Resources on Paganism - Page 5

[Arduinna]

Thanks Damiana and welcome to MDC (glad you came out of lurk mode)

[Arduinna]

surprised this one hasn't been posted yet

http://www.shadowdrake.com/

[13moons]

Anyone every read or heard anything about The Goddess in Every Girl, Develop Your Teen Feminine Power by M J Abadie? I know it says its for teens but I'm wondering if it would be appropriate for a preteen or if it's at all good. I'm kinda looking for something that might be spiritually uplifting, etc. for dd#1. She's only nine but she's going through a lot of hormonal ups and downs right now and having a bit of a hard time. She loves to read and I know that certain books can really help us feel better and move forward when things are a bit whacky emotionally, so...? Hmm, that was not terribly well said but basically any suggestions for spiritual type stuff directed at the kids would be awesome.

[moom]

I like Silver RavenWolfs books; they are light hearted but cover all the basics. The "teen witch kit" (by SRW) is great, the book that comes with it is very empowering and I feel would be great even for a 9year old

[Arduinna]

13 moons, I haven't read the book you asked about. Have you checked the reviews on Amazon for it??

I would suggest Circle Round by Starhawk as an intro to Goddess Spirituality. If that is your area of interest. I think preteens do best by one on one teaching myself. pm me if you want and I'll share what I did with my dd.

[13moons]

Arduinna- I have not checked the reviews on Amazon-I always forget about that. I totally agree with you about the one on one approach. But I also remember that I liked to read (still do!) things independently too. I love Circle Round and use it a lot butI'm not exactly looking to teach her about spirituality, etc...more something as reassurance and/or guidance besides just mom. I don't know if that makes sense or not. She's going through so many changes right now with puberty, etc and she is so moody and negative very frequently which I understand is completely normal and have let her know that also, but it still bothers her to feel this way. I am trying to find a way to support her and be there for her but also to help her feel better about all these changes...she's my oldest so I've never dealt with any of this and I don't really know anyone IRL (besides my parents, of course!) who has been on this side of it! I will pm you ASAP Arduinna--thanks!

[Arduinna]

Hey, I got your pm and replied to it before I read this. I think I bettter understand what you mean now. Are you looking for an archtype that she can identify with so that she feels what is happening is normal and ok?? Maybe some mythologies on growing up?

[13moons]

Okay, I just pm'd you back Arduinna but I am going to try again here to see if I can get my thoughts out properly for everyone!
Yes, to the last post, that is partly what I amlooking for probably. Basically I am looking , I guess, for something for her to read/use to not just help her to know that all this is normal, but that it is a very positive thing that is happening to her. As pagans,w e tend to celebrate life's changes and cycles and that is the direction I want to come at all this from. I could be wrong, but I think generally books directed at the girls tend to be very "this is what's happening and we may not like it, but we're women so that's the way it is" type stuff. I want this to be an opportunity for her to feel better about herself and proud of where she's going; I think some pagan resource for that would be muchbetter than a mainstream one. And would address her interests better.
Back to The Goddess in Every Girl, the description of the book is this:
"Helps teenage girls make direct contact with their inner Goddess energy.
* Includes guided meditations, visualizations, journaling exercises, Goddess games and rituals.
* Represents a culturally diverse selection of Goddess personifications including Egyptian, Afro-Cuban, Asian, North American, Greek, and Roman.
* Complete astrological tables for Sun, Moon, Venus, and Mars enable girls to find their personal goddess allies. "

(I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do that.) So that description kind of appealed to what I was looking for, but you never know with those descriptions...and there was only one review on Amazon, so...
*sigh*
THanks for bearing with me!

[Arduinna]

it's not that your confusing, I've been having a hard time keeping a train of thought lately. I read the review and looked on Amazon it it looks really good. I think I might get it for my dd too.

And hey if you buy it and hate it before you give it to her you can always return it :-)

[DaryLLL]

Bumping for holiday purchases!

[Kiyomi]

Hey, did anyone mention The Mists of Avalon on this thread? Fiction, yes, but still great for a beginner to get a feel for things...and as an "official, out of the broom closet" pagan for more than 1/2 my life, I can still find spiritual inspiration in its pages.

[Arduinna]

13 moons, did you pick up Goddess In Every Girl???? If you did what did you think of it??

[13moons]

How funny Arduinna! I was just thinking about the book earlier today! I did not ever pick it up because it hasn't been in any of the bookstores I've gone into and I hesitate to order it since I don't really know if it's what I want. BUT since it has come up again, and since I can return it or save it till she's a little older if it's not quite what i'm looking for, I think I will just order it. Actually, my local Waldenbooks is good about special ordering things even if you aren't sure you want to buy them, so I'm not sure what I am waiting for...I'll call when I log off! I'll update when I check it out!

[AnnaReilly]

I've been copying and pasting this morning and have made a master list of sorts with all of the books and links recommended in this thread. Would anyone be offended if I started a new thread with my list? (Just so newcomers don't have to read through all 5 pages here if they don't feel up to it. )

[Arduinna]

you know, I'd thought about doing that, making a master list and posting it in the OP. I ended up deciding not to because I like knowing who recommended what and love the dialogue that has grown here and the reviews. It can be so hard to know from the title alone if a book is worth purchasing or if it will meet my needs.

I won't be offended if you start another thread though.

[Meiri]

I have another one for the list, and I can't believe I forgot about it!!!

Motherwit by Diane Mariechild

Another good book, that really got me started way back when, even though it is not Pagan as such:

Seven Arrows by Hyemeyohsts Storm (I think I spelled his first name correctly, I hope so anyway.)

MY all time favorite book has to be Daughters of Copperwoman by Anne Cameron. Her other books are excellent too.

For poetry: The Moon Is Always Female by Marge Piercy. The one about Zuchini (sp?) is priceless.

[Arduinna]

Meiri, what is Daughters of Copperwoman about?? Sounds interesting.....

Can't believe I haven't posted these before, but what the heck.

Greek Religion - Walter Burkert

The Gods of the Greeks - Carl Kerenyi his book Eleusis is also wonderful along with Heroes of the Greeks

Greek Nymphs Myth, Cult, Lore - Jennifer Larson

Old Stones, New Temples - Drew Campbell

A dictionary of the ancient Greek world - Sacks

Norse Mythology, a guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals and Beliefs - Lidlow

The Way of the Heathen - Garman Lord

[Meiri]

Daughters of Copperwoman is the stories that Anne Cameron grew up hearing in the Northwest, or maybe West? {I'm not up on Canadian geography as much}, Coastal Indians.

They're presented in a fictionalized context, and so it's classified as fiction, which I think is a shame. But it's an excellent book. Just don't make it a religion.That comes from a comment in one of the stories "Warrior Women". Granny says "some women will make a religion of it."

A new edition has just been published, or so I've heard, and I'm dying to get my hands on it. There is supposed to be material included that she had to leave out of the original.

[Arduinna]

Definately sounds like something I'd be interested in reading, thanks for the recommendation

[Arduinna]

Stumbled across this, no specific endorsement implied

http://eleusinion.cjb.net/

it's a hellenic reconstructionist website