Jack Chanek

“Queen of All Witcheries: A Biography of the Goddess” is an excellent book which explains complex ideas in an accessible way. It’s also beautifully written.

Each chapter is a reflection on one of the influential writers and thinkers who shaped the modern view of the Great Goddess: JJ Bachofen, JG Frazer, CG Leland, Margaret Murray, Dion Fortune, Aleister Crowley, Robert Graves, Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente, and modern Goddess feminists such as Carol Christ, Starhawk, and Lasara show more Firefox Allen. He also points out areas where these ideas are now problematic, such as when people subscribe to an overly biologically essentialist view of the Triple Goddess, or where Crowley’s views were colonialist.

Chanek demonstrates how each of the writers examined contributed to our contemporary view of the Goddess, draws out the key themes from each one, and offers a ritual for exploring the themes associated with that author and era, first in a group format and then in a solitary format.

I will be adding this book to my recommended reading list. An excellent complementary resource to “Dreams of Witches” by Christina Oakley-Harrington and “Triumph of the Moon” by Ronald Hutton. show less