Title: Way of the Horned God: The A Young Man's Guide to Modern PaganismAuthor(s): Dancing Rabbit
Published 2010 by O BooksISBN: 1846942675
ISBN-13: 978-1846942679
Paperback, 194 pagesList: $24.95
View this Book on AmazonReviewer: Mike Gleason
Given the fact that I prefer books written by people whose name you would likely find on their Driver's License or other IDs, I wasn't sure about a book authored by "Dancing Rabbit", especially since he is of an age with me, and thus there is no possibility that was his birth name. Still, I was willing to give it a try, if only because there are precious few books written for the male followers of neo-Paganism (and many of them are intended for gay and/or transgendered guys) and this book in intended for young, straight males.
The author is an eclectic Pagan, with a base in the Unitarian Universalist Church, not a combination I am normally comfortable with as a result of my own "traditional": training. Still, it is a rapidly growing segment of our Pagan community and one which looks like it will continue to influence our growth for the foreseeable future.
As with many writings by eclectics, I found myself disagreeing with some of what he has written (his interpretation of the Goddess/God positions in particular are at major variance with what I learned),but my disagreement simply means that we have differing backgrounds and experiences.
His suggested rituals are extremely basic (not surprising as this is a beginner's book), which should help to allay parental fears. Also, he deal right up front with the topic of how to deal with parents, offering some basic, common sense advice for dealing with various potential reactions. He de-emphasizes the need for tools, while still explaining what they are and what they are used for.
This book is aimed at the young male Pagan (or Pagan wannabe) who is still living at home with his parents and, as such, is a very low-key, non-ceremonial approach. It won't suit everyone, but it is a book which has been needed for quite a while. It deals with the young man growing up in a modern urban environment.
The author offers variations of The Charge of Goddess, and of The Charge of the God, which I found quite moving and inspiring. Most variations I have previously encountered have been simple reworkings of established (published) standards, but these off some interesting concepts and insights.
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