New Age Retailer reviews “Priestesses Pythonesses & Sibyls”

As the darkness and cold continues to descend on us here in the Northern Hemisphere, it is a great time to catch up with reading and studies!  It would also seem that in the last few weeks more reviews of books I have worked on, and other forms of feedback on my work is being brought to my attention.  One such example from the last week are reviews of both HEKATE LIMINAL RITES  and VISIONS OF THE CAILLEACH ( both co-authored with David Rankine) and the anthology PRIESTESSES PYTHONESSES & SIBYLS (which I compiled and edited, with essays with some of the most phenomenal women in the current magical revival alive today!) which appeared in the very popular NEW AGE RETAILER in recent weeks.

This is what the reviewer, Richard Wright (Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt)  had to say about this anthology:

This book contains brief contributions from 18 modern pagan priestesses. It draws together their strands of experience and research while also covering a wide range of ancient and modern spiritual traditions from around the world. The editor makes clear that the one aspect they have in common in their roles is their use of trance states, achieved through a wide variety of methods. Three preliminary essays serve as orientation, covering a general background regarding priestesses who speak with and for the gods, the role of the priestess of Delphic Apollo, and women of power in the early Christian church.

Each contributor explains her unique manner of invoking the presence of specific deities. According to one of the writers, once they are present, “Each one has Her own feel, look, way of holding Herself, way of expressing Herself, but still, there is something similar about the process, as an Otherworldly comes into me,” to which she adds, “Entering into that state is not difficult. The ritual leads up to this point, paving the way to the right mindset.” Commenting on the use of ritual, another writer observes, “It really does not matter if deities have an objective external existence or not, as long as the practice itself is psychologically and spiritually beneficial.” The essays make clear that the ritual, no matter what it is, allows three things to fall into place: the metaphysical perspective, the appropriate ego preparation, and the readiness to work with both light and dark aspects of self. The priestess is then able to become a vessel for the incarnation of whatever presence is being invoked.

Priestessess, Pythonesses, & Sibyls is useful as a guide for those wishing to know more about the range of practices currently used by modern priestesses and the traditions from which they have developed. As noted by one of the contributors, “The myriad forms of life, the Divine essence of which is personified as Gods and Goddesses, teach us something of the nature of Divinity which we may find within ourselves and in all things.”

You can read the original review, as well as reviews of many other new titles (including Hekate Liminal Rites) by visiting their website  http://www.newageretailer.com/PageID/466/default.aspx

You can find out more about Priestesses, Pythonesses & Sibyls by going to: http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/titles/priestesses.htm