Gay Witchcraft: Empowering the Tribe
by Christopher Penczak
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Book Summary Information
Author: Christopher PenczakEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2003-06
ISBN: 1578632811
Number of pages: 265
Publisher: Weiser Books
Book Reviews of Gay Witchcraft: Empowering the Tribe
Book Review: Great stuff-- but
Summary: 4 Stars
Gay Witchcraft does an OK job on witchcraft and gives it a nice spin that gays and lesbians can connect with in finding a spiritual home. But you would probably be better served learning the practice of the craft with another book, even the author's Inner and Outer Temple of Witchcraft books. My quarrel with the book (hence 4 instead of 5 stars) is I would like to see more on the gay connection with shamanism and witchcraft. In every class I have taken in these spiritual traditions, the students are about 80% women, and, of the 20% who are men, I would say at least 50% are gay. What is it in gay consciousness, or, what is it in witchcraft and shamanism, that draws them together? Also, by no coincidence, the same percentages go for Jungian analysts as a group. Penczak doesn't really address this idea. He writes about the persecutions in the Burning Times. He puts the blame on patriarchy and the Catholic Church in general and Charlemagne in particular. But as John Boswell has pointed out in his books, things aren't so simple. There are saints on the Catholic Church roster who were openly gay. Patriarch was around for thousands of years before the medieval witch trials. I would agree with those Jungian theorists who see patriarchy as a necessary phase in the development of humankind's consciousness in breaking free of the hold of the Great Mother. Of course, in its success patriarchy became oppressive and extreme. And for that male dominance, gays and witches carried the shadow, that which patriarchal society despised and rejected in itself. Hence the Burning Times as an effort to exorcise in the outer world what was so hated in the inner world of patriarchal thinking. Now in this century we are beginning to assimilate the feminine that was rejected so passionately. So gays and lesbians as shamans/witches have a destiny in creating the future of humankind; an importance that cannot be underestimated. We may well come the closest to epitomizing what needs to be integrated into society if it is to survive. We are the embodiment of consciousness that seeks the balance of masculine and feminine.
Summary of Gay Witchcraft: Empowering the Tribe
Gay Witchcraft is the first complete book of theory and spiritual practices of witchcraft for the gay community. Central to the practice of witchcraft is the Divine Couple and sex magick. Penczak's writing on this central mystery masterfully informs its true meaning and practice. The book explores the history of Paganism and offers a compendium of spells, meditations and affirmations to both the novice and the experienced practitioner.Author and "gay shaman" Christopher Penszack created an outstanding and groundbreaking resource for the gay Wiccan community in this thorough and heartfelt guidebook. Despite the fact that homosexuals often found spiritual nurturance and respect within the Wiccan cultures of the past, modern day practitioners usually avoid any discussion (or even acknowledgement) of gay witchcraft. Thankfully, Penszack not only breaks the silence, he does it with grace, clarity, and enormous integrity. When speaking to spell-casting ethics and the laws of magick, Penszack emphasizes the Wiccan Rede: "We believe in the Rule of Three, meaning all you do comes back to you three-fold, or three times as strong as your original intent," he explains. "As a result, all your intentions, even if directed at someone else, eventually return to you, so keep your intentions with the highest of morals." From this foundation of causing no harm, Penszack gets down to the nitty-gritty of gay witchcraft, such as meditation techniques, animal totems, altar-building, auras, spells, and invocations. His writing stays tasteful yet candid as he delves into the tantra-like section on "Sex Magick" where he suggests spells and activities to encourage connection and healing (including a "soul baring" exercise of massaging and/or licking a partner?s chakra path and then maintaining eye contact during orgasm). Penszack sprinkled many fascinating facts into this magick manual. For instance, he offers a list of "queer positive deities," including Adonis (often invoked for lesbian love spells) and the Native American/Inuit goddess Sedna (a gynandromorphous creation deity). He also provides an extensive bibliography and list of online resources. --Gail Hudson
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