Rating: 
Summary: So here's the question...
Review: ... how much do we really know about out past? Moreover, how much of it can we prove?Ann Moura gives an alternative view about where Witchcraft came from and why. Most of us cling to the idea that Witchcraft is based on something that goes back before Gerald Gardener, back before the rise of Christianity, and back before the start of recorded history. I would reccommend this book to anyone who already has a strong background in the history of the craft and who is interested in a slightly different perspective. It is very dense reading, jam-packed with facts. My advice to any reader is to approach this book with an open, but objective, mind. Who knows? Maybe one day we can trace the history back to the stone age... but until more evidence arises, the ideas in this book present themselves as the offspring of mere wishful thinking.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent work
Review: Explores the origins the beginning of several religions and actually peoples to the Sind area of northern India. Not entirely unknown concepts to most serious historians but rather less than spoken of as it is less than popular and challenges several dogmas around the world. The only criticism with this work is the inclusion of some spells within the work. Easily readable and based upon solid research.
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Summary: Well...it DID have Shiva in it...
Review: Have to give it four stars, despite the negative feedback I've read so far (although, don't dismiss it) Every book has its lover, and haters. I personally really enjoyed this book, not so much for its accuracy (I admit, I'm not an expert...thats why I read!) but for the fact that it piqued my curiosity on the subject. I found the amount of animosity towards Christians and Aryans a bit put-offish, but if you could get past that, some of the connections made sense. Supplimented by other books, this one is worth it. Hell, its inspired me to learn Sanskrit. If a book can prompt me to learn more - wether I am learning because the book was good, or because it was horrible - its still worth something. Digest it a bit, and then use your own intellect to decipher whether or not you believe it. Its not a bible, its a book of theory. Plus, its got Shiva in it, so it earned an extra star right there *grins*
Rating: 
Summary: more than 5 would be appropriate...
Review: I am amazed at the hostility in some of the preceding reviews... if its just a poorly written book, why are you so vehement in your criticisms? This book is excellent, finally someone is ready to challenge the falsehoods parading as truth in judeo-christian "history." The book is very coherent and well-organized. I have a masters in art theory and criticism, so I have read quite a few books of simliar styles, though with different content, and Ann Moura's book is every bit as solid in expounding her theory (THEORY, folks) as any of those other respected college-curriculum books. Additionally, as someone who has studied the migration and development of language, word roots, etc. - I found her conclusions based on language similarities to be very valid - she has done solid research into the way that words mutate over time, and in different cultures, and experts in that field would undoubtably have to agree with her conclusions, at least as possibilities. From word roots, we already know that there was an originating root language that spread through europe, as people spread, and throughout history additional foreign words have entered various languages as different ethnicities migrated. Similiar sounding words with similiar meanings just don't happen coincidentally. They just don't, certainly not more than once...I could find no faults, esp. as she is presenting her "conclusions" as theory, not as 100% proven fact. The only criticism I could offer would be to question the inclusion of spell ceremonies in an academic, serious work. It doesn't really bother me, but I can see where some would find it distracting, and their prejudices may cause them to react violently to these rituals. (as we can see in these reviews...) Great work, Ann Moura!! I was absolutely enthralled, I couldn't put this book down. Its fascinating!!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent place to Start or End
Review: I too am dismayed at the blatant anger displayed in the earlier reviews. The basis of research into witchcraft or indeed any field of thought with such ancient roots is patience and reading between the lines. This book provides its readers with just that. Even if the facts are wrong (which I will not say until I see a large amount of evidence to the contrary), they do help the reader to understand how the same facts can be interpreted in differant ways. In addition, this author does something that very few authors that I have read have done; she encourages her readers to read as many books in her bibliography as possible and check her sources. I give this book a high rating and encourage anyone seeking to view all possible interpretations of history to read it.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent place to Start or End
Review: I too am dismayed at the blatant anger displayed in the earlier reviews. The basis of research into witchcraft or indeed any field of thought with such ancient roots is patience and reading between the lines. This book provides its readers with just that. Even if the facts are wrong (which I will not say until I see a large amount of evidence to the contrary), they do help the reader to understand how the same facts can be interpreted in differant ways. In addition, this author does something that very few authors that I have read have done; she encourages her readers to read as many books in her bibliography as possible and check her sources. I give this book a high rating and encourage anyone seeking to view all possible interpretations of history to read it.
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Summary: What do you expect?
Review: It is true that everyone has the right to formulate theory. But it needs to be informed theory. Theory needs to be based on current facts. The world of historical scholarship and other disciplines such as anthropology and archaelogy are not necessarily hostile to any religion be it Wicca or Christianity. History before Christianity, and not Jewish, is considered pagan. This means that civilizations like ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, ancient India, etc. are pagan. Does this make them Wiccan? Or the antecedents of modern Wicca? Only by way of Gerald Gardner and loving reconstructionists of the modern Wiccan community. Many ill-informed individuals believe that the works of historians or archaeologists and other scientists have an agenda. Yes, they want to understand and explain how ancient cultures worked. How the people of those cultures lived. They love these cultures as unique cultures, not necessarily as a adjunct to their own religious beliefs. Shouldn't Wiccans and modern Pagans, above all others, appreciate the uniqueness and specialty of other cultures both ancient and modern? And respect them for their uniqueness. The view that all ancient societies were somehow "Wiccan" or somehow "Judeo-Christian" is just ignorance talking. Ancient civilizations were more different from the modern Western world than some people can imagine. This is because they have never thought outside their own culture or took an archaeology course. Their minds are more closed than the scholars they accuse of being close-minded. The "non-Wiccan" scholars (and we don't know if they are non-Wiccan) it is true, change their theories slowly, but it seems to me more rapidly than some people who are stuck on the origins of Wicca. Historians and archeologist alike try to get up close to first hand sources and first hand artefacts.
This author is not up on the current facts or scholarship on which to base her claim, sorry, theory. And by current we mean in the last 13 or so years. Why is a second or third hand source from a hundred or fifty more years ago more valuable than the current sources available? Why give any sources at all if we don't need facts? The scientists have moved on, but some Wiccans are stuck in the 19th century and early 20th century. She doesn't understand philology or other sciences which she is talks about and she doesn't understand logical presentation. Perhaps she lives too much in the right side of the brain. And that's okay, because modern Wicca is about creativity and such things. But she is not an historian nor should she claim to be one.
It is interesting to me "true believers" of any sort when conforted with, what seems to me, very gentle criticism of their belief system often resort to the accusation of jealousy. Jealousy is a waste of emotion and anyone in who is really wise knows this. And anyone who has true wisdom won't waste breath accusing others of it.
Wicca is a beautiful, modern, moving, viable, living, breathing, creative religion. As creative and beautiful and wise as you will let it be. Live it. Change and move through the cycles. Dream. Create. Grow and be wise. But most of all be happy!
Rating:
Summary: A mixed bag
Review: This book has its bad points and its good points. I was pleased to see that finally a publisher has recognized that there are a large number of Pagans, Wiccans, Witches, etc. out there who included India deities in their worship. There are only a few books out there that approach this matter and no single book yet which purely focuses on Pagans working with Indian/Hindu Goddesses and Gods, magick, meditations and rituals. While this book looks into the history of God and Goddess worship, it is at times inaccurate in its information. Assumptions are made and there are also a few mistakes. There are tarot meditations in the book which seem to be out of place. The don't seem to fit in with the rest of the book and appear to just be stuck in there for a practical element. The bibliography is quite poor, I certainly would not recommend it to Pagans and Witches who wish to learn more about Indian and Hindu religion, history, philosophy, worship or magic. In one part of the book I can see where the author has drawn upon another book on Hindu magic, but she fails to mention this in the bibliography. Why? Yet the book does have its good points. It is a good introduction to the Indus Valley civilization, or the Sarasvati River culture, that was thought to give birth to the Horned God (Pashupati) and the Mother Goddess. It also explores Shiva much and aspects of the Goddess slightly. But later on it the book does appear to lose its direction and often stray into more of a social commentary on American modern culture and its perception and understanding of the modern version of the Old Religion. Hopefully more books of a similar nature shall appear and develop on this book and its theme. Many Witches and Pagans are very interested in the different forms of Indian religion and its relationship with Witchcraft, Druidry and general Paganism, but publishers don't seem to have clocked this yet. Wake up! Overall not a bad book, but is let down with some of the mistakes and assumptions, and the out of place tarot meditations. Certainly worth a read though if you are new to this subject. I would recommend it (even though my review dwelt maily upon the falts of the book) as it is in general a good piece of work and a credit to the author.
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Summary: Ann Moura's Best Work
Review: This book is the best, please dont worry about the bad thoughts by everyone that sends a review about this book cause they have no open mind nor a clue on what they just read. Its an easy read and understandable when you do the research yourself (and yes, i have..many times). Ann Moura is right on the money..buy the book and see for yourself you'll thank your self later..trust me!.
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Summary: What a FASCINATING book!!!
Review: This book is very absorbing and well-written. Ms. Moura is obviously very knowledgable on the subject she is writing about and since she has an MA in history that is not surprising! The things I like best about this book are the way she reveals in a logical, believable, manner how the whole much-touted "Judeo-Christian" religous system is based on myths borrowed and/or stolen outright from what went before! I also found very enlightening how she explains that the reason that European Paganism strikes a deep chord of familiarity in people who are European or of European descent is because of the simple fact that we are European or of European descent and not Middle Eastern or of Middle Eastern descent! I always wondered why ever since I found Wicca I was so easily able to accept all the teachings. It's nice to know why Christianity NEVER worked for me or made sense to me, even when I was a child attending Catholic schools. A lot of the other reviews trash her research methods. I find her conclusions and her INTERPRETATION of the facts to be logical and reasonable. The only objection I have to this book is simply a difference in personal preference. I felt there was a little too much emphasis onThe God and all of His attributes and not enough emphasis on The Goddess and all of Her attributes. In other words too much Shiva and not enough Shakti! This book alwo does a great job explaining how the whole power of religous orthodoxy got started and why. One last point, isn't it unbeileiveably ironic that the rantings and ravings of the piece of human garbage known as adolf hitler about the superiority of the Aryan "race"(on this planet there is only one race and that race is the citizens of the Planet Earth human and non-human alike)and how horrible and evil the people of the Jewish race (funny, I thought Judiasm was a religion)are when it turns out the Jewish people are actually of Aryan descent! I don't know whether to laugh, cry or scream! Update: I've just been reading through the other reviews and most of the people who trash this book use the religously bigoted terms of BC and AD instead of the terms BCE and CE that Ms. Moura uses throughout her book! That pretty much makes their credibility and objectivity level non-existant! Don't let their narrow-minded reviews stop you from buying this excellent book!
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