shimmer

The Circle Within by Dianne Sylvan was a pleasant surprise. Published by Llewellyn, this book is described as a guide to creating a personal practice. I was introduced to the importance of personal practice through my training, but, particularly for witches who have little or no formal trainng, this may not be as familiar a concept as it ought to be.

Although easy-to-read and accessible to beginning witches, The Circle Within is not a Wicca 101 book. It does not go over basic religious beliefs, elemental correspondences, or the like. There is even some material here to recommend it to advanced practioners. I particularly like her meditation for opening the heart to the gods.

One of the highlights of the book is Sylvan's discussion of how vital a personal practice really is. There is little that bothers me as much as "weekend" witches; those who are witches during festivals and witchcamps and the like. These kinds of practioners (or non-practioners, really) dumb down our religion and often offer little to the community. However, there is no need to live your daily life disconnected from your faith.

The author gives solid advice for developing a relationship with Deity, creating altar and temple space, and creating personal rituals. There is a "Book of Moonlight" as a smaller, second section of ritual and prayer outlines, although Sylvan makes the crucial point that all rituals and prayers ought to be personalized by the witch using them. In short, I heartily recommend this book for any witch looking for resources on developing a personal practice.

Posted by Jean on Monday, September 20, 2004 at 5:16 PM | Permalink