Wicca and Witchcraft For Dummies

Diane Smith, a writer and editor for more than 20 years, is also an eclectic Witch.

• Introduction 1Part I: Seeing the World through Wiccan Eyes: What Wiccans Believe 9Chapter 1: Believing That Everything’s Connected 11Chapter 2: Believing in Deity 17Chapter 3: Believing in Magic: Where Science Meets the Craft 25Chapter 4: Believing in Ethics, Responsibility, and Personal Relationship with Deity 31Part II: Looking at the Past, Present, and Future: How Wiccans Live 39Chapter 5: Digging into the Past 41Chapter 6: Living Wiccan Today 61Chapter 7: Looking Back to the Future: The Rebirth of the Goddess 73Part III: Coming Home: How Wiccans Become Wiccans 85Chapter 8: Considering the Wiccan Path 87Chapter 9: Going Solo or Joining a Coven: Wiccan Options 95Chapter 10: Making Room for Everyone: Craft Traditions 107Part IV: Following the Sun and the Moon: How Wiccans Worship 127Chapter 11: Setting Up an Altar and Choosing Tools 129Chapter 12: Designing and Performing Rituals: The Heart of Wicca 151Chapter 13: Waxing and Waning with the Moon: The Esbats 183Chapter 14: Turning the Wheel of the Year: The Sabbats 195Part V: Practicing the Craft: What Wiccans Do 217Chapter 15: Making Magic Happen 219Chapter 16: Spellcasting: The Poetry of Wicca 231Chapter 17: Boosting Magic with Fire, Stones, and Herbs 241Chapter 18: Working with Trance and Dreams 261Chapter 19: Daring to Divine 283Chapter 20: Keeping a Book of Shadows, a Sacred Record 297Part VI: The Part of Tens 305Chapter 21: Ten Habits of Effective Wiccans 307Chapter 22: Ten Wiccan Principles of Behavior 313Chapter 23: Ten Warning Signs of a Scam or Inappropriate Behavior 317Appendix A: Wicca FAQ 323Appendix B: Magical Properties of Colors, Herbs, and Stones 343Index 349