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Book Review: Sekhmet

11 Tuesday Jan 2022

Posted by in Magic, review

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I’ve long known of Sekhmet, that lion-headed, powerful Goddess of healing and rage, but I have never really known much about her. Olivia Church’s book has definitely changed that.

A pile of books on top of a laptop, "Pagan Portals: Sekhmet" on top, with a small black cat statuette, and a red and gold background.
Yes, I know that’s Bast.

Heavy with the weight of history, Church’s slim book clearly arose from a deep academic understanding of the sources and research surrounding the vengeful Lady of Flame and Pestilence, but the depth of direct experience also shines through. This is not a dry, dusty, text. Although it is dense the language is graced with rich and poetic illumination, and a bright passion for both the Goddess and her culture.

I now know much more than I expected to find out about this ancient Egyptian power, and would certainly use this as a reference book, and for inspiration if I ever choose to work with this multifaceted deity.

Despite the concise nature of the Pagan Portals books, Church has succeeded in including a both breadth and depth of information, and has in no way diminished the Eye of Ra, Sekhmet herself.

The short version: beautifully written, research heavy, introduction to a multifaceted Goddess, crafted with obviously personal, passionate, devotion.

Pagan Portals – Sekhmet, by Olivia Church (Moon Books, 2022)

Quin's Books - Bookshop banner - gold writing on red background, trying to look fancy.
Find this and other magical books, including mine, at Quin’s Books. (affiliate link)

A Faery at Druid Camp

07 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Enchanted, Faery, Following Delight, Reflections

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Before I pontificate, let me just say: Druid Camp itself was marvellous! A community of like-minded people, on many different paths, all made welcome. A sharing of magic, of song and dance and learning, delicious food, laughter and sunshine. Each morning we’d gather in Morning Meeting to hear about the offerings of the day. Each afternoon we’d gather for a talk by a prominent (usually academic) member of the community. And each evening we’d meet for ritual and then music in the cafe tent. Throughout the day volunteers would teach their skills or support the practical running of the event.  Community, learning, sharing, celebrating and ritual. Magic in all it’s forms. I fully recommend it to even the just-curious as a gentle, relaxed event with plenty of space to choose what you will engage with, no pressure to know anything beforehand, and a very welcoming place which gives you the chance to meet many people on different paths.

On that note…

I’m not a Druid, not really. I’m not a member of OBOD or ADF or BDO or any other religious group with a name made of alphabet soup. I don’t introduce myself at pagan gatherings as a druid. It’s not a word or an image that resonates with me (and there is probably a good reason for that, which I’ll tell you about one day). And yet I feel very at home at the Rainbow Spirit Druid Camp.

I’ve done a fair amount of studying druidry (or at least neo-druidry, the modern pagan practice inspired by tales of ancient druids), and what I’ve found most often in recent years is that the ethics and attitudes align strongly with my own, the stories often come from the land I call home and I do love a good public ritual.

I still don’t feel like a Druid – though my path is very similar – and that’s ok.

I took an active part in the opening and closing rituals. I volunteered my time and skills to the community by working in the kid’s area. I danced to Morrigan’s Path and Hawkwind’s Nick Turner’s band Space Ritual. I was made welcome.

Part of me wonders if all that makes me a Druid in denial. But we never fit into neat little boxes, do we? I’m coming to accept that my Faery path weaves through several different groves, round the cauldron and into the wildwood. I can stand with the oaks, toast the gods, gather herbs and howl at the moon.

I often catch myself thinking that I’d like a tidy label for what I do, so I knew what I was meant to be doing, and then I remember, I know what I’m meant to be doing. I’m meant to follow the magic of my heart. The guidance of the spirits and the gods and of my deepest truest self. That’s what we’re all meant to do. For some that means finding an official path early on, for me it means that I can find myself at home in many temples. It’s an understanding that I may not be a Druid, but I’m certainly Pagan.

The Cheshire Cat’s Smile

10 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by in Reflections

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~ A Review

I walk home after the sky has moved from blue to purple, and above the rooftops I see the thin sliver of a Cheshire cat smile.

Two nights before my sweetie, a friend and I went to watch the new Alice in Wonderland film by Tim Burton in 3D. Its a rare treat to visit a cinema from the Valleys of Wales, so we were most excited!

It was beautiful, and a strange blend of Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass and The Jabberwocky. When the 3D technology has developed even a little further it will be a fantastic addition to the visual experience and I look forward to seeing how it may perhaps add to the storytelling. For the moment, it was pretty (despite my personal difficulties focussing, and preference for brighter colours, which were washed out by the special glasses). We all giggled at the spectacle of ourselves in the huge frames over our modest daily glasses we wear to see the world.

But I left the theatre feeling that here had been a spectacle, and little else.

It being Burton, there were plenty of treats, and a familiar cast of actors who pulled off their roles wonderfully. There were characters, long loved and often missed, reappearing in new guises. There were amazing details and vast vistas of beauty.

And yet it lacked something…

And under that sliver of moon I began to realise what.

In the story that captured our hearts so long ago, it wasn’t a narrative that we fell in love with, but the surrealness, the moment by moment twisting and turning of a world which whispered with wonder.

Now the fantastical has become so commonplace it cannot invoke the same degree of dreaming on its own, and forcing a loose narrative on pieces of art which have little truck with beginning, middle and end takes a little more away.

The story of Alice is not a narrative, but a dream, and that is why we love it.

Alice shows us how reality flows between the two worlds of dreaming and waking, and watching her adventures lets us walk away with a little piece of her ability to walk between these worlds. It felt to me like the new film tried to make this more obvious, and perhaps missed the point.

But it was still gorgeous, I will still watch it again, and I do still adore the Cheshire Cat and his smile…

I walk home after the sky has moved from blue to purple, and above the rooftops I see

the thin sliver of a Cheshire cat smile.

Two nights before my sweetie, a friend and I went to watch the new Alice in Wonderland

film by Tim Burton in 3D. Its a rare treat to visit a cinema from the Valleys of

Wales, so we were most excited!

It was beautiful, and a strange blend of Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the

Looking Glass and The Jabberwocky. When the 3D technology has developed even a little

further it will be a fantastic addition to the visual experience and I look forward to

seeing how it may perhaps add to the storytelling. For the moment, it was pretty

(despite my personal difficulties focussing, and preference for brighter colours,

which were washed out by the special glasses). We all giggled at the spectacle of

ourselves in the huge frames over our modest daily glasses we wear to see the world.

But I left the theatre feeling that here had been a spectacle, and little else.

It being Burton, there were plenty of treats, and a familiar cast of actors who pulled

off their roles wonderfully. There were characters, long loved and often missed,

reappearing in new guises. There were amazing details and vast vistas of beauty.

And yet it lacked something…

And under that sliver of moon I began to realise what.

In the story that captured our hearts so long ago, it wasn’t a narrative that we fell

in love with, but the surrealness, the moment by moment twisting and turning of a

world which whispered with wonder.

Now the fantastical has become so commonplace it cannot invoke the same degree of

dreaming on its own, and forcing a loose narrative on pieces of art which have little

truck with beginning, middle and end takes a little more away.

The story of Alice is not a narrative, but a dream, and that is why we love it.

Alice shows us how reality flows between the two worlds of dreaming and waking, and

watching her adventures lets us walk away with a little piece of her ability to walk

between these worlds. It felt to me like the new film tried to make this more obvious,

and perhaps missed the point.

But it was still gorgeous, I will still watch it again, and I do still adore the

Cheshire Cat and his smile…

Book Review: The Artist’s Way

05 Saturday Dec 2009

Posted by in Art Craft and Beauty

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About this time last year I bought myself a copy of The Artist’s Way, almost on a whim. This is basically a book for “Blocked Creatives” based on the Twelve Step program, and I’m probably one of the least creatively blocked people I know. Or at least, thats how I see myself.

But then again, don’t we all have things to learn!

In the introduction the author, Julia Cameron, sets out two key practices. Morning Pages, to do every morning, and The Artist’s Date, to do once a week or more.I’ll start with these:

Morning Pages basically involve splurging your brain onto paper longhand, for three pages, and then not looking at it for at least a month. It lets you empty your head of worries, and helps you notice patterns. In my case it also highlighted my tendency to plan and allowed me to get the lists of plans out of my head before the day started. You end up with a clean slate for the day, and, if you do look at it again, a reflective bit of writing which can highlight patterns.

And yes, they really are helpful. I managed to keep them up for the whole 3 months I was working through the book (only missing a few days sometimes) and almost 6 months after that. The best part for me was learning that I can keep up a daily practice, I can show up for something every day. Before this I hadn’t considered myself very well disciplined. Now I know I can be, if I choose to.

The Artist’s Date, pretty much what it sounds like. Taking a few hours, or a whole weekend, out to go on a date with your inner artist. Find something that inspires you, nurtures your creative impulses, makes you feel happy and relaxed, and make time for it. Especially if its fun.

I found this harder to do every week, but when I did it always lead to good things. For one I found a commercial art gallery… in which were paintings in the similar pure tube colours that I love to use! I saw this and felt a part of me verified: art with pure colours can be great! Since then I’ve noticed more of these… but that image has stayed with me and still makes me smile! For others I’ve set aside time to play with materials, or treated myself with water-soluble crayons (which are really really fun) and been inspired by the process of simply creating. Making time to be inspired, nourished and creative: very shiny.

The rest of the book is divided into 12 chapters, each one designed to be read at the beginning of the week, and then mused on during that week. They all have exercises, suggestions, quotes and stories to help inspire and explain the concepts they talk about.

For once, I started a self-led course and actually made it to the end. Each week I read the chapter and worked through most of the exercises.

Each week highlighted something new, and built on what had come before.

Each week was well explained, interesting and helpful.

Over the full 12 weeks I explored my emotional situation, the state of my life, my past, my dreams, my beliefs… every element of life was covered. And I found myself guided in exploring what I really want my life to look like, and developing a plan for how to get there. I bought two roses, and they’ve lived, and flourished for a year despite my firm belief that I cannot keep plants! I’ve completed more projects than I’ve managed to before, including my Faery cards, and I’ve learnt about myself in more general ways too.

The only complaint I’ve seen about this book is when people have objected to her use of the word ‘God’, but to me it felt like she explained it well, and left you the possibility of choosing your own way of understanding the term, or substituting it for something else if you prefer, including ‘Good Orderly Direction’. I didn’t have a problem with this myself, and it certainly didn’t feel preachy, but if you have a knee jerk reaction when you read the word ‘God’, then perhaps you might give the last couple of weeks a miss.

All in all, an inspiring book which helps you to illuminate your life, and your own potential. Good even for people who don’t feel blocked!