Aisha's Moonlit Walk: Stories and Celebrations for the Pagan Year [Paperback]

Anika Stafford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2005 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

These engaging children's stories chronicle a modern-day family as they celebrate the eight pagan holidays over the course of a year. Readers of all ages will delight in following the fictional Aisha and her family and friends. Told in Aisha's own words, these charming stories bring to life the tradition, beliefs, and values of the pagan faith as it is celebrated today. The book includes a brief introduction to each holiday and an outline of the key pagan concepts and lessons for each story. Readers will follow Aisha to winter solstice, the longest night of the year, when she learns to appreciate the importance of family and figures out how to end a fight with her best friend Heather. During the fall equinox, readers will rejoice with Aisha as she celebrates her many accomplishments over the past year. This refreshing, family-oriented approach to the pagan calendar is ideal for children, parents, teachers, and anyone who seeks greater insight into the spiritual significance of pagan tradition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anika Stafford holds an undergraduate degree in women's studies and worked as director of religious education for the Free Church Unitarian in Blaine, Washington. For over a decade Stafford has been teaching drama, storytelling, movement, and music to people of diverse abilities, ages, and special needs. She is currently writing her graduate thesis on children's literature at York University.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 81 pages
• Publisher: Skinner House Books (March 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558964851
• ISBN-13: 978-1558964853
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #592,200 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A complete waste of time and money, November 27, 2006

By 

Lola O'Brien - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aisha's Moonlit Walk: Stories and Celebrations for the Pagan Year (Paperback)

For a twenty dollar book, I was sirprised at it's size to start off with. At less than a centimeter thick, it isn't much more than a couple of magazine widths. Inside, the print looks to be double spaced with large margins to accommodate an appalling lack of content. Not only is the content minimal, but it's not even quality. Sorry to say, but it's definitely very fluffy with little depth of spiritual understanding. It comes across, to me, like the author has read a few books on paganism and then decided to write a book herself. This impression is reinforced by the choices made in the 'to find out more' recommended book section and website recommendations. The books include a few of the most common pagan parenting type books but misses out on some of the best ones, and throws in some completely unrelated books (such as Starhawk's Spiral Dance and Twelve Wild Swans - I have no problem with Starhawk, I have read these books myself, but I fail to see the relevance). The websites suggested are the Reclaiming site, the Unitarian site and the Circle of Life Foundation. That's it. There are many great sites out there for pagan children and pagan families, with a huge assortment of stories, craft ideas, colouring pages and consumer products (my favorite being the Elsie and Pooka site). If this book is about 'stories and celebrations for the pagan year,' and includes a recommended websites section, it just seems to make sense to include websites that follow the same thread. Particularly as the book is so lacking in adequately fulfilling this purpose. For example, the book is divided into a section for each Sabbat. Each Sabbat has one story following Aisha and her family and greater pagan community. Following the story are celebration ideas. For Yule, the celebration ideas include: 1. Cut evergreen branches to place on your altar. 2. buy a journal and decorate it. 3. Decorate a mirror in a frame. That's it. Nothing else. And with the mirror making idea, she suggests writing down the words "Goddess," "Sacred," and "Divine" to, I don't know, tape to the mirror? It's not clear exactly what you do with these words but my question is: how are they relevant to the Winter Solstice? They are clearly relevant to paganism. But Yule?? The majority of the 'celebration' ideas are not unique, are not terribly relevant and are not that interesting.

The stories, one per Sabbat, are well written. But they were still generally disappointing for their lack of any depth of spiritual content. I will read them to my kids though, even though the practices mentioned within their pages are completely alien to most of the pagan's I know. I think if you're specifically Reclaiming or UU, you will probably enjoy this book more than I did. It spoke very little to my pagan practices and beliefs and seems quite devoid of much real content.

My recommendation? In a half an hour you can search online and get ten times the suggestions of celebration ideas for the pagan year (with much greater quality) and quite a few pagan Sabbat stories. Along with wonderful colouring pages, recipes etc. Print them out. Bind them at your local office supply store. Save fifteen bucks.

Check out The Pagan Family by Ceisiwr Serith if you're looking for specifically pagan ways to celebrate the turning of the wheel as a family.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars short but sweet, April 25, 2005

By 

alexxcz "alexxcz" (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aisha's Moonlit Walk: Stories and Celebrations for the Pagan Year (Paperback)

This is a quick read, the stories are written for children as well as adults, and the large type goes by fast. The "real life" stories give a nice dimension to the usual Pagan holiday lore that pre-teens might enjoy reading, while the info for adults give some great ideas on how to best celebrate the high day.

This book is what I'd call "Pagan stealth" written by a UU educator, it stresses the seasonal changes and connecting with the self and nature over specific Pagan theology or much mention of Gods. I question some of the historical information, but think that the ecumenical tone of the book will make it something that teachers and Pagans wanting to include non-Pagan friends will enjoy using.

My one big complaint is just layout style. I wish the book had had a few more illustrations, or that the big blocks of text had been broken up into columns or had headings that catch the eye more. Otherwise, it's a nice addition to the Pagan family's library.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed ..., November 13, 2006

By 

S. G. Ponder "Eoghain na Sidhe" (Europe) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Aisha's Moonlit Walk: Stories and Celebrations for the Pagan Year (Paperback)

I was eagerly looking forward to receiving this book but was sadly disappointed when it arrived. It is a very short read and the book doesn't flow well at all. For books you'll keep close at hand and refer to over and over again, I suggest "Circle Round" and "Celebrating the Great Mother." Don't waste your money with this one...