Pan: Dark Lord of the Forest and Horned God of the Witches

by Melusine Draco

Those who have grown up with Pan as a playmate remember how, back in the day, it would be possible for a young child to disappear into the woods with only a dog for company for hours on end without there being a hue and cry raised in its absence; and it was on those woodland rides and pathways - summer or winter - that Mélusine Draco often encountered Pan.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Witchcraft, Paganism, Nonfiction, Magick

96 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2016

About the author

Mélusine Draco originally trained in the magical arts of traditional British Old Craft with Bob and Mériém Clay-Egerton. She has been a magical and spiritual instructor for over 20 years with Coven of the Scales and the Temple of Khem, and writer of numerous popular books including Liber Agyptius: the Book of Egyptian Magic; The Egyptian Book of Days; The Egyptian Book of Nights; The Thelemic Handbook; The Hollow Tree, an elementary guide to the Qabalah; A Witch's Treasury of the Countryside; Root & Branch: British Magical Tree Lore and Starchild: a rediscovery of stellar wisdom. Her highly individualistic teaching methods and writing draws on ancient sources supported by academic texts and current archaeological findings. She now lives in Ireland near the Galtee Mountains and has several titles currently published with John Hunt Publishing including the Traditional Witchcraft series.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all pagan portal books. They are typically a bite sized book on the history of a figure or practice of a pagan religion.

The concept of religion and the vastly different presentations has always been a major curiosity of mine and I heavily enjoyed reading about the great god Pan.

If your ever in the mood to pick up a brief history book, I rate these ones.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book on Pan and other manifestations of the Horned God. It was written a bit like an academic paper or thesis. This was fine with me as I tend to write that way as well. It also means the book was well researched and documented. I will have to read it again just to make sure I get all the finer, important points.

Draco excels at laying out the case for institutional Christianity being a sham built on the backs of hardworking, poor rural people by the early Church through stealing and perverting their religions, deities, practices and holidays. While this is obvious to anyone looks below the surface of Christianity it is nice to see so much well documented evidence of this recorded in this book for posterity.

[Samantha Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was chock full of historical references and was a good, quick overview of the history of Pan. However, the writing left much to be desired, with some stuff repeated and some explanations coming after they'd been used once or twice. I wish there had been more about rituals or what to expect when evoking Pan, although I assume the author withheld that information to encourage the reader to experience him for oneself. I just don't agree with that, however, because I'm reading a book about Pan to find out about Pan

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love having all the history of Pan in one book to read and enjoy! I've read much about Pan through the years and have always enjoyed the stories and history of him. I have also read other books by Melusine Draco which I have enjoyed; she's a good writer, personable. I think anyone interested in the Pan myths though the ages will enjoy this book. It's very well researched and easily read and enjoyed.

I received a Kindle ARC in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley.

[Alan D.D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una buena lectura introductoria sobre una de las figuras más mencionadas en el Paganismo Moderno con mucha información. Un poco desorganizado a la hora de explicar los puntos, pero se disfruta de todos modos.

A good introductory read on one of the most talked about figures in Modern Paganism with lots of information. A little disorganized when it comes to explaining the points, but still enjoyable.

[Heidi’s Zee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het boek heeft een te serieuze toon om met de inhoud van hop naar her te gaan… Waarom ook al die aandacht naar Renaissance/Engeland (een beetje algemene cultusverspreiding alah, maar) ik lees over een griekse god? Voor een boek naar heksen, had het ook meer mystiek inzicht kunnen geven.

— Het is wel een groot werk.

[Jenni Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

I'd recommend for any one who wishes to know the history and origins of the great Horned God. It is a short read, but all the information is presented in an easy-to-follow format!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging!

Great read. Author does a great job instilling knowledge and using secondary sources to further her points. Would recommend if your interested in Pan and/or early civilization making.

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pagan Portal Ancestral Healing Edited by Trevor Greenfield

112 Pages
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Release Date: July 31, 2020

Self-Help, Religion & Spirituality, Multicultural Interest

Trevor Greenfield has been a practicing Shaman for over 25 years.

The book is written as short stories by multiple authors all on the same topic.

Healing in the Ancestral Soul by Kenn Day: The author talks about Family Constellation Work technique. He includes a very powerful paragraph about forgiveness that I have copied and read over and over.

Walking the Bones: Reconnecting with our Ancient Past by Taz Thornton: She discusses animism and the belief everything has an energy or spirit.

Intergenerational Silence: Witnessing Yesterday to Heal Today by Irisanya Moon: The author discusses trauma (including rape and abusive relationships) and how we as humans deal with it.

Of Things Lost and Love Gained by Imelda Almqvist: She tells us about pain and trauma and how we can become more spiritual by learning from the past.

Dealing with Ancestral Shame by Mabh Savage: The author explains how it is okay not to accept the past mistakes of our ancestors as our own. She also states that it is okay to cut someone out of your life if they have harmed you.

Ancestral Healing by Elen Sentier: She talks about ancestral healing not only with connecting with our human ancestors but also with the land.

Stuck in the Rage Stage? By Dorothy Abrams: The author discusses denial and the importance to move onto the next step of anger. She also provides rituals to help with this action.

Looking them in the Eyes: Animals, Ancestry and Animism by Andrew Anderson: He discusses the importance of all life and how he became an ethical vegan to honor his animal ancestors.

Recovering the Bones Healing the Past by Angela Paine: The author explains how mourning for a lost loved one allows both people to heal and move one.

Saving the Tinkers’ Heart by Fiona Tinker: She provides a statement from her website which describes the Tinkers’ Heart as a space sacred to Scotland’s Travelling people.

Schism & Split: Wounds that can never heal by Melusine Draco. The author provides explanations on how words can cause harm. Words become actions and damage can occur.

When I first started the book, I didn’t realize the stories were written by separate authors since they flow together so well. Actually, had to start reading the book a second time so I could feel each story separately. The feelings and emotions along with forgiveness and love are brought to the forefront with this book.

[J. d'Merricksson · Rating 4 out of 5]

*This book was reviewed via Netgalley*

Draco’s Pagan Portals- Pan is a succinct look at the most ancient and venerable of deities. Tracing Pan's mythologic lineage from Arcadia to the present day, Draco shows us the links between Pan and other Horned Gods, such as Cernunnos, and the Christian depictions of the Devil. This book covers Pan’s various demesne, such as god of the deep forest, and god of shepherds and flocks. We learn about the origin of the panflute, Pan’s re-emergence as the god of witches, and his appearances in various forms of media. I am a bit sad Pan's Labyrinth was not mentioned, though. That's an awesome movie and a marvellous rendering of Pan.

I enjoyed the attention paid to historical detail, with the various reference in the back. I plan to add some we do not have to the occult section of our home library. Nice thing about a large family that appreciates books! Every square inch of the available walls pace in the house has towering bookshelves. Various magickal rituals are discussed, from evocations, to purification. They are first discussed from the historical context, then suggestions for modern practitioners are given.

[Ionia · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the start, I was impressed with this book. The author did a fantastic job of researching the material she used as sources, including many passages to prove the points she was making. I liked her informative writing style and thought this was a really interesting look at pan through the ages and different cultures.

A lot of times, books like this can quickly become redundant and lose my interest, but this one didn't. I enjoyed reading this and felt like I learned quite a bit from it by the end. If you are interested in the horned god, this is a book that you don't want to miss.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good.