Tuesday 3 December 2013

Bad Witch in Print: Essays in Contemporary Paganism

Here's a book I can't actually review, because I'm one of its authors. I'm very proud of being included too.

The book is called Essays in Contemporary Paganismand is due to reach the shops in a couple of weeks or you can order it from Amazon now. It is a collection of essays by pagan authors all over the world, from different traditions and backgrounds. The idea came from Trevor Greenfield, the publisher at Moon Books, back in the spring. Several famous writers, including Emma Restall Orr and Jane Meredith, were already contributing to it when I spoke to Trevor, but he wanted to include a couple of chapters from unknown authors as well. I'm now one of them.

Before I wrote my chapter, Trevor explained what he wanted. He said: "The rules are that it has to relate to contemporary Pagan experience, it can't be fiction or bio/life-story writing."

So, I wrote about what I know - a chapter called A Week in Pagan London. I wanted to show how London is, as I wrote, "a melting pot – or a cauldron – of magical ideas". There are so many pagan events going on in London that pretty much every day of the week, every week of the year, you can find something to do. And that is what I set out to explore. I spent the week around Imbolc this year visiting some of London's most famous pagan sites, moots, open rituals and bookshops.

I hope my chapter will help visitors to London and those who live in the city but are new to paganism find their path. I also hope those who are regular attendees at PF London open rituals, Loose Association of Druid rites on Primrose Hill, talks at Treadwell's and the Moot with No Name will enjoy reading what I wrote about them as much as I enjoyed my visits to their events.

If you like my blog, I hope you will enjoy reading my chapter in Essays in Contemporary Paganism too. Even if you don't, I am sure you will find other chapters that do interest you - from the sacred landscape of Australia, to modern reconstructions of ancient druidry, to ways of parenting a pagan child, to life with King Arthur and his warband, to a look at the future of paganism.

It really does give a fascinating overview of modern paganism from varied perspectives, by pagans themselves. As I say in my chapter, I believe we are at the start of a Golden Age of paganism, but that isn’t just happening in London. It is happening all over England, Europe, America and Australia. And it is growing.

Essays in Contemporary Paganism is published by Moon Books and you can order copes through Amazon.

Links and previous related posts
Essays in Contemporary Paganism
http://www.moon-books.net/books/essays-contemporary-paganism

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