Pagan Roots: Reclaiming Concepts of the Sacred

by Yvonne Aburrow

Have you ever been told that "prayer is not a Pagan practice" or that it is "just passive magic" and found that these claims did not sit right with you? Or that you ought to "kill the ego" because that is supposedly part of every spiritual quest, but that did not feel right to you? Have you ever been presented with a spiritual practice or concept and wondered if it was compatible with your Pagan ideals and values? Have you ever asked yourself why there are certain words you just can't say in Pagan circles? Or have you had a conversation with an adherent of another religion and found it difficult to communicate because they did not understand where you were coming from?

Fascinated by the etymology of words and the history of ideas, Yvonne Aburrow has set out to disentangle Pagan spirituality from ideas that do not serve the needs of Pagans, and to reclaim religious concepts that have been rejected. Just as there are people who assume that religion does not change over the centuries, there are people who assume that the meaning of words does not change. The meaning of words and the concepts they represent do change over time and are shaped by the context in which they are used. Yvonne Aburrow is here with Pagan Roots to illustrate those changes and reclaim religious language and concepts in a way that centers contemporary Pagan practice and belief.

372 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2025

About the author

Yvonne Aburrow has been a Pagan since 1985 and a Wiccan since 1991. They have an MA in Contemporary Religions and Spiritualities from Bath Spa University (UK), and live in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. They have written four books on the mythology and folklore of trees, birds, and animals, and two anthologies of poetry. They have written three books on inclusive Wicca and the inner work: "All acts of love and pleasure: inclsuive Wicca", "Dark Mirror: the inner work of witchcraft (2nd edition)" and "The Night Journey: witchcraft as transformation (2nd edition)". Their latest book is "Changing Paths", a guide for people changing or leaving religions. They blog at Dowsing for Divinity.