There are some bad books that just never seem to die, even after being pulled from publication for plagiarism issues. I was at a pagan conference in my state over the weekend at one of the workshops I taught someone asked about the book Faery Wicca (volume 1) by Kisma Stepanich, and I was actually rendered temporarily incoherant. I did recover and explain some of the issues with the book, but as I thought about it later I realized this might be a good time to post a book review of both of the Faery Wicca books here on my blog, since these were originally published in 1996 and 1998 respectively and all the melodrama about them went down so long ago that perhaps many people aren't aware of it anymore.
Faery Wicca Book 1: Theory and Magic: a book of shadows and light. This one was pulled from print years ago but can still be found easily used; however it's not even worth the money to buy used. Her information is so inaccurate it makes me wonder if she read half the sources she lists in her bibliography. She relies on several authors which have been largely discredited, such as Robert Graves ideas about the Celtic tree calendar, or Seamus McManus's archeologically inaccurate idea that the Fomorians were Scythian or the Fir Bolg Greek. Beyond the shaky references, there are the author's rampant self contradictions - in one section she states that Cu Chulainn is Lugh reincarnated then two paragraphs later refers to Lugh coming to Cu Chulainn's aid, without ever explaining how that could be possible if they were the same person. Her information in general, but especially relating to any mythology, is so off it leaves a reader wondering what she is talking about. She inaccurately refers to the Fianna as members of the Tuatha de Danann and says that Badb was the main Celtic war goddess who "contained" three aspects including the Morrigan. She fall sinto the common trap of seeing moon and sun deities everywhere, despite the fact that Celtic deities did not fit a classical mold. Her text is full of Kabbalistic and Biblical references which have no place in the fairy faith, for example she states that Dana is GOD, in the Christian sense of the ulitimate deity that contains both male and female, the source of all, and quotes a Bible passage that she says shows that Macha was a also a biblical goddess/queen. And for someone claiming the title of Ollamh - the highest rank among the Fili, or poets of Ireland - her Irish Gaelic is atrocious. She mangles the language mercilessly (if only because she includes no accent marks), both in spelling and her pronounciation guide reducing it to meaningless gibberish, making it very plain that she does not speak the language at all - it seems to be included for no other reason than to make her book look more "Irish" and authentic, when it is in fact neither. Anyone who reads this at the least needs to be aware that it is not genuinely Irish in any way, and should skip right over any Irish Gaelic included in the text. The information about the gods and faeries is blatantly wrong and often contradictory. In short I would never recommend this book as it only spreads a lot of misinformation. There are much better books on Celtic Wicca, if that is what you are interested in, such as Celtic Wicca: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century by Jane Raeburn, or Lora O'Brien's book Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch
Faery Wicca Book 2: The Shamanic Practices of the Cunning Arts (the Ancient Oral Faery Tradition of Ireland). As with the first book some of her information is simply wrong, such as her assertion that Cu Chulain was a shapeshifter who could take on the form of a wolf, hound, eel or bird, and her confusion of the Daghda with his harp. This occurs in that same section where she states he could take the form of a harp whose playing changed the seasons. In reality it was one of his famed possessions, not himself - in point of fact in one tale it is stolen and he must go with Ogma to reclaim it which would be rather difficult if he and it were one and the same. Those details aside though my biggest issue with this book is that the author takes Christian charms from the Carmina Gadelica, Vol. I & II: Hymns and Incantations (Forgotten Books), alters them slightly to be more appropriate for her "Faery Wicca" by changing references to God and Jesus to Danu, and calls them traditional Faery Wicca charms, without ever citing the real source she is drawing on. Not only is this misleading to people reading the book who are not familiar with the source material, but it is unfair to the source material itself to fail to credit it. Her faery faith is not old or traditional - it is clearly her own invention based off of altering genuine traditional material without ever admitting that is what she is doing. If you want to practice faery faith magic just read the Gadelica for yourself - you can rewrite the charms your own way and know where they came from. The author also falsely says that the term Ollamh means "faery shaman" and was traditionally used to describe those who mastered the faery shamanism she describes, when in reality Ollamh was the term used for the highest ranking poet and translates to "master-poet" or just "master" in modern Irish dictionaries.
Effectively the author has made up her own tradition, which is fine in and of itself, although I don't agree with many aspects of it myself; currently she has new books out using the name Kisma Stepnaich-Reidling and a website called the Irish-American Fairy-Faith. The website also has some serious issues with using common domain, out of copyright, materials without credit to the sources while implying Mrs. Stepanich-Reidling wrote the material. Where the real problem lies with her books and tradition is the way she did it - by plagiarizing from many other sources including RJ Stewart and the Carmina Gadelica, and by asserting her own often contradictory opinions about mythology as if they were facts and generally accepted. The result is that people who read this material will either have a massive amount to unlearn later or will be buying into the lie the author is selling that her tradition is the modern face of the ancient Faery faith.
Some links further discussing the books:
When Is A Celt Not A Celt
Open Letter from Former Student
Discussing the Plagiarism
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Pagan Piety
I'm in the mood for a bit of a rant today, so you've been warned....
There is probably no faster way to start a fight on a pagan discussion board than to bring up the subject of piety in any form. For some reason the topic itself seems to immediately put people on the defensive, as if even discussing it is implicitly judging everyone. If I could have one wish relating to how the pagan community interacts among itself (hey a girl can dream) I think I would wish that each individual would stop judging everyone else based on what works for the individual.
For example if you bring up the topic of devotions on a discussion group, instead of an actual discussion about devotional practices many times it very quickly devolves into more-pagan-than-thou pissing matches. Not everyone sinks to this level, but inevitably someone will comment on how essential frequent devotions are and someone else will react by accusing anyone who does devotional work of having Christian baggage, and then it just becomes a big argument. There doesn't seem to be any respect for the natural variation that occurs within any community; no acknowledgement that with such a personal thing as connection to the gods and spirits what works for one person may be useless for another. And it doesn't seem to matter at all how valuable the practice is for the people who like it, which makes no sense to me. I understand discussing how historically accurate something is or how a practice fits into reconstruction, but the idea of ignoring evidence in support of something and condemning a practice entirely as "unpagan" just because the speaker doesn't like it is ridiculous.
This is also seen a lot when the subject of dedication to a deity comes up. Within the pagan community you'll see the full range, from people who aren't sure the gods exist and only acknowledge them on holy days to those who feel enough of an affinity to a deity to dedicate themselves to that Power. Actually even within the sub-culture of those who have chosen to dedicate there can be a lot of judgment based on each individual's definition of what dedication means. But one way or another it always seems to come back to some people feeling threatened by others who do things differently, as if the other people's different practice is a judgment on the individual's own piety. A heathen who only acknowledges the gods at blot is no more or less "right" than one who is fulltrui with a deity - the relationships are just different ways to connect to deity based on what works for that individual (and of course what the gods want from them). In the same way a CR who does daily devotionals to the deithe and an-deithe is no more or less right than one who doesn't.
None of this is to say that there aren't legitimate issues within the subject of piety that are worth arguing over; however it seems like whenever the subject comes up people lose all perspective and let their own bias take over. The community might judge our actions to decide how well or poorly we fit into the community, but in the end it is the gods and spirits themselves who will decide the value of our efforts.
Piety isn't a competition to see who can get the most god-brownie-points, it's a way to live in right relation with the gods and spirits around us. And, however tribal my overall view of religion is, when you get down to it how we each individually relate to those gods and spirits is unique to each of us. Actions are meaningless if they are being done without the right intention or as empty duty, and not doing what we feel moved to do out of piety because of community judgment also detracts from our connection to deity.
For my own part I think the most important factor is the spirit any action for the gods is done in, because piety, true piety, is the inner motivation that moves us. Although there can be value in pushing through spiritual dry periods by continuing to practice even when we aren't feeling very connected, in general I don't think we should do what we do not feel in our hearts nor should we hesitate to act when we feel called to if we want to build a real connection to Powers outside ourselves. So I will leave you with this quote I stumbled across on patheos.com: "Are you not aware that all offerings whether great or small that are brought to the Gods with piety have equal value, whereas without piety, I will not say hecatombs, but, by the Gods, even the Olympian sacrifice of a thousand oxen is merely empty expenditure and nothing else?"
- Flavius Claudius Julianus the Pious and Philiosopher
There is probably no faster way to start a fight on a pagan discussion board than to bring up the subject of piety in any form. For some reason the topic itself seems to immediately put people on the defensive, as if even discussing it is implicitly judging everyone. If I could have one wish relating to how the pagan community interacts among itself (hey a girl can dream) I think I would wish that each individual would stop judging everyone else based on what works for the individual.
For example if you bring up the topic of devotions on a discussion group, instead of an actual discussion about devotional practices many times it very quickly devolves into more-pagan-than-thou pissing matches. Not everyone sinks to this level, but inevitably someone will comment on how essential frequent devotions are and someone else will react by accusing anyone who does devotional work of having Christian baggage, and then it just becomes a big argument. There doesn't seem to be any respect for the natural variation that occurs within any community; no acknowledgement that with such a personal thing as connection to the gods and spirits what works for one person may be useless for another. And it doesn't seem to matter at all how valuable the practice is for the people who like it, which makes no sense to me. I understand discussing how historically accurate something is or how a practice fits into reconstruction, but the idea of ignoring evidence in support of something and condemning a practice entirely as "unpagan" just because the speaker doesn't like it is ridiculous.
This is also seen a lot when the subject of dedication to a deity comes up. Within the pagan community you'll see the full range, from people who aren't sure the gods exist and only acknowledge them on holy days to those who feel enough of an affinity to a deity to dedicate themselves to that Power. Actually even within the sub-culture of those who have chosen to dedicate there can be a lot of judgment based on each individual's definition of what dedication means. But one way or another it always seems to come back to some people feeling threatened by others who do things differently, as if the other people's different practice is a judgment on the individual's own piety. A heathen who only acknowledges the gods at blot is no more or less "right" than one who is fulltrui with a deity - the relationships are just different ways to connect to deity based on what works for that individual (and of course what the gods want from them). In the same way a CR who does daily devotionals to the deithe and an-deithe is no more or less right than one who doesn't.
None of this is to say that there aren't legitimate issues within the subject of piety that are worth arguing over; however it seems like whenever the subject comes up people lose all perspective and let their own bias take over. The community might judge our actions to decide how well or poorly we fit into the community, but in the end it is the gods and spirits themselves who will decide the value of our efforts.
Piety isn't a competition to see who can get the most god-brownie-points, it's a way to live in right relation with the gods and spirits around us. And, however tribal my overall view of religion is, when you get down to it how we each individually relate to those gods and spirits is unique to each of us. Actions are meaningless if they are being done without the right intention or as empty duty, and not doing what we feel moved to do out of piety because of community judgment also detracts from our connection to deity.
For my own part I think the most important factor is the spirit any action for the gods is done in, because piety, true piety, is the inner motivation that moves us. Although there can be value in pushing through spiritual dry periods by continuing to practice even when we aren't feeling very connected, in general I don't think we should do what we do not feel in our hearts nor should we hesitate to act when we feel called to if we want to build a real connection to Powers outside ourselves. So I will leave you with this quote I stumbled across on patheos.com: "Are you not aware that all offerings whether great or small that are brought to the Gods with piety have equal value, whereas without piety, I will not say hecatombs, but, by the Gods, even the Olympian sacrifice of a thousand oxen is merely empty expenditure and nothing else?"
- Flavius Claudius Julianus the Pious and Philiosopher
Monday, September 12, 2011
Book review - Taking Up the Runes
If you can only afford to buy one rune book I recommend Taking Up the Runes by Diana Paxson. Not only because the author includes a wide variety of valuable information and suggestions, but because she extensively quotes and references many of the other most often recommended rune authors including Aswynn and Gundarsson. Because of this through buying this book you get the advantage of the knowledge contained in the other authors' books as well. This is a wonderful advantage for people on limitied budgets who can't afford to buy all of the indivudal books on their own. Although ultimately I do think getting a variety of different rune books is the best way to go, when that isn't an option, especially starting out, this is th eperfect book for you.
I liked the set up of the book very much, finding it both easy to use and easy to break down into small segments for an effective rune study program. Each chapter featuring two paired runes and including the Icelandic, Norwegian, and Anglo-Saxon rune poems, as well as suggestions for divinatory meanings and magical uses. Reading the original rune poems is wonderfully enlightening and allows the individual to get a feel for what the runes might mean on their own, without the modern filter of current authors' interpretations. I found it very useful to go over the rune poems for each rune and then mediatate on them for a little while and form my own opinions before reading further and seeing what the modern ideas about each rune was. As I said before Paxson includes not only her own ideas but also the highlights of the interpreations for each rune by the other major rune authors which provides a very well-rounded view of the meanings. While the ritual and meditation suggestions might not be to everyone's taste they do serve to illustrate the possibilities, and could easily be tailored to suit the individual. This is not a historical a study of the ancient runes, but rather a modern exploration of the uses of the runes in the world today and it serves that purpose very well. The magical applications are often aimed at very modern needs like car travel, and should be points of interest even to those who don't intend to use the runes magically.
The book was designed based on a series of classes taught by the author and lends itself very well to study groups, particularly those structured (as the author suggests) over a longer period of time. Ideally I would suggest reading it in small segments, either one, or possibly two of the paired runes, at a time so that you could get the most out of each section. Personally I have read it through, used it for a study group, and keep it on hand as a convenient reference. It is generally the first book on runes that I recommend to anyone and the first I go to to check anything.
I liked the set up of the book very much, finding it both easy to use and easy to break down into small segments for an effective rune study program. Each chapter featuring two paired runes and including the Icelandic, Norwegian, and Anglo-Saxon rune poems, as well as suggestions for divinatory meanings and magical uses. Reading the original rune poems is wonderfully enlightening and allows the individual to get a feel for what the runes might mean on their own, without the modern filter of current authors' interpretations. I found it very useful to go over the rune poems for each rune and then mediatate on them for a little while and form my own opinions before reading further and seeing what the modern ideas about each rune was. As I said before Paxson includes not only her own ideas but also the highlights of the interpreations for each rune by the other major rune authors which provides a very well-rounded view of the meanings. While the ritual and meditation suggestions might not be to everyone's taste they do serve to illustrate the possibilities, and could easily be tailored to suit the individual. This is not a historical a study of the ancient runes, but rather a modern exploration of the uses of the runes in the world today and it serves that purpose very well. The magical applications are often aimed at very modern needs like car travel, and should be points of interest even to those who don't intend to use the runes magically.
The book was designed based on a series of classes taught by the author and lends itself very well to study groups, particularly those structured (as the author suggests) over a longer period of time. Ideally I would suggest reading it in small segments, either one, or possibly two of the paired runes, at a time so that you could get the most out of each section. Personally I have read it through, used it for a study group, and keep it on hand as a convenient reference. It is generally the first book on runes that I recommend to anyone and the first I go to to check anything.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Catching up...
So I have been offline now for a while thanks to hurricane Irene. We were very fortunate in that we didn't lose power or water but our phone and internet were out. Being forcibly unplugged was a distinctly odd experience - I didn't realize how much time I had been spending online, both with my college classwork and my random socializing. That is something I do want to address and cut down on...
In the past week and a half I was able to get out into nature and even travel to the local seashore several times. It was refreshing and invigorating to spend time by the ocean and to be outside in nature in general. I had a chance to reconnect with the living world around me and I think that was definitely a good thing; I was also inspired on several fronts and have a couple new projects in mind.
Those who read my last blog before the storm may remember that I was getting ready for pagan pride day here in Connecticut on August 27. Although we did have rain on and off throughout the day it was still a good turnout all things considered and people seemed to have fun. I was able to see many friends there, although only briefly as the day was rather hectic. I also taught two workshops which both seemed to go well, from my end anyway. I taught one on Celtic Magic that ended up focusing mostly on practical Irish and Scottish folk magic and a second that was aimed at more a more advanced audience titled "Rites of Passage". The second class was a look at the practical side of officiating at pagan rites. As usual I cna't wait until next year's PPD.
Now it's time to gear up for the next event I am teaching at CWPN Harvest Gathering where I am doing workshops on Faeries (one of my fave's to teach), Intro to Druidism, and Animal Magic. Then it will be on to a handfasting, speaking at a pagan spiritualist church, and finally the Changing Times, Changing Worlds conference in November. The theme for the conference this year is healing and I am very excited both about my own classes and to get to as many of the others as I can manage before I fall over!
Well, I think that catches everything up to this point - tomorrow I will try to return everyone to the regularly scheduled blog...
Now it's time to gear up for the next event I am teaching at CWPN Harvest Gathering where I am doing workshops on Faeries (one of my fave's to teach), Intro to Druidism, and Animal Magic. Then it will be on to a handfasting, speaking at a pagan spiritualist church, and finally the Changing Times, Changing Worlds conference in November. The theme for the conference this year is healing and I am very excited both about my own classes and to get to as many of the others as I can manage before I fall over!
Well, I think that catches everything up to this point - tomorrow I will try to return everyone to the regularly scheduled blog...
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Hurricane Irene
So I am sitting here preparing to head out to Connecticut's pagan pride day, a great event that I think it's important to support. This year I am teaching a couple workshops at PPD as well as helping out by making posters of four of the neopagan wheel of the year holidays and an intro to Druidism poster. And you can't even imagine how hard it is to try to describe what Druidism is in a single poster, especially in a fair and objective manner, but that can wait for another blog...as I'm sitting here getting ready to head out in the back of my mind I'm thinking about Irene, the hurricane that's headed my way.
We haven't had a hurricane (that amounts to anything) hit here since 1992, I think, with Hurricane Bob. In a practical sense I have bought supplies - water, batteries, non-perishable food - and come up with a Plan. Actually, being me, I have several Plans in a real practical sense of what I can do to keep myself and my family safe. I have done everything magically that I know how to ward and protect my home and strengthen what I already had in place. But still, I keep looking up at the large White Oaks that tower around my house and thinking that it won't hurt to appeal to powers beyond myself to help out here.
This may be one of the few instances were my spiritual worlds collide, because I am making offerings to both sides of the aisle, as it were. I am asking Odin, who I often see as the Storm Rider, and Thor, God of Thunder, to ward the area of my home. I am asking Manannan to let the ocean be gentle here. And, of course, I am asking Macha to ward my home and family because I tend to ask either her or Odin, as the two I am dedicated to, for aid any time things get very serious. This time I don't think it's going to hurt to ask everybody....and of course I am asking the spirits of the land here to work with me in protecting my home and I am calling on my ancestors. My father especially has been very much in my mind with all of this; my whole childhood he used to spend each hurricane season with a dry erase map plotting the courses of each storm...
At this point I feel as prepared as I can be, mundanely and spiritually, for this storm. It makes me wonder though for my other esoteric friends out there in Irene's path - are you doing anything "extra" to preapre for the storm?
We haven't had a hurricane (that amounts to anything) hit here since 1992, I think, with Hurricane Bob. In a practical sense I have bought supplies - water, batteries, non-perishable food - and come up with a Plan. Actually, being me, I have several Plans in a real practical sense of what I can do to keep myself and my family safe. I have done everything magically that I know how to ward and protect my home and strengthen what I already had in place. But still, I keep looking up at the large White Oaks that tower around my house and thinking that it won't hurt to appeal to powers beyond myself to help out here.
This may be one of the few instances were my spiritual worlds collide, because I am making offerings to both sides of the aisle, as it were. I am asking Odin, who I often see as the Storm Rider, and Thor, God of Thunder, to ward the area of my home. I am asking Manannan to let the ocean be gentle here. And, of course, I am asking Macha to ward my home and family because I tend to ask either her or Odin, as the two I am dedicated to, for aid any time things get very serious. This time I don't think it's going to hurt to ask everybody....and of course I am asking the spirits of the land here to work with me in protecting my home and I am calling on my ancestors. My father especially has been very much in my mind with all of this; my whole childhood he used to spend each hurricane season with a dry erase map plotting the courses of each storm...
At this point I feel as prepared as I can be, mundanely and spiritually, for this storm. It makes me wonder though for my other esoteric friends out there in Irene's path - are you doing anything "extra" to preapre for the storm?
Monday, August 22, 2011
Book review - The 21 Lessons of Merlin
I've decided to dedicate Monday's blog to book reviews. These will be fairly short and to the point, and try to focus on books relating to CR Paganism, Druidism, and Heathenry.
To start, here is a basic book review of the (notorious) 21 Lessons of Merlin by Douglas Monroe:
21 Lessons is allegedly based on the secret teachings of Merlin, as revealed through the Welsh Book of Pheryllt; however this is nothing but a ploy to draw the reader in - the Book of Pheryllt is a well known forgery and there aren't any existing "ancient" lessons of Merlin. Rather the author seems to use these claims to set up his own authenticity as a teacher of true ancient Druidry while actually inventing a system almost whole cloth. I say almost because the author does include at least one "ancient" chant stolen from the 1981 movie Excalibur; anyone familiar with the movie should recognize it right away.
I found this book was not worth reading as well because it was poorly researched and is full of historical inaccuracies and anachronisms. There is little to no actual Celtic mythology or material in the book at all, which is clearly a problem. Monroe at various points asserts that the ancient Druids were vegetarians and that Easter was a Druidic festival to the Goddess Ishtar, neither of which is either true or even possible. He mentions pumpkins as if they were a native European plant when they aren't and also talks about using pumpkin flowers at Samhain, long after the plant has stopped flowering. Worse than all of that though is Monroe's deep-seated misogyny which is displayed throughout the book. For example in 21 Lessons the Druids are divided by gender based on the theory that men generate magical power but women can only gain it by taking it from a man, something that not only makes no sense but goes against basic Celtic cosmology which says that all beings have their own power and which tends to see women as specifically holding the keys to sovereignty and the power of the land.
It may well have spiritual value for some people - as does The Mists of Avalon, another Arthurian novel - but it loses credibility with me for trying to pass itself off as nonfiction. The argument put forth by some supporters of the book that anyone who criticizes it is not enlightened enough to truly understand it is typical of books that can't back up what they claim - since there is no "ancient" document or tradition of Merlin's lessons, which are entirely the author's invention, the only possible defense is to denigrate the spirituality of the books detractors. It might have been alright as an Arthurian novel except for the fact that by passing itself of as legitimate "ancient Druid" teachings I feel that it is actually hurting modern Druidry and Celtic spirituality by misleading people who are new to the spirituality. This book, in fact, has little to do with any actual ancient Druidry and even less to do with modern Druidry, and is worth reading only as a poorly written novel.
If you like Arthurian fiction I'd recommend the The Mists of Avalon series and for studies on ancient Druidry try Hutton's the The Druids or his Blood and Mistletoe or Markale's The Druids: Celtic Priests of Nature. For modern Druidry Brendan Meyers' Mysteries of Druidry, Bonewit's Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism or Carr-Gomm's Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century would be a good start.
To start, here is a basic book review of the (notorious) 21 Lessons of Merlin by Douglas Monroe:
21 Lessons is allegedly based on the secret teachings of Merlin, as revealed through the Welsh Book of Pheryllt; however this is nothing but a ploy to draw the reader in - the Book of Pheryllt is a well known forgery and there aren't any existing "ancient" lessons of Merlin. Rather the author seems to use these claims to set up his own authenticity as a teacher of true ancient Druidry while actually inventing a system almost whole cloth. I say almost because the author does include at least one "ancient" chant stolen from the 1981 movie Excalibur; anyone familiar with the movie should recognize it right away.
I found this book was not worth reading as well because it was poorly researched and is full of historical inaccuracies and anachronisms. There is little to no actual Celtic mythology or material in the book at all, which is clearly a problem. Monroe at various points asserts that the ancient Druids were vegetarians and that Easter was a Druidic festival to the Goddess Ishtar, neither of which is either true or even possible. He mentions pumpkins as if they were a native European plant when they aren't and also talks about using pumpkin flowers at Samhain, long after the plant has stopped flowering. Worse than all of that though is Monroe's deep-seated misogyny which is displayed throughout the book. For example in 21 Lessons the Druids are divided by gender based on the theory that men generate magical power but women can only gain it by taking it from a man, something that not only makes no sense but goes against basic Celtic cosmology which says that all beings have their own power and which tends to see women as specifically holding the keys to sovereignty and the power of the land.
It may well have spiritual value for some people - as does The Mists of Avalon, another Arthurian novel - but it loses credibility with me for trying to pass itself off as nonfiction. The argument put forth by some supporters of the book that anyone who criticizes it is not enlightened enough to truly understand it is typical of books that can't back up what they claim - since there is no "ancient" document or tradition of Merlin's lessons, which are entirely the author's invention, the only possible defense is to denigrate the spirituality of the books detractors. It might have been alright as an Arthurian novel except for the fact that by passing itself of as legitimate "ancient Druid" teachings I feel that it is actually hurting modern Druidry and Celtic spirituality by misleading people who are new to the spirituality. This book, in fact, has little to do with any actual ancient Druidry and even less to do with modern Druidry, and is worth reading only as a poorly written novel.
If you like Arthurian fiction I'd recommend the The Mists of Avalon series and for studies on ancient Druidry try Hutton's the The Druids or his Blood and Mistletoe or Markale's The Druids: Celtic Priests of Nature. For modern Druidry Brendan Meyers' Mysteries of Druidry, Bonewit's Bonewits's Essential Guide to Druidism or Carr-Gomm's Druid Mysteries: Ancient Wisdom for the 21st Century would be a good start.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Leaping off the edge...
I'm taking a break from the more spiritual discussion topics and going personal today.
I've always been a very self-sufficient person. I pretty much took care of myself from about age 12 on, and I knew that if I didn't no one else would, at least not consistently. I had what you might call a difficult childhood that way, but it made me a strong person. I moved out of my parents house when I was 18 and was married by 19, working 3 part time jobs and handling all the messy details of life like finances and groceries - because you know the old joke about drummers right? (What do you call a drummer that breaks up with his girlfriend? Homeless.) I started babysitting for pay at 12 and had my first "real" job at 16, and in my adult life I have rarely worked less than 2 jobs at once, even after having children. I've always been the one who did what needed to be done...
Yesterday I quit my job, gave up my nice weekly paycheck, and I'm kind of terrified about that. I worry about what will happen, how we will manage. Although I will be picking up what I can doing tarot, rune, and assorted card readings, teaching esoteric classes, and helping out at my friend's store this is the first time since I was 16 I haven't had a set income. So, why did I do it?
I took a leap of faith, with every logical ounce of my being screaming the whole way. I did it because my youngest daughter, who is 3 years old, has several chronic health problems and it has gotten to the point where doing what I need to for her and giving my job a 100% was impossible. And when it comes down to it no matter how scary this is for me, no matter how much I worry about what will come tomorrow, I promised myself when she was a baby that I would do whatever I could to make her life one that is defined by possibilities and not limitations. I made a choice to put what I feel is best for her in front of the security that has been the focus of much of my life so far, because I love my children more than I love my own desire for security. Did I do the right thing? I don't know. It will mean changes for the entire family and that certainly brings up the very Star Trek debate of whether the good of the one should outweigh the good of the many. But in my heart I feel I made the right choice and now I can only have faith that somehow it will all work out, even though it goes against my nature to step blindly over that precipice.
I'm usually the one with the map, backpack full of supplies for every possible eventuality, compass, and 12 emergency back-up plans....but not anymore. Now I am leaping into the unknown. And we shall have to wait and see what happens.
I've always been a very self-sufficient person. I pretty much took care of myself from about age 12 on, and I knew that if I didn't no one else would, at least not consistently. I had what you might call a difficult childhood that way, but it made me a strong person. I moved out of my parents house when I was 18 and was married by 19, working 3 part time jobs and handling all the messy details of life like finances and groceries - because you know the old joke about drummers right? (What do you call a drummer that breaks up with his girlfriend? Homeless.) I started babysitting for pay at 12 and had my first "real" job at 16, and in my adult life I have rarely worked less than 2 jobs at once, even after having children. I've always been the one who did what needed to be done...
Yesterday I quit my job, gave up my nice weekly paycheck, and I'm kind of terrified about that. I worry about what will happen, how we will manage. Although I will be picking up what I can doing tarot, rune, and assorted card readings, teaching esoteric classes, and helping out at my friend's store this is the first time since I was 16 I haven't had a set income. So, why did I do it?
I took a leap of faith, with every logical ounce of my being screaming the whole way. I did it because my youngest daughter, who is 3 years old, has several chronic health problems and it has gotten to the point where doing what I need to for her and giving my job a 100% was impossible. And when it comes down to it no matter how scary this is for me, no matter how much I worry about what will come tomorrow, I promised myself when she was a baby that I would do whatever I could to make her life one that is defined by possibilities and not limitations. I made a choice to put what I feel is best for her in front of the security that has been the focus of much of my life so far, because I love my children more than I love my own desire for security. Did I do the right thing? I don't know. It will mean changes for the entire family and that certainly brings up the very Star Trek debate of whether the good of the one should outweigh the good of the many. But in my heart I feel I made the right choice and now I can only have faith that somehow it will all work out, even though it goes against my nature to step blindly over that precipice.
I'm usually the one with the map, backpack full of supplies for every possible eventuality, compass, and 12 emergency back-up plans....but not anymore. Now I am leaping into the unknown. And we shall have to wait and see what happens.
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