“Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions” by Joyce & River Higginbotham
A comprehensive guide to a growing religious movement. If you want to study Paganism in more detail, this book is the place to start. Based on a course in Paganism that the authors have taught for more than a decade, it is full of exercises, meditations, and discussion questions for group or individual study.
This book presents the basic fundamentals of Paganism. It explores what Pagans are like; how the Pagan sacred year is arranged; what Pagans do in ritual; what magick is; and what Pagans believe about God, worship, human nature, and ethics. (Amazon)
I bought this book because I felt that while I felt comfortable going down my current path of exploration, I wasn’t sure just yet where that path was leading. (Being anxiety prone and slightly OCD, having control over things is very important!) The book is laid out for those that are curious about the various types and facets of paganism, as well as for those who are embarking on their own spiritual journey and looking for guidance.
The book is a result of paganism courses the authors have taught over the years, and there are exercises at the end of each chapter that resemble a course-like structure. The ‘What Is Paganism’ chapter was interesting, however I wished the authors had included more detailed description about each of the pagan paths, such as Asatru, Druidism, Wicca, etc. Perhaps its too much to put all in one book, given how much more was in the later chapters of the book.
I found the chapters on belief systems, spiritual mindsets, and diety concepts very interesting. Lots of comparisons between paganism and other mainstream religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam. And the discussions of quantum physics, magic, and how it relates to the universe, wow, pretty deep for an intro to paganism book!
I would recommend this book to anybody interested in paganism, specifically Wicca, and who wants to learn about the scientific side of magic and consciousness.
(c) A Year And A Day (2012)
West Coast Pagan 