Modern Paganism Book Review: Drawing Down the Moon

 NOTE:  This book review is not in its final form.  It will undergo several revisions before it's "submission" worthy. 

     Drawing Down the Moon was the first book I ever read on Paganism in 2004 and I’ve read it three more times in the intervening nine years.  I came away from each reading with an entirely new perspective than the one I had started with, and I chalk that up to not only my growth as a person, but the  trajectory my own journey has taken as I’ve spent the past several years searching for a place under that big Pagan umbrella to call home.    

     Ms. Adler begins with an overview of Paganism, how different Pagans come to walk their particular path, and how they personalize the definition to fit their experiences and worldview:

`“Like most Neo-pagans, I never converted in the accepted sense—I never

adopted any new beliefs.  I simply accepted, reaffirmed, and extended a very

old experience.  I allowed certain kinds of feelings and ways of being back

into my life.”  Margot Adler

      It makes sense that Ms. Adler spends a hefty portion of the book detailing the rise of the Wiccan Revival in the United States since Wicca/Witchcraft had become so widely visible and popular and remains so even to this day.  It opened the door so that other Pagan religions could flourish and share some of that same spotlight.  I was happy to be reminded that people in the 1970’s were beginning to take a great deal of the previous scholarly research with a grain of salt…this certainly isn’t a recent phenomena.    That some of this shaky research wasn’t discarded as wishful thinking back then but instead dragged along for the ride through the past four decades, certainly gives us a great deal of extra baggage to sort through. 

      One of the biggest complaints from more modern readers is that the book is outdated—first published in 1979 with updated revisions in 1986 and again in 1997.  So many groups and publications mentioned have long ago disappeared from the Pagan radar—but that doesn’t mean their existence didn’t leave a trace—an echo that reverberates even in today’s Pagan culture.  However, if we claim to be so invested in learning more about what our ancestors believed and how they practiced centuries ago, why would we even consider dismissing our most recent histories?  All of it is relevant to who we are today.   History involves events from 400 hundred years ago, 50 years ago, even last week.  It’s how traditions are born, grow, and evolve.  It helps us discern what to take with us as we move forward, and what we need to leave behind.  

          This book provides a snapshot of a particular moment in time and was never meant to be a “how to” manual.  It provides us with the rare opportunity to experience Paganism in its infancy--a time that must have been brimming over with excitement, experimentation, and creativity.  The book DOES NOT require another update—it would totally change the tone and spirit of the original.  If anything, I would love to see Margot Adler publish Drawing  Down the Moon:  Volume II.  It would be a great companion to the original. 

      My only real complaint is the excessive time devoted to the Church of All Worlds and not enough to other religions.  I admit that I found myself zoning out during this lengthy chapter.  Perhaps I’m biased, but ADF certainly warranted many more pages to telling its story than what was afforded them, especially since it was included in the revised editions.  I believe ADF would be worthy of an entire chapter this time around.  

     

Word Count:  592

   

Third High Day Recap: Imbolc 2014

NOTE:  This essay is not in its final form.  It will undergo several revisions before it is  "submission" worthy. 

       For quite some time, I’ve been troubled by the fact that performing ritual has been an awkward and unnatural experience for me.   I’ve participated in group ritual before, and can easily commit the entire script to memory so I won't be encumbered by flipping pages or losing my place..  I admit—I’m not the world’s most inspiring orator, but I know that can be improved with time and practice.  So I began to wonder:  Do my problems stem from the fact that the gods are as unimpressed with it all as I am?  That the distance that has developed between us, whether real or imagined, is due to my hazy intentions and distracted heart?  

        

      I approached this year's Imbolc celebration with simplicity and few expectations.  It started earlier in the day when I took a long walk in my woods and visited the site I have chosen to build my sacred grove come spring.  I collected enough freshly fallen snow that once melted, would be placed in a small blue glass jar to be blessed by Brighid.   The sense of anticipation built as I wrapped myself up in the multi-colored ritual shawl I had knit for myself with all the skeins of yarn leftover from the many blankets, shawls, and scarves I had crafted as holiday gifts for family and friends.   

     I performed the ritual just minutes before midnight on February 1^st, and it was the first time that I had ever felt truly inspired and became physically aware that I was in the presence of the Kindred.   I can’t express the experience in words, but I just felt different.  

            I’m a solitary ADF member and perform my rituals alone.  It was quiet in my room, except for the soft snores and sighs from my dogs who were sound asleep and oblivious to the proceedings.  I lit the candles and poured an offering of goat’s milk to Brighid.  The words I spoke, although familiar to those I have recited in the past, finally found their true voice and I was filled with an empowering sense of love and gratitude.

            When the ritual was complete, I brought my shawl outside where it would hang beneath the cold, star strewn winter sky to be blessed by Brighid when she passed by sometime during the night.  The jars of melted snow and goats milk were placed in my window sill.  The candle I lit in Brighid’s honor, and whose flame I will tend to until it is extinguished at the Spring Equinox, was left to burn all night.

        
      

OMENS DRAWN:  Questions asked:  Do you have any wisdom to share and is there anything you require of me?

Shining Ones:  Ruis-Elder: Transition

Ancestors:  Muin-Vine:  Introspection

Land Spirits:  Ur-Heather:  Dreams, Feelings

Brighid- Deity of the Occasion:  Or-Spinille:  Creativity

(Word Count:  550)

Third High Day Explanation: Imbolc 2014

A tradition I began at Imbolc a few years ago, was to make a list of “Sacred Intentions.”  This is my version of New Year resolutions, but composed long after the guilt-induced  hangover of the holiday season has passed.  Imbolc is approximately the

half-way point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, and it feels like the perfect time to start shedding the heavy layers I have accumulated over the course of the season.  Having been locked in by below freezing temperatures since December 5th, it's hard to remain optimistic that spring will ever come, but I keep the faith by designing my garden expansions, ordering vegetable and herb seeds, and envisioning what my sacred grove will look like when it is no longer buried beneath several feet of snow.