Ostara: Customs, Spells & Rituals for the Rites of Spring by Edain McCoy

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Lammas by Anna Franklin

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Midsummer: Magical Celebrations of the Summer Solstice by Anna Franklin

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Summer solstice celebrants will find plenty of inspirational rituals, magic spells, and recipes in Anna Franklin's Midsummer. As in her previous book about the early fall festival of Lammas, Franklin can be whimsical as well as reverent. From the building of a magical bonfire to the staging of elaborate solstice rituals involving priests and priestesses, Franklin offers something for every level of pagan. In the section on "Midsummer Magic and Divination," Franklin gives instructions for placing various herbs and charms beneath the pillow to welcome prophetic dreams. Those who are inspired by the more romantic Shakespearean take on Midsummer's Eve can try some of Franklin's love divination techniques, such as flicking an apple seed toward the ceiling to see if your love is requited. Franklin also gives specific instructions for performing the "Rites of Midsummer." For instance, "The altar should be decorated with golds and yellows--this theme is echoed through candles, clothes and flowers.... Centrally placed should be a sun wheel or sun representation." And for the Martha Stewart-style pagan there are some excellent recipes, including Anise Tea and Comfrey Fritters. --Gail Hudson

Halloween: Customs, Recipes & Spells by Silver RavenWolf

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Witchs' hats and harvest moon
Ghosts that dance to harvest tune
Apples, goodies, food galore
Halloween has this and more!

Just where did this autumn gaiety begin? Let Silver RavenWolf guide you through the cobwebby corners of time to uncover the history behind Halloween. Honor the spirit of this hallowed harvest holiday with:

Halloween magic: Prosperity Pumpkin Spell, Corn Husk Dolly, Solitary Harvest Moon Ritual

Magical goodies: Candied Love Apples, Witches' Brew, Sugar Snakes in Graveyard Dust

Halloween myths and superstitions: black cats, scarecrows, pitchforks, witches, ghosts and "haints"

Divination: Circle of Ashes and Stones, Magick Mirrors Apple, Pumpkin Seed, and Water Divination

Rituals to Honor the Dead: The Dumb Supper, Samhain Fire, Soul Lights, Spirit Rattles and Spirit Bowls

Autumn Equinox: The Enchantment of Mabon by Ellen Dugan

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Mabon, Feast of Avalon, Cornucopia, Harvest Home, Festival of the Vine . . . there are many names for this magickal holiday that celebrates the autumn equinox, the first day of fall. Ellen Dugan takes a fresh look at this "forgotten" Sabbat and demonstrates how to make the most of this enchanting season.

Featuring craft projects, recipes, enchantments, and valuable information on harvest deities, Autumn Equinox offers countless ways to bring fall magick into your life. Learn to create witchy wreaths, cook seasonal foods, put together a homemade centerpiece, make herbal soap, and practice spells and rituals using easy to find, natural supplies. This new addition to Llewellyn's Sabbats series also provides magickal correspondences on harvest deities, herbs, plants, and foods for those who want to create their own autumn spells and charms.

Crossing to Avalon: A Woman's Midlife Quest for the Sacred Feminine by Jean Shinoda Bolen

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Proving prayer to be as valid and vital a healing tool as drugs or surgery, the bestselling author of Meaning & Medicine and Recovering the Soul offers a bold integration of science and spirituality.

A Passionate Life by Stephanie Cole

My review

A biography of one of the stars of the British comedy "Waiting for God"




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Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends by Anita Diamant

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Married to a convert herself, Anita Diamant provides advice and information that can transform the act of conversion into an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth.

Here you will learn how to choose a rabbi, a synagogue, a denomination, a Hebrew name; how to handle the difficulty of putting aside Christmas; what happens at the mikvah (ritual bath) or at a hatafat dam brit (circumcision ritual for those already circumcised); how to find your footing in a new spiritual family that is not always well prepared to receive you; and how not to lose your bonds to your family of origin. Diamant anticipates all the questions, doubts, and concerns, and provides a comprehensive explanation of the rules and rituals of conversion.

Judaism for Dummies by Ted Falcon

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Like the many other Dummies books, Judaism for Dummies organizes a wealth of material into an easy-reading format with a warm, accessible voice. Readers can expect to find translations of common Yiddish words, the difference between Orthodox and other denominations, the meaning and rituals of high holidays, the origins of the Jewish people, and a stirring passage about the Holocaust.

The authors make this book especially engaging by deftly tackling those "I've always wondered..." kinds of questions about Judaism. For instance, what are the guidelines for kosher food? What's the Jewish version of sin? Was Marilyn Monroe really Jewish? (Yes, she converted.) And what exactly do Jews believe about God? The authors answer this last question with characteristic reverence and humor: "Some Jews see God as an external force, a Being outside of the universe.... Some Jews say that God contains the Universe.... Other Jews say that God is the universe.... The one thing that Jews won't argue about, period, is that God--whatever you imagine God to be--is ultimately unknowable and therefore un-nameable." They also note that Jews argue with God in order to know God better. They're called "Children of Israel" because of the biblical story in which Jacob wrestles with an angel and gets his name changed to Israel, meaning "one who wrestles with God."

The authors' lively voices give this stylistically formatted book a unique personality. Sometimes they sound as though they're telling jokes at a dinner party: "Have you heard the one about the two rabbis arguing over the Torah?" and "Yom Kippur means always having to say you're sorry." Other times they sound like fireside elders sharing the old stories of an ancient faith. This is an excellent book for someone preparing to become a bar or bat mitzvah. It could also be helpful for gentiles marrying into Jewish families, or any adult who is planning on converting. --Gail Hudson

Hebrew for Dummies by Jill Suzanne Jacobs

My review

Wish List


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One of the most amazing things about Hebrew is that, in less than a century, it has gone from an ancient language of prayer and ritual spoken by a few holy men to a modern language of sunbathing, dining, going to the movies, and countless other everyday activities, spoken by millions. Modern Hebrew is a beautiful language, but for a native English speaker it can be tough wrapping your tongue around exotic expressions like “Ha’im Ayn Oogiyot?” (“What, no cookies?”). As with any language, the quickest way to master Hebrew basics is to immerse yourself in its sounds and rhythms. The next best thing to six months in Haifa, Hebrew For Dummies lets you do just that!

Whether you want to communicate with your Israeli cousins, understand Jewish prayers and sacred literature, impress your Jewish in-laws, or you’re planning a trip to Israel, this book/audio package can help. In no time, you’ll:

• Master Hebrew sounds and rhythms
• Understand basic grammar and usage
• Get a handle on the Hebrew alphabet
• Make small-talk, and most everyday transactions
• Discover the basics of Hebrew blessings and prayer
• Gain insights into Hebrew culture and traditions

Each chapter of Hebrew For Dummies is organized around a specific set of activities—such as eating, traveling, shopping, and asking directions—and gives you the lowdown on all the Hebrew you’ll need to get by. Topics covered include:

• Eating, going shopping, having fun, sports, hobbies, talking on the phone, communicating around the office, and other everyday activities
• Hebrew for travelers, including transportation, hotels, money changing, asking directions, and handling emergencies
• Sacred Hebrew, including reading the Bible and prayer books, blessing formulas, sacred rites and services, and more

The enclosed audio CD let’s you pick up Hebrew the easy way—through actual conversations. It features:

• Dialogues by native Hebrew speakers
• Answers to the Fun & Games activities in the book

The fun, easy way to master basic Hebrew, this book will quickly get you on track with the language skills you need to speak and read Hebrew like a native.

Leadings: A Catholic's Journey Through Quakerism by Irene Lape

A moving spiritual autobiography blending personal narrative with a discussion of Quaker faith, culminating in a call to personal obedience and unity in the church.

My review

On Wish List


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Born Yogis (Too cute for words!)

Born Yogis by Susie Arnett

My review

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Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran by Elaine Sciolino

My review

Ooh, want to read this one, I remember how this period of time affected some of my schoolmates. They, when asked where they were from, would sometimes reply "Persia" rather than Iran due to the fear of reprecussions from classmates. Finding out what was REALLY happening in Iran at the time is intriguing.


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Have Now::: The Everything Mary Magdalene Book by Meera Lester

The Everything Mary Magdalene Book: The Life And Legacy of Jesus' Most Misunderstood Disciple by Meera Lester

My review

Love her mini Magdalene book, would really love to have this one as well.


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Why Does Santa Wear Red?: and 100 Other Christmas Curiousities Unwrapped! by Meera Lester

My review

wish list, sounds interesting.


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Mary Magdalene: The Modern Guide to the Bible's Most Mysterious And Misunderstood Woman by Meera Lester

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
adding to wish list


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The Gospel of Judas : from Codex Tchacos Kasser, Rodolphe.
Title:
The Gospel of Judas : from Codex Tchacos / edited by Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer, and Gregor Wurst.
Publication info:
Washington, D.C. : National Geographic, c2006.
Physical descrip:
185 p. ; 22 cm.
Contents:
Introduction / by Marvin Meyer -- Gospel of Judas / translated by Rodolphe Kasser ... [et al.] -- Commentary: Story of Codex Tchacos and the gospel of Judas / by Rodolphe Kasser ; Christianity turned on its head : the alternative vision of the gospel of Judas / by Bart D. Ehrman ; Irenaeus of Lyon and the gospel of Judas / by Gregor Wurst ; Judas and the gnostic connection / by Marvin Meyer.


The Gospel of Judas : from Codex Tchacos Kasser, Rodolphe.

Summary

It was condemned as heretical in 180 CE, lay hidden in a cavern, found by farmers in 1970, sold, resold, and sold again. Upon discovering it at the turn of the twenty-first century, experts authenticated it, conserved it, interpreted it and here published it. Bound to be controversial in both provenance and content, this version of the story of Jesus and Judas Iscariot follows the Gnostic tradition; Judas follows the order of Jesus to betray him so he can shed his earthly body and return to a higher order of spiritual beings. This includes an English translation of the text, followed by commentary by experts hailing from the U. of Geneva, Chapman U., U. of Augsburg and the U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the history of the text, its alternative vision, its condemnation, and its connection with Gnosticism. Annotation #169;2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

CHOICE Review

The National Geographic Society has a hit, or rather two hits, on its hands. Both books are certified best sellers, and the topics of televised specials, along with countless reviews, features, editorials, and Op-Eds. Many are aware of the cloak-and-dagger intrigue that accompanied the discovery and publication of the Gospel of Judas, and of the genuinely startling view it presents of the New Testament archvillain, Judas Iscariot. Since the volumes are reasonably priced and well written, they can be heartily recommended for purchase (preservation of the somewhat breathless attestations of the dust jackets is optional). What is left to ponder is the observation that libraries really do need to purchase both books, the result no doubt of deliberate calculations by National Geographic. In almost all respects, The Gospel of Judas contains everything readers could ask for, including the remarkably prompt publication of a translation of the gospel itself. (The speed of this enterprise--a matter of five years between the first scholarly contact with the document and the public appearance of a translation--contrasts starkly and very favorably with the more than 50 years separating the first discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and their complete publication.) This book offers succinct discussions about the modern uncovering of the gospel, its connections with ancient materials, and its "alternative vision" that turns Christianity "on its head."

By contrast, The Lost Gospel is devoted almost entirely to the murky circumstances of the gospel's modern discovery and eventual publication. Although well crafted, the detailed narrative that Krosney (an independent scholar) presents is probably far more than most readers require. But this volume does contain a series of extraordinary color photographs that no reader will want to miss. Were they in The Gospel of Judas, readers might not need to purchase The Lost Gospel as well. A new book by Bart Ehrman (scheduled for 2006 publication) may combine all of these useful features. Finally, one might ask why, in all of these words, no place was found for any dissenting opinions--not about whether the gospel is authentically old (surely, it is), but whether its perspective, once branded heretical, deserves all of the attention being lavished upon it now. At this relatively late date in the publicity campaign, such arguments might be moot (or muted), but they also deserve a hearing. Summing Up: Recommended. Both books. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. General Readers; Lower-division Undergraduates; Upper-division Undergraduates; Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty. Reviewed by L. J. Greenspoon. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Gospel of Judas 17
Commentary
The Story of Codex Tchacos and the Gospel of Judas
47
Christianity Turned on Its Head: The Alternative Vision of the Gospel of Judas
77
Irenaeus of Lyon and the Gospel of Judas 121
Judas and the Gnostic Connection 137
Endnotes 171
Selected Bibliography 175
Publisher's Note 179


Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Reading Judas
Title:
Reading Judas.
Publication info:
Penguin USA 2008.
Physical descrip:
xxiii, 198 p. ; 20 cm.
Summary:
Evaluates the meaning of the controversial, newly-discovered Gospel of Judas, illustrating how the text offers an understanding of Judas's betrayal, the apostles' understanding of Jesus's death, and God's role in the crucifixion.

Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor Lens

The Book of J

(Paperback)by Harold Bloom (Author), David Rosenberg (Translator)

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Grove Press (November 30, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802141919
ISBN-13: 978-0802141910
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches

From Library Journal

Modern biblical critics have called the author of the oldest texts in the Hebrew Bible J, standing for Jahweh. Bloom and translator Rosenberg, authors of many works of literary criticism and of Jewish and biblical studies, have collaborated on a clear but controversial translation and analysis of parts of the Pentateuch using the term Jahweh. Bloom claims that the author of J was a woman, living in or at the time of the Solomonic court, 950-900 B.C.E., who wrote these selections not as a religious or historical treatise but as a literary work that Bloom compares to Shakespeare. While Rosenberg's translation is both modern and moving, he has made significant changes in the meanings of the Hebrew text. The proofs offered for these theories are no substitute for hard evidence. Nevertheless, The Book of J deserves consideration as a literary work.

- Maurice Tuchman, Hebrew Coll. Lib., Brookline, Mass.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

A controversial national best seller upon its initial publication, The Book of J is an audacious work of literary restoration revealing one of the great narratives of all time and unveiling its mysterious author. J is the title that scholars ascribe to the nameless writer they believe is responsible for the text, written between 950 and 900 BCE, on which Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers is based. In The Book of J, accompanying David Rosenberg's translation, Harold Bloom persuasively argues that J was a woman—very likely a woman of the royal house at King Solomon's court—and a writer of the stature of Homer, Shakespeare, and Tolstoy. Rosenberg's translations from the Hebrew bring J's stories to life and reveal her towering originality and grasp of humanity. Bloom argues in several essays that "J" was not a religious writer but a fierce ironist. He also offers historical context, a discussion of the theory of how the different texts came together to create the Bible, and translation notes.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
You can call me J..., June 13, 2003
By FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA
This review is from: The Book of J (Paperback)

Harold Bloom's 'The Book of J' caused quite a stir when it first was published. The book contains both introductory essays on authorship, a discussion of the theory of different texts being used to make up the books of the Bible (the Documentary Hypothesis), some historical context, and translation notes.

The bulk of the book consists of David Rosenberg's new translation of the J text, that text having been separated and isolated from the other source texts of the Torah (first five books of the Bible).

The concluding section contains essays by Bloom on different characters and themes in the text, as well as some modern theoretical analysis of the text, isolated as it is in this volume from the greater mass of material in the Bible.

There is a brief appendix by Rosenberg with notes specifically geared toward translation issues and difficulties, as well as source materials.

First, for a little background: since the 1800's, much of Biblical textual scholarship and analysis has subscribed to the theory that most books were not first written as integrated wholes, but rather, consist of a library of amalgamated texts, largely put together by a person who goes by the title Redactor, or R, for short. This was (in terms of Hebrew Bible timelines) a relatively late occurrence. Prior to this, there were various sources, including the J (J for Jehovah, or Yahweh, which is what God is called in these texts), but also E (Elohist, which is what God is called in these texts), P (Priestly, which largely comprises Leviticus), and D (Deuteronomist). The separation of these strands is controversial, and will probably never cease to be. But with literary and linguistic analysis, certain traits can be discerned of each of the particular strands.
The most controversial conclusion which Bloom advances in this volume is that J is a woman, who lived in the courtly community of King David, and that her stories are not only a retelling of the ancient stories which would have been known commonly, but is also a satire and indictment of courtly life as she finds it.

'J was no theologian, and rather deliberately not a historian.... There is always another side of J: uncanny, tricky, sublime, ironic, a visionary of incommensurates, and so the direct ancestor of Kafka, and of any writer, Jewish or Gentile, condemned to work in Kafka's mode.'
Bloom's assertion that J is a woman consists of several 'telling' ideas, not least of which that the J text seems to have no heroes, only heroines.

'Sarai and Rachel are wholly admirable, and Tamar, in proportion to the narrative space she occupies, is very much the most vivid portrait in J. But Abram, Jacob, and Moses receive a remarkably mixed treatment from J.'

Also, on the basis of sensitivity to subject and social vision, Bloom argues for a female J. Of course, women in positions of authority (as any courtly author or historian would have to be) were very rare in ancient Middle Eastern culture, but not unheard of; of course, literacy rates for women were incredibly low, and there has always been the unspoken assumption that, naturally, the authors of all ancient texts are men.

Whether or not you subscribe to this (and I must confess, I am less than convinced, clever and interesting and thought-provoking as Bloom's essay may be), both on the person of the author of J, as well as many of his other equally unorthodox views, this text still provides much food for thought, and an interesting side text with which to read the accounts in Genesis and Exodus.
Reading Rosenberg's translation is, likewise, an interesting exercise. I would wish for footnote or some key to be able to follow along in the Bible, but Rosenberg's purpose was to let J stand as its own text, on its own merits, and thus, without interruption, he has done that here. A refreshing look at familiar texts, Rosenberg's new translation will give things to think and argue about for some time.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
There is yet more to learn about those old stories!, May 8, 2005
By
Randall Helzerman (campbell, ca) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Book of J (Paperback) If you have a King James version of the Bible, the next time you read Genesis, pay attention to how God is referred to. Sometimes He's called "God" and sometimes He's called "The Lord". The reason for this is that the original Hebrew text uses two different names for God, and the translators were careful to preserve this. When the Hebrew text uses "Elohim" it is translated as "GOD". When the Hebrew text uses "Yahweh", it is translated as "The Lord". If you carefully read Genesis, you'll notice that when Genesis refers to God as "Yahweh", he seems to be very different than when he is refered to as "Elohim".

For example, Elohim is invisible--he never appears to anybody nor can he be seen by anybody--but Yahweh talks face-to-face with people all the time: with Abram, to Jacob, and to Moses and the 40 elders. Elohim seems remote and regimented, whereas Yahweh comes across as mischevious and irrascible. This has prompted some to propose the so-called "Documentary Hypothesis" which posits that Genesis was formed by editing together two or more different books, each book using a different word for God and each book presenting a different picture of who God was and what He was all about. The book of J is the hypothasized book which used 'Yahweh" as the name of God.

Scholars try to reconstruct this book by bringing together all of the passages in the first 5 books of the Bible which refer to God as "Yahweh". The result is startling: the same stories you've heard all your life (The tower of Babal, Joseph going to Egypt, Abram bargaining with God over Sodom and Gomorrah), when read together like this, take on a whole different level of meaning.

This book provides two things in one handy volume: it provides a reconstruction of the book of J, freshly translated by David Rosenberg, and it also provides an extended commentary by Harold Bloom, who is certainly the best reader alive today, and who is uniquely qualified to serve as a tour guide through the experience of reading J.

So to review the book I'd like to review each of these seperately. First, Rosenberg's translation. To illustrate just how good it is at bringing things out of the text which you ordinarly wouldn't notice, I'd like to quote from his translation of the story of the Tower of Babal: "We can bring ourselves together" they said "like stone on stone, use brick for stone: bake it until hard." For morter they heated bitumen. Notice how this translation brings out the parallelism between the tower of Babal and human society: The tower is made out mud bricks bound by bitumen, and society is made out of people bound by language. But people are also just made out of mud--recall the creation story where Yahweh breathes the breath of life into mud. Baking the mud into bricks is symbolic of the people making themselves hard, and using bitumen for morter is symbolic of them using language and government to organize themselves. Rosenberg's translation makes available to us many of the puns and wordplay which other English translations unfortunately lose.

Now, to review Bloom's commentary. Scholarly types are fond of dising Bloom for his tendency to be speculative, to use his imagination to illuminate the reading of the text. But what they are forgetting is that J is a bunch of stories, written for us to experience! To use an parable of Rorty's, its like a surgion describing your wife as a bunch of tissues and organs vs. describing your wife as warm and loving, important person in your life. Yes, "warm and loving" arn't medical terms, but that doesn't make them a bad description of your wife. Also, the very greatest literature, such as J is, will admit of more than one reading, more than one interpretation, more than one point of view.

Bloom here does us excellent service by showing us his point of view on the text, telling us how the experience of reading the text impacts him. The author of J didn't write J just to chronicle some historical figures--the author of J wrote J so that we could read it, and by reading it, become changed into new people. _This_ is the aspect of experiiencing J which Bloom's commentary helps along, and this is the aspect which critics of Bloom's commentary are missing the most.

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