Reviews
from Friends of The Besom 

Advanced Witchcraft by Edain McCoy 
Reviewed By Mike Gleason, March 03, 2004

Advanced Witchcraft by Edain McCoy © 2004 Llewellyn 
ISBN 0-7387-0413-6
336 pages + Appendices, Bibliography & Index paperback $17.95 (U.S.)

***

Over the years I have read dozens, if not hundreds, of "101" books on the
subject of Witchcraft - some have been good, some have been bad (even fewer
excellent and horrible), most have been mediocre. The period of nothing but
beginner's books appears to be coming to an end. Certainly, there are still
beginner's books being written and published. And there are still lots of
personal reminiscences making their way to market. Today, however, there
are starting to be more of the "advanced" types of books available.

This book is divided into five sections, representing the elements. I don't
necessarily agree with the arrangement of the elemental order she uses, even
though the thinking behind it is obvious, and it is the most common
arrangement used. That is a personal bias, which I freely acknowledge. It
does not affect the quality of the information contained within the
chapters.

Ms. McCoy has her own interpretation of many things. Some I agree with,
some I disagree with. It is not that some things are right and others
wrong. It is simply that everyone has different experiences and thus they
have differing views. Her assumptions regarding what basics the individual
will have learned are, in my opinion, valid for the majority of those who
have worked through a traditional coven's training program. Many
self-trained individuals may find these basic assumptions to be wide of the
mark (I can't say for sure, since I was trained in the Alexandrian
tradition). Still, if you have mastered the basics she assumes you have,
this book will help you develop further. It doesn't have a lot of basic
details, but it does promote introspection.

Throughout this book Ms. McCoy poses far more questions than she answers.
While hardly unique, this is far from common. By assuming that her readers
are all, or at least mostly, advanced practitioners she is able to devote
the bulk of her work to stimulating thought, rather that a simple
agree/disagree response on the part of the reader. From our earliest
involvement with the Craft, we are told we must assume personal
responsibility for our choices, but then many of us are swaddled in classes,
and lectures, and structured discussions. When we find ourselves "beyond"
that stage, we are often like a youngster entering college from a small high
school - so many choices, so much freedom, that we can't handle it. Ms.
McCoy has dedicated this book to helping us deal with the lack of structure
that comes with advancement.

Her style will not be to everyone's liking. Her content will seem too banal
to some, too esoteric to some, and incomprehensible to still others. I have
not been really impressed with other works by her, but I was surprised (and
pleasantly so) by this book.

She includes a couple of chapters of useful divinatory meanings of trees,
birds and animals. These are dominantly skewed to species native to the
Northern Hemisphere. As she continually stresses, this information simply
provides a starting point for the individual reading it.

Overall, this is a worthwhile book. Not a great books, but well worth the
cost. Some of the ideas are mainstream; some are quite individual; but they
are all thought-provoking. Agree or disagree, you should read this book.
If you're not ready for it right now, save it for later. You will be glad
you put it into your library.