The Priestess & the Pen: Marion Zimmer Bradley, Dion Fortune & Diana Paxson's Influence on Modern Paganism

by Sonja Sadovsky

This important book by debut author Sonja Sadovsky shines new light on how three captivating minds shaped the course of history. The fantasy novels of Dion Fortune, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and Diana L. Paxson influenced the image of the priestess in Neopagan and Goddess-centered spirituality throughout the world. The Priestess & the Pen shows how their work changed the way women are depicted in literature, created space for women to reclaim their power, and energized the women's equality movement. Presenting a reinterpretation of the Goddess as fourfold rather than threefold, The Priestess & the Pen adds dimension and relevance to the traditional Triple Goddess archetype in a way that has never before been considered with such compelling clarity. This book is poised to become a vital interpretation of the Pagan priestess.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, Witches

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2014

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Priestess and the Pen is a powerful piece of work. It is labeled "groundbreaking". This is a fair assessment of Sonja Sadovsky's book.

Using the writings of Pagan authors such as Dion Fortune, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana Paxson, Sadovsky explains each authors influence on goddess worship and modern paganism.

This is not light reading material. The reader must sit and concentrate on the subject at hand, but it will be worth it. Sadovsky was able to open my mind, broaden my thoughts and increase my understanding of her viewpoint.

Some key ideas from the book:
"Priestess is a symbol of independent female authority, and a living link to the Goddess she serves."
There are four types of Priestess', each type is reviewed and explained in the book.
1. Earth Mother
2. Moon Mistress
3. Witch Queen
4. Warrior Queen

The Goddess herself is:
1. eternal
2. light and dark
3. maiden, mother and crone
4. dark mother of mystery.

Sadovsky further explains that the threefold goddess is not always accurate nor fitting. The goddess has a 4th face, "hidden but key to personal power and self identity."

The author herself sums up the Priestess and the Pen in the introduction by writing "Priestess and Pen focuses on the literary character of the Priestess in 20th century fiction"

I think she more than adequately succeeds in her goal. My understanding of Modern Paganism is greatly enhanced by reading this book and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Paganism, or the works of the three spotlighted authors.

FYI- everything in quotation marks was directly quoted from Ms. Sadovsky's work.

[NormaCenva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is a very important book, dedicated to a subject that is frequently overlooked. I hope there will be more similar works in the future that analyze all the other great Authors from this specific sub-genre!

[Chrissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this was an interesting premise (modern paganism was influenced by the fictional depiction of Goddess worship in the literary works of three authors involved in esoteric belief systems) that veered into more of personal reflection that generic exploration. The author examined how the three named authors worked with a concept (worship of the goddess) in representative works and asserted that each representation grew from the theories and beliefs current at the time. These beliefs were mentioned in passing and presumed knowledge on the part of the reader that I didn't possess. Additionally, the structure of modern belief systems was mentioned only in connection with the author's practice. Overall, this seemed more an introduction to certain works by Fortune, Bradley, and Paxson rather than an exploration of how these works interacted with their times.

[Michele Cacano · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough examination of three influential pagan authors and their work.

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review The Priestess and the Pen by Sonja Sadovsky

9780738738000

240 Pages
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.
Publication Date: December 8, 2014

Nonfiction, Biographies & Memoirs, History

The book is divided into the following chapters.

Chapter 1: Women, Literature, and the Occult in the Modern Era
Chapter 2: Dion Fortune / Violet Firth
Chapter 3: Earth Mother / Moon Mistress
Chapter 4: Marion Zimmer Bradley
Chapter 5: Witch Queen
Chapter 6: Diana L. Paxson
Chapter 7: Warrior Queen
Chapter 8: The Priestess and the Problem of Feminine Evil
Chapter 9: Conclusion
Chapter 10: Parting Thoughts
Appendix: Meditation Exercises / Automatic Writing

This book surprised me. I did not know what to expect but was pleased with what I found. The book is more academic than I thought it would be but that was fine with me. I had some knowledge of the women but learned a lot from this book. The author knew her subject matter and presented it in a way that was easy to read and understand. I think this book would be benefit for anyone interested in these women writers.