Llewellyn’s 2006 Wicca Almanac © 2006

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Llewellyn’s 2006 Wicca Almanac  © 2006   Llewellyn  ISBN  0-7387-0309-5       288  pages   Includes Biographical dataPaperback$8.95  (U.S.)

 

This is an annual review for me.  I know some people don’t like Llewellyn for a number of reasons.  Some of their complaints are valid (waaayy too many “101” books) but irrelevant (if the market didn’t support the numbers, they wouldn’t be publishing them).  Other complaints are only somewhat valid, and some are totally specious (“I don’t like ________; Llewellyn publishes her/his books, therefore I won’t buy ANY books from Llewellyn.”).

 

Putting entire topic aside, I have to say that I am always intrigued by something in each of their annual publications.  The almanac section is the one standard from year-to-year.  The general categories also remain fairly  consistent (“Lifestyles of the Witch and Famous,” “Witchcraft D.I.Y.,” “Sweep Me Away,” “Over the Cauldron,” “God Said, Goddess Said,” and “The Virtual Witch”), although there is a variety in the authors represented, some are fairly consistent in their appearance, but there are always fresh voices to be heard.

 

The gods know I don’t always agree with everything I read, especially with opinion pieces (which many of these are).  But even if I don’t agree with them they make me think.  And, unfortunately, thinking is something which is not actively encouraged in our Western society today.

 

The “News Items” in the almanac section offer little tidbits that you probably didn’t catch in the mainstream media.  Of course, they are all “dated” by the time they hit print, but they can still inspire interesting thoughts.

 

As far as the articles go, there are nineteen in this year’s edition ranging from 7 to 16 pages in length (giving an average of 10 pages), and ranging in subject matter from living lightly and connecting with spirit of your residence to how to deal with the media and a personal remembrance of how one individual got involved with Wicca.

 

There are typographical errors in this book (dropped letters [and occasionally even dropped words], homonymic errors, etc.) but no more than are to be expected.

 

Once again Llewellyn offers an enjoyable, entertaining, and informative almanac.  The entries for each day in the almanac section include religious and/or secular observances for the day, moon phase, color and moon sign.  This information is fairly basic, but if you want more detailed information, there are specialized publications available.

 

If you are looking for a good, general purpose, Pagan-themed almanac, this is the one to pick up.  It is relatively inexpensive, conveniently sized, and a good choice for general use.

 

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