Book Review: The Heart of Wicca

The Heart of Wicca, by the late Ellen Cannon Reed, is not your typical Wicca book. There are no ritual outlines in this book. No spells. There are no tables of correspondences, lists of deities, or anything else you might find in scores of other books on the shelves. Rather, this is a book of advice and guidance from a witch who had been on her path for a long time. Ellen shares her thoughts and opinions within, and she doesn’t sugarcoat a thing. I wanted to take the time to review this book for two reasons. First, because it’s one of my top-three recommended books here on Suite. Second, because the book sets out in 127 elegantly written pages many of my own ideas and thoughts about Wicca and where Wicca is headed. I highly recommend it to anyone who is Wiccan or seeking to become Wiccan. The book starts with a bang as Ellen rails against some of the frustrating ideas she’s heard about Wicca. I’ve heard them myself, and maybe you have too: that all Wiccans are “crystal-hugging, air-headed veganazis” (pg vii) , or that we all worship Moon Goddesses, or that “the Craft… is… a hobby, a social club, or a political movement” (pg ix). While this is true of some Wiccans, it most certainly isn’t true of me! Heart of Wicca is divided into twelve chapters and three appendix sections. The chapters delve into all areas of Wicca, including covens (Chapter 3), deities (Chapter 7), magic (Chapter 10), and the Rede (Chapter 11). The Recommended Reading appendix is a two-page smattering of resources ranging from general topics to books that are culture-specific. None have publish dates later than 1997, so some of these sources may be out of print. In the Covens chapter, Ellen takes on some of the more enduring myths about group work and group leadership. The main purpose of a coven, she states, is “to serve the Gods and Goddesses” (pg 26). She then spends a few pages talking about the membership requirements of her own coven. If you are unfamiliar with group work, pay careful attention to these pages. Chapters 4 and 5, focusing on Training and Initiation respectively, go deeper into these concepts. If you’re unfamiliar with group work, or wondering what the big deal is with covens and initiations, pay close attention to these chapters. Chapter 5 also includes a short section on the importance of initiation standards, a hot topic in Wicca today. Chapter 8, on the Sabbats, includes two lengthy pieces of Wiccan mythology that I enjoyed reading. The first piece weaves a story about why we celebrate the Wheel of the Year, and includes elements similar to the Greek myths about Persephone’s decent to the underworld. Note that this is only one coven’s interpretation of the Wheel, but it’s extremely detailed and rich in symbolic imagery. The second, shorter piece also describes the reasons behind the Wheel of the Year. This one, however, has a more Egyptian flavor to it, weaving in elements of the Isis and Osiris myths. If you’ve ever wondered how you could adapt the Wheel of the Year Sabbats to a particular culture or style of Wicca, this chapter holds valuable insights. Just because the more “generic” descriptions of the Sabbats have a Celtic flavor doesn’t mean you are locked into using Celtic ideas or Gods. You could reinterpret the Wheel in terms of Norse mythology, or Native American mythology, or whatever culture calls to you. Chapter 11, on ethics, is my favorite. Wiccan ethics, and the Rede in particular, are hot-button issues for me. Although she only devotes four pages to discussing the Rede, these four pages have influenced my own interpretations of it immensely. In fact, after reading this chapter, you may notice a lot of similarities between her words and my article on Wiccan ethics. I consider Chapter 11 to be the heart and soul of the book. Ethics are the foundation of religion, as religion is often the foundation of morality. Without a firm, consistent code of ethics, a religion is doomed. From that code of ethics, a religion can determine what sort of morality it will inspire in its followers, and how it will fit into the greater morality of society. Heart of Wicca may be a quick read, but it isn’t short on depth and meaning. While you may not agree with everything Ellen says, it’s certainly worth your time. I don’t agree with everything she says, and yet I highly recommend the book. My copy is published by Weiser books. I welcome your reviews and comments in my discussion section, and I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have. Wicca lost a guiding light when it lost Ellen Cannon Reed.