Christine Wicker is an award winning journalist, during her 17 years at The Dallas Morning News, she was a feature writer, columnist and religion reporter. Not in Kansas Anymore is her fourth book, and it is fascinating.

According to Wicker, communities of wiccans, witches and pagans are the fastest growing religious group in America. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are turning towards the supernatural in new ways. As an established investigative journalist, Wicker is well qualified to make such an observation, her fascination with this current movement in society is explained in the following excerpt.

‘In twenty years of reporting the actions of human beings, probing their reasons for acting oddly, and watching the effects of their behaviour, I’ve become convinced that when a good number of people start to do something that makes no sense to society at large, when they cling to it for a long time and increasing numbers of people take it up, they are on to something. Usually it’s something that’s percolating through the subconscious.’

Wicker begins her search in Salem, Massachusetts, three thousand witches at least are said to live in this area which calls itself the (Good) Witch Capital of the World. Invited to a Vampire and Victims Ball, her account of the evening, written in a tight punchy fashion, is both revealing and hilarious.

Humour flows throughout the book and gives some relief when the darker side of the Occult and some of its practises are explained. Some readers may shy away from this dark sort of knowledge but Wicker’s art steps in with perfect timing. She inserts humour just as you begin to shudder.

Wicker’s search for both light magic and dark magic brings her into contact with the weird and the wonderful. Tracy Devine is a sanguine (blood sucking vampire) and a vegetarian, does she only ‘suck’ fellow veggies I ponder. Another, a pretty dark woman with wings that span 40 feet, is taking part in an energy giving circle. She repeatedly apologises as her wings keep brushing against the other members of the circle.

Not in Kansas Anymore is full of anecdotes and titbits of historical information. Aleister Crowley is mentioned for his dark side, many people are still followers (which is puzzling). The founder of modern Wicca in the 40’s, Gerald Gardner had strong sadomasochistic interests. There are many examples of how everyday folk use light over dark, with success. The idea of a young US soldier who chants towards a pagan god of war paints a vivid picture of how we are reaching back in time to powers that have sustained the human imagination for thousands of years.

Anyone interested in Witchcraft, Wiccans, Pagans, The Occult, Voodoo or even Hoodoo will enjoy this read. A ‘meaty’ bibliography is included in the closing pages of the book.

Not in Kansas Anymore: A Curious Tale of How Magic Is Transforming America, by Christine Wicker. Amazon UK, Amazon USA.

Publisher: Harper San Francisco (Oct 2005)
Publisher website www.harpercollins.com/
Author website www.christinewicker.com/

ISBN-10: 0060726784
ISBN-13: 978-0060726782

Hardcover: 288 pages