THE NEO-PAGAN ESSENCE INTRODUCES READERS
TO THE BASICS OF TODAY'S MOST TOPICAL RELIGION"Pagan" is a word that many people are generally familiar with, but are not quite sure what it means in a modern setting. In its "Neo-Pagan" form, it is an umbrella term which encompasses many traditions, ranging from European folk-religion revivals (Wicca, etc.), to popularized versions of millennia-old "native" practices and Earth-centered faiths branching out from trends in evolving ecological awareness.
One of the long-time voices of the American Neo-Pagan religious movement is Oberon (formerly Otter) Zell, the founder of the Church Of All Worlds and publisher of the influential Green Egg magazine. Eschaton Books' release, The Neo-Pagan Essence, is a collection of some of Zell's most informative and entertaining essays, assembled to provide an answer to the frequently-asked question: "Just what is all this Paganism stuff about, anyway?"
The six papers which comprise The Neo-Pagan Essence provide background on the traditions, history, context, definition, and goals of modern Paganism, both generally and within the specific stance of Zell's own organization. In these pieces Zell traces the Pagan movement back to its neolithic roots, through the dark days of the "burning times", and shows how its resurgence offers a fresh perspective for the modern world.
Although well researched and documented, The Neo-Pagan Essence is anything but a dry, scholarly read. Zell's writing is lively and amusing, full of fascinating anecdotes which make the book hard to put down.
