Neopagan Rites by Isaac Bonewits © 2007 Llewellyn Worldwide ISBN
0-7387-1199-7 264 pages Paperback $15.95
(U.S.) $18.50 (Canada)
One of the things I have always admired about Isaac Bonewits is his
ability
to make complex subjects comprehensible to the average person without
"dumbing down" the topics. He takes the time to explain his terminology
before beginning and then proceeds to explain his position and/or beliefs
in
3easy to understand, logical steps. This is not to say that his ideas are
simplistic; they most certainly are not; nor are they necessarily
non-controversial, in fact they are almost always thought provoking, if
not
debate inspiring.
I will confess, here and now, that I haven't read a lot of Isaac's
literary
output (only Real Magic and The Pagan Man), but I have followed many of
the
debates his work has inspired, as well as being familiar with some of his
work on the subject of Druidic research. I also had the pleasure of
meeting
him and attending a ritual he created many years ago at a Pagan gathering
in
the Midwest. I haven't always agreed with him, but I have learned from
him.
Isaac is sure to offend some readers by his no-nonsense approach to magic
(i.e., "I suggest not doing magic or bothering deities with requests until
after you've tried all other ethical means to solve your problem." [page
152]) Italics in the original. Given his many years of experience in the
magical field I can only suggest that, should you be relatively new to the
work, give him the benefit of the doubt.
If you are leading a group, or if you plant to lead a group, or if you are
involved in a group, or even if you are a solitary practitioner who is
interested in effective rituals, you NEED to add this book to your
library.
More im****tantly, you NEED to read this book and to work with the concepts
contained within it. Far too many individuals pay far too little
attention
to the "nuts and bolts" of good ritual. Don't be among that number. You
owe it to yourself to benefit from the ideas contained within the covers
of
this book.
So what if you don't agree with everything Isaac says? You can still
benefit from what he provides.
|
