Llewellyn authors??

[Light Chakra]

Dreamwhisper

There hasn't been a decent Llewellyn book since 1993, when they published Kveldulf Gundarsson's Teutonic Religion.

Llewellyn authors write to spec -- they are told what to write, and any deviation from what Llewellyn wants is rejected. The company targets the lowest common denominator. Why do you think there's so many "Wicca 101" books in their catalog?

... Hmm...
I was thinking about being published through them, of course I knew they had a history of bad books, but I never figured that they would have that many bad ones... Perhaps it is not such a good idea.
I do have to say though that the book 'gay witchcraft' was pretty good. I liked the author's view on polarity.  

[Elizabeth Tarion]

Light Chakra

... Hmm...
I was thinking about being published through them, of course I knew they had a history of bad books, but I never figured that they would have that many bad ones... Perhaps it is not such a good idea.

You want to get a book published? May I ask the subject?  

[Light Chakra]

[Bavi]

Light Chakra

... Hmm...
I was thinking about being published through them, of course I knew they had a history of bad books, but I never figured that they would have that many bad ones... Perhaps it is not such a good idea.

You want to get a book published? May I ask the subject?

Well I figured that I'd do a few books...
First and foremost I want to do one really solid guide on intermediate leveled witchcraft. There aren't enough on the market, seriously.
Like, explaining the elements for example, most people just explain what powers they have, but I want to explain why and how they relate to one another (cold, hot, dry, wet), and then the different axis on the compass, and how the different polarities relate and how they affect one another.
Stuff like that. And of course spell ideas and instructioning. Because there's too many people (in my opinion) who ramble on endlessly about a subject and never really get the point accross. In my book I'd like to state the facts short and sweet, and then elaborate afterwards, so that the less patient among us can read what they need to know, and those of us who need more details and examples can have what they need.
I hope I haven't rambled too badly myself actually...  

[TeaDidikai]

Dreamwhisper

There hasn't been a decent Llewellyn book since 1993, when they published Kveldulf Gundarsson's Teutonic Religion.

Now now- Slavic Sorcery was published in 95 I believe. twisted

Nuri>> Bwhahah! That is beautiful!  

[Naomi Tinuveil]

Came across some new books that I thought were good for beginners . . . I personally like his views and concepts but I'm curious to see what everyone elses views of his works are.

Christopher Penczak
The Inner Temple of Witchcraft ~ Meditation and Pyschic Development
The Outer Temple of Witchcraft ~ Circles, Spells, and Rituals
The Shamanic Temple of Witchcraft ~ Shadow Spirits and The Healing Journey.

I was just reading through the second one (The Outer Temple) and I thought his principles and views were very nice. Curious to hear others views.

~Asha  

[TeaDidikai]

Naomi Tinuveil

Came across some new books that I thought were good for beginners . . . I personally like his views and concepts but I'm curious to see what everyone elses views of his works are.

Christopher Penczak
The Inner Temple of Witchcraft ~ Meditation and Pyschic Development
The Outer Temple of Witchcraft ~ Circles, Spells, and Rituals
The Shamanic Temple of Witchcraft ~ Shadow Spirits and The Healing Journey.

I was just reading through the second one (The Outer Temple) and I thought his principles and views were very nice. Curious to hear others views.

~Asha

I take issue with anyone who uses Shamanic concepts void of cultural context- more so with folks who confuse Shamanism with Witchcraft.

The rest I'd have to look over again. It's been a while since I glanced at them, but I recall I wasn't impressed.  

[Naomi Tinuveil]

TeaDidikai

Naomi Tinuveil

Came across some new books that I thought were good for beginners . . . I personally like his views and concepts but I'm curious to see what everyone elses views of his works are.

Christopher Penczak
The Inner Temple of Witchcraft ~ Meditation and Pyschic Development
The Outer Temple of Witchcraft ~ Circles, Spells, and Rituals
The Shamanic Temple of Witchcraft ~ Shadow Spirits and The Healing Journey.

I was just reading through the second one (The Outer Temple) and I thought his principles and views were very nice. Curious to hear others views.

~Asha

I take issue with anyone who uses Shamanic concepts void of cultural context- more so with folks who confuse Shamanism with Witchcraft.

The rest I'd have to look over again. It's been a while since I glanced at them, but I recall I wasn't impressed.

True, although I dont' think its so much confusing them as much as melting them together as most people do with religion. Everything seems to be borrowed or recreated from something else right? So in a way, if its all connected; with simply the names and myths changed . . . then technically wouldn't that make it the same? And Shamanic concepts, while needing association to culture; if the concept is the same, then would it really matter what it was called? As long as the principles stay in tact?  

[TeaDidikai]

Naomi Tinuveil

True, although I dont' think its so much confusing them as much as melting them together as most people do with religion.

Contested. Anyone with a proper cultural understanding of both tradition Magical practices (or Folk Magic) and the legit Shamanistic traditions knows they are distinct diciplines indepented of one another.

Quote:

Everything seems to be borrowed or recreated from something else right?

No.

Quote:

So in a way, if its all connected; with simply the names and myths changed .

Nope.

For example: The Norse World Tree has nothing to do with the Domari World tree. Are they both trees? Yes. Do they have the same meaning, not even close.

Quote:

. . then technically wouldn't that make it the same? And Shamanic concepts, while needing association to culture; if the concept is the same, then would it really matter what it was called? As long as the principles stay in tact?

Logical Fallacy illistrated in this post: False premise and Proof by Assertion  

[Naomi Tinuveil]

TeaDidikai

Naomi Tinuveil

True, although I dont' think its so much confusing them as much as melting them together as most people do with religion.

Contested. Anyone with a proper cultural understanding of both tradition Magical practices (or Folk Magic) and the legit Shamanistic traditions knows they are distinct diciplines indepented of one another.

Quote:

Everything seems to be borrowed or recreated from something else right?

No.

Quote:

So in a way, if its all connected; with simply the names and myths changed .

Nope.

For example: The Norse World Tree has nothing to do with the Domari World tree. Are they both trees? Yes. Do they have the same meaning, not even close.

Quote:

. . then technically wouldn't that make it the same? And Shamanic concepts, while needing association to culture; if the concept is the same, then would it really matter what it was called? As long as the principles stay in tact?

Logical Fallacy illistrated in this post: False premise and Proof by Assertion

Your point proven! mrgreen  

[TeaDidikai]

That was painless.  

[godhi]

tanwyn_llewellyn

The biggest problem with Llewllyn is that they require their authors to publish so frequently, they end up rushing and publishing trash, rather than taking the time to write something well researched and insightful.

This is why when people ask me about books on paganism and the occult, I refer to a quote from the late science fiction writer, Theodore Sturgeon...

Sturgeon's Law:
90% of Everything is Crap.  

[godhi]

Dreamwhisper

There hasn't been a decent Llewellyn book since 1993, when they published Kveldulf Gundarsson's Teutonic Religion.

Llewellyn authors write to spec -- they are told what to write, and any deviation from what Llewellyn wants is rejected. The company targets the lowest common denominator. Why do you think there's so many "Wicca 101" books in their catalog?

Teutonic Religion and its companion volume, Teutonic Magic by Kvendulf Gundarsson are well worth reading, especially if you're interested in the Norse and Teutonic mysteries.
On the other hand, avoid anything by D.J. Conway. Not only is her research suspect at best and completely erroneous at worse, she plagiarizes her own books, using the same rituals over and over while substituting different spirits, deities, and names of power. Let the buyer beware!  

[Deoridhe]

godhi

Teutonic Religion and its companion volume, Teutonic Magic by Kvendulf Gundarsson are well worth reading, especially if you're interested in the Norse and Teutonic mysteries.

But don't forget your salt lick! Even Kveldulf admits he was smoking something during the Valkyrie chapter. xd He's currently, I believe, attempting to get the rights back from Llwellyn in order to rewrite both and add new stuff in.

Edred Thorsson's stuff is quite good too, but keep a weather eye for low flying Satanism.  

[Pelta]

Naomi Tinuveil

True, although I dont' think its so much confusing them as much as melting them together as most people do with religion.

I'm with Tea on this one. Shamanism and Witchcraft are two entirely destinct practises.... And that goes without even mentioning the vast differences in cultural traditions of shamanic practise. I am also personally inclined to believe the Shamanism cannot be taught by a book. Traditionally the practises had to be passed from teacher to student, which is why I have such an issue with books that profess to teach 'Shamanism.' Especially because so few of them declare which tradition/culture they're teaching from and can be quite shifty on the details...

Quote:

And Shamanic concepts, while needing association to culture; if the concept is the same, then would it really matter what it was called? As long as the principles stay in tact?

Not all shamanic traditions have the same concepts or ideas at all. Each culture has a vastly different ideas of the composition of the spirit realm and humans' interactions with it. And principles quite often do not stay intact when shoved into books with bad scholarship... *wants to strangle D.J. Conway*  

[saint dreya]

missmagpie

Quote:

And Shamanic concepts, while needing association to culture; if the concept is the same, then would it really matter what it was called? As long as the principles stay in tact?

Not all shamanic traditions have the same concepts or ideas at all. Each culture has a vastly different ideas of the composition of the spirit realm and humans' interactions with it.

aside from the fact that shamanism was used to define practices in Russia, i believe...