Monday, 15 April 2024

Review: A Path Through the Forest - A Druid's Essays

I was delighted when my fellow author Luke Eastwood offered me an advance copy of his latest book: A Path through the Forest, which is officially published later this month.  Luke is a Druid and environmentalist who lives in Ireland. His earlier books are about Druidry, nature, religion and environmentalism, and include The Druid Garden, The Druid's Primer and The Journey

Luke's new book is a collection of his articles and interviews on the same topics and others including the landscape and history of Ireland. Most of the essays were printed in magazines or posted online but some are previously unpublished. Here's the synopsis from publisher Moon Books' website:

"Covering an entire metonic cycle of 19 years (2004-2023) in the life of a druid, this collection covers everything from ethics to gardening with the intention of provoking both thought and action. Of his Druid work the author states: “My job is to push the boundaries of Druidic understanding, to challenge the accepted norms and to question what direction neo-Druidry should be headed in. I am not here to comfort and sooth, but to stimulate and promote wisdom and the evolution of Druidic consciousness."

Luke's essays show his passion for nature spirituality and knowledge about Druidry. By reading his articles I learnt more about his life and how he overcame a struggle with depression through gardening. The span of the writing shows Luke developing his ideas, including how problems from climate change to health and mental wellbeing could be helped if more of us got outside and grew our own vegetables. He also discusses ethics in religion, calling for more honesty, integrity and tolerance whatever path we follow, but also urging us to avoid complacency. A Path through the Forest is thought-provoking reading and has inspired me to plant seeds this spring.

You can view A Path through the Forest on Amazon. (Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers)

Other previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/03/book-extract-druid-garden-by-luke.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2023/10/authors-on-their-own-writing-luke.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/10/book-review-samhain-roots-of-halloween.html

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