Recommended Reading.

• Publishers Weekly, "All Faiths Calendar" (Nov. '05 - Jan. '06)

The sine qua non of any Craft library ... erudite, thoughtful, and clear elucidations of the holy days of Wicca. Readers—from student to Priest/ess—will find their knowledge of the very axis of Witchcraft deepened as well as widened—and will be entertained as well!

• Judith Hawkins-Tillirson, New Leaf Distributing

Many of Mike's articles — including his beloved essays on the Pagan holidays — have by now reached and influenced a worldwide readership.

• Dallas Heltzell, online news editor-producer, The Denver Post

A worthy addition to any pagan’s bookshelf.

• "newWitch" magazine

To say that the works of Mike Nichols are of tremendous value to the modern Pagan movement is somewhat of an understatement. Especially now when it seems that so many Pagan authors are merely repackaging the same old (and often ill thought-out) ideas and concepts of our magic and our practice, Nichols strives to examine the reasons why we do the things we do… and in doing so he often challenges those notions by exposing the shaky foundations upon which they are built. His work is at once both traditional and innovative… the perfect alchemy for a Witch of true power.

• Storm Faerywolf, editor of "Witch Eye" magazine

An excellent collection of essays with a treasure trove of information coupled by the strong backdrop of Mike Nichols' thirty-plus years of involvement in the Midwestern Pagan community. You don't get our living history better than this! Whether you are a new student or a seasoned practitioner, you'll love his personable writing style, the well-researched information, and his bold and interesting theories.

• Silver Ravenwolf, author of "To Ride a Silver Broomstick," "Halloween," and "HedgeWitch"

Mike Nichols is a rare treasure in our emerging Pagan community. His feet are firmly placed on the terra firma of tradition and he holds a wealth of knowledge and lore, while at the same time he embraces our evolution, and the new people who join us, with an open mind and an open heart.

• M. Macha NightMare, author of "Pagan Pride" and coauthor with Starhawk of "The Pagan Book of Living and Dying"

One of the best books on the Wheel of the Year.

• Christopher Penczak, author of "The Living Temple of Witchcraft"

Mike's articles provoke thought, make you consider how and why you do the things you do. Be prepared, however, to have your brain cells exercised.

• Ellen Cannon Reed, creator/author of "The Witches' Tarot" and "The Witches' Qabala"

Much of the material available today on Paganism and Wicca is a disappointment, consisting mostly of unreflective repetition of familiar ideas. Mike Nichols's essays are a refreshing departure from that pattern. Well researched and carefully articulated, they blend sober historical awareness with a deep personal understanding of Pagan practice and sensibility. The sabbat essays should be required reading for anyone pursuing the Pagan path.

• Tom Little, coauthor with Mary K. Greer of "Understanding the Tarot Court"

You couldn't ask for a better explanation of what the holidays are all about.

• Robin Wood, creator of "The Robin Wood Tarot"

A state-of-the-art handbook for practitioners.

• Chas Clifton, editor of "Pomegranate" and Llewellyn's "Witchcraft Today" series

Mike Nichols is one of those unique scholars that has the ability to make historical and advanced information accessible to everyone - and he makes it all great fun to learn. ... Mike really is a legend in his own right. I have met very few pagans that have not enjoyed his articles and benefited from his research. He has had a tremendous influence over the pagan community and has forced a great many of us to think outside the box of what we were taught or read in a book.

• Kristin Madden, author of "Magickal Crafts"

Mike Nichols is not only a longtime and well-respected writer on Pagan subjects, he is also a thinker who induces thinking in his readers. ... He makes these statements with a sweet reasonableness that invites discussion rather than conflict (an unfortunately rare occurrence in Pagan discussion). One gets the feeling that Nichols is not ego-involved in pushing a particular view of the Craft, simply a man deeply in love with it, who is sharing his discoveries with his Craften sisters and brothers. His essays are written in a gently accessible style which can be enjoyed by everyone from the newbie to the seasoned Witch, and which can educate them all.

• Valerie Walker, author of "The Dustbunnies Big Damn Handbook, Volume One"

Mike’s essays are considered the classic historical explanation of the Wiccan wheel of the year... There are quite a few other books available today that examine the Wiccan sabbats. Most of them owe a debt of gratitude to Mike Nichols and his original sabbat essays, which started the journey for so many. The Witches’ Sabbats by Mike Nichols is a must-read for anyone involved in Wicca, and should be on the required-reading list for training covens... The additional materials alone are worth the price of the book.

• Ben Gruagach, author of "The Wiccan Mystic"

If you need a really good resource on the history of the eight sabbats, this is your book! I’ve seen a number of books published in recent years on specific sabbats, but they always seem to be stuffed full of prefabricated rituals. This is a wonderfully streamlined book that will be an excellent addition to both beginning and experienced pagans’ libraries; beginners will get a good overview of the origins of the sabbats, while more experienced folk can breeze past the books of pre-written rituals and use the information in The Witches’ Sabbats as inspiration to create their own rituals from scratch. ... The lengthy bibliography promises many wonderful book hunts, and is additionally a cornucopia of nonfluffy sources. ... The writings are considered classics in the realm of neopaganism, and this is a great way to not only have a convenient, easy-to-navigate, portable version of these writings, but to also give something back to the guy ... who often goes uncredited.

• Lupa, author of "Fang and Fur, Blood and Bone"

Arguably the finest Sabbats writing in the modern Craft today.

• Fritz Jung, The Witches' Voice

Multi-decade, Craft Veteran Mike Nichols's work on the Pagan Holidays is quickly becoming the standard on the subject.

• Wren Walker, The Witches' Voice

Nichols is famous for his writings on the Witches' Sabbats which have recently been collected as a book for the first time. I find Nichols' reminiscences about the early days of American modern Paganism highly enlightening. It shows a very different view of 'Pagan community' than we experience now... This new book should be an excellent tool for those seeking a good understanding of how modern Wiccans conceive their holidays.

• Jason Pitzl-Waters, founder of The Wild Hunt Weblog and columnist, "newWitch" magazine

Unique and well thought out and put together. ... Mike has finally put out a book that covers his original material. He has done an excellent job defining, tracing the history, and giving both the beginner and the experienced pagan a good resource for the Wheel of the Year outside the Internet experience. ... The nice thing is that this material does not run on and one, but does a very effective job in a minimal amount of space ... The book, while focusing on the Sabbats, has some hidden gems. The second part of the book covers other associated material ... This is the mark of a good author, one who has withstood the test of time, and he is now available to those who have never wandered into cyberspace, or touched the magical mouse.

• Boudica, The Wiccan/Pagan Times

His good humor and clear writing style, as well as his solid scholarship, make these articles the benchmarks that many strive to achieve. ... I'm glad to see this resource published so that a new generation of Wiccans can find Mike's excellent work of use in their life.

• Daven, Daven's Journal

The research that Mike Nichols puts into his articles is amazing - the information is compiled from well-known and respected works on folklore and mythology. If you are looking to get a better or fuller understanding of the individual significance of each Sabbat as well as they why and how behind each festival’s celebration, The Witches’ Sabbats is the perfect work to use as reference. ... It’s a wonderful compilation and the articles work well as chapters of a whole book. I personally thoroughly enjoy Mike Nichols' writing style, he ranges from being incredibly informative and detailed to being poeticly fluid in his writing. This is a both a great introductory and reference book, good for both old guard and new witch.

• Pagan Bookworm, Books and Media Reviews for the Magical Masses