of spells is nauseating. And of course there are all her claims about what "REAL ______" do and don't do. ARG!!!! And this is of course on top of all the just plain wrong information. In her big Solitary Witch book she has a good enough explanation of Grounding. But when you look at Centering, it's just a re-hash of Grounding and not Centering at all.

In the end, I find her books not only a dreadful waste of money, but I find them dangerous. Not only because of suggesting things that are inherently ill-advised and even dangerous, but because all that nonsense will colour the person's perceptions of what IS and making that much harder to really see what's out there, as well as evaluating their own knowledge/progress.

I will not tell anyone NOT to read her books (hopefully you don't BUY them and give $RW more money) but I do point out that reading them should happen AFTER one already have a strong understanding of the subject matter. And then, do with a huge grain of salt and a bottle of aspirin on hand.
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Re: Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Post by Pinkpower_80 »

I have a few of her books in PDF format that didn't cost me anything. I have to say that I'm really glad they were given to me because I just don't really feel her as being sincere so I wouldn't want to spend money on them.
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Re: Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Post by North Star »

I think some are way too harsh on her.

The only annoyance I have is when one reads a Ravenwolf book and assumes they are an instant, experienced witch or wiccan with little knowledge outside the bare basics she does teach. That is really not Silvers short comings though is it, if one chooses to limit their exposure and knowledge? If a person chooses to limit themselves to that, and that makes them happy... then more power to them. They are the ones missing out on so much more. She offers her beliefs, and that is what makes this thing awesome... the freedom to be individual and not follow what others think is 'right' or 'wrong'. We would never call a fellow witch on the forum and idiot or wish them failure, so I think it is in poor taste to do so to her. She is a person and a witch just like the rest of us, with the right to say what she wants and make a living for herself. You never know, the next famous wiccan author could be part of our EUTM community. :wink:

I am curious of what this 'danger' is that vigdisotter is speaking of? IMO she is very much on the lighter side, I have read all her books and I see no real danger... But then again I do not relate witchcraft to fear, negativity or 'danger' like some seem to, so maybe I just don't see it.

Her spell books are pretty good. I like her creativity and can relate to her writing style and have used them for inspiration for my own spell crafting. I have had some powerful experiences from her ideas (spells and rituals) worked into my own magick. Her correspondences are closely related to my own, and 'Solitary' was a great reference book for me. Sure, there are things I do not agree with or feel differently about with a lot of her views (she does not believe in soul mates, I do. she feels casting circles is needed, I don't...just an example) but that is with practically every author I have encountered... No one is going to be 100% on point with anothers beliefs or relation to magick and spirituality. Again, that makes this thing we have pretty awesome in my opinion.

As far as Christianity, maybe that stuff just does not phase me... I could care less her opinions on it since it is not part of my life or what I need to focus on... I practice witchcraft, no need for me to talk about Christianity. ;) because I really do not care since it has never had a place in my life. Sometimes I think those who get all worked up about what another says about Christianity has some issues of their own with it.

Ravenwolf, Cabot, Cunningham, Grimassi, many others have all received criticism over the years in this way. Like it or not they do have their place in witchcraft and have for decades. I have taken some great stuff from all of them, and tossed out ideas from them all as well. I have paid for many books but I am quite a witchcraft book junkie so adding to my collection is never really a regret, even with books I do not care much for. Happy to support fellow witches, with the understanding we are all different and I do not have to be a carbon copy of their views to enjoy some of their work and the helpful tips I have taken from them.

I do respect others opinions here. I just wanted to say something positive because she is not the issue with Witchcraft and Wicca today. I have seen the same anti-Ravenwolfs using her spells on their websites and pages and they don't even know it (and have gotten upset that I even mention it... never give her proper credit and deleted my comments!). LOL Now that is funny. That aspirin will be much more needed trying to learn witchcraft off the internet than reading a book by SRW. What you can come across online, where any kid with a blog or beginner who is going through a 'wicca phase' is going to try to teach their idea of witchcraft is a lot scarier for a beginner, IMO.

I wish Ms Ravenwolf many more years of success.
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Re: Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Post by Vigdisdotter »

North Star wrote:I am curious of what this 'danger' is that vigdisotter is speaking of?
You mean OTHER then lying to parents (something with is a huge black mark right off the bat) as mentioned previously?

I take it to mean YOU don't recognize frost giants (jotan) as a bad thing to call on. Never mind that the culturally relevant lore they come from is quite emphatic about their disdain for humans and attempts to invade Midgard.

This is of course beside the point of giving emotionally distraught teens (and adults) that have no training or grounding in ethics (other then HERE version which is laughable to say the least) spells to use on those that they feel have wronged them.

And then there is all the nonsense one would have to unlearn in order to have effective practice and basic skills, like Centering. Not a danger but annoying as heck for the student when they realize it (and that can take a while) and the teacher that has to try to get through to the student why what they learned previously won't work.
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Re: Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Post by Xiao Rong »

I've read bits and pieces of Silver's stuff, but because of this thread, I decided I'd have to read one of her books (Teen Witch, since that's really designed for a beginner audience) so I could really comment ... Yeah, I can see why she's popular - her writing is easy to read (a little too colloquial, though, in my opinion), and she sort of "dumbs down" the philosophy and theology. I actually think her spells are pretty creative, in terms of being evocative yet simple, and pretty interesting use of tools (like a pair of sunglasses to draw out the sun on a cloudy day - modern but still kind of poetic!). But it really bothers me how much of her stuff is based on "the power of positive thinking!" She says that if you even so much as name evil, then you give it power, which is simply just plain denial of the world we live in; if bad stuff happens, then you clearly just didn't think positively enough.

I'm not going to say that SRW is, like, a con artist or the devil or something, but I would definitely hope that folks who read her book also read a TON of other books to balance her out ......
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Re: Silver Ravenwolf (Opinions liking or disliking wanted!)

Post by North Star »

Vigdisdotter wrote:I take it to mean YOU don't recognize frost giants (jotan) as a bad thing to call on. Never mind that the culturally relevant lore they come from is quite emphatic about their disdain for humans and attempts to invade Midgard.
No, not really. I don't recognize 'frost giants' though in any way...not part of my magick. Sometimes I come across spells I don't particularly care for, happens with many authors. I simply skip it. And beginners are going try stuff they don't fully understand no matter where they read it.

As for kids lying to their parents... we have lots of young adults here on this site who come here for support and advice, and we do support them. They are not all fortunate enough to have open-minded parents who embrace their children's interests. Sometimes it is better for them to keep the peace in their lives and not 'stir the pot', or shall we say... cauldron.

I appreciate you clarifying what you meant, but I still have to respectfully disagree.


Blessings to you. :flyingwitch:
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