Alaric Albertsson - To Walk a Pagan Path: Practical Spirituality for Every Day

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

To Walk a Pagan Path: Practical Spirituality for Every Day 2013 by Alaric Albertsson.

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First e-book edition 2013

E-book ISBN: 9780738739229

Book design by Donna Burch

Cover art: iStockphoto.com/22804521/Loradora, 8168792/Jamie Farrant, 17975826/Alonzo Design, 6098770/SpiffyJ

Cover design by Kevin R. Brown

Editing by Andrea NefInterior art by Llewellyn Art Department

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Manufactured in the United States of America

For Alene.

acknowledgments

This book explores personal experiences, both my own and those of other Pagan men and women, and therefore leaves me with countless people whom I owe thanks to. I feel that I should first thank the many people who midwived our contemporary culture, people like Gerald Gardner, Sybil Leek, Paul Huson, Zsuzsanna Budapest, Oberon Zell, Raymond Buckland, Leo Martello, and others. I could not possibly name them all. They laid the groundwork for what would eventually expand into the extensive and diverse Pagan communities we have today.

I also need to thank the people whom Ive quoted, such as Ian Corrigan and M. Cassius Julianus. Special thanks to those who agreed to be interviewed for this book: Mario Munive, Diane Dahm, Irisa MacKenzie, Joy and Jack Bennett, Devin Hunter, and Nick Egelhoff. In sharing their own experiences, they have each brought something special to this book.

Finally, I would like to thank my editors, Elysia Gallo and Andrea Neff, for their invaluable help. I dont think any writer actually enjoys the editorial process, but both of my editors caught errors that would have embarrassed me grievously had those errors gone to print. I was blessed to have the opportunity to work with these two wonderful women.

Contents

: Seven Steps to a New Way of Living

: The Sacral Calendar

: Daily Devotions

: Familiar Spirits

: Leaf and Fruit

: Bark and Branch

: The Birds and the Bees

: Making Food

: Pagan Crafts

: Yule

INTRODUCTION

This is a book about something most Pagans aspire to do; it is about expressing our spirituality in our daily lives. After your coven meeting comes to a close or your grove ritual ends, how do you continue to live as a Pagan from day to day?

Years ago a non-Pagan friend said to me, I know why youre always so happy, Alaric. Its all the holidays you Pagans have. You have Christmas all year long!

There was a kernel of truth in that thought. For the majority of us Pagans who observe the Wheel of the Year, another holiday celebration comes approximately every six weeks. We barely have time to put away the spring equinox decorations before we start planning for our Beltane celebrations, and then Midsummer and then Lammas. Depending on your path or tradition, some of these holidays will have more significance than others, but the celebratory spirit flows through our lives like a spiraling stream without end.

We can find even more fulfillment by expanding our spiritual expression beyond these seasonal observances and into our daily lives. But to live fully as a Pagan requires intentional effort, and usually a little planning. The good news is that the rewards far outweigh the effort.

Think of this book as a tool kit for building a Pagan life. The book provides some tools, but the design of your life will depend on your path or tradition, your personal needs, and all of the many factors that have made you a unique individual. Some of the ideas youll find herein will be more useful than others. Some you may eschew altogether.

For example, in the book I suggest beekeeping as one means of building a connection with the earth, but this may be inappropriate if you are allergic to bee venom, suffer from entomophobia (fear of insects), or do not have the funds for the initial start-up expenses. Beekeeping is not for everybody.

Depending on your life design, some of the ideas presented here may be useful, but only after they have been altered for your own use. As far as possible I have tried to be inclusive of the vast diversity of Pagan beliefs, traditions, and experiences, but feel free to adapt anything given within these pages to fit your own needs. To Walk a Pagan Path is about expressing your spirituality in your daily life!

My own path is Saxon, as you already know if you have read other books that I have written. The inspiration that shapes my spirituality comes from the culture and traditions of pre-Christian England, so this book has a lot of examples from a Saxon viewpoint. However, the ideas behind those examples can and should be personalized to reflect your own tradition. Whether your path is Wiccan, Saxon, Celtic, Hellenic, Kemetic, satr, or some other tradition, this book will help you expand your spirituality into a more fulfilling lifestyle.

In the first chapter Ill tell you about seven things you can do to really integrate Paganism into your everyday life in a meaningful way. You very likely do some of these things already. Most are steps you can take over the next couple weeks to expand your spiritual experience. As with everything else in this book, all seven steps can be easily personalized for your own spiritual tradition.