"It's time to break the spell that was cast upon us not by evil witches, but by our culture's spokespeople: preachers and advertisers, storytellers and moviemakers, and all the misguided Christians who have perpetuated this lie."
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Even Witches Have Names by Rev. Dr. Richard E. Kuykendall Trafford Publishing
book review by Wendy Strain
Written as a straight-forward first-person account of a man's life, this text is highly approachable, humorous, and insightful. The man in question is Gabriel Seminger who apparently wrote most of this text prior to his death. The text includes an introduction by Kuykendall and a final chapter by Seminger's widow, Ava.
Where the book excels is in presenting Neo-paganism and more specifically, Wicca, from a more understanding perspective. Having come to witchcraft from a conservative Christian upbringing and training as a minister, Seminger continuously demonstrates those aspects of faith that overlap between the two major belief systems of his life. Working as a minister at the same time that he was openly practicing as a witch with his wife, Seminger shows how Wicca fosters an accepting, loving, and cooperative community much in the spirit found at the base of Christian teachings.
Seminger also helps to dispel myths about the practice of witchcraft by providing some detailed information of the kinds of things that occur within Wiccan ceremonies. This kind of detail links the tradition with its natural roots and further demonstrates the love and responsibility for one another and the world it encourages.
The material is somewhat disorganized, sometimes jumping unexpectedly between serious lecture and personal revelation, sometimes offering completely unnecessary information. However, it is a good overview of the Wiccan tradition and helps to break down some of the myths, but much more study would be needed to bring about understanding.