The Parsley Patch

I decided to take a literary journey through the elements by reading four books, one each that can be categorized by one of the elements: earth, air, fire and water. And so fire… The Way of the Hedge Witch by Arin Murphy-Hiscock called me on my journey through fire. This is a nice little book [...]

I chose Listening to Stone by Dan Snow to journey through earth. This book is written by a stone artisian, or waller, with a gift for poetic and mystical prose. I chose this book to gain a better understanding of working with stone. My first real experience with stone was while building the medicine wheel garden where in placing each and every stone I could gain a sense of its energy and individual presence in the circle.

One thing that often confuses people about the Avalon cycle of stories by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana Paxson is the order in which the books were written, the order that is best to read them and how it all falls on a time line.

Druid high priestess and master storyteller Mara Freeman takes you on a unique journey through the legends of Celtic lands with unrivaled poise and magic. Her book gives you different legends as they relate to each month of the year along with suggestions for how to attune yourself through story, craft and mediation.

The second sequel to The Mists of Avalon,this edition includes three shorter stories.

This is a highly informative book on the ancient Celtic Tree Alphabet and its related tree lore and divination. Much of the book devotes space to ancient Celtic tales that relate the properties of the trees and letters, much as the Bards or old used tales to transfer their sacred knowledge.

Ellen Dugan never fails to entertain, delight and inform in her captivating books. This volume features everything you could want to know about the Autumn season including harvest festivals, folklore, magic and earth-based spirituality.

This is the prequel to ‘The Mists of Avalon’ and chronicles the life of a young Celtic priestess who meets and falls in love with a Roman soldier.

Here some gardening, cooking, esoteric and other books recently read that are highly recommend.

The ultimate fantasy novel that marries magic, mysticism, paganism, Christianity, Arthurian legend and history. Often billed as a telling of the tale of King Arthur from the point of view of the women that surrounded him, it is much more than that. The immense popularity and draw of this nearly 1000-page book laid the foundation for an entire cycle of Avalon related books, movies, music and contemporary pagan belief.