Normally I like to write about pagan books (and books in general) that I really enjoy or find helpful. After all, why waste words on things that you don’t like? It’s like Natalie Goldberg says in her lovely work Writing Down the Bones—why spend an entire period criticizing a work that doesn’t really work? Simply give it the samurai sword swiftly and humanely and move on!

So this review is a little different. The thing is, there are plenty of great things in Silver Ravenwolf’s Solitary Witch: The Ultimate Book of Shadows for the New Generation. Possibly the thickest book on Wicca I’ve ever seen, it’s pretty exhaustive and covers everything from dates to tools to planetary information to the altar and more. Yes, there are plenty of spells, as well as rituals, ceremonies and other activities. There are recipes, how-tos, mythology, and basically any and all information about witchcraft that you’d ever want.

That’s why I don’t recommend it.

The first thing that irked me about the book was its organization. Each chapter, while chock full of information, has its own table of contents within the chapter, making it very difficult to find what you’re looking for. But that alone isn’t enough for me to not recommend the book.

The reason I think it’s not one of the best books out there—or at least, not for the novice pagan—is because it presents the faith in a dogmatic fashion, the very thing that draws most people away from so many organized religions in the first place. If you’re familiar with paganism you already know that there’s no restrictive dogmas, and that many followers simply refer to themselves as “eclectic pagans.”

Ravenwolf’s book, however, presents may things as if they are the end-all of pagan beliefs. Rather than discussing the importance of creating your own personal spells to be used, she pretty much inserts her book of shadows within the text, which isn’t spiritual or magical at all, but simply copying someone else’s words. The Rede isn’t mentioned—which isn’t completely necessary if we’re broadening the spectrum to paganism in general  rather than solely Wicca—but should there not be some sort of ethics mentioned when dealing with magic, especially in such a comprehensive guide?

To me, paganism is all about originality and what’s personal to you. I learned that from Scott Cunningham right off the bat and since I’ve followed my gut on that. If I feel like a green candle feels more appropriate for a spell than a white one, I’m going to use the green; Ravenwolf presents days, colors, and even a complicated alter lineup in a way that makes you feel quite rigid, without offering something like, “There are other interpretations, you should make it personal, etc.”

On the whole, the book is a great addition to a collection if you’re looking for new perspectives, spell ideas, and lots of other information; but please don’t use it as you introductory guide to Wicca if that’s what you’re after. Instead, start with something much more basic and much more open, such as Cunningham’s Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner.