Seasons of Magic [Paperback]

Laurel Ann Reinhardt (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Twelve-year-old Erin has always enjoyed celebrating the changing of the seasons with her family, but as she listens to her friend Rachel explain to their class what Christmas means to her, Erin realizes that she doesn't understand exactly why her family celebrates the Winter Solstice.

Erin's mother suggests that she ask Evangeline, a wise older woman who agrees to teach Erin about the magic of the seasons. Erin promises to take her studies seriously, and she soon finds that her joy of discovering the deeper levels of meaning embedded within her family's beliefs and rituals is balanced by quiet contemplation and hard work.

As Erin watches the Wheel of the Year turn, she discovers that the changing seasons also mirror changes in her relationship with her inner self and those around her.   This heartwarming tale of one girl's magical journey will delight readers of all ages.

Along the way you will discover lessons about Imbolc (February 2, a time of returning light); Spring Equinox (March 20, promises of spring); Beltaine (May 1, the sowing of seeds); Summer Solstice (June 21, the fullness of summer); Lammas (August 2, the first harvest); Fall Equinox (September 21, the full harvest); Samhain (October 31, the season of ancestors); and Yule (December 21, a celebration of the darkness of winter).

Seasons of Magic also includes a journal with questions to help you further explore the seasonal festivals and design your own celebrations.

In the following excerpt, Erin discovers the magic of Mother Nature:

"Good morning, Erin. Another good picking, I see."
"Yes, it is," Erin said, setting down two cereal bowls, each filled to the brim with berries. "I keep expecting the berries to run out, but every day there are more, almost as though they're magic bushes."

Evangeline's eyes twinkled as she replied. "They are magic, Erin. Natural earth magic, that is," she said, laughing from deep down in her belly. Erin was always amazed at that laugh that was so big yet came from a woman so small.

"What do you mean, earth magic?" Erin asked, settling down into a chair, eager for one of Evangeline's lessons. . .

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laurel Ann Reinhardt has been interested in alternative spirituality since her childhood.  Her spiritual path has included: Christian Science, Congregational, Celtic/Druidic, the works of Seth/Jane Roberts, Parmahansa Yogananda, Jewish/Christian mysticism, and most recently the Diamond Path work of A.H. Almaas.  Though some people may say that such spiritual eclecticism does not allow one to go deeply enough into any tradition, Laurel feels that a varied path is the way in which we will realize that all paths are really one.

Laurel has two goddess-daughters; one aged twenty-one and one aged four.  Seasons of Magic:A Girl's Journey grew out of experiences with her oldest goddess-daughter, and her fifteen years of participation in a women's cross-quarter day celebration group, of which she is a founding member.

Laurel has a Ph.D. in psychology and is a practicing psychologist and writer.  In her work as a psychologist, she uses dreamwork and ritual to help people listen deeply to themselves in order to reconnect with their soul dreams, those yearnings that give meaning and purpose to life.  She also writes about the changing face of psychology and its relevance for today's world.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Why?

I don't know why I let my mother talk me into this, Erin thought nervously as she crossed the wide, wrap-around porch at the front of Evangeline's house. Erin reached out a gloved hand for the door knocker, then pulled back quickly when she realized it was a figure of a snake curled back on itself, swallowing its tail. She hesitated briefly, glancing around to see if anyone was watching. I could still leave, she thought. Coward! came the immediate reply. If you want to know, you have to do this. She took a deep breath and, with a trembling hand, reached out again, letting the brass snake fall as she stepped back.

Part of her was excited to see what other oddities lay behind the unusual door, while another part of her just wanted to turn around and run before the door opened, exposing her to whatever was behind it.

Why can't I be like my friend Rachel? Erin thought. Why can't I just believe what she believes? Why do I have to know what lies behind wooden doors with snake door knockers? Why, why, why?

Erin's tension reached such a state that when Evangeline finally opened the door, it was like opening a vacuum. Erin found herself propelled into the old woman's living room. She whirled around to face Evangeline, blurting out her need before she could chicken out.

"I just had to talk to someone, Evangeline, and Mom thought it would be best if I talked to you. I'm so upset and confused, I don't know where to start. You just have to help me, I . . ."

Erin stopped suddenly, aghast. Here she was telling an eighty-year-old woman, a woman of acknowledged wisdom in spiritual matters, what she had to do. Suddenly, all of the fear and hesitation Erin had experienced at Evangeline's front door came back in a rush. She was about to apologize when she noticed that Evangeline was smiling. Erin relaxed enough then to realize that she was actually taller than Evangeline, who had always seemed so huge. And the wisps of gray hair that had escaped from their clasp reminded Erin of her grandmother.

"We'll start with some tea," was Evangeline's response. "Then, when you've caught your breath, you can tell me all about it. Come on in the kitchen while I get things ready."

In the sunny, warm kitchen, Erin felt soothed as she watched Evangeline in the familiar task of tea-making. Soon she had her chilled hands around a steaming mug and was telling Evangeline her troubles.

"We shared in school today about what we did over winter vacation. Rachel talked about Christmas and Jesus, and how it's His birthday, and how special that is because He's God's son. She says He is God's gift to the world, and that's why she and her family exchange gifts, as a reminder of that. And I can see why that makes Christmas so special to her."

Evangeline nodded.

"Then it was my turn. I had been real excited to tell about our celebration of Winter Solstice with the tree and candles, and the gift blanket and all, but once I was talking, I realized that I didn't know why we celebrate solstice. There must be a reason for it all, some point to it, but I don't know what that is."

"You mean, there must be a better reason than 'we've done it before and it's fun.' Some reason bigger than all of us."

Erin nodded, appreciating Evangeline's quick understanding. "What made it even worse was that on the way home, Rachel and I ran into Jonathan. He's an older boy who was held back a year so he's in our class. Anyway, he made fun of me and our solstice celebration all the way home, saying our house would burn down from the candles on the tree, and that my parents should have given me away on the gift blanket. I was really glad Rachel was there. She just kept telling me to ignore him, that he didn't know what he was talking about. But I could tell that she didn't understand about our solstice, either."

"I can see why all that would be so upsetting, since you are already having doubts on your own," said Evangeline. "Now, tell me how I can be of help."

"Well," Erin started slowly, gathering her thoughts, "Mom and I thought you might be the best person to teach me about our celebrations."

"Why can't she or your godmother, Sarah, help you? They both know about these things, too."

"Oh, they do, for sure, but Mom thought you might be more objective than either of them."

"You mean I might be more inclined to let you find your own way, rather than insisting you understand things as I do," Evangeline said thoughtfully.

"Right! Besides, you're a lot older and wiser than Mom and Sarah. You're the one who taught them all they know." After a moment Erin blushed, wondering if she might have offended Evangeline by saying she was so much older.

As if she could read Erin's mind, Evangeline responded, "Oh, don't worry about offending me, child. After all, I am a lot older. Why, I must be twice their age. Now, on to your request. You already know that I celebrate the eight seasonal earth festivals, just like your mother and Sarah. Imbolc is coming up next, so I guess that's where we'd begin. . . ." Evangeline paused.

"Great! So what is Imbolc, what do I do?" Erin asked in a rush, trying to look excited and enthusiastic, while inside she felt as though something was chewing its way through her stomach.

"Wait a minute, slow down," Evangeline said solemnly. "I haven't agreed to do it yet."

Sheepish, Erin blinked into the old woman's steady eyes. "And, you may not want me to help after you hear what my ground rules are."

Erin suddenly felt wary. "Ground rules?" she asked, incredulously.

"Yes, ground rules. You seem to be pretty serious about this. Well, so am I. So, there will be ground rules."

"Like what?"

"Well, you know it takes a full year to celebrate all of our festivals, so the first ground rule is that we both agree to work together for one full year. That means that the final celebration in our year of work will be Winter Solstice of next year. Do you think you can agree to that?" asked Evangeline.

Erin nodded silently, feeling very grown up all of a sudden.

"Good. Now, in return for the guidance I give you, you will need to give something as well. I don't know yet what that will be, and there may be more than one, but such sacrifices tend to fit in with what you will be learning."

Before Erin could speak, Evangeline continued. "Now I don't want you to give me your answer to this ground rule right away. This is not an easy decision to make, so I want you to sleep on it. Tomorrow will be soon enough to tell me what you decide."

With that, Erin found herself being whisked through the house, into her coat, and out the front door, which banged shut behind her.

I guess I don't get to ask any more questions, thought Erin, as she went down the steps. I just have to decide. But how do I decide without much information? I wonder what kind of sacrifices she's talking about anyway? Surely they can't be too hard, since I'm only twelve. Still, it's tough to make a decision without knowing more. Maybe I could ask Sarah to help me. . . .

Erin stood at the end of Evangeline's sidewalk, wondering what to do. In the end, she turned toward home, knowing she had to make this decision on her own.

That night, Erin lay awake in her room for a long time. By bedtime she knew she had already made her decision when she knocked on Evangeline's door; she intended to spend the year learning from the old woman. What kept Erin awake were all of the unknowns: What sacrifices would she have to make? What would she learn? Would she be able to meet all of the challenges that lay ahead? Would she come away with a stronger sense of who she was and how she fit into the world? Would she eventually know her god in the way Rachel knew hers? She finally fell into a fitful and dream-charged sleep.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 1st edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567185649
• ISBN-13: 978-1567185645
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,100,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Religions > Fiction > Other
  • #59 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Wicca
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Holidays & Festivals > Religious

More About the Author

Laurel Reinhardt, Ph.D., is a "recovering psychologist" who gave up her license in 2001 out of ethical concerns about her profession. She now thinks of herself as a "joy coach," and uses several vehicles for expressing her own joy and inviting others to do the same: writing, fiber art, labyrinths, dreamwork, and The Transformation Game, among others. Her fiber art, which includes labyrinth quilts, can be viewed at her website: www.InnerLandscaping.com; she can be reached at [e-mail].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars pleasing story of a girl's learning the Wheel of the Year, March 8, 2002

By 

Tom L. Waters (Tesuque, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Seasons of Magic (Paperback)

Seasons of Magic: A Girl's Journey by Laurel Ann Reinhart introduces pre-teen kids to the wheel of the year through the story of a 12-year-old girl. Always on the look-out for Pagan parenting resources, I decided to have a look at this book. I approached it with some initial skepticism, simply because in my own childhood I moved directly from children's books to adult books, never finding much in the "fiction for young readers" genre to capture my interest.

The premise of the book is that the main character, Erin, raised in a Pagan family, is curious to learn more about the seasonal celebrations, and begins receiving instruction from an elderly friend. Reading the first couple chapters, it looked like Erin's story was sort of a gimmick to make the informational content more digestible for young people, which didn't strike me as terribly necessary or even very effectively done.

As I continued, though, I was pleasantly surprised to watch Erin's relationships with her friends change and grow. This theme is handled with a welcome, low-key realism, showing an awareness of human nature and the rhythms of life. Erin has non-Pagan friends, and this delicate issue is also handled in a positive, non-melodramatic way. Pagan interest in helping the environment is also conveyed with the same gentle practicality. By the middle of the book, I was appreciating it as a reading experience for myself, parenting thoughts aside.

Erin's wise-woman teacher dies before the wheel is completed. Erin, with the help of family and friends, makes contact with her again through a Samhain ritual, which closes the wheel and ends the story. Up to this point, the magic in the book had been essentially of the "natural" sort, the wonders of the changing seasons. This chapter, necessarily, presents Pagan magic in a more direct fashion, and it is wonderfully done. The depth of the experience is conveyed, without indulging in exaggeration that would prompt a young reader to see the book as a fantasy novel. Erin's reaction to the experience also seems very natural and genuine.

At the end of the book, after the story concludes, there is a nice compilation of informational matter relating to the wheel of the year, which a young person could actually use to develop their own appreciation of our sacred days.

This book does a fine job of conveying Pagan beliefs and practices as a natural and integral part of life. It might be a little too low-key for some kids, though, and kids older than the character in the book would probably prefer something more teen-focused. I would recommend it for ages 8-12. This is not by any means a great milestone of Pagan literature, but it is a nice addition to a family bookshelf, addressing an age group that has received too little attention from Pagan authors and publishers.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very sweet book!, September 3, 2001

By 

Gina House (Londonderry, NH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seasons of Magic (Paperback)

I thought that this book may have been just for children, but I had such a fun time reading it. The softly drawn pictures really make this book come alive and the writing is smooth, easy to read, and very informative. I am very excited to read this book to my child and share with him the hows and whys of Mother Earth's sacred days. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think you will, too, especially if you have a child to share it with.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Pagan Instructional Material for Any Age, September 25, 2006

By 

SO - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seasons of Magic (Paperback)

I have been studying Paganism for 5 years, have read dozens of books, and found this book to be the easiest one for laying out great seasonal themes for the household and wonderful, easy to understand explaination of the old ways and the wheel of the year. Because of this book, I am more equipped to instruct my young child in an easy to understand, fun and creative manner. Five Stars!!!