More than 60 pagan leaders and teachers describe in their own words what they believe and what they practice.
• Addresses how Pagans view parenting, organized religion, and politics.
• Introduces the wide range of possibilities within the neo-Pagan movement.
• By Ellen Evert Hopman, author of A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year; Walking the World in Wonder: A Children's Herbal; and Tree Medicine, Tree Magic.
Who are the pagans and what do they stand for? Why would some of the members of the best educated, most materially comfortable generation of Americans look back to mystical traditions many millennia old? During the last few decades, millions of people have embraced ancient philosophies that honor Earth and the spiritual power of each individual. Ways of worship from sources as diverse as the pre-Christian Celts, ancient Egypt, and Native American traditions are currently helping their followers find meaning in life while living in the Information Age.
In this book Pagan leaders and teachers describe in their own words what they believe and what they practice. From Margot Adler, an NPR reporter and author of Drawing Down the Moon, to Isaac Bonewits, ArchDruid and founder of a modern neo-Druidic organization, those interviewed in this book express the rich diversity of modern Paganism. Hopman's insightful questions draw on her own experiences as a Pagan and Druid as well as on her extensive research. With coauthor Lawrence Bond, she examines how Pagans address such issues as parenting, organized religion, and politics. The resulting dialogues illuminate the modern Pagan revival.
Renowned herbalist and druid Ellen Evert Hopman interviews an assortment of artists, prostitutes, militants, scientists, lawyers, writers, and priestesses who all have one thing in common: being a pagan. As a dynamic and growing spiritual movement, paganism offers many diverse voices, as evidenced by this fascinating collection of over 60 interviews. Starhawk (The Spiral Dance) debunks the myth of satanic ritual murders in the U.S.; NPR reporter Margot Adler (Drawing Down the Moon) speaks to being a pagan Jew; Z. Budapest (The Goddess in the Office) offers a primer on "Wind Magic"; and Isaac Bonewits (Real Magic) shares stories of pagan fathering. Other compelling voices include a psychiatric nurse and lay midwife named D'vora who defends the tradition of sacred prostitution. And Victor Anderson, a leader in the "Feri/Faery Faith in America," speaks to his unwavering belief in little people and the true story behind "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." Kudos to Hopman and cowriter Lawrence Bond for chronicling this sweeping and excellent testimonial to modern-day paganism. --Gail Hudson
Review
"This book should appear on the suggested reading list given to any student on a Pagan path." (PanGaia: Living the Pagan Life )
"Being a Pagan is well researched and offers a panoramic outlook on a growing spiritual movement offering hope for our Earth." (New Age Retailer )
"The collection is refreshingly unlike other spiritual self-discovery books because it is not a how-to, but instead an oral documentation of actual practice, thus providing an extremely valuable historiography of paganism." (Small Press )
"Hopman and Bond are evenhanded in their treatment of each individual expression of paganism, never setting one against the other. Their biases never show, which in itself is quite a feat. The questions asked are pertinent and probing. If you are not a pagan, this book is definitely for you. It does not seek to convert, only to inform and challenge your own faith, or lack of it. For both pagan and non-pagan, if nothing else, it will change your understanding of what it means to call oneself 'pagan.'" (Brigit's Feast )
"I cannot begin to describe how much I enjoyed this book! Being a Pagan made my December Top Ten list, and I firmly believe that this is a volume every witch should own. Containing dozens of interviews with every major leader of the modern Pagan movement, representing an equal number of paths, Traditions and perspectives, Hopman and Bond have created an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Earth-Based Spirituality." ( Stefani Barner, The Pagan Activist, Feb 2007 )
Ellen Evert Hopman is a Master Herbalist and lay Homeopath who holds an M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling.
Ellen Evert Hopman is the author of a growing number of books. Her newest offering is Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore (Pendraig Publishing, 2011), a study of the folk magic and healing plants of the Highlands and islands of Scotland.
Her first novel, Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey (Llewellyn, February 2008), was an exciting new project for her, combining a heart-warming fictional romance with practical Druid rites and rituals. The sequel is called The Druid Isle (Llewellyn, April 2010). The third book in the series is Priestess of the Fire Temple: A Druid's Tale (Llewellyn) which will be released in March of 2012
Her newest book on tree medicine and tree lore is A Druid's Herbal for Sacred Tree Medicine (Inner Traditions - Bear and Company, June 2008) Other books include Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans, and Witches Today (Destiny Books, 2001), People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out (Inner Traditions, 1995), Walking the World in Wonder - A Children's Herbal (Healing Arts Press, 2000), A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year (Destiny Books, 1994) , and Tree Medicine -Tree Magic (Phoenix Publishing, Inc.,1992, currently out of print).
Hopman is a founding member of The Order of the White Oak (Ord Na Darach Gile, www.whiteoakdruids.org) and its former Co-Chief, a Bard of the Gorsedd of Caer Abiri, and a Druidess of the Druid Clan of Dana. She was Vice President of The Henge of Keltria, an international Druid Fellowship, for nine years. She has also been at times a member of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids and of ADF, A Druid Fellowship. She is the co-creator of the Virtual Shrine of the Goddess Brighid (http://shrineofbrighid.com/)
Hopman has been a teacher of Herbalism since 1983 and of Druidism since 1990. She is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild. Hopman is a member of the Grey Council of Mages and Sages and has been a professor at the Grey School of Wizardry.
Hopman has presented on Druidism, herbal lore, tree lore, Paganism, and magic at conferences, festivals, and events in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and the United States. She has participated in numerous radio and television programs including National Public Radio's "Vox Pop" and the Gary Null show in New York. She presented a weekly "herb report" for WRSI radio out of Greenfield, MA for over a year and was a featured subject in a documentary about Druids on A&E Television's "The Unexplained" (Sacred Societies, February 1999).
She has also released video tapes and DVDs on the subjects covered in her books through Sawmill River Productions. See clips at: http://vimeo.com/user2687064/videos Purchase the DVDs for $20.00 plus $4.00 from Ellen at POB 219, Amherst, MA 01004
She has been a teacher of Herbalism since 1983 and of Druidism since 1990 and co-leads tours to Celtic and Neolithic sites in Europe. She was the founder of The New England Druid Summit, a yearly gathering of Druids in New England.
She has participated in numerous radio and television programs including the Gary Null show in New York, and presented a weekly "herb report" for WRSI radio, out of Greenfield, MA for two years. She was a featured subject in a February, 1999 documentary on Druids on A&E Television's "The Unexplained". She has been on the staff of Keltria: Journal of Druidism and Celtic Magick and has been a contributing author to many New Age and Pagan journals.
Visit www.elleneverthopman.com to read Ellen's monthly blog.
Praise for Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore;
Many of the herbal and magical practices of the Scots are echoed in traditional Norwegian folk medicine and magic. This is a valuable resource book not only for the serious folklorist, but also for a wider audience interested in a deeper look at rural Scottish practices. Ms. Hopman has done an amazing amount of research, and her Scottish herbalism section is far more detailed than I've seen elsewhere. A "must have" for the northern European folklorist's library. Jane T. Sibley, Ph.D., author of "The Hammer of the Smith" and "The Divine Thunderbolt: Missile of the Gods".
Through her books, Ellen Evert Hopman lifts the veil between worlds of the present and the past. She guides the reader on a fascinating journey to our ancient Celtic history, simultaneously restoring lost knowledge and entertaining the reader. Be prepared to be educated and delighted. Wendy Farley, Clan McKleod
"The first things is WOW! Ellen Hopman has given us a volume that belongs in Harry Potter's library. This wonderful collection of enchantments, faery lore and herbal potions, is presented by a practicing herbalist and (I suspect) magician. It is a useful manual of magic, an unusual tourist guide to Scotland, certainly a delightful read, and at the very least, a comprehensive and thoroughly footnoted collection of folk lore for humorless librarians and scholars." Matthew Wood MS (Scottish School of Herbal Medicine) Registered Herbalist (American Herbalists Guild)
Every now and again, a book emerges from the waves of occult and magical authorship that delves into the deep and ancestral waters of old magic! This book is one of those rare occasions. From the lore of herbs to the blessing of stones; from avioding the elf-blast to healing through Faerie blessing - Ellen guides the reader through ancient groves of oral lore to discover a power and spirit that connects the reader to the oldest of magics, the earth and her elements. I am confident that the Scottish Ancestral Wise Ones, are renewed through this book and the old ways live once again! Orion Foxwood
Ellen Evert Hopman takes us deep into a world where folk magic and herbal medicine are part and parcel of a daily life guided by the cycles of the sun and the moon and the land. She strikes a perfect balance, combining rigorous scholarship, deep understanding of the Scottish worldview, and clear and accessible writing with just the right measure of the mystical and poetic. At once a rich and detailed study of traditional Scottish ways and a practical manual for bringing healing and magic into your own life. A truly masterful work. Sean Donahue, Traditional Herbalist http://www.brighidswellherbs.com
Like a wee bairn sitting on grandma's lap absorbing legend, lore and instruction from the talk around the hearth, you will learn from and delight in this richly accomplished book. Take a sip or a long draught, you will be nourished deeply. Susn S. Weed author of the Wise Woman Herbal series.
Woven into this well-researched and beautifully presented book is a magical thread. This thread forms a path and this path winds its way into the very marrow of the old and forgotten ways of Scotland. Throughout these pages Ellen lavishes the reader with a body of knowledge that she means to be used in direct participation with Nature. The message is clear: The old Wisdom endures and is more vital to us than ever before. Michael Dunning - Scottish shaman, writer, artist and teacher.
A recent review of A Druids Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine;
SageWoman BBI Media, Inc. www.witchesandpagans.com
REVIEW:
As a practicing herbalist, I am always on the lookout for books rich with herbal lore. The problem is that most books are either medicinal or magical, and when they're both, the information therein is not always especially helpful. Enter Ellen Evert Hopman, whose book, however, is a thorough and complete look at both. Hopman is not only an herbalist but a Druid priestess, as well and she obviously has a keen intuitive sense of tree medicine that she couples this with Druid lore (as well as Native American lore). Sacred Tree Medicine traces through the Druid Ogham Tree alphabet, giving the symbolic, liturgical, poetic, medicinal, and spiritual aspects of each sacred tree.
Though there is focus on herb lore, the Goddess is given plenty of attention, too. Hopman teaches her reader how each sacred tree assists in spiritual practice and which face of the Goddess it represents. I had the most fun taking this book to the forests by my home, identifying trees and sampling their offerings. The book closes with a section on the Druidic arts including magic, tools, festivals, and divinations. This gives the reader the opportunity to put her newfound knowledge of trees and magic to practical use.
Hopman is an incredible resource for all of us seeking to take our health, medicine, and spirituality into our own hands. Sacred Tree Medicine deserves a place on the shelf next to her other guides of magical and medicinal lore.
This review is from: Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans, and Witches Today (Paperback)
I ordered this book under the impression that it was a new book by the authors of People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out, a long-time favorite that I have been recommending to people for years. Imagine my surprise and disappointment to find that it is the *same* book under a new title. (This is a pet peeve of mine, particularly since there is another publisher of Pagan books that is very bad about doing this.) It's still a good book but I feel rather as if I've been duped into buying a new copy of a book I already own. So...for those who haven't read People of the Earth, buy it and enjoy it; for those who have, don't bother.
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This review is from: Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans, and Witches Today (Paperback)
Ms. Hopman and Mr. Bond gave us a very memorable view of the pagan world in their book "People of the Earth: The New Pagans Speak Out". Published in 1995, it was a look at a time in the early 90's from the point of view of some of the members of that pagan culture. It was a look at those who comprised the pagan community at that time. Drawn from interviews done around 1993 and 1994, many of which were done at the Starwood Festival in New York State, they were insightful and gave a picture of what paganism was at that time, at that place.
"Being a Pagan" is the re-release of this book. New title but the same material right down to the graphics and photos.
While some of you may not have had the opportunity to obtain the first book "People of the Earth", which is now out of print, this is an opportunity to obtain a new copy.
Those of you who already have "People of the Earth" may want to bypass this, as it really does not contain any relevant new material.
While this may be a wonderful look at the world of paganism in the early 90's, the pagan community has changed so much in the last ten years. This book now serves as a small window of history about an event and a time in the early pagan culture.
It's a shame that the cover does not mention this is a release of the older book. I've noticed many people upset by that fact and I feel it should have been made very clear on the front cover. The book is supposed to be "revised" but I was hard pressed to find any obvious revisions.
Otherwise, it is a book worth having for its look at the pagan culture at that time.
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This review is from: Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans, and Witches Today (Paperback)
Aside from the weirdness caused by the book's re-naming which caused some to purchase it twice (it was formerly known as 'People of the Earth') this is a great and diverse collection of ideas centered around Pagan spirituality. There are some wonderful interviews with a lot of different people. From Starhawk, to Victor Anderson, to Annie Sprinkle... a wealth of styles and philosophies are presented.
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