Round the Herne

A new book is out from Moon Books, a collection of articles and surrounding commentaries from 101 different pagan authors. I wrote the article on polytheism, and several of my friends have contributed towards it. Anyone wanting to order the book can do so through any of their local bookshops. Or you could pick up copies at the Leaping Hare convention next year. Further details about the book can be found here -  http://www.moon-books.net/books/paganism-101 " Paganism 101 is an introduction to Paganism written by 101 Pagans. Grouped into three main sections, Who we are, What we believe and What we do, twenty topics fundamental to the understanding of the main Pagan traditions are each introduced by essay and then elaborated upon by other followers and practitioners, giving the reader a greater flavour of the variety and diversity that Paganism offers.   With introductory essays from leading writers such as Emma Restall Orr, Mark Townsend, Brendan Myers, Jane Meredith, Alar...

I've learnt quite a few new Greek myths this year (for storytelling events), one of which I'd like to muse on for a while as it is particularly relevant to me at the moment. Narcissus, in a nutshell, was a self-obsessed prat who rejected all those who loved him as being unworthy ~ causing the nymph Echo to fade into nothingness and driving Aminius to kill himself in despair. Wrathful Nemesis punished him by causing him to see, for the first time ever, his own reflection - which he promptly fell in love with and either drowned whilst attempting to snog the face in the pool or (according to a variation) topped himself after realising that he could never find anyone as perfect as himself! The myth is a very clear warning about the dangers of intense self-adulation. Whilst there are comparatively few outright autolatrists in the world, there are many people who are so self-obsessed that other people are merely a means to an end, stepping stones to be trampled on or made use of a...