High Magic's Aid

Rating:
Summary: Very interesting, Very hard to get into...but, well worth it
Review: I can say that by reading this book, you can see how Gardner thinks and you will (when you read the book) see how he tries to form his Gardnerian tradition . Whats great about the book is that Gardner puts himself into the book. Also another note, this book is the first time he mentions his own BOS within the book. Whats hard about the book, is the wording of "old world language", so, you'll have to read it slow. If your a Gardnerian such as me, you'll enjoy every bit of it.Even though this book is out-of-print, its not that hard to find..trust me!.

Rating:
Summary: Historical Curiousity
Review: If you want a guide to Wicca, look elsewhere (Janet and Stewart Farrar, Starhawk, Doreen Valiente, to name a few). Although this was Gerald Gardner's first book on the Craft (published under the pen name Scire), most ritual presented within is ceremonial magic. At this time, much of modern Wicca had not yet been developed (The Charge of the Goddess had not yet taken its current form). Gleaning useful information from this text is a great deal of work--far more complete distillations may be found in the works of the authors named above.

Scire was not a great novelist, either. His prose is OK and his story development is adequate. But this isn't a real page turner. If you want to read occult fiction from this time period, *anything* Dion Fortune wrote is better written than this novel. Contemporary novels, such as Katherine Kurtz' Adept series & Mercedes Lackey's Diana Tregarde tales seem much more palatable for anybody who just wants to entertain themselves with "Witch Novels."

I am, however, deeply grateful for having taken the time and effort to read this book. It is a piece of History. Without Gerald B. Gardner and his antics, it is unlikely that the Craft would be available to the general public today. This book was the prodrome to the popular revival of the Craft. To read it is to partake of History. Because of this--not for its instructional merits, nor for its entertainment value--I give it five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Fact Or Fiction !
Review: It's entertaining as a semi-fiction novel, but just the feel of authenticity and the sheer need for knowledge by most, including novices makes this an absoulte MUST HAVE. Those of us compleatly lost and looking for a basis of real ritual answers (and generally finding: You need to know the right people or read and guess what's authentic) is a hopefull hint towards a good ceremorial magical start. Check "The Rebirth Of Witchcraft" by Doreen Valiente (A former high priestess of Gerald's) as a historical reference to this and more of his works.