Pagan Portals: Australian Druidry works as a supplement to the study of Druidry and other nature-based spiritual paths as practiced in Australia. The seasons, animals, plants and ancestral histories of the land in Australia are quite different from those of the Celtic lands where Druidry originates. Julie Brett discusses the difficulties of following a nature-based tradition in an environment wildly different from Druidism's place of origin, and offers practical information on how to adapt the practice of Druidry to suit the energy of the land and respect its spirits and ancestors.
Pagan Portals - Brigid is a basic introduction to the Goddess Brigid focusing on her history and myth as well as her modern devotion and worship. Primarily looking at the Irish Goddess but including a discussion of her Pan-Celtic appearances, particularly in Scotland. Her different appearances in mythology are discussed along with the conflation of the pagan Goddess with Catholic saint. Modern methods for neopagans to connect to and honor this popular Goddess include offerings and meditation, and personal anecdotes from the author's experiences are included as well. Who was Brigid to the pre-Christian pagans? Who is she today to neopagans? How do we re-weave the threads of the old pagan Goddess and the new? Learn about Brigid's myths among the pagan Irish, the stories of Bride in Scotland, and the way that people today are finding and honoring this powerful and important deity to find the answer.
MAIDEN, MOTHER, CRONE presents the Trinity as ancient symbols of the Goddess, predating Christianity by thousands of years. The book explores longstanding myths and symbols, illuminating ancient, universal human challenges that still exist today. Together with in-depth explanations of goddess archetypes and their relevance to 20th century living, this book will lead you to a state of conscious awareness that can change your life.
Are you ready to explore Wicca Down Under? To walk gently and explore the unique landscape around you? Whether you are a beginner or an advanced practitioner, A Wiccan's Walk In Oz will further your connection and individual journey. Living in the Southern Hemisphere as a Wiccan can certainly be confusing. Combined, Caithe Cameron and Rebecca Major have walked the Wiccan walk for over seventy years as Solitary Practitioners. Using their experience and research, they have created a collection to guide and develop your commitment and dedication to the Wiccan walk. Learn about Sacred Space, Circle Casting, Deities, Energetic Realms, Indigenous Australian Pantheons and the magick of Australian animals and plants. You will discover: What is Wicca and it's history? Writing your own rede. How do I design a ritual? Quarters? Directions? Energies? Help! Preparation, tools and protection. Sabbats and Esbats for the Southern Hemisphere. Moon Magick. With the inclusion of correspondences, activities and sample ceremonies, you will be inspired to explore your magickal abilities and enhance your ritual workings. Caithe Cameron and Rebecca Major are Solitary Practitioners of Wicca. With their respective families, they live in South-East Queensland. This compilation evolved from numerous workshops, discussions and podcasts. In perfect love and perfect trust. Blessed be.
There are eight seasonal festivals (referred to as sabbats) that make up the ""Wheel of the Year"". ""Dancing the Sacred Wheel"" draws on the author's own personal experience of following a traditional Pagan spiritual path and creating ritual over 20 years in southern Australia. Combining traditional Pagan lore with history in order to develop a relationship with her local environment, the author also offers invaluable pointers as to how to incorporate the localised elements into something that also provides a ?traditional? feel. ""Dancing the Sacred Wheel"" not only provides an in-depth look the folklore and myth associated with each sabbat, but also discusses ways of creating specific rituals and observances that acknowledge each seasonal ?gateway? when the local environment is reflecting something completely different. ""Dancing the Sacred Wheel"" challenges the reader, regardless of which hemisphere they reside, to draw inspiration from their environment, and to create their own unique Wheel of the Year.
The most comprehensive study available of neo-pagan religious movements in North America and Europe. Modern Paganism in World Cultures collects the work of specialists in religion, folklore, and related fields to provide a comprehensive treatment of the movement to reestablish pre-Christian religions. Detailed accounts of the belief systems and rituals of each religion, along with analysis of the cultural, social, and political factors fueling the return to ancestral religious practice, make this a rich, singular resource. Scandinavian Asatru, Latvian Dievturi, American Wicca—long-dormant religions are taking on new life as people seek connection with their heritage and look for more satisfying approaches to the pressures of postmodernism. The Neopagan movement is a small but growing influence in Western culture. This book provides a map to these resurgent religions and an examination of the origins of the Neopagan movement.
The classic guide to living a spiritual life rooted in Celtic antiquity and revived to meet the challenges of contemporary life. Druidry offers people a path of harmony through reconnection with the green Earth. The Druidry Handbook is the first hands-on manual of traditional British druid practice that explores the Sun Path of seasonal celebration, the Moon Path of meditation, and the Earth Path of living in harmony with nature as tools for crafting an Earth-honoring life here and now. From ritual and meditation to nature awareness and ecological action, John Michael Greer opens the door to a spirituality rooted in the living Earth. Featuring a mix of philosophy, rituals, spiritual practice, and lifestyle issues, The Druidry Handbook is an essential guide for those seriously interested in practicing a traditional form of druidry. It offers equal value to eclectics and solitary practitioners eager to incorporate more Earth-based spirituality into their own belief system.
From Jewish to Christian, Mormon and Pagan, women's sacred circles are sprouting up everywhere, in astonishing variety providing a haven where essential female values can be discussed and embraced.This much-needed guide celebrates the rich diversity of women's spiritual lives and offers practical, step-by-step advice for those who want to create and sustain a spirituality group of their own. Sacred Circle shows us how we can use a group to explore our relationship to the sacred, and honor the divine in everyday life. The authors, drawing from their own group experiences as well as those of many diverse groups around the country, share the model they've developed, while offering wise advise on how and why groups work. They propose circle basics, such as listening without an agenda and rotating leadership, and also offer reflections on the power of personal storytelling and thoughts on reclaiming and reinventing ritual. Women longing for a powerful and supportive feminine community in which to thrive spiritually will find vital wisdom here.
A comprehensive overview, by period and region, of the archaeology of ritual and religion. The coverage is global, and extends from the earliest prehistory to modern times. Written by over sixty renowned specialists, the Handbook presents the very best in current scholarship, and will also stimulate further research.
Paganism is held to be the fastest growing 'religion' in Britain today. Pagan identities and constructions of sacredness contest assumptions of a 'closed' past and untouchable heritage, within a socio-politics in which prehistoric archaeology - the stone circles, burial cairns, and rock art of the British Isles - is itself subject to political and economic threats. Pagans see prehistoric monuments in a living, enchanted landscape of deities, ancestors, spirits, 'wights, ' and other non-human agencies to be engaged with for personal and community empowerment. From all areas of Britain and indeed worldwide, people come to sacred sites of prehistory to make pilgrimages, befriend places, give offerings, act as unofficial 'site guardians, ' and campaign for 'site welfare.' Summer solstice access at Stonehenge attracts tens of thousands of celebrants. Threats of quarrying near Derbyshire's Nine Ladies stone circle or Yorkshire's Thornborough Henges lead to protests and campaigns for the preservation of sacred landscapes and conservation of plant and animal species. Pagans can be seen as allies to the interests of heritage management, yet instances of site damage and recent claims for the reburial of non-Christian human remains disrupt the preservation ethos of those who manage and study these sites, and the large-scale celebrations at Stonehenge and Avebury are subject to continual negotiation. In this book, an anthropologist and archaeologist examine interfaces between paganism and archaeology, considering the emergence of 'sacred sites' in pagan and heritage discourse and the implications of pagan involvement for heritage management, archaeology, and anthropology.
