Dowsing for Divinity

Once upon a time, Christendom labelled the Emperor Julian “the Apostate” because he reverted to Paganism. Nowadays, the title is applied to people who leave the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Moss Matthey left the JWs in order to live his truth as a gay man—as many others have left high control religious groups for the same reason.

Not long after he left, he discovered witchcraft, as well as a loving relationship and a community of Pagans and witches and occultists.

This joyous and life-affirming book is the account of his journey from fear and despair to the joy of living as his authentic self, as a gay man and as a witch.

It would make an excellent companion volume to my own book Changing Paths.

An Apostate’s Guide to Witchcraft goes through different aspects of Paganism and witchcraft — Nature, community, coven, embodiment, the queerness of witchcraft, the nature of spirits and gods, and much more. Each chapter briefly unpacks and refutes what he was taught about the topic, and then explores Pagan and witches perspectives on it. “Finding freedom through magic” is an excellent subtitle for the book, as it is clear that the author has found freedom and joy in witchcraft.

The narrative is interspersed with gentle exercises designed to help the reader to discover the witch within. These were excellent and could benefit witches at any level of experience from beginner to advanced.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s so joyful. The exercises are great, the discussion of the differences between the fundamentalist worldview and witchcraft is great. I look forward to more of Moss’s books.