Llewellyn authors??

[emmfullness]

I've read books from several of their authors now and was wondering if they just happen to publish a lot of people full of absolute self-righteous Pagan crap. Recently, I picked up the book The Body Sacred and the entire first chapter is just the author rampaging on and on about how men and Christains are to blame for all of women's body image problems and how Wiccans, of all people, shouldn't have such problems as if others of other religions deserve them more. I was reading the book aloud to my friend and all we could do is laugh at her the whole time. I'm hoping it improves in the next chapter, though. So, my question is, should I just avoid the books published by them? What have your experiences been with their...literature...? Is reading these books a solid waste of my time, essentially?  

[AingealOreiad]

Honestly, yes, avoid all their stuff. There are Lewellyn books that aren't rubish, but not a lot of them. Cunningham's encyclopedias aren't too bad if you are begining with herbal or stone work...and that's about all I can think of....anyone else?  

[TeaDidikai]

Don't go throwing the Baby out with the Bathwater!

A lot of this stuff is inaccurate fluff. SamWiser and Crossing Press have a lot going for them (even Harper has been getting into the mystic scene).

Lewellyn still own the rights so some of Yasmine's books, lots of Cunningham stuff (which is an okay source for OCW based Eclectic Paganism and Witchcraft), Telesco's work aand a host of other good authors who were around before Lewellyn sold out to Fluffydom.  

[dark_reki]

I have to agree about the Lewellyn books in general....total pants. But I personally do like Scott Cunnighams books.. I tend to look past the dross ingeneral. I love the Herbal Encyclopedia and I'm not the only non Wiccan who says it. I also have a nice craft book by him that I like.

But I will agree about other books. I bought a, so called, Celtic Paganism book and it was full of rubbish for the most part. But in truth, it is a difficult shop sifting through the mountains of books out there and seeking out the gold from the dross.

For me I go with the feel (psychically)....I seem to have a strange empathic link with books; and more often than not I'm right. When I pick up a book I go by how it feels. I thumb through the pages, feel the binding and so on...and the amount of times I'll pick up a book and almost instantly put it back donw, without even glancing at it's content.

So for me, going by how it feels does it...

Blessings

Cerri x  

[TeaDidikai]

So... in short- it's not the publisher, but the authors one should avoid.  

[dark_reki]

TeaDidikai

So... in short- it's not the publisher, but the authors one should avoid.

Pretty much, it's just unfortunate that for the most part Lewellyn seem to condone Fluffy Bunnyness lol

I wonder how'd they feel if bunnies looked like this?

Blessings

Cerri x  

[TeaDidikai]

cerridwen_uk

TeaDidikai

So... in short- it's not the publisher, but the authors one should avoid.

Pretty much, it's just unfortunate that for the most part Lewellyn seem to condone Fluffy Bunnyness lol

I wonder how'd they feel if bunnies looked like this?

Blessings

Cerri x

I think condone is an inaccurate assertion. They profit from them. Furthermore- they provide accessable paganism. Most of the content isn't invalid until it begins to use terms they have no right to use.  

[saint dreya]

TeaDidikai

Don't go throwing the Baby out with the Bathwater!

A lot of this stuff is inaccurate fluff. SamWiser and Crossing Press have a lot going for them (even Harper has been getting into the mystic scene).

Lewellyn still own the rights so some of Yasmine's books, lots of Cunningham stuff (which is an okay source for OCW based Eclectic Paganism and Witchcraft), Telesco's work aand a host of other good authors who were around before Lewellyn sold out to Fluffydom.

not to mention some of the old 'classics' that are pretty good to have for your average occultist: three books of occult philosophy, john dee's diaries. i can't remember too much else right now though.  

[TeaDidikai]

phoenix_shadowwolf

not to mention some of the old 'classics' that are pretty good to have for your average occultist: three books of occult philosophy, john dee's diaries. i can't remember too much else right now though.

They still have the publishing rights to Agrippa's works? confused  

[emmfullness]

Alrighty then. I do believe I'll check out reviews on their books from several sources before making any investments if that's the case. That and read through the first few pages as it seems to unmask itself in the initial ramblings of the authors. Thank you all for your advice. heart heart  

[TeaDidikai]

emmfullness

Alrighty then. I do believe I'll check out reviews on their books from several sources before making any investments if that's the case. That and read through the first few pages as it seems to unmask itself in the initial ramblings of the authors. Thank you all for your advice. heart heart

Might want to look directly at Source Texts.

Which area of study are you focusing on?  

[maenad nuri]

emmfullness

Alrighty then. I do believe I'll check out reviews on their books from several sources before making any investments if that's the case. That and read through the first few pages as it seems to unmask itself in the initial ramblings of the authors. Thank you all for your advice. heart heart

I tend to read the 5-star reviews and the 1-star reviews when choosing a book. Helps me figure out what some people see as the major problems.  

[emmfullness]

TeaDidikai

emmfullness

Alrighty then. I do believe I'll check out reviews on their books from several sources before making any investments if that's the case. That and read through the first few pages as it seems to unmask itself in the initial ramblings of the authors. Thank you all for your advice. heart heart

Might want to look directly at Source Texts.

Which area of study are you focusing on?

I keep jumping around. I've been reading several books on Chakras, their world history, their correspondences, their uses, exercises, etc. I've picked books up on runes and on the Pagan image of the body (hence The Body Sacred. I've read a couple books on the femal image of diety throughout history, one of which I'm still reading, it's called When God was a Women I heard some good things about it and it's quite interesting. It's taken a few shots at the Book Religions, but it's minimal compared to other things I've read.  

[maenad nuri]

If that book does get better, let me know. Perceptions of the body is incredibly interesting to me, particuarly those that celebrate the body.  

[emmfullness]

Nuri

If that book does get better, let me know. Perceptions of the body is incredibly interesting to me, particuarly those that celebrate the body.

I'll be sure to. 3nodding