Today we have such choice of practice from fairy to high ceremonial and a veritable plethora of traditions in between. Not only traditions but Occult conferences, festivals, workshops creating a stage where knowledgeable practitioners teach and sometimes the not so enlightened beguile the innocent.
There are so many books; it is usually challenging to choose or recommend; indeed, I rarely do as every book is only another person’s opinion making it difficult for the seeker to know what is fact, illusion or just plain rubbish.
Every so often, a good book comes along, usually when the need for it is acute. It is one of those times, and Initiation into Witchcraft is one of those rare books.
Do not be fooled by its cover, Alexandrians are known for their flamboyance, and magic.
Meeting Brian and his husband Christian was memorable. They were intelligent, humorous, and outrageous with just a touch of mystery about them to make one curious. Not long after our first meeting Brian was sitting in my living room, and he had received Initiation into the Alexandrian Tradition. There was an energy within him that needed honing; this was no run of the mill Initiate.
My work as a priestess entails accepting the responsibility for the well-being of Initiates who need direction.
Brian was burning with the vocation of the priest and the desire for training in the Inner mysteries of the Alexandrian Circle. He willingly became the pupil of a remarkable priestess well practised in the art of witchcraft and magic.
Brian and Christian are Razzmatazz showmen, successful in business and generally outrageous in their public appearances, which makes Brian’s book Initiation into Witchcraft all the more impressive as within its leaves, it is occult.
It is the book I too would have cherished all those years ago as I approached the Circle of the Craft. It has the feeling of care and protection that surrounds the vulnerable soul as it journeys towards the centre of the Circle and beyond. It is also an extremely interesting read for those like me who consider themselves rather old in tooth; it just goes to show, we are never too old to be taught by the young. Initiation into Witchcraft contains surprises both simple and deep and in parts worthy of the title ‘grimoire’.
This book is balanced, informative, and to the point, which is just what the seeker needs; indeed, it gives the pitfalls that have become more sophisticated and the ‘how’s’ that are so necessary in today’s confusing occult world.
Initiation into Witchcraft gives a brief history of British Traditional Witchcraft and does come up with surprising information which somewhat contradicts the controlled accounts of yesteryear.
Within its pages are gentle workings for the would-be Initiate that attune and prepare the soul and body for that which can only be truly experienced by those with the vocation that leads to the priesthood of the Witch and the well of knowledge that never runs dry.
— Maxine Sanders
Maxine Sanders is the Co-Founder of the Alexandrian Tradition of Witchcraft and author of Fire Child: The Life & Magic of Maxine Sanders
