Synopses & Reviews
An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Analyzes the symbolism of the many plants associated with Christmas andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact, the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Christian Rand#228;tsch and Claudia Mand#252;ller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of peopleand#8217;s consciousness, it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit, who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom, which is red and white, to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples, which figure heavily in Christmas baking, are symbols of the sun god Apollo, so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact, the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration.
Review
andquot;The authors and the translators richly deserve congratulations on what is without doubt one of the finest books about Pagan Christmas written in recent times.andquot;
Review
andquot;The illustrations and photographs are excellent. The text is concise, and accurate. andlt;Iandgt;Pagan Christmasandlt;/Iandgt; is a fine reading experience!andquot;
Review
"The authors and the translators richly deserve congratulations on what is without doubt one of the finest books about Pagan Christmas written in recent times." < b=""> Lee Prosser <> , < i=""> Ghostvillage.com <> , Dec 2006
Review
"The illustrations and photographs are excellent. The text is concise, and accurate. Pagan Christmas is a fine reading experience!" < b=""> Lee Prosser <> , < i=""> Ghostvillage.com <> , Dec 18, 2006
Synopsis
An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas reveals the symbolic significance of the many plants associated with Christmas and the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the celebration. Original.
About the Author
Christian Rand#228;tsch, Ph.D., is a world-renowned anthropologist and ethnopharmacologist who specializes in the shamanic uses of plants. He is the author of andlt;Iandgt;Marijuana Medicineandlt;/Iandgt; and coauthor of andlt;Iandgt;Plants of the Gods, Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayas,andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;Iandgt;Witchcraft Medicineandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plantsandlt;/Iandgt;. He lives in Hamburg, Germany, and lectures around the world.Claudia Mand#252;ller-Ebeling, Ph.D., is an art historian and anthropologist and coauthor, with Christian Rand#228;tsch, of andlt;Iandgt;Shamanism and Tantra in the Himalayasandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;Witchcraft Medicineandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;Pagan Christmasandlt;/Iandgt;. She lives in Hamburg, Germany.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Prefaceandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;The Ethnobotany of Christmasandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Traditions, Rituals, and Customsandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Christmas Songs of the Hard Winterandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;A Pagan Feastandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Red and White: Colors of Christmasandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Darkness of Midwinterandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Sacred Nights, Smudging Nights, and Incenseandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Wotan and the Wild Huntandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;From the Shamanic World Tree to the Christmas Treeandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Christmas Treesandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Holy Treesandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; St. Nicholas and His Little Helper, Ruprechtandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Baccy Claus: The Smoking Christmas Manandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Father Christmas: An Anthropomorphic Fly Agaric Mushroom?andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Christmas Tree Decorationsandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Golden Applesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Miracle Blossoms for the Winter Solsticeandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; St. Barbaraand#8217;s Boughsandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Christ Rose or Helleboreandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Christmas Rosesandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Christmas Starsandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Exotic Christmas Flowersandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Christmas Greensandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Old Ones of the Woodsandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Mistletoe: Winter Woods Greenandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Holly: Frau Holleand#8217;s Holy Treeandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Laurel: The Sun Godand#8217;s Plantandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Ivy: Tendrils of the Maenadsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;The Aromas of Christmas: A Shower of Pheromonesandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Incense for the Holy Nightsandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Incense Under the Christmas Treeandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Incense Recipes for the Smudging Nightsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Christmas Intoxications and Other Delightsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Yule Drinking andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Love on Christmas Eve?andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Chocolate Father Christmas: Ritual Christmas Cannibalismandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Mugwort, the Sacrificial Goose, and the Christmas Roastandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Rosemary and the Yule Boarandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Merry Christmas from Mother Coca, Coca-Cola, and Santa Clausandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Christmas Spices and Christmas Bakingandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Anise and St. Andrewand#8217;s Nightandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Saffron: Red Gold for Christmasandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Christmas Bakingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;The Rebirth of the Sun andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Sun Gods: Apollo, Mithras, and Jesusandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Mystery Cultsandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Kyphi: Incense for the Smudging Nightsandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Saturn, the God of Incenseandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Erotic Bean Feastandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;New Yearand#8217;s Eve: The Wild Feast of Sylvesterandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Protection and Fertility Rites andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Lucky Plantsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Happy New Yearandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Thunder and Witch Flourandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; From Incense to Fireworksandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Lucky Mushrooms and Chimney Sweepsandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; New Yearand#8217;s Dayandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Magical, Shamanic Cloverandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;The Night of Befana, the Christmas Witchandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Holy Bushes that Protect Against Witchesandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Paradise Plantandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Deviland#8217;s Dirt and Witchesand#8217; Smokeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Three Kings Day: The End of the Christmas Seasonandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; The Pagan Magi from the Eastandlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Frankincense, the Secret of Old Arabia andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Bibliographyandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Indexandnbsp;andlt;/Bandgt;