Temple of Witchcraft series by Penczak

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[Juni]

I've recently been asked by a friend about Christopher Penczak's Temple of Witchcraft series, and I was wondering if any of the religious witches on the board could offer their opinions? I have not read them myself, and I know very little about religious witchcraft to be able to give a solid opinion. Thanks a bunch!

[Ellen M.]

I've recently been asked by a friend about Christopher Penczak's Temple of Witchcraft series, and I was wondering if any of the religious witches on the board could offer their opinions? I have not read them myself, and I know very little about religious witchcraft to be able to give a solid opinion. Thanks a bunch!

I read through the first book in the series. My verdict: bad history, pretentious writing, and not a lot of info I couldn't find somewhere else. Maybe an actual religious witch would find it more enlightening, but I wouldn't recommend the books to anyone.

[Owl]

I've recently been asked by a friend about Christopher Penczak's Temple of Witchcraft series, and I was wondering if any of the religious witches on the board could offer their opinions? I have not read them myself, and I know very little about religious witchcraft to be able to give a solid opinion. Thanks a bunch!

I wouldn't recommend them either, but they seem very Wiccan to me and that could be the problem.  I don't have specifics - it's been a while and I only read 2 - the one on Reiki and another one.

[Dark Midnight]

I read through the first book in the series. My verdict: bad history, pretentious writing, and not a lot of info I couldn't find somewhere else. Maybe an actual religious witch would find it more enlightening, but I wouldn't recommend the books to anyone.

Sorry, but this Religious Witch didn't. Very badly written, history on very shaky ground, irritating beyond belief. I went through a phase of reading these kind of books to try and find something that was relevant to me as a non-Wiccan. Needless to say, with these I failed miserably. If you want to read it, go ahead but take a large salt shaker with you. You will need it.

[Juni]

Thanks everyone! Now I need to decide whether to read them so I can pick them apart more precisely or just not bother...

[Ellen M.]

Thanks everyone! Now I need to decide whether to read them so I can pick them apart more precisely or just not bother...

Don't bother! Go make a cup of tea instead!

[yukihime]

I made the mistake of buying the book and CD, are there any other good meditation books/cds that aren't that religious?

[Matrinka]

I've recently been asked by a friend about Christopher Penczak's Temple of Witchcraft series, and I was wondering if any of the religious witches on the board could offer their opinions? I have not read them myself, and I know very little about religious witchcraft to be able to give a solid opinion. Thanks a bunch!

I sat in for about five minutes of one of his lectures.  I quietly escaped and went over to help the kids tie dye instead, because had I stayed I may well have begun mooing...  (Star will know the reference.  )

Bad history and pretentious attitude don't fly with me.  I don't mind if someone creates a whole mythos for their religion, but...  If you're going to claim something, make it something plausible, amiright?  There are a number of authors whose work I'd recommend before Christopher's. 

Dorothy Morrison, for one.  If you're looking for no-nonsense while still filled with fun, she's up there on the list for religious witches of an eclectic nature (We've met and wound up talking for the better part of an hour after her lecture.  She's as real and down to earth as they come, smart as a whip and a blast to talk to- if you get the chance to sit in on one of her classes, do it.)

[Dark Midnight]

Bad history and pretentious attitude don't fly with me.  I don't mind if someone creates a whole mythos for their religion, but...  If you're going to claim something, make it something plausible, amiright?  

Oh yes! You are absoultely correct. Some vague nod to believability is always nice.

[Adare]

Bad history and pretentious attitude don't fly with me.  I don't mind if someone creates a whole mythos for their religion, but...  If you're going to claim something, make it something plausible, amiright?  There are a number of authors whose work I'd recommend before Christopher's. 

Sigh. I suppose any author Borders or B&N carries more than a couple books by aren't going to be worth their salt... I'd been wondering about him too, as the above book sellers carry a number of his books. 

[RootRealm]

I've recently been asked by a friend about Christopher Penczak's Temple of Witchcraft series, and I was wondering if any of the religious witches on the board could offer their opinions? I have not read them myself, and I know very little about religious witchcraft to be able to give a solid opinion. Thanks a bunch!

I bought his books mainly because the covers were pretty and I so often end up a fool for a pretty cover.  I was disappointed, not necessarily for the same reasons the others mentioned of poor scholarship or inaccurate history, but because the books had a "WonderBread" flavor to them.  They just lacked pungency and a feel of being really connected to the earth: as my ancestors would have put it, they lacked salt.   

Therefore I was not suprised (I smiled and laughed) when I looked at what I think was the last book of his series, The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft, where he introduces the book by saying, "I guess you could say I got a little bored with witchcraft. I felt a need to explore other forms of mysticism, particularly shamanism."  I thought to myself, well, if you bring Wonderbread to everything you explore, all you'll ever find is WonderBread ..."

But since I bought the books I did feel obliged to at least open them from time to time and there are some valuable things in there, particularly as regards some basic definitions. 

[Serpent]

I've recently been asked by a friend about Christopher Penczak's Temple of Witchcraft series, and I was wondering if any of the religious witches on the board could offer their opinions? I have not read them myself, and I know very little about religious witchcraft to be able to give a solid opinion. Thanks a bunch!

I have four of the series, and having read them I can hope to give something of a well formed opinion of them. Now, I do admit that they're rather plugged into the neo-wicca belief system, and at times feel very dumbed down. But having read this series first starting out, and coming back to it later having grown and read other things, I can honestly say it's not all bad. The techniques he describes do work, and they're written into an easy to follow guide set. Plus the whole lesson plan set-up he's got going on with the book series I found useful. Now is he a bit pretentious? Yeah, that's kind of a given. but he's honestly, in my opinion, nowhere near as pretentious as some of the other people writing neo-pagan books. His ceremonial magick stuff...yeeeah...I've got some questions about that, but it's nowhere near as jacked up as other magicians I've heard teaching.

In all, I think he's got some valid points taught in an easy to tackle set of instructions. Granted to take him with some salt, but like I've mentioned in another thread, he's not completely full of shit. The techniques he mention in his books can and do work. I dunno, maybe I'm just a sucker.

[Nimue]

He is not what I would consider an "essential" read, or anything, and he does tend to get a bit too fluffy for my taste.  That being said, I liked his "Temple of High Witchcraft" because it gave a good into to the Tree of Life that is not nearly as confusing as some other books.

[Straycat]

I'm probably going to get slammed for this, but he's one of my favorite Wiccan authors. I haven't read the Temple of Witchcraft books yet, although one's on my TBR shelf. I have read several others, and I liked them. I use the CD included in Witch's Shield daily. I'd recommend him.

Don't hit me.

[Ellen M.]

I'm probably going to get slammed for this, but he's one of my favorite Wiccan authors. I haven't read the Temple of Witchcraft books yet, although one's on my TBR shelf. I have read several others, and I liked them. I use the CD included in Witch's Shield daily. I'd recommend him.

Don't hit me.

Why do you think we'd jump on you for stating an opinion as an opinion? Personally I don't like Penczak from what I saw from the first Temple of Witchcraft book, but you can't like everything.

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