Customer Reviews:
 An excellent start January 24, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is a very informative and in depth book on healing from a Pagan perspective. The information is at times hard to work through but it is worth it. Of course, one book can not a healer make but it is an excellent start.
Gavin, Stuart and Janet took a brave step in coming out and contradicting the teachings of the theosophists. It was however time. Just because their teachings were "accepted by most reputable occultists" in no way changes the fact that the theosophists were wrong. There are I suppose however individuals that still believe the world is flat. It seems that the good old theosophists never really asked the people who knew anything about the Chakra system. They had in fact though- due to their Victorianish problem with SEX - the second chakra far to the left and not centered.
 un naco July 6, 2006
2 out of 14 found this review helpful
There is a certain amount of deceit in the presentation of this book because even though in the cover Janet Farrar,Stewart Farrar and Gavin Bone are listed as the authors, when you open the book you realize it was only written by Gavin Bone.
The prose is dry and the lexicon limited, which makes this book tedious to read, although I don't know much about the author, this book made me lose interest in his work, through his writings, I get the impression that he grew up in a humble environment where culture was of little importance.
His teachings regarding the spiritual composition of man, i.e, chakras, etc, etc, actually contradict the version found in theosophical manuals, and in this case I don't think is an "innovation" but lack of knowledge, the theosophists studied the topic in depth, their knowledge was accepted by most reputable occultists, and a lot of it comes from ancient sources.
His job as a "nurse" which some claim is a great qualification to write about this topic,is I believe of little help since most of the nurses work is that of a maidservant, I realized that because most of my family members are medical doctors and while helping one nurse with her thesis.
Much better works on the topic of healing are those written by Israel Regardie (who did have qualifications to write about those topics) and Dion Fortune's.
great introduction to the healing arts... February 10, 2002
3 out of 8 found this review helpful
wonderfully written, well informed and all together an excellent introduction to the healers art. i think to better the information given one would need to begin an ejucation in medical studies.
Best On The Subject December 23, 2001
26 out of 26 found this review helpful
This book took me a while to read, as the content was more than usually offered in this type of book. This is a massive undertaking by The Farrar's and Gavin Bone on the subject and is very professional and well written covering of the subject.
This book tackles the huge expanse of the Healing Arts as practiced by Witches and Pagans. It covers the origins of Healing in history and its association with Paganism. This book discusses various dedications, medical associations,ethics (rarely ever addressed in books on this subject) and various medical practices and techniques.
This is a text book on the subject, covering its chosen topics in depth, and is probably the best I've read. The section on Ethics of Healing, Code of Ethics and Conduct is worth having the book for that alone.
Though I am not a professional in the Healing Arts, I did find the book to be a fountain of information. Healing Rituals, self dedication rituals, information on herbs, chakras, spiritual healing, poppet work, auras; the list of topics goes on and on and is probably more information than I will ever use.
You can see the influence of Gavin Bone here, his 15 years in the medical profession shines as his input on medical and medicine related subjects. Though easy to follow, it is not a simple book by any means. It is geared toward the person who has chosen the Healing Arts as their calling and contains everything from rituals for the healer to what chakra rules what part of the body, discussion on herbs and their healing properties, counseling techniques, Shamanism and even a Last Rites Ritual.
The histories of medicine and spiritual healing are also priceless, as a collection of this information all in one book is rare. All these elements combined make the necessity of this book being in the library of anyone seriously interested in the healing arts.
The Farrar's and Gavin Bone have written a powerful book that fills the need to examine the healing arts and all its aspects deeply, professionally and with the respect it deserves.
 A solid overview of healing from a Craft perspective May 31, 2000
51 out of 51 found this review helpful
While implicitly touched upon in many works, few books are available that explicitly explore the world of health and healing in detail from a pagan or wiccan perspective. This unfortunate oversight has at long last been addressed. While it should come as no surprise that a medical ethnographer such as myself, who is looking at Craft healers and interested in ethnomedical systems, would find this book useful, I think the average reader with even a passing interest in healing from a Craft perspective would find the Farrar's and Bone's book a worthwhile introduction.The authors strike a good balance between the ardently materialist conceptions of modern medicine and nursing, and the additional understanding of the non-materialist dimensions of health from the vantage point of modern pagans, wiccans, and others. For example, the brief chapter on Jung is excellent. It is not a thorough or complete dissertation, by any means, but it gives the reader a clear and concise treatment of the topic and it's specifically occult connections. Although not a perfect book, this will nonetheless be a useful edition for anyone with an interest in health and healing and how this relates to the Craft at the dawn of the new millennium.
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