Wicca is essentially a religion, as sacred and vital as other religions. Its central foundation is nature and all of its laws. Witches maintain a constant identification with the flora, fauna, the waters, the winds, and all other natural phenomena.

Yet Wiccan beliefs and practices are often unknown or misunderstood by non-Pagans and the uninitiated. Approaching the Craft from the Gardnerian perspective, Migene González-Wippler offers a friendly, straightforward introduction to the Old Religion and sheds light on what it truly means to be a Witch.

What goes on at coven meetings? How do Witches perform magic? Why does magic work? From initiation rites to invoking elementals, González-Wippler explains both practical and spiritual aspects of Wiccan traditions. Book of Shadows also teaches the significance of Moon phases, herbs, colors, crystals, common magical tools, and other implements when performing sacred ceremonies and rituals.

Praise:
"Those looking for a 'how-to' guide for becoming a witch will find this a useful, well-written resource."—Publishers Weekly

"This tome compiles the necessary rudiments and formalized practices of a given tradition/coven—previously kept closely guarded within the confines of membership—into a single volume for reference."—Library Journal

"Those looking for a 'how-to' guide for becoming a witch will find this a useful, well-written resource."—Publishers Weekly

"This tome compiles the necessary rudiments and formalized practices of a given tradition/coven—previously kept closely guarded within the confines of membership—into a single volume for reference."—Library Journal

Migene Gonzalez-Wippler was born in Puerto Rico and has degrees in psychology and anthropology from the University of Puerto Rico and from Colombia University.  She has worked as a science editor for the  Interscience Division of John Wiley, the American Institute of Physics, and the American Museum of Natural History, and as an English editor for the United Nations in Vienna, where she lived for many years.  She is a cultural anthropologist and lectures frequently at universities and other educational institutions.