Review: The Path of Paganism (John Beckett)

Hello guys, how have you been?
I resumed my reading and decided that the next one I finished should be here, and I'm glad it is Beckett's book, as it became one of my favorite texts in the topic. I hope some of you decide to give it a chance, even if you're not Pagans; it really helps you to become a better person.

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For a long time, I thought that only years-ago published books would be the worthy ones to offer an introduction to paganism and witchcraft and that nowadays’ materials were meant to only give a more focused vision of different topics.

Although I’m still pretty sure of this idea, "The Path of Paganism: An Experience-Based Guide to Modern Pagan Practice," by John Beckett, is a good exeption, as it not only presents the theme to newcomers, but also speaks about different sides of it.

Paganism has been in a slow yet constant rise since a few years until now, and it seems like more people are becoming interested in this belief. For those who are just starting, John Beckett gives a complete review of what it is about, what is witchcraft, what are the gods, magic, and even different ethics that pagans share.

I may be tempted to say that this is a very Wiccan-influenced text, as it seems to be the most visible element in different chapters, but that’s not case, as the different lessons and juicy phrases (which I religiously wrote to remember) apply for Wiccans and members of other religions. I’m a little surprised of this, as the author is a formal member of the Order of Bards and Druids.

This is like a more open and complete version of Scott Cunningham’s “Living Wicca,” with even more essay and insights in different aspects of the Pagan lifestyle and practices every Pagan should incorporate to their routine, touching theology, liturgy, meditation and morality from a religious point of view.

Despite what it would look like, this is not one of those written works that try to convert you, that ask to the reader to forget their former religion and become someone interested in nature as a reflection of the Divine, but more like an informational resource that feed the hunger of serious content.

It even surprised me how easy and fluently this book is read. "The Path of Paganism” tries to bring together as much information as possible in all of its pages, but between some stories and parts of the author’s Book of Shadows, it turns to be an easy to swallow text. This doesn’t necessarily mean that there are not heavy chapters or thick pages, as the readers will discover those to be the best segments.

John Beckett also makes a good effort to keep the point clear and understandable. Despite sometimes he goes to secondary ideas and briefly explores another topic, he quickly returns to the main line, resuming his explanation and giving us a simple way to look at things. I’m sure this could be a mandatory reading in Pagan colleges.

I would have preferred that Beckett had included more photographs, maybe one or two in each chapter, to make it more visual,  as it certainly was good to see a couple of them in a chapter. That’s the only, immature Con I’d find in his book.

As always, many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy. I liked it more than I first thought, and would like to keep an eye on Beckett, considering myself one of his fans after reading "The Path of Paganism: An Experience-Based Guide to Modern Pagan Practice.

Greetings and hugs!

¡Un saludo y un abrazo!