Paganism: An Introduction to Earth- Centered Religions

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 250 pages
• Published by: Llewellyn Publications July 1, 2002
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0738702226
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0738702223
• Book Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.6 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 1 pounds

Reader Reviews
As a veteran Witch who has been practicing for over twenty years, the new arrivals on the metaphysical shelves of the bookstores have been, of late, a disappointment. I find most shelves stocked with book upon book of superstitious claptrap, mechanistic models of magick and cookbook-style spellbooks which lower Neo-Paganism, Wicca and Witchcraft to the lowest common denominator. However, when I picked up this book, I was pleasantly surprised, then delighted, to find that the authors wrote with calm, unemotional prose, with nary a foolishly rhymed spell in sight. Mature, insightful thought is the rule of the day in this book, something that I deeply appreciate, and the authors to go great lengths to anticipate and answer the many "whys" of Neo-Paganism in clear prose that neither talks down to the reader, nor dumbs down the topic. The topics that are covered include discussions of beliefs about Divinity and the nature of Divinity itself, a cosmology that includes the "New Physics", and a discussion of how magick works. All of these topics are covered thoroughly, intelligently, and ethically, with a no-nonsense view towards helping the reader come to their own conclusions on the subject matter. The "Satan" issue is covered with a thoroughness that surprised me, and included information that I have never seen portrayed in a Neo-Pagan work before. My only complaint is that the section on ethics was shorter than it could have been. I am one of those Witches who upsets people at Pagan festivals with my view that we need to talk about ethics at any opportunity and work at creating an ethical system that helps the incoming flux of new Pagans understand the behaviors our community does and does not promote. One of the reasons I am so adamant about ethics is because unlike Christianity, which is the religion most Pagans convert from, Paganism doesn't have a lot of do's and don'ts. That is a good thing, however, people who grew up with a lot of rules are not used to thinking for themselves, and often, simply -don't- think. They often wind up hurting themselves and others and hide behind the belief that they are "doing what they will, and harming none." A bit more discussion on exactly what "harm" means, and how to interpret the Rede more effectively would help people who are used to being told what to do learn to make good decisions themselves. Other than that one minor quibble, I would say that this is one of the least shallow beginner books on Neo-Paganism that I have read, and is certainly a book that I can wholeheartedly recommend to everyone, not just beginners. I hope that it becomes as influential as Starhawk's "The Spiral Dance," because it deserves to be that widely read. Comments (5) | | (Report this)