Hello, pornies. I hope you've been well. This time has been a roller coaster for me for a long number of reasons. Between health, family, and several changes in short time, including the death of one of my masters, I've had my head all over the place except for this blog. However, I've been reading a book that helped me cope with it all and gave a lot of information. It's The Horned God of the Witches, by Jason Mankey. Thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!
- Print Length: 304 pages.
- Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (June 8, 2021).
- Publication Date: June 8, 2021.
- Genres: History, Folklore, Mythology, Witchcraft.
- Rating: 5 / 5 stars.
Discover the History, Magick & Myths of the Horned OneExplore the deep spiritual roots of the Horned God and discover rituals and activities designed to help you get closer to him. Throughout history, horned deities have been honored as gods of nature, sex, fertility, passion, sacrifice, death, and rebirth. The Horned God of the Witches reveals the origins and features of their most common guises―Pan, Cernunnos, Herne, Elen of the Ways, the Green Man, and even the Devil.Whether you are interested in the Wiccan Horned God―a more contemporary composite of several deities―or in one of his many other forms, these rituals for meeting the powerful deity will help you achieve your magical goals. With hands-on techniques for divination, creating an altar, working magick, spiritual lovemaking, and receiving the gifts of the Witchfather, this book supports a transformative deepening of your relationship to the divine.
Explaining what the Horned God is about and his origins, Jason Mankey takes us on a trip about the many Gods (and even Goddesses!) that have shaped the image of this modern deity. With a professional, friendly, detailed style that leaves no stone unturned, he guides the way as we discover the secrets and meaning behind each of the names we usually connect with the Horned God.
If you ask me, the best part was the inclusiveness and diversity you find in The Horned God of the Witches. Usually perceived as a heteronormative figure, we actually come to see him under a different light that includes more than what we see at first sight. He is not only the god of the forests, the soft rain, healing, life, and love, but also knowledge, rebellion, panic, ecstasy, pain, and death. He is not only a man, but also a woman, a genderless entity, straight, gay, lesbian, and so on. He's not only Cernunnos and Pan, but also Lucifer, ELen of the Ways, the Green Man, among others.
While the history is not easy, Jason Mankey did the best he could to present it in a comprehensive and simple manner. It may not be the easiest of topics, maybe a bit confusing for some, but it has been one of the best I've seen to date. He not only speaks about the parts of this god, but also about him as a whole, how he was shaped by time and culture, panic and arts.
I'd recommend The Horned God of the Witches to any witch who wants a more balanced approach in their practice, or a more experienced practitioner who wants more information about a god who's been getting a lot of attention, and deserves even more. We usually focus on the Goddess when we get started with Paganism and witchcraft, and it was confusing, even discouraging at times for me, not to have solid, intellectual information about the Horned God. Thank the Gods we don't have that problem anymore!
About Jason Mankey:
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| Photo by Tymn Urban. Source. |
Jason Mankey is a third-degree Gardnerian High Priest and helps run two Witchcraft covens in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Ari. Jason is a popular speaker at Pagan and Witchcraft events across North America and Great Britain. He was the channel manager at Patheos Pagan, the world's most read Pagan blogging site, and writes there at Raise the Horns. He also writes for the magazine Witches & Pagans. Jason is the author of Transformative Witchcraft, The Witch's Athame, and The Witch's Book of Shadows and the coauthor of The Witch's Altar.
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