In the tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon, Ellen Evert Hopman weaves Druid history and spirituality into an engaging love story. This Bardic teaching tale is set in a fictional third-century Ireland when Christianity is sweeping across the Celtic Isles. During this time of crisis, love blooms between Ethne, a Druid healer, and her patient, a Fennid warrior. Their passionate affair suffers a tragic blow when Ethne is called upon to become the high queen.
Told from the Druid perspective, Hopman recreates the daily life, magical practices, politics, and spiritual lives of the ancient Celts during this historic turning point. Druid holy days, rites, rituals, herbal lore, and more are brought to life in this Celtic fantasy—illuminating Druidic teachings and cultural wisdom.
"This narrative is a beautiful glance back at pagan culture, Druidic practices and rituals, and daily Celtic life. It makes one yearn for the connection with the earth that we, in our modern day and age, seem to have lost. It reads easily and weaves Druidic teachings with a touching love story." -- Andrea Connell "Historical Novels Review"
About the Author
Ellen Evert Hopman (Massachusetts) has contributed to several Pagan journals and is a popular author of Druidry-related titles. A former teacher at the Grey School of Wizardry, Hopman has been active in American Druidism since 1984. She is a member of the Grey Council of Mages and Sages, co-founder and former co-chief of the Order of the Whiteoak (Ord na Darach Gile), a master herbalist, and a registered herbalist of the American Herbalists Guild.
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: Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey (Paperback)
A masterful written, fictional, love story based in third-century Ireland, this book animates the basic life style of the ancient Celts. Penned along the same lines as The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Priestess of the Forest examines historical class systems, symbols and life passages as seen through the eyes of the Druid class.
The author, Ellen Evert Hopman, currently the co-chief of the Order of the Whiteoak (Ord na Darach Gile) masterfully moves from writing non-fiction to this historical fantasy. Her aim was to engage the reader while teaching the ways of Druidic practice, ancient Celtic daily life, rites and rituals.
The story begins with the main character, Ethne, alone in her woodland hut. Her peace is shattered when a seriously wounded Fennid warrior is brought to her for healing. As she battles to keep him from death, she falls in love with him and he for her as he regains his strength. Unfortunately for them, the world they know is being invaded by a new religion, one that demands they leave behind their own beliefs and practices.
As with all good narratives, there are good guys and bad guys. Ethne is asked by the high Priest and Priestess to become the King's bride. As Queen, they hope she will keep the Druidic ways strong in the land. Since we know the book is a historical fiction, the new religion of Christianity will win out in the end, but I kept hoping for a different conclusion. In the end the bad guys win, but Ethne's personal story has a happy, if bittersweet, finale.
I was fascinated by the brief author interview, which followed the story. Ms. Hopman goes into detail about historical Druids as well as their modern day counter parts. She hopes that this book will be used to further teachings of the rites and passages she included as samples throughout the story line. Also included in the book's back matter is a very useful recommended reading list of books divided by various categories.
If you are looking for some light reading, but want more than a bit of fluff, this is the book for you. This is a masterfully crafted tale that teaches as well as entertains.
This review is from: Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey (Paperback)
The author has masterfully woven the current understandings of the Celtic Reconstruction movement into a beautiful and moving story. Her characters are engaging and real, her scholarship current, and her purity of intention leaves us with a reading experience that is both educational and entertaining. The rites and ritual actions presented in the book will be familiar to anyone who has studied/practiced any form of Celtic Reconstruction spirituality. By skillfully placing these elements throughout the plot, Ms. Hopman has effectively crafted the first work of fiction, to my knowledge, that incorporates CR spiritual principles into the lives and lifestyles of believable characters. This has the effect of "bringing to life" ideas that may have otherwise remained intellectual constructs with no practical basis. The description of Brighid and her associated lore presented on pgs. 145-146 is one of the most concise and beautiful descriptions I have read anywhere. For all of these reasons, I heartily recommend this book!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Priestess of the Forest: A Druid Journey (Paperback)
I have always love Ellen's work, but this is the first I have read of her "fiction" style. All I can say is I hope there is another book to follow this one!!
This book incorporates information from various accurately researched Celtic sources, yet does not make them out to be something other than what we do know about them. I mean she doesn't imply it has a special hidden usage, so therefore she is not misleading.
I know I would love to have had her go further in depth to share the ceremonies/rituals and such talked about, but in truth we don't know exactly how they were all done and that sort of leaves it up to the imagination and thus drives us to do our own research and work. She does give much though of her own views and a few shared views on the subject in a few of the scene's.
Ellen goes further in that she also accurately shares herbal knowledge and lore for plants that would have been found in those periods and the uses they might have been applied to in caring for those who are sick and injured. This also, I feel, drives one to want to learn more.
I devoured the book in under 3 days. Probably would have done it faster but I had to work too - so I can buy more books like hers! She has inspired me to view some of the works I already have, in new lights. She inspired me to look further into a few things I had a base knowledge of, and she also made me hope that there will be a second book that might go into the life of the characters after the "main setting" - I won't go into details as I don't want to spoil the ending!!
Overall I give this 5 stars. It isn't a "how to" book so to speak and it doesn't promise to be a historical document that one might say is fact, but it is a view of one who follows the path of the Druids and is an accurate attempt to give her view on how life might have been from all her studies. I wish we had more books like this!!
If you are looking for a book to tell you how the Druids of old did their magics and ceremonies and such, then this isn't the book for you. But if you want a good read that is a mind stimulant and thought provoker, this is an excellent source with some good resources on where to look for more.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
