Mystical Magic
with
Christine Cunningham Ashworth
New Release - September 4th 2023
Scott Cunningham
The Path Taken
A moving portrait of the iconic figure who led the way in establishing Wicca in North America—with remembrances of his life by his sister, Christine Cunningham Ashworth, and appreciations written by key figures in today’s world of witchcraft, magic, tarot, and astrology.
A Word About The Author
Christine Cunningham Ashworth is the younger sister of author and witchcraft pioneer Scott Cunningham. Since 2017, Christine has become an established part of the cartomancy, witchcraft, and tarot communities. She presents regularly at conferences, primarily discussing her brother and his life’s work. Christine was a headliner at Trees of Avalon in 2019 and again in April 2022, as well as at the Northwest Tarot Symposium in 2020 and 2022, and the inaugural International Divination Event (TIDE) in 2022. She is scheduled to present a workshop about her brother’s life and work at The UK Tarot Conference in 2023 and at StaarCon 2024. For the past three years, Christine has penned the “Stepping Stones” column for The Cartomancer magazine. Christine is a published author, primarily in the romance genre. She lives in southern California.
Christine Cunningham Ashworth
What Readers Are Saying
“When I first read Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, it felt like I was seeing Scott’s heart and soul for the very first time. He writes in a voice I never hear, but it felt like him. It felt like his authentic voice that I was hearing for the first time.”
–Christine Cunningham Ashworth
“You will learn how Scott, writing in the 1970s and 80s, felt he had to live in two closets, both as a gay man and as a witch. Still, he legitimized solitary witchcraft by helping individuals ‘remember’ the natural, everyday practice of magic; he made Wicca, its knowledge, and essential practices, available to everyone.”
Mary K. Greer
author of Women of the Golden Dawn and Archetypal Tarot
“A touching and intimate portrait of one of America’s most important witchcraft pioneers, intensely readable and relatable, Scott Cunningham—The Path Taken is now required reading for anyone interested in Craft history. Thirty years after Cunningham’s untimely passing, this book illustrates why his work is just as popular today as it was during his lifetime.”
Jason Mankey
author of The Horned God of the Witches
Scott Cunningham is a legend in the modern magical community. Everyone who practices has either read, used, or knows the material this one person gifted to the practice of magic. I know his books on the elements and his crystal encyclopedia influenced my personal practice. There are some books that talk about the man behind the magical study. However, none lend the story of his family nor the perspective of someone close to him, his sister.
Christine has done an amazing job in this book. She weaves stories of growing up with Scott and how the connections of living in a family of writers, artists, and curiosity lead him to the path of witchcraft we all know him for. She weaves the love she has for him (and her family), the pain of losing her brother, and the lessons and ways his writings now influence her path into witchcraft.
The extra contributions from noted pagans and metaphysical authors lend a powerful thread to how the Cunninghams influenced their paths and how magical practices of astrology, numerology, crystals, and tarot shed light and cross through the stories Christine tells.
I laughed. I cried. I became part of the family by reading this book. Thank you, Christine, for sharing your stories and your family with us. Your parents and Scott are proud.
Jaymi Elford
author of Tarot Inspired Life: Use the Cards to Enhance Your Life
“This book ought to come with a warning label: ‘Do not open unless your schedule is free for the next several hours.’ It’s a hackneyed old trope to say, ‘I couldn’t put this book down,’ but in the case of Scott Cunningham—The Path Taken, it’s absolutely accurate. Christine’s story is a truly compelling page-turner that reads like the best fiction, but even better, as it’s all true! Whether you are a Scott Cunningham aficionado or are just getting introduced to his legacy in the world of witchcraft, you will be fascinated with this story of his courage, curiosity, and magic, written by one of the people who knew him the best—his sister. Just make sure you are ready to settle in for a nice, long, thoroughly enlightening, and enjoyable read.”
Madame Pamita
author of Magical Tarot, Baba Yaga's Book of Witchcraft, and The Book of Candle Magic
“Christine Cunningham Ashworth’s Scott Cunningham—The Path Taken: Honoring The Life and Legacy of a Wiccan Trailblazer gives us an invaluable peek into the Cunningham family dynamic. Christine lovingly shares details of her childhood growing up in Southern California during the 60’s and 70’s. A magical time. Station wagon-filled road trips and a family’s love of adventure and the outdoors are the backdrop of pivotal moments that shaped their lives. Through memories and conversations, Christine grants us a private insight into the complexity of her older brother, Scott. The Universe whispered sacred secrets to Scott, and we all thank him and love him for sharing this wisdom with us.”
Steve Intermill
director, and Toni Rotonda, owner, of the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick
“Like so many other witches, my first witchcraft books were those written by Scott Cunningham. I still use much of what I learned from him in my own books. He was a huge influence, personally and professionally irreplaceable and unmatched. It has always been a great sorrow to me that I never met Scott, but through this wonderful new biography, I feel as though I finally have. Thank you, Christine Cunningham Ashworth, for sharing him with me and the world. It is a gift beyond measure.”
Deborah Blake
author of The Everyday Witch's Coven and The Eclectic Witch's Book of Shadows.
