Rating: 
Summary: An "Occultic Historian" Whom Is Historically Inaccurate!
Review: As a so-called "Occultic Historian" she really ought to know better, and actually researched her findings. It's as if she systimatically typed up for publication every little detail (accurate or not) which she found. Well, she certainly has put her own "spin" on this Season of the Witch. So, I will recount all that I have personally found within the pages of her book to be highly suspect: 1.) She meantions "sin" as a concept of Pre-Christian Celtic spirituality within the first couple of pages. Now, we know that this is not true, as it is a belief which stems from Christianity. 2.) While it is believed by some that the Celts engaged in ritual human sacrifice, I do not, based on what we know of these sources & relatively recent anthropological discoveries which do, in fact, support my beliefs. The only written accounts of such actions were penned by their enemies, the Romans. In particular, Julius Ceasar, whom was out on a campaign to prove what "savages" these people were. And, they most definately had reason to as the Celts had once siezed control of Rome for 7 months! It was also a common practice among the Roman legions to demonize one's opponents. Ceasar's passages were neither corroborated by any comtemporary historians; as well as the fact that there is only one reference to "human sacrifice" in Celtic literature which appears (to Scholars in the field) to be a Christian forgery. Given these facts, I am surprised that this is still so widely accepted! If it was, in fact, part of their culture, one would expect many references in their literature. Although, some remains of executions have been found in the archeological records, it is not obvious whether the victims were executed after a court trial (as the spiritual leaders were also the Judges) or killed during religious rituals. Given what we know, I am betting on the prior belief, due to the fact that "we DO have several written records in which the Druids & Celts were praised HIGHLY for being in touch with the human spirit & that they would't, in fact, hurt a fly" [quoted from professional Historian, Ronald Hutton]! So, it's all very contradictory. The belief that they probably did not engage is such practies is not a new one (or a "fluffy" one) among Pagan practitioners. It is, in fact, held by many well-researched Elders in The Craft, one of whom is Laurie Cabot of The Cabot Tradition of The Science of Witchcraft. However, on the odd occassion that they had to fell an animal for a Holy Feast it was done with ritual & reverence for the dear creature- identical in many ways to our own Thanksgiving Feast [after all, they couldn't exactly hail a Taxi to the local butcher, now, could they?]! There was also, more than likely, no As a so-called "Occultic Historian" she really ought to know better, and actually researched her findings. It's as if she systimatically typed up for publication every little detail (accurate or not) that she found. Well, she certainly has put her own spin on this Season of The Witch. So, I will recount all that I have personally found within the pages of her book to be highly suspect: 1.) She meantions "sin" as a concept of Pre-Christian Celtic spirituality within the first couple of pages. Now, we know that this is not true, as it is a belief which stems from the Christian dogma. 2.) While it is believed by some that the Celts engaged in ritual human sacrifice, I do not, based on what is known of these sources & relatively recent anthropological discoveries which support my beliefs. The only written accounts of such actions were penned by their enemies, the Romans. In particular, Julius Ceasar, whom was out on a campaigne to prove what "savages" these people were, forthe Celts had once siezed Rome for a total of 7 months. And, sticking in this veign, it was also a common practice among the Roman legions to demonize their opponents! Such passages have not been corroborated by any contemporary Historians. Aside from these, there is only one reference to "human sacrifice" in Celtic literature which appears, to Scholars in the field, to be a Christian forgery. Given these facts, I am surprised that this is still so widely accepted! If it was, in fact, part of their culture, one would expect many references in their literature. However, some remains of executions have been found in the archeological record, but it is not obvious whether the victims were executed after a court trial (as the spiritual leaders were also the Judges) or killed during religious rituals. Given what we know, I am betting on the prior belief, due to the fact that we DO have several written records in which "the Druids & Celts were praised HIGHLY for being in touch with the human spirit & that they would't, in fact, hurt a fly!" as quoted by Ronald Hutton [professional historian and author of "Triumph Of The Moon"]. So, it's all very contradictory. The belief that they probably did not engage is such practies s not a new one (or a "fluffy" one) among Pagan practitioners. It is, in fact, held by many well-researched Elders in The Craft, one of whom is Laurie Cabot of The Cabot Tradition of The Science of Witchcraft. However, on the odd occassion that they had to fell an animal for a Holy Feast it was done with ritual & reverence for the dear creature- identical in many ways to our own Thanksgiving Feast! After all, they couldn't exactly go down to their local butcher for a pound'a ground round! There was also, more than likely, no (as Dunwich states) kittens whom were placed into wicker cages and "roasted alive," because of the Druid's fears of cats being "humans transformed into animals by evil powers". 3.) Her book also claims, which is inaccurate on both counts, that "In Ireland, the soft glow of jack-o'-lanterns lit the way for those whom went door to door demanding tributes for the old Pagan God, Muck Olla," citing this as the origins of the custom of "Trick-OrTreat". However, we know that the Pumpkin is not native to Ireland, and that, due to this fact, we know that a turnip was used in lieu of the former vegitable. I have also found that there was never any known Celtic God by the name of "Muck Olla." I have yet to find any evidence which corroborates her claims in "Muck Olla." However, she did tell me, once, that much of her book was researched using a variety of web-sites On-Line. 3.) Her faery story of "Tam Lin" also makes the Little People appear *quite* satanic by writing that Tam Lin was "doomed to haunt the forest for 7 years then be offered up on Halloween as the faeries' 7-year tribute to the Prince of Darkness." I was quite dismayed in this book, as it perpetuated the misconceptions of my ancestors & their beliefs. So, please, if you *do* choose to buy this book, know your facts, first, which I have briefly stated above. And, read it with a fist full of salt. Many Blessings to you, Wade )O(
Rating: 
Summary: An okay book, but I'd recommend others!
Review: Gosh, I was a little disappointed with this book. I spent most of the time writing corrections in the margins of the "history" chapter, and got a little bored with the rest. It isn't an awful book by any means having a nice hodge-podge of spells, recipes, and lore, but I found even the more authentic sections to be uninspired. Printed in a fairly small-sized book, the lay-out is cluttered and hard to read. When I got my hands on "Halloween" by Silver Ravenwolf, I said "Oh, THIS is the book I was looking for." Sorry Gernia.
Rating: 
Summary: Why Not the Pagan Book of Samhain?
Review: I do question WHY it isn't The Pagan Book of Samhain, but I presume she has her reasons I did though really enjoyed this little book. You can expect to find the following...
Origin of Halloween and Lore, Rituals and Celebrations, Herbs and Omens, Symbols, Superstions, Halloween Divinations, Recipes, and a Pagan Perspective, and more. I find anything on Samhain delightful and interesting, a very nice additon to my Ravenwolf book. I love her choice of covers, using a John Wm Waterhouse painting once again. She has a nice thorough Bibliography which I love to scan for more sources for my own library. Not a bad investment
Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Resource!
Review: I found this book to be extremely well-researched and educational, however, written in a style that is neither confusing nor intimidating to the reader. The Halloween folklore and divinations were fascinating, and I found the author's Samhain ritual to be beautiful and lovingly-crafted. This book has become a treasured addition to my witchcraft library. I would further like to comment about the previous review of this book left by "Wade White." Sounds to me like this individual wants desperately to rewrite history to suit his ideals. Like it or not, it remains a known fact that both human and animal sacrifices were common among many ancient pagan cultures, such as the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Babylonians, Aztecs, and Celts. Mr. White, you cannot change or deny historical facts simply because you find them to be unpleasant. I suggest that you read an encyclopedia or and educate yourself. Our pagan ancestors were any thing but "fluffy bunnies" as you would like for us all to believe.
Rating:
Summary: the right book for Halloween
Review: I've been reading this book and i've found it very interesting .
But i don't like the cover and the pages at all,it's poor quality paper .
Rating: 
Summary: Simple Overview of Halloween
Review: Published by Penguin Compass in 2000, this book follows the same kind of format as the Halloween book by Silver Ravenwolf published by Llewellyn in 1999. The research for the history differs a little as is from some different sources, and focuses on the Celts in Briton and Ireland to the present. Ms. Dunwich then examines the symbolism of Halloween, Divination, magic spells, rituals and recipes.
In the history section, the retelling of the myths, legends and actual historical background of the holiday we know as Halloween is much more cut and dry than other volumes previously presented. There is, however, some spin placed on events. I did find some questionable conclusions and some errors in facts. The mention of a pagan deity "Muck-Olla" is not accurate, as this is a bull from Welsh legend, not a pagan god. Just one of many examples.
The bibliography that Ms. Dunwich draws from appears to be quite extensive, and covers much folklore, some pagan sources and some actual historical sources. Again, some questionable conclusions are drawn, in my opinion, as well as confusing or misrelating some facts.
She covers some of the traditions of this Holiday and how they became incorporated in today's modern celebration. She looks at Trick or Treating, Day of the Dead and shows the incorporation into today's customs. She then goes into the modern practices of Wicca and how this holiday has some mistaken associations, none of which are associated with Wicca, and gives her brief accounting of where this misinformation may have originated.
These areas are covered briefly, not delving into much detail and gives an overview of the topic. Ms. Dunwich refrains from spinning too much of this into an issue, which is, in my opinion, good but could have been better.
The Symbols part of the book covers the usual: bats, skeletons, jack-o'-lanterns, cats and cauldrons and more.
Ms. Dunwich includes more in a section entitled Legend and Lore, focusing on the fire, astrological and fairy associations as well as others. Irish and Briton lore is included, making for some interesting stories and reading.
She then takes a brief look at some herbs. She examines some herbal associations to flying ointments, as well as magical properties of some herbs associated with the holiday.
We come to some Superstitions and Omens, which covers such items as weather, candles, blood, cats, venturing off into old wives tales. "If the moon at Halloween is new, this indicates that the coming year will be fertile ground for new beginnings to take place, such as the start of a new project, a new career, or even a new way of thinking." Further examples are given.
She also covers Divinations and Incantations, or magic, such as crystal balls, love spells, apple magic, fire scrying, nut divination (the food) and much, much more.
Ms. Dunwich also includes a ritual which can be adapted by both covens and solitaries and offers a list of Gods and Goddesses connected with Halloween.
She offers some actual spells, for everything from keeping evil spirits at bay with garlic to blessings for the dead. And finally some recipes for food for that day's celebrations including Colcannon, mulled cider and soul cakes, to mention a few.
The book is a small one, pocket size, approximately 5 inches by 7 inches. The paper is typical paperback paper used commonly by Penguin books, and the cover is coated, giving it texture and making the lovely print of John Waterhouses "The Crystal Ball" stand out. The book is peppered with some small woodcut prints in black and white which have associations to the chapter contents. And it has an index for easy referencing.
The book makes a fair presentation of the holiday of Halloween but does not generally offend. Ms. Dunwich tells her stories in an easy to read fashion.
The fact that it mirrors the same kind of content as the Halloween book by Llewellyn from a year earlier makes this book almost redundant, except for the fact that Ms. Dunwich does add some of her own material here and there. But she covers similar ground, and the appeal here would be if you were a Gerina Dunwich fan rather than a Silver Ravenwolf fan you would find this book more appealing.
This book offers a simple overview on the various topics. A good book overall, but nothing to get excited about here unless you are a Gerina Dunwich fan. boudica
Rating:
Summary: Dull and bland...
Review: This book is ok in content, but the information is presented in a rather bland form. If you are interested in this subject, I would recommend Silver Ravenwolf's book on Halloween (from the Llewellyn Sabbat series). Buy at your own risk of being bored.
Rating:
Summary: Dull and bland...
Review: This book is ok in content, but the information is presented in a rather bland form. If you are interested in this subject, I would recommend Silver Ravenwolf's book on Halloween (from the Llewellyn Sabbat series). Buy at your own risk of being bored.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely disappointing.
Review: this is a great book not only about the magical significance and importence of samhain, but also of general folklore connected to this day. i would recommend this book to every one and dont bash books unless you've written one yourself, no ones perfect. Gerina did a wonderful job in writing a facinating book that includes folklore, traditions, and explanation for many modern custums practised on samhain. My friend has a copy ,as do i and it so good i bought it for a friends birthday.
Rating:
Summary: "A MUST READ FOR ALL NEOPAGANS"
Review: This is by far the best book ever written about Halloween and its history, customs, lore, and religious significance to NeoPagans throughout the world. Silver Ravenwolf's Halloween book was good, however (and with all due respect to Ms. Ravenwolf) Dunwich's book far surpasses it in style and content. From the ancient Druids to modern day witchcraft ceremonies and everything in between, this book is a must read for all NeoPagans and anyone interested in the true meaning connected to Halloween's symbols and traditions.
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