Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice

by Thea Sabin

Due to the sheer number of Wicca 101 books on the market, many newcomers to the Craft find themselves piecing together their Wiccan education by reading a chapter from one book, a few pages from another. Rather than depending on snippets of wisdom to build a new faith, Wicca for Beginners provides a solid foundation to Wicca without limiting the reader to one tradition or path. Embracing both the spiritual and the practical, Wicca for Beginners is a primer on the philosophies, culture, and beliefs behind the religion, without losing the mystery that draws many students to want to learn. Detailing practices such as grounding, raising energy, visualization, and meditation, this book offers exercises for core techniques before launching into more complicated rituals and spellwork. Finalist for the Coalition of Visionary Resources Award for Best Wiccan/Pagan Book "In her first book-length work, Sabin presents a first-rate, fresh, and thorough addition to the burgeoning field of earth-based spiritual practice volumes...written in a light, informative style that magically mines depth, breadth and brevity."― Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Genres: Wicca, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Witchcraft, Religion, Paganism, Magic

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Bre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think anyone & everyone should read this book. Wicca is a great alternative for anyone who doesn't buy into the ancient stories of the bible & Christianity, but still has a strong sense of spirituality & faith in a universal force. However, the reason I say everyone (including Christians) should read about Wicca is so that they can educate themselves on what Wicca & Paganism is truly about & stop spreading falsehoods about something that has been taken so completely out of context.
Also, one of the great things I like about Wicca is that the individual Wiccan has no strict rules about what they can & can't believe like just about every other religion. While there is a definite overall belief system (about nature & morality) the Wiccan craft is really whatever you want to make it. Some Wiccans are totally into the magic part of it, &/or ceremonial practices, while others can just benefit by the great messages about appreciating the everyday miracles in life, nature, & ourselves.
Plus the way I see it, the "casting of spells" & chants & rituals are just a form of prayer...putting a lot of positive energy into something you want or giving thanks about something you appreciate.

[jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice is probably one of the best introductory books to Wicca that I’ve ever come across. Heavily interested in the subject of this nature religion, I’ve leafed and read through many a beginners (and advanced) book over the years, but this has to be one of the most complete and unbiased ones I’ve encountered up to this point.

Author Thea Sabin covers basic principles, ethics, instruments such as grounding and visualization (with very useful exercises included), circles, the relationship with the elements and the gods, actual tools like the athame and altars, celebrations, and briefly, magick. She isn’t afraid to delve a bit more deeply into the material, and openly and philosophically discusses the Wiccan Rede and the Rule of Three. She also mentions cultural appropriation in her chapter on a Wicca’s relationship with the/their gods which I was glad about, since it’s a subject which I consider to be severely overlooked in the pagan/Wiccan community.

I also very much support Sabin’s views that a Wicca should be able to practice her religion without any tools but her own mind and body, and this is shown in the way Sabin’s book is built up. Exercises without tools come first, and the tools themselves are only introduced pretty far into the book. This makes the material also far more accessible and easy to start with if you’re only just looking into Wicca, still deciding whether this is something for you or not, and not ready yet to spend a lot of money/time buying and/or looking for your ritualistic tools. You can immediately start working with the exercises and information that Sabin provides if you want to.

Her style of writing is also easy to get into, and at times, humorous in her references or anecdotes. Though not exceptionally special, I had fun reading, and was able to go through her material rather fast.

Best thing about this book for me is its emphasis on the beliefs behind Wicca as a religion as opposed to all the rituals and the tools, but this is of course a personal preference. I do, however, think that the philosophy that lies behind the religion is often overlooked by beginners pulled in by the awesome spells, ritualistic and mysterious imagery, etc., which definitely makes this book a little gem.

Recommended for its exact intended audience: beginners and/or interested individuals.

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was wonderful! Some bits didn't appeal to me personally, but the presentation and sourcing and engaging writing was so great. I also really appreciate the reading list at the end--it's always good to have suggestions of further reading instead of stumbling around in the dark.

[Erica Schwer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicca for Beginners is a great book for exactly that: beginners. It is an introduction to a way of life and spirituality that is very commonly mistaken and stereotyped. Sabin covers all basic aspects of Wicca, including what it is, Wiccan beliefs, and where it came from. These three aspects make up the introduction, so the reader has a good amount of information and should know by this point if they would like to continue down a Wiccan path. Aside from these basic aspects, beginning Wiccan practices and meditations are covered, which makes this book historical, philosophical, as well as instructional. Because it covers so many areas of Wicca that the reader may be curious about, it is a perfect beginner's guide for those who are curious but unsure of what it is all about.

[Anniken Haga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did a lot of research into Wicca when I was a teen, and have been thinking of myself as a none practitioner Wiccan since then. These last 2 months I've been stuck in bed because of my health, and so I thought I might look a little more into Wicca - I've always liked the idea of casting my own spells and the like, but I've never taken that step.
So, without talking any more about myself and my relationship to the religion, here goes my thoughts on this book.

One of my biggest problem researching Wicca when I was a kid, was the lack of information in the library. There were two books, and rather poor ones at that, if I don't remember wrongly.
Since then I've been left with some questions that I never took the time to research closer.
Without really asking those questions, I was really happy to see them all answered in this book.

Sabin does a good job of explaining the many different belief systems under the Wicca-umbrella term and giving them the respect they deserve.
Although the book focuses on her form of Wicca, she is still able to give all the information needed without pushing their own view, which was refreshing as I don't share it.

The writing was easy enough to read, which is important to me with my mind as foggy as it is.
Compared to many books about the subject, it was an easy read and I felt I flew through it every time I picked it up - I was supposed to read one chapter a day, but ended up reading multiple today because I had the time and the other book I tried to start wasn't good at all! Which is a good sign, because it mean I could read about 100 pages without getting foggy and confused.
That's a good thing.

Regarding the content of the book.
As someone that already knew a little of the religion, this book was a good reminder on many of those things. It explains - as said - the many variations that exist within the religion, how individual it is, and how every witch, even within the same traditions, practices differently.
It explains the things all witches have in common, though, the ethics and philosophies of the religion that are so important. It also help the new reader know about the god/goddess, the other god/goddesses, the tools, the sabbaths, how to make rituals, and a multitude of other things.

If you are curious about the way of Wicca, I think this would be a good place to start if you are serious about it.

[Sam W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book not because I was seriously considering becoming a Wiccan, but because I was very curious about what Wicca actually is and what their traditions and beliefs are like, since it's so widely misunderstood and misrepresented in media. I was going in with no prior knowledge, no cultural context, virtually no exposure to Wicca before picking up this book... and I was absolutely blown away by it!

This book is incredibly helpful, informative, and easy to read. It's written in an engaging style that makes it a fun experience (not at all stuffy, "preach-y," or academic, which are all things I worry about with books about religion). In fact, I didn't want to put it down and I finished the whole thing in two days! Thea Sabin does a wonderful job of explaining the basics of Wicca in a way that even total newbies like me can easily wrap our heads around, and she ends the book by providing sources for anyone who wishes to continue their spiritual journey on the Wiccan path. Even though I am not planning to walk the path myself, I was still able to find things in this book that spoke to me and that I plan to incorporate into my own spiritual practices.

This book is a wonderful foundation to build your Wiccan/pagan/magick knowledge off of, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is considering the Wiccan faith, or who is simply interested in learning more about a different religious tradition or curious about what Wiccans actually believe.

[Loran (Inked with Curiosity) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It touched on everything someone without any prior knowledge of Wicca would ever be interested in and at the same time was easy to follow, well-written, and at times even funny. The author was very helpful at laying out all the basic beliefs, holidays, practices, tools, and elements of Wicca and even gave examples on how to put these into practice yourself. She made sure she was entirely unbiased towards any one tradition even her own and gave brief but thorough overviews of every subject she included in the book.

I learned a lot from this little book and I plan to use it as a springboard for looking deeper into Wicca. It really helped solidify my interest in Wicca and gave a lot of useful resources in the back of the book to help me pursue learning more. I would recommend this to anybody who is interested in Wicca, whether it is in passing or you are seriously considering becoming a practitioner.

[Anna Katherina · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a legitimate book about the fundamentals of Wicca for a relatively modern practitioner, that still toes fairly closely to the traditional line without falling into the territory of Eclectic NeoPaganism? This is it; though I can't quite speak to complete accuracy as I'm not a Traditional Wiccan initiate- and I don't know Sabin's personal initiation ... It is arguably the closest modern book that I've found (as of currently) to what I have been privy to from friends of mine who are legitimate initiates to properly lineaged Traditional Wiccan traditions.

That said, from the non-initiated, historical, academic, practical, and realistic, etc, perspectives: It is, of course, not perfect (they're never going to be, frankly).

There are some inconsistencies here and there. There's also some oversimplification of certain events and bits of information that I'd've loved to've seen expanded on. But by and large the history is accurate from what I can tell, and I appreciated the emphasis on the fact that Wicca is a modern religion- as well as the discussion of the fact that Margaret Murray's theories were disproven. There was also a staunch emphasis on the fact that witchcraft, proper historical Witchcraft, wasaltogether accurate and could've been a tad better); these are several things never included in NeoWiccan, Eclectic NeoPagan (which masquerades as "Wiccan"), and related books- nearly all of which prefer to continue perpetuating the Pagan Persecution Complex™ borne of Victorian Romanticism, and these false myths about Matriarchal (pre+)History and "the Burning Times".

It also has your stereotypical insistences that "Wiccans don't believe in Satan". And while it's true that Satanism is specifically a Christian Heresy- which she does point out several times, rightfully- to wholesale assert that all Wiccans do not (and cannot even) believe in Satan is absurd when some Wiccans do, actually, very much in fact legitimately work with and worship Satanic figures (and non-Satanic Abrahamic ones, as well) --- and are open and vocal about doing so; I am one of them as a Noahide.

The assertion is largely a part of the early rose-washing of Paganism as a form of appeasement and pacification of the Christian hegemony; if we're all Earth-Loving, nature worshipping hippies who have nothing to do with "black magic" and so-called "Satan" then maybe the Christians will leave us alone ... But the absolute nonsense of the Satanic Panic barely even lasted 2 decades (and even during that time period, the bark was often far worse than the bite actually was, despite what Pagan authors fearmonger us into believing in our educational materials) ... It's far beyond time to stop catering to Evangelical fearmongering about "Satan Worshippers" and constantly throwing our own under the bus like this.

The other part, though, is also an unnecessary remnant of the "Christian Shoulder Chip"; the desire to distinguish Wicca (and almost any other form of Paganism, Witchcraft, and the Occult, really) from Christianity as much as possible- up to and including participating in the same nonsense assertions that "Wicca doesn't have a Dogma", wherein "Dogma" is silently (but obviously) defined as "having a book of rules and a religious hierarchy, etc, explicitly designed to tell you what to do and how to worship, and tell you you're going to hell if you don't do it all right". And this is done, of course, as most Wiccan books do it- including this one: Right before the book always immediately segways into a discussion of "Wiccan Ethics" and Wiccan beliefs in Divinity, Reincarnation, and the like ... All of which does, in fact, qualify as Dogma (the technical definition of which is only "an official statement of a religion's principle beliefs") despite the flexibility Wiccans are given to tailor such things to their personal tastes.

After 22 years of practicing, I'm legitimately getting tired of having to explain to Pagans of all stripes that the proper difference between Orthodoxic and Orthopraxic is not that "Orthopraxic faiths have no Doxa at all", but that the Praxis is simply more important to one's membership within the religion than the cohesiveness of the religion's Doxa among its practitioners. Accepting deviations from established Doxa, however, doesn't mean that Doxa is nonexistent.

There is also some "weird" use of terminology in the book- such as her insistence on calling a strange combination of Guided Meditation and Astral Travel "Pathworking". While this is actually older, fairly standard terminology for this kind of work depending on the path, modern practitioners very likely won't be familiar with it, as the preference for its use has dropped off significantly (and reasonably so, imo); it's not a mark against the book- but it is something for readers inexperienced with Elder Texts to be aware of. I do have quite a lot of disagreements with her explanation of visualization in the book, however. And other areas of explanation elsewhere around the book are smaller than I'd like them to be in general, and very much should have been expanded upon.

I also think the "list of Wiccan Traditions" she includes is fairly iffy compared to the rest of the information of the book; I think that might actually be the worst part of it, actually- although all things considered it could be a lot worse than it is; at least for the most part it does actually contain mostly adjacent traditions (though sometimes still questionably so) when compared to most books. Though I do take major umbrage with the "Celtic Reconstructionist" listing on all fronts; Celtic Recon is not associated with Wicca. You can make a vague sort of half-assed argument for Seax Wicca being semi adjacent given who its creator was, but you're still sailing down the wrong river in that regard because Seax Wicca isn't Recon.

Reconstructionism is a methodology of formulating a religious and spiritual practice, specifically using the historical records of archaeologically dead cultures- and Celtic* specifies which archeologically dead culture is being reconstructed. Other methodologies used to establish Pagan religious traditions include Revivalism, and Reimaginism; The Wiccan religion belongs to the Reimaginist branch of methodologies. Both Revivalism and Reconstructionism arose in direct countercultural response to Wicca. They are not the same things.

That said, the concepts and exercises throughout the book are, overall, largely accurate. The book is well written, too. The structure flows nicely, and overall things are well organized in a manner that makes sense save for a few strange areas that buck the general trend. And for the most part, while it is overly simplistic in nature, she does provide just enough information in just the right way, without it ever seeming condescending- and without ever making it feel like you're being talked down to or treated like a toddler.

This really shines in the exercises that are given, all of which are incredibly solid, foundational exercises that any beginner can do fairly easily. The rituals, too, are likewise decently detailed and outlined, without a lot of superfluous language or instructions- but also without being so sparse that you can't figure out what she's telling you to do. I also enjoyed that she slowly increased the complexity of ritual work as you progress through the book instead of throwing it all at you at once, introducing the reader to new concepts with every ritual iteration, so as not to overwhelm them. It makes it much easier to learn the ritual structure, I felt, even if it does make the organization a bit head-scratch worthy at times, or limit the amount of depth she can pay to new concepts she introduces at some points.

It genuinely is a book of true fundamentals, well presented. And if you're looking to get into Wicca- whether that's to find a properly lineaged Coven later, or just to produce a more accurate version of NeoWicca for yourself- I would definitely recommend this as your true beginner's book, above anything else I've ever read to date.

[Alexia ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But remember, reading is not enough. Wicca is not a “religion of the book.” It is about engaging with life, and it requires active participation and practice over time. So do the exercises in this and other basic Wicca books. Begin assembling your own Wiccan practice. Explore the Wiccan ideas that sing to you, and create some rituals for yourself. Build an altar. Talk to the gods. Start a book of shadows. Most of all, open yourself up to the transformation and self-discovery that walking the Wiccan path can inspire."

I must admit this is an excellent beginners book, one of the best I've read in lately. The author goes into depth about several important topics, gives an extensive view of Ethics and the religion aspect of Wicca which is much appreciated. Shows several points of views for the different reasons for debate among the communities. The author doesn't "dumb" the topic of Wicca but also doesn't make it extremely complex, it's just right for anyone interested in Wicca to learn about it. I will definitely start to recommend this book as a great beginners guide and I'm pleasantly surprised about it!

[Lena Nour · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Wicca 101 book. Sabin's writing is not presumptuous, very friendly. It feels like a cool aunt is talking to you. She gives a lot of information, and interesting activities.

[Wren · Rating 4 out of 5]

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This is an informational book on Wicca and the beliefs, practices, and variations found within it. Covering everything from spells and ethics to the sabbats (Wiccan holidays), this guide provides a basic summary of general philosophy and practice for the beginner Wiccan.

This was the first book on Wicca that I had ever picked up. Before, I got all of my information online because I hadn't been able to find a guide for beginner Wiccans at my local bookstores. Then I found this cute little book and supply store which mostly stocked religious and spiritual books and items. Amongst the one, small Pagan shelf, I found this guide and picked it up. I am very glad I did!

While this book is very basic, it is extremely helpful for those who know little to nothing about Wicca. You have to start somewhere, and with a diverse religious system like Wicca, understanding general practices and beliefs can make advanced study much easier. As I said, prior to finding this book I had gotten all of my information online, which is a hit-and-miss when it comes to legitimate sites and posts. Knowing that the things I was reading in this book were written by an experienced Wiccan assured me that I was finally getting some verified info, which was a nice change.

Something I really appreciated about this book was that the author didn't say that those following eclectic traditions were invalid Wiccans. I sometimes hear traditional Wiccans saying that eclectic ones aren't 'real' Wiccans, and this had always upset me. But the author affirms the eclectic identity by sharing her own personal experiences as an ex-eclectic Wiccan and by keeping a positive tone when discussing non-Gardenarian based traditions. That makes this book a great choice for eclectic Wiccans.

I also appreciated that Thea Sabin included some sample spells, exercises to assist in energy work, and recommendations for other Wicca-related books. This is incredibly helpful because it can set one on their way to practicing ritual, casting spells, and gaining new insight.

However, I do wish that the author had explained more when it comes to Wiccan history. While the religion itself may be quite new, I feel like she could've better discussed the other, older Pagan beliefs which influenced both traditional and modern Wicca. This could've made for an entire, fascinating chapter of its own.

Overall, a great choice for those new to the Wiccan path. I recommend this to those interested in learning about Wicca and to those who are ready to get started with their own personal spiritual journey.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between this and the other two "for beginners" type books I read, I think I'm starting to triangulate my relationship to Wicca. I'm definitely going to continue studying and working on becoming a Witch, but I think a lot of the binaries that bother me are so baked in to Wicca that it might not end up making sense to call myself a Wiccan per se. I'm not ruling it out, but yeah.

Meanwhile, more cultural appropriation and more identifying practices as "Native American" (call people by their own damn names for themselves and don't generalize this isn't rocket science).

I did appreciate that this one was a bit more dense, but some of the recommendations I've seen of it were that it presented more options and variety than the average beginner book, and that honestly wasn't my experience at all? And specifically, the chapter on energy work tells you to visualize over and over and over, and... I have aphantasia, you guys. I LITERALLY cannot.

I have some of my own ideas for how I can adapt things for myself, no worries there, I just think these things are often written assuming you're white, straight, cis, neurotypical, and abled. Which, for a religion that prides itself on being different and full of outsiders... I'd really like to see better. Especially in books literally marketed towards beginners. Meet people where they're at.

(Note, this is the third "for beginners" book I've read in a row, so this and the cultural appropriation note are both a cumulative complaint rather than limited to this specific book.)

[Lozza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago and after recently recommending it to a friend I thought I'd like to review it.

I've been exploring Paganism, and Wicca, for about 10 years, exploring from Beginner to Experienced as my mood suits. And this book is by far one of the absolute best on the subject.

Thea Sabin's writing is clean, easy, and I found myself laughing out loud many times (in a good way). She teaches you in a way that feels like she is talking to you, and not talking at you, like some other authors I've come across on this subject.
She knows what she is talking about, she knows her subject and she knows that the curious come from many different backgrounds and yet somehow manages to relate to everyone.

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who is looking to explore Wicca, or Paganism in general.

[Rianne Heartfilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to be a Witch since I was ten. Partly thanks to watching Charmed with my Da and reading Harry Potter but the Wiccan-culture has always been interesting for me.
It is not something you simply do, it is what you become and I want to read a lot about it before I really plung into it but it has always been so interesting. Like I just said a few words ago.

I have a lot of books that relate to it and I bought them when I was sixteen or something, which is already five years ago. So I decided to read them all before I leave to South Africa... Nervous much!

[TAP]

It’s been many a year since I last purposefully read an introductory Wicca book (an excessive amount of Pagan books are introductorily Wiccan whilst pretending not to be). Not all Pagans are Wiccan, etc., etc.

But to those interested, I always recommend Scott Cunningham. Now I might recommend Thea Sabin’s book in conjunction with Cunningham’s in order to offer two valid but imperfect variations on what Wicca is and can be.

We are all capable of doing our own research to fortify or deconstruct what others teach us. Take nothing at face value and take nothing for granted.

[Naomi Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read simple overview of Wicca. There was some parts that I wish were more detailed, but it definitely pointed me in the right direction of what to read next. It also has good exercises to practice, so far I’ve done the first exercise and I want to find crystals for the second. It’s definitely a religion I can see myself practicing and I was drawn to it because of its basis in nature. From reading this book I also was directed towards Celtic Wicca or paganism- it wasn’t very detailed but knowing that my ancestors practiced a variant of this makes me more interested to continue researching and learning.

[Sofya Tselishcheva · Rating 5 out of 5]

На этом этапе от меня можно отписываться.. я читаю про викку (типо современное язычество-магия).
На самом деле взяла просто заглянуть, что это такое. Положительно удивлена. Стройное описание, упрощение стандартных медитативных практик (из буддизма, тай чи и пр.). Но больше всего меня поразили литературные сноски: там весь наш любимый мифологический букет! И Джордж Фрезер, и Мирча Элиаде и Кемпбелл, куда ж без него.
А, ещё написано очень смешно :).
И нет прозелитизма.

Кароч, прям советую, если хочется очень лёгкого вайба курса по "Мифологии и семиотики" :)

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, a good intro, but not for me.

[sauris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

a very accessible introduction! disappointed to learn it's nothing like the love witch at all :3

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written in a way that invites people of all backgrounds in to learn about Wicca.

[Cyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

girl this could've been an article

[Lorna Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be very bare bones. Sabin starts with visualization, energy work and grounding, which is a great introductory tool to the craft that I haven't seen in other books--and believe me I'm becoming a bit of a connoisseur of beginner/one I books. I found other choices in the lay out of the book odd though. It has been awhile since I read the beginning of the book, but as an example, I don't recall much history or background and there are things missing in the tools category that at least deserved a quick rundown, like the pentacle/pentagram (I mean really!) And she calls the boline a utility knife! Now, yes that's its basic function, but "utility knife" to me, is a box cutter. Using a box cutter is fine, using a utility or butter knife is fine, do as you wish and as you can afford, but that really stood out to me as odd and a tad dismissive...
Granted, there's a lot of ground to cover in wicca and she definitely deviates from the mold of other beginner witchcraft and wicca books, opting for the deeper more spiritual groundwork aspects instead of "this is wicca and now, behold! shiny, pretty tools and rocks! And now let's hex the ex..." Still... Very bare bones, if not lacking on some information. There is an excellent list of suggested reading in the back however, so if Sabin manages to wet your wiccan appetite you know where to go next. And if she's your opener, please do read more. One thing she does very well is encourage the seeker to keep seeking and reading, researching and practicing.

[Carissa Goble · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I can't say there was a lot of new information in this book for how much studying that I have done into magic and Wicca, there was something about the way this book was written that truly made me understand that I am resonating with Wicca on greater and greater levels over just being a witch. It made me feel connected to my spiritual journey in a more concreate way than I've

It's a good overarching view and it really sets up the basics to give you an understanding of what Wicca is really all about. It encourages ongoing growth and research and the seriousness of the path. However, it also gives you a few spells, outlines some rituals, etc. These are more to give you an idea of what these look like in practice.

I think more than anything, this book empowers the reader to take ahold of their spiritual journey. I have a feeling that I will come back and relisten to it again (on Audible) as I think each time it'll help me connect and bring the ideas to life in a more cohesive way. It's a good way to put all of the pieces together in a "woods through the trees" snapshot of Wicca as a whole without pretending it's providing you with every tree in said forest. It encourages you to go up and commune with each tree, explore each hidden nook and find your own path and advice on finding a coven that may work for you.

Highly recommend if you're considering Wicca or just want a greater idea of the Wiccan perspective.

[Brigit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is, hands down, one of the best intro to Wicca books I've ever read. It covers all the necessary information in a clear, easy-to-understand way, is well-organized, and does a great job of highlighting some of the misinformation that new pagans are sure to run into. Honestly, the fact that Sabin takes the time to point out that misinformation bumps this up to my new go-to recommendation for people looking to learn more about Wicca because it is not common to find authors who will do that.

There are some areas where the book stumbles. For example, claiming that Wicca doesn't have a dogma when what she means is that Wicca isn't a religion with a holy text, or stating that Wiccans don't believe in Satan when there are certainly plenty who do. That said, the strong parts of this book overwhelm the weak parts. It is an excellent intro book that you certainly couldn't go wrong with.

[Sabrina Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good, basic beginners book. It doesn't have a lot of heavy detail, but the history is fairly good, the exercises are very helpful, and the language isn't overly flowery.

This book doesn't have lists of correspondences and the like, so if you're a heavy ceremonial seeker, it may disappoint you initially, but this is a book the covers the important fundamentals. This won't give you all the pretty and fancy stuff, but it will break down your core foundational concepts into easy to understand elements for study.

I'm not Wiccan anymore, but this was a great book to find in my seeker years, and I reread it recently for a back to basics refresher, and most of it still holds up well, even if the rest doesn't apply to me directly anymore. I would recommend this over a lot of other traditional/popular first time/beginner authors and books.

[Jami Zahemski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great tool for anyone starting out on this path. I’d say it’s better for people who have already decided to walk a Wicca path than for people who are still doing their research because it’s heavy on ritual exercises. You could obviously study the table of contents and pick out the chapters that are general information based only and it will work perfectly. I read cover to cover which can be a little hard when you get to the chapters of grounding and casting circles etc if you’re just reading out of curiosity. I felt like I was receive almost too much information but that was on me.

Overall it’s an interesting and important book whether you are a Wiccan, are thinking of becoming a Wiccan or are simply curious about it.

[Melissa Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicca for Beginners is probably the best book of its kind that I've read thus far. As of late, I have been doing some reading on Wicca and Wiccan practices. I have read books with great information but pompous authors, and books that were truly bare bones. This book, however, was everything I was looking for. Thea Sabin is a great author, making her readers feel welcome in a world that some think of as exclusive and bringing the information to life. Sabin made some charming jokes, reminding her readers not to take themselves too seriously. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Wicca- both as a possible religious path and from a purely educational standpoint.

[Matthew Gurteen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because I wanted to know more about the religion because I’ve always been so fascinated by it ever since I was a child. The book was honestly great because it spelled everything out so clearly. It was very informative and inclusive for whoever you are. My only criticism is that it was written rather simplistically. I get that its target audience is a general one, but parts of the book got repetitive and mundane towards the end. I’d like to read more advanced stuff in the future surrounding this religion because I find it so interesting, but this gave me an essential basic understanding. I would recommend this book to anyone who, like me, wants to know more about the religion.

[Leo Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid intro to paganism, with a focus on Wicca. It's similar to other introductory books. I'm not 100% sure why I got this, though I've always been interested by alternative spiritual systems and have immense respect for earth-bound peasent religions. They're sort of the opposite of New Age woo-woo nonsense, like THE SECRET. instead, they're people trying to tap a deeper level of reality to find themselves in the act of living: creating food, growing crops, raising children, making love, etc.

PS. I am a Christian, albeit a very ecumenical one with a mystical bent, so I find much strength and beauty in Wicca.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, good exercises for establishing fundamental visualizations required for practice. As a beginner’s book, I’d definitely recommend this to novices today since it is more modern and more relevant than some of the texts from the 80s and 90s. I also like that Sabin takes her time and goes into detail about the meatier stuff of the tradition rather than going straight in to spell-casting, or jumping straight to how witches celebrate Halloween. This is a book written for those wanting to seriously learn about some of the general basics the tradition.