Teaching Witchcraft: A Guide for Students & Teachers of Wicca

A Lost Underground Classic for Seekers and Instructors of the Craft Teaching Witchcraft is written for today's practitioners, both in coven groups and solitary study. Featuring more than thirty-five lessons that reflect current cultural perspectives and practices in the Wiccan community, this resource includes contemporary lesson guides and exam questions, as well as an emphasis on inclusivity. Miles Batty presents an extensive variety of topics, including spellcasting, ritual construction and procedures, the Wheel of the Year, the principles of Wiccan belief, and the four cornerstones of magick. You'll start with the fundamentals and progress through the Craft's many facets, from its history and tools to divination and etiquette. This step-by-step-guide also covers the faces of the goddess, sexuality in Witchcraft, correspondences, and magickal ethics. With lessons and study questions for every level of student, this is the essential resource for learning and teaching Witchcraft.

Table of Contents:
Contents Foreword xvii Introduction 1 Wicca 101: The History, Philosophy, and Ethics of Witchcraft Lesson 1: An Introduction to Witchcraft 9 Lesson 2: The History of the Craft: From the Birth of Religion to the Ancient Empires 17 Lesson 3: The History of the Craft: The Dark Ages and the Inquisition 27 Lesson 4: The History of the Craft: The Rebirth of Witchcraft 37 Lesson 5: Facets of Spirituality and Divinity 51 Lesson 6: The Many Faces of the Goddess 61 Lesson 7: The Many Faces of the God 69 Lesson 8: Charges of the Goddess and the God 79 Lesson 9: The Wheel of the Year and the Eight Sabbats 87 Lesson 10: The Esbats and Other Lunar Mysteries 99 Lesson 11: Principles of Wiccan Belief 105 Lesson 12: The Wiccan Rede, Ethics, and the Magickal Life 111 Lesson 13: The Language of Love 125 Lesson 14: Witchcraft and Sacred Sex 133 Lesson 15: Life, Death, and Beyond 139 Lesson 16: The Web, the Wheel, and the Way 145 Wicca 102: Inside the Coven, the Meaning of Ritual, and Magickal Theory Lesson 17: Inside the Coven 151 Lesson 18: The Laws of the Craft 161 Lesson 19: Elements and Correspondences 167 Lesson 20: Magickal Signs and Symbols 175 Lesson 21: The Tools of the Craft 187 Lesson 22: Reality and Magickal Perception 199 Lesson 23: The Four Cornerstones of Magick 209 Lesson 24: The Many Faces of Magick 215 Lesson 25: Magick and Responsibility 221 Lesson 26: Ritual Principles and Etiquette 231 Lesson 27: Ritual Procedure: Setting the Stage 239 Lesson 28: Ritual Procedure: Erecting the Temple 247 Lesson 29: Ritual Procedure: Working in Ritual 257 Lesson 30: Ritual Procedure: Closing the Ritual 267 Lesson 31: Rituals for the Solitary Witch 275 Lesson 32: Working with Colours, Auras, and Chakras 281 Lesson 33: Working with Stones and Crystals 295 Lesson 34: Working with Herbs and Plants 303 Lesson 35: Amulets, Talismans, and Candle Magick 311 Lesson 36: The Art of Spellcrafting 319 Lesson 37: The Art of Spellcasting 329 Lesson 38: Wards, Shields, and Protection 335 Lesson 39: The Future of the Craft 343 Appendix 1: Teacher's Resource Material 351 Appendix 2: Final Exams 363 Appendix 3: Rituals 383 Recommended Reading 395 Glossary 401 Bibliography 413

About the Author :
Miles Batty (United Kingdom) has been studying Witchcraft since 1974 and has been active in the Pagan community since 1985. He is ordained clergy in the Wiccan faith and has served as coven Priest, author, and director and coordinator of various Pagan events and organizations. He has lived in England, Wales, the United States, Canada, and Scotland. Miles is well known in both the United States and United Kingdom. Jamie Hendrickx is an events facilitator for the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS). ~

Review :
"This is a much-needed manual—not just for students, but specifically for teachers of the Craft. In a field where the vast majority of books are intended for neophytes, Miles Batty has created the most comprehensive compilation I've ever seen on all aspects of the Craft—history, philosophy, ethics, tools, liturgy practice, and magickal theory—all organized as a course of lessons, from introductory to advanced, with brief quizzes at the end of each. As both a teacher and a perpetual student, I am pleased to give this work my highest recommendation!"—Oberon Zell, founder and headmaster of Grey School of Wizardry "What I love about Teaching Witchcraft is its very intentional support of both the student and the teacher. Batty knows his subject, but he also understands the desire for clear information which does not insult the intelligence but is at the same time very accessible. We are long beyond the time of guarding the Craft with a cloak of deep secrecy. As the author says, this is the textbook he wished (we all wished) had been available so many years ago. Bravo!"—Holli S. Emore, M.Div., Cherry Hill Seminary "There is a beautiful fantasy in the Pagan communities about studying with a seasoned teacher, preferably in a cottage garden filled with important herbs. The reality is that few people actually learn magic at all—they read and read but rarely have the nerve to practice. This exquisite book reminds us that ours is—as all crafts are—an experiential journey, filled with trial and error. We are reminded that the learning is in the doing and that cottage garden simply isn't available to many people. Let this book be your cottage garden and let this wise author be your teacher. You have much to gain from its pages and from his experience. Highly recommended."—H. Byron Ballard, village Witch and author of Roots, Branches & Spirits "In Miles Batty's revised edition of Teaching Witchcraft, seekers can find their way back home to the old religion of nature that our souls long to remember. Divine love, reverence, and beauty are found within these pages, served with a hearty helping of Batty's signature mirth! Complex concepts unfold like a conversation with a trusted mentor. Arranged into easy-to-understand teaching modules, this guide to the history, ideals, and magickal practices of Wicca provides a much-needed structure for formal coven classrooms and book clubs among solitary practitioners alike. Just as the first edition was a foundational text for the Sojourner Tradition of Modern Witchcraft, the revised edition remains on our recommended reading list for all students and teachers of Witchcraft."—Heron Michelle, High Priestess and author of Elemental Witchcraft