‘Spirited: Taking Paganism Beyond the Circle’ by Gede Parma.
Let me preface this review by saying that 1) it is basically a Wicca101 book aimed at teenagers, and 2) I know and adore Gede, but I hope I’ve kept this review balanced nonetheless.
Spirited is one of the better Wicca/NeoPaganism101 books that I’ve read in a long time. It follows strongly in the tradition of Scott Cunningham’s eclectic Neo-Wicca DIY approach. I don’t have a problem with that, and indeed, I’d certainly recommend this as a very light introduction to NeoPaganism for young people.
The book does what it intends to do, in that it is very specifically aimed at young and new practitioners: however, as an experienced practitioner with a very different approach to and experience with NeoPaganism, it also made for a thought-provoking read. There were a lot of parts of the book that were nothing new at all, but certain aspects made me stop and think – if I disagreed with his statements/conclusions, why was that? I’m a firm believer in a book being worth reading if it makes you think independently and critically.
The good: it’s a very relevant and current approach to generic NeoPaganism. The first half of the book contains general tips and guides for young NeoPagans, both in terms of establishing and accepting their identity, as well as actually practicing. The balance of suggested exercises/spellwork is good, and the overall tone of the book is generally extremely clear and very simple to read. The second half of the book contains more general information, not necessarily specifically aimed at such a young audience, and covers issues such as different conceptions of Deity in NeoPaganism, aspects of ethics, etc. This part is of particular interest to people who, like myself, are not really the target demographic, but like to gain insight into the thoughts and opinions of other NeoPagans.
The not-so-good: Some of the author’s included personal examples seem a little pointless – a lot of people have bad experiences in high school, but the manner in which they’re depicted quite possibly transects the line between ‘helpful background with which the reader can identify’ and ‘airing personal grievances/a martyr-like attitude’. I also think the book could probably benefit from introducing more detail on the basics of energy work (given that this is a beginners’ text) prior to the inclusion of exercise/spellwork ideas.
Overall, it’s a great book that I certainly wouldn’t hesistate to recommend to any new, young NeoPagans, and it’s great to see an updated beginners’ text. However, if you’re not a teenager, you may want to hold off purchasing – the second half may be thought provoking, but it primarily summarises and codifies a lot of information already out there.
Rating: 8/10
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