The only detailed history of a little-known and widely misunderstood movement, Drawing Down the Moon provides a fascinating look at the religious experiences, beliefs, and lifestyles of the Neo-Pagan subculture. Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction. Contrary to stereotype, what Adler discovered was neither cults nor odd sects, but religious groups that are non-authoritarian in spirit and share the belief that there is no one path to divinity.

This edition of Drawing Down the Moon includes a completely updated and expanded resource guide that details several hundred related journals, festivals, newsletters, and groups.

Chapters include:

I. Background 1. Paganism and Prejudice 2. A Religion without Converts 3. The Pagan World View

II. Witches 4. The Wiccan Revival 5. The Craft Today 6.Interview with a Modern Witch 7.Magic and Ritual 8.Women, Feminism, and the Craft

III. Other Neo-Pagans 9. Religions from the Past—The Pagan Reconstructionists 10. A Religion from the Future—The Church of All Worlds 11. Religions of Paradox and Play 12. Radical Faeries and the Growth of Men's Spirituality

IV. The Material Plane 13. Scholars, Writers, Journalists, and the Occult 14. Living on the Earth Epilogue, Appendix I: The 1985 Questionnaire, Appendix II: Rituals, Appendix III: Resources, Notes, Index

You may also be interested in:

The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft

The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess

Wicca, New Edition: A Comprehensive Guide to the Old Religion in the Modern World

The Witches' Craft: The Roots of Witchcraft & Magical Transformation