Hello again my dears,
It is safe to say that we are officially in my favorite time of the year-autumn! And with that of course comes the second largest American holiday - Halloween!
And before I jump in I want to apologize for cutting it so close with this review. I got the lion's share of it done a couple of weeks back but the Universe has been keeping me on my toes and I have been doing my best to keep up! Following shortly will be my article about this upcoming (or you know, right around the corner!) turning of the wheel, Samhain!
Now, being a pagan, I am usually too busy focusing on Samhain to recognize Halloween on the 31st of October, but I am trying to be better about merging the worlds as it were. One of the best ways I can think of doing so is by getting a wide understanding of both aspects of this special day.
I've had this book for a few years and have only read it once, I thought now would be the perfect opportunity, and another excuse to perhaps add this book to my suggestions list. Which one of these days I might actually get around to make...
Anywho! The book being reviewed today is The Pagan Book of Halloween: A Complete Guide to Magick, Incantations, Recipes, Spells, and Lore by Gerina Dunwich. This title was published in 2000 with a whopping 176 pages prior to the bibliography and index to which it doesn't quiet reach 200 pages.
I do want to throw it out there that she does mention some Wiccan
perspectives, but the book itself is not written from a Wiccan stand
point. I really felt as though the book was written from as unbiased
position as possible - which I think is important when you're looking
for general information.
One thing that I not only enjoy as a reader but appreciate as someone who has done my homework; is the way that the author addresses the facts regarding the early days of Samhain in Ireland when it was being practiced by ancient Druids.
She doesn't use flowery language to explain why the Druids had human and animal sacrifices, she just explains it. She doesn't point fingers at the offenses of the early Roman church against the people of Western Europe after Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of the empire; she gets straight to the heart of the journey of this ancient holiday.
Rather than spending an exorbitant amount of time with dates and names that might not be remembered later, she gives us the highlights, which might seem lazy to some, but from where I'm sitting curled up with my kitty and some tea it makes the information a bit easier to take in, and return to at a later time so that if there's something specific that catches one's attention, it's not like diving into a giant pool of information which can be difficult to navigate.
Dunwich spends a chapter discussing variations of this holiday celebrated throughout the world. One such holiday that seems to have grown popular in pop culture has been Dia de los Muertos, and their tradtional sugar skulls.
I really enjoyed that she took the time to shine light on how this is not just a holiday for North America, but that there is a world wide observance when it comes to honoring the dead; painting that much of a broader picture for this mystical day.
She even spends a couple of chapters going into the history and associations of common figures we see during the commercialized Halloween; Jack O'Lanterns, scarecrows, ghosts, vampires and of course, she spends a decent chunk on witches.
Along with touching on olden day divination practices, there is a small section for spells, ritual ideas, and recipes to round out the book.
Over all I really enjoyed reading this little book. It's a great way to introduce beginners to this ancient holiday without overwhelming them and potentially scaring them to death.
(Sorry, I had to sneak one joke in there.)
I hope you have enjoyed this book review and I hope that this was helpful!
I'm looking forward to talking about Samhain with you, the article should be live tomorrow along with a fun announcement!
Take care loves!
In light and love,
Thealynn
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