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New Reviews - October/November 2003
Previous
Reviews
From
Kathryn Lanier: I have been studying several earth
traditions in the last three years and when I asked
myself how to introduce this issue's column, I realized
I could not put into words what I believed an Earth
tradition to be. After much Pooh-like think, think,
thinking, I decided to simply write the book reviews
first and hope that something would brilliantly pop
into my mind. And POP it did! The elements that all
Earth traditions have in common cross-culturally is
rhythm, play, and service. All of the authors that I
have had the privilege of reading and reviewing for
this issue's column remind us to listen for the pulse,
to engage seriously in playful spiritual questing, and
to allow ourselves to be shown our true gifts to be
offered to each other and Mother Earth. Dance, Sing,
Give! |
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Finding
New Goddesses: Reclaiming Playfulness in Our Spiritual
Lives
by Barbara Ardinger
Illustrated by Kara-Anne Fraser, 2003
ECW Press, Toronto, Ontario
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| When was the last time
you remembered to include playfulness in your spells
and rituals? Did you remember that your dancing was
a gift from and to the Goddess? Barbara Ardinger has
risen above what she refers to as the high-seriousness
of dogma and ritual insistence to remind us to be aware
of the spontaneous, Found goddesses of our time with
humor and a big belly laugh. Some of my favorites include
Auntie Gravity - An Antic Cronish Goddess, Libida Loca
- Goddess of Teenagers, and Kickapoo - Goddess of Professional
Wrestling! Ardinger has taken our modern lives and Found
goddesses to clear our path and to remind us of the
pleasures along the way. Fraser has bestowed style,
humor, and pop into the cover artwork and internal illustrations.
What an awesome combination of talent to lighten our
hearts!
Other Reviews
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Sacred
Beat: From the Heart of the Drum Circle
by Patricia Telesco and
Don Two Eagles Waterhawk, 2003
Red Wheel/Weiser, York Beach, ME
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"Throw down
your 'have to be's' and 'cannots'...and lift up your
drum. Play your heart's desire. Drum and dance into
your place," Star Fire. Finally a primer for
those of us who always wanted to know about drumming
but were afraid to ask! Telesco and Waterhawk cover
the art of drumming across cultures and timelines and
apply this knowledge to contemporary needs. When my
son was young, he needed one of those "heartbeat"
bunnies in his crib to relax and go to sleep. Drumming
reaches out to the soul in the same way. As a pulse,
as a heartbeat, as a universal rhythm. I love this little
book because it offers not only history but also personal
drum selection, the responsibilities of the clans in
a drum circle, and how to offer healing to yourself
and others.
Other Reviews
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Soulcraft
by Bill Plotkin, 2003
New World Library, Novato, CA
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From the first word
of the Prologue, you will find yourself unable to put
this book down. You want to know what Bill Plotkin knows
and how he can guide you to the same inner knowledge.
Soulcraft is a guidebook to the initiation of
mature, spiritual adults - adults who recognize that
much of Western culture's standards are non-sustainable
and that there is a way to make a difference
individually and as a community. Plotkin explains that
soul loss can be identified as the many distractions
that people engage in to "muffle the cry of their
souls. Often these distractions become our addictions...all
of which contribute further to the deterioration of
the world." Plotkin offers this book as a tool
to your personal vision quest and ultimately to your
initiation as caring, responsible adults aware of your
personal call to serve others and Mother Earth. Plotkin
has been leading wilderness vision quests for over twenty
years and refers to himself as a "psychologist
gone wild."
Other Reviews
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The
Forest of Souls: A Walk Through the Tarot
by Rachel Pollack, 2002
Llewellyn Pub., St. Paul, MN |
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Just when I thought
the undisputed authority on the Tarot could not come
up with anything else for me to learn, she teaches me
how to find the questions rather than the answers! In
The Forest of Souls, Pollack stridently reminds
us not to continue seeking for the one true origin of
the game but to learn to play the game. Pollack teaches
us to engage in seriously playful seeking by discovering
the questions that the cards pose rather than memorizing
lists and spreads. I consider this book to be the next
step on the ladder to understanding for those who have
come to a certain level of competence in studying and
reading the Tarot. The Tarot has always been about possibilities,
never about a static future with no choices. Pollack
guides us through the forest of questions as we write
our answers on the way to discovering our souls' true
service.
Other Reviews
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Maiden
Magick: A Teen's Guide to Goddess Wisdom and Ritual
by C.C. Brondwin
New Page Pub.: Franklin Lakes, NJ, 2003 |
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How refreshing to read
a Pagan book aimed at teenagers that does not focus
on spellwork, "how to be popular" or get a
boyfriend, or anything like that. This book speaks directly
to young teen women and reconnects them with the pure
stream of Goddess energy, and also - very important
- with the ancestral generations of magickal, Goddess-oriented
women who have come before them. The author calls these
guiding ancestors "Clan mothers," and focuses
on those coming from the Celtic lines. The book contains
simple and beautiful rituals designed to enhance a young
woman's self-esteem and sense of personal power. This
is crucial, because so many young women lack self-esteem
and fall prey to peer pressure and marketing materials
that encourage them to think of themselves as lacking
or in some way flawed. For example, Brondwin says that
"to fully walk the Goddess path you must honestly
acknowledge and accept...that you have major worth and
value in this world." She also gives nine other
precepts, such as the importance of honoring the environment,
acquiring education, and acting ethically. I strongly
encourage all Pagan families to acquire a copy of this
book. Truth to tell, there are some gold nuggets in
it for us grownups, too. Two small quibbles: some of
her historical information about the Celts is not accurate;
and there is one part where her language strongly implies
that joining a Wicca group at any stage in life could
actually be a diversion from the Goddess path. As a
Priestess of a vibrant Wiccan church and coven, I find
this highly dismaying and hope that in future editions,
she moderates her language to be more friendly to those
of us who carry a community torch instead of a solitary
torch. (Review by Douglas and Anna Helvie)
Other Reviews
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The
Magic Formula: It Works!
by Michael J. Roads
SilverRoads Publishing: Cleveland, OH, 2003 |
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A confession: when I
initially received this book for review, I set it aside;
a glance told me me it dealt not with magic as Wiccans
normally think of it, and as a Priestess I focus on
Wicca books. But something told me to thumb through
it anyway. I am so glad I did! This book is "allegorical
fiction," a rare treat in the metaphysical world.
The author teaches spiritual truths through the plot
devices and characters. Interestingly, this technique-little
used these days-actually harkens back to the bardic
traditions and healing stories of many, many Native
and Ancestral traditions, not to mention the parable
traditions of Jesus and other masters. The book starts
off with a group of young men who agree to meet once
every ten years. As the decades roll by, they watch
as some die, some fail to fulfill their potential, and
some reach a placid state of contentment. When they
meet in their late 40s, they are tense; the full weight
of a lifetime of compromises bears upon them. Then they
meet a person named Deliverance, who takes them in hand
and teaches them some truths about their true, inner
magnificence. Some of you probably already know the
kind of Truths that Deliverance teaches them...and I
urge you to read the book anyway. It hit me straight
in my solar plexus (which needed it). That's the power
of a Healing Story; it works on you even when you know
already what the point is; it works better than just
straight, unvarnished prose. I encourage you to read
this book, especially if you are middle-aged and pondering
the meaning and direction of your life. (Review by
Douglas and Anna Helvie)
Other Reviews
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About
the Reviewers:
Kathryn Lanier lives in Colorado with her eight
year old twins. She is a freelance writer/editor/reviewer
educated at UNC-CH and the College of Charleston. Kathryn
is published internationally, designed and is teaching
In-Vision! Seminar for personal empowerment,
and writes and edits for international clients. Please
address inquiries regarding writing, editing, and seminar
services to TheWritingArts@aol.com.
Douglas Helvie is Lord High Priest,
founder, and minister of the Eternal Harvest Tradition
of Wicca in New Bern and a professional psychic and
Runemaster. Anna Helvie is Priestess and minister
with the Eternal Harvest; professionally, she practices
astrology and teaches Traditional Usui Reiki.
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