A Circle of Stones – Erynn Rowan Laurie

December 24, 2006 at 3:09 pm (Celtic spirituality and studies, Paleopagan Cultures)

A Circle of Stones: Journeys and Meditations for Modern Celts
Erynn Rowan Laurie
Eschaton, 1995
112 pages

I read this book in a day–but it was anything but a shallow read!

This is excellent Celtic spirituality from a Celtic reconstructionist. If you’re tried of fluffy texts on “Celtic Wicca”, this is the book you need.

Erynn explains how to create and use a devotional circle of beads tied closely to Celtic cosmology, derived from her research on original myth and lore. She devotes a couple of pages to each step of the journey, explaining their origins and how to connect with them in everyday life.

The rest of the book discusses her thoughts and suggestions on honoring the Celtic deities and spirits. It’s quite thorough, and rather than spoonfeeding you, she instead gives you the tools to create your own sacred space.

Erynn’s scholarship is solid, and she is careful to explain that this is the best approximation of Celtic religion that she, in this day and age and with the resources available, could create, instead of taking a bunch of filler and presenting it as the real thing. In addition, she also mentions when certain facets come from a specific group of Celts, such as those on the European continent rather than Ireland. And she does her own translations from Gaelic to English, which I find pretty impressive.

This book is a fine example of a solid scholarly foundation put to practical and spiritual use, even more than a decade after its initial publication. I can hardly wait for Erynn’s book on ogam, due out in 2007!

Five pawprints out of five.

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Ancient Rites and Ceremonies – Grace A. Murray

December 22, 2006 at 2:54 pm (Anthropology, Books I Didn't Care Much For, Paleopagan Cultures)

Ancient Rites and Ceremonies
Grace A. Murray
Senate, 1996
256 pages

I dearly hope that no one ever actually uses this book as a serious source of anything but examples of Anglo-centric anthropology. I originally picked it up in the hopes that it would be a treatise on religious rites of various cultures. Instead, what I got was a book full of horribly condescending discussion of a number of cultures’ practices, few of them religious in nature. There’s a definite tabloid feel to the whole thing, given that the author focused largely on such scandalous topics as cannibalism and foreign sexual practices.

This book was written in 1929, and it’s a perfect example of WASPish prejudice presented as scholarship. Everyone from South Africans to Scandinavians are thoroughly stereotyped and judged against the standards of the writer (who I assume was British). I did get occasional glimpses at her attempts to make the place of women a little more proud, explaining that in certain socieities where women did most of the work, they were exceptionally important.

After the first few pages I read this primarily for the entertainment value. Thankfully, while we’re far from ridding academia of prejudice, things aren’t nearly so blatant as this, and much better sources are available. There is some good information here and there, but it’s so wrapped up in crap and Western bias that as a whole it’s not worth buying it unless you find it at a seriously reduced price.

One and a half pawprints out of five.

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Art and Society in Roman Britain – Jennifer Laing

December 21, 2006 at 10:35 pm (Anthropology, Artwork, Paleopagan Cultures)

Art and Society in Roman Britain
Jennifer Laing
Alan Sutton Publishing, 1998
188 pages

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The author took what could have been really dry material and made it absolutely captivating!

She describes how the Roman occupation of Britain affected the artwork of the region, from the height of the Roman Empire to its decline. Not much is discussed of pre-Roman art except how its influences survived the Romans, but the blending is still there.

Laing shows how the Roman and Celtic styles were uniquely combined according to area and type of artwork. Some, such as mosaics and murals, are almost purely Roman, while items like brooches and other metalwork retain a strong Celtic undertone. Once the Roman grip loosened somewhat, we get to read about how the recession of the Romans and the combination of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon tribal styles affect the local artwork. It also shows how some of what is often stereotyped as purely Celtic is, in actuality, hybridized.

The text is wonderfully easy to read, yet very evocative of the items that are being described. The text is beautifully illustrated with photos and drawings.

This would be an excellent choice for anyone interested in how art reflects societal changes, or Roman or Celtic art and culture.

Five pawprints out of five.

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The Once Unknown Familiar – Timothy Roderick

December 21, 2006 at 10:29 pm (Animal Magic, Psychology)

The Once Unknown Familiar: Shamanic Paths to Unleash Your Animal Powers
Timothy Roderick
Llewellyn Publications, 1994
218 pages

This is a wonderful break from the usual totem animal dictionary. It’s a heavily psychological viewpoint of physical and spiritual animal familiars, with a lot of emphasis on the inner animal. The guided meditations and the questions are worth the price of the book alone. It’s a wonderful pathworking tool, and I really enjoyed the trip.

And, miracle of miracles, not only was I blessed by a bibliography, but in-text citations!

I do have a few gripes. Roderick uses Margaret Murray’s now-debunked research, and he also tries to compare witchcraft and shamanism a little more closely than is really necessary.

There’s also a lot of filler in this book–it seems like he was really trying hard to break the 200 pages mark. Each question has a sizable chunk of blank space with it so you can write in those spaces instead of, say, a piece of paper. The chapters are divided by three to four blank, picture, or title pages. And the animal totem dictionaries and other listings of information are rather brief and seem more like an afterthought.

These don’t detract from the book too much. But the pathworking material, the exercises and meditations, are so good, and the rest of it just seems kind of thrown in there for the page count. I’d love to see a rewrite of the book based on the actual magical ideas, and less cliched, formulaic material–let’s see what can reaplce 50 pages or so of filler.

Four pawprints out of five.

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Totemism – Jean-Claude Levi-Strauss

December 21, 2006 at 10:23 pm (Animal Magic, Anthropology)

Totemism
Jean-Claude Levi-Strauss
Beacon Press, 1971

This was a vital source for the totemism chapter for my own book on animal magic. It’s a classic anthropological text on the subject as pertains to indigenous cultures around the globe.

Strauss spends much of the time explaining and exploring the various theories about totemism that developed in the first half of the 20th century. The book first came out in 1962, and it’s interesting to trace the deveopment of social anthropology through contemporary quotes.

The information itself is quite solid, and makes for good source material for traditional totemism. It’s not the easiest read in the world, and it comes across as very much an academic text. However, it’s well worth slogging through the lingo (if you aren’t already familiar) and the translation is excellent.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in totemism from any angle, particularly pagans who may yearn for more academic looks at totemism.

Five pawprints out of five.

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Cloisters Bestiary – Metropolitan Museum of Art

December 21, 2006 at 10:16 pm (Animal Magic, Mythology)

Cloisters Bestiary
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1960
60 pages

A rare find in a used bookstore, this is an assemblage of lore from medieval bestiaries,the collections of quaint and often fantastic natural histories of animals ranging from stags and wolves to unicorns and dragons.

“A Cloisters Bestiary” draws primarily from T.H. White’s “Book of Beasts” which itself combined material from a number of medieval texts. It is illustrated with photographs of contemporary sculptures, illuminated scripts and other artwork contemporary to the bestiaries, including some fine details from the Unicorn Tapestries.

It’s a quick read–60 pages, mostly pictures, more meant as an example than heavy reading material. Still, it captures the spirit of the medieval bestiary very nicely, and is good for a reference of that particular literary niche. The animal magician will find it useful as an example of where certain beliefs, particularly about mythical beasts, were derived.

Four pawprints out of five.

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The Chicken Qabalah – Lon Milo DuQuette

December 21, 2006 at 3:25 pm (Qabalah)

The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford: Dilettante’s Guide to What You Do and Do Not Need to Know to Become a Qabalist
Lon Milo DuQuette
Weiser Books, 2001
233 pages

Let me start by saying that this is the first book that was able to effectively explain the Qabalah to me. I tried Fortune’s basic book, and the language just threw me off enough that I got nothing out of it. Thanks to the dear old Rabbi, I’m in much better shape.

The basics of the Qabalah/Kaballah/Cabala/Quwwwabbballlooooraaahhh are explained in plain terms that it would be well-nigh impossible to misunderstand. Sure, the writing is easy to read, but there’s definitely solid information within it.

And the humor is priceless. I will now never forget that the Hebrew letter Lamed looks like “a snake that has swallowed a brick and is now having second thoughts”.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn the Qabalah, even if it’s just basic understanding as in my case. And with that, I say…

Hell yes! I’m a chicken Qabalist!

Five chicken scratches out of five.

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The Personal Totem Pole – Eligio Stephen Gallegos

December 21, 2006 at 3:16 pm (Animal Magic, Meditation, Psychology)

The Personal Totem Pole: Animal Imagery, the Chakras and Psychotherapy
Eligio Stephen Gallegos
Moon Bear Press, 1990
183 pages

If I had to pick one book as the most important one in my Top Ten Most Underappreciated Books on Animal Magic list, this would be it.

The author had, prior to this book, no real experience with animal imagery, though he had some experience with meditation technique and the like. He discovered totemic animals associated with each of his seven primary chakras quite by chance, and created a wonderful system of it. The book deals not only with how to find these totems, but also how to interact with them and supports his findings with anecdotes from patients.

The real value here is that A) he acknowledges that these totems have independent existences rather than simply personifying the energies of the chakras, and B) describes pathworking that involves holding councils with the animals. Additionally, he notes that the animals evolve as the patient grows.

Be aware that this isn’t some spoonfeeding text. He doesn’t actually give a how-to, step-by-step procedure. However, it’s pretty apparent to anyone with any magical experience whatsoever what it is he’s describing in the text; both my husband and I were able to independently figure it out without any problem. If you’re looking for a totemism 101 book, check out some of the other reviews I have in the Animal Magic category on the left sidebar for suggestions. Then come back and get this book!

I have used this book to good effect, and I highly, highly, highly recommend it for pathworking. I’ve also used it as a source in my first book, and sincerely hope that the pagan and magical community recognizes “The Personal Totem Pole” for the true gem that it is.

Five pathworking pawprints out of five.

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Animal Spirits – Nicholas J. Saunders

December 21, 2006 at 3:01 pm (Animal Magic, Mythology)

Animal Spirits: An Illustrated Guide
Nicholas J. Saunders
Little Brown and Co., 1995
256 pages

Here’s another book that ended up on my Top Ten Most Underappreciated Books on Animal Magic list.

It’s not aimed specifically at pagans; rather, it’s a more general audience text on the symbolism and folklore surrounding various animals from around the world. While a lot of the information is historical rather than modern, it’s still rather easy to translate it into practical usage.

The text itself is easy to read without being fluffy, and is punctuated well with a variety of lovely full color pictures. The material is preossionally presented and well-organized.

I’d really recommend this as a more high-quality totem dictionary of sorts; while it doesn’t have the same formulaic feel, it’s good basic information on both wild and domestic animals that animal magicians may find useful in their studies. It’s a part of the “Living Wisdom” series, and there are several other books in this series I’m looking forward to reading.

Five pawprints out of five.

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Familiars – Anna Franklin

December 21, 2006 at 2:55 pm (Animal Magic)

Familiars: Animal Powers of Britain
Anna Franklin
Capall Bann, 2001
400 pages

This is an exploration of familiars (the British term for totems/power animals). Franklin weaves in a variety of mythology–mostly British and Irish Celtic, but a bit of other areas as well–and includes biological information, superstitions, totemic info, and for some, guided meditations. Each section is very thorough.

She also has a wonderful writing style, very easy to read, and she has a good variety of animals that are particularly relevant to the U.K. There’s a good variety, and it’s apparent that Franklin has really enjoyed this area of study and practice.

I do have a few complaints. Occasionally she repeats herself, which gets old after a while. The book not only has no citations, but completely lacks a bibliography! That takes it down a few points in my opinion, because how are readers supposed to know where she gets information that isn’t her own? And where can newbies find more reading material?

Still, overall, I’m keeping my copy, and using it as a reference guide for my totemism classes.

Three and three quarters pawprints out of five.

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