This month, I read Taking Up The Runes by Diana L. Paxson! Overall, I found it to be informative and interesting. It's definitely a must-have for any Heathen library. Taking Up The Runes makes a fantastic reference book, with each chapter covering a different pair of runes. I also thought it was a pleasure to read. Paxson's writing style is descriptive and captivating.
Most of the book's value can be found in Part One, which introduces each rune and it's possible meanings. Paxson cites other runic experts frequently, so you get to see each rune from different points of veiw. Part Two is mostly vaguely Wicca-inspired rituals, though there are some very pretty songs and poems. The most useful part of the book's second half is the Pronunciation Guide starting on page 410.
Overall, I would recommend this book. I purchased a used copy through Amazon.com for about $10. You can get the kindle version for $15.99, or buy a new paperback for $17.81.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
February Book Review: A Practical Heathen's Guide To Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve
This month I'm reading and reviewing a book often recommended for newcomers to Heathenry, Patricia M. Lafayllve's A Practical Heathen's Guide To Asatru. I read this book for the first time in 2015, shortly after I decided I wanted to learn more about Asatru.
As a newbie, I found it to be very helpful. I haven't read a better newbie guide anywhere. Part One was particularly useful to me, especially chapters seven through nine. The book is worth buying for those chapters alone. Lafayllve does a fantastic job of "dumbing down" complicated concepts for the beginner. If you're having trouble understanding the basics, A Practical Heathen's Guide can help.
While Part One explains the "why" of Heathenry, Part Two attempts to explain the "how". Lafayllve seems to use a format for her blots and rituals that is very similar to (perhaps inspired by) Wiccan rituals. Compared to the blots that I've attended in person, Lafayllve's tend to be longer and more complicated. In particular, she uses certain Wiccan practices during her rituals such as Calling The Corners, which feels out of place to me. I don't put much stock in the hammer sign, either, which she uses to consecrate. However, she does include some pretty prayers, so take from it what you will.
I have come back to this book occasionally for ideas on how to celebrate holidays and inspiration on writing my own rituals, but as I've gotten a more solid understanding of Heathenry I haven't needed it as much. I would recommend buying this as an ebook. Those who already have a good foundation probably won't find this book useful, but it's a solid introduction for newbies. Though I would take Part Two with a grain of salt.
If you'd like to purchase this book, you can find it here! I purchased the Kindle version for $9.99.
This year I will be reading and reviewing one Heathenry-related book per month. If you'd like to recommend a book, let me know in the comments! If you read A Practical Heathen's Guide To Asatru, let me know what you think of it!
As a newbie, I found it to be very helpful. I haven't read a better newbie guide anywhere. Part One was particularly useful to me, especially chapters seven through nine. The book is worth buying for those chapters alone. Lafayllve does a fantastic job of "dumbing down" complicated concepts for the beginner. If you're having trouble understanding the basics, A Practical Heathen's Guide can help.
While Part One explains the "why" of Heathenry, Part Two attempts to explain the "how". Lafayllve seems to use a format for her blots and rituals that is very similar to (perhaps inspired by) Wiccan rituals. Compared to the blots that I've attended in person, Lafayllve's tend to be longer and more complicated. In particular, she uses certain Wiccan practices during her rituals such as Calling The Corners, which feels out of place to me. I don't put much stock in the hammer sign, either, which she uses to consecrate. However, she does include some pretty prayers, so take from it what you will.
I have come back to this book occasionally for ideas on how to celebrate holidays and inspiration on writing my own rituals, but as I've gotten a more solid understanding of Heathenry I haven't needed it as much. I would recommend buying this as an ebook. Those who already have a good foundation probably won't find this book useful, but it's a solid introduction for newbies. Though I would take Part Two with a grain of salt.
If you'd like to purchase this book, you can find it here! I purchased the Kindle version for $9.99.
This year I will be reading and reviewing one Heathenry-related book per month. If you'd like to recommend a book, let me know in the comments! If you read A Practical Heathen's Guide To Asatru, let me know what you think of it!
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Ready For Spring
I can really appreciate the beauty of winter time. We're in the Hungry Gap now, and living in a rural area away from the conveniences of city life, I can feel it. The produce section at our grocery store is lean, picked over, and over priced. Most of our fruits and veggies this time of year are frozen. We've had a lot of potatoes, mushrooms, and onions. My wife doesn't mind having pot roast twice a week... but I'm starting to get a little weary. Yesterday was the first sunny day in what felt like months. I snapped a quick selfie on my one-block walk to work.
[Photo features a close up of a woman with dark brown curly hair, glasses, and a dark green coat. She has a black and white scarf wrapped around her neck. She is wearing lipstick and silvery blue eye makeup. She is smiling with her mouth closed. Behind her, a bit of pavement peeks out from beneath a blanket of snow. There is snow falling in her hair.]
I cannot wait until spring. My mother-in-law gave us an awesome wagon for Yule so it will be much easier to go shopping without a car. And now that my wife is working at the gas station, we get a paycheck every Friday. Last summer we could never seem to get to the Farmer's Market to get groceries because it's only open Saturday mornings until noon, and we got paid Saturday mornings at 11am (so by the time we got our checks picked up and cashed, there was never time to walk down there).... I'm glad that this year will be different.
We're planning our garden for this year. Pretty fitting considering that Charming of the Plow is this week. So far we've decided on strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, bell peppers, green onions, and basil. We'd like to either grow or locally source 50% of our food this year. It seems strange to think about spring when there's 4 feet of snow in my yard, but I think it's going to be warm again before we know it.
I cannot wait until spring. My mother-in-law gave us an awesome wagon for Yule so it will be much easier to go shopping without a car. And now that my wife is working at the gas station, we get a paycheck every Friday. Last summer we could never seem to get to the Farmer's Market to get groceries because it's only open Saturday mornings until noon, and we got paid Saturday mornings at 11am (so by the time we got our checks picked up and cashed, there was never time to walk down there).... I'm glad that this year will be different.
We're planning our garden for this year. Pretty fitting considering that Charming of the Plow is this week. So far we've decided on strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, bell peppers, green onions, and basil. We'd like to either grow or locally source 50% of our food this year. It seems strange to think about spring when there's 4 feet of snow in my yard, but I think it's going to be warm again before we know it.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
January Book Review: Sheathenry by Alvilldr in fagra
Sheathenry Volume I: Ritual Practices of Modern Heathen Women is a book that came out pretty recently. It's written by Alvilldr in fagra, alternating between first person stories from the author and excerpts from interviews with 20 or so Heathen women (and one gender-neutral person). At just over 200 pages, the book is just long enough to be satisfying.
I purchased this book in paperback from lulu.com for $14.99. Using a coupon code for a discount, my purchase came out to about $12, shipping included. Overall, I would say that this book is definitely worth the purchase. The quality of the book itself is good. I didn't notice any spelling errors or the formatting problems that are common in self-published books. IT has obviously been produced with care. I wouldn't recommend it for beginners, but this book makes no pretense of being beginner friendly - it assumes that the reader comes to the table with a working knowledge of Heathenry.
One of the best things about Sheathenry is it's diversity. The author made a big effort to interview a wide variety of individuals, and it shows. When discussing the various topics, the author always presents multiple viewpoints, demonstrating both the similarities and the variations between different practices. The takeaway seems to be that there is no wrong way to be a heathen woman, or at least, that there are many right ways to be a Heathen woman. The author never pushes her own opinions on the reader, and she never endorses one point of view over another. Additionally, as a lesbian woman, it's fantastic to see a book featuring people on the LGBTQ spectrum. While the number of LGBTQ Heathens is certainly growing, it's still uncommon to see us represented in Heathen media.
Another thing I liked about Sheathenry was the distinct lack of scholarly research and pandering to academia. It's very readable and accessible to the average person. While I have read and loved the standard Heathen reading list, a huge drawback to most Heathen books is that for the average joe, they tend to be difficult to read and understand. Heathenry and Asatru have been referred to as "the religion with homework" for years, but it's nice to see a departure from that mindset. After all, we can't all be scholars. I think perhaps it's better sometimes to focus on what modern heathens are actually doing rather than rehashing the same old discussions about ethics and worldview.
I would recommend this book for anyone with a basic understanding of Heathenry. It's an asset to any Heathen's library, regardless of gender. I would definitely buy this book again, and when Volume 2 comes out, I'll be first in line to purchase it!
If you'd like to read Sheathenry, you can purchase the paperback or the ebook here!
This year I will be reading and reviewing one Heathenry-related book per month. If you'd like to recommend a book, let me know in the comments! If you read Sheathenry, let me know what you think of it!
I purchased this book in paperback from lulu.com for $14.99. Using a coupon code for a discount, my purchase came out to about $12, shipping included. Overall, I would say that this book is definitely worth the purchase. The quality of the book itself is good. I didn't notice any spelling errors or the formatting problems that are common in self-published books. IT has obviously been produced with care. I wouldn't recommend it for beginners, but this book makes no pretense of being beginner friendly - it assumes that the reader comes to the table with a working knowledge of Heathenry.
One of the best things about Sheathenry is it's diversity. The author made a big effort to interview a wide variety of individuals, and it shows. When discussing the various topics, the author always presents multiple viewpoints, demonstrating both the similarities and the variations between different practices. The takeaway seems to be that there is no wrong way to be a heathen woman, or at least, that there are many right ways to be a Heathen woman. The author never pushes her own opinions on the reader, and she never endorses one point of view over another. Additionally, as a lesbian woman, it's fantastic to see a book featuring people on the LGBTQ spectrum. While the number of LGBTQ Heathens is certainly growing, it's still uncommon to see us represented in Heathen media.
Another thing I liked about Sheathenry was the distinct lack of scholarly research and pandering to academia. It's very readable and accessible to the average person. While I have read and loved the standard Heathen reading list, a huge drawback to most Heathen books is that for the average joe, they tend to be difficult to read and understand. Heathenry and Asatru have been referred to as "the religion with homework" for years, but it's nice to see a departure from that mindset. After all, we can't all be scholars. I think perhaps it's better sometimes to focus on what modern heathens are actually doing rather than rehashing the same old discussions about ethics and worldview.
I would recommend this book for anyone with a basic understanding of Heathenry. It's an asset to any Heathen's library, regardless of gender. I would definitely buy this book again, and when Volume 2 comes out, I'll be first in line to purchase it!
If you'd like to read Sheathenry, you can purchase the paperback or the ebook here!
This year I will be reading and reviewing one Heathenry-related book per month. If you'd like to recommend a book, let me know in the comments! If you read Sheathenry, let me know what you think of it!
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