#mint reading recommendations

[mint-in-the-moonlight]

Polytheist Reading Recommendation: The Path of Paganism by John Beckett

The Path of Paganism by John Beckett is different from the books I usually recommend on this blog. It's not a book on ancient practices, history or theology. It is a book on modern pagan living that engages with paganism directly as a living and evolving path.

As a disclaimer, I would like to say that there are many things with which I disagree with the author (when it comes to how we see the Gods and similar topics). However, despite those differences, I have still found this book to be very useful, and I believe it can be valuable to others as well.

The book touches on a number of topics such as the Gods, daily practice, magic and rituals, but instead of explaining what those are, like many introductory books do, it invites you to think about them in depth and go beyond just facts and basic knowledge. In general, I would characterise this book as aiming to deepen one's engagement with their practice and spirituality, to go beyond just information and into the realm of meaning and personal understanding.

Not every part of the book is going to be useful to everyone - I mostly skimmed the magic sections because I don't engage with magic, but I believe there will be something for every polytheist and pagan to discover and ponder. The book also has an entire section on intermediate practice, discussing how to move away from the 'beginner stage' many get stuck in and into something better understood and more fluent.

I would especially recommend this book for those in the intermediate stage, or trying to get there, as I feel it is much more valuable for that step (rather than for someone who is a complete beginner or an experienced practitioner). Though I think everyone will be able to find something interesting, I truly recommend it as a way to delve into individual aspects of our practices and spiritualities and ask ourselves some very important questions.

[mint-in-the-moonlight]

Roman Polytheist Reading Recommendation: Romans and Their Gods by R.M. Ogilvie

Romans and Their Gods by R.M. Ogilvie is concerned with the attitudes of Roman Religion and its followers towards the divine. Though it is short, it still manages to delve into a variety of aspects of the religion, such as the Gods, prayer, divination and private religion. I enjoyed the time I spent reading this book, as it was very informative and written in a nice style that balances information with readability. In general, I really recommend it to any beginner Roman Poytheist, or anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the religion, as it presents well the attitudes the ancients had towards their religion, and helps to dispel some myths and misunderstandings that we have today.

[mint-in-the-moonlight]

Roman Polytheism Reading Recommendation: On the Nature of the Gods by Cicero

Cicero's The Nature of the Gods, sometimes also known as On the Nature of the Gods or De Natura Deorum, is a book on ancient theology in the form of a dialogue. The author uses the form to explore multiple schools of theology present in ancient times, namely Epicureanism and Stoicism, which are then refuted in accordance with the author's own Academic (Academic Sceptic) approach.

Though it is not always the easiest to read due to the dense text and winding one-sided arguments the speakers go into, I find this book to be a valuable resource for any Roman or even Hellenic Polytheist. It presents ancient attitudes on the Gods and also the world in a way that really makes one understand the ancient people better. I think for this reason it's really important to read ancient sources alongside more recent books that do synthesise information really well, but don't let the ancients speak for themselves.

In terms of theology, it is also quite good, though maybe not as relevant to modern times, due to the vastly different world we live in. But it is still a valuable resource for any modern polytheist interested in theology, and I recommend reading it!

[mint-in-the-moonlight]

Polytheist Reading Recommendation: Ascendant: Modern Essays on Polytheism and Theology

Ascendant: Modern Essays on Polytheism and Theology is a collection of essays edited by Michael Hardy. There are contributions from writers such as Edward P. Butler, John Michael Greer or Wayne Keysor that speak on a variety of topics, centred around theology and modern polytheism.

Due to the variety of essays, there is a variety of experience with the book, however, in general, I have found it to be quite valuable to my own exploration of theology. The focus on modern pagans allows it to be very relevant to anyone reading it today, whether your interest in theology is only surface-level or not. I particularly enjoyed the essay Of Lying Gods and True Religion by Wayne Keysor, however, many more also piqued my interest and made me think about different aspects of modern theology.

In general, I do recommend this book as I have found it to be one of the most relevant for a modern pagan, especially a Roman or Hellenic one, and I think it can be very valuable in strengthening one's understanding of our religions and practices.

[mint-in-the-moonlight]

Roman Polytheism Reading Recommendation: An Introduction to Roman Religion

An Introduction to Roman Religion by John Scheid (translated from French by Janet Lloyd) is a decently short little book introducing (as the title suggests) some basics about the historical practice of Roman polytheism. It goes over important topics such as the fundamental differences between it and other religions, religious rituals and spaces and the figures involved.

I believe this book can be a really good entry point for those interested in Roman polytheism. It is quite short and relatively easy to read, though some parts can be a little dry if you're not as interested in them. It also lacks a deeper discussion of the Gods themselves and instead strongly focuses on the religious structures of Ancient Rome (so if you're looking for that particular information, this is not the book for you). I would suggest that this book not be your only source, but one of many that can help strengthen your general understanding of the historical context. The Further reading section of the book can be a good start for finding more reading materials.

A digital version of the book is available to read on the Internet Archive (login may be needed first). ᵈᵐ ᵐᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ᵖᵈᶠ

[mint-in-the-moonlight]

Rompol/Helpol Reading Recommendation: The Greek and Roman Myths

The Greek and Roman Myths: A Guide to the Classical Stories by Philip Matyzsak is a short book summarising some of the most prominent Greek and Roman myths. Aside from describing their plots, the book also adds other interesting tidbits and highlights the impacts those myths have had on our current society.

The book is a good, entertaining read, it flows well and has interesting info to share. It is not too long, and doesn't spend too much time on one topic, allowing it to cover a large number of topics.

In terms of using this book for research into RomPol or HelPol, I think it can serve as a good refresher for the myths and a kind of "fun fact" read for someone already familiar with them. But due to the shallow nature of the summaries, I wouldn't recommend this as a resource for learning about the myths in-depth. There is interesting information, but it's not usually an analysis of the myths, cultural context or anything similar that would aid in looking at them from a religious perspective.

[mint-in-the-moonlight]

Roman Polytheism Reading Recommendation: Roman Religion

Roman Religion by Valerie M. Warrior is a short book which aims to serve as an introduction into the study of ancient Roman religion. Split into smaller sections, it goes over many of the important aspects of the religion, such as worship, sacrifice and the festivals as well as more metaphorical things such as its role in the family, the state or at war.

Compared to An Introduction to Roman Religion (which I have written about previously), I find this book easier to read, likely since it is aimed at newcomers to the field, and it touches on a greater variety of topics while going into less detail about those. As with the other book, I think this is a very good introduction if you're just getting to know the religion, but it shouldn't be the only thing you read about it if you're doing research.

I also find that this book takes less time to dispel some misconceptions about Roman religion and challenge traditional framings and understandings, which I found something very valuable in An Introduction to Roman Religion. So, if possible, I would recommend reading both books as a more balanced way to approach the topic.