Moon Books and Me

Here it is ... the last in the Traditional Witchcraft series - Traditional Witchcraft and the Path to the Mysteries - published by Moon Books. The series has had some interesting reactions and overall I'm pleased with the responses, especially as it made me a 'best selling author' with four consecutive titles on the Amazon e-books Wicca and Witchcraft listing for a day at least!  For further details of the complete series see www.moon-books.net

For anyone who's interested in learning more about Moon Books, here's an extract from an interview with Trevor Greenfield that was included it in The Pagan Writers' Guide (see www.compass-books.net).

INTERVIEW: OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITERS
Suzanne Ruthven talks to Trevor Greenfield about the rapidly growing popularity of Moon Books and the strong support the publishing imprint has with the on-line pagan community.

SR: You have an impressive collection of titles, most of them relating to paganism, witchcraft, Wicca, Druidry, Norse and shamanism ... is it difficult to discover new voices in these areas?

TG:  No, to be honest it hasn't proved that difficult.  We have developed a strong on-line presence and I think this has helped new writers to find us.  That, and the fact that we assess and make decisions on proposals in days rather than the more traditional publishers that still take months to decide, encourages submissions.

SR: It's often said that if you were to ask 100 witches to defines their beliefs, you would have a 100 different answers.  Do you have any particular bias for one particular system or another?

TG:  No, we have not preference.  We have published a number of titles on Traditional witchcraft but that's simply because they are what has come in.  We have recently started a new series called Pagan Portals which is designed for Pagans to write about their particular skills, interests or knowledge so that should hopefully encourage diversity in the submissions we receive.

SR: Have you any advice for potential Moon Books authors - and in particular, what sort of material would be instantly rejected?

TG: My advice would be to submit!  We have a friendly, informal and very fast submission process.  You'll know within a week or so what our decision is and either way our feedback will include reader reports that will hopefully be of use to thew author regardless of our decision.  I don't usually instantly reject anything but if I do it's when the submission takes the form of an overly romanticised potted author bio with limited detail on the actual book.  Keep the info tight and relevant.  It might, for example, be of familiar interest that the author has been a witch for forty years and can recall magical holidays spent at her grandmother's cottage where she passed on her knowledge of herbal medicine, but sadly it doesn't follow that you are empowered to write a good book.

If you are writing a book on any of the different pagan disciplines and think it may be of interest to Moon Books, submit your inquiry via the website in the first instance: www.moon-books.net

Finally managed to get back onto 'blogspot' after months of messing about.  Apparently the fault is due to using Internet Explorer rather than Chrome.  Updates for Melusine Draco to follow within a few days.

Publishing Update

How time flies when you’re enjoying yourself!  The last post was at Samhain and I don’t know where the months have gone, although it does mean that I’ve finished the first draft of Traditional Witchcraft and the Path to the Mysteries – a complex book as its title suggests.  I was also invited by Michael Howard (of The Cauldron fame) to contribute to the American Three Hands Press ‘Witchcraft Anthology’ due for publication in June (2014).

 

Advance Word Concerning Hands of Apostasy

A Witchcraft Anthology from Three Hands Press

Due out Midsummer, 2014

 

In 2008 I approached Michael Howard, editor of the British witchcraft and folklore journal The Cauldron, about co-editing and producing a witchcraft anthology for Three Hands Press. Given the quiet but potent renaissance that traditional and hereditary witchcraft underwent in the 1990s, we both felt that such a publication was long overdue.  At the time, much written about traditional witchcraft was of poor quality, either crudely derivative of a few often-repeated sources, factually inaccurate, or simply plagiaristic.  Though this situation persists, readership on this subject has grown increasingly sophisticated and discerning, and a few new voices have emerged from the collective hedge to articulate important and original perspectives on the Craft.

 

Aside from considerations of quality content, high-caliber writing and creative synthesis, we agreed that a crucial aspect of the work should be the unique voice of the actual practitioners, speaking directly to experience of the magical Art itself. Though still obscure to most, the variety and idiosyncrasy of old witchcraft lines is remarkable. The witches of Cornwall, with their corpora of folk charms and blessings, are one such phenotype. The Pickingill Craft as described by E.W. Liddell, remains despite its controversy one of the most unique and potent streams of Old Craft, as does Robert Cochrane’s Clan of Tubal Cain. The Manx Old Order covines, with their intense connection to angelic magic and the dark faery lore of Ellan Vannin (the Isle of Man), are another such clan, as is the Skull and Bones tradition of Pennsylvania with its ominous and rustic spirit-patrons. The Old Craft lineages of the Cultus Sabbati, with the medieval Witches' Sabbath as an important organizing principle, are yet another distinctive tradition.

 

Though these forms of the Old Craft are known through their exterior writings, there are other such groups who are content to remain out of the public eye, practicing their Art and training their own generation of adepts. All of these traditions share a common feature of extreme selectivity when it comes to prospective members, and the willingness to reject those proven unfit for the work. This unpopular and confrontational stance has often led to thorny relations between groups, but it has also engendered a sanctuary-like environment where creative magical collaboration can unfold according to the design of each tradition.

 

Of equal import to our endeavor was the emerging work of academics who have deemed traditional witchcraft worthy of study as a form of Western esotericism. In a sense this has become possible due to a new generation of researchers who have considered occult practice and exegesis from fresh and daring perspectives. I have long been an advocate of good relations between witchcraft practitioners and academia; Old Craft traditions need not fear, nor avoid, the work of good and principled scholars. But another important aspect of this shift in the winds is that, at a crucial moment in time, the Craft itself became self-aware, and in doing so fostered stronger creative and intellectual traditions within its own circles.

 

Thus was forged Hands of Apostasy: Essays on Witchcraft and Folk Magic, a forthcoming anthology featuring 18 writers on witchcraft topics as varied as the Devil, plant magic, necromancy, the Romantic movement, and the powers of moon and tide. Representing widely varying witchcraft traditions and perspectives, the book is a sound testament to the Craft’s diversity and strength. With Apostasy I have had the privilege to serve as a co-editor with Michael Howard, whose work over the years with The Cauldron has been an immensely valuable resource to the at-large community of practitioners.

 

We are also honored to have worked with the many individual authors whose vision and commitment let the project cohere with a singular radiance. In the realm of the imagic, we have also been fortunate to feature the art of Timo Ketola, whose original images grace the work and make a new and evocative contribution to the field of witchcraft imagery. The same can be said of typographer Joseph Uccello, my good collaborator in book design. And, lest we forget them, the spirits and ancestors gathered anew to witness this particularly auspicious concentration of minds, hearts, and spirits.

 

In all, I am confident that Hands of Apostasy will stand as a significant achievement for perpetuity, both for those who are new to the study of traditional witchcraft, and experienced Crafters alike. As a brazen vessel topped up with potent simples and brewed to consummation, so is the virtue of our book.

 

Daniel A. Schulke

Director, Three Hands Press

Publishing Update

The Coarse Witchcraft is now back in print with the addition of the third part: Cold Comfort Coven.  Published by Moon Books as The Coarse Witchcraft Trilogy it can be obtained in paperback and e-book format from www.moon-books.net price £10.99.  It's been a long time coming but the ridiculous prices for second hand copies urged us to get the series back out there for everyone to enjoy.

Coven of the Scales

The Collected Writings of A R Clay-Egerton
Compiled by Melusine Draco

Since this book is also selling second hand for silly money, we have decided to re-publish it on Kindle for approximately £3.00 so that it is accessible to everyone.  The Kindle version should be available immediately on the Kindle 'loan' system, which means it will cost you nothing for the next 90 days.

Publishing update ...

The Atum-Re Revival is now available and I'm absolutely delighted with the result - it really does show that the Egyptian Mystery Tradition is pertinent to life in the 21st century and that it is possible to follow the Old Ways without ridicule.  Traditional Witchcraft and the Pagan Revival is schedule for publication on the 30th August and this is another book that's been a long time in the writing.  Moon Books will also be publishing The Coarse Witchcraft Trilogy later this year- and since a second hand copy of Part One is now selling for £307, why not wait a while and get all three at a sensible price!

Publication date ...

Have just heard that The Pagan Writer's Guide will be published on 26th July ... this has been published under dual names so that every aspect of my writing experience to date backs up the instruction given in the text.