What do you think?
Rate this book
To Walk a Pagan Path: Practical Spirituality for Every Day
Inspiration and Ideas for a Holistic Pagan Lifestyle
Live fully as a Pagan every day of the year, not only on full moons and holidays. With practical tips for integrating earth-centered spirituality into every aspect of life, To Walk a Pagan Path shows you how
Cultivate a meaningful Pagan practice by following seven simple steps. Develop a sacred calendar customized for your beliefs, lifestyle, and environment. Make daily activities sacred with quick and easy rituals. Reclaim your place in the food cycle by producing a portion of your own food—even if you live in an apartment! Express Pagan spirituality through a variety of craft candles, scrying mirrors, solar wreaths, recipes, and more. Create sacred relationships with animal familiars.
Live fully as a Pagan every day of the year, not only on full moons and holidays. With practical tips for integrating earth-centered spirituality into every aspect of life, To Walk a Pagan Path shows you how
Cultivate a meaningful Pagan practice by following seven simple steps. Develop a sacred calendar customized for your beliefs, lifestyle, and environment. Make daily activities sacred with quick and easy rituals. Reclaim your place in the food cycle by producing a portion of your own food—even if you live in an apartment! Express Pagan spirituality through a variety of craft candles, scrying mirrors, solar wreaths, recipes, and more. Create sacred relationships with animal familiars.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2013
286 people are currently reading
1934 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
October 22, 2016
Before I give my take on this book I would have to first honestly declare that I am not a Wiccan or Pagan worshiper as the westerners term it. I am a follower of Hinduism and I found many rituals of Paganism close to home. Coming to Texas, I came across many people following theis mode of life and this started fascinating me. More than the religion it was the closet outlook towards this religion which fascinated me. I started questioning the reasonings behind the logic of not practicing it freely. Solitary practitioners are what they are called.
I am a Hindu and a proud one at that. So if I want to worship a tree how does it make me less religious? I believe in idol worship and I certainly worship the Sun, the Moon, the Mountains, the Trees but most of all I believe in Humans. Does that make me a Pagan? To me – to each is own…….
When I got this book via Netgallery, I hesitated for a second. My blog has been always about romantic book or of the drama genre. Do I have the guts and knowledge to do this? Guts yes. Knowledge –no.. But I wanted to do this. I wanted to learn more about the secrets behind paganism. So here is my humble review.
The Author, Alaric Albertsson, has laid down the different celebrations of paganism in simple term. How you follow it depends on your lifestyle. There are no hard and fast rules to Paganism but how you adopt it in your daily life. For example, ‘The Anglo Saxon gave offering to Weoh, the early Romans honored their family Numina, the Greeks to goddess Hestia….”[ I will shut up now before I am sued for plagiarism :)]
What astounded me about this book was the knowledge of the author regarding the subject. His detailed description regarding all the paths followed and why they are followed. He being in the Saxon path, is quite unbiased while sharing his knowledge.
Starting with the Dedication rite to the making of your own wheat bread, from the seven steps of Paganism to herb growing- he covers it all.
Let me warn my reader here of one thing. If it is a flirty interest you have towards Paganism, this book might not for you. There is no hocus focus, no twisting the truth and nothing which deals with magic. Just a way of life- the pagan path. For those who are serious about this paganism or writers who want to know more about this path life,[ yes there are people out there who read anything religious from Osho to Buddha, From Marxism to Cunningham] this book gives you a detailed view how a Pagan would life his or her life in the everyday life.
There are certain things which really fascinated me :
1. He not only tells us about his rituals but how to incorporate it in every field of our life.
2. The way he describes the Neo Pagan Calender which observes eight holy days is a must read for those who are new to this path.
3. He teaches us to reflect only on the good things in life. This is personally dear to me since I feel that irrespective of one’s caste and religion, every human being should follow this.
4.Invoking holiness in our daily activities turns every day into a spiritual experience.
My Personal Note…
Actually this book has been a roller coaster ride for me. Before I could grasp how to invoke goodness in my life, I got a lesson in how to keep my little Fluffy [my Pomeranian] happy. And before I overcome the shock of how did I come across this knowledge suddenly after one month of Fluffy coming into my life, I got a lesson in how to make my bread and grow my herb. [ Dear readers, it is not a casual talk. It has literally been explained step by step.]
For a layman like me it was too informative. That of course I cannot hold against the author but at places I had to skip the pages. This book will be more like an encyclopedia for the pagans . For those who really want to incorporate the pagan path in their lives.
I am a Hindu and a proud one at that. So if I want to worship a tree how does it make me less religious? I believe in idol worship and I certainly worship the Sun, the Moon, the Mountains, the Trees but most of all I believe in Humans. Does that make me a Pagan? To me – to each is own…….
When I got this book via Netgallery, I hesitated for a second. My blog has been always about romantic book or of the drama genre. Do I have the guts and knowledge to do this? Guts yes. Knowledge –no.. But I wanted to do this. I wanted to learn more about the secrets behind paganism. So here is my humble review.
The Author, Alaric Albertsson, has laid down the different celebrations of paganism in simple term. How you follow it depends on your lifestyle. There are no hard and fast rules to Paganism but how you adopt it in your daily life. For example, ‘The Anglo Saxon gave offering to Weoh, the early Romans honored their family Numina, the Greeks to goddess Hestia….”[ I will shut up now before I am sued for plagiarism :)]
What astounded me about this book was the knowledge of the author regarding the subject. His detailed description regarding all the paths followed and why they are followed. He being in the Saxon path, is quite unbiased while sharing his knowledge.
Starting with the Dedication rite to the making of your own wheat bread, from the seven steps of Paganism to herb growing- he covers it all.
Let me warn my reader here of one thing. If it is a flirty interest you have towards Paganism, this book might not for you. There is no hocus focus, no twisting the truth and nothing which deals with magic. Just a way of life- the pagan path. For those who are serious about this paganism or writers who want to know more about this path life,[ yes there are people out there who read anything religious from Osho to Buddha, From Marxism to Cunningham] this book gives you a detailed view how a Pagan would life his or her life in the everyday life.
There are certain things which really fascinated me :
1. He not only tells us about his rituals but how to incorporate it in every field of our life.
2. The way he describes the Neo Pagan Calender which observes eight holy days is a must read for those who are new to this path.
3. He teaches us to reflect only on the good things in life. This is personally dear to me since I feel that irrespective of one’s caste and religion, every human being should follow this.
4.Invoking holiness in our daily activities turns every day into a spiritual experience.
My Personal Note…
Actually this book has been a roller coaster ride for me. Before I could grasp how to invoke goodness in my life, I got a lesson in how to keep my little Fluffy [my Pomeranian] happy. And before I overcome the shock of how did I come across this knowledge suddenly after one month of Fluffy coming into my life, I got a lesson in how to make my bread and grow my herb. [ Dear readers, it is not a casual talk. It has literally been explained step by step.]
For a layman like me it was too informative. That of course I cannot hold against the author but at places I had to skip the pages. This book will be more like an encyclopedia for the pagans . For those who really want to incorporate the pagan path in their lives.
December 22, 2015
At last! I found a decent Pagan book that doesn't continually make references to Wicca! What a breath of fresh air.
This book reads as though the author was sat with you discussing various concepts & ideas.
This is not a 'instructional' book. It merely gives you an insight into various ways you may wish to practice your spirituality, all the while advising the reader to 'be true to yourself'.
An inspiring read.
This book reads as though the author was sat with you discussing various concepts & ideas.
This is not a 'instructional' book. It merely gives you an insight into various ways you may wish to practice your spirituality, all the while advising the reader to 'be true to yourself'.
An inspiring read.
November 19, 2013
To Walk a Pagan Path: Practical Spirituality for Every Day is a non-fiction guide book on how to not only walk the Pagan path, but how to incorporate your spiritual beliefs into daily life.
I have been a practicing pagan for about ten years now, but even now finding time for religion is still something that I struggle with. I do walk the walk, but it's nowhere near as often or as in depth as I like. To Walk a Pagan Path definitely helped with some great advice on how to solve this problems.
One of these steps has all to do with food. This book includes recipes for things like breads and treats to make any day of the week, or especially for a ritual. There's also a section on crafting things that will become vital to most, like candles and wreaths. Plus, Alaric Albertsson gives insight on how to make daily ritual completely feasible in today's busy (and urban) world- you can feel just as connected to your path with a simple ritual as you can with an ornately complicated one.
I also found the section written about the Wheel of the Year extremely helpful. I'm always searching for ways to better my sabbats and rituals, and I appreciated gaining insight from this book, since it is not strictly focused on Wicca, but paganism as a whole.
The one part of this book that I didn't really connect to was the section regarding familiars and animals. While I respect and understand the importance that having pets and caring for nature has in the pagan world, it wasn't very practical advice for me personally. I live in housing that doesn't allow animals bigger than fish, and I don't have land. I also am not allowed to have multiple kinds of lights used for plants, and I don't have the space to grow them in natural lighting. However, pet people and homeowners will probably find this far more useful.
I would be more likely to hand this book to someone who is relatively new or inexperienced to paganism, because it reads fairly simply and is easy to understand. However, I'm sure that even well seasoned practitioners would pick up a pointer or two from To Walk a Pagan Path. I know that I'd keep it on my Magick shelf, for sure.
Thank you to Llewellyn Publications and Netgalley for my copy. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
I have been a practicing pagan for about ten years now, but even now finding time for religion is still something that I struggle with. I do walk the walk, but it's nowhere near as often or as in depth as I like. To Walk a Pagan Path definitely helped with some great advice on how to solve this problems.
One of these steps has all to do with food. This book includes recipes for things like breads and treats to make any day of the week, or especially for a ritual. There's also a section on crafting things that will become vital to most, like candles and wreaths. Plus, Alaric Albertsson gives insight on how to make daily ritual completely feasible in today's busy (and urban) world- you can feel just as connected to your path with a simple ritual as you can with an ornately complicated one.
I also found the section written about the Wheel of the Year extremely helpful. I'm always searching for ways to better my sabbats and rituals, and I appreciated gaining insight from this book, since it is not strictly focused on Wicca, but paganism as a whole.
The one part of this book that I didn't really connect to was the section regarding familiars and animals. While I respect and understand the importance that having pets and caring for nature has in the pagan world, it wasn't very practical advice for me personally. I live in housing that doesn't allow animals bigger than fish, and I don't have land. I also am not allowed to have multiple kinds of lights used for plants, and I don't have the space to grow them in natural lighting. However, pet people and homeowners will probably find this far more useful.
I would be more likely to hand this book to someone who is relatively new or inexperienced to paganism, because it reads fairly simply and is easy to understand. However, I'm sure that even well seasoned practitioners would pick up a pointer or two from To Walk a Pagan Path. I know that I'd keep it on my Magick shelf, for sure.
Thank you to Llewellyn Publications and Netgalley for my copy. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
October 10, 2016
I found this book very bland, very redundant, and very dull. The author seems to go on and on at length about things that seem completely irrelevant like what to consider before purchasing a dog. I could have picked up a guidebook on getting pets or asked a pet shop owner if I was that keen on it. How is this telling me anything about what it means "to walk a Pagan path" or how a Pagan might experience spirituality in their everyday life? He makes a lot of statements that seem incredibly obvious like, for instance, that Neo-Pagans generally don't celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday.
At times, the author's tone came across as just being incredibly arrogant. It seemed that the author was always either giving too much detail or not enough detail. And he seems to have assumed that everyone reading the book is a Neo-Pagan of the Reconstructionist variety who believes in a pantheon of gods and spirits, which makes it very inaccessible for many other people who might read it - myself included, as I am certainly not a Reconstructionist of any kind.
I think the people who will most enjoy this book are young teenagers just beginning to explore their spirituality and religious views and who are considering if a Reconstructionist path is right for them. But beyond that, I really couldn't recommend it to anyone as it's honestly quite terrible.
At times, the author's tone came across as just being incredibly arrogant. It seemed that the author was always either giving too much detail or not enough detail. And he seems to have assumed that everyone reading the book is a Neo-Pagan of the Reconstructionist variety who believes in a pantheon of gods and spirits, which makes it very inaccessible for many other people who might read it - myself included, as I am certainly not a Reconstructionist of any kind.
I think the people who will most enjoy this book are young teenagers just beginning to explore their spirituality and religious views and who are considering if a Reconstructionist path is right for them. But beyond that, I really couldn't recommend it to anyone as it's honestly quite terrible.
October 16, 2019
(1) Saxons are from Saxony, which is in Germany.
Anglo-Saxons were the predominate linguistic/ethnic group in England from the 5th century to the Norman Conquest.
There's a difference.
(2) Anglo-Saxon is a SOV language. Modern English is a SVO language. (I didn't thoroughly check his grammar. There's enough variation in AS that it was doubtless close enough except for the word order problem.)
(3) Familiars? Really?
Also, how to pick a dog? While it was all good advice, not even remotely on-topic.
(4) things I could not care less about: Any thing Nick Eglehof has to say. His book was disgusting anti-woman bullshit and I won't even get into his complete lack of source material.
(5) Complete lack of primary sources in the bibliography! Because scholarship is hard.
(6) References to gods that are not in any way referenced in Anglo-Saxon sources! Because scholarship is hard!
Anglo-Saxons were the predominate linguistic/ethnic group in England from the 5th century to the Norman Conquest.
There's a difference.
(2) Anglo-Saxon is a SOV language. Modern English is a SVO language. (I didn't thoroughly check his grammar. There's enough variation in AS that it was doubtless close enough except for the word order problem.)
(3) Familiars? Really?
Also, how to pick a dog? While it was all good advice, not even remotely on-topic.
(4) things I could not care less about: Any thing Nick Eglehof has to say. His book was disgusting anti-woman bullshit and I won't even get into his complete lack of source material.
(5) Complete lack of primary sources in the bibliography! Because scholarship is hard.
(6) References to gods that are not in any way referenced in Anglo-Saxon sources! Because scholarship is hard!
June 27, 2019
It was less about a pagan path and more of a home-ec book. Entire chapters were dedicated to pets, baking, beekeeping and growing a garden.
June 3, 2022
This seems to be one of those books which you finish, having gained nothing but bad jokes and a certain amount of dread. And it's sad because this topic is so wonderful and deserves a lot of attention! So, kudos to the author and publisher for tackling this. Sadly, it just falls flat, being both bad and problematic in too many ways to tackle in one simple review.
But I try to give some highlights. Like another review already said, the author includes topics which aren't even connected to Paganism. Why would I want to know about beekeeping or what to look for in a dog from a Pagan author, when I could ask an expert or buy a book written by an expert? Both are complex topics, and deserve their own space. And it robs so much space in this already short book that I have to ask myself whether the author could've looked into other topics to include, shortening each chapter overall but adding more topics / chapters.
Another big topic to me seems a historical inaccuracy that might not have been important to the author and publisher, but it just struck me as odd, reading a book by someone who favors staying in your own little chosen Pagan culture. Yet, the author does a horrendous job keeping "Saxon" and "Anglo-Saxon" apart. But that's a minor nitpick compared to how there is a very strict "pantheon only" handling which doesn't even seem like it happened in history, when you consider how cultural exchange is at the root of how us humans work, and so a goddess like Isis was "exported" - we've seen her in Ancient Rome as well, as we surely did a lot of other gods, sometimes changed, sometimes in their original form.
This theory is often hidden in between loads of recipes, guides on how to care for a garden, keep a pet, include your pet in your religion (this one especially could've been kept short: let them decide, don't force them, and watch out for stuff that isn't toxic to you but your pet), keep bees and bake bread. Don't get me wrong, but I think if I wanted to know any of this, it would be more useful to look for experts, even better if local, as your region might be vastly different in climate and laws, to mention only two aspects.
But I mentioned problematic parts. The author can come across very arrogant and condescending. The condescending attitude often shows up in small aspects like "Yule is often confused with the winter solstice, but the former is a season while the latter is a precise moment in time." which betrays the richness and diversity of Pagan practices. All of us create our own practice, and one person might do a one-day Yule celebration on winter solstice, another does not. That isn't "confusing" these things, that can merely reflect the reality of our very own practice. And that is only one example of so many.
I would not recommend this book, not even to a beginner who just forms their path because even just the condescending attitude can increase the insecurity all of us had when we embarked on this journey. And for someone who is more experienced and could separate between nonsense and good content, there isn't enough to inspire any additions to their path.
But I try to give some highlights. Like another review already said, the author includes topics which aren't even connected to Paganism. Why would I want to know about beekeeping or what to look for in a dog from a Pagan author, when I could ask an expert or buy a book written by an expert? Both are complex topics, and deserve their own space. And it robs so much space in this already short book that I have to ask myself whether the author could've looked into other topics to include, shortening each chapter overall but adding more topics / chapters.
Another big topic to me seems a historical inaccuracy that might not have been important to the author and publisher, but it just struck me as odd, reading a book by someone who favors staying in your own little chosen Pagan culture. Yet, the author does a horrendous job keeping "Saxon" and "Anglo-Saxon" apart. But that's a minor nitpick compared to how there is a very strict "pantheon only" handling which doesn't even seem like it happened in history, when you consider how cultural exchange is at the root of how us humans work, and so a goddess like Isis was "exported" - we've seen her in Ancient Rome as well, as we surely did a lot of other gods, sometimes changed, sometimes in their original form.
This theory is often hidden in between loads of recipes, guides on how to care for a garden, keep a pet, include your pet in your religion (this one especially could've been kept short: let them decide, don't force them, and watch out for stuff that isn't toxic to you but your pet), keep bees and bake bread. Don't get me wrong, but I think if I wanted to know any of this, it would be more useful to look for experts, even better if local, as your region might be vastly different in climate and laws, to mention only two aspects.
But I mentioned problematic parts. The author can come across very arrogant and condescending. The condescending attitude often shows up in small aspects like "Yule is often confused with the winter solstice, but the former is a season while the latter is a precise moment in time." which betrays the richness and diversity of Pagan practices. All of us create our own practice, and one person might do a one-day Yule celebration on winter solstice, another does not. That isn't "confusing" these things, that can merely reflect the reality of our very own practice. And that is only one example of so many.
I would not recommend this book, not even to a beginner who just forms their path because even just the condescending attitude can increase the insecurity all of us had when we embarked on this journey. And for someone who is more experienced and could separate between nonsense and good content, there isn't enough to inspire any additions to their path.
March 29, 2019
This book has been on my list for at least five years and I’m sad to report I didn’t get much out of it. Actually I didn’t enjoy reading it much either. As a Pantheist and a vegan I found much of the information in here (the section on familiars especially) absolutely ridiculous.
While there is a lot of good info when it comes to holidays and the calendar year I didn’t get anything I haven’t gotten from somewhere else. I also found half of the tips and tricks suggested completely useless to me as I live in a apartment in a city and don’t have my own land to keep bees, raise chickens, or garden.
I’m sure this book is perfect for someone out there and I just went into it expecting something very different than what it was, but I still wouldn’t recommend it. There are much better works out there with tips and tricks that everyone in all kinds of situations can use.
While there is a lot of good info when it comes to holidays and the calendar year I didn’t get anything I haven’t gotten from somewhere else. I also found half of the tips and tricks suggested completely useless to me as I live in a apartment in a city and don’t have my own land to keep bees, raise chickens, or garden.
I’m sure this book is perfect for someone out there and I just went into it expecting something very different than what it was, but I still wouldn’t recommend it. There are much better works out there with tips and tricks that everyone in all kinds of situations can use.
November 14, 2022
I really liked the beginning of the book with the seven steps to incorporate paganism into your daily life and the chapter on seasonal holidays was amazing. How or if you should incorporate the "classic" Wheel of the Year into your practice is a much discussed topic and he had some very good points.
For this alone it was worth a read.
I also liked that throughout the whole book he always mentions multiple pagan branches as examples, so I learned about some differences without intending to.
It starts very strong, but flattens a bit when the chapter about familiars arrives. From the reviews I have read quite a few people have the same opinion. But I wouldn't go as far and say that the book didn't intend to do what the title and descriptions says, as other people have said. It all has to do with living a pagan life, every day. He didn't go off topic there.
Yes, I also wondered why the chapter about familiars went a bit too much into detail in how to care for a dog or a cat, especially for an introductory book. The other chapters on planting a garden, buying chickens or how to start keeping a bee hive were decent. I can understand that not everyone is interested to order a bee hive, I'm not either. It was interesting to learn a little bit about it, but some chapters might not be relevant to you.
In conclusion:
Yes, it wasn't a ground-breaking book, but it did good and it wasn't like all the other beginner pagan books.
For this alone it was worth a read.
I also liked that throughout the whole book he always mentions multiple pagan branches as examples, so I learned about some differences without intending to.
It starts very strong, but flattens a bit when the chapter about familiars arrives. From the reviews I have read quite a few people have the same opinion. But I wouldn't go as far and say that the book didn't intend to do what the title and descriptions says, as other people have said. It all has to do with living a pagan life, every day. He didn't go off topic there.
Yes, I also wondered why the chapter about familiars went a bit too much into detail in how to care for a dog or a cat, especially for an introductory book. The other chapters on planting a garden, buying chickens or how to start keeping a bee hive were decent. I can understand that not everyone is interested to order a bee hive, I'm not either. It was interesting to learn a little bit about it, but some chapters might not be relevant to you.
In conclusion:
Yes, it wasn't a ground-breaking book, but it did good and it wasn't like all the other beginner pagan books.
March 11, 2019
I JUST HAVE TO SAY
Albertsson has inspired me to take a bee keeping class.
MY RATING ★★★★★
RATING EXPLAINED
5 Amazing! I would read it again and I definitely recommend it. This book taught me something in a way I’ll remember for years to come. Total eye opener.
REVIEW
If you take out all the spiritually from this book it will become a book on home steading and frankly that is the closest thing to religion I’ve even bothered to like in a very long time.
I’m not a practicing pagan – hell, I’m not all that spiritual but this book has me thinking that maybe I just haven’t found my path yet. Albertsson leaves room for personalization while giving enough detail about practices and how to connect with the earth to be helpful.
Just be good to the earth. Be mindful about it. But also – gods.
Albertsson has inspired me to take a bee keeping class.
MY RATING ★★★★★
RATING EXPLAINED
5 Amazing! I would read it again and I definitely recommend it. This book taught me something in a way I’ll remember for years to come. Total eye opener.
REVIEW
If you take out all the spiritually from this book it will become a book on home steading and frankly that is the closest thing to religion I’ve even bothered to like in a very long time.
I’m not a practicing pagan – hell, I’m not all that spiritual but this book has me thinking that maybe I just haven’t found my path yet. Albertsson leaves room for personalization while giving enough detail about practices and how to connect with the earth to be helpful.
Just be good to the earth. Be mindful about it. But also – gods.
April 15, 2021
I would like to echo many of the same sentiments that other reviewers have:
- Invested in theistic reconstructions
However I would like to add:
- Not particularly intersectional
- Not particularly conscious of urban/rural divides in practice, budget, or privilege.
- Having a mere gloss of divination, but an in depth dog specific ritual, dog food recipes, etc. seems digressive and out of place for an introductory text. A simple set of appendices could have prevented this section from feeling like a detour. Perhaps Albertsson needs to recognize his desire to write a text on dog-familiar magic, or should have written an autobiographical text about their own personal path.
- Invested in theistic reconstructions
However I would like to add:
- Not particularly intersectional
- Not particularly conscious of urban/rural divides in practice, budget, or privilege.
- Having a mere gloss of divination, but an in depth dog specific ritual, dog food recipes, etc. seems digressive and out of place for an introductory text. A simple set of appendices could have prevented this section from feeling like a detour. Perhaps Albertsson needs to recognize his desire to write a text on dog-familiar magic, or should have written an autobiographical text about their own personal path.
December 30, 2021
Started off strong and there was some useful information, but I definitely did not need to know SO MUCH about raising chickens, training dogs and beekeeping. Just a lot of droning on and I wouldn't really call becoming a beekeeper or raising chickens 'practical spirituality for every day' unless you live in the middle of nowhere.
February 5, 2022
Comes off somewhat elitist. Not everyone is able to raise chickens, farm and make their own incense. In my humble opinion as someone who has been practicing for sixteen years the best way to connect to the earth is to stop and feel the wind on your skin, to sit down on the boulder. Listen to what Mother Earth has to say to you.
September 7, 2013
Alaric has some useful information for those wanting to start off on a Pagan path. I'm not a believer but I enjoy creating my own naturalistic pagan rituals and so I tried to glean what I could, even though so much just didn't apply to me.
Chapter one gives 7 steps to help you create habits that will lead you on your path. Some of the steps were more interesting than others--like creating sacred space, creating and maintaining daily rituals.
Chapter two talks about the Wheel of the Year and how to tweak it to your own environment and personal path. I found this very useful.
Chapter Three focuses on creating daily devotionals and making everyday a sacred or spiritual experience. What I gleaned was taking time to relish in the Earth everyday, taking time to be grateful the Sun, Earth, family and ways to incorporate meditation.
Chapter Four talks about familiars. He lost me on this chapter.
Chapter Five focuses on ways to incorporate some kind of gardening into our daily lives. I enjoyed thinking about ways I could grow some herbs and flowers in containers since I don't have a yard. Gardening is a way to feel connected to the Earth and for me to give back.
Chapter Six focuses on trees and what they've represented to Pagans of old and how we can incorporate them into our rituals.
Chapter Seven focuses on Spring-time holidays--the Spring equinox, the celebrations of new life. He goes into some interesting history and ways to celebrate at this time. He has a recipe for homemade egg dye!
Chapter 8 is all about food. He has a lot of recipes to try out. I'm going to enjoy making some of these breads, especially during the Fall!
Chapter 9--Crafts! I love expanding my creative juices. He has ideas for candle making, corn crafts, sun wheels, etc. Some really creative and fun ideas to make throughout the year.
Chapter 10 focuses on Yule celebrations and history.
He presented his information in a different manner than I'm used to. Usually I see celebrations and the Wheel of the Year contained in one chapter. But here he talked about different times of the year in various chapters. If I were just looking for some quick ideas this would have made it harder to search. I think it works for those who are reading from beginning to end.
Overall, it was an interesting read and I was able to pull some ideas for myself and tweak what I needed to. But it wasn't my favorite. I know I wasn't the target audience but I'm glad I was able to gain some new information.
I received this from NetGalley for an honest review.
Chapter one gives 7 steps to help you create habits that will lead you on your path. Some of the steps were more interesting than others--like creating sacred space, creating and maintaining daily rituals.
Chapter two talks about the Wheel of the Year and how to tweak it to your own environment and personal path. I found this very useful.
Chapter Three focuses on creating daily devotionals and making everyday a sacred or spiritual experience. What I gleaned was taking time to relish in the Earth everyday, taking time to be grateful the Sun, Earth, family and ways to incorporate meditation.
Chapter Four talks about familiars. He lost me on this chapter.
Chapter Five focuses on ways to incorporate some kind of gardening into our daily lives. I enjoyed thinking about ways I could grow some herbs and flowers in containers since I don't have a yard. Gardening is a way to feel connected to the Earth and for me to give back.
Chapter Six focuses on trees and what they've represented to Pagans of old and how we can incorporate them into our rituals.
Chapter Seven focuses on Spring-time holidays--the Spring equinox, the celebrations of new life. He goes into some interesting history and ways to celebrate at this time. He has a recipe for homemade egg dye!
Chapter 8 is all about food. He has a lot of recipes to try out. I'm going to enjoy making some of these breads, especially during the Fall!
Chapter 9--Crafts! I love expanding my creative juices. He has ideas for candle making, corn crafts, sun wheels, etc. Some really creative and fun ideas to make throughout the year.
Chapter 10 focuses on Yule celebrations and history.
He presented his information in a different manner than I'm used to. Usually I see celebrations and the Wheel of the Year contained in one chapter. But here he talked about different times of the year in various chapters. If I were just looking for some quick ideas this would have made it harder to search. I think it works for those who are reading from beginning to end.
Overall, it was an interesting read and I was able to pull some ideas for myself and tweak what I needed to. But it wasn't my favorite. I know I wasn't the target audience but I'm glad I was able to gain some new information.
I received this from NetGalley for an honest review.
September 6, 2016
Like many Pagans, there are times when I struggle with ways of bringing a daily spiritual practice into my life. Sabbats give me something to focus on eight days in the year, and Esbats give me something to focus on another 13 days, but what about the rest of the year?
How can I create a spiritual practice for the remaining days?
I’ve looked at various books, both Pagan and non-Pagan, to see how others do it. One that has stood out for me, and given ideas that I can easily adapt to fit into my own life is this book.
Alaric Albertsson’s spiritual practice is focused mostly on his beliefs as a Saxon Pagan however, he has also brought in voices from Pagans of other belief systems so that we, the reader, get a broader perspective. Throughout the book we are shown ways that we, as Pagans, can “touch the earth” and build upon our personal connection with Deity.
The first chapter gives readers a quick way to jump start a daily practice, with a seven step plan. Realistically, most people don’t have an hour or sometimes even 30 minutes but most people can find five minutes over the course of a day to find their connection with spirit. I looked at these seven steps with keen interest.
If the book ended here, I would still say it was worth buying and reading. In subsequent chapters though, the author expands even further on these steps.
He gives ideas for things that you can do as an individual – gardening or bee keeping as ways of keeping in contact with the Earth around the seasons perhaps – and activities you can do as part of a group – incense or candle making, group rituals and feasts.
Of course, he also admits that he is able to do these things because he lives in a rural location with a bit of land providing space where he can raise some of his own food and keep bees. So, he also gives some modified and alternate ideas for those of us living in a more urban environment. I had never considered including taking care of the fish in our aquarium as part of my spiritual practices, but it makes sense.
I would say that To Walk a Pagan Path is ideal for anyone following a Pagan religion or any other Earth-based religion for that matter who is looking for guidance in bringing their spiritual practice into their daily life.
Full review at Writings of a Pagan Witch - Book Review: To Walk a Pagan Path.
How can I create a spiritual practice for the remaining days?
I’ve looked at various books, both Pagan and non-Pagan, to see how others do it. One that has stood out for me, and given ideas that I can easily adapt to fit into my own life is this book.
Alaric Albertsson’s spiritual practice is focused mostly on his beliefs as a Saxon Pagan however, he has also brought in voices from Pagans of other belief systems so that we, the reader, get a broader perspective. Throughout the book we are shown ways that we, as Pagans, can “touch the earth” and build upon our personal connection with Deity.
The first chapter gives readers a quick way to jump start a daily practice, with a seven step plan. Realistically, most people don’t have an hour or sometimes even 30 minutes but most people can find five minutes over the course of a day to find their connection with spirit. I looked at these seven steps with keen interest.
If the book ended here, I would still say it was worth buying and reading. In subsequent chapters though, the author expands even further on these steps.
He gives ideas for things that you can do as an individual – gardening or bee keeping as ways of keeping in contact with the Earth around the seasons perhaps – and activities you can do as part of a group – incense or candle making, group rituals and feasts.
Of course, he also admits that he is able to do these things because he lives in a rural location with a bit of land providing space where he can raise some of his own food and keep bees. So, he also gives some modified and alternate ideas for those of us living in a more urban environment. I had never considered including taking care of the fish in our aquarium as part of my spiritual practices, but it makes sense.
I would say that To Walk a Pagan Path is ideal for anyone following a Pagan religion or any other Earth-based religion for that matter who is looking for guidance in bringing their spiritual practice into their daily life.
Full review at Writings of a Pagan Witch - Book Review: To Walk a Pagan Path.
February 5, 2021
I liked the start of the book, but the rest of it wasn't my cup of tea. In my opinion, it missed balance and wasn't a practical fit for my life. For instance, a large part of it is dedicated to keeping animals - not just pets but bees or hens as well - including detailed information on how to take care of those animals. Another elaborate part was about making your own food and tending to your garden, including detailed info on how to make your own scarecrow. When you can't start a garden or want to own animals, that's a big chunk of the book you have no use for.
When discussing the year calendar, most of the chapter talked about the hellenic pagan traditions. That didn't make a lot of sense to me, since the rest of the book mentions hellenic customs every now and then, but it's not the main focus of the book. I don't understand why this chapter did have that focus.
If your pagan inclinations focus on daily prayer, house elves, animal keeping and gardening, this is the book for you. Since this has nothing to do with my pagan beliefs, it wasn't the right book for me.
When discussing the year calendar, most of the chapter talked about the hellenic pagan traditions. That didn't make a lot of sense to me, since the rest of the book mentions hellenic customs every now and then, but it's not the main focus of the book. I don't understand why this chapter did have that focus.
If your pagan inclinations focus on daily prayer, house elves, animal keeping and gardening, this is the book for you. Since this has nothing to do with my pagan beliefs, it wasn't the right book for me.
February 27, 2022
if you’re going get anything out of this book, you have to have land—and a lot of it. the bulk of this book acts as an instructional guide for ways to incorporate the land into your life, but what the summary fails to address is that it must be YOUR land that you can shape over a period of years. the author talks extensively about dog training, planting orchards and large gardens, raising chickens, beekeeping, mead making, and outdoor crafts like building scarecrows as the majority of the whole text, with very little time devoted to history, education, intentionality, “accessible” practice. this is entirely about hands-on farming—which, while cool, isn’t relevant at all to the majority of people at all. the author repeatedly emphasizes how important working the land yourself is, which i understand—but it still alienates everyone who can’t afford to purchase acres of farmland: basically everyone.
August 3, 2022
A nice idea for a book but it quickly turns into recipes and different odds and ends to-do.
I enjoyed the first third where it goes into detail on sacralising your life and it will be a great help to many pagans just started to explore their religion. As Pagans don't have holy books like the Bible to guide them, this acts as a sort of pointer in the same vein.
As pointed out above though, once the first third finishes, you're left with sporadic meanderings through different aspects of Pagan ritual and celebration. It explores what you can do with each area such as owning trees, cooking, crafting etc.
All very interesting but not what I was looking for.
I enjoyed the first third where it goes into detail on sacralising your life and it will be a great help to many pagans just started to explore their religion. As Pagans don't have holy books like the Bible to guide them, this acts as a sort of pointer in the same vein.
As pointed out above though, once the first third finishes, you're left with sporadic meanderings through different aspects of Pagan ritual and celebration. It explores what you can do with each area such as owning trees, cooking, crafting etc.
All very interesting but not what I was looking for.
May 25, 2022
This book was way too specific in all the wrong ways for me. The detailed chapters about gardening and dog training killed me. I finally stopped and didn’t finish it…. 😵💫😬
February 10, 2025
One of my goals for 2025 is to develop a spirituality practice to help ground myself to the earth and universe while the world feels like it is going off the rails. This book provides lots of ideas and directions on how to tailor a practice to fit your own personal beliefs, time, energy, and space. I plan to start incorporating some of the ways to celebrate the passing of the year. I got the audio book, but this is a reference guide, so I recommend having a physical copy on hand.
Read
February 27, 2025If you are new to Paganism and are looking to gain some information on beginning on your path, look the other way. Run the opposite direction. Pick up any other book. Just don't waste your time and hard earned money here.
As a practicing pagan, I have a ton of problems with this book and author.
I feel like the author was rather pushy and judgmental. I got the impression that he is entitled and believes that his path is the only path that he felt was worthy enough to discuss. Which is rather disappointing consider the amount of people I assume have purchased this book in order to begin their paths in paganism. Its overall, a huge misconception on the core values as pagans as a whole.
If you are someone who walks an "Anglo-Saxon" path, this is right up your alley, but for any other types of pagans or anyone beginning and looking for an in general book, run. Run far away from this monstrosity.
I don't want to seem like I am being judgmental of his path. This is definitely not the case. I believe that everyone has the right to practice paganism as they see fit. However, I DO have a problem with the way this book was marketed. I was under the assumption that this would be something that could help me understand the other branches of paganism, that I am not affiliated with, and hopefully compare them all but this is not the case.
In fact, I don't believe I gained anything from this book. Usually I can say that I gained a better understanding of another religion or at least some perspective but I can't say the same for this. I should have gotten my money back when I had the chance.
So to put it bluntly, I am upset not only for the waste of money, but I am upset for the other people who were tricked as well.
Now, if we are somehow completely able to ignore the fact that we did not get what we came here for... This guy has some unrealistic expectations. Not every person is able to do things like maintaining a bee farm, or raising chickens, or even making their own incense. And not everybody would have the desire.
So, not only did we establish that you have to follow his particular path to gain anything from this book, you now have to have a sizable plot of land to partake in anything that this guy claims is what beginner pagans are doing.
Basically, you have to be a part of the only 3 people in this whole world that agree with this guy and meet his standards to fully gain anything from this book. (I'm exaggerating of course, but you get the point.)
As a practicing pagan, I have a ton of problems with this book and author.
I feel like the author was rather pushy and judgmental. I got the impression that he is entitled and believes that his path is the only path that he felt was worthy enough to discuss. Which is rather disappointing consider the amount of people I assume have purchased this book in order to begin their paths in paganism. Its overall, a huge misconception on the core values as pagans as a whole.
If you are someone who walks an "Anglo-Saxon" path, this is right up your alley, but for any other types of pagans or anyone beginning and looking for an in general book, run. Run far away from this monstrosity.
I don't want to seem like I am being judgmental of his path. This is definitely not the case. I believe that everyone has the right to practice paganism as they see fit. However, I DO have a problem with the way this book was marketed. I was under the assumption that this would be something that could help me understand the other branches of paganism, that I am not affiliated with, and hopefully compare them all but this is not the case.
In fact, I don't believe I gained anything from this book. Usually I can say that I gained a better understanding of another religion or at least some perspective but I can't say the same for this. I should have gotten my money back when I had the chance.
So to put it bluntly, I am upset not only for the waste of money, but I am upset for the other people who were tricked as well.
Now, if we are somehow completely able to ignore the fact that we did not get what we came here for... This guy has some unrealistic expectations. Not every person is able to do things like maintaining a bee farm, or raising chickens, or even making their own incense. And not everybody would have the desire.
So, not only did we establish that you have to follow his particular path to gain anything from this book, you now have to have a sizable plot of land to partake in anything that this guy claims is what beginner pagans are doing.
Basically, you have to be a part of the only 3 people in this whole world that agree with this guy and meet his standards to fully gain anything from this book. (I'm exaggerating of course, but you get the point.)
Read
June 5, 2025To Walk a Pagan Path
I thought this one would a little different. It started off with the introduction of a term called “Hal Sadu” that incorporates the body, mind, and spirit. It taught that it’s not what you *believe*. Rather it’s what you do in actions and deeds. This is the very thing that attracted me to the path I choose. Only I didn’t know it by this name. I am a strong believer in taking action and I immediately was drawn to the dedication ceremony. It also made me want to get better at setting aside a certain time for spirit. Consistency is a big area of my life (in all things) in need to work on.
But as the chapters wore on, I started to not connect to any of it. In Chapter Two it talked about the importance of having a Sacral Calendar. As Pagans we have 8 holy days. It suggests that you might want to do something more personal to your spiritual path. Following what he calls the “Neo-Pagan” Calendar is enough for me. A lot of times I feel like I should be celebrating those days alone more than I do (and remembering them). It’s not easy thing to do as a solitary in a Christian household. It really goes into depth on all the ways you can make the calender more personal to your choosen path.
In Chapter Three, goes into Daily Devotions. It talks about morning meditation. To some extent I follow this. It might not always be a “prayer” to my personal spirit. It might just be me laying there before I wake up just having a “talk”. The “talk” might just ramble on in all directions until the words in my head just run out. It was a good idea to also spend some time with spirit before you go to sleep and tell what your thankful for in the day and ask for help with any issues. For me if something good that I’m thankful for happens in a day I simply just say a short thank you at the moment it happens. Whether it’s a big something or a small something like I get a day when no yard noise. Or I find a tv show that just pops up in my head. (Remember I’m TERRIBLE at consistency).
Then it starts talking about offerings and “house elves” (which is something that I’ve never truly understood). Chapter 4 talked a lot of Familiars Spirits. While I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a black kitten, I know that 1) I’d have to get over my fear all things animal and 2) One day that little adorable kitten would grow up into a big, fat, cat. So for now I have a stuffed black cat and that’s what works for me. It’s just wouldn’t make sense right now for me to own a familiar and particularly some of the ones suggested.
A dog? Had a couple. I was never really close to either. Although a random one did save my life. Perhaps it was my familiar and I just didn’t realize it at the time. Plus, as the book points out WAY TOO EXPENSIVE! It goes into WAY TOO MUCH detail about caring for a dog if you don’t have a dog.
A cat? It would have to be one that stayed small and the smallest one I could get. Rodents? UH NOOO! I had a VERY bad experience with a girl who lived next door to me in college that had a RAT and the damn thing kept getting a loose in my room. The first time it happened scared the MESS out of me and I just stood in the hallway CONFUSED wondering did I just see a damn rat in my room. She told me not to tell. I told! He might have learned to trust Henry but that chicks rat in the dorm I was NOT trying to bond with.
Hamsters and Gerbils? Uhh. I don’t know. Mice? No, I don’t think so. Rabbits? Now my cousin did have a rabbit when he was little. He gave it to his “girlfriend” as a present. It was cute but… A dove or a bird? It worked for Harry Potter. Maybe. A toad? Uh I think I learned from Neville Longbottom they like to escape too much. A turtle? My cousin also had a turtle. Possibly. DEFINITELY NO TO SNAKES!
Then Chapter 5 is the typical (Fruits and Vegetables) chapter about what a good idea it is to grow your own food and the history of the ancestors before us who had to do this. My aunt’s community center has recently got into gardening. I have nothing against growing your own vegetables but is it likely I’m going to go out and buy seeds and plant spinach, radishes, and lettuce? Not likely. So, this just wasn’t helpful to me. I’m grateful to the ones that *have* to provide me with food daily but Publix, “The Pig” and Walmart and I have had an arrangement for years. I pay them. They supply me with the foods. It’s a simple arrangement and it works for me. And if it ain’t broke -as the saying goes- don’t fix it. Not only did this chapter talk about gardening it went even further to talk about raising chickens. Uh yeeeeah. There’s a reason I wasn’t born on a farm. And then a lady behind one of my cousin’s houses raises chickens. It would drive me CRAZY if I was woken up every single morning early in the AM to the screeching of a rooster. NO!
He even talked about raising bees. I guess for the honey. I just thought ARE YOU CRAZY! You do know they STING right? In Chapter 5, there was also a lot of information about birds. In the next Chapter (6) it went into trees (Bark and Branch) This is another typical subject that Pagan (Wiccan) books like to spend a lot of time on. Chapter 7 talks about different things to do with eggs for a spring ritual. Which my aunt *did* do with my smaller cousins and this one would be something I’d do if I had children. This is also the chapter that instructs you how to take care of chickens and bees (of which again I’m not interested in either and truthfully am wondering why all this information is included. This isn’t an animal care book and he says that in an earlier chapter. Yet… If I wanted to have a bee hive, I’d join Beyonce’s fan club.
In the next chapter there’s a lot about making bread (Quick Bread) for Lamas and Sol Cakes. Then it teaches you in depth how to blanch vegetables and canning and water bath canning. It also instructs you how to make jam and butter. Jam sounds like something I might want to try but I just don’t have the desire to make it. Mead I can do without trying. It sounds like it would also put me in a diabetic coma. I’m not *the best* but I do know my limits.
Chapter 9 talks about candles. I love candles and I have quite the collection. My candles have all kinds of fun scents and they usually last FOREVER because if you use a candle warner, I’ve found that this makes the candle last longer because when it “cool” it solidifies right back into form. But yet again. Now I will say that some of my family did take a candle making class and they said it was fun. There’s a lady here with a shop that teaches you how. And the last Chapter 10 foccus on how to celebrate different pagan days.
Rating: 5
I thought this one would a little different. It started off with the introduction of a term called “Hal Sadu” that incorporates the body, mind, and spirit. It taught that it’s not what you *believe*. Rather it’s what you do in actions and deeds. This is the very thing that attracted me to the path I choose. Only I didn’t know it by this name. I am a strong believer in taking action and I immediately was drawn to the dedication ceremony. It also made me want to get better at setting aside a certain time for spirit. Consistency is a big area of my life (in all things) in need to work on.
But as the chapters wore on, I started to not connect to any of it. In Chapter Two it talked about the importance of having a Sacral Calendar. As Pagans we have 8 holy days. It suggests that you might want to do something more personal to your spiritual path. Following what he calls the “Neo-Pagan” Calendar is enough for me. A lot of times I feel like I should be celebrating those days alone more than I do (and remembering them). It’s not easy thing to do as a solitary in a Christian household. It really goes into depth on all the ways you can make the calender more personal to your choosen path.
In Chapter Three, goes into Daily Devotions. It talks about morning meditation. To some extent I follow this. It might not always be a “prayer” to my personal spirit. It might just be me laying there before I wake up just having a “talk”. The “talk” might just ramble on in all directions until the words in my head just run out. It was a good idea to also spend some time with spirit before you go to sleep and tell what your thankful for in the day and ask for help with any issues. For me if something good that I’m thankful for happens in a day I simply just say a short thank you at the moment it happens. Whether it’s a big something or a small something like I get a day when no yard noise. Or I find a tv show that just pops up in my head. (Remember I’m TERRIBLE at consistency).
Then it starts talking about offerings and “house elves” (which is something that I’ve never truly understood). Chapter 4 talked a lot of Familiars Spirits. While I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a black kitten, I know that 1) I’d have to get over my fear all things animal and 2) One day that little adorable kitten would grow up into a big, fat, cat. So for now I have a stuffed black cat and that’s what works for me. It’s just wouldn’t make sense right now for me to own a familiar and particularly some of the ones suggested.
A dog? Had a couple. I was never really close to either. Although a random one did save my life. Perhaps it was my familiar and I just didn’t realize it at the time. Plus, as the book points out WAY TOO EXPENSIVE! It goes into WAY TOO MUCH detail about caring for a dog if you don’t have a dog.
A cat? It would have to be one that stayed small and the smallest one I could get. Rodents? UH NOOO! I had a VERY bad experience with a girl who lived next door to me in college that had a RAT and the damn thing kept getting a loose in my room. The first time it happened scared the MESS out of me and I just stood in the hallway CONFUSED wondering did I just see a damn rat in my room. She told me not to tell. I told! He might have learned to trust Henry but that chicks rat in the dorm I was NOT trying to bond with.
Hamsters and Gerbils? Uhh. I don’t know. Mice? No, I don’t think so. Rabbits? Now my cousin did have a rabbit when he was little. He gave it to his “girlfriend” as a present. It was cute but… A dove or a bird? It worked for Harry Potter. Maybe. A toad? Uh I think I learned from Neville Longbottom they like to escape too much. A turtle? My cousin also had a turtle. Possibly. DEFINITELY NO TO SNAKES!
Then Chapter 5 is the typical (Fruits and Vegetables) chapter about what a good idea it is to grow your own food and the history of the ancestors before us who had to do this. My aunt’s community center has recently got into gardening. I have nothing against growing your own vegetables but is it likely I’m going to go out and buy seeds and plant spinach, radishes, and lettuce? Not likely. So, this just wasn’t helpful to me. I’m grateful to the ones that *have* to provide me with food daily but Publix, “The Pig” and Walmart and I have had an arrangement for years. I pay them. They supply me with the foods. It’s a simple arrangement and it works for me. And if it ain’t broke -as the saying goes- don’t fix it. Not only did this chapter talk about gardening it went even further to talk about raising chickens. Uh yeeeeah. There’s a reason I wasn’t born on a farm. And then a lady behind one of my cousin’s houses raises chickens. It would drive me CRAZY if I was woken up every single morning early in the AM to the screeching of a rooster. NO!
He even talked about raising bees. I guess for the honey. I just thought ARE YOU CRAZY! You do know they STING right? In Chapter 5, there was also a lot of information about birds. In the next Chapter (6) it went into trees (Bark and Branch) This is another typical subject that Pagan (Wiccan) books like to spend a lot of time on. Chapter 7 talks about different things to do with eggs for a spring ritual. Which my aunt *did* do with my smaller cousins and this one would be something I’d do if I had children. This is also the chapter that instructs you how to take care of chickens and bees (of which again I’m not interested in either and truthfully am wondering why all this information is included. This isn’t an animal care book and he says that in an earlier chapter. Yet… If I wanted to have a bee hive, I’d join Beyonce’s fan club.
In the next chapter there’s a lot about making bread (Quick Bread) for Lamas and Sol Cakes. Then it teaches you in depth how to blanch vegetables and canning and water bath canning. It also instructs you how to make jam and butter. Jam sounds like something I might want to try but I just don’t have the desire to make it. Mead I can do without trying. It sounds like it would also put me in a diabetic coma. I’m not *the best* but I do know my limits.
Chapter 9 talks about candles. I love candles and I have quite the collection. My candles have all kinds of fun scents and they usually last FOREVER because if you use a candle warner, I’ve found that this makes the candle last longer because when it “cool” it solidifies right back into form. But yet again. Now I will say that some of my family did take a candle making class and they said it was fun. There’s a lady here with a shop that teaches you how. And the last Chapter 10 foccus on how to celebrate different pagan days.
Rating: 5
June 14, 2020
Wanted to understand what modern pagans live like. I found I share many things in common and have many desires to connect with nature and earth cycles like different groups. However, Albertsson spent too much time teaching how to do things that distracted from what I was interested in and how rituals are used to connect to changing seasons and moon cycles. I didn't need lessons in canning, for instance. Still, I did learn quite a bit about rituals, practices and celebrations and how much of my modern life is still tied to ancient pagan ways.
April 29, 2016
I think for the most part I found this book to be rather...boring.
There was good information in it. I did learn some things but the information was somewhat scattered. I like to take notes when reading books like this and it was very hard to keep them organized when more information kept being added to things that were brought up in previous chapters and such.
I also do not understand why the author wrote about how to choose and care for pets. I'm not sure what that specifically has to do with being pagan. I found myself skimming through that part and quite a few other parts as well.
Overall I would not recommend this book to anyone.
There was good information in it. I did learn some things but the information was somewhat scattered. I like to take notes when reading books like this and it was very hard to keep them organized when more information kept being added to things that were brought up in previous chapters and such.
I also do not understand why the author wrote about how to choose and care for pets. I'm not sure what that specifically has to do with being pagan. I found myself skimming through that part and quite a few other parts as well.
Overall I would not recommend this book to anyone.
December 3, 2016
I found this book to be useful for understanding the pagan tradition better and enjoyed Albertsson's voice as a writer. I thought there was a lot of good, practical advice. I was a little annoyed at how much he talked about dogs and cats, because it seemed excessive, but maybe that's just because pets are not a relevant part of my life. This book did, however, encourage me to connect to the outside world by bringing inside a tiny little pine tree that I have in my room to keep me company. I also really liked that it gave instructions on how to naturally dye eggs and there were good crafty ideas. It already inspired me to make my own "corn husk doll."
March 30, 2022
I wish the author would have expanded on the type of subject matter in the first couple chapters. A lot of the other chapters didn't warrant an entire chapter of writing, and could have been condensed. I appreciated the concept of incorporating gardening and pet ownership into ones spiritual practice, but again, not worth a chapter each. Get this as an audiobook bc there is a lot of intersting stuff here, but a physical copy is a bit of a waste
March 8, 2022
This might work well for some, but for me I could not get past the way he writes. It comes across as haughty and condescending. I also had the book recommended to me as a way to get ideas to incorporate into my every day life, but it is written in a way that only someone who lives way out in the country could actually implement. An urban or suburban neopagan is not going to get much from this.
August 8, 2017
Disclaimer: This ARC was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
This book was pretty awesome. It focuses more on the starting path of finding your own spiritual path in paganism. I'm really happy that this is just not a Wiccan book.
This book was pretty awesome. It focuses more on the starting path of finding your own spiritual path in paganism. I'm really happy that this is just not a Wiccan book.
February 14, 2020
I have been wanting to read this for months but unfortunately it fell flat. The author seems to have such a strong foundation for their own practice but it does not translate too well in this book. Too much droning on, not enough information about everyday practice at all.
July 21, 2023
I found some good things in this book, however, it was a very minimal amount. 95 percent of this book wasn't for me. I also highly disagree with the chapters on familiars. Also each chapter seem to go on and on (super wordy).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews