Confessions of a Teenage Witch: Celebrating the Wiccan Life    by Gwinevere Rain Order:  USA  Can Perigee, 2005 (2005) Paperback      Reviewed by Ricki Marking-Camuto Wicca is a religion that has fascinated me since I first heard of it, but even though I knew a few practitioners, I never understood much about it. After reading Gwinevere Rain's Confessions of a Teenage Witch, I feel much more informed. While geared towards teens interested in starting down the Wiccan path, this is a good primer for anyone considering becoming a Wiccan. Topics covered include the history and tenets of Wicca, invocations to various deities, the role divinity plays, tips for starting a Book of Shadows, circle casting, spells, Sabbats, moon phases, and basic herbs and gemstones. This is also a great book for Wiccan teens to share with their parents to explain their chosen religion and to allay fears and common misconceptions. As I read through this guide, I learned many things about Wicca that I had never heard before. For one thing, it is a relatively recent religion, started in England in the 1950s by a man named Gerald Gardner. This surprised me as I had believed it was an old religion just recently 'coming out of the broom closet' (this term, as Rain explains, is used when a Wiccan decides to tell family, friends, and others about their chosen religion). Also, I knew that the Goddess was an important figure in Wicca, but I did not know that She was only half of their divinity – there is also a God. The Goddess and God each offer their own strengths to the practitioner, and their life cycles are honored equally through the eight Sabbats in a year. Rain presents all of this information in a clear, concise, easy-to-read-and-understand manner. One unique aspect of the book that sets it off from similar guides is the inclusion of a section on male practitioners. As Wicca is a religion that empowers females, male witches are often overlooked, and Rain attempts to right this wrong. Another refreshing aspect is the inclusion of spells. While many books on the Craft contain spells, Rain's chioces are simple and call for ingredients commonly found on a household spice rack – no searching for exotic and expensive herbs for any of them. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the Wiccan life. Gwinevere Rain's writing is informative yet breezy, making for an enjoyable lesson. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews