Living Paganism: An Advanced Guide for the Solitary Practitioner

Image

 

“Living Paganism picks up where Shanddaramon’s last book left off and leads the practitioner to determine how to be more fulfilled through connecting spiritual practice to the many sacred cycles of life. In this book, you will learn how to develop Pagan spiritual goals that are balanced and meaningful. Then you will learn to observe and become an active participant in the cosmic cycles of the universe so that you may learn to honor and use those cycles to live your Pagan values. Every day we experience the cycles of Earth, the moon, the sun, and the changes in life. By connecting your practice to these sacred cycles you will learn to create a meaningful and magical life.” (From the back cover.)

Writing a review of this book is going to take me perilously near the edge of being perceived as non-tolerant. I didn’t much like his first book (Self-Initiation for the Solitary Witch), and my feelings haven’t particularly changed with further reading.

Living Paganism is not ‘advanced’ anything, and Scott Cunningham did it better the first time out (Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner and Living Wicca, to be specific).

Save your money, or spend it on better options, like Cunningham, or Penczak, or even Ravenwolf!

~review by Lisa Mc Sherry

Author: Shanddramon

New Page, 2006

pp. 256, $14.99

J! InfoRequestSessionProfileQueries32
34.647MBMemory Usage893msRequest Duration
Joomla! Version4.4.8
PHP Version8.3.21
Identityguest
Response200
Templatert_ambrosia
Database
Server
mysql
Version
10.6.22-MariaDB
Collation
latin1_swedish_ci
Conn Collation
utf8mb4_general_ci
$_GET
[]
$_POST
[]
$_SESSION
array:1 [ "joomla" => "***redacted***" ]
$_COOKIE
[]
$_SERVER
array:49 [ "USER" => "facingnorth" "HOME" => "/home/facingnorth" "SCRIPT_NAME" => "/index.php"...
session
array:3 [ "counter" => 1 "timer" => array:3 [ "start" => 1747585997 "last" => 1747585997...
registry
array:3 [ "data" => [] "initialized" => false "separator" => "." ]
user
array:18 [ "id" => 0 "name" => null "username" => null "email" => null "password" => "***r...
  • afterLoad (459.28KB) (1.25ms)
  • afterInitialise (810.13KB) (11.14ms)
  • afterRoute (544.38KB) (7.45ms)
  • beforeRenderComponent com_content (34.19KB) (719μs)
  • Before Access::preloadComponents (all components) (33.46KB) (542μs)
  • After Access::preloadComponents (all components) (107.34KB) (831μs)
  • Before Access::preloadPermissions (com_content) (1.57KB) (18μs)
  • After Access::preloadPermissions (com_content) (2MB) (5.69ms)
  • Before Access::getAssetRules (id:1449 name:com_content.article.570) (66.65KB) (140μs)
  • After Access::getAssetRules (id:1449 name:com_content.article.570) (8.72KB) (101μs)
  • afterRenderComponent com_content (252.42KB) (10.4ms)
  • afterDispatch (2.28KB) (98μs)
  • beforeRenderRawModule mod_finder (Search Module) (1.52MB) (16.91ms)
  • afterRenderRawModule mod_finder (Search Module) (279.35KB) (5.39ms)
  • beforeRenderModule mod_finder (Search Module) (720B) (13μs)
  • afterRenderModule mod_finder (Search Module) (1.28KB) (147μs)
  • afterRender (9.79MB) (832ms)
  • 1 x afterRender (9.79MB) (93.16%)
    832.14ms
    1 x beforeRenderRawModule mod_finder (Search Module) (1.52MB) (1.89%)
    16.91ms
    1 x afterInitialise (810.13KB) (1.25%)
    11.14ms
    1 x afterRenderComponent com_content (252.42KB) (1.16%)
    10.40ms
    1 x afterRoute (544.38KB) (0.83%)
    7.45ms
    1 x After Access::preloadPermissions (com_content) (2MB) (0.64%)
    5.69ms
    1 x afterRenderRawModule mod_finder (Search Module) (279.35KB) (0.6%)
    5.39ms
    1 x afterLoad (459.28KB) (0.14%)
    1.25ms
    1 x After Access::preloadComponents (all components) (107.34KB) (0.09%)
    831μs
    1 x beforeRenderComponent com_content (34.19KB) (0.08%)
    719μs
    1 x Before Access::preloadComponents (all components) (33.46KB) (0.06%)
    542μs
    1 x afterRenderModule mod_finder (Search Module) (1.28KB) (0.02%)
    147μs
    1 x Before Access::getAssetRules (id:1449 name:com_content.article.570) (66.65KB) (0.02%)
    140μs
    1 x After Access::getAssetRules (id:1449 name:com_content.article.570) (8.72KB) (0.01%)
    101μs
    1 x afterDispatch (2.28KB) (0.01%)
    98μs
    1 x Before Access::preloadPermissions (com_content) (1.57KB) (0%)
    18μs
    1 x beforeRenderModule mod_finder (Search Module) (720B) (0%)
    13μs
32 statements were executed, 3 of which were duplicates, 29 unique22.42ms380.05KB
UniquesDuplicates 1
  • SELECT @@SESSION.sql_mode;80μs968B/libraries/vendor/joomla/database/src/Mysqli/MysqliDriver.php:334Copy
  • SELECT `data` FROM `facv2_session` WHERE `session_id` = ?135μs1008BParams/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Handler/DatabaseHandler.php:261Copy
  • SELECT `session_id` FROM `facv2_session` WHERE `session_id` = :session_id LIMIT 199μs1.3KBParams/libraries/src/Session/MetadataManager.php:187Copy
  • INSERT INTO `facv2_session` (`session_id`,`guest`,`time`,`userid`,`username`,`client_id`) VALUES (:session_id, :guest, :time, :user_id, :username, :client_id)1.32ms944BParams/libraries/src/Session/MetadataManager.php:260Copy
  • SELECT `extension_id` AS `id`,`element` AS `option`,`params`,`enabled` FROM `facv2_extensions` WHERE `type` = 'component' AND `state` = 0 AND `enabled` = 1330μs1.61KB/libraries/src/Component/ComponentHelper.php:399Copy
  • SELECT `id`,`rules` FROM `facv2_viewlevels`105μs656B/libraries/src/Access/Access.php:955Copy
  • SELECT `b`.`id` FROM `facv2_usergroups` AS `a` LEFT JOIN `facv2_usergroups` AS `b` ON `b`.`lft` <= `a`.`lft` AND `b`.`rgt` >= `a`.`rgt` WHERE `a`.`id` = :guest179μs1.33KBParams/libraries/src/Access/Access.php:868Copy
  • SELECT `folder` AS `type`,`element` AS `name`,`params` AS `params`,`extension_id` AS `id` FROM `facv2_extensions` WHERE `enabled` = 1 AND `type` = 'plugin' AND `state` IN (0,1) AND `access` IN (:preparedArray1,:preparedArray2) ORDER BY `ordering`547μs3.48KBParams/libraries/src/Plugin/PluginHelper.php:294Copy
  • SELECT `m`.`id`,`m`.`menutype`,`m`.`title`,`m`.`alias`,`m`.`note`,`m`.`link`,`m`.`type`,`m`.`level`,`m`.`language`,`m`.`browserNav`,`m`.`access`,`m`.`params`,`m`.`home`,`m`.`img`,`m`.`template_style_id`,`m`.`component_id`,`m`.`parent_id`,`m`.`path` AS `route`,`e`.`element` AS `component` FROM `facv2_menu` AS `m` LEFT JOIN `facv2_extensions` AS `e` ON `m`.`component_id` = `e`.`extension_id` WHERE ( (`m`.`published` = 1 AND `m`.`parent_id` > 0 AND `m`.`client_id` = 0) AND (`m`.`publish_up` IS NULL OR `m`.`publish_up` <= :currentDate1)) AND (`m`.`publish_down` IS NULL OR `m`.`publish_down` >= :currentDate2) ORDER BY `m`.`lft`789μs133.17KBParams/libraries/src/Menu/SiteMenu.php:166Copy
  • SELECT `c`.`id`,`c`.`asset_id`,`c`.`access`,`c`.`alias`,`c`.`checked_out`,`c`.`checked_out_time`,`c`.`created_time`,`c`.`created_user_id`,`c`.`description`,`c`.`extension`,`c`.`hits`,`c`.`language`,`c`.`level`,`c`.`lft`,`c`.`metadata`,`c`.`metadesc`,`c`.`metakey`,`c`.`modified_time`,`c`.`note`,`c`.`params`,`c`.`parent_id`,`c`.`path`,`c`.`published`,`c`.`rgt`,`c`.`title`,`c`.`modified_user_id`,`c`.`version`, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(`c`.`alias`) != 0 THEN CONCAT_WS(':', `c`.`id`, `c`.`alias`) ELSE `c`.`id` END as `slug` FROM `facv2_categories` AS `s` INNER JOIN `facv2_categories` AS `c` ON (`s`.`lft` <= `c`.`lft` AND `c`.`lft` < `s`.`rgt`) OR (`c`.`lft` < `s`.`lft` AND `s`.`rgt` < `c`.`rgt`) WHERE (`c`.`extension` = :extension OR `c`.`extension` = 'system') AND `c`.`published` = 1 AND `s`.`id` = :id ORDER BY `c`.`lft`370μs3.88KBParams/libraries/src/Categories/Categories.php:375Copy
  • SELECT `id` FROM `facv2_content` WHERE `alias` = :alias AND `catid` = :catid151μs1.34KBParams/components/com_content/src/Service/Router.php:263Copy
  • SELECT `id`,`home`,`template`,`s`.`params`,`inheritable`,`parent` FROM `facv2_template_styles` AS `s` LEFT JOIN `facv2_extensions` AS `e` ON `e`.`element` = `s`.`template` AND `e`.`type` = 'template' AND `e`.`client_id` = `s`.`client_id` WHERE `s`.`client_id` = 0 AND `e`.`enabled` = 1210μs880B/administrator/components/com_templates/src/Model/StyleModel.php:773Copy
  • SELECT s.id, s.template, s.home, s.title AS long_title, s.params FROM facv2_template_styles AS s WHERE s.client_id = 0 AND s.template = 'rt_ambrosia' ORDER BY s.id164μs800B/libraries/gantry5/src/classes/Gantry/Joomla/StyleHelper.php:69Copy
  • SELECT * FROM `facv2_languages` WHERE `published` = 1 ORDER BY `ordering` ASC136μs1.59KB/libraries/src/Language/LanguageHelper.php:142Copy
  • SELECT `id`,`name`,`rules`,`parent_id` FROM `facv2_assets` WHERE `name` IN (:preparedArray1,:preparedArray2,:preparedArray3,:preparedArray4,:preparedArray5,:preparedArray6,:preparedArray7,:preparedArray8,:preparedArray9,:preparedArray10,:preparedArray11,:preparedArray12,:preparedArray13,:preparedArray14,:preparedArray15,:preparedArray16,:preparedArray17,:preparedArray18,:preparedArray19,:preparedArray20,:preparedArray21,:preparedArray22,:preparedArray23,:preparedArray24,:preparedArray25,:preparedArray26,:preparedArray27,:preparedArray28,:preparedArray29,:preparedArray30,:preparedArray31,:preparedArray32,:preparedArray33,:preparedArray34,:preparedArray35,:preparedArray36,:preparedArray37,:preparedArray38,:preparedArray39)513μs7.44KBParams/libraries/src/Access/Access.php:357Copy
  • SELECT `id`,`name`,`rules`,`parent_id` FROM `facv2_assets` WHERE `name` LIKE :asset OR `name` = :extension OR `parent_id` = 02.47ms181.48KBParams/libraries/src/Access/Access.php:301Copy
  • SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM `facv2_content`543μs3.02KB/libraries/vendor/joomla/database/src/Mysqli/MysqliDriver.php:625Copy
  • UPDATE `facv2_content` SET `hits` = (`hits` + 1) WHERE `id` = '570'1.32ms48B/libraries/src/Table/Table.php:1325Copy
  • SELECT `a`.`id`,`a`.`asset_id`,`a`.`title`,`a`.`alias`,`a`.`introtext`,`a`.`fulltext`,`a`.`state`,`a`.`catid`,`a`.`created`,`a`.`created_by`,`a`.`created_by_alias`,`a`.`modified`,`a`.`modified_by`,`a`.`checked_out`,`a`.`checked_out_time`,`a`.`publish_up`,`a`.`publish_down`,`a`.`images`,`a`.`urls`,`a`.`attribs`,`a`.`version`,`a`.`ordering`,`a`.`metakey`,`a`.`metadesc`,`a`.`access`,`a`.`hits`,`a`.`metadata`,`a`.`featured`,`a`.`language`,`fp`.`featured_up`,`fp`.`featured_down`,`c`.`title` AS `category_title`,`c`.`alias` AS `category_alias`,`c`.`access` AS `category_access`,`c`.`language` AS `category_language`,`fp`.`ordering`,`u`.`name` AS `author`,`parent`.`title` AS `parent_title`,`parent`.`id` AS `parent_id`,`parent`.`path` AS `parent_route`,`parent`.`alias` AS `parent_alias`,`parent`.`language` AS `parent_language`,ROUND(`v`.`rating_sum` / `v`.`rating_count`, 1) AS `rating`,`v`.`rating_count` AS `rating_count` FROM `facv2_content` AS `a` INNER JOIN `facv2_categories` AS `c` ON `c`.`id` = `a`.`catid` LEFT JOIN `facv2_content_frontpage` AS `fp` ON `fp`.`content_id` = `a`.`id` LEFT JOIN `facv2_users` AS `u` ON `u`.`id` = `a`.`created_by` LEFT JOIN `facv2_categories` AS `parent` ON `parent`.`id` = `c`.`parent_id` LEFT JOIN `facv2_content_rating` AS `v` ON `a`.`id` = `v`.`content_id` WHERE ( (`a`.`id` = :pk AND `c`.`published` > 0) AND (`a`.`publish_up` IS NULL OR `a`.`publish_up` <= :publishUp)) AND (`a`.`publish_down` IS NULL OR `a`.`publish_down` >= :publishDown) AND `a`.`state` IN (:preparedArray1,:preparedArray2)342μs6.12KBParams/components/com_content/src/Model/ArticleModel.php:215Copy
  • SELECT `c`.`id`,`c`.`asset_id`,`c`.`access`,`c`.`alias`,`c`.`checked_out`,`c`.`checked_out_time`,`c`.`created_time`,`c`.`created_user_id`,`c`.`description`,`c`.`extension`,`c`.`hits`,`c`.`language`,`c`.`level`,`c`.`lft`,`c`.`metadata`,`c`.`metadesc`,`c`.`metakey`,`c`.`modified_time`,`c`.`note`,`c`.`params`,`c`.`parent_id`,`c`.`path`,`c`.`published`,`c`.`rgt`,`c`.`title`,`c`.`modified_user_id`,`c`.`version`, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(`c`.`alias`) != 0 THEN CONCAT_WS(':', `c`.`id`, `c`.`alias`) ELSE `c`.`id` END as `slug` FROM `facv2_categories` AS `s` INNER JOIN `facv2_categories` AS `c` ON (`s`.`lft` <= `c`.`lft` AND `c`.`lft` < `s`.`rgt`) OR (`c`.`lft` < `s`.`lft` AND `s`.`rgt` < `c`.`rgt`) WHERE (`c`.`extension` = :extension OR `c`.`extension` = 'system') AND `c`.`access` IN (:preparedArray1,:preparedArray2) AND `c`.`published` = 1 AND `s`.`id` = :id ORDER BY `c`.`lft`386μs3.92KBParams/libraries/src/Categories/Categories.php:375Copy
  • SELECT `m`.`tag_id`,`t`.* FROM `facv2_contentitem_tag_map` AS `m` INNER JOIN `facv2_tags` AS `t` ON `m`.`tag_id` = `t`.`id` WHERE `m`.`type_alias` = :contentType AND `m`.`content_item_id` = :id AND `t`.`published` = 1 AND `t`.`access` IN (:preparedArray1,:preparedArray2)223μs3.97KBParams/libraries/src/Helper/TagsHelper.php:388Copy
  • SELECT `c`.`id`,`c`.`asset_id`,`c`.`access`,`c`.`alias`,`c`.`checked_out`,`c`.`checked_out_time`,`c`.`created_time`,`c`.`created_user_id`,`c`.`description`,`c`.`extension`,`c`.`hits`,`c`.`language`,`c`.`level`,`c`.`lft`,`c`.`metadata`,`c`.`metadesc`,`c`.`metakey`,`c`.`modified_time`,`c`.`note`,`c`.`params`,`c`.`parent_id`,`c`.`path`,`c`.`published`,`c`.`rgt`,`c`.`title`,`c`.`modified_user_id`,`c`.`version`, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(`c`.`alias`) != 0 THEN CONCAT_WS(':', `c`.`id`, `c`.`alias`) ELSE `c`.`id` END as `slug` FROM `facv2_categories` AS `s` INNER JOIN `facv2_categories` AS `c` ON (`s`.`lft` <= `c`.`lft` AND `c`.`lft` < `s`.`rgt`) OR (`c`.`lft` < `s`.`lft` AND `s`.`rgt` < `c`.`rgt`) WHERE (`c`.`extension` = :extension OR `c`.`extension` = 'system') AND `c`.`access` IN (:preparedArray1,:preparedArray2) AND `c`.`published` = 1 AND `s`.`id` = :id ORDER BY `c`.`lft`394μs3.92KBParams/libraries/src/Categories/Categories.php:375Copy
  • SELECT DISTINCT a.id, a.title, a.name, a.checked_out, a.checked_out_time, a.note, a.state, a.access, a.created_time, a.created_user_id, a.ordering, a.language, a.fieldparams, a.params, a.type, a.default_value, a.context, a.group_id, a.label, a.description, a.required, a.only_use_in_subform,l.title AS language_title, l.image AS language_image,uc.name AS editor,ag.title AS access_level,ua.name AS author_name,g.title AS group_title, g.access as group_access, g.state AS group_state, g.note as group_note FROM facv2_fields AS a LEFT JOIN `facv2_languages` AS l ON l.lang_code = a.language LEFT JOIN facv2_users AS uc ON uc.id=a.checked_out LEFT JOIN facv2_viewlevels AS ag ON ag.id = a.access LEFT JOIN facv2_users AS ua ON ua.id = a.created_user_id LEFT JOIN facv2_fields_groups AS g ON g.id = a.group_id LEFT JOIN `facv2_fields_categories` AS fc ON fc.field_id = a.id WHERE ( (`a`.`context` = :context AND (`fc`.`category_id` IS NULL OR `fc`.`category_id` IN (:preparedArray1,:preparedArray2,:preparedArray3)) AND `a`.`access` IN (:preparedArray4,:preparedArray5)) AND (`a`.`group_id` = 0 OR `g`.`access` IN (:preparedArray6,:preparedArray7)) AND `a`.`state` = :state) AND (`a`.`group_id` = 0 OR `g`.`state` = :gstate) AND `a`.`only_use_in_subform` = :only_use_in_subform ORDER BY a.ordering ASC796μs4.81KBParams/libraries/src/MVC/Model/BaseDatabaseModel.php:166Copy
  • SELECT `c`.`id`,`c`.`asset_id`,`c`.`access`,`c`.`alias`,`c`.`checked_out`,`c`.`checked_out_time`,`c`.`created_time`,`c`.`created_user_id`,`c`.`description`,`c`.`extension`,`c`.`hits`,`c`.`language`,`c`.`level`,`c`.`lft`,`c`.`metadata`,`c`.`metadesc`,`c`.`metakey`,`c`.`modified_time`,`c`.`note`,`c`.`params`,`c`.`parent_id`,`c`.`path`,`c`.`published`,`c`.`rgt`,`c`.`title`,`c`.`modified_user_id`,`c`.`version`, CASE WHEN CHAR_LENGTH(`c`.`alias`) != 0 THEN CONCAT_WS(':', `c`.`id`, `c`.`alias`) ELSE `c`.`id` END as `slug` FROM `facv2_categories` AS `s` INNER JOIN `facv2_categories` AS `c` ON (`s`.`lft` <= `c`.`lft` AND `c`.`lft` < `s`.`rgt`) OR (`c`.`lft` < `s`.`lft` AND `s`.`rgt` < `c`.`rgt`) WHERE (`c`.`extension` = :extension OR `c`.`extension` = 'system') AND `c`.`access` IN (:preparedArray1,:preparedArray2) AND `c`.`published` = 1 AND `s`.`id` = :id ORDER BY `c`.`lft`377μs3.92KBParams/libraries/src/Categories/Categories.php:375Copy
  • SELECT `a`.`menutype`,`a`.`title` FROM `facv2_menu_types` AS `a` WHERE `a`.`client_id` = 0103μs608B/libraries/gantry5/src/classes/Gantry/Framework/Menu.php:138Copy
  • SELECT m.id, m.alias, m.path AS route, m.level, m.parent_id FROM facv2_menu AS m WHERE m.menutype = 'mainmenu' AND m.parent_id > 0 AND m.client_id = 0 AND m.published >= 0 ORDER BY m.lft1.05ms1.98KB/libraries/gantry5/src/classes/Gantry/Framework/Menu.php:791Copy
  • SELECT `m`.`id`,`m`.`title`,`m`.`module`,`m`.`position`,`m`.`content`,`m`.`showtitle`,`m`.`params`,`mm`.`menuid` FROM `facv2_modules` AS `m` LEFT JOIN `facv2_modules_menu` AS `mm` ON `mm`.`moduleid` = `m`.`id` LEFT JOIN `facv2_extensions` AS `e` ON `e`.`element` = `m`.`module` AND `e`.`client_id` = `m`.`client_id` WHERE ( ( (`m`.`published` = 1 AND `e`.`enabled` = 1 AND `m`.`client_id` = :clientId AND `m`.`access` IN (:preparedArray1,:preparedArray2)) AND (`m`.`publish_up` IS NULL OR `m`.`publish_up` <= :publishUp)) AND (`m`.`publish_down` IS NULL OR `m`.`publish_down` >= :publishDown)) AND (`mm`.`menuid` = :itemId OR `mm`.`menuid` <= 0) ORDER BY `m`.`position`,`m`.`ordering`694μs1.83KBParams/libraries/src/Cache/Controller/CallbackController.php:51Copy
  • SELECT `name`,`element` FROM `facv2_extensions` WHERE `type` = 'plugin' AND `folder` = 'finder' AND `enabled` = 1387μs656B/administrator/components/com_finder/src/Helper/LanguageHelper.php:135Copy
  • SELECT `title` FROM `facv2_finder_taxonomy` WHERE `parent_id` = 1 AND `state` = 1 AND `access` IN (1,5)194μs584B/administrator/components/com_finder/src/Indexer/Taxonomy.php:314Copy
  • SELECT SUM(CASE WHEN `a`.`next_execution` <= :now THEN 1 ELSE 0 END) AS due_count,SUM(CASE WHEN `a`.`locked` IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE 1 END) AS locked_count FROM `facv2_scheduler_tasks` AS `a` WHERE `a`.`state` = 1272μs1.37KBParams/administrator/components/com_scheduler/src/Model/TasksModel.php:466Copy
  • SELECT `session_id` FROM `facv2_session` WHERE `session_id` = ?158μs1KBParams/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Handler/DatabaseHandler.php:291Copy
  • UPDATE `facv2_session` SET `data` = ? , `time` = ? WHERE `session_id` = ?7.59ms592BParams/libraries/vendor/joomla/session/src/Handler/DatabaseHandler.php:318Copy