The Gauls were the ancient Celtic people of continental Europe. Deep in the Black Forest, they worshiped Abnoba, the goddess of the wilds. In this book you will learn of the connections that Abnoba has to the forests, rivers, springs and wildlife and explore what we know of the historical record, before looking to similar goddesses. Explore a year of festivals along with tips for building an altar, a discussion of prayers and meditations and a Gaulish dedication ritual. Uncover what Abnoba can bring to your life and the many ways that she can enrich it.
'Great scholarship and personal style blend syncretic in Frigg, a book which staands out as both a homage to the goddess and a guide for those seeking her.' Daniela Simina, author of Where Fairies Meet: Parallels between Irish and Romanian Fairy Traditions The Norse goddess Frigg is known to have influence over many roles. She is a goddess of marriage and children, but she is also a goddess of fate and cunning. Frigg is a goddess of domestic activities, and she is a goddess of healing. She is a goddess of both love and peace. As the Queen of Asgard, Frigg tends to a court of 12 handmaidens, each having their own distinct qualities. This introductory book examines Frigg’s history, functions, relationships, and ways to honor her in our modern times.
Fairy Herbs for Fairy Magic, the first book to cater exclusively to fairy-related herbalism, gathers in one volume more than 40 fairy-specific herbs, and details their uses in fairy magic. Introducing its reader to fairies, their mercurial nature and relationship to people, this book gives insights into the roles and attributes of fairy witches and seers - from olden times to the present day - and also into the role of fairy familiars. As a practical resource, Fairy Herbs for Fairy Magic is complete with ideas for rituals, charms, and spells.
European Paganism provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of ancient pagan religions throughout the European continent. Before there where Christians, the peoples of Europe were pagans. Were they bloodthirsty savages hanging human offerings from trees? Were they happy ecologists, valuing the unpolluted rivers and mountains? In European Paganism Ken Dowden outlines and analyses the diverse aspects of pagan ritual and culture from human sacrifice to pilgrimage lunar festivals and tree worship. It includes: a 'timelines' chart to aid with chronology many quotations from ancient and modern sources translated from the original language where necessary, to make them accessible a comprehensive bibliography and guide to further reading
A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the PEN Open Book Award, and winner of the 2020 Giller Prize, this revelatory story collection honors characters struggling to find their bearings far from home, even as they do the necessary "grunt work of the world." A failed boxer painting nails at the local salon. A woman plucking feathers at a chicken processing plant. A housewife learning English from daytime soap operas. A mother teaching her daughter the art of worm harvesting. In her stunning debut story collection, O. Henry Award winner Souvankham Thammavongsa focuses on characters struggling to make a living, illuminating their hopes, disappointments, love affairs, acts of defiance, and above all their pursuit of a place to belong. In spare, intimate prose charged with emotional power and a sly wit, she paints an indelible portrait of watchful children, wounded men, and restless women caught between cultures, languages, and values. As one of Thammavongsa's characters says, "All we wanted was to live." And in these stories, they do—brightly, ferociously, unforgettably. Unsentimental yet tender, taut and visceral, How to Pronounce Knife announces Souvankham Thammavongsa as one of the most striking voices of her generation. “As the daughter of refugees, I’m able to finally see myself in stories.” —Angela So, Electric Literature
Imagine the forest. As darkness falls, the somber beeches disappear in misty twilight and shadows seem to gather under their branches. Far away, the blackbird's call tells of the coming of the night. The birds cease their singing, silence descends, soon the beasts of the night will make their appearance. Between tangled roots, hidden by nettles and brambles, the earth seems to ripple. A few humps of earth seem to emerge from the ground. They are the last traces of burial mounds, of mounds, which were tall and high 2500 years ago. Many of them have disappeared, hidden by tangled roots of beech and oak, ploughed flat by careless farmers, others again show caved-in tops where grave robbers have looted the central chamber. The locals shun these hills. There are tales that strange fires can be seen glowing on the mounds, and that on spooky nights, great armed warriors arise from their resting places. Then the doors to the deep are thrown open and unwary travelers have to beware of being invited into the halls of the dead and unborn. Here the kings of the deep feast and celebrate, time passes differently and strange treasures may be found. Who knows the nights when the gates are open? Who carries the primrose, the wish-flower, the strange blossom that opens the doors to the hollow hills?
'The experience of reading Daimler's book is rather like being taken firmly by the hand and danced through a whirlwind tour of both historical fairylore and the author's own lived experiences and hard-won gnosis. From academic perspectives and informed theories to pragmatic advice and practical rituals, a desperately-needed guidebook to the realities of working with the Good People, written by one of the foremost modern practitioners at the intersection of witchcraft and the Fairy Faith.' Misha Magdalene, author of Outside the Charmed Circle: Exploring Gender & Sexuality in Magical Practice The human world and the Otherworld have always been intrinsically connected just as the beings within them are, but these connections have been strained in the Western world over the last millennia. Cultural and religious shifts have pushed the Other to the fringes and centred humanity in the world and in many spiritual frameworks. As we move into the 21st century the Othercrowd is pushing back, seeking a return to their place in things. Many witches are feeling this shift. Living Fairy is a look at ways to deepen your practice of fairy witchcraft by actively calling the Good Neighbours back, and connecting to them more experientially. It emphasizes older ways of relating to them within a modern framework, while acknowledging the good and the bad that comes with this work. There is also an emphasis on moving away from solar and lunar holy days into a system focused on the stars, which may be an older way to relate to both the fairies and our spirituality.
