Sabin, Thea 1967-

PERSONAL:

Born 1967; married. Education: Holds a master's degree. Hobbies and other interests: Organic gardening and Hong Kong gangster movies.

CAREER:

Writer, editor, journalist, and columnist.

WRITINGS:

Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice, Llewellyn Publications (Woodbury, MN), 2006.

Former author of newspaper astrology column.

SIDELIGHTS:

Thea Sabin is a writer, editor, and practicing Wiccan. She was trained in a British traditional path of Wicca, and she and her husband are heads of a coven, or group of practicing Wiccans, based in that same tradition, noted a biographer on the Llewellyn Publications Web site. In her first book, Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice, Sabin offers a thorough introduction to the concepts, physical and spiritual elements, and actual practice of the ancient religion of Wicca. She covers in detail the history and development of Wicca, and explains how personal will, character, and ethics are more important to Wiccan practice than external, physical trappings and objects. She looks at the uses of spells and spiritual tools and describes in depth the various aspects and elements of Wicca. Sabin is also careful to explain what Wicca is not, and she offers clarifications intended to counter the often negative images that many people have of Wicca and its practitioners. She makes it clear that Wicca is not evil; it is not devil worship; and it is not intended to cause harm in any way. Instead, she relates the positive, meditative aspects of the religion and emphasizes its gentleness, respect for Earth and others, and its benign but mystical nature. Sabin offers information such as the meaning and timing of the eight sabbats; the deities that influence Wicca; the numerous Wiccan sects and their practices; and the reliance on self-discovery and empowerment. Library Journal reviewer Janet Tapper called Sabin's book "a practical and cohesive look at the earth-centered religion of Wicca." A Publishers Weekly contributor named it a "first-rate, fresh and thorough addition to the burgeoning field of earth-based spiritual practice volumes."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

California Bookwatch, June, 2006, review of Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice.

Library Journal, February 15, 2006, Janet Tapper, review of Wicca for Beginners, p. 135.

Publishers Weekly, February 13, 2006, review of Wicca for Beginners, p. 85.

ONLINE

Llewellyn Publications Web site,http://www.llewellyn.com/ (December 10, 2006), biography of Thea Sabin.