Celebrating the Pagan Soul

`Celebrating the Pagan Soul' is a book that everyone can learn from, no matter how new or advanced they are along the Pagan path. It's an anthology of thoughts from the elders of our communities. Gardnerian High Priestess Laura Wildman has brought together a wonderful assortment of writers from the USA, the UK, and Australia too. Some of the big names involved in this project include: Starhawk, Margot Adler, Macha NightMare, Francesca De Grandis, Fredric Lamond, Patricia Monaghan, Barbara Ardinger, Oberon Zell-RavenHeart, and Australian writers Caroline Tully and Douglas Ezzy. `Celebrating the Pagan Soul' is often inspirational, sometimes funny, but it also contains many touching personal stories as well. As the editor mentions in her introduction, `The wheel of life contains moments of tragedy and loss as well as joy.' This is not the sort of book that will be lost at the back of your bookshelves. You will want to keep it nearby, so that you can read it again and again. Its short chapters are perfect for those moments when you only have a few moments of reading time available, but I bet you'll find that you won't be able to put it down!

I absolutely loved this book. In fact, it was one of the few recent Pagan books that I had a hard time putting down. This book made me laugh it also made me cry. Some chapters had me shaking my head in agreement. Others actually gave me goose bumps. Celebrating the Pagan Soul is a collection of stories much in the style of the "Chicken Soup" series of books. Divided into five sections corresponding to the elements of Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Spirit the various writers take you on a journey through the ups and downs of a Pagan life. I often recognized aspects of my own Path in the words of this book. The insights of such big name Pagans as Margot Adler, Judy Harrow, Starhawk and Wren Walker are collected in these pages. I would recommend this book for any Pagan library. It transcends the differences of our many traditions, bringing us closer in our diversity. I would especially encourage the newcomer to our ways to pick up this book. Between the covers the reader will find an intimate history of what is currently the fastest growing religions in the world. This book contains no spells or rituals but the memories and experiences of the writers are something that I feel every reader will learn from. This book has been written by many people - making it more a collection of short stories than a novel. But that only adds to its charm. The book lends itself perfectly to a busy lifestyle. Read a chapter at a time as time permits. Or like I did, read it all the way through because it is so good you won't be able to put it down. W. Lyon Martin author/illustrator "An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child"

Although I have an essay in this book so may be considered biased, I was astounded by the quality of the other writers featuring here. Despite the rather boring cover, this is one of the most important and eloquent Pagan anthologies published to date. Gardnerian High Priestess and Cherry Hill Seminary instructor, Laura Wildman, has collected amazing stories from a diverse set of practitioners, each with their own individual perspective on what it means to be Pagan in the modern world. With over fifty contributors - including famous names like Starhawk, Macha NightMare and Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, as well as a plethora of less well-known but just as gifted writers - this book has something that will appeal to everyone. The book is divided into five sections; Earth: Community - the roots that nourish, the families we create, the coming home; Air: The learning process - teachers, mentors, students and inner guides; Fire: magical transformation - from Wow! To Oops!; Water: the seasons and the cycles of life; and Spirit: The God and Goddess in our lives. The reader can dip into the book anywhere - you need not start at the beginning - and find honest, creative, thought-provoking stories about joy, awe, triumph, failure, consternation, love, loss and sorrow, that stand out as being written by deeper-than-average thinkers. A ripe collection of wisdom-fruit from people who really live their Paganism. Highly recommended.

Of all the books on spirituality that I have read, this one became the most personal. A long time ago I decided to explore what I really believed. I spent many years studying & contemplating, then many, many more years feeling that I was alone in my beliefs. Oh, the excitement when I finally met others like me. Well that is exactly how it feel to read this book.

Paganism is arguably the fastest growing religion in America today. I think this book would be at least as useful to family members, friends and colleagues of Pagans, who want to understand what drew somebody they care about to this new form of spiritual practice, as it is to people who are Pagan themselves. What you have here is a collection of brief personal stories about people's experience with Pagan religion. As with any such collection, every reader will have some favorite pieces and others that they find less appealing. Still, the book gives a diverse and intimate view of what it is like to live as a Pagan.