THE POWER OF THE WITCH; THE EARTH, THE MOON, AND THE MAGICAL PATH TO
ENLIGHTENMENT
BY LAURIE CABOT WITH TOM COWAN
copyright 1989 by Delacorte Press, a subsidiary of Dell Publishing New York NY

REVIEWED BY MATRIKA of PAN - the ORIGINAL Psychic Awareness Network BBS
for the StarNet Newsletter
copyright 1990 by Matrika

Laurie Cabot was one of my first sources of information on  Wicca, having grown
up in New England.  Having also met her and spoken to her on several occasions,
I bought her new book as I felt a sense of obligation to read it and I am
fasiscinated by the woman herself, who is a most controversial figure in the
Craft in that region of the country.  But I didn't expect it to be interesting.
I had gotten to the point where I've read SO many Craft books in the past 10
years that they all begin to be boring as they are presenting just about the
same information to me over and over.

So imagine my surprise when I picked up the book and found myself learning
quite a bit I didn't already know.  It was quite an enjoyable experience to be
challenged to expand my thinking a little bit.  The book presents a Celtic
tradition of Wicca which Laurie teaches to her students in Salem MA. in her
classes.  What was a particularly refreshing change about this book is that it
is not all history and theory, but actually goes into quite a bit of detail
about how to do practical Magickal work.  This is something I have found quite
lacking in many books I've bought on the subject of WItchcraft.

Although Laurie is a flamboyant figure in New England and her charging for
training has been very controversial, even her opponents have to admit she was
publicizing the Old Religion when many of us were still in diapers - for well
over 25 years.  She was coming out and talking openly about what the Craft was
and, more importantly, what it was NOT (and is NOT) when most of us were still
children or teenagers.  I doubt anyone else could have done a better job.  It
is not commonly known but her title as the OFFICIAL witch of Salem MA.  was
given to her by that state for her volunteer work with Learning Disabled
children.  Every year she and her coven with it's outer court circle - the
Community of Isis - collect large amounts of toys and wrap them for the
children in the Boston (MA) children's Hospital, the Shriner's Burn Institute,
and The North Shore (MA) shelter for Homeless famillies and individuals.  I
have been at a Lammas feast held by her circle where 3 or 4 times as much food
was brought for the pot-luck as was needed.  With everyone's permission, the
extra food was brought to the same shelter to feed the area's hungry.

Because of Laurie's work in that area, the 5,000 + Witches and Pagans in her
town of about 200,000 can now walk the streets wearing Pentacles and even Robes
with capes publically without fear of ridicule or worse.  People in the
Massechusetts and the New England area as well as the entire nation think twice
about slandering or libelling the Craft due to the group that she provided the
funds to start - the Witches League for Public Awareness.    When the mayor or
former mayor (I don't remember if he won or not) of Salem slandered the Craft
during an election, she promptly collected the signatures to run against him
and was doing pretty well at succeeding in winning when he apologized for his
remark and she pulled out of the campaign as she had promised to do.

So...... you can expect that a book written by such a powerful and strong High
Priestess and Elder of the Old Ways has a power all it's own.  I highly
reccomend it to everyone who wants to know what this controversial figure, a
legend in her own right, is all about.

Of course I am a little bit prejudiced, although I am NOT her student and never
have been, she was the first person who I had ever heard talk about the Craft
as anything other than the evil old hags in Fairy tales and the Satan
worshippers depicted in horror movies.  This was when I was only about 12 or so
years old.

Whatever you THINK you know about Laurie Cabot and what she does, put it all
aside until you read this book for yourself and get to know what the lady
really teaches.

I only wish some of her detractors would come out of their "broom closets" and
do a better job.

And if you are ever in New England, make a point of visiting Salem MA - a town
where you can purchase almost any tool, incense, tarot deck, crystal, herb,
amulet, book or anything else a Pagan needs as easily as buying bread and milk
at the local 7-11 store.  That's because the Pagan community, both her coven
and several others, lives out in the open there and There are at least 5-6
occult supply houses and book stores in that one average (for New England)
small city.  The ciry that once killed 19 people as Witches in the 1700's



