Courting the Lady: A Wiccan Journey
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| Books Nonfiction | ||||||||||
| Written by Ben Gruagach | ||||||||||
| Friday, 25 January 2008 | ||||||||||
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Book Info ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0977798607 Author:
McCollum, Patrick M.
Publisher:
Our Lady of the Wells Press
Subject Tags:
Wicca •
British Traditional Wicca •
Witchcraft •
Rituals •
Community •
Denominations •
History •
Mythology •
Practices •
Regional •
People •
Biography •
Paganism •
Theory
Difficulty Level:
All Levels
In Courting the Lady, McCollum not only captures and shares these elusive mysteries, but reveals them in the old way, by literally placing the readers on the sacred path with him forty years ago as McCollum's own mentor serves as their guide. Courting the Lady covers new ground, while at the same time deepens understanding of common practices. Its secrets are critical, and even paramount, to understanding what the Old Religion and its practices are really about. Patrick McCollum has walked the Sacred Path since 1965. An initiate and High Priest of one of the nation's earliest covens, Patrick has worked diligently to keep alive the mysteries and magic passed down by Witches through oral tradition for centuries. Patrick has been active as a teacher of the old ways for over forty years and is known for his prison ministry work. In 1997, Patrick became the first government recognized Wiccan chaplain in the United States. He currently advises numerous state and federal agencies on Wiccan religious practices and is a member of the American Correctional Chaplains Association.
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 04 February 2008 ) | ||||||||||
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"Courting the Lady" takes you along for the year-and-a-day journey as the author learns about a particular coven's traditions, practices, and philosophy. The narrative is easy to read and paints a clear picture for the audience.
I only have a few quibbles about the book which kept me from giving it a higher rating:
- the book needs a better editor who knows grammar and correct word usage as well as punctuation and spelling conventions.
- the Wiccan system that the author describes is quite distinct and is not necessarily the way other Wiccan groups practice or believe. People who read this book with little or no prior knowledge of Wicca might mistakenly think that McCollum's group is the way all Wiccans practice.
- while the questionable historical statements as presented were very likely unchallenged back in the 1960s and 1970s, today there is little excuse for making unsupported historical claims (i.e. "our coven has been around since the middle ages"!) without acknowledging the controversial status of such claims. The author could have been clear about the speculative nature of the historical statements in an introduction without having to disturb the flow of the biographical narrative.
Despite those things "Courting the Lady" is an excellent and rare account for its up-front honesty, giving outsiders a clear glimpse of the dedication it takes to become a Wiccan.