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Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie
This book and its author lack any creditability. Anyone with even an elementary knowledge of Wicca and the New Age can easily tell that My Schnoebelen has no idea what he is talking about. If you want to learn about Wicca read a book written by a wiccan. Its only common sense. One wouldnt expect to read a book about Christianity written by a Wiccan author. The same is true for this.
Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie
After I read Mr. Shnoebelen's book "Lucifer Dethroned" I have to change my review of this book. Shnoebelen claimes to have been an Alexandrian Wiccan, Thelemite, Druid, a member of TWO OTOs a Scottish, York, and Egyptian Rite mason (The Egyptian rite doesn't exist anymore) a Palladium mason (never existed)and illuminati member (never existed). In this book he failed to mention he was a spiritist church minister, a BISHOP in both the Old Catholic Church AND The Roman Catholic Church while being a high grade witch and satanist!For some reason he recalls it later in Lucifer Dethroned. I found most of the material in "Lucifer Dethroned" impossible to swallow, needless to say. The only practical reason for buying "Wicca Satan's Little White Lie" is the material he lifts from "Crafting the Art of Wicca", which has been out of print for years. So, take the book with a grain of salt.
Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie
Schnoebelen's experience of Witchcraft is obviously very different from my own. I have been a Witch nearly three years, and my family is Fundamentalist. This book has just enough accurate information on Wicca/Witchcraft to confuse the new seeker or the relatives of a Witch. However, much of it is inaccurate. For instance, his rendering of the Threefold Law and explanation of the bolline's (white-handled knife) use. The rebuttal of Laurie Cabot and his depiction of Pagan Milwaukee as a Witchcraft Dodge City would have been hilarious if he wasn't trying to pass them off as true. As one who is drug free, extremely fond of children, and (mostly) pro-life, I really resented the pages where he called us drug addicts and worse. I cannot speak for him, but he speaks wrongly of our Pagan religions. I am glad he got out of his destructive patterns--if in fact he was actually *in* them--but I resent his implications that all Witches are either bloodthirsty Satanists or ignorant hippies. I am glad I was able to rebut it to my relatives. In summation, if you are Christian and want to learn what Wiccans/Witches believe--ask one. The face you save may be your own!
Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie
Soooooo many people are dismissing this book because they say it misinforms people about the Wicca. It doesn't help that this book was published by Chick Publications, seeing how Chick is loathed for his "hate" material. But this book is NOT what you think it is.The author covers several subjects related to Wicca, like its history, beliefs, rituals, etc. Reading this book from cover to cover, the author is not making wild claims out of his head. Looking at the footnotes, he used very reliable sources, most of which are entirely Wiccan. In Chapter 1, he uses Elliot Rose' "A Razor For a Goat", Francis King's "Ritual Magic in England", "The Rites of Modern Occult Magic", Dorren Valiente's "Witchcraft for Tomorrow", Janet and Stewart Farrar "The Witches' Goddess", "What Witches Do", Miriam Starhawk's "Dreaming the Dark: The Spiral Journey: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess", and many more titles totaling to 16 books influential to the Craft.I own an illustrated guide to Wicca called "The Wicca Handbook" by Sheena Morgan. Comparing what Mr. Schnoebelen wrote in his book, with Ms. Morgan's instructions to the Craft, Mr. Schnoebelen speaks the truth. Ms. Morgan doesn't teach you to kill babies and sacrifice humans, of course not. But in William's personal testimony, along with the subtle influence of Aleister Crowley to Gerald B. Gardner, it was evident that in order to advance to higher levels of witchcraft, bloodletting and sex were essential to enrich your craft and gain more power.I understand that not ALL Wiccans go this far. I understand, But whether your a white witch, a black witch, or a high priest/priestess, the spirit behind Wicca is Lucifer, and Lucifer is Satan, the deceiver, the devil. Satan manifests himself in many forms, with many names, but it is all the same.Why not give this book a chance? I was hesitant to buy this book at first, because I thought it was gonna bash Wicca, and treat it ignorantly like many other authors. Yet, that is not the case with this book. Please give this chance. read the whole thing. And don't resist the Holy Spirit of God when you read.God bless!
Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie
Once again, another hatemongering book is published from an ignorant person just willing to make money off of people who are as ignorant as they are. Not only does this book make Wiccans look bad (the information regarding Wicca in this book is complete tripe), but it makes genuinely good Christians look bad as well.To Schnoebelen and those that are as truly ignorant as him: how can Wiccans worship "satan" if they don't even believe in him? Oh wait, that's right...anyone who isn't Christian is worshipping the devil, right? (This is EXACTLY what Schnoebelen says). Satan was _never_ a part of witchcraft; this was (and is) Christian theology! People NEED to understand this!I'd bet money that most people who spread lies about witchcraft aren't even aware that early Christians borrowed the dates (and meanings, along with deities) from the Pagans and used them for their "new" holidays - yes, including Christmas.Back to the book though, this is truly and utterly ignorant, and I'm truly wondering where Schnoebelen's "good Christian morals" went when he wrote this book.
Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie
Perhaps a more appropriate title for this book should be, "From the Mixed Up Files of Mr. William Schnoebelen?" I have read several of Mr. Schnoebelens' books & articles (the books were a gift from someone) and I can honestly say that everything that this person writes is nothing but half-truths and out right fabrications. As a practicing Wiccan for several years, I can tell you this man has a very shrewd imagination! According to Schnoebelen, even Catholics are Satanist, as well as anyone else who doesn't follow whatever faith he "claims" to be into at the time. As for Wicca, unfortunately, he has twisted the facts just enough to make his lies sound credible to anyone who isn't educated enough on the subject as it fits his agenda. Schnoebelen is definate proof that ANYONE can write a book, even someone as delusional as he obviously seems to be.