Dowsing for Divinity

This book is a short introduction to a very broad topic (the many varieties of witchcraft that exist today) and as such, was necessarily an overview. It is aimed at people who don’t know anything about witchcraft and want to understand it as a cultural phenomenon.

Each of the chapters could have been an entire book because of the scope of the work, but the succinctness in dealing with multiple versions of witchcraft and multiple histories was good. The book does not brush the controversial issues aside, either. I admired the way that the book doesn’t privilege one form of witchcraft over another. I also appreciated that each chapter has a list of further reading from both scholars and witches (some of whom are both). The footnotes are also excellent.

My only criticism is that if this book is aimed at non-scholars, some of the language is quite scholarly, and may be less familiar to a general audience. A little bit more unpacking of terms, or a glossary, might help. It might have been nice to include some anecdotes, which Thorn has used very effectively in her other books. I was a little surprised that the bibliography didn’t include all the sources listed in the chapters and footnotes (perhaps an editorial decision?)

The book would be helpful for many people seeking to get an overview of contemporary witchcraft. For those of us situated in one area of the contemporary witchcraft community, it is helpful to get an overview of the other areas. I’d love to see an expanded version of this book aimed at practitioners and seekers. The movement is becoming a lot more diverse and complex and different types of witches often don’t understand each other. I think the book would be useful for people who are considering becoming a witch, so that they could understand the variety of traditions available.

Check out Thorn’s brilliant promo video for the book.