Qabalah, Wicca, and Appropriation

A few days ago, I announced the title and cover for my first book, "Qabalah for Wiccans," which is coming out from Llewellyn in December of 2021. The title generated quite a lot of controversy, and many people voiced concerns about cultural appropriation, feeling that it was disrespectful and inappropriate for me, a non-Jewish white man, to write a book purporting to teach Qabalah to other (largely non-Jewish) people. I wanted to take a few minutes to talk through the complicated history of Qabalah in Western occultism, its roots in medieval violence against European Jewish populations, and its influence on Wicca--and how these things affected my decision to write this book. This is a complex issue and it deserves a great deal of nuance; the long and short of it is that occult Qabalah undeniably has its roots in anti-Semitic violence, but it's also a deeply ingrained part of modern occultism and a strong influence on the Wicca that many people practice today. I think modern Wiccans have a responsibility to acknowledge that influence and its troubled history, to wrestle with how best to practice our Craft in light of that history, and to look for the most respectful way possible to take on the legacy of occult Qabalah. Starting a conversation about those things is part of why I wrote this book. Not everyone will see things my way, and that's perfectly understandable. I do hope you'll give my book a chance, though. Follow my Tarot blog: https://jackofwandstarot.wordpress.com/ Find me on Twitter:   / jack_of_wands   And on Facebook:   / jackofwands