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.

.

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.

A Possible Title for Empaths

Browsing through the April 12th edition of Publisher’s Weekly spotlighting on Sci-Fi and Fantasy, I came by a brief review for The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake due out this June by Aimee Bender.

The book is a coming-of-age story of sorts, following our main character, Rose, who is able to “taste the emotions of whoever prepares who food.”

It received a good review and I am thinking it would make a good adult fiction title in the Pagan Library for Empaths.

Pagan Titles of Interest from RUSQ

Just received my copy of the Summer issue of Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ). After browsing through and reading articles of interest, I found a few titles of pagan interest to mention…

Reference Review: Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Medieval World. Ed. by Pam J. Crabtree. Facts On File Library of World History. New York: Facts On File, 2008. 4 vols. (ISBN 9780816069361)

Reviewed by Amanda Sprochi, she reports that the academic and specialist authors wrote “in plain language and is easy to read, and foreign concepts are fully explained.” While there have been several other medieval encyclopedias published in the last decade, this one focuses more on the cultural aspects of the medieval world than the other titles.

The RUSA (Reference & User Services Association) CODES Reading List Council recommends The Veil of Gold by Kim Wilkins for Fantasy Readers and Toby Barlow’s Sharp Teeth for Paranormal-Horror fans. Recommended similar reads for the fantasy genre are:

• The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
• Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
• Forests of the Heart by Charles de Lint.

For horror, readers may like to check out:

• Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
• The Wolfman by Nicholas Pekearo
• Joe Pitt series by Charlie Huston.

The Reference Sources Committee named two titles of pagan interest to their Outstanding Reference Sources list for 2009:

Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales. Ed. Donald Haase. 3 vols. Greenwood, 2008 (ISBN 9780313334412)

Encyclopedia of Taoism. Ed. Fabrizio Pregadio. 2 vols. Routledge, 2008 (ISBN 9780700712007)

Shanleya’s Quest

This is a title one of my home school families brought to my attention and I must post about it here..!

“The rain of time washed minerals and natural chemicals off the landscape into the growing puddles, creating a most peculiar soup. Without heat or light, these puddles would have been nothing more than puddles. But Father Sun’s warmth charged the soup with energy. Like a witch’s cauldron, strange things formed and bubbled to the surface…”

Shanleya’s Quest: A Botany Adventure for Kids Ages 9 to 99 by Thomas J. Elpel reads like a story within a story: at the request of her eager grandchildren, an old woman tells the story of creation that begins with Father Sun and Mother Moon creating the Earth. Time is created and measured by rainfall. Tied into it all is a bit of “Great Tree” mythology.

As the legend of Shanleya unfolds, there is a great tree that grows upward and through the water, some of the branches breaking above the water’s surface creating islands. The young girl asks for Father Sun’s blessings and protection as she sets out on her journey to explore the islands to discover the various names and properties of families of plants.

There are illustrations not only to follow the story, but labeled drawings to help identify each plant family. Children can even refer to the Island Map in the middle of the book. Families of Mint, Parsley, Mustard, Pea, Lily, Grass, Aster, and Fruits and Roses are explored.

For more in-depth learning, this book for children (of all ages) neatly ties into Elpel’s grown-up book, Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification.

This is an incredibly creative and Pagan-Friendly children’s title that is purposeful and excellent resource for teaching little ones about the green and growing world around them. Elpel’s story is an enjoyable and memorable way to teach plant identification and uses. This would be a fantastic family book if you are into herbology, or are a Green- or Cottage witch parent.

Mother Rising – Pagan Baby Showers

First off – a *HUGE* CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS to my dearest friend and sister-heart who has recently (finally!) conceived and found out she was expecting last month. Her cause for joy has sent me to the shelves and sites looking for books about pagan pregnancy.

The first title I was able to get my hands on is Mother Rising: The Blessingway Journey into Motherhood co-authored by Yana Cortlund, Barb Lucke, and Donna Miller Watelet. This is the first time I have ever heard the term Blessingway (after 6 years I still consider myself a ‘new’ pagan, not a ‘know-it-all’ pagan), so discovering another term I could use to refine future searches was a bonus.

In short, a Blessingway is a mother-centered baby shower, and they are much more spiritually focused than materialistic. Blessingways are more structured than they typical baby shower since it is a ritual gathering.

The chapters of Mother Rising are arranged in a way meant to guide the reader through preparation of the Blessingway, as well as assiting them through the actual ritual. Not only does the book provide practical advice to help make the various elements of the Blessingway a success, but there are a multitude of suggestions and ideas to help tailor the event to a desired (in)formality to make it a unique experience centered around the Mother-to-be (as it should be!).

There is a wide selection of activities, recipes, crafts, and chants to choose from to include in ritual. At the end of the book are fantastic additional resources available, including:

• checklists for all activities in one place
• a variety of symbolism associations related to the themes of a Blessingway: Feminine Expressions of the Divine; Animal, Color, Flower/Plant, Herb, Tree, Food, Gem/Stone/Shell, Number, and General Object
• Music recordings
• Magazines
• Organizations
• Supplies
• The booklists and overall Bibliography are impressive and provide a great starting point for further related reading.

There are black and white photographs provided throughout, and I especially like how the participants are depicted: wearing spring-like wreaths on their heads, but dressed in “every-day people” garb. The photos compliment the text and some act as a visual guide for set-up.

Overall this is a fantastic book and worth the purchase.

Deciphering the Cosmic Number

Booklist online just posted a review of this adult dual biography on Carl Jung and Wolfgang Pauli.

Carl Jung is the father and namesake of Jungian theory, the combination of the spiritual and psychological. Pauli was also a scientist, but of physics.

Deciphering the Cosmic Number: The Strange Friendship of Wolfgang Pauli and Carl Jung by Arthur Miller will be released in April.

ISBN: 9780393065329

Click HERE to read the review by Patricia Monaghan

Book Review – Beltane

I received this review by Erin Schmidt for Erin O’Riordan’s book, Beltane. I had this saved as a draft for WAAAAAY too long. But we’re fixing that now.

Apologies & Thank you, Erin!

————————————-

Beltane is a steamy romance featuring twins Allie and Zen. Allie, a Pagan priestess by night who works at a green architecture firm by day, is about to marry the love of her life, lawyer Paul Phillip.

Zen, a free-spirited, fortune-telling witch, is falling for gorgeous Orlando. As the Pagan celebration of Beltane nears, each sister thinks she’s found the perfect romance. But the Goddess moves in mysterious ways, and she may have another fate in store for the twins.

Erin O’Riordan lives in the Midwestern United States with her husband. She has been writing compulsively since she could hold a pencil, and professionally since 2006. Her erotic stories, essays, and film reviews have been published in numerous magazines and websites. Though she has written about everything from professional basketball to her favorite literary sex scenes, the intersection of spirituality and sexuality remains one of her favorite themes.

Readers can view more of her work at www.aeess.com. Beltane, her first novel, will be the first in the twelve-part “Pagan Spirits” series.

eBook Info: Beltane, October 2008, $5.95

65,500 words, ISBN: 978-1-897559-57-4

Paperback Info: Beltane, March 2009, $9.50

ISBN-10: 1897559658

Eternal Press: www.eternalpress.ca/beltane.html
E-mail: ceo@eternalpress.ca

Relatively New Titles

I am SOOOO behind on reading my reviews for ordering books in general, but now with this blog, I have the extra incentive of not only trying to find titles my area families would like to see in the children’s room, but in general, seeing what books I could recommend on here as Pagan-Friendly reading.

First one up is The Elfish Gene: Dungeons, Dragons, and Growing Up Strange by Mark Barrowcliffe. Released in November 2008, it was reviewed in BookList by Ian Chipman as being a “very funny memoir of Dungeons and Dragons; unforgivably dorky but irresistibly fun.” Ok, so why am I mentioning it? Well… I guess because I’m a little bit of a closeted D&D geek… so let’s move on… 🙂

The Tricking of Freya is a new first novel due out for adults in March this year by Christina Sunley. Freya is actually the name of our main mortal-only heroine of the story who comes from a family especially proud of their Icelandic heritage. Freya’s aunt is determined for Freya to memorize all the Norse Sagas, but all does not end well in this endeavor. Reviewer Donna Seaman says “[Freya is] Steeped in the highly symbolic mythology, complex language, and otherworldly landscape of Iceland.” It is ultimately a coming-of-age story and of family.

For kids in junior high (grades 5-8), B. E. Maxwell has written The Faerie Door. This story takes place during the late 1800’s in Victorian England and spans across to 1960’s America, where faerie portals seem to be portrayed as space portals to other places and time as well as the traditional doors to Faerieland. Our adventurers, Victoria and Elliot embark on their quests that will ultimately help to defeat the Shadow Knight. Krista Hutley reveals in her review that while the characters are well done, readers might find the book long and awkwardly put together, and even “There is no real payoff, either” in their confrontation of the Shadow King.

If any of my readers get ahold of any of these titles, I would love to hear your thoughts on your adventures while reading!

YA: Selkie Girl

Review originally published in Booklist, November 15th 2008. Review by Chris Sherman.

Selkie Girl by Laurie Brooks

Although the flowery pink-and-turquoise cover art suggests a sweet, girly mermaid story, Brooks’ brooding, romantic tale of a shape-shifting seal-girl is drawn straight from Celtic Folklore. Her mother is a selkie (a seal/human shape-shifter), her father is human, but Elin Jean belongs nowhere. Her misshapen hands and webbed fingers mark her as a freak in her small island village, and her effots to prevent the annual culling of seal pups enrage local fishermen. Her only defender is another outcast, Tam, the son of a gypsy peddler. But when Elin Jean finds her mother’s seal skin and follows her into the sea, she finds she is a freak in the selkie world, too. Is Elin Jean the girl-seal of selkie prophecy destined to change their world forever? Brooks’ coming-of-age story is full of secrets, teenage angst, fierce longing to belong, dramatic rescues, revenge, and true love. Her tone mimics traditional lore: appropriately dark, moody, and satisfyingly old-fashioned. Suggest this to girls who enjoyed Berlie Doherty’s Daughter of the Sea (1997), a selkie story for younger readers.