The Oracle

Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation
Silver Ravenwolf
2003

It seems that Ravenwolf is very much a ‘marmite author’ in that you either love her or hate her. Approaching this work without preconceived ideas is therefore, for anyone who has come across Ravenwolf before, quite difficult. The first thing to note is the sheer size and weight of this work. This book is massive. That’s a lot of words for your pennies and makes this, in some senses, good value for money. The range of topics considered and set out for the readers study is huge, ranging from tarot, herbs, crystals, a large amount of pre written spells, spirit guides and altar set up. There are many more topics covered.

The drawback with this book is hugely obvious. Despite it’s easy, conversational tone, it is aimed at a young market - specifically the teen witch market. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this in itself, but the reader finds themselves with spells for good grades and to banish pimples. I’m afraid that spells aimed directly at homework issues will be irrelevant to many witches that want to use this book. However, perhaps it should be borne in mind that all spells can (and should?) be adapted to suit the need of the witch.

It is a good reference book for the starter, although it is accessible for all users. Cross referenced and checked against other relevant information available, Silver Ravenwolf has given us a good volume from which to launch oneself relatively safely into the world of Wicca and Witchcraft.