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Asteroid Goddesses:
The Mythology, Psychology
and Astrology of the Re-emerging
Feminine
Although I studied astrology thirty-five years ago, I retain little of all I learned and am, therefore, not the best person to review this technical book on the influences of asteroids in the natal chart. Nevertheless, Asteroid Goddesses is an interesting book. I initially found the language of the introduction, which seemed to imply the emerging feminine consciousness is due to the discovery of the major asteroids, a bit off-putting but once I got past that the remainder of the book was pretty well what one would expect from an astrology book. Asteroid Goddesses contains detailed sections on the four Goddesses for whom the four major asteroids are named: Ceres, Pallas-Athena, Vesta, and Juno. The section on each of these asteroid Goddesses includes the mythological, archetypal/psychological, and astrological aspects of their influence in detail. The minor asteroids are briefly outlined and the remainder of the book is an ephemeris of sixteen asteroids for the years 1930-2050. I think an astrologer who wished to include the asteroids in their work would find this volume useful.
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Faery Healing:
The Lore, Legends
and Legacy
By Margie McArthur
ISBN: 0971837759
Tira Brandon-Evans, Reviewer
I had the pleasure of reading this book prior to publication and heartily endorsed it. Faery Healing is, quite simply, a seminal work on this little known aspect of Celtic spiritual tradition. There are scores of books about Celtic moon calendars, divination, and modern versions of Druidry and Celtic Shamanism, but I know of no other work devoted to the actual lore, legends and legacy of the Faery Doctors, some of whom are said to still practice their craft in the west of Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland.
What are Faery Doctors? They are the 'medicine women/men' of the Irish, Welsh, Manx, Scots and Britains. Faery Doctors are the last remaining indigenous healers of the Celtic speaking peoples of Europe and the Isles.
Faery Healing is not merely a review of the past; it is also a handbook, a reference and workbook. I believe, in years to come, Margie McArthur's Faery Healing will be regarded as the standard reference on traditional Celtic healing. Anyone who feels called to learn and practice the arts of Faery Healing must own this book.
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Hamlet's Mill: An Essay
Investigating the Origins
of Human Knowledge &
Its Transmission Through
Myth
By Giorgio De Santillana
& Hertha Von Dechend
ISBN: 0879232153
Tira Brandon-Evans, Reviewer
First published in 1969, Hamlet's Mill is a monumental work of comparative mythology, which proposes the theory that the origins of all myth are based in the ancients' observations of the precession of the equinoxes. Due to the motion of Earth in relation to the stars the pole star and the constellations of the zodiac change over time. This change takes thousands of years and is hardly perceptible except during those centuries when it becomes obvious to the careful observer that the sun is rising closer and closer to the border or cusp of two constellations rather than squarely within one.
This heavenly event was viewed by our ancestors as an unmaking of the universe, according to De Santillana and Von Dechend. On the day when the sun at the spring equinox rose in the following constellation the old universe was destroyed and a new one created. De Santillana and Von Dechend have assembled and correlated myths and legends from the world over in this densely written and elegantly reasoned book.
Hamlet's Mill is not an 'easy read'. It is, however, a very rewarding read. A book which made me think new thoughts and reconsider all I thought I knew about the origins of myth. I believe this book deserves to stand beside The Golden Bough and the works of Joseph Campbell.
Amazon.com USA has kindly provided extensive excerpts of Hamlet's Mill. Click here to look inside Hamlet's Mill.
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Pagan Religions of
the Ancient British Isles:
Their Nature and Legacy
By Ronald Hutton
ISBN: 0631189467
Tira Brandon-Evans, Reviewer
Finally! At last an author who is willing to do an arms-length survey of the archaeological and historical records, willing to admit he doesn't have all the answers, and able to resist the temptation to speculate beyond the evidence. Hutton delivers "just the facts" in a direct and readable style. Many neo-Pagans/neo-Heathens will find this book upsetting because it relates facts; and facts do not always correspond with faith.
When Darwin first presented his theory of evolution to the world there was a great howl of anger from Christians who felt 'godless scientists' were threatening their faith. There was no threat, and their faith has survived very well. So will ours. Faith is not meant to be supported by science and sience has nothing to prove or disprove in the realm of faith.
Anyone who reads this book without understanding Hutton's purpose, which was to write an archaeological and historical survey, is bound to be upset. Hutton points out in the introduction that he is not an expert in neo-Pagan faiths. He did, however, enlist the aid of prominent neo-Pagans such as Miranda Green, to read and comment on the work as it was in progress. Hutton inserts frequent disclaimers in the book, stating he is not challenging any neo-Pagan beliefs. Nevertheless, when the archaeological record does not support commonly-held beliefs, Hutton points this out and passes on to the next point in his survey.
The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles contains much new information not readily available. This book is an invaluable reference as an archaeological survey of what was known of the British Isles in the 1990's. I highly recommend it to open-minded readers who are interested in archaeology while, at the same time, warning everyone they may find this book does not support their beliefs.
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Tira Brandon-Evans is the Founder and Moderator of the Society of Celtic Shamans, an editor of Earthsongs: Journal of the Society of Celtic Shamans, and is, herself, a Faery Shaman. Her books, The Green and Burning Tree: A Faery Shaman's Handbook, Portals of the Seasons: A Celtic Wheel of the Year, The Labyrinthine Way: Walking Ancient Paths in a Modern World, and Healing Waters are all published by Elder Grove Press. She is presently writing a book about the Oghams.
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