The Tree of Enchantment by Orion Foxwood
November 29th, 2008 by Teresa
The Tree of Enchantment: Ancient Wisdom and Magical Practices of the Faery Tradition by Orion Foxwood. © 2008 Weiser Books. ISBN 978-1-57863-407-1. Paperback. Paganism / Witchcraft. 264 pages. $19.95 US. [ Purchase ]
Synopsis
The Tree of Enchantment is the symbol for the relationships we must cultivate to find the truths we seek—with the Lower realm, where the roots of the tree entwine with the dead; and with the Middle realm where we dwell beside both the living and hidden earth; and with the Upper realm that reaches to the stars. When we communicate with all three we will begin to know our truths and work the magic of the Faery Tradition. [from back cover]
Review
The Tree of Enchantment reads more like a new age, self-help book than a book about a spiritual path. Read the rest of this entry »
Mar a Tha Mo Chridhe by Julie Fowlis. © 2007 Machair Records. Audio/Music CD. Celtic / Folk / Scottish / Traditional. 12 Tracks. Total Time: 41:64. [ 
In the Om Zone creates an ambience of transcendence and otherworldliness, dappled with healing and comfort. In the Om Zone includes the vocals of Melissa Phillippe and musicians Geoffrey Gordon (frame drum), Ian Douglas (Udu, or gourd drum), Chief Sonne Reyna (medicine drum and rattle) and Warren Dennis Kahn (Tambura [sampled]), with Steve Halpern performing the OM mantra and all keyboards, Tibetan & Japanese singing bowls, grand piano and synth base. 
Smallville, the hit series which follows the adventures of a teenaged Clark Kent and his friends — including Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, and Lois Lane — is one of the hottest shows on TV. Author Craig Byrne reveals the secrets of Smallville’s memorable fifth year, complete with a Foreword by the man behind Lionel Luthor, John Glover. [excerpted from back cover]
Tim Wheater’s Incantation is a gorgeous blending of various ethnic sounds and cultures, combining to create a truly exquisite and mystical work of art. Below are my thoughts, track by track: 
Creative people will experience depression—that’s a given. It’s a given because they are regularly confronted by doubts about the meaningfulness of their efforts. Theirs is a kind of depression that does not respond to pharmaceutical treatment. What’s required is healing in the realm of meaning. In this groundbreaking book, Eric Maisel teaches creative people how to handle these recurrent crises of meaning and how to successfully manage the anxieties of the creative process. Using examples both from the lives of famous creators such as van Gogh and from his own creativity coaching practice, Maisel explains that despite their inevitable difficulties, creative people possess the ability to forge relationships, repair themselves, and find meaning in their work and their lives. Maisel presents a step-by-step plan to help creative people handle their special brand of depression and rediscover the reasons they are driven to create in the first place. [from back cover] 
Maiden’s Prayer is Lisa Lynne’s debut album with New Earth Records and is a stunning work of art. Accompanying Lisa Lynne on Celtic harp is a superb ensemble of Renaissance (Musica Angelica) and Persian (The Lian Ensemble) musicians and players (performing woodwinds, lute, santour, tar, dulcimer, exotic strings and peaceful world percussion), by which creating a tapestry of richness and splendor. 
Aidan and his parents have been solitary witches for as long as he can remember. At the rising of Harvest Moon, his family is invited to a local coven’s Full Moon Esbat celebration. Aidan is jittery about joining a Circle full of strangers. While he is enjoying himself around the bonfire, the High Priestess and his mother cook up a plan to get him involved in the Harvest Moon ritual. Aidan learns he is an important member of the Pagan community. [from back cover] 
While this album was soothing, I couldn’t quite get into as much of a relaxed state as I can with Mr. Halpern’s other work. Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Halpern is a fantastically brilliant pianist, but this album just didn’t do it for me and made me feel too much like I was listening to slow elevator music, and after a while all the songs seemed to blend and create one giant song instead of separate ones, but perhaps this was Mr. Halpern’s intentions. 
While not the first ever recorded pagan music, Gwydion Pendderwen (1946-1982) certainly made an impression on many, including his initiators Victor and Cora Anderson, with whom he helped write most of the liturgy within the Færie Tradition of Witchcraft. Influenced heavily by Robert Graves’ theories on the Poet as Sacred King and later by the archetype of the Green Man, the enchantment of the Craft ran deep within his veins. 