I was extremely active in skimming through this academic-participant-cultural-history of paganism which consisted of over 600 pages.

The purpose was to find some excerpts that I could utilize to enhance my study of The Crucible with high school students.

Here and there, I managed to discover a few passages.

These passages can be used to shed light on what contemporary Craft is and what it isn't.

Moreover, they can emphasize the social, cultural, and ritual challenges that these practices might have presented to Salem in the 1600s.

This process of skimming and selecting relevant excerpts has been quite engaging and fruitful for my teaching purposes.

It will enable me to provide a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the context and themes related to The Crucible for my students.

Overall, I am quite satisfied with the findings and look forward to incorporating them into my lessons.

A clearly written history of paganism in America, encompassing witches, druids, heathens and the entire diverse group of us, is presented in this book. It was initially published in 1979 and has since seen several major updates.

While I might desire that the revisions were more seamlessly integrated, it's nearly impossible to keep pace with the rapid rate of change within the pagan community. The author has made a reasonable effort to stay current, yet half of the internet links I checked are now inactive.

Some of the groups she delves into deeply seem rather obscure and eccentric to me. Feraferia? I had never heard of it before. In this edition, she has attempted to address larger trends such as internet groups and the increasing number of solitary practitioners. However, I'm hoping that one day she undertakes a real rewrite to truly bring this ambitious work up to date.

The style here is journalistic and business-like, with a touch of personal history thrown in.

This isn't a book that's likely to assist you in finding your spiritual path, as there are already numerous books attempting that. Instead, it simply reveals where it all originated from, and it does so better than any other book or reference I've come across thus far.

Maybe this isn't the ideal book for you if you're entirely new to the Wicca and Pagan movement.

Despite being a comprehensive exploration of the world of Pagans in America, the book can be challenging to read and difficult to follow.

Although, as the book mentions in numerous instances, it could simply be that the movement is truly hard to define, with countless different branches, rituals, beliefs, and rules.

That being said, the book is definitely worthwhile reading if you wish to gain an understanding of what exists out there, or at least where it originated. However, the book is a bit outdated, and the modern revisions are a bit too brief for my taste.

As far as I can tell, this is one of the most detailed accounts of the beginning and history of Pagans and Wiccans in America, and it does serve as an excellent reference book.

Perhaps I was anticipating a clearer picture of what it means to be Pagan, but if this book is any indication, it's a very confusing world. And for those seeking to embark on this path, there are probably better books available, perhaps ones that are more specific to a particular current of thought.

This is an absolutely excellent piece of work.

It could be regarded as outstanding journalism, a captivating biography, or a significant contribution to modern history.

The writing style is truly remarkable, with a unique ability to acknowledge biases while still presenting a powerful and engaging narrative.

It is a display of badassery in writing that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Whether you are interested in journalism, biography, or modern history, this book has something for everyone.

It offers valuable insights, thought-provoking perspectives, and a truly immersive reading experience.

So, if you are looking for a great read that will leave a lasting impression, look no further than this book.

You will not be disappointed.

This book should be mandatory when starting on this Pagan path!

I had the honor of meeting Margot a few weeks before her death. At that time, I didn't know who she was. However, she was a truly wonderful, insightful, and magical woman. Immediately after meeting her, I went out and got this book.

She delves into many of her personal choices and her history with nature-based religion. But the information doesn't stop there! She really details the different branches of this religion, providing a comprehensive overview. Moreover, she has an entire section dedicated to resources, which is extremely valuable.

This is absolutely a must-read for Pagans. It offers not only personal stories and experiences but also in-depth knowledge about the religion and a wealth of resources for further exploration. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced Pagan, this book is sure to provide you with valuable insights and inspiration.

This is the 2006 revision of a book that I first had the opportunity to read back in 1984.

It has remained with me, lurking in the back of my mind, throughout more than thirty years of spiritual exploration and meandering.

Given my current situation and perspective, it holds an even greater allure.

What truly strikes me is how the tone of the book now seems so much more personal compared to when I was a mere 22-year-old.

It's not a dry academic volume, although the research within it is comprehensive.

The biases are clearly and instinctively pointed out, and Adler takes great pains to present alternative viewpoints.

Today, I would argue that it serves as a valuable counterpoint to Ronald Hutton's The Triumph of the Moon.

It offers the American version of neo-pagan history, but with an insider's access.

Moreover, it is filled with common sense and good humor.

Adler appreciates the absurd and has no patience for power plays.

If I sense that she is sometimes a bit kinder than necessary, perhaps that is just my own bias emerging.

Sadly, Margot Adler passed away in 2014.

The list of people for my Great Heavenly Dinner Party (those I wish I could have met while they were still alive) keeps growing longer and longer.

This gets 5 stars for influence.

A couple of years prior to this read, I had a spontaneous spiritual emergency as I emerged from a meditation while sitting in the sand at Alki Beach in Seattle. By this time, I was already familiar with Starhawk and Reclaiming. I had met people at the pagan bookstores and had even taken a class or two with some pagans.

This book presented a matter-of-fact account about the who's who in the pagan subculture, along with some history and a general introduction to paganism. I appreciated that it was a survey of numerous paths. I began to perceive pagan life as a "normative" place/space. For some reason, this was of great significance to me at that time.

Although the information is now dated, it served as an excellent introduction to the evolution of the neo-pagan community. In the same period, I met the pagans at the Unitarian Universalist Church north of the UW in Seattle. I joined their pagan group CUUPs and would support that venue for the next 10 years.

Mike

I first came across the term “earth based religions” (as it was initially introduced to me) around 1994, and have been intermittently reading about it ever since (so, that's 29 years). I had constantly heard and read that this was one of the truly great and seminal books that simply had to be read. I finally managed to get around to it. Well, almost. I stopped two-thirds of the way through. I simply couldn't endure any more of this chaotic word salad. If I had attempted to read this early in my studies, I would have looked no further; it would have driven me away with the jumble of quotes and references that seemed haphazardly thrown in every direction. Additionally, it repeated some ideas more than once. I suppose it was held in such high regard back then because it seemingly approached a topic with an academic air.

However, upon closer inspection, the lack of coherence and the overabundance of杂乱无章的内容 made it a rather tiresome read for me.

I was disappointed that a book with such a reputation failed to live up to my expectations.

Maybe others will find more value in it, but for me, it was a bit of a letdown.

I was engaged in a debate within myself as to whether I should assign this book 2 or 3 stars. In my opinion, it likely merits a 2.5. However, I decided to bump it up to 3 due to the fact that the appendices, especially the one on groups, prove to be quite useful.

The book initially got off to a rather promising start. It presented an interesting discussion regarding how neo-pagans perceive themselves, the distinctions between animism, pantheism, and polytheism, and how belief plays a role in a religion that is predominantly defined by ritual.

Nonetheless, after that initial section, the book took an unfortunate turn. The middle section is entirely centered around Wicca and占据了the book to a significant extent. The specific discussion of feminist Wicca is also rather lengthy and perhaps could have been more evenly distributed throughout other chapters and trimmed down.

The final section of the book focuses on other Neo-pagan groups. It dedicates an entire chapter to the Church of All Worlds while relegating everything else to just a few pages. Her treatment of Heathenry was also disappointing. Although Adler made an effort to communicate with the founders of several religions and interviewed numerous Wiccans (including multiple advocates of feminist Wicca), it appears that with regard to Heathens, she only interviewed the leader (and one female member) of the AFA. Given the racial views of the AFA, this gives a rather distorted impression of Heathens as being borderline, if not completely, racist. She did look a bit more widely in the supplemental reading, but even there she couldn't overcome the racial issues.

This would be understandable if she hadn't essentially glossed over the problems with Wicca (particularly all-female covens) concerning the recognition of transgender individuals. It is also rather strange because she was neutral to supportive of female separatist Wicca while showing hostility towards fringe heathens (even going so far as to exclude them from the first edition). Either exclusion based on immutable characteristics is a matter of concern in a non-authoritarian movement or it isn't.

All in all, I believe Adler gives rather short shrift to non-Wiccan neo-pagans while simultaneously attempting to make Wicca and neo-paganism synonymous. She also allowed her own political views to influence her judgments in certain areas while initially making neo-pagans (mostly Wiccans) seem rather amateurish in their rituals. If you are specifically interested in Wicca and its history, then this is probably a good book to begin with. However, if you are interested in any of the reconstruction movements, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

An excellent look at alternative spiritual paths in contemporary America that are inspired by ancient pagan practices.

In contemporary America, there is a growing interest in alternative spiritual paths that draw inspiration from ancient pagan practices. These paths offer individuals a unique way to connect with the divine and explore their inner selves.

One such path is Wicca, a modern pagan religion that emphasizes the worship of nature and the use of magic. Wiccans believe in a balance between the masculine and feminine energies of the universe and often perform rituals and spells to manifest their desires.

Another alternative spiritual path is Druidry, which is based on the ancient Celtic traditions. Druids revere nature and see it as a source of spiritual wisdom and inspiration. They often engage in meditation, ritual, and divination to connect with the spirit world.

These alternative spiritual paths provide a refreshing and alternative approach to spirituality in contemporary America. They offer individuals the opportunity to explore their own beliefs and values and to connect with a community of like-minded people.

Wow, this book was truly and absolutely incredible.

It is the very first resource related to witchcraft, paganism, and wicca that I have ever read, and I can safely assert that it was an invaluable one. As far as my understanding goes, this is one of the few (if not the only) historical references to modern neo-paganism, and Adler did an amazing job in detailing the complexities of it.

The book was incredibly insightful in its description of magic, polytheism, and all things pertaining to nature-based religions. As I embark on my personal journey with my spirituality, this book has been of great help in putting into words a lot of concepts and feelings that I had. I still have a great deal to figure out before I even start to label myself, but this book has provided me with the tools to build my foundation.

It also offers a general history and description of the major earth-based, neo-pagan, and wiccan religions that have emerged in the last century, which was extremely interesting to read about.

Even if you are not a witch and/or pagan but are interested in learning about many common beliefs and first-hand accounts, I would highly recommend this book.

***I do want to make one note and mention that there was a completely unnecessary use of the N-word in chapter 13 when the author documented an interviewee saying: "In a way we’re trying to have the same rights blacks have asked for: asking that ‘Witch’ like ‘n–‘ stop being a pejorative term." This was not the author’s words (and I don't know if it's her beliefs), but I still wanted to make note of it because it was abrupt, added nothing, and is quite frankly an ignorant and incomparable statement to make.

As I was reading this book, I told myself I would include some of my favorite quotes, but now that I've finished, I realized I have over 50 highlights in my ebook, so that will not be happening LOL. But let's just say I will be re-reading this book many, many times in the years to come!!

A massive and detailed exploration of the myriad versions of Neo-pagans, Witches, Wiccans, and so on has been conducted by Addler. She has done an enormous amount of research to identify and describe countless versions of the craft not only in the USA but also in other countries. One thing that she makes crystal clear is that they are not worshipping Satan. Instead, they are reconnecting with Mother Earth and the Goddess. Despite all the differences between the various covens and groups, they all claim, “In all things, do no harm.” I found myself relating to a great deal of what they feel and experience.

First written in 1979 and then revised in 1986, I still find myself wondering just how much it has all changed since then. It is really quite fascinating to consider. The world has evolved in many ways over the years, and it makes one curious to know if the beliefs and practices of these groups have also adapted and transformed. Have they incorporated new ideas and concepts? Or have they remained relatively unchanged? These are all questions that come to mind when reflecting on this interesting topic.