Bøger af Rebecca Buchanan

The Saffron-Robed Goddess. Sister of Sun and Moon. Mother of the Morning Star and the Evening Star. To the Romans, She is Aurora. To the Greeks, She is Eos. The Goddess of the Dawn, she is linked to the most basic elements of creation itself: light, time, movement, birth, and death. Vivacious and lusty, She is a Goddess of renewal, dispenser of the dew which waters the fields every morning and the lover of many notable Gods, demigods, and mortals. Her sons, too, are honored here: Heosphoros and Hesperus in the Greek pantheon, Lucifer and Vesper in the Roman. They hold an unusual position in theology and poetry, understood to be the same being called by different names at different times, according to His function. Over time, He/They came to be associated with freedom and enlightenment, philosophy, love, and marriage. Daughters of primordial Night, Goddesses of Dusk and Sunset and Evening, the Hesperides live on an island beyond the western edge of the world, far out of the reach of ordinary mortals. Guardians of the treasures of the Gods, They keep watch over a Tree of Golden Apples and aid heroes on their epic quests. It is our hope that this anthology will begin to fill a notable gap in devotional literature. Through these poems, prayers, rites, and tales, we hope to awaken a renewed appreciation for Aurora, Eos, and the Hesperides; to inspire others to write and paint and sing and dance in Their honor; and to hear Their names spoken aloud once again in love and devotion.

The universe is as mysterious and beautiful as those that dwell in it. What lies out beyond our planet? Beyond our galaxy? Societies struggle to thrive in harsh conditions and goddesses grant and withhold their blessings on a whim. In this great universe, who steps up to become heroes? Featuring ten stories focusing on goddesses and strong heroines, these stories will take you to the stars and far beyond.Featuring stories by Vonnie Winslow Crist, Kent Swarts, Deeanna West, Eddie D. Moore, Rebecca Buchanan, Umair Mirxa, Catherine J. Cole, Cindar Harrell, Zoey Xolton, and Mary E. Lowd.

The Horae. The Charites. The Mousai. They are the Horae: Goddesses of time, spring growth, new buds and first fruits. They oversee just laws, right conduct, and peace. As above, so below: the orderly progression of the seasons is mirrored by the order of a society in balance with the will of the Gods. They are the Charities: Goddesses of beauty, charm, elegance, and deportment, who watch over all the finer things in life; that which makes the human condition bearable, and civilization truly civilized. They are the Mousai, or Muses: Goddesses who inspire poets, dancers, dramatists, comedians, historians, and even astrologers and astronomers. We gather here to celebrate these complicated, multifaceted Goddesses, Powers who laugh and dance just beyond our comprehension. We honor them in poetry and story and ritual. Appropriately, these poems and tales and rites range from the devoutly irreverent to the reverently devout, from the melancholic to the comedic, from the mystical to the pragmatic. The Mousai, the Charites, and the Horae challenge us and inspire us. They dare us to live better: more compassionately, more justly, and more beautifully. They are Goddesses most worthy of our devotion.

Aradia. Brigid. Ceridwen. Circe. Enki. Freyja. Hekate. Isis. Medea. Myrddin. Nimüe. Selene. Taliesin.These are just a few of the Goddesses, Gods, witches, sorcerers, and bards honored in polytheist traditions around the world. Unlike secular publications, the stories related here - whether derived from ancient sources or modern creations - are a form of worship; or, at the very least, a show of respect and an acknowledgement of the power of these more-than-human Beings. Here, you will find poems and tales which draw upon the traditions of ancient Egypt, Greece, Mesopotamia, Rome, and Scandinavia; medieval Ireland, Italy, and Wales; and modern Western suburbs and backroads and byways. Some of these poems and tales celebrate the Powers That Be, while others offer cautionary examples, reminding us that we are dealing with beings who have their own agency, their own agenda, and that their interests do not always align with those of mortals.So find a quiet moment to sit down and lose yourself in these poems and tales of Gods and Goddesses and nymphs and wizards - after all, stories are magic.

Detective stories are popular the world over, fueling people's desires to know "whodunit." Combine that with the magic and myths of fantasy and you've entered a whole new world of mystery and intrigue! Join us on this adventure filled with 11 detective fantasy stories that will strike your imagination!With stories by J.W. Grace, Gerry Griffiths, Sandra Unerman, Sammi Cox, DM Burdett, Deeanna West, Zoey Xolton, Danielle Davis, Lionel Ray Green, Charlotte Platt, and Rebecca Buchanan.

Homer. Snorri Sturluson. Marie de France. Elias Lönnrot. The Brothers Grimm. Fairy tales, fables, nursery rhymes, and myths are all part of the literature of awe and wonder, the literature of (re)enchantment. And this literature is, at its core, polytheistic. Such tales remind us that the world is beautiful and terrible, bloody and dangerous. They recognize that we are not alone, that we human beings are not the only power in the world. The tales and poems in this anthology are humorous, frightening, and awe-inspiring. Some are retellings of ancient folktales, while others bring the Gods into the modern world. Others are coming-of-age fables, reminding us that the Powers which still walk the world deserve our respect, while others make it clear that some of those Powers are as terrible as the world we all inhabit. Others interpret the old tales through a feminist lens, or with an environmentalist ethic, or from within the traditions of Heathenry, Wicca, Kemeticism or Hinduism. Some retellings invert the originals, changing heroes to villains and villains to heroes, or close with ambivalent endings - reflecting the ambiguous nature of our everyday, mortal, messy lives. Still others blur the indistinct line between "fairy tale" and "myth" even further, mixing princesses and glass slippers and briar-covered towers with ghosts and tricksters and Goddesses. Les Cabinets des Polythéistes has been a labor of love, for myself and the anthology's many talented contributors. We hope that it brings you just as much joy, and that it inspires you to write a few poems and tales in honor of the Gods, too.

Father of War. Father of Peace. Father of Fear. Father of Courage. Father of Discord and Harmony. Ares and Mars. Though the two Gods are often conflated in popular culture, they manifest to their devotees today as distinct entities. Similar, yes, but not the same - usually. In their respective pantheons, they are Gods of war, violence, virility, and raw passion, but also duty, loyalty, devotion, and fatherhood. They are numinous, yes, but also physical, earthy, tangibly here Deities. They are Gods of the body, who revel in and celebrate all that our physical selves can do. Labor, forcing ourselves to move (martial arts, exercise, the tilling of a field, the planting of crops, the carrying of weapons and shedding of blood in defense of another), is an offering perhaps best suited to these Gods more than any other. Hopefully, the words contained in this devotional - the prayers and poems and new myths and rites and essays - will please them just as much. And hopefully they will inspire you, the reader, to get up and move and celebrate these two Gods, the undaunted, eternal Masters of War and Fathers of Peace.

They are the Primal Powers of Sun and Moon and Star, Mountain and River and Sea, Time and the Seasons. They are the Titans, first born of Earth and Heaven. The Titans are an enigma. Who are they? Which aspects of creation do they guard or represent? How were they honored by the ancient Greeks? How are they honored by contemporary polytheists? And what, exactly, is a Titan? Broadly defined, the Titans are the elder generation of Hellenic Deities and their immediate offspring, and sometimes their grandchildren. Though sometimes their grandchildren are counted among the Olympian generation who eventually supplanted the Titans as the ruling Deities. The distinction between Titan and Olympian is as much political as it is generational. There is more to the Titans than a few passages in the few surviving stories that have been told and retold across the millennia. The Titans may be largely forgotten, but they are still worthy of due respect and honor. They are Powers, greater than us, more intimately connected to and responsible for the workings of creation. Within these pages, you will find poems and hymns, meditations and rites, artwork and essays and fiction. This devotional has been a labor of love for its contributors. It has been a long time in coming, and we hope that it will inspire polytheists everywhere to take a closer look at these Forgotten Powers.

Great One. Lord of the Sky. Pillar of His Mother. Dappled Within the Womb of Nut. Lord of the Sky. Lord of the Horizon. He is Horus. Or perhaps they are Horus. A complex Deity, he might be a singular entity with many aspects, or a multitude of Deities who share similar names and functions. The two most well-known and well-loved are Heru-Wer (Horus the Elder) and Heru-sa-Aset (Harpocrates or Horus the Younger). Heru-Wer is a cosmological being of right order and civilization. His right eye is the sun and his left eye is the moon. Heru-sa-Aset is the son of Isis and Osiris who defeated Set in battle and assumed his rightful throne; every Pharaoh is an incarnation of Horus the Younger, and the Eye of Horus is a symbol of prosperity, protection, and healing. The hymns, poems, essays, rites, artwork, and short stories of this collection reflect that ambiguity, that individualized devotion and understanding. Some of these pieces focus exclusively on Heru-Wer/Horus the Elder. Others center on Heru-sa-Aset/Horus the Younger. Other writings look at still more entities or aspects. Each of these hymns, poems, essays, rites, works of art, and stories begins to build a picture - incomplete though it is - of Horus. There is a glow on the horizon. The Sun is rising. Warm yourself in its light, and give thanks.

Poseidon. Amphitrite. Nereus and the Nereids. Triton and Tethys. Iris and the Graeae. Proteus and Styx and Medusa. They are of the sea, and more than the sea. They are the primordial ocean from which life arose, and which continues to sustain the world. They are the saltwater in our blood. They are storm and wind and tide and crashing waves. They are glorious beings of water and salt and light, avengers of injustice and providers of bounty. They are fathers and mothers and lovers. They are wrathful and exuberant, compassionate and wise, quixotic and impulsive and shrewd. They are Powers most worthy of our devotion, our prayers, and our respect. Hail Poseidon and the Spirits of the Sea!

Devourer Lady of Perfume She of the Ointment Jars Mistress of the Crowns Queen of the Sky Who Rules Over All the Gods Bast is a complex Goddess of many names and many forms. She is sometimes a cat, sometimes a woman with the head of a cat, sometimes a woman with the head of a lion. She is both fiercely maternal, and wrathful. She is compassionate and sensuous, but also savage and grim. She is both huntress, and protector. As her devotees past and present attest, She is a Goddess of great beauty, great warmth, and great terror. A Goddess truly worthy of our devotion. Dua Bast!

All New Malevolent Mysteries and Perplexing Puzzles where Sherlock Holmes works with Classic and New Occult DetectivesAs Carnacki the Ghost Finder, the famous literary occult detective, once said: "I view all reported 'hauntings' as unproven until I have examined into them, and I am bound to admit that ninety-nine cases out of a hundred turn out to be sheer bosh and fancy."In these pages, a range of contemporary authors explore 'what happens next' when the Great Detective confronts mysteries which question reason. A summons from Irene Adler's daughter; a chance encounter with one of Houdini's fraud investigators; the enigma of Dr John Silence. Mysterious events at Mary Morstan's old school, and a threat to Queen Victoria. The return of the German agent Von Bork, somewhat changed, and a desperate hunt for a killer through the alleys of London with none other than Professor Van Helsing.Join us in the first volume of this two volume anthology as Holmes finds himself working with psychic investigators old and new in pursuit of answers, and must confront his own scepticism. Tales in the traditional style - but with a twist. Can Holmes's logic work alongside the occult detectives' willingness to embrace another set of rules entirely? Paranormal - or poppycock

She is the Foam-Born. The Myrtle and the Rose. Lover, Warrior, Mother, and Creatrix. Aphrodite and Venus are complex Goddesses. The same may be said, of course, of any Power. When it comes to Deities associated with love or sex, though, too many fall back on caricature when trying to explain or understand such Beings: they are all lusty bubbleheads or consumed with materialist desires, or, worse, frivolous and cruel, given to playing with human hearts for their own amusement. That is not Aphrodite, nor is it Venus. Rather, they are Goddesses of immense power and deep passions, who can be kind and angry, wise and stubborn, cosmic in their transcendence and intimate in their immanence. The poems and essays and myths and rites here included reflect that very complexity. Many of Aphrodite and Venus' devotees see them as distinct entities, a Power unto themselves; others see them as one and the same, as unique cultural manifestations of the same divinity; still others see Her as an aspect or name for the universal Power which inspires and manifests love in all its forms. Whatever your relationship with the Goddess/es, it is our hope that you will find the words here both inspirational and inspired, and wholly reverent.

New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. An ancient Greek city, haunted by a guardian spirit. A small riverside town, stalked by an alchemical monster. A worldwalker searching for her long-lost father. A fairy godmother who only wants her beloved to be happy. A case of magical sabotage in ancient Egypt. A murderer pursued by the spirits of vengeance. A student who finds a unique and magical means to pay for school. A nature spirit hiding in the most unusual place. A necropolis in a modern day museum. A mage who liberates stolen magical artifacts. A secret hidden in the basement of a dead man. A truth hidden in a silent film. A police station in a magical city. Two brothers seeking magical revenge.Fifteen stories of Gods, faith, and magic set in cities both ancient and modern. So pull up a comfortable chair, settle down, and enjoy the adventure.

Fairy Tale: a wonder tale or magic tale that typically features dwarfs, dragons, elves, fairies, mermaids, talking animals, trolls, unicorns, or witches, and usually magic or enchantments. Myth: a sacred story of the gods; a religious account of the beginning of the world; the deeds of Gods and heroes; as a result of which the world, nature, and culture were created and given order. The Fox and the Rose combines the best of both of these traditions, literary and spiritual, magical and mystical. Most of the tales in this collection follow the recognizable fairy tale scheme: once, in such-and-such a land, there lived .... There are tests to pass and promises to keep and, if the hero proves worthy, a happily ever after is won. Sometimes, though, the endings are bittersweet or justly tragic, particularly when promises are broken, pride overrules compassion, and respect is denied.

There has been an explosion in explicitly Pagan and Pagan-friendly literature. Science fiction and fantasy, and their attendant sub genres, children's books and teen books, mystery and historical fiction and romance (especially of the paranormal variety), are rich with Deities and mythologies and practitioners of the Old/New Ways.This anthology - the second following A Witch Among Wolves, and Other Pagan Tales - continues the tradition of Pagan authors writing Pagan tales for a Pagan audience. "Black Leopard" is a contemporary magical realism tale centering on Dionysus, while "Crossroads" finds a young girl voicing a heartfelt prayer to Hekate. "Hysthaany" follows a small community of Sekhmet devotees into outer space on a mission of mercy, while "Mr. West" finds Osiris paying a visit to a modern-day mortician. "Seeds" is set in a dystopian future of environmental degradation, while the title story, "The Serpent in the Throat," is an adventure-horror tale set in ancient Canaan.

The world's oldest literature is pagan.For thousands of years before the monotheistic traditions rose to dominance in the West, pagans told stories about the loves and miseries and adventures of Gods and Goddesses, heroes and witches and warriors. The Pagans of the contemporary world, in addition to rediscovering the Gods and heroes of old, are also writing for those Gods and heroes. "Alexander's Heart" is a science fiction tale set in a distant future ruled by the descendants of Cleopatra and Marc Antony. "Devourer" finds the Egyptian Goddess Bast in modern-day Louisiana, while "The Flower in the Dark" addresses political oppression and liberty. "Footprints" follows the Olympian Queen of the Gods to contemporary Florida, while "Orion: An EcoFable" explores the nature of environmental responsibility and the consequences of human arrogance. Finally, "A Witch Among Wolves" centers around a Lithuanian ragana, a devotee of the Horned Lord of the Underworld.