Opinion on Authors

I have to agree that [Ravenwolf] does seem anti-Christian at times (not to mention, the book I own contains little in the way of actual, helpful information).  However, you seem very anti-Silver Ravenwolf, and I wonder why you expend the energy.  Also, what do you think of Scott Cunningham?  And finally, I can't tell if you are pro-Gardner or anti-Gardner. 

I said everything I felt I needed to say in that article. Every point I make is a problem of which I think people should be aware. If they read that essay and still run out and buy Ravenwolf's books, that's up to them. I've said my piece. Expend the energy? It's one essay. It's over and done with. heck, when people ask my opinion of Ravenwolf, I point them back to the article, so it actually saves me the energy of stating the same concerns over and over online.

I grew up on Cunningham. There was an intermediate period where I blew him off as fluffy (which might have been more because of hearsay rather than what he actually wrote, I confess. When I reread him my opinion returned to high praises), but for several years now I've been highly recommending his books for beginners, including on this site.

I'm not really pro- or anti-Gardner in any clear-cut meaning of the terms. I believe people who say "my practices have nothing to do with what Gardner taught" clearly are practicing something other than Wicca. I do not believe that you have to be slavishly dedicated to every Gardnerian teaching (right down to Wicca being ancient religion) to be Wiccan, however. He started something wonderful. He had lots of good ideas. He also had lots of kooky ideas (although not nearly as kooky as some of the people since him!). He's human, like the rest of us. I recommend his books for intermediate students so that they can better understand where our ideas come from. I strongly don't recommend his books for beginners, because there's too much bad stuff (like wonky history) that will confuse them.