Professor Kevin Gardner has been counseling people for over 30 years, and teaching both in person and via correspondence for about 20 years. He has spent more than 7 years as a Correctional Officer, doing Pastoral Counseling with inmates on a near daily basis. A student of the Wiccan Faith since the early 70's, Kevin Gardner was formally trained through, and a graduate of, the Church & School of Wicca. In 2009 Kevin was formally consecrated as a Bishop through Apostolic Succession and was elected into the Bishop's College of The Church of Seven Planes (www.sevenplanes.org), where he was assigned the states of Ky and IL to work with and assist CSP Ministers. In 2008 Kevin accepted a Bishops appointment presiding over the Wiccan Diocese with Four Winds Fellowship and another Clergy/mentoring position with the Federal Prison System in Terre Haute, Indiana. He is also enrolled with Vista Care as an Interfaith Minister working with Hospice patients. Currently Kevin is the High Priest of the Temple of Ishtar, located in rural Indiana, and a Professor of Spiritual Studies on staff for the "Interfaith Seminary" where he specializes in Wicca, Alternative Spirituality and the Paranormal.
Books by Rt Rev'd Dr. Kevin M. Gardner include "The Pagan Clergy's Guide for Counseling, Crisis Intervention and Otherworld Transitions", "A Handbook For Wiccan Clergy" and "The Wiccan Minister's Manual, A Guide For Priests and Priestesses." Kevin has also had articles published in Circle Magazine, Fate Magazine, Pan Gaia, and The Blessed Bee. In addition to this and his teaching, he often gives lectures at local Pagan Gatherings, & New Age stores. You can contact Kevin directly at: Bishop@ladyishtar.org
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
These are the pre-release reviews I recieved before publication,
This review is from: The Pagan Clergy's Guide for Counseling, Crisis Intervention and Otherworld Transitions (Paperback)
"While one of the most beautiful aspects of Paganism is the individual's direct relationship with the Divine, Pagan Clergy remain an essential part of the community. Sadly, there is little to no real training for clergy in these communities. As Paganism grows, so does the need for well trained and experienced spiritual counselors. Rev. Kevin Gardner has written a wonderful guide to help Pagan Clergy and other spiritual counselors begin the journey to becoming truly effective and valuable members of the community.
This valuable book also honors the effects of that direct relationship with the Divine without ignoring the potential for mental illness. I have known people with true mental illness that were told to hug a tree or carry a particular crystal. Of course that didn't help and it only solidified the individual's belief that they were not "fixable". As far as I'm concerned, it is criminal to dole out "professional" advice or try to effect serious healing without proper training. The Pagan Clergy's Guide for Counseling, Crisis Intervention and Otherworld Transitions encourages the empowerment of both individuals in a counseling relationship, while guiding counselors through a variety of philosophies and techniques to be more effective. The inclusion of charts, checklists, tables and meditations really adds to the value of this book. I particularly appreciate the advice to explore one's own motivations and the exercise to assist readers in identifying their feelings regarding death for those interested in working with death and dying. This is an essential component of death and dying work. I highly recommend this book for anyone that is, or is considering, working as Pagan Clergy and for those offering spiritual counseling or any form of healing." - Kristin Madden, author of "Shamanic Guide to Death and Dying", "The Book of Shamanic Healing, and "Magick, Mystery and Medicine" "Every new religious movement reaches a point where it matures into a true spiritual path. Occasionally a book comes along which marks that evolution from such a movement being inward looking to looking outwards to understand it's true purpose. "The Pagan Clergy's Guide... is one of those books. It marks the transition of Wicca into a Priesthood of service to the community and the divine. We can't speak more highly of this book. It is well written, well sourced and has gems of wisdom that only come from experience. We would recommend it to any practicing Wiccan priestess/priest as an essential book for their shelf." - Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone RN. Authors: A Witches Bible, A Witches Goddess, Spells and How they Work, The Healing Craft and Progressive Witchcraft. "This well researched book is an easy read and an excellent reference for Pagan's involved in chaplaincy work." - Kerr Cuhulain Author: Wiccan Warrior, Full Contact Magick and Magickal Self Defense "From basic counseling skills through crisis intervention, marital and family counseling, grief and other transitional issues, Kevin is there to hold your hand, provide insights into behaviors and motivations, and guide you around the pitfalls and problems inherent in any counseling relationship. The unique aspects of counseling those with developing psychic or magickal abilities are handled with common sense and caution, helping the counselor to discriminate between psychic and psychotic, and to handle the effects of magickal workings. Long awaited and desperately needed, this little volume may well prove to be THE guide for Priests and Priestesses in any counseling role." - Rhiannon, Wiccan Priestess, Co-founder of SerpentStone, Psychiatric Nurse, BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing), Master of Science in Counseling. "Kevin's new book is a blessing for those of us who constantly take on the challenge of assisting Pagans in crisis. With all the books out there that constantly rehash Paganism 101, this book provides a "sigh of relief" in assisting clergy with tough "fieldwork". Add this book to your collection of necessary resources for crisis intervention with the Pagan population. - Ms. Ann E. Oxyer-Sorley
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not reputable,
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This review is from: The Pagan Clergy's Guide for Counseling, Crisis Intervention and Otherworld Transitions (Paperback)
I had high hopes that when I purchased this book I would find at least something of value. I was badly disappointed. Gardner has not only thrown dijointed information together in a scheme that would make someone with ADD confused, the information itself really isn't all that valuable. What information can be gleaned from his book is very cursory and doesn't provide any substantial knowledge about pastoral counseling or crisis intervention as the title claims. Further, in the opening pages of the text, Gardner tells fantastic stories of people being stalked by demonic creatures from the beyond with large glowing eyes and being called upon to handle "the situation". Please...
Very poorly executed attempt. This isn't for serious neo-pagan clergy.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Overview,
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This review is from: The Pagan Clergy's Guide for Counseling, Crisis Intervention and Otherworld Transitions (Paperback)
I enjoyed this book quite a bit; it was nice to finally see books, and others like his (ie. The Pagan Book of Living and Dying by Starhawk) on the market for those of us called to do the work of clergy. The only downside to this book is that it is unfortunately very generic in a lot of places. However, he is writing from a Wiccan point of view to a far broader audience, so I understood why. That said, this book is an excellent addition to the library whether you follow the information he has laid out like the guided meditations word for word, or us it as inspiration.
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