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What Witches Do

first edition cover
Author	Stewart Farrar
Language	English
Subject	Witchcraft
Publisher	Coward, McCann and Geoghegan
Publication date	1971
Publication place	U.S.
Pages	223

What Witches Do is a book by Stewart Farrar, and is an eye-witness account of Wiccan practices, namely that of the Alexandrian coven run by Alex Sanders and his wife Maxine Sanders.

Description

Farrar was a practicing witch and a member of an active coven. In this book, he explores his version of the fundamental beliefs and premises of Witchcraft and explains his interpretation of its symbolism. The ceremonies presented are primarily from Alexandrian Wicca, as practiced by the author and his wife, Janet Farrar.

Much of the book concerns itself with quoting participants in Wiccan rites, with some academic description for the uninitiated. At the time of the book's writing, the author was studying Witchcraft with Maxine and Alex Sanders, with whom Farrar collaborated on the book.

Publication data

• Farrar, Stewart (1971). What Witches Do: A Modern Coven Revealed. New York: Coward McCann, Inc. Revised edition (1983). Blaine, Washington: Phoenix Publishing. ISBN 0-919345-17-4

Notes

1. "Farrar, Janet (1950-) and Stewart (1916-2000)". www.themystica.com. Retrieved August 29, 2007.
2. "Priestess of the Goddess: TWPT talks with Maxine Sanders". The Wiccan/Pagan Times. Retrieved August 29, 2007.

References

• Burland, C. A. Review: What Witches Do: The Modern Coven Revealed by Stewart Farrar in Folklore, Vol. 82, No. 3 (Autumn, 1971), pp. 257–258
• Book Review: What Witches Do - Stewart Farrar Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine (in Hebrew)
• Wigington, Patti. Pagan / Wiccan Religion: Top 10 Authors You Need To Read Archived 2007-08-24 at the Wayback Machine

v t e Neopagan witchcraft
History	History of Wicca Etymology of Wicca Wicca and LGBT people Dettmer v. Landon
Traditions	British Traditional Alexandrian Wicca Algard Wicca Blue Star Wicca Central Valley Wicca Chthonioi Alexandrian Wicca Gardnerian Wicca Other 1734 Tradition Celtic Wicca Church and School of Wicca Cochrane's Craft Coven of Atho Dianic Wicca Faery Wicca Feri Georgian Wicca Odyssean Wicca Reclaiming Seax-Wica Stregheria Universal Eclectic Wicca
Notable figures	Gerald Gardner Doreen Valiente Alex Sanders Maxine Sanders Sybil Leek Dafo Margot Adler Victor Anderson Artemis Gavin Bone Lois Bourne Jack Bracelin Raymond Buckland Eddie Buczynski Zsuzsanna Budapest Charles Cardell Ipsita Roy Chakraverti Patricia Crowther Vivianne Crowley Robert Cochrane Scott Cunningham Phyllis Curott Cerridwen Fallingstar Janet Farrar Stewart Farrar Raven Grimassi Gavin Frost Yvonne Frost Philip Heselton Frederic Lamond Rosaleen Norton Silver RavenWolf Starhawk Joseph Wilson
Deities	Triple Goddess Horned God Green Man Spirit of nature Holly King / Oak King Mother goddess
Key concepts	Wicca Wiccan morality Wiccan Rede Rule of Three Wiccan views of divinity Coven Craft name Magic Witchcraft White magic Otherworld The Summerland Reincarnation Karma Skyclad Summoner Watchtower Familiar Animism
Rites and ritual	Drawing down the Moon Great rite Handfasting Wiccaning Fivefold kiss Magic circle Cone of power Herbal medicine Scrying Spellwork / Incantation Banishing Divination Invocation Initiation Rite of passage Eko Eko Azarak Solitary practitioner Spiral dance
Holidays	Wheel of the Year Solstice Equinox Imbolc Ostara Beltane Midsummer Lughnasadh Mabon Samhain Yule Esbat Wild Hunt
Paraphernalia	Magical tools in Wicca Altar Amulet Athame Bell Besom Boline Book of Shadows Candles Cauldron Censer Chalice/Goblet Horn Incense Parchment Pentacle Runes Scourge Statue Talisman Tarot deck Wand Witch's ladder
Literature	Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches The Meaning of Witchcraft The Spiral Dance What Witches Do Witchcraft Today Charge of the Goddess Enchanted Feminism
Related	List of Wiccan organisations Bricket Wood coven New Forest coven Neopagan witchcraft Witch-cult hypothesis Left-hand path and right-hand path Cunning folk in Britain European witchcraft Malleus Maleficarum Granny woman Cunning folk Magical alphabets Runes Theban Hebrew Witching hour Witch hunt Witches' Sabbath Flying ointment Museum of Witchcraft and Magic Witchcraft Research Association

• 1971 non-fiction books
• 1970s in modern paganism
• Alexandrian Wicca
• Wiccan books
• Coward-McCann books