“If there is one quote from this book which deserves to be emblazoned on the opening pages of your Book of Shadows; above the door of your house (or temple); and in every mind it is this: ‘Wicca is not a place to go, it is a journey to take.’”— Spiral Nature For thousands of years, we have been told that God was a man. Then someone reminded us of when God was a woman. Now we have a reference for the sensible folk who have always felt that it takes two. If you have ever thought there was more to religion than ancient rituals performed for reasons unknown, this book will show you exactly what you have been looking for. If you have already come to the realization that Wicca is the religion for you, this book will help fill those many blanks that have been left by other books. Author A.J. Drew makes no attempt to dictate religious dogma or routine. He is quick to point out that the title does not start with the word the. He illustrates the many issues a person’s religion should address and shows how he has been able to find answers to those issues through the practice of a modern religion that was based on some of the oldest principles of the ancient world. A Wiccan Bible takes you through the journey of life in three stages: •    Maiden and Master: Creation, Wiccaning, and Self-dedication. •    Mother and Father: Initiation, Handfasting/Handparting, and the Wheel of the Year. •    Crone and Sage: Community, the world, and death. Mythology and science converge as the author details a life’s journey into a religion with both old world ritual and new world science, fusing both into a creation myth which satisfies not only mind, but soul as well. A Wiccan Bible not only shows a religious path filled with joy, but one that offers the ability to accept and manage sorrow. It is filled with ritual and with the reasons why ritual is fulfilling, rewarding, and a necessary part of everyday life. As A.J. addresses each issue, he demonstrates not only how he found the solutions in Wicca, and the many ways in which science and magick have helped him to do so. A Wiccan Bible also contains select recipes that the author has collected, including mixtures for incense, oils, and baths.  A.J. Drew is the author of Wicca Spellcraft for Men and Wicca for Couples. He is the host of the annual Real Witches Ball, one of the single largest Pagan gatherings in the United States. He is also the host of pagannation.com, which serves as a successful hub for the entire Pagan community. He is the owner of Salem West, one of the largest Wicca/Pagan shops in the Midwest. A Wiccan Bible Exploring the Mysteries of the Craft from Birth to Summerland By A.J. Drew, Lauren Manoy Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC Copyright © 2003 A.J. Drew All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-56414-666-3 Contents Title Page, Copyright Page, Dedication, Acknowledgements, Preface, Introduction, SECTION ONE - The Beauty of the World, SECTION TWO - The Paragon of Animals, SECTION THREE - In Apprehension How Like a God, A Final Word, Endnotes, Bibliography, CHAPTER 1 SECTION ONE The Beauty of the World Dedicated to our Lady and Lord as Maiden and Master Section Introduction This is the first of the Three-fold Path of Wicca. Wicca is a personal religion. The exact format of the religion will change from one Wiccan to the next. The names used to call our Lord and Lady will change from group to group, coven to coven, and household to household. Wicca is a mystery religion. Although a relatively clear structure has risen from about 150,000 years of human experience, the religion is more experiential than educational. The basics are provided, the references are pointed to, but what develops within you is what the religion is, not what you read in books. Wicca is an initiatory religion. If you have heard anything about Wicca, you have probably heard about a degree system. I am not a fan of the way this degree system is used as a rank structure. But the degree system does serve to mark rites of passage, of which there are three. This section contains those first passages, the Rites of Name. It also contains the information on which that Rite of Passage is based. As all Wiccan rituals follow the same format, here too is the basic format for Wiccan ritual, the what (ritual) in the first chapter and the why (explanation) in the other chapters of this first section. Even if you are a long time member of Wicca, you would do very well to read on and learn the many things that have not been mentioned in other books. You see, Wicca is not a Path that has an end. It is a process of learning and relearning which continues throughout one's life. Even if you are a second generation Wiccan, having received the Rite of Wiccaning when you were young, this section is most applicable as it examines Wiccan ritual from a view that I do not believe has ever made it to print. Even if you have already performed a Self-Dedication Rite, I think this section is