Silver Ravenwolf

[CalisticSunrise]

I'm writing an essay for school on her and I want your thought. what do you know? How do you feel? Are her ideas good? Do you think her books are a good place for new pagans/wiccans to start research? Ect....

Please any thought. If you don't want me to use your post or ideas in my essay please let me know either leave it in the post or pm me.

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

I don't like her. At all. And here's why:
http://www.geocities.com/septegram/opinions/silverbroomstick/ToRideASilverBroomstick.html (http://www.geocities.com/septegram/opinions/silverbroomstick/ToRideASilverBroomstick.html)
http://wicca.timerift.net/ravenwolf.html (http://wicca.timerift.net/ravenwolf.html)
http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vanthal/608/id57.htm (http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vanthal/608/id57.htm)

I think she has questionable morals, presents her opinions as fact, and her history is full of innaccuracies. The links i included go into detail about why so many pagans dislike her. The first link is specifically dealing with her book To Ride a Silver Broomstick. I think that as far as beginning authors out there, there are so many better ones than SRW.

[halfwaynowhere]

i think she is okay for beginners, but they need to explore further. a lot of her information is off, but her books make good reference material. i don't like how her books designed for beginners are loaded with spells though. when i was first introduced to witchcraft, i read Teen Witch. it got me introduced to the subject, and made me want to learn more. but some people base their beliefs solely on her ideas, and to me thats not so great of an idea. nobody should just read one book or one author and form an opinion based on that. theres no support to any of it, because that author only gives one way of doing things.

[Anubis RainHawk]

She would be one of the last authors I would recommend, however, I head that her latest "Solitary Witch" was good. From what I've read, she seems like more of a Christian with Wiccan influence. Her writing style and attude are what modern occultists would call "fluffy".

Anubis RainHawk

[Dark Phoenix]

I don't like her. At all. And here's why:
http://www.geocities.com/septegram/opinions/silverbroomstick/ToRideASilverBroomstick.html (http://www.geocities.com/septegram/opinions/silverbroomstick/ToRideASilverBroomstick.html)
http://wicca.timerift.net/ravenwolf.html (http://wicca.timerift.net/ravenwolf.html)
http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vanthal/608/id57.htm (http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/vanthal/608/id57.htm)

I think she has questionable morals, presents her opinions as fact, and her history is full of innaccuracies. The links i included go into detail about why so many pagans dislike her. The first link is specifically dealing with her book To Ride a Silver Broomstick. I think that as far as beginning authors out there, there are so many better ones than SRW.

In regards to the last link I can't help but scratch my head when the author calls eclectic Wicca and Celtic Wicca an oxymoron.

[Noctis]

I have heard a lot of negative things about her, however I do own her book, Solitary Witch, and in my opinion it is pretty good, a few questionable things here and there but for the most part I think its a good beginners book.

[spirit wind]

I like her. My first books were of hers. I didn't know of any other authors at the time, to buy their books. It wasn't till i started to look into it more that i started reading others books. I have always thought that each person has their own thoughts and views on Wicca, witchcraft etc. and that is their own view. She even states that in her books, that this is her view and the way she practices.
People say they don't like how she 'dumbs down' her writings. I quite liked it. It was as if she was speaking to me and not just writing words on a page. I was able to understand alot more and it gave me the oppurtunity to seek more knoweledge and understand it.
I feel that she is a good starting block. Yes, some of her information might be wrong, but i feel that anyone starting out on their path would eventually realise that.

You ask 10 different witches, you get 10 different answers.....

[Pan]

If you do a search in the Books forum, and probably in here, you'll find all kinds of threads about her.

Multitudes of threads about her.

TOO MANY threads about her.

[Mab]

Search this site. There's a hugely long thread on her.

[WingedTigerChild]

Silver Ravenwolf is one of the reasons so many modern occults are anti-christian. I would not recommend her at all, as her history is severely flawed. She was one of the ones who started the whole "Wicca is a pre-Christian religion" lie. If you want proof of this, read through those links or go and take a critical look through her books...specifically "Teen Witch."

[shenanigans]

I wouldn't recommend her. Her facts are flawed, and her opinions are just too biased for me, and she comes across as just generally pissed off.

[-Ember]

She fails a lot of the ways I generally judge authors in this area.

1) General scholasticism/referencing: does the author clearly state if s/he is drawing upon previous research (and cite it if possible), experience or a combination of both? Does s/he note where his/her opinions/understanding of a subject departs from others (are they aware of other viewpoints), and if so how do they treat alternate viewpoints (civily or derisively) and does the author provide a reason or theory for this difference?

2) General politeness regarding opposing viewpoints. Especially, can they take criticism without resorting to name calling. Is their main response to having their viewpoint questioned to attack the other side rather than support their own?

3) Students or those who follow the author. If a high number of people who claim to love the author's works or who have studied under that author as a teacher or been initiated or elevated by that person are questionable, I wonder about that author's qualifications. Some percentage is always going to be that way, but if it seems like almost all of those who learn from that person share certain attribuites I don't like, I'm going to keep my eyes open in dealing with that author's books.

4) Personal impression. If I or someone I trust has met the author and not been impressed with their general behavior/carriage... I'm cautious. Someone fairly skilled at the Craft should have at least a little charisma. Even ones you otherwise wouldn't care to have anything to do with (consider Crowley). A certain grace.

[BeachWitch]

Taking into account the forum rules, the ONE rule: Respect, I am surprised SRW is even discussed on MW.

To Ride a Silver Broomstick has an entire chapter dedicated to openly bashing Christians and the Patriarchal Religions: Judiasm, Catholocism, Christianity, Islam.

To be fair, SRW's lack of references or even works cited is a product of Llewellyn Publishing. That particular publisher omits any type of foot notes, bibliography or works cited because the material may come across as "too formal" for the average reader.

As a report subject on Pagan authors, take a look at some of these finer choices:

Margaret Murray
Janet Farrar
Stweart Farrar
Charles Leland
Doreen Valiente

[Dark Phoenix]

You have Murry with huge grain of salt, that being said that you have SRW options for what they are her options and while some of her facts and views are a little off I really don't have problem with her.

[BeachWitch]

and while some of her facts and views are a little off I really don't have problem with her.

Um... I don't want to be rude or step on any toes, but SRW's "facts" are a little more than just "a little off".

SRW is one of the biggest contributors to the fallacies that dog Wicca and make genuine followers of Wicca or Witchcraft to look like a bunch of dingbats:

A) The Burning Times. The figure of 9 million people burned at the stake is just ludicrous, and it is perpetuated in all her books. Ask any teenage Wiccan and they will spew forth SRW's mantra on the Burning Times.

B) Wicca is an Ancient Religion. Once again, SRW's "facts" lead to more misinformation. Wicca is not millions of years old. My great-great-grandmother, brewing remedies in Ayershire Scotland, 1632, would have no idea what the heck I was doing in circle, would not recognize any of my rituals, and I can guarantee she never heard the Charge of the Goddess. She would, however, recognize my herbal craft, my spell work and my candle magic (even if she didn't refer to it as candle magic).

C) Mary Magdalene "ran a temple to the Goddess", and "Magdalene is a title of leadership". Hundreds of scholars across the US and Europe have been studying the Gnostic Texts for decades. Not one of these highly educated individuals can provide proof that Magdalene "ran" a Temple. The best information which is sketchy at best, indicates that Magdalene may have been a Priestess to Isis. Magdalene is not a title of leadership, but rather indicates the town Mary came from... Mary of Magdala. The problem here is that the average SRW reader doesn't have a clue what the Gnostic Texts are, and the only reference for Magdalene is the Prostitute Christ saved.

The problem is that SRW is the embodiment of Commercial Wicca. Her books require no real thought, do not challenge the reader, and puts Wicca and Witchcraft in the soft, cuddly, fluffy, innocent, and most importantly: non-threatening, light it was never meant to be seen.

Wicca is being innundated with new witches daily, who have no other point of reference than SRW. Covens are springing up all over with required reading lists that are basically nothing more than an exercise in SRW - no other references, or only references that support SRW's twisted broomstick version of Wicca.

If, and only if, readers of SRW actually went out and furthered their education by reading ANY other book, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, the Cult of SRW is too strong and powerful, and those other books are just too formal - all I want to do is hold a ritual and start a coven, be a High Priestess and have really cool parties.....

Gardner is spinning in his grave......

[Dark Phoenix]

I am afraid I really give you an honest assessment of SRW because the owner of a Pagan store I frequent here in the city happens to be a member of the Black Forest Clan and has contributed to some of her books, so it's kind of hard for me to dismiss her as a total quack.

[Londubh]

her work is not the worst i've read, but that's not saying much.

and i find her tone to her readers autocratic and insulting.

i can't stomach the "listen to mama raven, she knows best" attitude.

for a religion that is supposed to be comprised of individuals who think for themselves...

[cullensilvermoon]

From: To Ride A Silver Broomstick.

p.90 ["Stocking Your Magickal Cabinet"]
The athame stands for intellect, right thinking, and calculation. I do not use mine very often...
I read this from http://www.geocities.com/septegram/opinions/silverbroomstick/ToRideASilverBroomstick.html

She also mentions something in Teen Witch about not doing drugs. I could see as the statement above, if she was to be on any drugs her athame would shatter to pieces in her "magickal cabinet." Just read some from that webpage and you'll get what I mean. On another note I want my money back from even purchasing one of those wretched mind slaughtering books. That is all I want to say, and I appologize for any hard critique.

[Mab]

well, I like her writing style, and I find her Solitary Witch book to be a good pretty basic stuff to start with. But, then, I'm not Wiccan, and am having a heckuva time finding non-Wiccan stuff on witchcraft, so I really just read all I can get my hands on & wade through the crap. I don't think she's terrible, but she does seem to be very much geared toward teens. I would definitely say she should not be taken as gospel & should not be the only thing one reads. Her facts are off, and yeah, she's fluffy. She's entertaining, but....should be taken with a very large dose of salt. For a better history of witchcraft & how Wicca incorporated goddess worship that was truly ancient, I'd say read Grimassi and some historians--branch out from the "Occult" or "New Age" section of the bookstore/library.

[Silverfire Darkmoon]

In her 'Solitary Witch' she states, quite firmly, that the Biblical Book of Psalms was written by pagans.
Need I say more? No, not really, but I will anyway.
In the same book she tells us what the Goetia are (and gets it wrong), says that Ceremonial Magic is magic without a religious framework (does she even know that the Keys of Solomon ARE? Hello????), and then tells us that Ceremonialists don't summon wierd strange entities, when the entire Goetia and most of the Greater Key are about calling spirits in the name of God, and quite forcefully and elaborately at that!
The only thing I can say in her defence is that I think her spells are very interesting and nice. Everything else, however, may safely be ignored. I think that The White Goddess and The Witch-Cult in Western Europe have more of a basis in historical reality than most of what $RW says, and that says a LOT.

[Pan]

Personally, I think that bashing Silver Ravenwolf on more than one thread is horrendous. But, you know, that's just me.

Do a search and you'll find all kinds of scathing remarks. :)

To most people, that'd be like a kid in a candy store.

Happy searching.

[Pan]

And here's a link with links in it to more on Silver Ravenwolf.

http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=31748

[KissMeImIrish!]

SRW was not te very first authr I ever read on wicca (cunningham would be) but she was the first that I actually started with when I decided to follow the path. That would be the infamous "Teen Witch" book. Like many have said before, shes only one author, and even though her work has it's "problems" its also not THAT bad a starting point, especially if the reader continues on the path, they will advance and read other authors. If someone were to take her work as the 'gospel' then there would be a problem, but thankfully I don't know anyone who has ever taken just one author's 'beginner manual' and turned it into THE book of their path.

[Sonic Seamus]

My girlfriend had one of SRW's book and I picked it up for a while but forgot about it when I got Drawing Down The Moon.

Apparently that might be a good thing.

[argento_occhi]

the first ever book on wicca i read was 'teen witch' which i borrowed from the library. not a bad read, but for someone who only read it once about 4 years ago and had since moved on from wicca (and i've read more than just that about wicca since then) i really can't remember much about it apart from the fact that it was an easy read, and for the right type of person, a starting point to other books and sources.

bright blessings,
argent