Goth Craft: The Magickal Side of Dark Culture By Raven Digitalis

Reviewed by Abel R. Gomez

Many contemporary Goths are drawn are drawn to Pagan spirituality for its flexibility, lack of dogma, and deeply transformative nature. Similarly many Pagans are drawn to the Goth subculture for its artistic, explorative, and introspective nature. The cross-overs of each subculture are uncanny and when the two paths are combined they a birth a unique blend of magick and independent thought.

Goth Craft focuses on this intermingling of Goth culture and Paganism, a unique convergence Digitalis calls Dark Witchcraft. According to Digitalis, darkness is a potent magickal force, not to be confused with evil. Though often maligned and misunderstood by popular culture, Digitalis explains, “When our dark side is brought into awareness, when we accept our faults, short comings, and the nature of our human tendencies, we begin to develop more fully…Illusion is shattered when we are forced to ultimately face ourselves.”

The book begins with a brief overview of Goth history and Goth styles. Digitalis then lays out the basics of contemporary Witchcraft and gives the reader a short introduction to several magickal traditions including Druidry, Qabalah, Shamanism, and Voodoo. The remainder text is devoted to the magickal currents of Goth lifestyle such as how to incorporate the Dark Arts of make-up, clothing, hair, and jewelry into daily rituals of spiritual alignment. In his chapter entitled “Philosophies of the Dark Witch,” Digitalis explains how to channel through “dark emotionalism” including discussions on dealing with suicide, depression, cutting, and the “Dark Nights of the Soul.”

Goth Craft is the perfect handbook for Goth Witches or those simply interested in the Goth subculture and its magickal applications. It contains sufficient beginner material to enable to reader to understand magickal concepts while introducing more advanced theory for seasoned practitioners. Digitalis responsibly tackles topics most books shy away from including blood magick, sexuality and gender identity, death, vampires, and the magickal use of drugs. What’s more, he provides a fascinating analysis of relating ancient Pagan practices to contemporary magickal traditions.

Rating: 5 out of 5 magick wands!

Comments

[Mystere de la Nuit]

I disagree with this review pretty strongly. I bought this book relatively early in my exploration of Paganism and returned it to the store not two days late because I found it completely useless. I thought that Digitalis focused far too much on the aesthetic of the Goth subcultures (which I delve into occasionally, and it was definitely a major part of my life at the time) and far too little on the actual spirituality involved in the lifestyle.

What I've read of his on this site seems to contradict my assessment of this book, but I think that Digitalis' focus and writing ability has likely improved since the book was written. Personally, I would request a rewrite of the book.