This page is a companion to the radio show The Common Hearth on CHSR 97.9 FM in Fredericton, NB Canada (you can listen live on the web at www.unb.ca/chsr). The show airs at 10:00 am Atlantic Standard Time.
I script my show (to greater or lesser degrees depending on the format of the presentation content) and so it’s fairly easy to archive the scripts here. The main purpose for keeping them is to serve as pointers to the material I have researched.
This page also contains the credit list of that research and any links that might be applicable. The Common Hearth is intended to touch on a variety of spiritual beliefs and topics. To fairly cover as much ground as possible I look at a wide variety of material. Some content for my show is gleaned from sources I do not necessarily agree with.On the other hand:
In my reading, I have stumbled onto some fascinating and wonderful works (both cyber and other) they are well worth exploring.
The script section of this page is being reconsidered.
I find it easier to do radio than record the doing of it. A "Memories of the Hearth" section is coming.
Sources
Dated Material, Calendars and the like:
I get a lot of inspiration, bits and pieces from Llewelyn's Witches' Date Books, but I use only past years for broadcast. A new Date Book is produced every year. They contain much more information than I examine on the show.
The Witches' Almanac is another dated book. I have only one year's volume, and am not likely to purchase another. There was very little relevant content in it.
Books:
A Medieval Miscellany, Judith Herrin, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1999
I bought this book partly because it was so beautiful. The publishers went out of their way to make it both "period" looking and lovely to handle, using a facsimile approach. Add to this that it provides an unfiltered view into the medieval mind. Some of what is written here is mundane, some inspired, but within certain restrictions (literacy) it is the common voice that shines through. Understanding their spirituality comes with understanding their society.An ABC of Witchcraft, Doreen Valiente, Phoenix Publishing Inc., 1973
This is a very useful dictionary especially for people trying to get a handle on witch and coven history. I have found it very useful not only in providing a UK perspective, but also as a cross reference to stands taken by christianized "historians". I have been frustrated by missing entries from time to time.Anum Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom, John O'Donohue, Cliff Street Books, 1997
A stunningly beautiful book! It is deeply spiritual without taking any particular formal stand (beyond revering the Celtic mind). There are a few references which point toward Christianity, but it is a uniquely Irish faith that is imbued with all the wonder of Ireland's pagan roots. The reader is drawn through life, love, community and solitude to death and back through life again. It is a bliss filled journey of the soul that O'Donohue takes you on.At the well of the Wyrd: A Handbook of Runic Divination, Edred Thorsson, Samuel Weiser Inc. 1988
A well respected study of the runes. Thorsson is meticulous in his approach. This book is incredibly valuable to anyone studying runes, but it can be a hard read and is perhaps less accessible than some other publications. The problem is that the easier books are often very far off in their interpretation. My recommendation: if you can't wade through this book the first time, read the others, then come back and give it another try once you are more familiar with the concepts, but be careful, there are a lot of "rune" books out there but there are very few like this one, true to the old ways.Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions, Starhawk, Diane Baker, Anne Hill, Bantam Books 1998
You don't have to be a parent to benefit from this book (although obviously if you are, or if you tend children at all it is incredibly useful). The three women who put it together chose to make it accessible for almost everyone. It is divided by elemental and calendar sections, and each one has sections on stories, activities, songs, information and tidbit ideas. I am especially fond of how well it conveys a love for Earth. A note on where I found it: it wasn't in the spiritual section of my local bookstore, it was in "Parenting". Who knew.The Complete Book of Magical Names, Pheonix McFarland, Llewellyn Publications, 1996
I have had to dig, scratch and ultimately reinterpret this book to get much value out of it. It's a victim of easy "New Age" publications - too little to say about a subject too wide to encompass in too frivolous a book. If you're looking to name a child, and you're sick of the supermarket check-out versions of baby names books, it's not unhandy. And it has a place as a cross reference tool when reading fables and legends, but it falls short of touching on the power of names and naming.The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal, David Hoffman, Element books Limited, 1996
This book is colourful, and beautiful in its presentation. It provides handy, brief breakdown of a large variety of herbs. It also has sections on health which should not be ignored. I keep it in my kitchen, but find myself running to get it every so often for lots of other reasons.The Dictionary of Global Culture, Ed Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates, Jr, Alfred A. Knopf, 1997
This is a very handy encyclopedia. It focusses on culture through a sociological/anthropological perspective, rather than a spiritual one. But it is very useful for cross referencing.Lady of the Northern Light: A feminist guide to the Runes, Susan Gitlin-Emmer, the Crossing Press, 1993
My liking this book does not make it a strong tool, but for all its shortfalls, it is an insightful and positive guide. It is not particularly true to runic traditions, and has taken a considerable amount of flak for that. In attempting to find a feminist interpretation to the runes past so many years of patriarchal traditions, Gitlin-Emmer has had to stray pretty far off course and draw together parts of culture that are only tenuously related. What she has created is a modern feminist interpretation of runelore. On the upside, she doesn't lie or rewrite the runes into wholly different objects like many runic authors do, it's more like putting a feminist spin on what is already there in the history of Norse culture. All in all I call it a good effort, but I would not want this to be anyone's sole exposure to the runes. It is, at best, a supplement to a book like At the Well of the Wyrd.The Magic and Mystery of Trees: A Beginner's Guide, Teresa Moorey, Hodder&Stoughton, 1998
I read this little book on a bus trip. Theresa is a gifted and sensitive person who has written a book from her heart, and she has a genuine love and respect for our leafy friends. There is practical information in here as well as magical and empathic knowledge. This book is an excellent example that when you are looking for a book that gets to the heart of connecting to the divine, it is much more likely about the natural world than spells.Medieval Legends, Philip S. Jennings,JK&T, 1983
I owned this book for several years before cracking it open. The stories chosen for the book are intriguing and worth reading if you are a medieval buff. I notice that it comes up in bibliographies for academic research and is used by some schools for their European history courses.Natural Magic: Potions and Powers from the Magical Garden, John Michael Greer, Llewellyn Publications, 2000
Natual Witchcraft: The Timeless Arts And Crafts Of The Country Witch, Marian Green, Thorsons, 2001
A breath of fresh air. While the book is about the craft of being a witch and holding a respect for the natural world as our rural ancestors did(and some contemporaries still do), Marian Green addresses some of the problems of the pagan movement head on. She's not afraid to point out the flaws in activities or beliefs, and she calls for a return to connecting with the divine through daily respect of the natural world. I was inspired by this book to continue demanding intelligent and sensitive publications on paganism. Her pragmatic, matter-of-fact approach and her common sense make her an excellent guide for people searching for traditional spirituality.West Country Wicca: A Journal of the Old Religion, Rhiannon Ryall, Phoenix Publishing, 1989
A while ago I read a review on West Country Wicca that warned that Rhiannon gleaned her information from other sources and it was hard to separate what was true from what was interpreted. I'm not certain how that reviewer came to that conclusion, and I have never heard anything else said about the origins of her information. I think this is a great little book told from a very personal perspective. Rhiannon is direct and open about what her family and community did as part of their daily lives. She cleared up some puzzles for me that came from reading books by authors with no direct knowledge.What to Do When You're Dating A Jew: Everything You Need To Know From Matzah Balls To Marriage, Vikki Weiss & Jennifer A Block, Three Rivers Press, 2000
Not a spiritual book per se, but stuffed full of common spiritual wisdom and explanations of Judaism's rituals and beliefs. It also happens to be a very funny read.The Wiccan Book of Ceremonies and Rituals, Patricia Telesco, Citadel Press, 1999
First let me say that I am generally opposed to the shelf-filling sub genre of pagan writing that caters to quick-fix ideals and glossed over traditions. This book tends to turn up on lists filled with such trivial bait, but it passed my initial test for "not harmful" and when I gave it a good read I found it rather pleasant. Although it is primarily aimed at covens, it has a lot of information and alternate rituals for solitary practitioners, and there is plenty of material of use to someone who wants to be respectful but not necessarily ritual bound (you just have to read into it a bit). Nothing in here is too hard to put together, and it tends to stay on the commoner's side of ritual rather than trying to get either deep or theatrical. I don't usually recommend books on ritual, but I do respect this one. There is considerable joy in the rituals as presented, and the positive celebration it conveys can only be a good thing.The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, Barbara G. Walker, Harper Collins, 1983
A fantastic encyclopedia! Worth the price. Everyone should own a copy. MoreWomen Who Run With Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estés,Ph.D., Ballantine Books, 1992
Websites:
Astrology and Tarot Zine - this site has a nice list of books on astrology and related matters. My browser has trouble with its front page, but once loaded, the search feature works well to find the books.
Behind The Name, the Etymology and History of First Names - while the site is dedicated to names and their meanings, it is so well researched, and extensive (in a mostly English kind of way) that it can shed light on a lot of myths and beliefs)
The Witches' Voice - Mostly news and information of what is going on where, it is a very respectable networking page and an excellent source of current news and opinion.
Encyclopedia Mythica - A most impressive research tool! It has an easy search engine, a considerable database, and covers a wide range of cultures.
The Witching Hours - A series of pages on the Shanmonster site. While much of this site is dedicated to a plethora of unrelated interests for Shanmonster, her research into the history of the witch trials is extensive. Surfers take note: she is neither pro nor anti "witch", pro nor anti Christian. This is a research site.
The Quest - A very detailed academic site dedicated to the Arthurian Legends. It is well laid out and very much worth the read.
Journeys to Self Discovery - Nina Lee Braden's website. I found it while researching for an interview with Nina Lee on her book Tarot for Self Discovery (a very effective tool). It is full of personal wisdom and a fine approach to self discovery.
Obsidian's Book of Shadows - A fairly detailed page by an experienced webmistress. I found her when I was looking for common sense in regards to hexing.