Hi Sabina, I've owned your book 'Witching Culture' for a while but only got
to look at it last night. I read until I was blind and skimmed through the
later chapters (it was midnight by then, had to go to bed). Just a note to
say "Wow, it's great, really interesting." I should have known it'd be
interesting, from what I've read of your other work (which isn't that much
really, just the articles on Italian Witchcraft). I was pleasantly surprised
to see the ritual to Hekate at the crossroads at the beginning of chapter 1,
because it was similar to one I'd done and published in "The Cauldron" - I
can't remember my exact sources for constructing the ritual, but I know the
Orphic Hymn to Hekate and the Greek Magical Papyri were involved as was
Jacob Rabinowich's book. I was interested in the way you made a possible
linked between what is now modern Witchcraft and Neoplatonism. I also like
the way you clearly define and list points from other systems, Classical
religion, Neoplatonism, Freemasonry, and from authors, Leland, Murray etc
that modern Witchcraft has incorporated. As I said, I haven't really read
much of the book yet, but I'll certainly be recommending it. And wow, I
didn't realise that Raven Grimassi had sold his books in numbers as high as
60,000 copies a piece! That's another thing I'm interested in, the use of
Wiccan format with (in this example) an Italian (Etruscan, Roman) flavour, I
can think of say, Jewitchery, as another similar example. Also the way that,
as you said earlier in the book (can't find the page exactly), that in the
early 20th century(?) evidence of folklore was thought to be indicative of
witchcraft - that they were thought to be the same thing.
~Caroline.
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