The Craft of Invention: The Creation of the Wiccan Religion by Leo Ruickbie

Witchcraft Out of the Shadows is based on Leo Ruickbie's highly successful course, which has been favourably reviewed by major newspapers, websites and others.

"... the best." GraduatePlanet.com

"... you'll get quite an education!" WorthFinding.com

"Study witchcraft at WICA." The Guardian

"... you write well." The William Morris Agency

"I found your material engaging." Bloomsbury

Wicca...

It is the Riddle of the Sphinx Lodge, the secret at the heart of Wicca. Where did Wicca come from? Who was Gerald Gardner? Was Freemasonry involved? Or something darker? What part did the 'Wickedest Man in the World' have to play?

...Invented

The Craft of Invention:
The Creation of the Wiccan Religion

The founding process of the modern Witchcraft religion of Wicca begins with the invention of a tradition, leads to the invention of a founder, undergoes the discovery of both inventions and re-invents itself to survive. Currently Witchcraft is portrayed by its practitioners as a religion of invention with individual creativity at its core. Understanding the convolutions and convulsions of the birth of modern Witchcraft is central to understanding its character and structure today.

—Quoted from Witchcraft Out of the Shadows (2004).

CONTENTS

A Work of Shadows

The central text of Wicca may be called the Book of Shadows, but its origins are even more shadowy. At least four versions of this key liturgical text have been identified. Together they reveal the progression of the founder's ideas, as well as the covering of his tracks.

—Quoted from Witchcraft Out of the Shadows (2004).

When was the Book of Shadows written?

What is in the Book of Shadows?

What are the original sources of Wiccan ritual?

The Invention of the Founder

The founder of Wicca was not entirely what he seemed...

Who was the founder of Wicca?

In what ways did this founder invent himself?

Who had the greatest influence upon him?

The Craft of Re-Invention

The exposure of the founder met something in the Zeitgeist that allowed Wicca not only to survive but to increase.

What impact did the discovery of the invention of Wicca have upon it?

Can Wicca be called a post-modern religion?

How is Wicca represented by its practitioners today?

Conclusion

Is Wicca now what its founder meant it to be?

In Witchcraft Out of the Shadows I answer all of these questions.

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On the Web

Witchology.com
Information on Witchcraft and Wicca from current news and research to courses. Includes: archive, blog, forum, links...
WitchWear.com
What every well-dressed Witch, Wiccan, Pagan and Magician is wearing. How do you wear your witchcraft?
WitchcraftChronicles.com
The e-zine of contemporary of Witchcraft, Wicca and Magic.
SpellsWizard.com
The online, interactive database of spells and magick spanning 4,000 years from ancient Mesopotamia to the modern world.
OutOfTheShadows.co.uk
Witchcraft Out of the Shadows: A Complete History can also be accessed on www.out of the shadows .co.uk.

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Witchcraft Out of the Shadows by Leo Ruickbie

216 x 138 mm
256 pages
18 illustrations
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Leo Ruickbie's Witchcraft Out of the Shadows

A Complete History from Ancient Paganism to Modern Wicca - A History Re-Written