Review of River Magic by M. A. Phillips, book one of The Rituals of Rock Bay

 

Review of River Magic by M. A. Phillips, book one of The Rituals of Rock Bay (2020) Shadow Spark Publishing

 

First, what I like:

 

I want to say right from the start that I really like this book. It has a kind of ebullience and innocence about it that is really charming. The protagonist, though imperfect, as we all must be, has an integrity that guides her actions, and a passion for life that goes beyond herself and her friends, to the beings, sometimes familiar, sometimes frightening, that dwell in the world around her. It also deals with something I haven’t seen represented much in fiction: The coming of age of a modern Neo-Pagan woman.

 

Lacey Moran has explored Paganism with her friend Lidia since their school days, but she hasn’t really found her spiritual home. When Lidia opens a metaphysical store in their village of Rock Bay (situated along the beautiful Saint Lawrence River – a visit there is now on my bucket list), a group of modern Druids book the space for their Imbolc ritual. This ritual introduces Lacey to the goddess Brigit, and a connection is made immediately. (Hurrah! This is why I decided to read and review this book.)

 

Lacey has also had cryptic dreams of a mermaid in the river. Coming from a family with a talent for premonition, Lacey knows that many of her dreams foreshadow events to come. Do these?

 

Now, I have completely left out the other main theme of this book: the love that Lacey has for her longtime friend, Cian, and her conflicting feelings about becoming romantically involved with him. Cian is a feature of these dreams, making them more concerning to her. What do they mean?

 

Guest Post on A Bad Witch's Blog: How Brigit Became a Bishop, by Mael Brigde

 My look at the different stories of Brigit's taking the veil (or her ordination as a bishop) from her primary Lives is up today on Lucya Starza's A Bad Witch's Blog.

Thank you, Lucya, for giving me space on your blog again!

You can find the post here.

Image: Saint Brigit statuette, photo by Mael Brigde.

Saint Brigit Statue

 

I was not looking for this, but I've stumbled across a site that sells this Saint Brigit statue in the U.K. (I'm sure they will send them overseas, too.) They are sometimes a little hard to find, so I am passing this on to you.

I have one of these and she has graced my altar for several years now. I have great affection for her. They are hand-painted (in Italy), so not everyone is the same. I chose one with a slightly wonky eye (because), but some of them are "perfect," as in this photo. They are 20 cm in height.

The store is called Holy Art, and you can find this figurine here.

Poetry Reading: Mael Brigde (Through Writers in Our Midst)

I had the opportunity today to read and talk a little about Brigit today, thanks to Erik D'Souza of Writers in Our Midst.

Erik hosted a special event in celebration of my book, A Brigit of Ireland Devotional - Sun Among Stars, which he helped shape as one of my fellow writers in the Port Moody Writing Group in days of yore. It was his idea to do a reading especially for our literary friends and my personal friends and family, many of whom are either unaware, or only vaguely aware, of the large part of my life that is dedicated to Brigit. It was a little unnerving at first, to consider it, as in a small minority of cases I have specifically not mentioned it because I worried about the reaction I would face. But it seemed like the best time and way to let even those folk know about this very important place in me.

I felt very relaxed reading and talking to people I know well, and on the other hand, enjoyed this big, quiet coming out as a Pagan. It was a lovely, brief event. And surprise, surprise, narry a negative reaction.

There is, unfortunately, glitching in the sound, but it is still listenable to.

You can watch the video here.

Megan Black: Growing as a Spiritual Person

 

I just listened to Megan Black's 103rd episode of her podcast, Round the Cauldron: Growing as a Spiritual Person. She talks about what the terms mean, then gives a very thoughtful, sometimes personal, inspiring talk on what this has meant in her life and how it touches the larger community.

I began to follow Megan because I thought she was a Wiccan (she was) and I wanted to see Neo-Paganism outside of my own community. How amusing to discover that over time she has moved from Wicca to something very like my own spirituality. Did I just hear the name #Brigit?

One thing that especially struck me was her discussion of how she has worked with Brigit in understanding her own spiritual needs, and these include finding the courage to look at her self and her behaviours honestly.

I just love this woman!

MoonCon 21 "Brigit Panel"

 

So this just happened! I really enjoyed our #Brigit Panel. And that swirling white streak beneath Erin Aurelia and I is actually Morgan Daimler, manifesting in our shared realm.

If you want to watch the rest of the Con, you can find the sessions on Facebook and YouTube :

https://www.facebook.com/MoonBooks

Our Brigit panel (available on video):

https://fb.watch/5XBxGpw-fs/

OR

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ2_r1CUgx8&list=PLuNR40Q7BCOkgs3wPiTw1GfJbOeLbovoL&index=9

Image: Screenshot, 5 June 2021, MoonCon 21 by Mael Brigde.

Interview with Druid Fiction Writer M. A. Phillips

 

I was just listening to a conversation between two lovely humans. I wanted to share this interview with you because the writer is a devotee of Brigit, as is the main character in her story.

M.A. Phillips is a modern (A.D.F.) druid from the United States. River Magic is her first novel and is also the first in her series, The Rituals of Rock Bay. Megan Black is proprietor of Round the Cauldron, which began as a podcast and has evolved from there. Megan, too, is a devotee of Brigit. So you can imagine my pleasure in listening to the two of them talk.

You can hear their conversation in a variety of places. This link will take you to the trunk from which those links branch off.

Happy listening. Happy reading.