Book review: The Old Magic of Christmas

The Old Magic of Christmas

Yuletide traditions for the darkest days of the year

Author:                                Linda Raedisch
Artist:                                  Ellen Lawson

Type:                                    Soft Cover

Pages:                                   248

Genre:                                  non-fiction

Published:                            2014
                                              Llewellyn

ISBN:                                   978-0-7387-3334-0

Source:                                Independently purchased 

The book is a nice size seems well made and has a smattering of black and white illustrations. It will stand about 8 inches tall on the shelf, is 5 1/2 inches deep and almost an inch thick.

Don't be put off by the introduction, for while it does seem to pander slightly to christian sensibility's, it in no way alienates Pagan readers.

While the term christmas is used thought, it is clear that the subject of the book is not the December holiday but the winter solstice commonly known as Yule.

Subjects addressed include Goddesses, witches, elves, spirits, The Krampus, ghosts, werewolves, The Mari Llwyd, Saints, The Wild Hunt, vampires and The Julbock. 

There are interesting crafts and recipes to make through the book. Though the main focus is on the history, folklore and mythology's of Yule.

There is a long and through examination of the herbs associated with the season, as well as notes, calendar, glossary index, and bibliography.
Bonus points are given for using the correct CE, BCE terms.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to discover the true meaning of christmas, or wants to experiment with some new (old) Yule traditions. Those interested in mythology, history and folklore will find this book an entertaining and informative read.
The only thing that would have made this book better would be color pictures, and maybe replacing the term christmas with Yule or winter.

Book Review: Awkward Moments Children's Bible

 Awkward Moments

(not in your average) Children's Bible

Volume 1 

 

Author:                                Horus Gilgamesh
Artist:                                  Agnes Tickheathen

Type:                                    Soft Cover

Pages:                                   80

Genre:                                  Mythology

Published:                            2013

ISBN:                                   978-1492177449

Source:                                Independently purchased 

The book is about 21cm square, there is a title page with a to and from box, just in case you want to give the book as a gift. There ia a forward written by David G McAfee, most of the pages are two page painting style illustration with a biblical verse, the art work is good and does bring to mind children's bible illustrations. The book ends with information about every illustration complete with QR code, a crossword and a fill in the blanks story.

The book is clearly not a children's bible, it is however in that style. The book is a satirical look at actual things from the bible that most people do not think about or are not even aware of. As well as parts that have been removed, heavily edited, added later or are just plain silly.

 My xx's mother happened to notice this book on the coffee table, she asked to look through it and i agreed. I had always thought that she was well versed in her religion, however she was adamant that even some of the well known verses shown were not in any bible.

  It is always amazing to me when i realise i know more about a persons religion then they do. 

One amusing issue that she was adamant about was that she claimed that Transubstantiation was only symbolic to Catholics and not literal. As much as i tried to explain, and even showed her on catholic websites that she was incorrect and that the wine was literally supposed to be blood, and the bread flesh. She still refused to believe. 

She eventually had her "zinger" saying that she had actually had the communion and that it was only wine and bread she ate. I explained that that fact doesn't change that the Catholics believe it to be a literal transformation, and that i wasn't arguing that i agreed with them, just stating what they believed. I even suggested that maybe the priest was having an off day and the ritual failed that day. But she couldn't wrap her head around it sadly, just saying "it wasn't flesh though!".

While i didn't "fact check" all of the books entries, the ones i wasn't sure about did check out. I think it would undermine what the author is trying to do for them to include falsehoods, i cant see them doing it.

I can highly recommend this book for anyone who has been effected by the christian bible (that's everyone). It is a great gift for anyone who draws from the bible in their religious beliefs. It is also an enjoyable read for those who have reformed their beliefs or escaped the church. 

Please check out the website for more information.

 

We need gun control

Sensible Gun Control

First off let me start by saying, i know a lot of people get all upset when gun control is brought up, i have avoided talking about it for just that reason. However i cant in good conscience remain silent, if me writing this makes even one person safer, i must.

I am Australian and we have reasonably sensible gun laws, yes they need strengthening and are constantly under attack by pro-shooters, but they work, for the most part.
We had a mass shooting called the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, and our then Prime Minister, in what most say is the only real good achievement of his term in office, though he did raise the medicare levy to buy guns from owners. The system banned semi-automatic weapons and strengthened gun ownership laws. Deaths by guns have had a decrease over the years as a result of this legislation. We have had few mass shootings since them.
There are still an estimated 250,000 firearms unaccounted for in Australia. The Monash University shooter was provided his gun by a local shooting club, while the Sydney Siege Hostage crisis used weapons from this unaccounted for "black Market'. In both instances the gun laws were tightened slightly and loopholes closed. 

Police recently prevented a possible terror plot / mass shooting by the "United Patriots Front" hate group, when a firearm was seized from a rally bus headed for a "reclaim Australia" hate rally. The weapon was confiscated but astonishingly no charges were laid at that time. Their rally's are usually drowned out by anti-racism protesters.
Indeed more work needs to be done and the pro-shooter lobby groups continually try to water down the gun control laws we do have.

Possessing a gun makes you less safe not more safe!

Statistics show that a household with a gun if far more likely to have a family member of friend injured by that gun than for the weapon to be used in defense of that household.

10 Pro-Gun Myths, Shot Down

Don't be fooled by the pro-shooters; guns do make it easier to kill people, "bad guys" do legally get guns, guns are more likely to be used to attack then they are to defend, there is no legitimate reason for any non-law enforcement, military person to have a gun. 

Times, and guns have changed.

I am sure if Americas constitution writers had foreseen the advancement in firearm technology and foreseen the results in mass ownership, they would have been a bit more specific. They were obviously thinking about the weapons available at the time. 
I am not a constitutional expert but it seems to me that the right to bear arms was in direct relation to maintaining a militia. I don't think the USA has a militia any more, they have an Army/navy/ air force instead, don't they? 
Also there are already exemptions to gun ownership, as i don't think guns are allowed in prisons?

Perhaps if America and Australia are unwilling to implement reasonable gun control laws, other areas need to be strengthened to protect its citizens. I am thinking in light of the probable incitement of "pro-life" proponents in the recent family planning mass shooting, we should look at strengthening anti-hate speech laws, and anti-discrimination laws.

For more information about gun control in Australia see 

Gun Control Australia.

 

 

 I have some ideas to increase gun safety for Australia:

* 18+ years old to use a gun.
* Increase gun license costs.
* Place special tax on guns and especially bullets.
* Modify all guns so that all are single shot and that  re-loading is a long and complicated physical mechanical process. (these alterations would be at owners/buyers expense).
* Mandatory advertising in local papers of persons intent to get gun license, any legitimate objections by public would ban gun ownership.
* Ban gun use in parks and public places.
* Full mental health check before weapon and gun license purchase, and yearly after that.
* Long waiting time to get gun and license, 12 months at least. 
* No gun ownership if criminal record or history of violence.
* If you "lose" your gun, you lose your license and are held accountable if that weapon is ever used in a crime. 

Book Review: The Witches Almanac 2015

The Witches Almanac

Issue 34 Spring-2015-2016 

Fire the Transformer 

Author:                               Various

Publisher:                            The Witches Almanac    

Type:                                    Soft Cover

Pages:                                   192

Genre:                                  Non-fiction

Published:                            2014

ISBN:                                   978-1-881098-15-7

Source:                                Independently purchased 

The book itself is of good quality and has black and white pictures thorough. It is in the style of a magazine in that it has a variety of articles and entry's. 
It has no index, but does use correct non-bigoted dating standards. The fire the transformer theme seems to be almost non existent, strangely enough.

There is a huge variety of articles, including entry's on Oarfish, The Voynich Manuscript, Tasmanian tiger, a haunted lighthouse, Orisha, short fables, H.P. Lovecraft, Yule, Walpurgisnacht, Dorje, animal lore, ghosts and love, to name just a few.

There are a few entry's on Cryptozoology, one being about lumberjack folklore unfortunately has an unnecessary mocking tone . The folklore always suggested to me to be an imaginative explanations for the odd sights seen in the woods. 
It is amusing that one of the "hoaxes" discussed (the furred trout) has actually been proven to be a real thing. I think it should be a lesson to all writers to tone down the mocking and just report the facts, in order to minimise embarrassment later..

The article o reincarnation may also be a little out of date, as there is a lot of evidence currently for "past" lives. 

A moon phase calendar does take up a lot of space, but it is speckled with seemingly random bits of lore.

There is an interview with Olivia MMelian Durdin - Robertson founder of the Fellowship of (The Goddess) Isis.

Buying a book like this is a bit of a risk as the content will always change. There is always be a risk that you wont like everything within the book, but you should like somethings i am sure. I would buy another issue for sure, and i would recommend it to anyone interested in the supernatural or spiritual.