Seasons of the Witch: Poetry and Songs to the Goddess [With CD]

by Patricia Monaghan

Listen to the Voices of Goddesses With poetry and prose, litany and song, Seasons of the Witch measures the turning of a year, the cycles of the natural world, and the seasons of a woman's life.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0738701807
• ISBN13: 9780738701806
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Beautiful and moving

This is an absolute treasure of a book. The title is a little misleading though. This book is not just for witches but for goddess loving folk everywhere. It's poetry, not an instructional manual for witchcraft or even "how to find the goddess." Although it's not a manual, it certainly helps the reader to connect with the goddess on an emotional, instinctual level. Almost every poem pulls me right at my very core. I feel a deep inner understanding of what the author is saying, and through her written experience of the goddess, I touch Her too. Wonderful, transcendent poetry.The CD is very good too. It's well-produced, and the music meshes well with the poems. I haven't done so yet, but I think it would be excellent music to use in ritual.

Beautiful, rich poetry and songs

I bought this book/CD two months ago, and I still haven't tired of listening to the CD and reading the poetry on a regular basis. Monaghan is a very talented poet; She conveys images and emotions so well through her words! It's really wonderful... some of the best poetry I've ever read. The songs on the CD are also beautiful. They are Patricia's poems set to music that was written and performed by each artist, so the instrumental and vocal styles are often quite varied (in a good way). One of the vocalists is Patricia's sister, Peggy Monaghan, and some of the others include Lili McGovern, Claudia Blythe, Sally Coombs, and Kirsten Baird Gustafson. All of these singers and musicians are very talented, but I am lukewarm on a couple of the songs because I personally don't like the singer's vocal style and she sounds a tad flat to my ears throughout the song. Despite that, the CD is currently one of my favorites to listen to on a regular basis. Just a few of my personal favorite songs/poems include Peggy's version of "Maenad in Spring," and "Maeve Prepares for Beltane," "The Maenad Remembers Dionysus," and "Procedure for Reclaiming the Self," but all of the poems and songs are really special. I highly recommend this book/CD set to anyone who enjoys Goddess-based poetry and music.

Inspirational rather than instructional

When we raise our voices to praise the Goddess, we find our voice sometimes in poetry, or sometimes in prose and most often in song. This book is a collection of some of Patricia Monaghan's work. The book is divided into seasons, and each season is created in our minds in beautiful poetry and visualized prose. We are lead around the seasons, shown the associations of the elements, the Wheel of Life, and the different forms of the Goddess.Ms. Monaghan is a talented and very well known poet. Her works have appeared in many magazines. This book also contains a CD which has placed 25 of her poems into song. The poetry becomes devotional songs, and we find ourselves delicately woven into the visualizations by the enchanting voices of Peggy Monaghan, Sally Coombs, Susan La Croiz, Claudia Blythe, Kirsten Baird Gustafson and Lili McGovern. James Robbins also appears on one of the tracks.As you read, and listen, you are drawn in by the delicate imagery Ms. Monaghan uses. Ever present is her love for the Goddess, her understanding of the elements and we feel her love and warmth in each piece.This is a nice break from the handbooks and instructional manuals that dominate the market. Personal expression rather than personal opinion is always a nice change. The CD is professionally produced, the book is nicely bound, and the quality of the material makes this an outstanding package and a nice presentation.This is a book that can be appreciated by anyone with a soul for poetry or devotional prose. It would make a wonderful gift and a lovely addition to your library.Sometimes we need to step back from the "how to" books and remember "why".

Poetry that makes you feel alive

This isn't the dry, highbrow stuff forced down your throat in high school. This is juicy, magical, alive and exciting. There is romance, myth, anger, fear and wonder.I've performed these poems to great effect, and had many people ask where they could get the book. I've heard it's coming back in print and that's tremendously exciting.Patricia Monaghan has written numerous books on Goddesses and myth, including the brilliant "O, Mother Sun," and has another poetry collection, "Winterburning."