Church and School of Wicca published a book titled "The Witch's Bible", which generated outrage within the Wiccan community. Many critics referred to it as a "Witchcrap book". Many of the central teachings featured in the book—such as its emphasis on the existence of an asexual monotheistic deity—were at total odds with mainstream Wiccan belief. Many Wiccans were angered at the word "The" as it appeared in the title, presupposing that it carried some form of authority within the Wiccan community. Its comments on race and sex also caused controversy. The Church of Wicca defines Wicca as a monotheistic religion. Gavin expressed the view that
Wicca Wiccans do not claim to know how magic works, merely believing that it does because they have observed it to be so. Some spell it "magick", a variation coined by the influential occultist Aleister Crowley, though this spelling is more commonly associated with Crowley's religion of Thelema than with Wicca. During ritual practices, which are often staged in a sacred circle, Wiccans cast spells or "workings" intended to bring about real changes in the physical world. Common Wiccan spells include those used for healing, for protection, fertility, or to banish negative influences. Many early Wiccans, such as Alex Sanders, Sybil