{"id":3668,"date":"2015-06-04T17:00:37","date_gmt":"2015-06-04T23:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/?p=3668"},"modified":"2015-06-04T17:05:53","modified_gmt":"2015-06-04T23:05:53","slug":"the-book-of-the-great-queen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/johnbeckett\/2015\/06\/the-book-of-the-great-queen.html","title":{"rendered":"The Book of the Great Queen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"Book<\/a>The Book of the Great Queen<\/em><\/strong>
\nby Morpheus Ravenna
\npublished by Concrescent Press, May 2015
\ntrade paperback: $29.99<\/a>
\n484 pages<\/p>\n

Today I bring you three reviews of The Book of the Great Queen<\/em>: very short, short, and detailed.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll start with the very short review: if you have any interest in the Morr\u00edgan, or if you have any interest in Celtic history and culture, read this book.<\/p>\n

And now the short review, taken from one of the back cover quotes:<\/p>\n

The Book of the Great Queen<\/em> is an extensive analysis of the literary, historical, and archeological records of the Morr\u00edgan and the Celtic societies in which She was first worshipped. But it\u2019s more than a work of scholarship \u2013 it\u2019s a guide to encountering and experiencing the Great Queen for yourself. The individual and group practices Morpheus Ravenna describes are a blueprint for the restoration of devotional polytheism in the contemporary world.<\/p>\n

John Beckett \u2013 Druid and blogger, \u201cUnder the Ancient Oaks\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Still with me? Here\u2019s the detailed review.<\/p>\n

I always mention how I get the books I review. I don\u2019t review books differently based on whether I buy them or if I get review copies, but I like to make full disclosure and you can decide if that\u2019s important to you or not.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t just buy the Book of the Great Queen<\/em>, I bought into it. I supported the IndieGogo campaign and I encouraged others to support it as well. I bought into it because I believe in the Morr\u00edgan \u2013 not just in Her existence, but also in Her work in this world<\/a>. And I believe in Morpheus Ravenna<\/a>. So do a lot of other people \u2013 the crowdfunding campaign was an overwhelming success.<\/p>\n

I had high expectations. The Book of the Great Queen<\/em> exceeds them.<\/p>\n

The first part of the book is an exhaustive analysis of the literary and mythological appearances of the Morr\u00edgan. I\u2019m a Druid and a Celtophile \u2013 I\u2019ve read a lot of these stories. But some of them I haven\u2019t been able to find, and some of them I hadn\u2019t even heard of. Each one has a summary that focuses on what it tells us about the Morr\u00edgan and the many ways She was understood by the people who told these stories. Then the various Goddesses \u2013 or possibly, various names for one Goddess \u2013 are examined in depth.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most helpful chapter is \u201cOne, Three, and Many\u201d which explores the multiple nature of the Morr\u00edgan.<\/p>\n

Who is the Morr\u00edgan? Many names are associated with the Morr\u00edgan: Badb, Macha, Anu, Danu, N\u00e9main, Fea, and B\u00e9 N\u00e9it. Are they all aspects of one divinity, or separate, independent sister Goddesses? Is the Morr\u00edgan a single, triple, or multiple Goddess? Who are the Morr\u00edgna and what does this collective term mean?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Morpheus<\/a>
Morpheus Ravenna<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As you might expect, the answer is complicated. Morpheus says \u201cthis question has been approached differently by people throughout history.\u201d She identifies four patterns in the lore, but even those do not lead to a definitive answer. What is clear is that the modern Pagan \u201cMaiden, Mother, and Crone\u201d conception does not fit the Morr\u00edgan at all.<\/p>\n

I usually speak of Morr\u00edgan in the singular because that\u2019s how I\u2019ve experienced Her. But I\u2019m learning that there are other deities \u2013 be they aspects or separate beings \u2013 I need to become acquainted with. The true nature of the Gods remains a mystery.<\/p>\n

The second part looks at how and where the Morr\u00edgan was worshipped. Individual chapters examine the land and features on the land (including temples \u2013 yes, the Celts had them, at least a few), iconography, sacrifice, priesthood, oracles and divination, sorcery, and Her worship in relation to warriors and battle.<\/p>\n

Each section begins with the relevant history and ends with \u201cLiving Practice\u201d \u2013 how devotees and priests of the Morr\u00edgan are honoring, worshipping, and communing with Her today. But a deep, robust Celtic and polytheist practice involves more than the worship of one Goddess, even the Great Queen. The section \u201cThe Sovereignty of Spirits\u201d makes a key point that often gets overlooked in some Pagan traditions:<\/p>\n

Polytheism, as a religious practice of relationship, can only begin when we recognize and honor the agency and sovereignty of spiritual beings. Their lives and life force are not ours to command; their homes, landscapes, gateways, contexts, and histories are not there for our pleasure or even for our teaching. They live in the world as we do, existing for their own purposes, pursuing their own destinies, in sovereign relationship to their landscapes and contexts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The section on devotion is particularly helpful \u2013 14 pages of things you can do to build a meaningful spiritual practice. I do most of these \u2013 some daily, others periodically \u2013 and I can attest to their effectiveness. The section on priesthood draws clear differences between the role and commitment of a priest and that of a non-priestly devotee, and it points out that priesthood is a path of service.<\/p>\n

The chapters \u201cBattle Cultus\u201d and \u201cThe Warrior\u2019s Initiation\u201d answer the question of why people who love peace would worship a Battle Goddess. The answer is complicated but can be summarized in one quote: \u201cbattle is sovereignty in action.\u201d Even those of us who love peace must sometimes fight, or else be overrun by those who would oppress or destroy us.<\/p>\n

The book ends with a statement I think is very important as we consider a Pagan and polytheist worldview in contrast to the monotheist worldview that still dominates our culture.<\/p>\n

The reading and study of lore can only take you so far, and no further. It is up to you now to take what you may have found of value in this book and bring it to life in your own practice.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The lore of the Morr\u00edgan is complicated and ambiguous and it does not fit neatly into a simple dualistic narrative. We have two choices as to how to deal with this lack of clarity and certainty.<\/p>\n

We can examine the texts and declare some canon and others heresy. We can create elaborate doctrines to justify our choices. We can use coercion and outright violence to silence those who disagree with us. We can create the One True Way\u2026 as followers of other religions have done many times.<\/p>\n

Or, we can take the lore for what it is \u2013 the stories of men and women and the experiences they had in a particular place and time. We can embrace the ambiguity and let it remind us to remain humble about what we do and do not know. We can learn from skilled priests and then develop our own spiritual practices. We can stop worrying about thinking and believing the right things and start doing the right things.<\/p>\n

We live in tumultuous times. It is no surprise that the Morr\u00edgan is especially active now.<\/p>\n

I have often felt, and have heard others say too, that the Morr\u00edgan is a fitting Goddess for our times. She holds and teaches the powers and wisdoms we need to be able to face these choices. She sees those who are born on this battlefield. She sees what can rise in us to meet the battle, and calls that forth from within us. We need strengths like these. We need the heroic ethos. We need whatever it is that can grant us the courage to be a force for justice and right action.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Morr\u00edgan is a fitting Goddess for our times, and The Book of the Great Queen<\/em> is the most complete and thorough guide yet written to learning about Her, honoring Her, and taking up Her great work.<\/p>\n

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