Authors Added

Thank you to my contributors! Did a little bit of updating (long overdue) and the following authors have been added to the Pagan Authors list:

• Kit Berry
• Rae Beth
• PK Brent
• Paul Burley
• Laura DeLuca
• Sally Dubats
• Sir James George Frazer
• Jennifer Hunter
• Caitlin Matthews
• John Matthews
• Poppy Palin
• Jane Sibley
• Rob Young

Author Add: Sirona Knight

Pagan author Sirona Knight has been added to the Pagan Authors page along with several links including her website and several online interviews. A bibliography of her works can be found at the first link which will take you to her entry in Wikipedia.

NEW: Survey

At long last! If you identify with a pagan belief system and have a library in your community, please take a moment to complete this questionnaire about how you as a Pagan Patron have used your local library.

SURVEY: Pagans Using the Library

A link to this survey has also been added to the website’s left side-bar.

This is a annotated version of the complete questionnaire originating from my graduate research proposal. In the future I will be looking to make the full survey available online which will include questions about the survey takers demographic background and general library use. This annotated version is limited to a quota of 1,000 individuals.

Please spread the word about this survey to other Pagans!

If you have any additional feedback or testimonials after completing the questionnaire, please do not hesitate to contact me at:

pagan.librarian [at] gmail.com

Whitmore’s “Trials” takes on Hutton’s “Triumph”

A new book is raising quite a stir of discussion about author/historian credibility, sources used and critiques within Pagan Academic circles. Written by Ben Whitmore, Trials of the Moon: Reopening the Case for Historical Witchcraft is an examination of the esteemed Ronald Hutton’s own Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft.

Regardless of whichever book you read or side with, the exercise of Whitmore’s book is warmly welcomed. Though there’s no question in my mind Hutton has done more than his fair share of research, Whitmore’s book will remind us not to take anything from any author as a discussion or debate end-all. Why? Because research and history are still entities that can be (uniquely) interpreted in any number of ways.

Max Dashu on her blog Veleda (http://www.sourcememory.net/veleda) has reviewed Whitmore’s book. Her review, titled “Reopening the Case for Historical Witchcraft” is well-worth the read, as are both Trials and Triumph.

Review: I’m Spiritual, Dammit!

Title: I’m Spiritual, Dammit!

Author: Jenniffer Weigel

ISBN: 978-1-57174-634-4

Pub Date: 2010

Format: Trade Paperback, 194 pgs

Rating (Out of 5):

Disclaimer: Book was provided for free by Red Wheel/Weiser Books for unpaid review. As the author of this review, I declare I am not agent or employee of Red Wheel/Weiser Books or any other publishing house or wholesale distributor.

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I’ll admit: one of the reasons I was interested in this book was because of the title.

Nonfiction by virtue of being a memoir or sharing of memories, Jenniffer Weigel’s I’m Spiritual, Dammit! is a light conversational read. Weigel’s tone sets up her reader to feel as though they are sitting with an good friend over a cup of coffee (or tea) and exchanging stories of “Omigod, am I going crazy?!” and reassuring each other, through reason, that no, you aren’t.

Weigel shares her spiritual experiences from everyday life, as well as the experiences of others that have confided in her, relieved to have found someone who won’t think they’re crazy. Weigel occasionally reflects how groups in society – primarily religious groups – will try to push down, discredit or demonize these occurrences that are often labeled as strange, odd, paranormal, metaphysical, what-have-you.

Reader’s won’t get very far into the book before realizing that all you need to “keep your feet on the ground and your head in the stars” is a reasonable dose of realistic skepticism mixed with a healthy sense of humor. Spiritual experiences should be opportunities to help keep us moving forward, not hold us back.

You also don’t need to be a religious person –church-going or head-in-the-clouds bat-s**t crazy– to have “spiritual” experiences. They can happen to anyone and everyone, regardless of age, race, gender, creed, culture, or career. Most of the times they’re quiet, but they are always unique and made to be meaningful to the intended individuals to get their attention.

I enjoyed reading the anecdotes and admit I’ve had a few “laugh out loud” moments and have even shared a few excerpts with friends of mine (in particular, when her young son was still learning to distinguish consonants and pronunciations in his speech). Each story is presented with a “life lesson” in mind that reminds readers on the spiritual path to not take things personally, don’t take yourself too seriously, be open, and no, you’re not really that crazy.

I’m Spiritual, Dammit! is a comfortable read that is just as enjoyable to pick up and read a chapter or two from here or there as it is to read cover-to-cover. I think this would be a good book for several types of people:

• Persons who pride themselves on being realistic and get easily spooked or irked by words like paranormal, medium, ghosts, and any talk about feeling connections to those who’ve gone on before us.
• The secular who are wondering if this life is all there is, but may be a little afraid to ask.
• People who need a little reassurance after having a non-ignoreable experience and are afraid they may be losing it.
• Persons like Weigel and I who have had plenty of odd, non-ignoreable spiritual experiences ourselves and as down-to-earth, everyday people, find it nice to sit down with a cup of coffee and story swap with a friend.

eBook Announcement: Contemporary Druidry

Just received an announcement that this title is available to purchase for a variety of eReaders, including the Kindle, Sony Reader, or Nook; and can also be downloaded through Smashwords and Diesel eBook Store.  A trade paper back version of the title is still in negotiation.

Title: Contemporary Druidry: A Historical and Ethnographic Study
Author: Michael T. Cooper
ISBN: 978-1-4524-7132-7
View Sample at Google Books
Price: $10.99

The following is a review from Dr. Michael York, professor (retired) of sociology of religion at Bath Spa University College and author of Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion (New York University Press, 2003).\

“Michael T. Cooper’s Contemporary Druidry: A Historical and Ethnographic Study is a profoundly sensitive account of a pagan identity from an Evangelical Christian researcher. The work amounts to an interfaith breakthrough. Not only a sympathetic and enlightening understanding of Druidry itself, but Cooper also manages to open the possibilities of intellectual and empathetic exchange between a pagan position and a Christian one. Comfortably grounded with a balance of sociological tools and understandings, Cooper’s remarkably human and informative narrative holds appeal to the insider as well as outsider, to the generally curious as well as those with specific interest. . . . In all, this intelligently and well-written study of the Celtic Druid faith is one to be highly recommended.”

You can read more at the Sacred Tribes Journal.

Book Announcement: Emerging Goddess

This one is a bit late, but still worth posting.

The Emerging Goddess
Photos by Paul Bleiden
Poetry by Madrline Sharples
Introduction by Wendy Griffin
Hardcover, 93 pages, 11.25″ x 8.75″

From the back cover:

“The theme of the book is the joy of life and the awakening of the soul, the untapped potential of women, and the untapped awareness of women to their power.

“The goddesses among us have a long history dating back to the beginning of time.

“Here inserted among these images is the basis for THE EMERGING GODDESS. A premise that the Goddesses among us are destined to rule and to provide wisdom to the world. We hope that the images and poetry provide the impetus for you to grow, to be nurtured by your innate wisdom, and enable you to take control of your destiny.”

Order information can be found here. This page also provides a Flash page-turning preview of the book.

Book Announcement: Contesting Human Remains

Talk about timely! After articles started springing up about museums removing, hiding or partially covering human remains in their collections such as mummies for fear of offending certain spiritual minority groups (Pagans), this gem emerged.

Contesting Human Remains in Museum Collections
The Crisis of Cultural Authority
By Tiffany Jenkins

ISBN: 978-0-415-87960-6
Publish Date: October 21st 2010
Publisher: Routledge
Pages: 174 pages

Contents include:

Introduction
1.Transforming Concerns about Human Remains into an Issue
2. Scientists Contest Repatriation
3.The Crisis of Cultural Authority
4.The Rise and Impact of Pagan Claims-Makers
5. Explaining Why Human Remains Are the Problem
6. Covering Up the Mummies.
Concluding Thoughts

More information, including a more in-depth description and purchase info, can be found here.

Constructive Criticism: Witches Wit

There was a big calling out recently involving a brewery that made a very tasty beer, but with a tasteless label. Lost Abbey’s latest brew, “Witches Wit” depicted a woman burning at the stake. As you can imagine, this was quite offensive to today’s Witches. And understandably.

If you don’t see what the problem is, let’s put it this way: I don’t think anyone would get away today with using images depicting an African American being lynched, or people being herded into trains or gas chambers.

You see my point?

There are much, much better ways to market a product than calling up very disturbing, wrong and shameful pieces of history.

As such, Lost Abbey has apologized and is holding a contest for a new label.

Included is a well-done video that provides a brief history lesson for the rest of us.

Book Announcement: Buffy in the Classroom

Admittedly not hard-core Pagan, but of some interest… at least interest-ing.

Buffy in the Classroom
Essays on Teaching with the Vampire Slayer
Edited by Jodie A. Kreider and Meghan K. Winchell

ISBN 978-0-7864-5964-3
notes, bibliographies, index
231pp. softcover (7 x 10) 2010

From Amazon.com:

SYNOPSIS: This book combines the academic and practical aspects of teaching by exploring the ways in whichBuffy the Vampire Slayer is taught, internationally, through both interdisciplinary and discipline-based approaches. Essays describe how Buffy can be used to explain–and encourage further discussion of–television’s narrative complexity, archetypal characters, morality, feminism, identity, ethics, non-verbal communication, film production, media and culture, censorship, and Shakespeare, among other topics.

AUTHOR: Jodie A. Kreider is an academic historian and lecturer in arts, humanities and social sciences at the University of Denver. Her work has been published in the North American Journal of Welsh Studies. Meghan K. Winchell is an associate professor of history at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska.