This book takes you through the spiritual search for your own place of power within. That's something missing in a lot of Witchcraft cookbooks today. The entire point of Mr. Penczak's book is to teach witches to build the Inner Temple as a necessary foundation for their outer workings. People may not want to admit this but Wicca is a SPIRITUAL path. How can you partner with the Divine if you haven't met Her?

This book was written for those interested in a balanced and eclectic practice who may not have access to formal training. His writing reads as if he is speaking directly to you. With its year-and-a-day format, I think it's an appropriate substitute for the first level training that many of us want and few of us can find.


A solid foundation   August 17, 2003
 26 out of 27 found this review helpful

For me, this book filled in a lot of gaps in all the other Wicca/magic 101 books. Those books would say "meditate on...", "raise power", "visualize your intent" without actually telling you HOW to do any of those things. Perhaps I'm just stupid, but none of those things are natural to me. Then I found "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" and my questions got answered.

This book makes me feel better knowing that I'm not the only one who can't figure out what it really is to "visualize your intent" right off the bat. It eases you into a meditative practice, visualization, affirmations, healing, chakra work, etc. He presents the skills as progressive lessons so the format is easy to follow. All the other magic 101 books say that magical skill comes with practice, but once again, this book is much more useful. Instead of just saying that you should practice, Penczak actually lists homework at the end of each lesson.

Personally, this was exactly the beginner book I needed, one that sets up a solid foundation before rushing right into spells and Sabbat rituals.


My Top 10 Reasons I like this Book   October 3, 2003
 23 out of 24 found this review helpful

No long intro here, just my reasons for loving this book.

1. A book that finally teaches people that psychic development is the bases of ALL "magick." I quote my own teacher here "The moment someone learns and realizes that thought creates they become a magick user."

2. Though I am not into wicca, or rather wasn't, this book helped me to become interested becuase

3. it had an absolutely wonderful historical, well researched, section on witchcraft and

4. it present numerous wicca traditions/paths. Though not a lot was said about them (around a paragraph each), the author makes it very clear that he is an Eclectic "witch" and that if people want to choose one of the other paths they are welcomed to. They just have to do a little extra research on them. His course does start the beginning foundations for being involved in most any of them.

5. His writing is clear, clever, intelligent, and at times funny. It's very rare that I read a text book type of book and can say those things.

6. He provides an overview of the Calendar that most Pagans go by without getting into it in a heavy way. This will allow newbies to absorb and understand it and start to ask questions about it, which is the mark of good teaching.

7. He does NOT throw ritual magick at you. Based on my understanding it is rare that most covens allows a newbie to practice magick when they first join because of the consequences that could happen when someone does so without knowing what they are doing. Here he teaches how to do "mind magick" or rather what I learned of as psychic development techniques. Even so, it is much safer then some of the more advanced ritualized magical aspects and it's also much easier to understand.

8. There is a self test at the end of the book so you can measure how well you are doing as you go along.

9. The book is meant to act as a traditional year and a day study course that most adapts who are being initiated into covens go through. His second book (Coming in 2004) most likely will do the same for the 2nd degree.

10. Topics Covered include: History of Wicca, Wicca Paths, The Magickal Mind, Meditation, The Magick of Science, The Science of Magick, The Art of Defense, The Power of Light, Energy Anatomy, Journey Work, Spirit Work, The Inner Temple, Healing, and Initiation. There are 34 exercises that support the lessons and a companion CD (buy separately) which contains over half of those exercises done via guided visualization and lead by the author.

oh and one more

11. He does not bash any of the wicca traditions or indeed any other religion. He realizes that he has no need to stoop to such low tactics. Indeed, if anything he will help those people of other religions who have a simi open mind to understand more about the wicca religion.