Now Available: Polytheistic Monasticism: Voices From Pagan Cloisters
Just released: a new anthology of writings by monastics in the modern polytheist revival.
It’s finally released! Enjoy the new anthology edited by Janet Munin — a long-awaited milestone! Reviews are greatly appreciated.
Order your copy:
You can also find the book in the Pagan section on p. 14 of the current Moon Books catalogue.
If you’d like to read the full intro, it’s available on Amazon as a free preview — click on the “look inside” link.
Early reviews:
“Reading this book has reinforced my practices and encouraged me to explore others.“ - Virginia Carper
“I consider myself both a polytheist and novitiate nun. I was excited and delighted to hear of the publication of this book.“ - Sara Mastros
“…fills a void within Polytheistic literature as guidance for devotees yearning for deep, contemplative paths…I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.“ - Ashli Hall
Contact for media inquiries and requests for review copies:
janet.munin (at) earthlink dot net
Those who placed a preorder for the e-book version should receive it shortly, if they haven’t already. The paperback version releases March 31, according to the Amazon page. Bookshop indicates April 1 as the shipping date.
Earlier this week, the book was listed as the #1 new release in Amazon’s “Christian Monasticism & Asceticism” category (see photos). Of course, these rankings probably shouldn’t be taken too seriously, but…still, it would be quite nice to have a category without Christianity as the default. Perhaps one day we will, if the book inspires others to “come out of the religious closet” and write or speak publicly about their monastic ways of life. (There have been some encouraging developments in that direction lately, including Danica Boyce’s new Pagan Monastery podcast!)
From the preorder announcement:
“Too many people think of monasticism as purely something done by revealed religions such as Christianity and Buddhism; au contraire, there were monks and nuns in ancient India and Egypt long before those other religions were born.”
“Over the last decade or two, as pop-culture Neopaganism hit its diminuendo phase, there's been a great deal of new interest in more traditional modes of polytheist spirituality, and that inevitably led some participants to look toward the sort of deep commitment to their spiritual paths that gives rise to monasticism...As far as I know this is the first attempt to sketch out the emerging movement that's resulted from that trend.”
“I'm enthusiastic about this project and the movement it discusses.”
~John Michael Greer, contributor (who also posted the original call for submissions)
Polytheistic Monasticism: Voices From Pagan Cloisters is an anthology of writings from the forefront of the first wave of experimental monastic spirituality in the modern polytheist-animist revival. In this groundbreaking anthology, contemplative practitioners tell their stories of exploring classic monastic disciplines such as eremitic life, asceticism, retreat, service, and simplicity.
Table of Contents
Introduction by Janet Munin
Chapter 1: Finding Monasticism by Aine Llewellyn
Chapter 2: Called by the Spirits, But Not to the Priesthood by Kimberly Kirner
Chapter 3: An Eremitic Calling: Harvest Home Hermitage by Danica Swanson & Patricia Christmas
Chapter 4: Modern Polytheistic Monasticism: A Revolutionary Vision by Syren Nagakyrie
Chapter 5: Building A Druid Monastic Practice by Julie Bond
Chapter 6: Druid/Pagan Lectio by Julie Bond
Chapter 7: On the Custody of the Eyes by Rebecca Korvo
Chapter 8: Of Hearth and Shadow: A Contemplative Norse Polytheist and a Fledgling Animist Sanctuary by Danica Swanson
Chapter 9: Toward the Hermitage of the Heart by John Michael Greer
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