'Sign of the Witch' back cover blurb

I am totally honoured and chuffed that David Waldron asked me to provide a blurb for the back of his new book 'Sign of the Witch' (Carolina Academic Press 2008). Here's what I said:

The contemporary Witchcraft movement is increasingly finding itself under the spotlight of academia’s critical gaze. While to some adherents the examination of our history, beliefs and structure appears as a bright and intrusive light probing the dark crevices and tangled tales of our beloved tradition, for others objective academic scholarship is exciting and a welcome aid in the process of self-reflexivity. Waldron’s identification and critique of the core aspects of the modern Witch’s identity provide what should be seen as an invitation for practitioners to remove our rose-coloured glasses approach to our own history and instead to take on board the results of rigorous investigation. For the general public, by whom Witches are so often misunderstood, an academic examination of the movement can only enhance the likelihood of tolerance and understanding that are the essence of religious pluralism.

The Geeks and the Irrational

Yes, Geeks, not Greeks... it's me attempting to be funny, referring to E.R. Dodd's book about Dionysian religion (which I own but haven't actually read)... seeing as my attempt at being rational (below) was more a case of stream-of-consciousness babbling. Yeah, this picture has absolutely nothing to do with that... Oh, except for, I guess, being an example of the persistence of Hermetic thinking, still very prevalent today, and that's irrational, and geeky. C'mon, don't say it isnt!

The Last Rational Pagan?

Yikes! I just noticed on my Aegean Archaeology lecturer, Louise Hitchcock's blog that she has me listed in the sidebar as "The last rational Pagan"... Besides that being a provocative statment to other Pagans - and let me emphasise that I didn't say that myself, although I do appreciate that Louise thinks I'm rational, thanks Louise! - I'd better quickly put up a post that makes me look rational then!!!! Yeah, its a problem, being kinda in the middle of, on the one hand modern Paganism, which is obviously a religion, and on the other hand being so attracted to Richard Dawkins' and his so-called "militant atheism"... and then it's rather shocking when one discovers through academic research just *how different* ancient paganism(s) are from what is purported to be Paganism today. Although... that does not mean that I think contemporary Paganism is not Paganism, just that many of the historical claims of modern Paganism are complete bunkum. But we've known that since at least 2000 with Ronald Hutton's "Triumph of the Moon", haven't we. But still, there's more to be done, more modern claims to be dissected. Sabina Magliocco has done an interesting analysis on Raven Grimassi's "Stregheria", and I think there's more to be looked at with that from a Roman religion angle. Sarah Iles Johnston is rumoured to be considering analysing Hellenic Reconstructionism... There's lots to look at, lots to do for people with an ancient religion bent to focus on in comparing modern Pagan religions with ancient ones... There's going to be a bit of that - at least from the angle of "Goddess worship" at the next World Archaeological Congress in Dublin in June. I've heard its all going to be "very respectful" to the religionists. Dawkins would have an apoplectic fit... although last I saw of him on TV he seemed very restrained - too restrained I thought. I like it when he argues against religion, its terribly stimulating and frankly, it needs to be done.

Roman Holiday

Who feels like a Roman holiday? ME, that's who. I've just spent ages writing an essay on 'mola salsa' a floury, purificatory substance made out of salted spelt by the Vestal Virgins for use in animal sacrifice. I also covered 'suffimen' also floury, but made from the ashes of calf foetuses torn from sacrificed cows at the Fordicidia and mixed with ashes of the tail of the October Horse. This research has proven to be another confirmation that ancient pagan religions are *nothing like* modern ones - not even Reconstructionism really, as so many aspects are omitted.

Roman Religion

Yes... Roman Religion, that's what I'm currently studying and its also why I've neglected this blog so much.. Oh, and also because of Facebook and MySpace - in fact primarily because of those sites! Anyway, yes, I'm doing Roman Religion this semester and it is absolutely fascinating. In fact I specifically went to this university in 2004 as a mature age student order to study Roman Religion, but couldn't get round to it until this year (it wasn't offered, or I wasn't able to do it in other years). Last year I sat in on the 2nd/3rd year Roman Religion lectures but didn't do the essay work, as I was only sitting in... this year the content is a bit different, plus its a 4th year subject. So far I seem to be focussing on the scandal of the Bacchanalia of 186 BCE, the Vestal Virgins, and I'm not entirely sure what else. I like landscape, like the sacred aspects of the city of Rome... Yeah, I'll have to see what else takes my fancy. I'm also sitting in on New Kingdom Egypt and the World Beyond, because you can never know too much about Egypt, can you. Last week I helped at the DAIS conference, which was an international conference on Bronze Age Aegean feasting practices. Interesting! In 2010 the theme will be textiles and jewellry and it'll be held in Denmark. Gee, I might even be able to come up with a paper for that, possibly on votive garments.

Rosa Mundi

So many associations arise from the contemplation of a rose in the modern post-Crowleyan Hermetic sense... the seeress Rose Crowley, Rose Cross, Mystic Rose, Rosa Mundi, the Secret Rose of The Empress, Briar Rose...

Sucked in by Facebook

I've severely neglected my Blog becuase I've been spending a lot of my time on first, Facebook, and then MySpace. My friend Josephine Pennicott convinced me I'd like them, and while initially I refused to believe her, of course I came around and now can barely get off them to attend to other business. I've also been researching my Classics and Archaeology thesis for the last three months, and am about to start the semester with Roman Religion. Yay.