Customer Reviews

Spirits of the Sacred Grove: The World of a Druid Priestess

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As I see it, there is one very serious problem with the neo-Pagan movement: we are so focused on the mysticism inherent in our Way that the true mystics among us are often lost in the sea of poseurs. While I believe that we all partake of the mystic experience from time to time, there is in my mind a great difference between the average Joe like me and the "everyday mystic;" that is to say those who seem to actively live in a state of mystical awareness. Christian literature is rife with examples of these folk: Meister Eckhart and Hildegard of Bingen are among the better known, but former Dominican Matthew Fox and the late Thomas Merton also come to mind as relatively contemporary examples. And let us not forget the late Mother Theresa.

Whether Ms. Restall Orr is an "everyday mystic" or not is best left up to the individual reader to decide. For my part, I feel she is either an authentic Pagan mystic, or an extremely accomplished impostor. But I tend to lean toward the former, because even the best poseur is ultimately incapable of counterfeiting the true passion that I find mirrored in Emma's work.

Her antecedents aside, I found this work to be very inspiring, even though I am Wiccan, and not a Druid. Still, I am captivated by the depth of feeling, understanding and devotion that Emma expresses in her work. She is, in my mind, a mystic trying diligently to describe the nature and quality of her experience of the Divine, in the context of her Pagan beliefs. I strongly feel that the Pagan community could benefit immensely from more works of this type, expressing the heart of our faith, and fewer "how to" manuals.

First and Foremost, this book is not a text book. It is a very personal account of life through the eyes and experience of a highly intellignet, talented and very special druid priestess, who is not "flaky" by any means and who has been practising and living her craft for most of her life - certainly more than 10 years. This book transports you to Emma's world - a truly magical place which most of us can only dream of glimpsing. This book is real and inspiring, Emma's language is pure poetry and I feel sad for anybody who cannot see the beauty and passion in her words and who cannot be truly inspired by them. Druidry is the quest for Awen, divine inspiration ... it is not about new age magical practices.

If you are a pagan, buy this book. If you are not a pagan, buy this book!

Thank Goodness this isn't another "how-to" roast apples at Samhain or "how to" read a ritual poem straight from the book--there are countless examples of those. Instead, this is written straight from the experience of a Druid master...several days or events in her life, and does not tell the reader what to think or how to be. Discovering how Emma sees and connects with the world is moving, real and extrordinary. This is one of my five-must-haves in my own collection.

If you are stuck entirely in your mind, or have a problem with non-ordinary reality, however, this won't be for you, because Emma sees and speaks with tree spirits daily. She is deeply connected to her grove and may call forth Pan. Not just 'pretending,' mind you! It is truly revealing of a person who lives communion with nature, not just one who goes through the motions in costume, which is such a refreshing break from the posing that goes on in nature-religions-culture. This book is invaluable to those practicing shamanism, and/or communicating with spirits of nature. But first, you have to believe.

I've been a practicing Pagan for over eight years, and this is one of the best books I've ever read. No, it's definitely not a how-to manual. Instead, it is a heartfelt, deeply moving, and inspiring look at a woman whose Pagan faith is woven throughout her day-to-day life. I agree with the previous reviewer who said that our community needs less how-to books and more essays of this nature, because all of the spells, rituals, and instructions in the world won't let someone truly know how it feels to live our faith. This book, though, does an excellent job of it.

I happen to be a druid, although not in Emma's British Druid Order. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I have to agree with the previous reviewer, though, it is NOT a textbook! It is a personal, poetic and, perhaps, slightly flakey answer to the question "what is druidry?" framed as a journey through the sacred year. As a practitioner, I drew some wonderful insights from reading the book, simply by seeing ideas presented in a different light than I'd seen them before. Conversely, I can see how someone from one of the more Reconstructionist or magically- oriented druid groups might find this book to be silly, simply because they think that druidry "should" be something else. There are multiple types of druidry around these days, and Emma's is one of them. This book gives the flavor of her path, but it teaches as an example, not as an instruction book.

Spirits of the Sacred Grove is not a "how to" book. It is a rich, deep, powerful, gloriously exotic perception of the world which many see to be dusty and bitty and mundane. An intimate journey through the seasons of the year, this book is truly an inspiration.

This was the first book I read in the Pagan Religions. It pulled me in and I couldn't put it down! It is not a "how to" book, but the imagery was amazing and the examples were wonderful. I am now looking for other books in the Druid, Wicca, and Godess paths. I think this book should be read by anyone who is curious! I did! Blessed be and merry part.

In concept, this book sounded promising--instead of a "how to manual" or yet another shallow "101" book, a practicing priestess writes a memoir of her spiritual experience.

However, as a rational educated adult, I found this a very nerve-wracking read. It is as if the author expects the reader to leave her critical mind at the door. Yes, mystical experience is intuitive, poetic, a right brain affair, but, in the words of a previous reviewer, the effect was flaky and an affront to the reader's intelligence.

I have read a lot of experimental prose, but even James Joyce was more coherent than this. Stream-of-consciousness is one thing, but this prose meanders into a quagmire. For example, in the first chapter, even in the here and now reality, the author has an interview with a journalist and leaves the pub at closing time, which is around 11 pm in Britain, then drives to her grove to meditate. So it must be the middle of the night, in October, very dark, and yet she describes her walk to the grove, the colors of the autumn leaves, etc. as if it were daylight. She encounters a blackthorn dryad who pricks her hand with her thorns, numerous other spirit entities. She slides into a trance and relives what reads like a childhood sexual trauma except that the perpetrator is otherworldly, then wakes up again and everything is all right. The trauma is not explored further, but there are numerous spirits and at one point pixies interrupting her thoughts. I was half-expecting unicorns and an alien abduction. The book reads like the Druids by Disney, as "new agey" and cartoonish as The Celestine Prophecies except not as well-written. As someone who used to work with mental health professionals, I wondered about the author's grip on reality. I shudder to think that she is anyone's spiritual role model. It is no wonder, given books like this, that earth spirituality is dismissed as a flaky trend.

This is disappointing as I have read interviews with the author in which she sounded very reasonable and coherent. Perhaps she is more grounded in person than she came across in the book.

There are so many books on similar subjects out there. The writing of people like Caitlin Matthews, Starhawk, Margot Adler, to name a few, are earth religion books that are intelligently written and do not ask you to amputate your brain before you read the first page. Although he hasn't published any books specifically about Druidry, Isaac Bonewits writes fantastic essays on the subject, available at no cost at his website.

It's important that Earth Religionists demand as much from their authors as any other spiritual community. We have our left brain for a reason. Be mystical by all means, but don't lose your critical faculties or commonsense.

As a memeber of the OBOD (Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids), I expected more of this book. Rather than aiding the individual in understanding the wonderful daily and practical applications of druidry (a goal the author establishes for herself in the intro), this book is an abstract, self-indulgent dissertation on personal mystical experiences which both confuses and irritates the sensitive reader. Part of this outcome may be due to the difficulty in finding adequate ways to express personal spiritual experience; however, the tone of the book is dour rather than joyful, and the fairy-filled, ghost-laden pages, are likely to turn-off anyone who is trying seriously to grow in their own practical spiritual experiences.

Emma is not attempting here to necessarily relate specific events. It is a blend of thoughts and experiences that, to me, is wonderful, compelling, and moving. Taking it too literally puts you in the same trap as a fundamentalist. See it for what it is - a beautiful mixture of prose, philosophy, imagination, experience, and advice.