Post No. 441 - Reading

Well, I've been trying to read Lyn Webster Wilde's book "Becoming the Enchanter" (pub. Rider & Co, 2003, ISBN: 0712662294), and, at just over two thirds of the way through the book, have given up.

I've skipped ahead a bit, and it seems to be the same so I'll get into my problems with the book, which are:

1. EXTREME heteronormativity; and
2. that it is, despite the claim to the contrary, fairly standard paganism.

This sort of heteronormative [3] approach to paganism is a major problem for a good portion of those who are not standard cisgendered, heterosexuals. In fact, to be blunt, I know of groups where this has led to bigotry, prejudice and discrimination - some due to the absolute stupi- er, "lack of awareness" of people who have either grossly limited life experience and a pathological avoidance of media such that they do not even know of the L and G part of the LGBTIQ communities, let alone people who are not cisgendered. I have absolutely no idea whether or not Ms Webster Wilde has awareness of, or acceptance of, LGBTIQ people  but her book has the potential to exacerbate the problems that we do have.

Next, there was absolutely nothing in this book that I have not come across elsewhere, other than the DETAILS of the examination of the legends around Arianrhod [2].

Fairly early on, I began to suspect that the author may be playing a trickster role, similar to that which my Coyote ally ("power animal") and Carlos Castenada play. It was, therefore, no surprise to come across a statement, near the end of the book, where the author states that this book is indeed part of a test set for new members of the group she is in. After I gave up trying to read the book, I came across a review by Ayanna Haynes/Nimue at http://druidnetwork.org/reviews/books/becoming_the_enchanter.htm which further discussed this aspect of being the trickster, and also set out other sources of discomfort I have.

All in all, I personally wouldn't bother with this book, knowing what I now do - but if you do, be objective, thoughtful and detached / objective.

And now, some reading that I DO recommend (but provided you keep you thinking cap on!):

• https://returningtohouse.wordpress.com/2012/11/20/sunspot-cycles-and-human-behavior/;
• http://mariuveren.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/russias-unorthodox-worshippers/ (from The Wild Hunt), who wrote about the persecution they are experiencing;
• http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2013/03/26/recharging-the-mystical-powers/ (of tattoos);
• http://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2013/04/pagan-groups-why-not.html;
• http://www.dailylife.com.au/health-and-fitness/dl-wellbeing/is-this-the-best-body-image-message-ever-20130312-2fxxp.html?rand=1363136724608;
• "Hunting for the Real Witch in Film", by BellaDonna Saberhagen: http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=uspa&c=words&id=15360;
• http://arcane-asylum.blogspot.com.au/;
• "The Collective Shadow", by Diane Awenydd-Evans: http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=uspa&c=words&id=15321;
• http://www.thorncoyle.com/blog/2013/04/11/margaret-thatcher-the-cosmos-and-me-2/, which is quite good to read in view of the vitriol against Thatcher because of the incredible damage she caused the UK and other nations who followed suit;
• http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/energy-cords-1;
• http://www.h2g2.com/approved_entry/A1000774, which is probably one of, in not the, best short expositions on the cause of the Second World War that I've ever read;
• http://iands.org/home.html;
• http://spiritrescue.ning.com/forum/topics/the-unknown-lightworker-the-lightwarrior;
• http://wildhunt.org/2013/04/legend-tripping.html, which should be read while being mindful of Alaric Albertsson's WWSD idea - that is, "What Would the Saxons Do?", which is a guide to consideration of Unverifiable Personal Gnosis (UPG) type material, based on an acknowledgement of the change that would inevitably have occurred had Saxon paganism have continued to the present day without the slaughters and suppression of neo-Christianity.

[3] For an explanation of terms like heteronormative, cisgendered, etc, try here, here, here, here, and here. If you do not already know, the acronym LGBTIQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual/transgender, intersex and queer.

[1] BPF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")

My "blogiography" is here.  

I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ...  See here for my group mind project, and here and here for my "pagans for peace" project.

• May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
• A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
• Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master. 
• Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." and what Bruce Schneier [2] calls "security theatre" on one side, and perspicacity and the understanding that the means shape the end on the other. 
• The means shape the end. 
• Spiritual love is far more than just an emotion - it is a concept, thoughts, actions and a way of living.

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]. JOHN F. KENNEDY 

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. (based on writing by) EDMUND BURKE

Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN

We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW

People I'm currently following or reading, or have considerable respect for, include: 

• Red Catherine, a Romani woman living on Artemis, in South Australia; 
• T. Thorn Coyle; 
• The Wild Hunt; 
• Under the Ancient Oaks; and 
• the Order of Scathach.

Tags: Arianrhod, attitudes, Celtic myths, discrimination, groups, hate, health, history, links, negatives, paganism, prejudice, Sun, tattoos, violence, war,

First published: Manadagr, 15th April, 2013

Last edited: Monday 15th April, 2013