Witches of America

Starred review from August 24, 2015
Writer and filmmaker Mar was accustomed to developing an emotional connection to her research subjects, but when she began filming her 2010 documentary on the occult, American Mystic, she became more deeply invested in her subjects’ world than she expected. Taking readers on an expertly crafted spiritual journey through a pagan conference, a weekend with a Feri coven in a New England “faux castle,” and an initiation ceremony for the Ordo Templi Orientis (which follows the teachings of Aleister Crowley) deep in the Louisiana swamps, Mar pushes past vulnerability in search of guidance and conviction. Along the way she gives an overview of modern American witchcraft, introduces readers to a multitude of variations on magical tradition, and helps dispel myths regarding paganism and the occult. Witches, priests and priestesses, and even a necromancer receive a sympathetic, humanizing treatment as Mar encourages empathy for the “outer edges” of society. Mar writes with clarity and candor, provides ample background information, and is neither preachy nor cheesy. She presents all her subjects as interesting individuals. The book’s only flaw is an abrupt ending, leaving many unanswered questions: Does Mar stay involved with the New Orleans branch of the Ordo Templi Orientis? Does she find the revelation she is looking for? Whatever one’s spiritual inclinations, Mar’s search for “something transcendent” is bewitching.

August 15, 2015
A self-avowed skeptic investigates the shadowy world of modern witchcraft. In this literary companion to the 2010 documentary American Mystic, which she directed, former Rolling Stone editor Mar dynamically illustrates her adventures journeying across America in search of witches, mystics, and polytheistic pagans. A cynical native New Yorker drawn to fringe communities "whose esoteric beliefs cut them off from the mainstream but also bond them closer together," the author first traveled to Northern California's Santa Clara County, where a "Feri priestess" named Morpheus has constructed the Stone City, a sanctuary for congregating covens to perform ritualistic ceremonies. While Mar outlines witchcraft's history as a movement through the celebrated work of Englishman Gerald Gardner, the "godfather of Wicca," the core of her book comprises profiles of the many witches she encountered. None of them are as fascinating as Morpheus, whom the author befriended deeply and honestly and who becomes an increasingly formidable influence. Though frequently overwhelmed, Mar's fascination with the occult suffuses the narrative via in-depth explorations of intensive Feri witch rituals, a weeklong Spirit Gathering in a forest clearing in rural Illinois, participation in the annual pagan PantheaCon conventions, trial-and-error Feri training, and witchcraft circles hosted in a New England castle. The author initially approached craft rituals involving "circling, trancing, banishing personal demons, and bumping up against the dead" with dubiety and great hesitancy, yet once familiarized with her surroundings, she was enveloped in the wonder and the enlightenment each group imparted. A wide-eyed observer governed by an unshakable curiosity, Mar's immersion in the multifaceted world of witchcraft (including a particularly chilling encounter with a necromancer) collectively broadened and enhanced her perspective about the craft itself-and will surely do the same for her readership. An enchanting and addictive report shedding much-needed light on a spiritualistic community obfuscated by historical misinterpretation and pop-culture derision.

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Starred review from September 15, 2015

Former Rolling Stone editor and filmmaker (American Mystic) Mar deftly weaves in her own story of agnostic searching as she chronicles the various threads of American pagan belief systems, creating a narrative equal parts diary, history lesson, ethnographic study, myth buster, and pagan gossip. After spending time filming the Feri priest Morpheus for her documentary, Mar found herself drawn to a course of study and exploration of the various pagan sects and magical practices, far exceeding the safety of suburban Wiccan covens. Her experiences and observations, some inspiring, some a tad disturbing, are fodder for reflection on what faith and belief actually mean and how they are influenced by cultural expectation and conditioning. The chapter on Satan and the melding of occultism to devil worship in the mind of the public, fueled by a sensationalist media, is an eye-opening expose of the effects of damaging religious ignorance and intolerance. VERDICT A top-notch read for pagans and open-minded seekers curious about the fascinating beginnings of American witchcraft and some of the various directions its form is taking.--Janet Tapper, Univ. of Western States Lib., Portland, OR

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2015
It takes a self-proclaimed skeptic like journalist and documentary filmmaker Mar to delve deeply into present-day witchcraft. The latter word is actually a misnomer since Mar explores not the stereotypes of horror films and Halloween costumes but, rather, the one million Americans who practice paganism, or Wicca, a polytheistic, nature-loving religion with roots in 1950s England before crossing the Atlantic to become part of the larger counterculture movement. From the start, Mar admits that she has always been attracted to the fringe and that despite her natural leeriness, she is a seeker at heart, searching . . . for proof of something larger, whatever its name. She examines the background of Gerald Gardner, considered the godfather of Wicca, and investigates spiritualism, the Theosophical Society, and the Golden Dawn (the Irish poet William Butler Yeats and the notorious mystic Aleister Crowley were members of the latter). Mar discusses satanic cults and black magic, attends pagan conferences such as the annual PantheaCon, participates in a Gnostic mass in New Orleans, and spends Samhain (the Celtic New Year) with a coven in a nouveau riche faux castle in the New Hampshire woods. In all, an open-minded, fascinating journey into the world of modern American paganism.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)