Submission Call for a new Book on the Sabbats

It is hard to believe that it has been ten years since I published my first book - Dancing the Sacred Wheel - that focused around my understanding of the eight sabbats that make up the "Wheel of the Year" as it is referred to within modern paganism as well as my own tradition of contemporary witchcraft. Since that time my practice as well as connection with the land upon which I reside has evolved.  While the traditional eight seasonal festivals still form an underlying influence to what I personally do, I have continued to look beyond the standard meanings, evolving and shaping the associated myths, as well as how I observe things.

Therefore, to mark the 10 year anniversary of Dancing the Sacred Wheel, I am interested in putting together an anthology that will include not only my own additional discoveries and explorations since 2012, but the personal ideas, discoveries and even frustrations from other pagans, witches, druids and other earth-centric practitioners as to how they work with the sabbats outside the traditional framework, regardless of what hemisphere they reside in.

Review of Encountering the Dark Goddess by Musing Mystical

The following is part of a review by Sarrah October Young from Musing Mystical.  Please visit their web site to read to review in its entirety.

" .... One of the most fascinating elements of human psychology is the penchant we have for self-reflection. In some form or another, we often delve deep within ourselves to try and find answers that we know lie deep within us. In her book Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey Into Shadow Realms, Frances Billinghurst has carved a path for us to tread in our personal search for the answers we need in order to evolve and become better versions of ourselves.

An experienced writer on this topic, Billinghurst is an initiated witch, ritualist and healer, and runs workshops on metaphysics, mythology, and the occult. Billinghurst thoughtfully divides the book into three parts which make perfect sense if you are new to the idea of Shadow Work and the Dark Goddess Herself. Bundling information together in this way is extremely helpful if you are familiar with the work and want to jump past the background information.

Personally, no matter the topic, I almost always read the intro sections provided because I feel they form the basis or foundation of what the writer is actually trying to get across. Knowing where Billinghurst sits in terms of who she feels the Dark Goddess is and how she perceives Her is valuable information to me and helps me to expand my own knowledge. No matter your knowledge level, I highly recommend reading the introduction section to ensure you gain the same insight. ...

...

A Devotional for Athena and Minerva

It has been a long time coming but finally the devotional anthology to Athena and Minerva was released by Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Shield of Wisdom: A Devotional for Athena and Minerva is a huge book of over 400 pages and consisting of invocations, prayers, offerings, mythology interpretations, photographs and artwork all dedicated to and depicting these goddesses. I also have an essay - The Wrath of a Goddess included in this anthology.

Known to the Greeks as Athena, and to the Romans as Minerva, the Goddess leapt fully grown from the skull of the Lord of Thunder. Frighteningly intelligent, quick-witted and fiercely loyal, she is a Goddess who watches over heroes, warriors, and artisans alike. A Goddess of the mind, she admires and rewards cleverness and creativity. 

And, while she inspires intense devotion in ancient and modern polytheists, she also inspires passionate debate. 

:: Is she a friend to women, or does she always favor the father?

:: When she transformed Medusa into a gorgon and Arachne into a spider, was she motivated by compassion or something else? 

:: And what of her relationships with her fellow deities, such as Hephaistos, Ares, and Aphrodite? Are they adversarial, antithetical, or complementary?

Within these pages, you will find poems of praise and rites in her honor. You will also find essays and personal reflections that question the Goddess, that challenge her, that analyze the myths around her and what they mean to us, and what they reveal about the Goddess herself. All of these are offered to her with an open heart, and a sincere questioning mind — which we hope she will find as pleasing as any reverent hymn.

You can order your copy of Shield of Wisdom: A Devotional for Athena and Minerva here. 

Embracing the Dark Goddess during Difficult Times

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I received pre-release copies of my first book that was to be published by Moon Books, Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms.  These pre-release copies arrived some nine months prior to the book's actual release in March 2021.

One of the people who generously agreed to review my book was Nimue Brown.  What I found of interest was her comments that my book assisted her during the initial COVID pandemic in 2020.  This was something that I had not even thought of - considering when I had submitted the manuscript to Moon Books, what became COVID was a mere whisper.

What follows is part of Nimue's review.  Her full review can be found here,

"Dark journeys happen. Dark nights of the soul happen. Sometimes we have no choice but to crawl on bloody hands and knees through some kind of personal Hellscape for a while. Working with Dark Goddesses, or The Dark Goddess as an aspect of the Goddess, is about having the tools for those journeys. Find yourself in the thick of one and you may reach for a book like this for guidance and wisdom. Being prepared won’t save you, but it will help you make sense of things."

Dark Goddess official release draws near

According to the website of John Hunt Publishing, of which my publisher, Moon Books, is an imprint, there are only some 23 days before Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms is officially released.

Although I have been able to obtain pre-release author copies since May last year, I am rather delighted that soon my book will be available all around the world.

Since it's pre-release, Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms has been reviewed by a number of people, many I have sought to capture on this blog. One review that my book received last year while COVID-19 forced a number of people to undertake their own journey into the shadow realms is this one from fellow author, Nimue Brown, that starts:

Supporting My Work through Ko Fi

This is not a topic that I am all that comfortable dwelling on however it does warrant an acknowledgement and as such, I do keep it short.

The demand these days for artists and presenters, including authors like myself, to be more active on social media and engage in YouTube and Facebook videos, online chats and conferences, not to mention the expectant posting of images relating to what are actually personal aspects of one's life, is extremely time consuming, if not exhausting.  Such "public outing" of various aspects of my life is not something that I am all that comfortable with, nor do I necessarily have the appropriate equipment to produce high quality visuals.  More often than not, it is me and my iPhone (which I have only actually upgraded).  I would much rather have my head in a book or attending on lecture that it of some way benefit to my next project, that is when I am not engaged in full time work to ensure that my bills are paid.

Book Review for Contemporary Witchcraft

The following review has recently been received from Tim Hartridge, facilitator of workshops and retreats for WitchesWorkshop and manager of the Alchemy Space in Sydney.

Sitting down in the State Library to write a few thoughts about Frances Billinghurst's new book, Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundation Practices for a Magical Life, I glanced up to read a quote: "In books lies the soul of the whole past time, the articulate audible voice of the past", Thomas Carlyle 1795–1881. I take this as a lead, a positive omen. Yes, Frances has written a significant book.

In 1875 on his 80th birthday Thomas Carlyle, the great Scottish historian of the Victorian age received tributes from more than 100 eminent fellow historians and philosophers. From the above quote, it would seem Carlyle agreed with the view that through a good book you hold the vision, sentiments and knowledge of the individual who wrote it.

Book Review: Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life

The following is the full no holds barred review of Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life by Ariadne Rainbird, a practicing Wiccan of over 35 years and who was my High Priestess in the early/mid 1990s.

Contemporary Witchcraft is an informative, comprehensive and well written guide to the practice of Pagan Witchcraft in the Southern Hemisphere, but also contains a lot of valuable information which readers in the Northern Hemisphere could equally benefit from.  The author uses the term “contemporary witchcraft” to describe the more traditional and initiatory practice of the Craft which can be traced back to Gerald Gardner and Alex Sanders, generally known as Wicca.  Unfortunately the word Wicca has been usurped by modern neo-pagans, practising a Wicca-based non-initiatory neo-paganism, and has therefore become a generalised term often including an assortment of New Age practices, as opposed to focusing on the initiatory teachings of Gardner and Sanders, much to the annoyance of those of us who are of an initiatory lineage.   The author muses that what is often called Wicca today bears little resemblance to what she was originally trained in, and what she practices today, and so has chosen to describe what she does as contemporary witchcraft rather than Wicca. However, she makes it clear that what she is writing about is in fact Wicca in its original sense, the traditional and initiatory form which honours oathbound materials and hierarchical training.

Book Review: Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life

On reading the introduction, I was transported back 35 years to my own introduction to the craft, and it set the tone for the rest of the book. Contemporary Witchcraft Foundational Practices for a Magical Life is a great read as it is formed from, in my opinion, genuine teachings, and genuine research and workings. It is a refreshing change from so much information available that at best is questionable in origin.

David Garland (President, Pagan Awareness Network Inc, Australia)

Review for Contemporary Witchcraft

A couple of snippets from the latest review that I have received for Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life from Ariadne Rainbird, a practicing Wiccan of over 35 years and who I had the privilege of circling with back in the mid 1990s when I was extremely "green" around the edges:

A somewhat personal "bug bear" that has infiltrated modern paganism in more recent times, to the extent that even more seasoned practitioners using these alleged alternative words because "they sound great" as opposed to keeping true to the origins.  Will this point make my book "controversial"? 

Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life is not due for release until July 2021 however pre-orders will soon be available through the various outlets listed on my publisher's web site:

https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/moon-books/our-books/contemporary-witchcraft

Meanwhile, I have commenced writing what seems to be the second book on contemporary witchcraft that will lead on from these foundational practices.

Contemporary Witchcraft Books Have Arrived

It is always exciting when a delivery finally makes its way to your door.  The current COVID-19 situation seems to have thrown not only postal services around the world completely out of whack, but has also impacted upon other modes of transport and delivery.  I found time ticking merrily away recently as it has been a number of weeks since my publisher had notified me that I was able to order early pre-release copies of Contemporary Witchcraft; Foundational Practices for a Magical Life.  

With the return of weekend markets starting to appear in my calendar, the first this Sunday, 18 October 2020 being the Adelaide Psychic Fair that is held at 230 Flinders Street in Adelaide, I was starting to get concerned that my delivery of books would not arrive in time.  Ye of little faith.  The long awaited boxes (plural as there were two of them) of books were collected from the post office this evening.

My dissatisfaction with books aimed at neophytes (seekers) venturing into the world of magick and witchcraft where the emphasis seemed to be merely on spells as opposed to establishing deeper practices that would aid and support them upon their journey, resulted in me writing Contemporary Witchcraft.  

As already mentioned on the book's own page, Contemporary Witchcraft aims at providing the neophyte with the ability to render the “veils” between this world and the mystical one by applying themselves to the work in order to understand these mysteries.

Ironically a pre-introduction to contemporary witchcraft, or modern Wicca, emerged when I had sent the manuscript off to the publishers.  That pre-introduction evolved into A Little Book of Wicca which is specifically designed as an initial information guide for anyone who is curious about the practice of Wicca but who not not yet decided whether this is actually the right spiritual path for them.

If you live in Adelaide and are looking for something to do on Sunday, I will be at the Adelaide Psychic Fair at 230 Flinders Street.  Later in the month, on Saturday, 31 October 2020, the Adelaide Health & Wellbeing Market will finally be returning to the beautiful Church of Trinity on Goodwood Road, Clarence Park.  I will be minding my LunaNoire Creations stall under the marquee out the front.  Then on the Sunday, 1 November 2020, I will be at the Gawler Psychic Fair. If you are attending any of these events, please pop along and say hello.

Shadows, Shades and the Dark Goddess

Lately I have noticed an increase in social media chatter about “shadow workings”, and in particular relation to working with “shadow beings”.  While these days everyone seems to have their own interpretations with respect to things, I feel it is important to differentiate between “shadow working” (based on a Jungian psychological term for understanding the repressed/rejected aspects of the self), and working with actual ghost like “shadow beings” who are not of this mortal world.

Throughout history, “shadows” (as in “shadow beings” or “shades” as they were also called) referred to the spirit or ghost of someone who had died and was residing in the underworld.  When the Greek hero Odysseus descended into Hades (the Underworld) in Homer’s Odyssey, he encountered “shades”, tormented ghost like beings.  Likewise, Aeneas who traveled into the Underworld in Virgil’s Aeneid.  In his Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri also referred to many of the dead as “shades”, including his own guide, Virgil. 

Contemporary Witchcraft - Pre-orders of the Early Release Now Open

I am delighted to be able to advise that pre-orders for my forthcoming book, Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life, will open on Saturday, 5 September 2020, with physical copies expected to be received by the end of the month.

Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life aims to set the series of foundational practices that will benefit any neophyte (beginner) interested in contemporary witchcraft (initiatory Wicca) or to magick in general. As I explain, how you design and build your practice is entirely up to you however with solid understanding of some foundational practices, you can be assured that you are effectively set for life, regardless of where your own path takes you.

 My initial instruction into contemporary witchcraft not only focused on the practical application of ritual and magick, but also the “behind the scenes” information, providing an insight into the psychological changes, as well as what is actually happening on the astral level. It is this understanding that enabled me to gain a stronger belief in the magical work that I was undertaking – a belief that also proved to be most beneficial during dark nights of the soul, the times of doubt when the logical mind saw me questioning what I had been dedicating much of my adult life to. 

Contemporary Witchcraft will be setting the foundations

As I write in the introduction to Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life, much appears to have changed since the early 1990s when I took my first steps into the world of contemporary witchcraft (then generally referred to as Wicca). Back then the neophyte (beginner) was expected to learn how to render the “veils” between this world and the mystical one by applying themselves to the work in order to understand these mysteries. 

 My initial instruction not only focused on the practical application of ritual and magick, but also the “behind the scenes” information, providing an insight into the psychological changes, as well as what is actually happening on the astral level. It is this understanding that enabled me to gain a stronger belief in the magical work that I was undertaking – a belief that also proved to be most beneficial during dark nights of the soul, the times of doubt when the logical mind saw me questioning what I had been dedicating much of my adult life to. 

These days Wicca has almost become a generalised term for neo-paganism, which often includes an assortment of New Age practices, as opposed to focusing on the initiatory teachings that stem from the original vision that its founder, Gerald Gardner, and later, Alex Sanders, had. Despite what seems to be a copious amount of information available today, much tends to be the same material regurgitated without any real instruction as to why or even how certain techniques are done, let alone any form of acknowledgment as to where the information was originally obtained. There also seems to be an increasing belief of “anything goes” and “do what you feel”, resulting very much in a self-styled form of witchcraft with an emphasis on using one’s own intuition, as opposed to older foundational work.

Times may have changed, as have the needs and desires of people, and whilst spiritual practices also have changed, this does not necessarily mean that all of the original vision Gardner had is outdated and needs to be discarded. As the saying goes, we do not have to “throw the baby out with the bathwater”. When it comes to magick, there are still aspects and techniques that simply can only be learnt over time through the practice of the magical art. Such things cannot really be taught through the pages of a book or the internet. There are other aspects of magick that are best taught under physical instruction of a trained practitioner as opposed to a handful of inexperienced novices boasting about their alleged successes.

Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life will be published by Moon Books mid to late 2021.

My Interview with Witch: Radiant & Rooted Now Available

I am delighted to announce that my interview with Kim from Witch: Radiant and Rooted is now available.

You can listen to it on podbean through this link

https://witchradiantandrooted.podbean.com/e/interview-with-frances-billinghurst-episode-9/

Alternatively, you can watch it on following You Tube video where I chat with Kim about my forthcoming book, Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms, as well as why I consider working with the Dark Goddess important when it comes to shadow work, and also my second book with Moon Books due for release later in 2021:

Book Review: Encountering the Dark Goddess

The following review of Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms has been received from Shani Oates, author and the Maid of the Clan of Tubal Cain:


The author sensibly opens the text with demythologising the concept of ‘dark’ relative to this primal form. She then moves on to describe the various forms that peoples across the globe have prescribed for Her, including Kali, Nephthys, Lilith, Hekate and Baba Yoga. Her value is here acknowledged as the essential catalyst for sloughing off guilt and fear associated with ‘womanhood,’ breathing new light into Jungian concepts of the shadow; suggestions are given on how to reabsorb the shadow through recognising “little griefs” that cloud perspective. More importantly, she guides the reader away from floundering on the rocks clutching to the ‘victim’ mentality, a tragic state linked by the author to PTSD. Tackled through the Virtue of Medusa, the sufferer is coached towards release and revitalisation.

Enchanted by Morgan le Fay

I have long held a fascination with Morgan le Fay, the half-sister to Britain's "once and future king" (Arthur), whose brief tryst with Lancelot of the Lake saw her turn her back on her inheritance, her calling and seemingly spend her life wandering without any true meaning or purpose.  Yet, despite all that, there is something alluring about her.

The Morgan le Fay we often hear about today, the evil sorceress who appears largely as the bane of King Arthur's existence, stems from the Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. Hailed as the greatest piece of English literature to have emerged from the Medieval era, Malory's version consisted of 21 books, commencing at the ill-fated meeting between Uther Pendragon, the King of Britain, and Gorlois, the Duke of Tintagel, where the king become infatuated with Gorlois's beautiful wife, Igraine, and ending with the death of King Arthur from a wound inflicted upon him by his own son.

Weathering the Storm - A Free Guide for People Feeling Isolated and Vulnerable

As COVID-19 saw the majority of the world self-isolating, a group of Moon Book authors (including myself) consolidated their talents.  The result is Weathering the Storm, a book offering support for spiritually orientated people who is feeling isolated and vulnerable during these extremely stress and rather unprecedented times.

Covering areas from loneliness and anxiety, self-care and gardening, to cooking and crystals, Weathering the Storm is divided into three parts.  The first part offers a selection of psychological assistance.  This is within this section that my essay, "Bobbing in the Sea of Uncertainty", can be found.  Recounting a life changing experience that I underwent during a week's "spiritual retreat" in Bali, the lessons gifted to me I share for others to draw upon should they feel that they are losing control on life - sometimes we just need to surrender that control.

The second section of Weathering the Storm focuses on articles that offer spiritual assistance through the use of working with your ancestors, crystals, and much more.  The final section offers practical advice in the form of recipes, crafts and much more.

Described as "A treasure-trove of advice and inspiration for all of us living through difficult times", Weathering the Storm is available as a free ebook through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, and for £0.99 on Amazon UK.

Contemporary Witchcraft is inching closer to the finish line

After years of having students complain that there was not a suitable beginner's book for the Southern Hemisphere and that books available today tend to either ignore us living south of the equator, or adding mention like some hurried byline, I have finally finalised the manuscript for my own version of a beginner's book.

Reflecting my own teaching emphasis, Contemporary Witchcraft: Foundational Practices for a Magical Life is designed to be just that, a manual that will provide the neophyte (seeker) with what I hope will be a solid foundation upon which they can shape their own practice.

So what is contemporary witchcraft?

Encountering the Dark Goddess - pre-order dates coming soon

Last week I received the email from my publisher that all authors hang out to receive, the one that contained details as to when their book will actually be published and available. The date scheduled for the release of Encountering the Dark Goddess: A Journey into the Shadow Realms is 26 March 2021. While this date seems to be half a lifetime away (some 11 months) apparently that is normal within the publishing world as it gives a lot of the behind the scenes things to be put into process, ie having the book listed in various trade magazines, in order to maximize long-term success of the book.

From the end of June, Encountering the Dark Goddess should appear on the John Hunt Publishing webpage as well as appearing for pre-order through Amazon US, Amazon UK, Indiebound, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones and the like, with ebook pre-orders appearing a month or so before publication (ie, early in the new year).

“The author presents the reader with a dark gift – a treasure in a sense – but one not to be accepted lightly. My sense is that once opened, it will never go back into the box.”

(Jimahl diFiosa, author of A Voice in the Forest, All the King’s Children and A Coin for the Ferryman)